Daily Fog: The Only Game in Town

Friday, July 3, 2009

Daily Fog: The Only Game in Town

When the Cape League announced schedule changes this season, one of the big things was "The Only Game In Town" concept.

This is not what they meant.

Originally, nine of the 10 teams had a date on which their game was the only one scheduled. Because of all the postponements, there is only one of these dates left -- Aug. 3 when Chatham visits Orleans -- but even that one could be in jeopardy if the rain continues.

Maybe Mother Nature felt bad for ruining things, though she's not very good at making up for it. Y-D and Wareham ended up with the only game in town last night, as the other four games got postponed. I believe that gives us 33 postponements for the summer. It's the fifth time that at least four games have been rained out. It sounds like Cotuit had its field ready to go, but Orleans didn't have a bus to get there. When it rains, it pours, or something like that.

As for the on-field action, Y-D topped Wareham 4-1 for its sixth win in seven games. The Red Sox now have 10 wins, tied with Chatham for most in the league. Wareham dropped to 6-6-1.

Three pitchers combined to absolutely shut down the Gatemen, who had scored 18 runs in their last three games. Michael Goodnight (Houston) got the start and allowed just one unearned run on one hit in 4.1 innings. Drew Hayes (Vanderbilt) went 1.1 hitless innings, and Kevin Rhoderick (Oregon State) finished it off with 3.1 hitless innings. He struck out four.

Eric Pfisterer (Duke) made the start for Wareham and was solid in four innings of work, allowing one run on three hits. But Y-D broke through against the Wareham bullpen with three in the seventh. Blake Kelso (Houston) led off the inning with a double, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch. Mickey Wiswall (Boston College) and Josh Rutledge (Alabama) added RBI singles.

Y-D finished with 10 hits, getting at least one from all but one spot in the lineup. Rutledge and Ben McMahan (Florida) each had two hits and an RBI. Zach Wilson (Arizona State) had Wareham's only hit, an RBI double in the fourth.

What to Watch For Tonight

The chance for rain is supposedly smaller tonight and there might be some sun today to dry out the fields so we can hope. And the weekend does look nice. For tonight, Chris Sale (Florida Gulf Coast) will make his fourth start as he tries to keep the Red Sox rolling in a home game against Bourne.

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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.

Friday, July 3, 2009