HOT WEATHER AND HOT BATS AT THE 2009
BRENDAN GRANT MEMORIAL BASEBALL TOURNAMENT

Fifth Annual Tournament Held
Friday and Saturday, 22 & 23 May 2009 in Belmont, Massachusetts
 
Hot sunny weather and solid crowds were on hand for the Fifth Annual “Brendan Grant Memorial Day Baseball Tournament” held at the Brendan Grant Memorial Field on Friday and Saturday 22 & 23 May 2009. Once again the Tournament was a strong success with a good showing of top quality high school baseball, witnessed by the fans who also enjoyed free food and drinks provided throughout all four games.
 
For the first time in the five years since holding this tournament, Winchester came out on top and brought home the championship trophy.  They were in a corner and needed to win both games to qualify for the Middlesex League playoffs, and they did so by scoring a dazzling 36 runs in fourteen cumulative innings over two games. 

All four teams showed plenty of excellent baseball.  With Winchester as the overall winner, Lynnfield placed in the number 2 runner-up slot, followed by Belmont and then Austin Prep.  A very stiff breeze existed for both days, but interestingly it was blowing in from left field on the first day keeping the long balls from leaving the park, and blowing out to left field the second day, assisting multiple homeruns.
 
On Friday, May 22nd the tourney opened at 2:15 pm with Winchester at Belmont.  This contest counted for both Belmont and Winchester as a Middlesex League game, and was an important win for Winchester who needed it to get into the Middlesex League playoffs.   They came through under pressure, beating Belmont solidly by a score of 15 to 3.  Belmont came out with a quick three runs in the first two innings, but it was all Winchester after that.  To Belmont's credit, they were playing shorthanded without a number of their starting Seniors, and they fought hard against a talented Winchester club.

The second game on Friday started late at 5:30 pm and also showed plenty of talent, skill, and  power.  Austin Prep jumped to a comfortable 8 to 3 lead, but Lynnfield battled back and scored 8 unanswered runs of their own to steal the game by a score of 11 to 8.  Austin Prep was the visiting team and Lynnfield was given home field status.   Fortunately the game finished just before sunset, alleviating the concern that extra innings would delay its completion until the following morning.

The final two games of the tournament were played on Saturday, 23 May 09.  In the consolation game at 11:00 am Belmont was the home team and came out on top of Austin Prep in a 13 to 11 slug-fest.  Both squads played hard and displayed plenty of well-honed baseball skills.  Included among the big hits was a grand slam by Belmont Junior Vincent Cortina in the fifth inning, and two solo homeruns by Austin Prep Senior Pat Delaney who went 5 for 6 over both days.

In the 2:00 pm Championship Game, the Lynnfield team was pitted against Winchester as the home team through a coin toss.  Winchester needed this win and they jumped to an early lead and never looked back.  This was a day for the batters and their batting averages, with Winchester prevailing though an amazing final score of 21 to 9.  There were plenty of hits to go around, including Tournament MVP Patrick Lucas (Senior Captain for Winchester) who went 3 for 3.  Also among the fan favorites was Winchester Junior Bob Corcoran who went 5 for 5 on the day with two singles, two doubles and a home run.  Faithful fans will be looking forward to his return next year.

Winchester earned their first tournament win since the start of the Brendan Grant Memorial Tournament in 2005.  The first two years of the tournament had Lynnfield bringing home the championship trophy, followed by Belmont's turn to have back-to-back tournament championship wins.   Click here for all the details on last year's tournament contest. The standings since the tournament first began are:
     2005: (1) Lynnfield, (2) Winchester, (3) Belmont, (4) Bedford
     2006: (1) Lynnfield, (2) Belmont, (3) Winchester, (4) Bedford
     2007: (1) Belmont, (2) Austin Prep, (3) Winchester, (4) Lynnfield
     2008: (1) Belmont, (2) Austin Prep, (3) Winchester, (4) Lynnfield
     2009: (1) Winchester, (2) Lynnfield, (3) Belmont, (4) Austin Prep

Adding to this year's excitement was a parallel whiffle ball tournament organized for local 9 and 10 year olds participating in Belmont Little League. Approximately 30 young men participated on six teams that played on an adjacent field.  After a series of games the ultimate winner of this "mini" tournament was the turquoise team.  Special thanks are due to Bob Goodwin, David Miers and others who organized and ran this whiffle ball tournament.  This was a lot of fun and we expect to see this again next year.

Numerous volunteers were instrumental in putting this year's tournament together, helping with refreshments, team support, and making sure the field and facility were in fantastic shape so that the entire event ran smoothly.  Most heartfelt thanks have  to be given to the following individuals and companies who, without their generosity, this tournament could not have taken place:
     Brendan Kelleher and Reebok in Canton, MA for donating the various sports apparel;
     Steven Pugliese and Guido's Restaurant in Cambridge, MA for donating much of the food items and ice;
     Holovak & Coughlin Sporting Goods in Arlington MA for donating the T-Shirts;
     Larry Scafidi at Embassy Trophy in Waltham MA for assisting with  the trophies and plaques given to the winning team players; and
     AA Rental in Watertown MA for assistance with the cooking equipment.  

The long list of volunteers is likewise noteworthy, and a tip-of-the-cap goes to all the dedicated volunteers that assisted throughout the tournament.  Special thanks goes to former BHS baseball coach Pete Noone for helping to organize the event and championing the activity behind the scene.  Additional thanks goes to Belmont Athletic Director Jim Davis and the Belmont School System, as well as the crew of the Belmont Grounds and Recreation Department for keeping the field in top shape. 

As those who attended will tell you, the fifth annual Brendan Grant Memorial Day Baseball Tournament provided some top quality good old fashioned high school baseball. Again, our heartfelt thanks go out to all who helped make the event a success. 

We hope to see you at next year’s tournament!