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A Note on Team USA

With Team USA trials scheduled later than they’ve ever been, everybody involved is in uncharted territory. Even USA Baseball, whose hand was apparently forced by some scheduling factors, doesn’t love the situation.

In terms of the Cape League, many USA invitees have been playing on the Cape since day one, which is a major departure from the norm. But if they go to the trials, they’ll be leaving relatively soon. The trials are scheduled to start July 6.

I’ve read some things that indicate once a player leaves for USA, that’s that, since the Cape League’s final rosters are due before the USA roster gets released. But League Commissioner Paul Galop confirmed to me this week that an adjustment has been made. His e-mail:

Since Team USA does not start their tryouts until July 5th, and they are not selecting their team until July 11th, we face an interesting dilemma that we have not had before. So, since we have almost all of the Team USA invitees on our rosters, we have decided to do something unique. The date for submission of our final rosters is July 1st. This year, that doesn’t really help anyone. So, we have backed up that date until 11:59 PM on July 11th so we can bring the players back that either do not make the Team USA roster or would rather play here. We are hoping this provides enough flexibility to help out these players as well as our team rosters.

I think that’s a smart move. A significant number of players will not make Team USA. For them, for the teams, and for us as fans, it’s great that they’ll have a chance to come back to the Cape, if they so choose.

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Daily Fog: Angling for a Big Year

Last summer, Chatham started the season 9-1 . . . then went 12-22 the rest of the way. Whether it was a case of everyone catching up to them, or the team just not playing well, the season was a struggle.

Four days into the 2010 season, the Anglers are off to a 3-0 start. And the way they’re doing it this time makes me think they’ve got a chance to keep it going.

Take a look at their box scores. The first five spots in Chatham’s order have been the same every time out, which is pretty unusual at the start of a Cape League season. And the players in those spots make that stability a very good thing — and the thing that could define this team.

Brian Humphries (Pepperdine) and Peter Verdin (Georgia) are getting on base in front of a middle of the order that’s shaping up to be the best in the league. Mark Ginther (Oklahoma State) is hitting .461, Ricky Oropesa (USC) is hitting .286 and Dan Paolini (Siena) is checking in at .357. Together, that trio has combined for eight extra-base hits and has driven in 11 of the team’s 14 runs. They all had strong to very strong college seasons, and they’re starting exactly like Chatham hoped. The three of them have more extra-base hits than eight Cape League teams, significantly more in some cases. Pretty amazing.

On Wednesday, it was more of the same. Hosting Orleans, the Anglers rallied from a 2-1 deficit in the ninth to tie the game on a Paolini RBI single. In the 13th inning, Oropesa smashed a three-run walk-off home run to give Chatham the victory.

Combined, the trio of Ginther, Paolini and Oropesa went 7-for-15 with four RBI against the Firebirds. That kind of production in a pitchers’ league is going to give your team a chance, no matter what else happens. The Anglers have also pitched well, and they’ve shown a knack for winning close games. They’ll need to keep doing that.

But the middle of the order is the foundation — and the best news is that it might be sticking around for a while. While several teams may have to say goodbye to their top sluggers, none of Chatham’s big three have been invited to Team USA trials. That could still change, but for now, they’ll be slugging for Chatham.

And setting the stage for big things.

Elsewhere

  • Falmouth also improved to 3-0 and continued a trend: all three of its victories have come by one run. Big 12 Freshman of the Year Barrett Barnes (Texas Tech) made his debut last night and drove in a run, and Zach Wright (East Carolina) knocked in another as Falmouth topped Harwich 2-1. Matt Stites (Jefferson County CC), a 33rd-round pick this year, picked up the win with six scoreless innings. He struck out seven. Army star Clint Moore went 2-for-4 for Harwich. Lex Rutledge (Samford) got the start for the Mariners and didn’t allow a hit in four innings.

  • Eric Pfisterer’s 2010 debut wasn’t quite as great as his 2009 debut, but it was still pretty great. The Duke lefty didn’t allow a hit in his first two starts last summer. In his first start last night, he allowed three but not much else. Pfisterer struck out nine and walked two as Wareham beat Bourne 1-0. Joe Flynn (Franklin Pierce) made his first appearance and picked up the save with two scoreless innings. Chris Walker (Fordham) drove in Wareham’s lone run. Bourne dropped to 0-3.

  • Cotuit got into the win column with a 2-1 victory over Hyannis. Matt Andriese (UC Riverside) scattered nine hits in six innings, allowing one run and striking out three. C.J. Cron (Utah) showed off the bat that made him one of the best hitters in the nation this year, going 2-for-3 with a home run and a double. Kevin Patterson (Auburn), back on the Cape for a third summer, went 3-for-3 with an RBI.

    • What to Watch

    Just one game on tap tonight as Brewster visits Y-D. Austin Lubinsky (Minnesota) goes for Brewster against Scott Snodgress (Stanford). It’ll be the first start for each.

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    Daily Fog: Drama, Again

    Maybe it’s something about the name.

    In its second game as the Harbor Hawks, Hyannis went to extra innings on Tuesday for the second night in a row. And just like Monday, they came out on top. Casey McElroy (Auburn) went 4-for-4 and tied the game with a home run and Jason Nappi (Harding) drove in the winning run in the 10th with a sacrifice fly as Hyannis beat Wareham 4-3.

    The Harbor Hawks were stymied early by Cape League veteran Max Perlman (Harvard), who was making his first appearance for Wareham since 2008. Perlman, who missed last year with an injury, went seven scoreless innings, scattering six hits and striking out three. Wareham wasn’t getting much either against Hyannis starter Brian Dupra (Notre Dame), an 11th-round pick this spring. He struck out seven and allowed just two hits in five shutout innings.

    Wareham broke through with single runs in the sixth, eighth and ninth innings, but Hyannis wasn’t done. McElroy’s two-out, two-run blast tied the game and forced extras. In the top of the 10th, the Gatemen loaded the bases but reliever Tyler Mizenko (Winthrop) came on and got out of the jam. That set the stage for another Hyannis rally. With A.J. Pettersen (Minnesota) at third, Nappi hit a fly ball to center that was deep enough to score the winning run.

    It was the third RBI of the season for Nappi, a recent addition to the roster. He hit .413 with eight home runs this spring for Harding University in Arkansas.

    Elsewhere

  • The first dominant pitching performance of the summer was authored in Falmouth last night. The Commodores’ Mark Pope (Georgia Tech) struck out 11, walked just one and allowed two hits in seven shutout innings against Cotuit. Steven Gruver (Tennessee) worked two scoreless innings to combine with Pope on the shutout as Falmouth won 1-0. Pope, a sophomore, is in his second go-round with Falmouth. Last year he started four games and made eight other appearances on his way to a 2-2, 2.10 summer. He had impressive numbers this spring and appears to be picking up where he left off — and then some. Falmouth’s only offense came from Kevin Medrano (Missouri State), who went 3-for-4 and scored the go-ahead run on a throwing error. Medrano is hitting .556 through two games.

  • Brewster’s Mike Palazzone (Georgia) made his first appearance after a rough spring and got his summer off to a strong start. Palazzone struck out four in 7.1 scoreless innings. He combined with Matt Larkins (UC Riverside) on a shutout as Brewster beat Orleans 5-0. The Whitecaps got RBI singles from Drew Martinez (Memphis) and Kirk Singer (Long Beach State). Kenny Long (Illinois State) had an impressive line out of the bullpen for Orleans, striking out five in 2.2 innings.

  • Y-D moved to 2-0 and handed Bourne its second straight loss with a 4-3 victory at Red Wilson Field. Brett Mooneyham (Stanford), who’s had his ups and downs at Stanford, started his Cape League career on the upswing. He struck out seven and allowed one run in five innings of work. Dusty Robinson (Fresno State), Joe Panik (St. John’s), Jordan Ribera (Fresno State) and Beau Taylor (Central Florida) all drove in runs for the Red Sox.

  • Chatham and Harwich joined Hyannis in playing extras and the Anglers came out on top 3-1 in 11 innings for their second win of the year. Mark Ginther (Oklahoma State) had another big night, going 2-for-4 with two RBI. He drove in the go-ahead run in the 11th. Ricky Oropesa (USC) got his first two hits of the summer and also drove in a run. Division II star Joe Holtmeyer (Nebraska at Omaha) got the start for Harwich and allowed a run on four hits in six innings. He struck out three.

    • What to Watch

    Rivals Orleans and Chatham meet for the first time today in Chatham. It’s a 4 p.m. start. Cameron Hobson (Dayton) is scheduled to go for Orleans against Joe Zimmerman (New Orleans) and Chatham.

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    Spence to Cotuit

    It looks the Cape League will be using a new system for statistics this season, and one of the cool parts of it is a transaction section.

    The latest transaction is an interesting one.

    Arizona State lefty Josh Spence has been activated by Cotuit. Spence burst onto the scene as a junior-college transfer last year and was drafted in the third round. He went back to school but hasn’t pitched at all because of an injury. He was drafted this year in the ninth round.

    If he’s healthy, he could be a really fun player to watch. Spence doesn’t have a big fastball but he has a huge repertoire of pitches he can throw for strikes.

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    Daily Fog: Full Swing

    Last year, five of the first seven Daily Fog entries of the year focused on dominant pitching performances. The other two were about the speed and small-ball on display in Cotuit.

    This year, it’s already time to break with tradition.

    While starters Matt Barnes and Nick Tropeano were impressive in Sunday’s opening night match-up, what caught my eye Monday night was the offense. There were some impressive pitching performances, but nothing eye-popping like last year, when we had four dominant starts in the first two days of the season.

    Instead, the eight teams who played Monday combined for 24 runs. It’s not a huge number, and it’s way too early to draw conclusions.

    But one thing’s for sure: there are some hitters on the Cape this year.

    Some of the best on Monday night were playing in Brewster.

    While the Whitecaps’ Troy Channing (St. Mary’s) hit a home run and drove in two, the Chatham duo of Dan Paolini (Siena) and Mark Ginther (Oklahoma State) powered a 12-hit attack as the Anglers topped Brewster 6-4. Both those guys had big springs. Paolini hit .386 with 26 home runs. Ginther checked in at .320 with 12 home runs. On Monday, they picked up where they left off. Paolini went 2-for-4 with a triple and two RBI while Ginther went 2-for-5 with two doubles and two RBI.

    Zach Jones (San Jose State) and Garrett Smith (Boston College) also had two hits for the Anglers. Ricky Oropesa (USC), who had a fantastic spring, started his summer with an 0-for-4, but if he hits as expected, Chatham will have a fearsome middle of the order.

    The Anglers also got a solid pitching performance from returning player Mike Dennhardt (Boston College), who struck out six and allowed just one earned run in five innings. Andrew Gagnon (Long Beach State) struck out the first five batters he faced before the Chatham bats got going. He ended up allowing four runs in 4.2 innings.

    For Brewster, Channing got his summer off to a strong start with the 2-for-4 night and the home run.

    Elsewhere

  • Before I get to the other recaps, I wanted to highlight some of the names that popped up last night. In Bourne, the Braves have added two Big East stars: Louisville’s Phil Wunderlich and Connecticut’s Mike Nemeth. Wunderlich hit .355 with 21 home runs this year and was drafted in the 12th round, while Nemeth hit .386 with 15 home runs and went undrafted. Another player who surprisingly went undrafted was Fresno State’s Jordan Ribera, who’s now on the Y-D roster. Ribera hit .343 and led the nation with 27 home runs. Also making an appearance was Boston College pitcher Kevin Moran, who’s back with Hyannis. The Barnstable High grad was drafted in the ninth round this June. Also back with Hyannis is Sam Houston State’s Dallas Gallant, who was drafted in the 23rd round.

  • And another quick note: Ribera’s presence gives the Cape League five of the top seven home runs hitters in the nation. A pretty rare feat.

  • Bourne raised its championship flag before the game but lost a tough 3-2 decision to Falmouth on opening night at Doran Park. Cecil Tanner (Georgia), who struggled this spring but has loads of potential, allowed a run on three hits in five innings of work and picked up the win. Nate Koneski (Holy Cross) struck out an impressive seven batters in four innings of relief. K.C. Serna (Oregon), Kevin Medrano (Missouri State) and Zach Wright (East Carolina) each drove in a run for the Commodores, who led the whole way. For Bourne, Team USA invitee Ryan Wright (Louisville) had two hits.

  • In their first game as the Harbor Hawks, Hyannis gave their new name a little extra exposure, winning an extra-inning battle with Orleans 3-2 in the 11th. Cody Stubbs (Tennessee) drove in the winning run. The aforementioned Gallant got the win in relief with three scoreless innings.

  • John Leonard (Boston College) and Matt Ianazzo (Pittsburgh) combined on the first shutout of the season as Y-D blanked Harwich 4-0. Leonard struck out seven and didn’t walk anybody in six innings. Ianazzo allowed just two hits in three innings for the save. Andrew Leenhouts (Northeastern) pitched well for Harwich, allowing just an earned run in four innings, but Y-D touched him up for two runs that were unearned. Bobby Crocker (Cal Poly) and Dusty Robinson (Fresno State) each had an RBI for the Red Sox. Harwich had Team USA invitee Austin Nola (LSU) in the lineup, but none of their other USA guys were in there.

    • What to Watch

    Division II star Joe Holtmeyer (Nebraska at Omaha) is scheduled to make his first start as Harwich hosts Chatham tonight at 7 p.m. Holtmeyer had 152 strikeouts this season, which led Division II by a wide margin.

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    Daily Fog: A Good Trip

    Ms. Right Field Fog and I made the trip over to Wareham last night for the league opener, and it was well worth it. We saw a great game, I did an interview with the Gatemen radio team and to top it all off, we won the 50-50 raffle. Quite a night. I’m glad we went.

    On the field, I imagine Matt Barnes and George Springer are glad they went, too.

    The UConn stars played in Wareham last summer. They’ll be heading to Team USA trials in a few weeks, but both opted to start their summers on the Cape.

    And they started on the right foot.

    Barnes allowed one earned run on two hits in 6.2 innings of work and Springer cranked the first home run of the Cape League season as Wareham topped Cotuit 5-2 in front of a nice crowd at Spillane Field.

    Barnes, a 6’4 righty who can hit the mid-90’s on the gun, squared off against Stony Brook’s Nick Tropeano, who struck out 106 this spring. It was as good a first-night pitching match-up as I can remember, and it set the stage for a fun-to-watch game.

    Barnes and Tropeano cruised through the first three innings, allowing just one hit between them. Wareham finally broke through in the fourth when Tyler Bream (Liberty) lined an RBI double into left. Nico Rosthenhausler (Oklahoma State) followed with a two-run single to make it 3-0.

    Cotuit threatened in the seventh, but Barnes stepped up when he needed to. Although two runs eventually came home, Barnes got Utah star C.J. Cron to hit into a double play, which defused much of the threat. Paul Hoilman (East Tennessee State) drove in a run that chased Barnes, and Kevin Patterson (Auburn) scored on a bases-loaded dropped third strike. Returning reliever Keith Bilodeau (Maine) got out of the seventh without further damage, and Springer belted a two-run homer to left in the eighth for insurance. Bilodeau went the rest of the way and picked up the save.

    All in all, it was a great way to start the summer, and the rain held off, to boot. Let’s hope for more of the same, on both counts.

    Notes

  • Tropeano looked just as good as Barnes. He had one bad inning then was tiring when Springer hit the home run. Tropeano struck out eight in 7.2 innings and looks like a reliable starter for the Kettleers.

  • Bream had the double for the Gatemen and also looked impressive at third base. He’s quick, and he flashed a strong arm.

  • I don’t know how long it’ll stay together, but for right now, the middle of Cotuit’s order is big and fearsome. Cron batted third, Patterson fourth and Hoilman fifth. That trio combined for 61 home runs this spring, and both Cron and Hoilman hit over .400. Patterson is a Cape League vet. There could be a shake-up later though, as Cron has been invited to Team USA.

  • Five Team USA invitees were on the field last night, which is different and kind of cool. Although they’ll leave for the trials in July, it’s nice that a Team USA invite doesn’t completely rule out the Cape League this year. Another USA invitee, Alex Dickerson, is expected in Wareham this week.

  • Wareham broadcasters Chris Aliano and Eric Silverman had me on in the fifth inning. Other than me talking over a pop-up, I think it went well. Thanks to Chris and Eric for having me on. If you get the chance, this summer, give them a listen. They do a nice job.

    • What to Watch

    The season gets into full swing tonight with the eight other teams taking the field. Bourne opens its title defense at home against Falmouth at 6 p.m. The Hyannis Harbor Hawks make their debut when they host Orleans at 7.

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    2010 Season Preview

    ccbl.gifThe 2010 Cape Cod League Baseball season begins tonight, as long as it doesn’t rain.

    Sounds kind of like last year, huh? Hopefully this season will be a little brighter.

    With just a little time before the first pitch, here are some storylines I’m watching as the season gets underway:

    Playoffs?

    The Cape League post-season is usually pretty wide open. Between the general parity among the teams and the fact that rosters start changing after the all-star game, a lot can be said for a team that gets hot.

    This year, a lot of teams will have that chance.

    Eight of the 10 teams in the league will make the playoffs. I don’t love the change, because it takes some emphasis off the regular season, but it’s certainly going to be interesting. I’d say that this year’s playoffs will be the most wide open in the history of the league. Anybody who’s in could win.

    The Team USA Question

    Team USA is a constant topic in summer baseball, but there’s a new wrinkle this year that could have a big impact on the Cape League. Team USA trials are usually held in early June, around the same time as the Cape League season starts. This year, they don’t begin until July 6, three weeks after the Cape.

    As a result, Team USA invitees have the chance to come to the Cape first then go to tryouts. Whether that happens will probably depend on the individual player, but I would expect at least a few of them to do so. USA invitee Matt Barnes is scheduled to start the opener for Wareham.

    I talked to one GM who’s hoping his USA invitees will come to the Cape and that, just maybe, they’ll like it enough to stay. That’s a possibility, too.

    Whatever happens, it’s clear that the Cape might have a little more talent than it’s had in quite a while. We’ll just have to see how long that talent sticks around.

    The Class of 2011

    The college crop for the 2010 draft wasn’t particularly strong. That’s what everyone said and you needed only to look at the number of Cape Leaguers drafted to get an indication of that. The number was six, and it was down significantly from past years.

    The college class for the 2011 draft is expected to be stronger, and the Cape will mark the starting line for many of the top prospects. If Anthony Rendon comes to the Cape before Team USA trials, it’ll be the first time the consensus top prospect played on the Cape in a few years.

    Power Surge

    The strength of the 2011 draft class is reflected in the numbers. Last year, three players on Cape League rosters hit 20 home runs or more in their college seasons. This year, that number is 10, and only two of the 10 have been invited to Team USA. Along similar lines, four players hit over .400 last year. This season, it’s eight, and three of them had 20 or more home runs.

    Getting Offensive

    All those numbers — and one other factor — make me think it’s going to be another offensive-heavy year on the Cape. The other factor? The power arms are once again missing. Three of the top arms in the sophomore class are Taylor Jungmann, Gerrit Cole and Trevor Bauer. None of them are on Cape League rosters. Danny Hultzen, Matt Purke and Sonny Gray are, but their teams are still alive in the college postseason and they’ve been invited to Team USA.

    For a variety of reasons, the dominant arms haven’t been on the Cape since Aaron Crow dominated for Falmouth in 2007. Whether it’s Team USA or a need for time off, that’s just the way it’s been in recent years. It looks like that will continue.

    Making Their Mark

    Two of the guys who put up the most impressive numbers this spring are coming from schools that aren’t exactly Cape League pipelines. Cotuit’s Paul Hoilman plays for East Tennessee State and heads into the season as one of the Cape leaders in average, home runs and RBI. He was a first-team All-American. On the mound, Joe Holtmeyer comes to the Cape from Division II Nebraska at Omaha. He had 30 more strikeouts than any other Cape Leaguer this spring.

    Bloodlines

    Every year, there’s usually one or two sons or brothers of Major Leaguers in the Cape League. This year, the number is way up. I count six who have fathers who played in the majors, and three with brothers in the bigs. There’s also Cotuit’s Mike Yastrzemski, who’s the grandson of Carl.

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    Some Notable Moves

    A lot of new names have popped on rosters in the past few days as teams scramble to fill spots.

    Here are a few that caught my eye:

  • Loyola Marymount pitcher Martin Viramontes is on the Orleans roster. Viramontes was a Cape League all-star in 2008, but he missed the spring and summer of last season with an injury. An imposing righty with a mid-90’s fastball, Viramontes struggled this spring. He was drafted in the 27th round by the Yankees.

  • Bourne added Bethune Cookman catcher Peter O’Brien. The sophomore put up huge numbers this year, hitting .386 with 20 home runs.

  • Cape League veteran Kevin Patterson is one of several additions to the Cotuit roster. Patterson, a junior from Auburn, hit 16 home runs this spring and was drafted in the 23rd round.
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    Ranaudo to Brewster

    LSU star Anthony Ranaudo has popped up on the Brewster roster.

    The junior was projected as a top-five pick in the preseason but an injury and some inconsistency sent him down draft boards. After going in the supplemental round to the Red Sox, Ranaudo said he would come to the Cape. Brewster is the destination.