By: Brad Joyal
HARWICH – The speculative whispers seemed to follow the Harwich Mariners wherever they played during the last week of the season. The folks hanging around the Cape League ballparks began wondering who might be named the league’s Most Valuable Player, and Harwich third baseman Brock Wilken’s name was among the few that seemed to enter every conversation. In the end, Wilken took home the prestigious hardware ...
By: Brad Joyal
HARWICH – Trey Dombroski arrived on Cape Cod at the beginning of the summer with a temporary contract and a crystal-clear objective. “My whole goal was to just get exposure and get my work in, pretty much,” said Dombroski, a left-handed pitcher for the Harwich Mariners. “I wanted to work on some stuff and just kind of meet new guys and see what works for them and what doesn’t.” Harwich pitching coach Steve ...
HARWICH PORT – The crunch of your tires rolling down a broken-seashell driveway is the first indicator that you are on the right path. If you are met with a tunnel of miniature American flags resting in the shadows of a never-ending row of hydrangea flowers, keep driving ahead, because that is another sign you are close. When you spot a half-dozen-or-so cars and a couple stray bicycles parked in front of the h...
ORLEANS – The surprise was put to the test early in the morning when Orleans Firebirds manager Kelly Nicholson sent his longtime friend and former player-turned-assistant coach Chris Beck a text message asking him if he was awake and available to chat. “I was like, ‘Yeah, yeah, I have kids, I’m awake,’” Beck recalled of the text exchange, which came right around 10 a.m. on June 28. “He thought it was 7 o’clock...
SOUTH YARMOUTH – It goes without saying that many Cape Cod Baseball League players are tremendous athletes. Even so, some are more athletic than others. Over the years, the Cape League has attracted some of the nation’s top collegiate ballplayers. Their talent isn’t limited to the diamond, though—former Oklahoma University star Kylar Murray played for the Harwich Mariners in 2017 and now plays quarterback for ...
ORLEANS – The real work behind a home run chase happens hours before the first pitch. It happens outside of the batter’s box, away from the ballpark and long before any spectators arrive to the field. For Orleans sluggers Chase DeLauter and Tyler Locklear, two of the Cape League’s fiercest power hitters, the work begins in the weight room at Nauset Fit Co., where the duo meets Firebirds’ strength and condition...
By: Brad Joyal
Chatham manager Tom Holliday doesn’t mince his words. Ask the Anglers skipper about any aspect of the Cape Cod Baseball League and he’ll shoot you straight, often offering a colorful sound-byte that provides a glimpse at the manager’s unique outlook of baseball. Knowing Holliday is forthright, it makes the manager’s analysis of Chatham shortstop Josh Rivera all the more impressive. “He’s the real deal. He’s...
HARWICH –Pres Cavenaugh viewed this summer as an opportunity to return to form. After hitting .425 during his freshman season at the University of North Carolina Greensboro in 2020, the Charlotte native felt he regressed this spring when he hit .230 during his redshirt freshman campaign. That seems like a lifetime ago, however, especially considering how well Cavenaugh has fared in his debut season on Cape ...
COTUIT – Slowly, John DeGirolamo rubs a fresh baseball in the palms of his mud-stained hands. “This is Lena Blackburne’s rubbing mud,” he says. “It comes from a top-secret location on the shores of the Delaware River.” DeGirolamo points out that this particular mud — commonly used to rub new baseballs — was featured on Discovery Channel’s Dirty Jobs a number of years ago. He remembers the show’s host, Mike ...
CHATHAM – The Cape Cod Baseball League’s motto — “Where the Stars of Tomorrow Shine Tonight” — pays homage to the collegiate summer league’s longstanding track record of developing world-class Major League Baseball prospects. However, the league’s “Stars of Tomorrow” moniker isn’t limited to the players on the field. Each team attracts talented interns from around the nation who are eager to spend a summer on ...
It’s all starting to click for the Harwich Mariners. After playing .500 baseball for almost the entire first half of the season, the Cape Cod Baseball League’s 2019 runner-up is hitting its stride at the right time. The Mariners extended their unbeaten streak to seven consecutive games and took sole possession of second place in the East Division standings following a 2-2 tie against Yarmouth-Dennis on Monday....
CHATHAM – It’s not always easy for Cape Cod Baseball League teams to come together. With an ever-changing carousel of teammates coming and going as players are added and subtracted to and from rosters, each week can feel like a new round of the name game for players and coaches. For the players, the process of meeting and learning about their new teammates can be similar to arriving at college as a freshman. T...
