Featured Stories & Articles from Cape Cod Travel Magazine: Cape Cod Baseball League - Stars of Tomorrow
Catching a game of the Cape Cod Baseball League on your summer vacation is a great way to unwind after a long day at the beach. It’s also a unique chance to glimpse the Major League “stars of tomorrow!”
The popularity of the Cape Cod Baseball League soared in 2001 after serving as the storyline for the teen romance movie “Summer Catch.” But the history of this extraordinary league dates back to 1885, earning it the distinction of the nation’s premier summer collegiate baseball league.
The Cape Cod Baseball League has been the launching pad for scores of Major League talent over the years, producing over a thousand professional players. Among them are Red Sox greats Jason Varitek (Hyannis, 1991-93) and Mike Lowell (Chatham, 1994). In the past seven years, almost 200 Cape Cod Leaguers have been listed on the MLB rosters. That’s roughly 1 in 7 current professional ball players that have participated in Cape Cod’s illustrious league.
The league was also represented at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Five past players helped bring Team USA to Olympic bronze in the sport’s final year at the games. Jason Donald (Cotuit 2004 & 2005), Matt LaPorta (Brewster 2006), John Gall (Orleans 1996), Mike Koplove (Chatham 1997), and Brian Barden (Brewster 2001) all played key roles in the quest for American gold. The team beat out a strong Japanese team for the bronze, while South Korea took gold, and Cuba silver. Adam Stern (Harwich 2000), put in a great effort for team Canada, but didn’t make his way onto the podium.
The Cape Cod Baseball League, and each of its 10 teams, are non-profit organizations. The league runs entirely on community contributions, donations, and sponsorship dollars. Admission is free, but you may want to bring some cash to toss into the hat that’s passed around at each game. You can also contribute to the cause by buying some team merchandise, like the hats and shirts that can be found at most games, online at the team websites or on the league’s website at www.capecodbaseball.org.
The mission of the Cape Cod Baseball League is quite simply to provide affordable family entertainment. This wooden bat league will bring you back to the good ole’ days of baseball, when players played for the love of the game. No showboating, no ‘dogging it’ in left field, and certainly no ‘Manny being Manny’ allowed. The league is loaded with talent, and hey… did I forget to mention it’s free?
BIG NAMES
Along with Varitek and Lowell many other big names in baseball got there starts here on Cape Cod. To name just a few:
- Jeff Bagwell, Chatham 1987-88
- Sean Casey, Brewster 1994
- Nomar Garciaparra, Orleans 1993
- Jason Bay, Chatham 1999
- Lance Berkman, Wareham 1996
- Jacoby Ellsbury, Falmouth 2005
- Tony Gwynn, Brewster 2002
- Kevin Millar, Harwich 2002
- Barry Zito, Wareham 1997-98
