A Pitching Duel Ends in a Hard-Fought Deadlock

On July 21, 1972, the atmosphere at Norwood’s Legion Field was thick with the tension of a high-stakes postseason race as the local Norwood American Legion Baseball squad faced off against their rivals from Needham. The game, a critical matchup within the Zone 6A American Legion baseball league, carried significant weight, as both teams sought to secure second place in a standings race firmly led by Wellesley. After a grueling contest, the teams concluded in a 1-1 tie—an outcome that left the players and coaches frustrated yet cognizant of the exceptional play that had defined the evening.

Needham coach Norm Gledhill offered a colorful assessment of the draw, famously remarking, “It’s like kissing your sister.” This frustration stemmed from the high level of competition between the two clubs and the stellar performances of their respective starting pitchers, Chris Dixon and Burt Bornstein. Both hurlers commanded the mound with poise, stifling offensive rallies and forcing a defensive stalemate that seemed destined for a dead heat.

Chris Dixon, a notable basketball athlete from Xaverian Brothers High School, delivered a dominant performance for Norwood. He maintained a no-hitter against the visiting Needham team for 5 2/3 innings. The shutout was eventually broken when Needham’s Joe Flynn struck a ground ball up the middle, driving home Russ Ricciardelli, who had reached base on an error and advanced via a walk to Burt Bornstein.

Burt Bornstein, the starting pitcher for Needham and a guard at Catholic Memorial High School, demonstrated a familiar competitive intensity, likely fueled by his previous encounters with Chris Dixon on the basketball courts of the Catholic Conference. Burt Bornstein was equally effective, yielding only three hits throughout the game. The lone Norwood run occurred in the fourth inning after a two-out single by Brian Clougher allowed Joe Porcello to score, mirroring the nature of the Needham run.

The contest was punctuated by missed offensive opportunities, particularly for Needham. In the sixth inning, Paul Harrington attempted to advance Russ Ricciardelli to third on a bunt but instead popped out to Chris Dixon. In the seventh inning, with leadoff hitter Steve Scheufele on first base, Paul McGonagle bunted a foul pop-out to third base, stifling a potential go-ahead rally. Reflecting on the match, both Norm Gledhill and Norwood coach Don McPhee concurred that, given the caliber of the pitching, a 0-0 tie might have been a more accurate reflection of the game. “Of course, a tie is better than a loss,” Norm Gledhill noted, “but I honestly thought we had everything going for us. Butch was pitching well, and Dixon was pitching well.”

As the season entered its final stretch, the schedule appeared to favor Norwood, with upcoming matchups against Ashland, Framingham, and Walpole. Don McPhee reflected on the season’s challenges, specifically pointing to a recent upset loss to Ashland as a missed opportunity. He noted that the team had been hampered by a lack of available catchers, forcing Chris Dixon to take on the position for three games the previous week. “We never should have lost that one,” Don McPhee said, “but we didn’t have our catchers. In fact, Dixon had to catch three games last week. But I guess you can’t get ’em back once they’re gone.” Meanwhile, Needham remained in contention to repeat as Zone 6A champions, though they faced a difficult road ahead with upcoming games against Dedham, Natick, and two against Wellesley.

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