West Hartford’s American Legion Post 96 U19 team won the Connecticut title for the first time since 1973, beating Danbury 10-1 on Saturday afternoon.
The team celebrates as West Hartford Post 96 swept the American Legion state championship, beating Danbury for the team’s first title in 50 years. Photo credit: Eric Mallinson
By Ronni Newton. Photos by Eric Mallinson
It’s been half a century, but West Hartford’s American Legion Post 96 U19 baseball team captured the state championship on a steamy Saturday afternoon, notching their second decisive wins and sweeping the first two games of the best-of-3 series.
On Friday at Palmer Field in Middletown, the 96ers beat Danbury 6-1, and on Saturday– in a game that was rescheduled for 3 p.m. to beat the forecast thunderstorms – they won game No. 2, 10-1. The last time the West Hartford team won the state championship was 1973 – possibly before some parents of the team members were even born.
The 96ers did compete in the finals in 2017, but lost to Stamford.
Danbury was the defending state champion.
“There wasn’t a lot of pressure leading into the game,” said Brendan Grady, a 2023 Conard High School graduate who will play baseball for Trinity College next year and got the nod as the pitcher for Saturday’s game. After a win in the first game, he knew that a loss in the second game would still leave one more chance.
Brendan Grady went the distance in game No. 2 of the American Legion State Championship, leading West Hartford to the win. He was named MVP. Photo credit: Eric Mallinson
And it was hot, Grady said. The humidity was sky-high on Saturday, and the temperature hovered around 90 degrees. The first three innings were tiring. The game was tied 1-1 after the second.
West Hartford scored four more in the bottom of the third.
Lenny Burke, one of the players from the 1973 team that won the championship for West Hartford had given the kids a pep talk before Saturday’s game.
Lenny Burke, a member of the 1973 Post 96 team, speaks to the current team before Saturday’s game. Photo credit: Eric Mallinson
“When the fourth inning hit, I had a lot of energy,” said Grady.
West Hartford had already played six games in five days, coming out of the loser’s bracket to beat RCP in the must-win game of the Northern Region finals last week by a score of 4-1.
Grady capitalized on that energy, as did the team’s offense. He held the opponents scoreless and by the bottom of the fourth, after scoring four more runs, West Hartford led 9-1.
Grady not only got the win, but he was named MVP of the championship series.
Brendan Grady went the distance in game No. 2 of the American Legion State Championship, leading West Hartford to the win. He was named MVP. Photo credit: Eric Mallinson
“Honestly, just as a competitor I wanted to win it,” he said, and also wanted to finish out the season with his friends. He said that Tristan Baron – the closer for Friday night’s game – and Matt Santoro, both of whom also graduated from Conard this spring, also came back to play with Post 96 this year. The trio has played together since they were 10. And Tyler Redden, who caught for Grady on Saturday, was once the bat boy for his team.
“The approach these young men had over the last two weeks was solidified by the word ‘BELIEVE’ … they were challenged just before post season play to believe in themselves and their brothers,” said Post 96 head coach Sean McCann. “They bought all in and it won them a state title.”
Post 96 team members depart via coach bus for the Regionals in Shrewsbury, MA, on Tuesday, and play begins Wednesday. The winner of the Regionals heads to the American Legion Baseball World Series in Shelby, NC, scheduled for Aug. 10-15.
“We obviously have a lot of momentum,” Grady said. He said Baron’s advice heading into the regionals is to “do as much damage as we can.” They’re the only team in the regionals that was not there last year.
West Hartford Post 96 swept the American Legion state championship, beating Danbury for the team’s first title in 50 years. Photo credit: Eric Mallinson
“We’re just going to go in there and bird-dog everyone,” Grady said.
Grady’s summer has already been baseball-focused, and he has been doing the workouts provided by Trinity to prepare for his college career. Some of the other Post 96 players, however, have had to give up family trips to places like Hawaii because of the team going so deep into the post-season.
“We might be giving up some stuff, but we’re all in,” said Grady.
McCann said it still feels like a dream winning the state championship.
“Members of the the 1973 team have reached out and will be coming to our first Regional game on Wednesday. It’s so surreal,” McCann said.
West Hartford Post 96 swept the American Legion state championship, beating Danbury for the team’s first title in 50 years. Photo credit: Eric Mallinson
West Hartford Post 96 swept the American Legion state championship, beating Danbury for the team’s first title in 50 years. Photo credit: Eric Mallinson
Lenny Burke, a member of the 1973 Post 96 team, speaks to the current team before Saturday’s game. Photo credit: Eric Mallinson
Lenny Burke, a member of the 1973 Post 96 team, speaks to the current team before Saturday’s game. At right is coach Sean McCann. Photo credit: Eric Mallinson
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