Dusting off the winter

It’s that time of year again where baseball really starts to come back to the Cape, and I slowly, but surely, start to dust off the winter months spent working, studying, and very clearly not writing about baseball (two jobs and seeking a masters will do that to you).

A shot of Endicott catcher in game 3 of the NCAA games today.

That said, the NCAA DIII New England Regionals are back in town, hosted again by the ECAC (and staffed by an army of very excited and baseball-ready Cape League volunteers on our very own Whitehouse Field in Harwich). It’s the greatest feeling being back at the fields, the lights coming on as dusk falls, the cool and damp temperatures reminding us that it’s not quite summer yet, but everything else saying, hey, guess what, the season is almost here. A mere four weeks away, in fact.

THAT said, rosters are beginning to settle for the Cape–and by settle, I mean frantically turn as we look to fill roster spots for players who have accepted invitations to play for Team USA or for players making a College World Series run, or flat out replacing players who can’t make it to the Cape for one reason or another (academics, injury, pitch count, summer school, poor spring performance, choice, whatever). I figure by August they’ll be set.

Joke aside, there are two previews out on the divisions up on the league website, written by my awesome team of interns, and I’ll start looking at them more in depth myself as we come down the line this last month–I’m very excited to see who will, in fact, make it. The process is almost as fun to watch as the games themselves. Invitation-only tryouts are just two weeks away, and I’m hoping for another Charlie Furbush or Justin Masterson this year–kids who came out of nowhere to blow the competition away, earn a full time contract, and even go on to the bigs.

So let the season come, let this week of the regionals be a great run for a team (and a nice dry run for the rest of us getting ready for our season), and let’s play some ball.

Holbrook on the mound for Wheaton at BEAUTIFUL Whitehouse Field

The Infamous Fog Game

Every once in a while, there’s a moment in sports that is so unbelievable, that it crosses the line of a “great” and becomes something of a legend. Adam Vinatieri’s snow kick in 2001 and the Red Sox’s eleventh-hour, four-straight-wins rally in the ALCS against the Yankees to win the series in 2004 are two of my favorites from my lifetime.

But on July 2, 2004, there was another game of legendary play—and it never even made it into the record books.

On that particular day, the Falmouth Commodores travelled to Veterans’ Field in Chatham to face the As (then called the Athletics, now the Anglers, still the As), with a roster that boasted future major leaguers Jacoby Ellsbury (Boston) and Cliff Pennington (Oakland). Pitching for the As was a college standout by the name of Andrew Miller (Boston), who had already caught the eye of scouts and Team USA for his performances at UNC.

As Miller’s host father–long-time As GM Charlie Thoms–tells it, Miller was “electric” that night.

Miller’s Ks on the scorecard, courtesy of Charlie (retired GM) and Chris Thoms (League Statistician)

Miller struck out leadoff hitter Ellsbury in the first at bat of the game, setting the tone for the performance. In four innings, the lanky 6’7 southpaw K’d twelve opposing batters. Twelve.

“Like Charlie said, he was electric, it was something special, you could tell,” recalled field manager John Schiffner. “The ball came out real nice and easy, it was hard, the breaking pitch—well, two of the batters he struck out were right-handed hitters who swung and missed and it hit them in the back foot, so, he was on that night.”

And then, as is wont to happen in Chatham, the fog rolled in.

The fog’s role in Cape League games is a notorious one, with managers like Schiffner (Chatham) and Steve Englert (Harwich) doing their best to use it to their advantage—particularly Schiff, who in his 20+ years has become a “fog whisperer” of sorts. Games have been called, fly balls have been lost in the backlit milky soup and subsequently dropped, runs have scored, managers have vehemently argued with umpires for and against calling the game as the dense mist settles in. I once watched an elimination game in the playoffs, in its 18^th inning, end on a dropped routine fly in shallow left center because the fielder lost it in the fog.

On July 2^nd, the fog ended Miller’s run just shy of the five-inning mark—the minimum for a “full” game—erasing it from the record books.

As Miller tells it, that performance probably only became legendary because it was erased from the books.

“Honestly, I remember the fog coming in and it being something they might call it for because it was something that had happened in the past,” said Miller. “It almost made it more interesting. I think if I had thrown five innings and then it got called, we wouldn’t have this story.”

But we do, and it’s a story that, for baseball fans, has made the rounds.

“Every now and then it does get brought up and they ask Jacoby about it,” said Miller. “It’s all good-natured, really. I think he walked on one of his at-bats, so he’s got a little more than the others on me.”

Off the field:

“I think the funniest thing about that fog game was, after that game was called, the general manager Charlie and I, went down to see the Falmouth manager to reschedule the game. So, I immediately saw my calendar and said the next open date is this date, and Falmouth had another open date. But the Falmouth kids all said “what date is that?” and it was five days later, and they all said “No! That means Miller is throwing again! No!” It was really, really funny.” –John Schiffner

Welcome Back: Hall of Fame Welcomes 8 New Members

The following story was originally posted on the Cape Cod Baseball League’s website, but since I wrote it, I’m adding it here as well. A major thank you to Chatham Bars Inn for hosting the event again. They treat us in the league so well, and that location is breathtaking.

The Cape Cod Baseball League welcomed eight of its greats back to the Cape with the induction of the Hall of Fame Class of 2012 at Chatham Bars Inn on Saturday.

The day was marked by stories of host families and old college pranks, visions for the future, fond memories of the past, and even a haunted house.

Headlining the class were Red Sox southpaw Andrew Miller (Chatham 04, 05), and Admiral John (Jack) Aylmer (Barnstable Barons 52), who was instrumental in establishing the modern day Hyannis and Bourne organizations. The class stretched a century of players, from the late Danny “Deacon” McFayden, who led Osterville to its second straight title in 1924, to Miller, an All-Star who won the league’s pro-prospect and co-pitcher of the year awards in 2005.

It was inductees like Jack Aylmer and Laurin “Pete” Peterson who paved the way for future stars like Miller to shine. Peterson was one of the first Cape managers to begin recruiting notable college players, including Cal Burlingame, Roy Bruninghaus, Buzzy Wilcox and Art Quirk, who all became CCBL Hall of Famers themselves.

Click here for the rest of the story.

Four CCBLers on 2012 WS Champion San Francisco Giants

In case you weren’t paying attention last night, the San Francisco Giants swept the Detroit Tigers to win the World Series for the second time in three years. But did you know that four of the men on their roster once played on the Cape? Three of them even played for the same team.

In 2005, Tim Lincecum and George Kontos both pitched for the Harwich Mariners. Lincecum led the CCBL with a 0.69 ERA and a .104 opponent BA that summer, while Kontos led the Mariners in strikeouts with 69Ks (Lincecum had 68 that summer in less than 18 innings pitched). 

A few years later, Brandon Belt helped the Mariners break a 21-year championship drought, when the Harwich boys swept the Cotuit Kettleers in 2008. 

And then there was Buster Posey, who played for the YD Red Sox in 2006 and 2007 and won championships both years. 

Winning combination, apparently. Congrats San Fran! 

Get to know: Phil Ervin

In 1983, during the aluminum bat era (a decade where the CCBL stepped away from their wood-bat traditions and joined the craze for the affordable, high-powered, affordable metal bats), a young man by the name of Cory Snyder set the home run record with 22 jacks while playing with the Harwich Mariners.

Three decades later, Phil Ervin (Samford/Harwich) is looking to break that record, at the most, and the wood-bat HR record of 16 at the least. By the first week in July, the powerful outfielder has already hit 8 over the fence, terrorizing opposing pitchers and leading his home-run-hungry teammates (who have combined for 32 home runs so far this season–a good ten home runs more than the next team, Falmouth, with their 22).

I got to catch up with him a bit, and learned some interesting things about the young man:

Do you consider yourself a power hitter?
I don’t consider myself to be a power hitter. I just try to swing and make solid contact. I just swing and try to hit it hard, and I don’t swing for home runs, I swing for doubles. I made a little adjustment that coach helped me with in the cage, and it gave me a little more power. That may be why I’m having more success with home runs.

Who would you consider to be a role-model for you in baseball, player-wise?
I became a big fan of Matt Kemp, so I’ve been trying to adjust my stance somewhat to be like his. I look at him, I watch videos of him trying to hit to try to work on my own mechanics.

Do you have any superstitions?
When I get ready to hit, I go through the same routine every single time. If I go into a slump, I’ll change it up. This baseball season, I grew my nails out. 

What has it been like playing for Harwich this summer?
It’s been a great experience, just getting to meet everyone from around the country. It’s been a good experience. Coach E [Steve Englert], he’s awesome. We come out here, have fun, just do what we can do. We’re having fun. 

Best advice you’ve received about your game?
All you get is your next at bat, so just flush your bad at bat, and focus on your next one. 

If anyone played you in a movie about your life, who would it be?
I have to go Denzel, because he’s a really good actor. One of the best actors out there, so I have to say him.

Five in top ten of MLB 2012 Draft came through the Cape

In the first round of the 2012 MLB First Year Draft, 12 of the 31 picks played on the Cape League in the past two years.

At No. 3, the first Cape Leaguer went to Seattle, as catcher Mike Zunino (Florida) was drafted. Zunino played with YD last summer.

At No. 4 went Harwich Mariner Kevin Gausman (LSU) to the Orioles.

And at No. 5 went Kettleer Kyle Zimmer (San Fran) to the Royals.

From there, the Cape Alums racked it up, with No. 8 Mark Appel (Stanford, YD) going to the Pirates, No. 9 Andrew Heaney (Oklahoma St, Falmouth) to the Marlins, No. 20 Chris Stratton (Mississippi St, Harwich) to the Giants, No. 22 Marcus Stroman (Duke, Orleans) to the Jays, No. 23 James Ramsey (FSU, YD) to St. Louis, No. 24 Deven Marrero (Arizona St., Cotuit) to the Red Sox, No. 25 Richie Shaffer (Clemson, Chatham) to Tampa Bay, No. 28 Victor Roache (Georgia Southern, Cotuit) to Milwawkee, and last but not least, No. 31 Brian Johnson (Florida, YD) to the Red Sox.

That’s four YD players, three Cotuit teammates, two Harwich players, a Chatham, a Falmouth, and an Orleans player. (YD earns bragging rights there this year).

It’s a great illustration of the strength of the Cape League…especially since only 14 college players were drafted in this round. Twelve of fourteen. I’ll take those numbers.

Incredibly proud of these players who were selected, very happy to see the Red Sox selection of Deven Marrero (one of my favorites and lord knows we could use a talented short stop), and hoping to see more of the players selected in the following rounds.

Chatham celebrates its 300th bday with the Military All Stars

Chatham’s kicking off their season on June 11th (preseason for the league) with an exhibition game at 6:05pm against the Military All Stars. I’m so excited for this–with the exception of last year, the Military All Stars have been as much a part of my Cape League experience as, well, the Cape League. My first game that I ever covered for the league was the two-game “All Star” series that we hosted in 2008, with the first game in Harwich and the second in Yarmouth-Dennis. On a personal note, this year’s event will be especially poignant for me, as my baby brother just left for his first tour with the Navy.

Baseball, patriotism, family, and a birthday party. Does it get any better?

Read up more on the event; Chris Fitzgerald, one of the broadcasters for the A’s, wrote a wonderful piece on the upcoming event. (Thanks Chris!)