BC Interruption Hall of Fame Inductee - Pete Frates

Today’s BC Interruption Hall of Fame inductee is a face familiar to all of the BC community, Pete Frates.

Frates patrolled the outfield at Shea Field from 2004 to 2007, appearing in 148 career games over four seasons, and was voted captain his senior year. He hit for a career .227 average, while launching 11 homers and driving in 56 runs. Frates was known for his speed on the basepaths, swiping 34 bases in 41 attempts, including 19 during the 2006 season, good for third all-time in the BC record books. A selfless player, Frates is fifth all-time in the career sacrifice hits with 20, including 11 in 2006, placing him seventh all-time in a single season at Boston College.

After his career on the Heights ended, Frates played professionally in Germany, but ultimately made his way back to the states. In 2012, Pete was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, ALS. Lou Gehrig’s Disease as it is commonly referred to, is a neurodegenerative disease that effects nerve cells in the brain spinal cord for which there is currently no cure. Faced with this outlook, Frates has become a warrior in the fight to find a cure for ALS. He has become a leading advocate for ALS research and his work has been featured in many media outlets. In the summer of 2014, Pete initiated the Ice Bucket Challenge, an activity in which individuals dump containers of ice water on their heads to raise money for ALS research. To date the Ice Bucket Challenge has raised over $115 million worldwide, money that has directly contributed to recent breakthroughs with the disease. For his continued efforts in the fight against ALS, Frates was awarded the 2017 NCAA Inspiration Award, an honor that is given to an individual who has used “perseverance, dedication, and determination” to overcome a personal trauma, while at the same time, giving hope and inspiration to others in similar situations. There is no person who better exemplifies the Boston College motto of “men and women for others” than Pete Frates. Since his diagnosis, Pete and his family have been at the forefront of the push to find a cure, in the hopes of ensuring that no other person will have to go through this experience in the future.

Congratulations, Pete! Welcome to the BC Interruption Hall of Fame!