Channeling the spirit of miraculous underdog victories, the Norwood American Legion baseball team captured the Northeast Regional Championship in Manchester, N.H., earning the right to represent the Northeast in the Legion World Series in Stevens Point, Wis.
Dramatic Doubleheader Sweep in Manchester
Playing through extreme exhaustion after winning two doubleheaders in as many days, Norwood took the hard road to the title:
- Game One: Edged White River Junction, Vt., in a tight 7-6 nail-biter.
- Game Two: Decisively defeated favored Portland, Maine, 10-2, to secure the regional crown.
Norwood advanced to open World Series play against Quincy, Ill., joining a double-elimination bracket featuring elite regional champions from Boyertown, Pa.; Midwest City, Okla.; Boulder, Col.; Tampa, Fla.; Vancouver, Wash.; and Cincinnati, Ohio.
Overcoming Adversity and Key Player Performances
Norwood’s championship run required extraordinary resilience after star pitcher Bob Baxter pulled a muscle in his throwing arm Sunday while pitching a 14-8 victory over New London, Conn. Stepping into the void, smooth right-hander Jim McCready delivered a heroic pitching performance, earning saves in three consecutive games—including the morning thriller—before taking the mound against Portland’s potent bats.
“I thought they’d score at least five runs in my seven innings,” McCready admitted. “I guess it was just good defense. Jimmy’s [Delbou] home run killed them and after that, I just took it one batter at a time.”
Norwood’s offense erupted early against Portland:
- Third Inning: After a walk and a fielder’s choice loading the bases, Jim Delbou crushed a waist-high breaking pitch over the left-center field fence for a grand slam, staking Norwood to a 4-0 lead.
- Fourth Inning: Norwood blew the game open with a five-run frame highlighted by an RBI single from Baxter, a two-run double by Dan O’Rourke, and an RBI sacrifice fly by Delbou, stretching the advantage to 9-1. An insurance run in the fifth capitalized on a Portland outfield error.
McCready weathered a solo home run by Portland’s Jim Viola in the sixth, scattering few hits before handing the ball to Scott Generazo, who hurled two shutout innings of relief to secure the 10-2 victory and hoist the New England Regional Championship Trophy.
“It was blood and guts—that’s all I can say,” said an emotionally drained Coach Pete Wall. “I knew it would be tough, but I knew I had to have McCready for seven. He did an outstanding job.”
Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger
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