The Hancocks tied the semi final series with a win over Herman Hall behind a great pitching effort of the Rockport Rifle Sherm Anderton in fast pitch playoff action on September 5th 1969. Anderton who toils for New England Electric and comes from Rockport, MA is not a stranger to this area as he has pitched in many tournaments and will quickly tell anyone who will listen how his basketball skills for Gloucester High in the old Essex County League.
He took great joy in telling how he was in a league scoring race with a Lawrence sharpshooting now Hall of Famer at the local school namely Don Lydick who now shoots pictures from his studio on Parker St. in Southie.
Anderton was on his game and catcher Chris Decesare still a Methuenite and who now works part time at a Methuen golf driving range was calling an excellent game behind the plate. Sherm was to strike out 10 batters and didn’t allow a Herman Hall player to reach 2nd base until the last inning which is the seventh.
Ernie Wilson was the losing pitcher and he wouldn’t overpower you but his great control and magnificent change up pitch could make some heavy hitters look silly. He had great control and although not a great fastball the word was “he would give you motion, control, a big grimace as he delivered his wares”. I saw him once throw off the wrong foot and although it looked illegal it wasn’t and it was another of his tools to get the hitter off balance. He was a pretty good hitter and could field his position very well. To win a game against Ernie Wilson was not an easy fete.
Dave Peters a former LHS baseball captain and now a fine defensive right fielder for the Hancocks started the third inning with a single, a ground out and another single by Tom McGowan who also captained the LHS team as a pitcher rapped a ringing single to rf to score Peters. Tom was a good lefty hitter with good speed and unfortunately God took him from us at a much too young time.
In the 4th, Hancocks’ ss Dick McCarron singled on a blazer to center field. Bill Bateman a Central Catholic Hall of Famer hits a long triple to right center. Decesare who could play any position, was particularly valuable when catching Anderton because Sherm loved throwing a power rise ball and Chris knew how to help his pitcher set the hitters up for that pitch.
Well, Chris singles Bateman in, John Lenihan the first baseman and a fine left-handed hit who could get out of a midnight bed and hit a line drive drilled a shot to rf. John who is now retired from New England Electric also played little league baseball with Bateman and the Funky Broadway ss Bob Hannigan was a quiet guy and always let his bat talk for him. Anderton followed with a base hit and Bobby Deluca followed with a fielder’s choice that accounted for the final runs for the winners.
The Hermans ss Willie Cartier, who later retired from the City of Lawrence DPW and went on to tend bar at the British Club in So Lawrence, opened the seventh with a single the first hit off Anderton and Iry Wermers a speedster beat out a bunt. Wermers answered to the nickname of “Minsky” given to him by teammates Dave Miller, the team manager and third baseman Bill Timmons still a So Lawrence resident and an all time great Lawrence athlete.
Dave Downey was pitcher for this team that once was playing at the Concordia Club and they always played hard and to win but never sulked or beefed about any losses. Bateman snared a wicked line drive to rob Downey of a sure hit and then fielded and robbed “Minsky” of a bunt single in the Third. The finals are on the horizon.
Some awards for league play: Bill Bateman was the MVP and teammate John Lenihan was named sportsmanship winner; George Simonian was named manager of the year as his team won the league pennant; his Funky Broadway team received a trophy emblematic for winning the league title at a ceremony held at the Herman Hall that a few years later would burn to the ground. George and his team would now be taking dead aim on winning the playoff title which considered the ultimate league champions.
The final season standings were as follows: Funky Broadway 19 & 9; Hancocks 18 & 10; Herman Hall 18 & 10; Vic’s Place 17 & 11; Perdis Roofing 15 & 13; Sargent Club 13 & 15; Turn Hall 2 & 21; Honeywell 5 & 23. This was one more successful season for the players and the fans of the city, a league that could rank right up to the top with all other leagues throughout the State. I don’t want to forget our team collection man who would also secure the bases at every game and was known to everyone, fans and players alike. Yes JoJo Abdinoor was as important as any manager, player or pitcher who ever played in the league.
