Vintage Norwood Ballplayers Reunite to Recall The “Good Old Days”-This Day in Norwood History-June 20, 1957

Turn-of-the-Century “Horse ‘n Buggy” Masters Evoke Memories of the Trolley League, Sandlot Slugging, and Norwood’s First Big Leaguers

An extraordinary piece of local athletic history has recently come to light in Norwood, bridging the gap between modern mid-century sports and the legendary “horse ‘n buggy” era of the town’s athletic infancy. Joe Eppich of Norwood, renowned manager of the championship Bird & Son regulation baseball and softball teams of the middle 1930s, made the fascinating discovery while hunting through storage for baseball equipment for his young son, who currently plays in the Norwood Little League. Deep within a long-forgotten trunk, Eppich uncovered an official scoring ledger more than fifty-five years old. The book was originally kept by the late Gene Winslow, who faithfully recorded the strikes, balls, runs, and errors of early Norwood baseball games played at the turn of the twentieth century. Eppich’s late mother had originally found the historical ledger while working as a domestic servant for the prominent Winslow family at their estate on Walpole Street.

The precious scorebook, binding intact but pages yellowed like an old butcher’s hook, has been put back into circulation among local sporting circles. It is currently held by Michael “Mickey” Nugent, who has promised to pass it along to the surviving veterans of those early diamonds. Upon being interviewed by local sportswriter Frank Karshis, a notable contingent of these “Old Masters” proved that they are far from being inactive museum pieces. With exceptionally sharp memories, these local legends easily recalled their turn-of-the-century heyday when baseball helped put the town of Norwood on the regional map.

The athletic accomplishments of these pioneer athletes played a vital foundational role in the civic development and character of the community. Longtime local observer and recently retired businessman Tom Donovan noted that watching these early ballplayers popularize the game gave Norwood a reputation as one of the most vibrant and colorful towns in the entire Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

According to historical records, including the Official Commemoration and Chronicle of Norwood published in 1947 for the town’s 75th anniversary, organized baseball in this area actually predates the official incorporation of Norwood by at least three years, stretching back into its days as South Dedham. One of those earliest pioneer clubs of the late 1860s and early 1870s proudly called themselves the Tiots, featuring local diamond pioneers like Frank Bateman, William Cotter, Willard Everett, Monroe Boyden, and Isaac Boyden. Following them in the 1890s came the original local professionals, a rugged group that featured George Morrill, Herb Bailey, Tom Donahue, and Fred Merrifield. It was during this era that Johnny Kiley, Sr. carved out an immortal legacy by becoming Norwood’s very first major leaguer, breaking into the big leagues to play outfield for the old Washington Nationals.

By the golden era of 1901 to 1910, the town’s premier team was known as the Norwood A.C. (Athletic Club). One of its standout stars was Johnny “Big Bing” Callahan, who, now 74 years old, was a handsome, imposing 20-year-old first baseman at the turn of the century. Callahan, a powerful right-handed slugger, earned his distinctive nickname from his ability to consistently drive the old, dead ball deep into the outfield. Big Bing was also widely respected as a daring and brilliant base runner; whenever he managed to get on base, he was notorious for stealing third base to put himself in position to score the run that counted.

The Callahan family name is deeply woven into American baseball history. Big Bing’s younger brother by eight years, widely known as “Little Bing” (Johnny Callahan), followed in the footsteps of Johnny Kiley, Sr. to become a major leaguer, playing as a pitcher for the Chicago White Sox before moving west to enjoy a celebrated career with Los Angeles in the old Pacific Coast League.

Big Bing fondly recalled the days when Berwick Park was the absolute mecca for all local sports, particularly baseball. Many of the most hard-fought and memorable games of that era were staged at the grounds now occupied by the Elks Club, providing generations of townspeople with pleasant weekend afternoon entertainment. Another early baseball cradle was the park once situated at the corner of Prospect Street and Vernon Street, where traditional town band concerts were held directly following the games, illuminated at dusk by a dramatic, flaming gas pipe. In those days, homemade ice cream was a rare luxury, and the favorite ballpark delicacies sold to the crowds were fresh peanuts and candy.

Johnny “Hick” Curtin, a diminutive but iron-willed 126-pound former quarterback and clutch-hitting infielder, provided vivid recollections of the primitive landscapes of Prospect Park, Dean Field, and the Old Everett Field. Curtin recounted the epic, traveling battles of what the players affectionately dubbed the “Trolley League.” Because automobiles were nonexistent, teams traveled exclusively by electric trolley car and bicycle to face rival clubs like the famed Downey Chocolate Club of Mansfield, which boasted a beautiful manicured diamond.

The Norwood A.C. players routinely packed their gear onto trolleys or pedaled their bicycles to compete in Walpole, Mansfield, Dedham, Readville, Hyde Park, Cambridge, and Concord. To reach further destinations like New Dorchester and Stoughton, they commuted via the Boston and Maine Railroad. Traveling by bicycle was effective but frequently came with a competitive disadvantage, as the long, dusty miles often exhausted the ballplayers before they ever set foot on their rivals’ fields.

The turn-of-the-century semi-pro league featured some of the finest baseball ever witnessed in Norfolk County, characterized by a fierce but friendly border rivalry with Walpole. The old-timers fondly recalled legendary Walpole players like Mike Hawkins, Bill Ahearn, and Tom Ahearn, who are still alive today. They also paused to mourn the recent passings of Walpole’s former Boston Red Sox player Bill Sline, who died last year, and the legendary local ballplayer Tap Geary, who passed away just this year.

The Norwood athletes of that era were remarkably versatile. If the team was short an infielder, they called upon the reliable Obed “Obie” Keddy to patrol the dirt. When they needed an extra outfielder, “Odie” Coughlin would step up, famously patrolling the grass and catching high fly balls barehanded without the aid of a leather glove. Umpiring duties were generally shared among the players when official arbiters weren’t available, but Obie Keddy was the undisputed, permanent “Man-in-Blue” whenever controversies arose, as he had completely mastered the official rulebook.

High school baseball officially arrived in Norwood around 1901. Mickey Nugent, a celebrated, all-around star athlete who dominated the front pages of the early local newspapers, was the centerpiece of many legendary sports stories. Nugent still proudly possesses a well-preserved photograph of Norwood High School’s very first basketball team, on which he was the breakout star. In those early days, the high school basketball games were held at the old Village Hall on Broadway, drawing packed houses.

On the high school diamond, the early Norwood boys played a demanding and prestigious schedule against schools from all over eastern Massachusetts, traveling to face Malden, Walpole, South Boston High, Boston Latin, Everett High, Boston College High, Roxbury, Newton, Watertown, Foxboro, Salem High, Brockton, Mechanic Arts, Middlesex, and Jamaica Plain, as well as highly competitive exhibition matches against the Norwood Alumni. Nugent noted that old-timers like Pat Nugent and John “Babe” Nugent, now 88 and 89 years old respectively, can still remember those pioneering days of schoolboy sports.

In those formative years, the games were scored by men like Bill Hale and Gene Winslow, while the colorful local press coverage and publicity were provided by sportswriters like Porky Smith, writing for the old Norwood Dart, the Norwood Advertiser, and the Norwood Messenger.

Reflecting on the evolution of the national pastime, the gathered veterans agreed that modern baseball is a much faster, more lively game, played under vastly superior field conditions. However, Johnny Curtin added with a laugh that one timeless element has never changed: “Umpires haven’t changed a bit.” As the reunion drew to a close, the Norwood Old Timers expressed a collective, final wish for the future of the town’s youth: they want to see the modern kids of the Norwood Little League keep working hard, carrying on the proud local tradition, and sending more players from the town into the big leagues.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Norwood Messenger