The Ballyard

New to the Cape Cod League? Here are a Few Facts You Might Like to Know

The Cape Cod Baseball League is the nation's premier summer college baseball circuit. Home to 10 teams in two divisions, it plays a 44-game schedule from mid-June to mid-August and showcases more than 250 of the nation's most highly-touted baseball prospects to scores of major league scouts.

The teams in the league are:

• Bourne Braves
• Brewster Whitecaps
• Chatham Anglers
• Cotuit Kettleers
• Falmouth Commodores
• Harwich Mariners
• Hyannis Mets
• Orleans Firebirds
• Wareham Gatemen
• Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox

"Where the Stars of Tomorrow Shine Tonight"

The Cape League has a long history of sending talent into professional baseball, and by the league's own count, some 207 former Cape Leaguers played on major league rosters last year. Headlined by the likes of Tim Lincecum (Harwich 2005), Evan Longoria (Chatham 2005), Brandon Morrow (Y-D 2004-05), J J Putz (Y-D 1997, Hyannis 1998), and Mark Teixiera (Orleans 1999), the list also includes a number of current Boston Red Sox, among them:

• Daniel Bard (Wareham, 2005)
• Jason Bay (Chatham 1999)
• Jacoby Ellsbury (Falmouth 2004)
• Mark Kotsay (Bourne 1994)
• Mike Lowell (Chatham 1994)
• Justin Masterson (Wareham 2005)
• Jason Varitek (Hyannis 1991-93)
• Kevin Youkilis (Bourne 2000)

Volunteerism is Alive and Well and Living on Cape Cod

As impressive as this is, the most remarkable thing about the league may well be the fact that it is run almost exclusively by volunteers! Dozens of people per team give up their summer evenings (and plenty of winter ones as well) to ensure their players are recruited, housed (with host families), uniformed, and equipped; the souvenir shops and concession stands are stocked and manned; the grounds are properly prepared, maintained and cleaned; and a slew of other thankless tasks are tended to. In the aggregate, these hardworking individuals raise, manage, and disburse upwards of $1 million per season to put the games on the field, and it is true that the league would not operate without them.

So, if you're on the Cape this summer and are looking for a great baseball take, stop by the field nearest you and say ‘thank you' to the folks working there. And look for me, too, for I'm a Cape League fan as well as an author, and can often be found in a beach chair behind the plate or down the line.

Watch this space for more and/or subscribe to my musings at Boston's examiner.com!