The Norwood American Legion baseball team showcased a high-stakes brand of baseball on the evening of July 2, 1974, demonstrating a masterclass in the “suicide squeeze” play to secure an 8-4 interzone victory over Wellesley at Legion Field.
While the play is often considered a rarity in the modern game, Norwood coach Frank Wall has successfully integrated it into his team’s identity, utilizing it in three consecutive plate appearances during the pivotal sixth inning. This aggressive strategy followed a recent 9-8 triumph over Needham, where Norwood had utilized a pair of successful squeeze bunts to clinch the win. “So, that’s two in a row with the help of bunts,” Wall remarked following the game. “I see them practice it during the high school season, and I felt we’d be able to execute it, too, if we had to.“
The heroics of the sixth inning were a collective effort, as 13 Norwood batters stepped to the plate, completely erasing a 3-0 deficit created by Wellesley earlier in the frame. Second baseman Steve Lang, catcher Kevin Glynn, and pitcher Ken Kates each laid down successful bunts under immense pressure. Lang’s suicide squeeze bunt drove in Dave Steele to tie the game at 3-3. Subsequently, a successful bunt by Glynn, compounded by a Wellesley throwing error, allowed Tom Martin and Bob MacPhee to cross the plate, granting Norwood a 5-3 lead. Kates then bunted to score Lang, extending the lead to 6-3. An additional error by the visitors later in the inning brought in the final two runs.
A strange statistical oddity occurred during this eight-run onslaught: Norwood leadoff batter Gary DePietro reached base via catcher’s interference twice in the same inning. On both occasions, DePietro’s swing resulted in his bat connecting with the catcher’s glove. The victory maintained Norwood’s hold on the top spot in the Zone 6B standings with an 8-2 record, while Wellesley fell to 5-3 in Zone 6A.
On the mound, Ken Kates provided a stellar performance, pitching nearly the entire seven-inning duration. In the top of the seventh, with two outs and the bases loaded, Wall turned to right-hander Bill Breen to close the contest. Breen, a Norwood High School senior-to-be, responded by striking out the final batter to preserve the win. Breen had previously made headlines on Sunday night by striking out 20 batters in a 1-0, nine-inning victory over Westwood. With regular starter Larry Brown away for a five-week stint at the Ted Williams Camp, Breen has proven to be a vital asset to the pitching rotation. “Larry Brown has gone to the Ted Williams Camp for five weeks,” Wall explained, “so Breen got his chance. He throws real hard and he certainly did the job Sunday and again here back for the last two or three games.“
The win capped a grueling stretch for the squad, which had played on five consecutive days, recording a 4-1 record. Norwood looked forward to a well-earned break before returning to the field tomorrow night to face Walpole at 8:00 p.m., with Breen expected to get the starting nod.
Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger
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