Milford Legion's quest to reach '72 World Series halted as big lead evaporates

Editor’s note: The Milford Post 59 American Legion team is honoring the 1970 and 1972 state champions on “Alumni Recognition Night” prior to the team’s July 10 game (7 p.m.) against Shrewsbury at Fino Field. The Daily News is recounting those seasons this week, concluding here with the team from ‘72.

Ticketed for Memphis.

The 1972 Milford Powers Post 59 Legion baseball team nearly made winning the state championship an afterthought.

The team defeated future American League Rookie of the Year Mark Fidrych and Northborough on July 4, and beat a Manchester, New Hampshire, team that defeated them two years prior in the Regional tournament. Milford clinched the Zone 4A title behind home runs from Tom Delfanti and Dick Gould against Fitchburg and won the Central Mass. title behind lefty Dave Durian over Leominster, which had knocked out Post 59 during the ‘71 state tournament.

Their first loss in ‘72 was well into the summer, to Warwick, Rhode Island. Milford later won the state crown in front of 2,500 Fino Field fans after a 6-0 win over Quincy, behind three hits from Bob Protano and 13 strikeouts by Craig Allegrezza.

Soggy summer: Milford Legion baseball won state title in '70 despite persistent rain

Crowds north of 1,200 routinely attended playoff games and fans ferried a sign to games reading “The BIG M -MILFORD MASS. MACHINE.” When the team won the state title in 1972, a motorcade paraded the 59ers through town, fireworks erupted and Red Sox announcer Ken Coleman told his TV audience of the accomplishment through another Hopedale connection.

Dick Bresciani, statistician for the Sox, lived in that town and was phoned by Ronnie Pagnini, brother of Milford coach Bob Pagnini; the town’s embrace was tight.

“People planned their summer vacations around the team,” said Tony Chinappi, Bob Pagnini’s assistant and a former Post 59 player. “When the team went to the regional tournament, Milford was deserted.”

“You either went to the Cape,” said Allegrezza, “or stayed at home and watched baseball.”

Regionals turn into a 'letdown'

The 59ers headed to Keene, New Hampshire, for the regional tournament in ‘72 intent on winning that round and advancing to the American Legion World Series in Memphis. They began the tournament with a 7-1 win over Central Falls, Rhode Island, behind a home run by Buddy Sayles and 10 strikeouts from Allegrezza.

Thanks to an 11-0 record and 145 strikeouts in 93 innings from Allegrezza, plus another 10 wins from Durian, Milford seemed on its way to the Series. Mike Bruno brought a .467 average into the postseason and Protano hit .360.

And when Post 59 led 9-2 — behind a three-run homer by Dick Gould — early in its game against New Haven, Connecticut, Milford’s roll looked unstoppable. But New Haven rebounded by scoring 10 unanswered runs to win, 12-9, and send Milford into the loser’s bracket.

“It was such a letdown,” Allegrezza said. “I think we were picked to win it all. We never recovered from that.”

“We were almost there,” added Len Morcone. “We lost that first game, and once you get into the loser’s bracket, it gets tough. A couple of bad breaks.”

Morcone grew up in shadow of Fino Field

Soggy summer: Milford Legion baseball won state title in '70 despite persistent rain

Morcone, a lifelong Milford resident, grew up on Main Street, just beyond Fino Field’s center field. He was once a bat boy and eventually worked at the park.

“I used to hop the fence,” he said. “I’d go there, pick the field up, go home and put on my uniform and go back and play.”

'100% baseball': Milford's Allegrezza played with Major Leaguers, Mickey Mantle Jr.

Allegrezza grew up on nearby Purchase Street and the two played baseball at a gravel pit on Sumner Street, where Consigli Construction currently sits. They also played in a rail yard on the spot currently occupied by the Registry of Motor Vehicles.

“We played everywhere,” said Morcone, who retired two years ago as community youth director and transportation coordinator for Milford schools.

Morcone's uncle was Bob Pagnini, Post 59’s head coach.

“I was always there (at Fino),” Morcone said. “To finally put on the uniform, it was like a dream come true.”

Gould, like Morcone, plans to attend Alumni Night on Monday. He's a Millville resident who worked for the Massachusetts Department of Correction for 32 years before retiring in 2010.

“I still play golf with some of the guys and consider all (of them) lifelong friends,” he said. “It was a privilege to play for Bob Pagnini and Tony Chinappi. They worked us hard and got the best out of everyone.”

Milford Post 59 wins two before elimination

Milford did defeat Nashua, New Hampshire, 11-1, as Bruno pitched a four-hitter and Allegrezza had three hits, and with Sayles and Bob Rosetti hitting home runs. Post 59 also defeated Keene, 16-8, to stay alive.

But Portland, Maine, ended their season when Steve Conroy — a draft pick of the Padres and a future member of the University of Maine Hall of Fame — held Milford in check, eliminating the team in a 6-2 defeat.

Post 59 concluded the season with a 31-6 record. Despite not making it to Memphis, the road to Regionals was a memorable one.

“I remember the fun we had,” Gould said. “We all had the confidence that we couldn’t be beat.”

Tim Dumas is a multimedia journalist for the Daily News. He can be reached at tdumas@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Twitter @TimDumas.

This article originally appeared on The Milford Daily News: Milford Legion baseball's quest to reach '72 World Series halted