Buddy LeRoux; was part owner of Sox, real estate baron; at 77

Buddy LeRoux; was part owner of Sox, real estate baron; at 77

Buddy LeRoux, who rose from team trainer to part owner of the Boston Red Sox in the 1970s and 1980s, died of natural causes Monday night. He was 77.

Often a controversial figure in Boston sports – both with the Red Sox and later with his ownership of Suffolk Downs – Mr. LeRoux started as a trainer in the mid-1950s with a minor league affiliate of the Boston Bruins after serving in the US Marine Corps.

Even by then, Mr. LeRoux had begun to build a real estate empire in New England. By 1977, he reportedly had tens of millions of dollars in assets and, with partner Haywood Sullivan, led a group that sought control of the Red Sox, after owner Tom Yawkey died. When some questions arose about the group’s financing, Yawkey’s widow, Jean, joined the consortium and a sale was approved by Major League Baseball.