IL Worcester Red Sox

"Tyler's Teammates" Turns Grief into Goodwill

Published on August 25, 2022 under International League (IL)
Worcester Red Sox News Release


Every day last school year, when 500 students, educators, and staff members entered Paxton Center School, a sky-blue, cloud-filled bulletin board greeted them. "Kindness for Tyler" it read, above a rainbow-colored array of No. 2 cutouts, each one inscribed with an act of kindness.

One student complimented a friend's haircut. Another helped a classmate with math homework. A third listened to a friend who was feeling down. All were inspired by the memory of their fellow classmate and friend, a straight-A student who always went above and beyond to help others and do the right thing.

Paxton Center School

Tyler Trudell was a 13-year-old seventh grader when he peacefully passed away in his sleep May 13, 2021. The Paxton Little Leaguer wore jersey No. 2 for his favorite Major League Baseball star, Boston Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts.

The Worcester Red Sox were preparing to play their third-ever game at Polar Park when the heartbreaking news reached them.

"All of us with the Worcester Red Sox felt the loss of a little boy we didn't even know," said Dr. Charles Steinberg, president of the WooSox and WooSox Foundation. "Within hours of the news, we were moved to acknowledge his passing with a moment of silence. Several of us attended the wake, and we were touched by the sight of his teammates there in their Little League uniforms. The story and the people of Paxton touched us deeply."

Senior Director of Merchandise Katarina Burns ironed "Trudell 2" onto the back of a WooSox jersey to give to Tyler's family. Director of WooSox Productions Tim Quitadamo framed a photograph of Polar Park's left field videoboard, on which he displayed a special graphic created in Tyler's honor. And Clubhouse Manager Mario Oliveira told the story to WooSox shortstop Jeter Downs, who also wears No. 2. The young player signed a ball with a message for the Trudell family.

Like so many others in the midst of boyhood, Tyler preferred to spend as much time as possible outdoors. He enjoyed fishing, hiking, and playing pickup football and basketball with his buddies. He also played ultimate Frisbee and could solve a Rubik's cube-two skills he learned from his older brother, Zach Trudell.

But in so many ways, Tyler was an extraordinary kid-a paragon of all the best mannerisms a ballplayer could have. Hustling on and off the field with a smile. Showing respect for teammates, coaches, and umpires. Giving 100 percent at everything, all the time. He was a top player in the Paxton Little League program as a pitcher and shortstop and earned a roster spot on the All-Stars and Worcester Strike Zone AAU, a competitive travel ball team based less than five minutes from Polar Park.

"He was fun to watch," said Tyler's father, Stephan Trudell. "When he was pitching, he would get the ball and turn around, just confident. A great kid to watch play baseball."

"He had a calm, smooth demeanor on the mound," added Andy Sharry, Tyler's longtime coach and the 2021 Massachusetts Little League Coach of the Year. "He was a leader in his abilities and in his presence."

Though none of us at the WooSox ever met Tyler, it's easy to feel connected to him. It's natural for any baseball fan to be moved by his story. We were all once children who fell in love with America's pastime, and although our Little League days are long gone, some of our sweetest memories are from that time in our lives-sitting at a picnic table at the local ice cream shop with teammates, after a big win in the sweltering summertime heat, when nothing else in the world mattered but that day's game. We all shared Tyler's childlike spirit at one time, and for a lucky few of us, we still have it deep inside.

Tyler's mother, Lynn Trudell, saw an opportunity to honor her son's passion for baseball by helping other children throughout the region discover their own love for the game, especially those who may not have the funds to partake in organized diamond sports.

She and her good friend Janet Huels, along with other devoted friends and family members, began crafting and selling bracelets, which blossomed into a partnership with the WooSox Foundation. At an afternoon assembly at Paxton Center on Valentine's Day earlier this year, the Trudell family and WooSox officials launched "Tyler's Teammates," a program that raises money to help cover the costs of equipment and registration fees. Tyler's eighth grade classmates, as well as teammates, many of whom he played with for eight years, were commemorated as ambassadors of the program with custom T-shirts and certificates.

"The baseball family grew close through Tyler, and I think it's going to grow even closer through 'Tyler's Teammates,'" said Alex Richardson, the WooSox' director of baseball and game day operations, and a coach in the Junior WooSox youth baseball organization. "The program will provide so many avenues for kids to experience the act of falling in love with the sport we all did in our childhood. Ten to 20 years from now, where will all of Tyler's teammates be? Some may be Major League Baseball players. Some may be running a team. One might even become president of the United States. You never know how far the impact of baseball can go."

Tyler might have gone on to become the next Xander Bogaerts, but his legacy, and his family's dedication to keeping it alive, might help another starry-eyed, big-hearted kid fulfill that dream. However, Tyler understood something that the rest of us can sometimes lose sight of: It's the simple things that make a life worthwhile-a collection of small yet significant moments.

Baseball is more than a game. The late, great Buck O'Neil often said that baseball is a sport that is handed down, because in baseball, more so than in other sports, wisdom is passed along within families. A mother teaches her daughter how to hold a bat. A father shows his son the mechanics of throwing a curveball. Tyler's brother, Ben Trudell, spent hours playing wiffle ball with his younger sibling in the backyard, always challenging him to hit the ball "over the shed."

The kindness and commitment of the Trudells will change the lives of so many families in Central Massachusetts and beyond, one child at a time.

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