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Just thought I’d empty out my reporter’s notebook while wondering how the heck the Boston Red Sox went from being the 1962 New York Mets to the 1927 New York Yankees in the blink of an eye.
It was great seeing Norwich, Danielson, and Moosup competing for an American Legion Baseball state championship this week. Danielson’s bid for a second straight trip to the regionals fell short with a loss against Enfield on Thursday night, while Norwich and Moosup were eliminated the previous night.
Defending state champion and reigning Zone 6 champs Waterford cruised into the regionals with victories over Farmington and Glastonbury.
Since 1928, three years after the American Legion Baseball program was founded in Milbank, South Dakota, Connecticut has crowned a legion baseball state champion. Norwich won its only state title in 1999, while Danielson also has one state championship banner (1988). Bristol Post 2 has won a record 14 state titles.
American Legion baseball was the first program in the world to provide a baseball tournament for teenagers. It was founded on traditional values and its importance of sportsmanship, good health and active citizenship still rings true today.
“I always tell the kids that we’re just not here to be coaching you in baseball but we’re here to help you through life and be better men,” Norwich manager Becker Bordeau said. “Facing adversity, like coming in with the bases loaded, that’s stuff they’ve got to work through. They’re going to face tough situations not just in baseball but in life too and we’re here for that.”
It was sad to see participation in American Legion Baseball continue to drop again this summer. There were just 24 19U programs competing in Connecticut this year. I saw a game late in the season where a team showed up with just nine players. And Norwich had to fold its 17U program this season.
With American Legion Baseball on life support, it’s great to see Eastern Connecticut Zone 6 teams Norwich, Danielson, Moosup, Waterford, Tri-Town, and Willimantic still competing in a program that conducts postseason tournaments at the state, sectional and regional levels culminated with a World Series national championship, and has seen 82 of its alumni inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
“We’re trying to make them so much better not just in baseball but better human beings,” Bordeau said. “That’s what I love about coaching. It’s just not always baseball. You also have the life side of it. I look at all these guys and I’m just barely older than some of these kids. It’s a really fun experience and I love doing this.”
Kudos to Westerly's Austin Cilley.
Cilley captured his first Norwich Invitational golf championship with a 5 and 3 win against Jeff DeLucia at the Norwich Golf Course last Sunday. Cilley’s victory was extra special. It came on the tournament’s 100th anniversary.
“This is a prestigious event and it's even better because it's the 100th year and winning stamps your place in the history of the tournament," Cilley told Westerly Sun sportswriter Larry Kelley. “Chipping in to win was a thriller to get the job done. I was just trying to chip it near the cup to tap in to win but it went in. I'm very happy with the effort I put out there.”
The Flight champions for this year’s tournament, the second oldest running amateur golf tournament in the state, included Sean Vigue (First Flight), Matt Chuba (Second Flight), Cam Seiffert (Third Flight), Richard Kutia (Fourth Flight), and Frankie Lee (Fifth Flight).
More: CIAC releases football schedules, divisions for 2026 | Zanor column
Former Norwich Free Academy athletic director Roy Wentworth was the recipient of the Norwich Sports Hall of Fame Sportsperson of the Year Award. Wentworth received the prestigious award at the Hall of Fame’s annual induction dinner in June.
The other award recipients included Bryan Lawson (Joseph Kapteina Service Award), NFA’s Amelia Sujecki and Norwich Tech’s Elanis Garcia (Thamesville AC Scholarships), and NFA’s Andrew Hickey and Norwich Tech’s Emerson Avery (Jack Lonardelli Memorial Award).
The Norwich Sports Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026 included Myles Bradley, Roland “Beans” Carrignan, Chris DeLucia, Bryan Moretti, and Jeff Mullen.
Since 1968, the Norwich Sports Hall of Fame has recognized amazing athletes and teams and their extraordinary athletic accomplishments. Kudos to Hall of Fame committee members Jim Homiski (President), Cindy Shea (Vice-President), Laura Lonardelli (Treasurer), Matt Hinchey (Secretary), and Tom Lewon (President Thamesville AC).
Preston’s Phil Moran and Westerly’s Dick Williams, who grew up in Stonington, are being inducted into the New England Auto Racers (NEAR) Hall of Fame.
The 2026 Hall of Fame Class, which also includes Mike Christopher, Jerry Dosti, John Holland, Kevin LePage, Stan “Sly” Szaban, and Maynard Troyer, will be formally inducted into the NEAR Hall of Fame on Sunday, November 1, 2026, at the Log Cabin in Holyoke, Massachusetts.
Moran, a veteran crew chief, began racing as a teenager in Art Barry’s shop and has worked full-time on race cars since 1985. A winner across five Modified sanctions, Moran earned early NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour victories with Brett Bodine, Jeff Fuller NEAR HoF 2017, and George Kent Jr.
Moran built championship-winning success with Todd Szegedy, Doug Coby, and Ron Silk leading the three drivers to the most wins in five seasons. His résumé includes seven championships, multiple Spring Sizzler wins, victories at New Smyrna, Stafford, Thompson, Riverhead, Oswego, Monadnock, and other major venues, and continued success through 2026, including a SMART Modified Tour win at South Boston.
Williams, a promoter and track operator, began as a crew member on NEAR HoF 1998 Bill Slater’s V-8 team and later served as Stafford Speedway’s handicapper before moving into promotion.
In 1978, Williams formed the Coastal Racing Association (CRA) to lease Waterford Speedbowl, later expanding to Westboro, Monadnock, and Thompson to make CRA a 4-track sanctioning body. Known for competitor support, big-purse extra-distance Modified events, and attracting top stars such as Ron Bouchard NEAR HoF 1998, Williams returned in 2014 as co-creator and promoter of the Tri-Track Open Modified Series, which grew from three races to six by 2019.
Williams has since promoted races under the “Racers Honoring Racers” banner and hosted events at Waterford Speedbowl, Star Speedway, Monadnock Speedway and Claremont Speedway.
More: A look at the Patriots' defenders on the front line before camp
On July 31, 1976, the Boston Red Sox swept the first-place New York Yankees, 4-2 and 6-4, in a Saturday doubleheader at Fenway Park.
Bob Montgomery’s home run against Ken Holtzman was the highlight for the defending American League champion Red Sox in Game 1. Cecil Cooper’s home run against Catfish Hunter helped the Sox win the second game.
The Yankees would go on to win the American League East Division with a 97-62 record and edge Kansas City three games to two for the AL Championship Series. Billy Martin’s Yankees were swept by Cincinnati’s “Big Red Machine” in the World Series.
Jimmy Zanor is a sportswriter for the Norwich Bulletin and can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter@jzanorNB.
This article originally appeared on The Bulletin: Teams still compete in the American Legion postseason | Zanor column
Continue reading...
American Legion Baseball
It was great seeing Norwich, Danielson, and Moosup competing for an American Legion Baseball state championship this week. Danielson’s bid for a second straight trip to the regionals fell short with a loss against Enfield on Thursday night, while Norwich and Moosup were eliminated the previous night.
Defending state champion and reigning Zone 6 champs Waterford cruised into the regionals with victories over Farmington and Glastonbury.
Since 1928, three years after the American Legion Baseball program was founded in Milbank, South Dakota, Connecticut has crowned a legion baseball state champion. Norwich won its only state title in 1999, while Danielson also has one state championship banner (1988). Bristol Post 2 has won a record 14 state titles.
American Legion baseball was the first program in the world to provide a baseball tournament for teenagers. It was founded on traditional values and its importance of sportsmanship, good health and active citizenship still rings true today.
“I always tell the kids that we’re just not here to be coaching you in baseball but we’re here to help you through life and be better men,” Norwich manager Becker Bordeau said. “Facing adversity, like coming in with the bases loaded, that’s stuff they’ve got to work through. They’re going to face tough situations not just in baseball but in life too and we’re here for that.”
It was sad to see participation in American Legion Baseball continue to drop again this summer. There were just 24 19U programs competing in Connecticut this year. I saw a game late in the season where a team showed up with just nine players. And Norwich had to fold its 17U program this season.
With American Legion Baseball on life support, it’s great to see Eastern Connecticut Zone 6 teams Norwich, Danielson, Moosup, Waterford, Tri-Town, and Willimantic still competing in a program that conducts postseason tournaments at the state, sectional and regional levels culminated with a World Series national championship, and has seen 82 of its alumni inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
“We’re trying to make them so much better not just in baseball but better human beings,” Bordeau said. “That’s what I love about coaching. It’s just not always baseball. You also have the life side of it. I look at all these guys and I’m just barely older than some of these kids. It’s a really fun experience and I love doing this.”
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Norwich Invitational
Kudos to Westerly's Austin Cilley.
Cilley captured his first Norwich Invitational golf championship with a 5 and 3 win against Jeff DeLucia at the Norwich Golf Course last Sunday. Cilley’s victory was extra special. It came on the tournament’s 100th anniversary.
“This is a prestigious event and it's even better because it's the 100th year and winning stamps your place in the history of the tournament," Cilley told Westerly Sun sportswriter Larry Kelley. “Chipping in to win was a thriller to get the job done. I was just trying to chip it near the cup to tap in to win but it went in. I'm very happy with the effort I put out there.”
The Flight champions for this year’s tournament, the second oldest running amateur golf tournament in the state, included Sean Vigue (First Flight), Matt Chuba (Second Flight), Cam Seiffert (Third Flight), Richard Kutia (Fourth Flight), and Frankie Lee (Fifth Flight).
More: CIAC releases football schedules, divisions for 2026 | Zanor column
Norwich Sports Hall of Fame
Former Norwich Free Academy athletic director Roy Wentworth was the recipient of the Norwich Sports Hall of Fame Sportsperson of the Year Award. Wentworth received the prestigious award at the Hall of Fame’s annual induction dinner in June.
The other award recipients included Bryan Lawson (Joseph Kapteina Service Award), NFA’s Amelia Sujecki and Norwich Tech’s Elanis Garcia (Thamesville AC Scholarships), and NFA’s Andrew Hickey and Norwich Tech’s Emerson Avery (Jack Lonardelli Memorial Award).
The Norwich Sports Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026 included Myles Bradley, Roland “Beans” Carrignan, Chris DeLucia, Bryan Moretti, and Jeff Mullen.
Since 1968, the Norwich Sports Hall of Fame has recognized amazing athletes and teams and their extraordinary athletic accomplishments. Kudos to Hall of Fame committee members Jim Homiski (President), Cindy Shea (Vice-President), Laura Lonardelli (Treasurer), Matt Hinchey (Secretary), and Tom Lewon (President Thamesville AC).
New England Auto Racing
Preston’s Phil Moran and Westerly’s Dick Williams, who grew up in Stonington, are being inducted into the New England Auto Racers (NEAR) Hall of Fame.
The 2026 Hall of Fame Class, which also includes Mike Christopher, Jerry Dosti, John Holland, Kevin LePage, Stan “Sly” Szaban, and Maynard Troyer, will be formally inducted into the NEAR Hall of Fame on Sunday, November 1, 2026, at the Log Cabin in Holyoke, Massachusetts.
Moran, a veteran crew chief, began racing as a teenager in Art Barry’s shop and has worked full-time on race cars since 1985. A winner across five Modified sanctions, Moran earned early NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour victories with Brett Bodine, Jeff Fuller NEAR HoF 2017, and George Kent Jr.
Moran built championship-winning success with Todd Szegedy, Doug Coby, and Ron Silk leading the three drivers to the most wins in five seasons. His résumé includes seven championships, multiple Spring Sizzler wins, victories at New Smyrna, Stafford, Thompson, Riverhead, Oswego, Monadnock, and other major venues, and continued success through 2026, including a SMART Modified Tour win at South Boston.
Williams, a promoter and track operator, began as a crew member on NEAR HoF 1998 Bill Slater’s V-8 team and later served as Stafford Speedway’s handicapper before moving into promotion.
In 1978, Williams formed the Coastal Racing Association (CRA) to lease Waterford Speedbowl, later expanding to Westboro, Monadnock, and Thompson to make CRA a 4-track sanctioning body. Known for competitor support, big-purse extra-distance Modified events, and attracting top stars such as Ron Bouchard NEAR HoF 1998, Williams returned in 2014 as co-creator and promoter of the Tri-Track Open Modified Series, which grew from three races to six by 2019.
Williams has since promoted races under the “Racers Honoring Racers” banner and hosted events at Waterford Speedbowl, Star Speedway, Monadnock Speedway and Claremont Speedway.
More: A look at the Patriots' defenders on the front line before camp
Comments and observations …
- After Norwich Free Academy boys lacrosse players spent last season competing as a co-operative program with host Montville, the Wildcats are making a triumphant return back to NFA’s Turf Field and fielding its own team again next spring. NFA alum Grant Neuendorf, who has done a terrific job as the Wildcats’ boys soccer coach the past two seasons, has been named the head boys lacrosse coach.
- 45 and 10. Yup, never been done before in WNBA history. That’s 45 points and 10 assists in one game. In 29 minutes. That’s Caitlin Clark. GOAT.
- Is there anything more fun than a Boston Red Sox 15-game winning streak? The last time the Sox won 15 consecutive games was in 1946 when the greatest hitter of all time, Ted Williams, was roaming the outfield. The ‘46 Red Sox, by the way, with Dom DiMaggio, Bobby Doerr, Johnny Pesky, Rudy York, and Williams, who was the AL MVP, might have been the greatest team not to win a World Series.
STUCK IN THE 70s
On July 31, 1976, the Boston Red Sox swept the first-place New York Yankees, 4-2 and 6-4, in a Saturday doubleheader at Fenway Park.
Bob Montgomery’s home run against Ken Holtzman was the highlight for the defending American League champion Red Sox in Game 1. Cecil Cooper’s home run against Catfish Hunter helped the Sox win the second game.
The Yankees would go on to win the American League East Division with a 97-62 record and edge Kansas City three games to two for the AL Championship Series. Billy Martin’s Yankees were swept by Cincinnati’s “Big Red Machine” in the World Series.
You must be registered for see images attach
Jimmy Zanor is a sportswriter for the Norwich Bulletin and can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter@jzanorNB.
This article originally appeared on The Bulletin: Teams still compete in the American Legion postseason | Zanor column
Continue reading...
