PAWTUCKET, RI - U.S. Senator Jack Reed today issued the following statement:

"Ben Mondor was the heart and soul of the PawSox. He did more than just turn around a franchise, he helped lift an entire community and a whole generation of baseball fans. He had a big heart, boundless energy, and a generous soul.

"His exemplary leadership and community service went well beyond baseball and spanned more than four decades in Rhode Island.

"I extend my deepest sympathies to Ben's immediate family and to the extended PawSox family he worked so hard to build."