Peter tells me that Keith was the starting pitcher for Swampscott Little League in 1978. They almost went to the Little League World Series on his left arm. He also played first base. Apparently he was quite the baseball player (Keith's friends Rob and Jack recently told me that Keith was the best stickball player in MA!)
Here is the Summary (or you can read more here):
In perhaps the most exciting Massachusetts state tournament ever played, Keith Freedman's bases-loaded single with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning scored Paul Moran and gave a resilient Swampscott team its first ever state title.
Swampscott had fallen behind Taunton West by a 5-0 margin (pitcher John Ghenses' two-run homer in the first was the key blow), but the North Shore team responded with four in the third. With Taunton West still leading 5-4 in the bottom of the sixth inning, Swampscott again rallied. Jamie Murphy singled and scored on Timmy Hyde's double to tie the score. Hyde was later picked off second, but Swampscott loaded the bases before Freedman delivered his game-winning hit.
In a wild semifinal win over Medford North, Swampscott scored four, four, and three runs in the first three innings to race to an 11-0 lead. Medford North responded by sending 17 batters to the plate and scoring 12 runs in the third inning to take the lead. Swampscott (17 hits on the game) kept pounding away. The Baby Blue scored five in the fourth to take a 16-12 lead. Jamie Murphy had a key RBI double to tie the game, and third baseman Paul Moran (who went 5-for-5) doubled in two more. Medford cut the Swampscott lead to two, but could come no closer. Medford North had two runners on base and the potential winning run at the plate in the bottom of the sixth inning when Swampsoctt relief pitcher Kyle Mueller registered a game-ending strikeout to put his team in the finals.
1 comment:
I played on Keith's teams in Little League and Babe Ruth league for it seems most of my childhood. We kept getting drafted by the same coach who from painful memory must have been extremely fond of both national socialism and the klan. If you didn't laugh you'd cry and we used to get a kick out of winding him up. Keith and I were of the more sensitive variety (artistic, liberal, smart vs. brutal, assaulting, moronic!!) on the teams. The pressure was absolutely unbearable at times though - especially when I look back that was probably the most stress I've ever faced in my life and Keith too. As a 12 year old little leaguer! I think that was a big reason why he was so relaxed and easy-going later. Our little league team went years without losing - we were the Yankees of course. I think we lost one game in three years. I remember how well he would react to stressful situations and it always seemed to give him an advantage. He taught me a lot at such a young age. Swampscott LL was like getting home from a tour of duty - you felt like life would all be gravy after that. Or post traumatic stress syndrome!! He was such a great pitcher - he always liked throwing inside and we all enjoyed him nailing certain idiots frequently.
Later we both lived in Somerville and he used to do T-shirt runs for a couple of bands that I played in. I used to enjoy hanging with him at the Brickbottom Studio in Somerville. I loved those biscuit boy tees. He was a real cool cat - I was shocked and very sad to hear that he was gone. World seems like a darker place without him.
This blurb from Barstool sports - it's funny and kinda wraps up Swampscott LL in the late 70's:
I grew up in Swampscott, AKA baseball capital of Massachusetts. I don’t care where you’re from, the odds are that you could pick any year and we probably had a better Little League Team, Senior Little League Team, High School team, Legion team and North Shore League team than your town did. (NSBL is for Ron Burgandy) It’s just the way it is. And our baseball dominance all started with Little League where Swampscott made the UCLA Dynasty look like child’s play. We were like the Soviets in hockey at the height of their dominance only the pressure was slightly more intense in Swampscott. Therefore, it’s with a heavy heart that I’m here to report that Swampscott Little League has officially gone to the birds. Apparently this year Swampscott LL features an 8-team league including two Nahant teams and all 8 teams make the playoffs. This is the worst news I’ve heard all year. First of all anybody who is familiar with Nahant knows that they haven’t produced a good athlete or a contributing member to society in the history of the town. Mixing them into Swampscott Little League will poison the whole system. Second, how do all 8 teams make the playoffs? The thing I loved about Swampscott LL was that it was one of the last places that only cared about winning and not how little uncoordinated Johnny felt about riding the pine. Apparently the PTA finally got their way with this everybody makes the playoffs atmosphere. An all inclusive playoff system is a joke and sets a horrible example for life. Not everybody can grow up to be a winner. The world needs ditch diggers too. I’m so sick of this everybody needs to feel good revolution. And if it can get to Swampscott Little League, god knows what’s next?
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