Ortins Cop Local Rec. Softball Championship
Second row, Pete Wall, Jim Phalen, Joe Purpura, Stan Hayward, Charlie Parker, Russ Czyryca.
Third row, Don Johnson and Capt. Gus Purpura. Missing when photo was taken, Mike Graney and Jasper Pazniokas. (Ken McLean Photo)
Ortin’s Sporting Goods softball team, had just won the Norwood Recreation League championship, and Manager Jack Walker was happy.
“You know softball isn’t as soft as many people believe,” he observed. “We’ve been hit hard with injuries all season. Pete Wall suffered a broken leg, I had a broken finger, and Stan Hayward was sidelined, too.”
This is resounding evidence to support Walker’s case. The team which rolled up an 11-0-1 record in league play, and an overall 19-3-1 slate was plagued with hard luck all season.
Despite the growing list of the walking wounded, Walker’s crew stayed atop league standings, and it was a balanced squad which produced this—good pitching, good hitting, good fielding, and good depth, to offset the injuries.
Tappy Venterosa was the club’s leader in the hitting department. He hit over.650. Don Johnson hit five homers, his final circuit smash being of the tape measure variety-some 400 feet, and that’s quite a poke for a softballer.
Captain Gus Purpura was the team’s iron man. He played every inning of every game in center field.
In addition to the club’s lofty status in the local softball ratings, they also placed second in the Elks’ Tournament, and runner-up in the Norfolk County Tournament in Canton.
The generosity of local merchant Tony Ortin made possible his team’s participation in the post-season tourneys. Ortins supplied his squad with a full uniform, also, which is more extravagant than the usual attire for the softball competition.
“It’s only 46 feet from the mound to home plate,” Walker reminds, “but that ball really moves.” With several local factories and businesses represented in the Norwood Softball League, Walker confidently lauds his teammates on the occasion of their supremacy in the softball league, only 46 feet separating batter from, pitcher, yet a truly challenging game to play. He’s glad his team came out on top.
By NICK CURRAN
(All articles originally published in the Norwood Messenger)