The Sporting Life

Ever since his days as a catcher for the Norton (Massachusetts) High School varsity baseball team, homeplate has felt like a second home to Adam Pellerin, BS ’02.

At Suffolk, Pellerin was the Rams’ starting catcher for three years. An all-purpose performer, he posted a career batting average of .300 and led the Rams to two NCAA tournament appearances. He was the team’s Defensive Player of the Year as a sophomore and junior, as well as its Most Valuable Player and team captain during his senior season.

He was also one of the top players on perhaps the best squad in University history. With a 38-9 overall record—the most wins in program and school history—the 2000 varsity team went on to become New England Division III Champions and was inducted in the University’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 2013.

When Pellerin graduated with his degree in communications, his baseball playing career may have come to a close, but his time in the ballpark was only just beginning. Today, he works as a television host and reporter for New England Sports Network (NESN), where his duties include hosting the cable station’s pre-and-post-game Red Sox coverage.

“Baseball is my favorite sport and I love talking about the game,” he says. “I grew up a big fan of all the Boston pro teams, and now I’m covering them on a daily basis.”

In his dozen years with NESN, Pellerin has worked alongside many former Red Sox stars, including Jim Rice, Dennis Eckersley, and Jonathan Papelbon, as well as the late Tim Wakefield and Jerry Remy (both a veteran player and the team’s longtime announcer).

His experience as a collegiate player allows him to hold his own when discussing the game with former pros. “I know what it feels like when a catcher gets hits with a foul tip because it’s happened to me,” he says. And how does it feel? “It really hurts.”

During the game, Pellerin can be found in “The Pit,” diagonally across from the Zamboni entrance, where he conducts six 30-second reports and a one-minute player interview after the first period. When the game ends around 9:30 p.m., he’s off to the coach’s press conference followed by player interviews before heading home.

'Nothing is handed to you'

Just like professional sports, sports broadcasting can be highly competitive, pushing Pellerin to be on top of his game every day. “In life, nothing is handed to you,” he says. “A good work ethic is the foundation for success in anything that you do. I’m always willing to take on any assignment and give it my all.”

Giving everything he had was a trademark of Pellerin’s as a four-year student-athlete at Suffolk.

“Adam was an excellent all-around player, but what stood out about him was his leadership and effort,” says current Director of Athletics and former Head Baseball Coach Cary McConnell. “You couldn’t tell if we were up by one run or down by ten, because Adam gave 100% of himself on every play. He led by example by how hard he worked, and that elevated the play of everyone on the team.”

Pellerin, who is still close with many of his former teammates, looks back at his time at Suffolk with pride. “It was a special time because of all the relationships I built with coaches, players, and professors,” he says. “I was also taught good study habits and time management to maintain good grades as a student-athlete. Suffolk prepared me for the transition to the real world.”

Pellerin’s advice to Suffolk students interested in breaking into sports communications is to keep an open mind and explore all options available.

“You have to seek out opportunity because opportunity is not going to seek you out,” he says. “Be aggressive in getting internships, and when you get one, look for different roles in that company. You need to network, ask a lot of questions, and get out of your comfort zone.”