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George Hawley, manager of the Norwood Babe Ruth All-Stars, knew that any hopes of contending for the New England Babe Ruth championship hinged on strong pitching from ace righthander Tom Baxter. Having struggled to get past the third inning in several recent starts, Tom Baxter silenced those doubts by tossing a brilliant four-hitter, leading Norwood to a 2-1 victory over the representatives from Maine in the first round of double-elimination tournament play in Warwick, R.I. The win vaulted Norwood into the winner’s bracket for a matchup against a team from Manchester, N.H.—a contest originally rained out and rescheduled for the following morning.
The story of the ballgame was Tom Baxter, manager George Hawley praised afterward. It was great to see him get past the third inning. In fact, he got stronger after the third. I’m really happy for him. Mixing a blazing fastball with a sharp-breaking overhand curveball, Tom Baxter walked three and struck out seven, retiring the first seven batters before allowing a one-out infield single in the third. Norwood broke through against Maine righty Shane Slicer in the bottom of the third when Tim Coyle hit a two-out single, advanced on a walk to Todd Newman, and scored when Tom Baxter helped his own cause with an RBI single to left. After thwarting a Maine threat in the fourth by picking off Shane Slicer at first base, Norwood doubled its lead in the bottom half when Derek Grudinskas crushed a 400-foot double to left, pinch-runner Brian Adams advanced on a sacrifice by Tom Benson, and Mike Cronin drove him home with a center-field double.
Maine mounted a dangerous rally in the top of the sixth, putting runners on second and third with no outs. But Tom Baxter rose to the occasion, striking out cleanup hitter Rod Bartlett, conceding a sacrifice fly to Jason Douglass, and stranding the tying run by striking out Teddy Quinn on a called third strike. Tom Baxter punctuated his stellar performance by retiring the side in order in the seventh, striking out the final two batters looking.
Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger
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Lou Gehrig League Debuts in Norwood-July 11, 1973
Inaugural Season of the Lou Gehrig Baseball League On July 11, 1973, the newly formed Lou Gehrig League prepared to launch its inaugural teenage baseball season. ⠀ The debut was scheduled for a Thursday night under the lights at American Legion Stadium in Norwood, featuring two teams of 13 and 14-year-old local boys. Named in…
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Norwood Defeats Wellesley 4-1-July 10, 1973
Norwood vs. Wellesley American Legion Baseball On the evening of July 9, 1973, the Norwood American Legion baseball team traveled to Wellesley with aspirations of securing a lead in the Zone 6A standings. The team successfully achieved its goal, returning home with a 4-1 victory, which placed them just a half game ahead of Walpole…
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Norwood’s Upset Victory in Zone 6A American Legion Baseball-July 14, 1971
The Patriot Ledger’s coverage of the Zone 6A American Legion baseball games on July 13, 1971, revealed a series of thrilling matches that left fans on the edge of their seats. One of the most notable upsets occurred when Norwood defeated league leader Needham in a closely contested game. As the evening began, Needham’s Jack…
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Joe Porcello Joins Norwood’s Lineage of All-Around Baseball Superstars-April 5, 1971
Norwood High School has produced its share of standout athletes, and in 1971, Joe Porcello emerged as the latest “does‑it‑all” baseball star. Following in the footsteps of Richie Hebner and Bill Travers, Porcello earned praise for his versatility and dominance on the diamond.Porcello, a senior, excelled in hitting, fielding, and pitching, making him a rare…
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Bill Travers Drafted by Milwaukee Brewers-June 5, 1970
Fresh off setting the all-time Norwood High pitching record, 17-year-old lefty Bill Travers is heading to professional baseball after being drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers.
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Norwood’s Loss Means Title Tie‑This Day In Norwood History‑May 28, 1969
The Norwood Mustangs entered their final Bay State League game of the 1969 season with a simple assignment: defeat a Dedham team sitting below .500 and claim the league championship outright. But baseball has a way of humbling even the strongest clubs, and after 11 tense innings, Norwood found itself on the wrong end of…
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Mustangs’ Coach lopes It Happens-May 22, 1969
On May 22, 1969, Norwood baseball fans were buzzing with anticipation. The Norwood High School Mustangs, already leading the Bay State League, were preparing for a marquee matchup against Walpole. But the real story was the lanky junior left‑hander who had become the talk of the town: Bill Travers. Travers, who had already compiled a…
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Pirates Rookie Richie Hebner On a Hot Streak-May 13, 1969
This Day In Norwood History-May 13, 1969-Pirates Rookie Richie Hebner On a Hot Streak
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Giampa, Hebner Boost Norwood-May 25, 1966
On May 23, 1966, the Norwood High School Mustangs traveled to Natick and delivered a gritty, late‑inning surge to secure a 4–2 Bay State League victory, powered by the steady arm of Joe Giampa and the explosive bat of Richie Hebner. Natick struck first, plating a run in the bottom of the opening inning. But…
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Norwood All-Star Baseball-August 5, 1965
This Day In Norwood History-August 4, 1965-Norwood All-Star Baseball
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