By a quick show of hands, who here would trade all their toes (and maybe a few fingers) to be a hotshot college baseball player? Don't be shy. Even if you're standing in the sandwich line at Newcomb I want you to raise 'em up like it's the last day of discussion and you're gunning for some participation points. Got it?
Everyone should have their hands in the air. You say you're the biggest klutz on grounds? Put your hand up. You're slower than frozen molasses? I want to see your hand too. You couldn't hit the side of a barn with a 10-foot pole? Trust me on this one, and here's why:
Four months from now, the best college baseball talent in America will head north for one of the greatest summer experiences on the planet. Every year, the Cape Cod Baseball League invites a lucky handful of players from all corners of the country, including Virginia, to make the trip to Massachusetts for two months of small-town baseball. What follows is a summer of practice, bonding and big league exposure on one of the most unique stages around.
From a fan's perspective, the 117-year-old league is almost teeth-achingly idyllic. With 10 teams hidden away in various corners of the Cape, baseball lovers ages five to 85 can watch for free on a breezy summer evening (although there is a jar for donations). Just don't forget to buy a hot dog and pull a roster out from under the rock that keeps the whole stack from blowing away.
For players, the league's relaxed atmosphere is a far cry from the pressure of the NCAA, but it can still take some getting used to. Athletes accustomed to their own off-campus houses and king-sized beds are suddenly forced to stay with a host family and a roommate they've never met before (think study abroad New England-style). Days are spent at the gym, riding mopeds around Martha's Vineyard or hanging out on the beach with teammates from different schools, eating with the new family and learning the differences between Brewster, Chatham and Hyannis on the way to an afternoon game.
Look a little closer, though, and the Cape League becomes a study in contrasts. Sitting behind the kid with the dripping ice cream cone and her grandmother might be half a dozen scouts from Major League Baseball with radar guns and notebooks in hand. After all, the pitcher on the mound probably worked a few innings in the College World Series a few months earlier.
In this way, watching baseball on the Cape is a little bit like watching a high school play starring younger versions of Jack Nicholson, Tom Hanks and Nicole Kidman. One in seven major leaguers today played there at one point, and the league's alumni list reads like a typical All-Star ballot. Jeff Bagwell, Craig Biggio, Sean Casey, Nomar Garciaparra, Todd Helton, Frank Thomas, Jason Varitek and Barry Zito (to name just a few) all bunked with families for a summer in the Cape League. In the 2006 MLB draft, the first six players selected all spent time on the Cape -- a sign that the pool of talent shows no sign of drying up.
This fact leads to the heart of why players consider it an honor to be invited north for the summer.
"If you're a competitive person, you're going to want to go up there and show what you have against the best players in the country," said Virginia outfielder Brandon Guyer, who played left field for the Harwich Mariners and was one of four Cavaliers to play in the league last year.
The Cape League adds an extra challenge to the mix with its choice of equipment. All hitters use wooden bats, slowing down their swing while also giving them a taste of what it's like to hit in the majors against some lethal pitching.
"It's tough because you're using a wood bat and you're facing a Friday night starter up there every night," Guyer said. "Every team's pitcher is their college's number one ... it makes it tough, but in the long run it makes you better. You're going to come back to school the next year that much better."
Considering the high profile and sheer logistics involved in organizing hundreds of students from all over the country, it's pretty amazing to learn that the Cape League is completely run by volunteers -- with help from a few generous donors -- working their tails off to give players and fans a classic summer experience. No one in the league is allowed to have an ego -- especially when assistant coaches double as the grounds crew.
By mid-August, after the league champion has been crowned and the All-Star game has been played at Fenway Park, athletes head back to schools like Texas, Nebraska or North Carolina ready for another chance to beat up on the same Cape teammates they hung out with on the beach. Still, former major league manager and Cape League alumnus Buck Showalter put it right when he told ESPN that, "It's about as perfect a summer as you can have." I tend to agree -- and you can all put your hands down now.
Read More
Volleyball holds off Boston College in tight five-set win
By Lauren Halak | 10 hours agoSenior outside hitter Elayna Duprey led the team throughout the match with 22 points and 18 kills.
Virginia annihilated 41-14 in a must-win contest versus North Carolina
By Peter Kriebel | YesterdayJust about everything that could have gone wrong for Virginia football went wrong.
No. 24 women’s soccer not to be denied in late win over Clemson
By Sam Chun | YesterdayThe Cavaliers topped Clemson 1-0 in front of a packed out Klöckner Stadium.
