freshman watch: hitters

Wednesday, August 1, 2007

freshman watch: hitters

The leading freshman hitters in the Cape league, with stats through July 31.

PLAYER	COLLEGE	CAPE TEAM	AVG
Sean Ochinko	LSU	Y-D	.304
Grant Green	USC	Y-D	.290
Diego Seastrunk+	Rice	Y-D	.286
Joey Wong	Oregon St.	Falmouth	.276
Addison Johnson	Clemson	Chatham	.270
Kyle Seager	North Carolina	Chatham	.270
Cole Figueroa	Florida	Harwich	.266
Blake Dean	LSU	Wareham	.250

+ - limited action

The averages dropped almost across the board from the first time I did this, which maybe isn't a surprise. They say freshmen always hit a wall in their first college season, so I'm sure they hit a wall in the summer, too. Figueroa was at the top but has seen his average dip lately. Even Ochinko, the new leader, was at .333 last time. Wong and Seastrunk were both late arrivals after the College World Series, but Wong, in particular, has caught up quickly.

Interesting that the top three on this list are all from Y-D. If that trio makes its way back next summer, Y-D will look good once again.

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as the fog settles in

The left-field sunset has faded. It is chilly now. You slip a sweatshirt on. The stat sheet you hold in your hands almost feels wet, the air is so damp. But the ink doesn't run. You can read it. That kid from LSU is still leading the league in home runs. That pitcher who they say throws 95 -- he's way up on the list in strikeouts.
The game is close, 3-2 through seven innings. You're staying till the end.
You look out at the field. Some fog has slipped in. It settles like smoke, just off the grass in front of the right fielder, like a cloud. When he runs through it to catch a fly ball, it looks almost magical, maybe even spiritual, like he's playing baseball in heaven.
Maybe he is.
The baseball is pure here. The players eager. The fans, maybe some of them don't know what they're seeing, maybe they just heard it was a fun night out, good for the family and everything -- but they know. They know somehow that this thing, this Cape League, is special.
Really, there's nothing like it.
I'm going to try and keep up.

Stop waxing poetic

The Cape Cod Baseball League is the top college summer league in the nation. Plenty of other leagues have cropped up of late, and some are having success, but the Cape League is still the model -- and the pinnacle. In 2006, 198 Major Leaguers had spent time in the Cape League.
The rosters are like a who's who of the best college baseball players. All the top prospects want to spend their summers on the Cape. The only better opportunity is Team USA. There are 10 teams in the league, divided into two divisions. Over the course of two months, they play 44 games. Scouts will watch many of them. They come because of the combination of talent and wood. Unlike college baseball, the Cape uses only wooden bats, providing an accurate picture of what players might do at the next level.
What else? Players live with host families. Some have part-time jobs (Jeff Bagwell worked at Friendly's). There's no admission charge at games. The level of baseball has been compared to Single A.
That should sum it up. If you have never experienced Cape League Baseball, you have missed out.

Wednesday, August 1, 2007