Daily Fog: Running Wild

Last year’s Cotuit Kettleers finished second in the league in home runs but only fifth in steals.

That’s a rare feat for a Mike Roberts-coached team. In Roberts’ previous seasons at the helm in Cotuit, the Kettleers led the league in stolen bases twice, finished second once and third the other time. When Roberts managed Wareham in 2000, the Gatemen tied the all-time league record for stolen bases with 134.

So last year was an anomaly. It was a down year for speed all across the board, with the individual league leader getting only 15. The Kettleers finished with 46, less than one a game.

These days, things are back to normal.

If this can be called normal.

Roberts’ Kettleers have gone crazy on the base paths so far this summer. In five games, they’ve stolen 23 bases. Yes, that’s halfway to last year’s total. In five games.

It may be the normal approach, but there’s nothing normal about the results.

Chris Bisson has been the ring-leader. The sophomore from Kentucky leads the league with 10 steals. He has swiped at least two in every game, and he stole four in the season opener. You know that saying that if a certain fast guy gets a single, it’s basically a triple? That’s not the slightest exaggeration for Bisson. Heading into last night’s game, Bisson had stolen eight bases despite having a .231 on-base percentage. He really hasn’t been on base very much. Every time he gets on, though, he’s stealing second and third.

I thought someone from Cotuit would win the stolen base title this year. There was a lot of speed, and when you couple that with Roberts’ approach, you’re going to see a lot of steals. But I thought the champ would be Rico Noel , who stole 46 bases for Coastal Carolina. Noel does have six steals, but right now it’s Bisson who’s stealing the show.

A sophomore who’s originally from Ontario, Bisson was a second-team all-SEC pick this season after hitting a team-best .362. But he only stole 13 bases, a sign that perhaps he didn’t have the green light very often.

This summer, it looks like he and the rest of the Kettleers have it all the time. In a 5-3 victory over Chatham last night, they stole seven bases. The victory moved them to 2-1-1. They’re playing fairly well, and if they can get some clutch hits to go with the steals, they’ll be a real tough team to beat.

Could they set a few records in the process? The league’s individual record for stolen bases is 48, set by Wareham’s Roy Marsh in 1993. No one’s been close to that since 2005, when current San Francisco Giant Manny Burriss of Orleans stole 37. Right now, Bisson is on pace for 88. You’d think the pace would have to slow down, but even if Bisson only averages one steal per game the rest of the way, he would still get 49.

The team mark could also be challenged. The Kettleers are on pace to steal more than 200 bases, which would demolish the current record. That pace, too, will probably slow down as teams make a concerted effort to limit the running game. They’ll have to, or they’ll find themselves in trouble.

Either way, you can bet the Kettleers will keep running.

Elsewhere

• Cotuit’s Chad Bell (Walters State CC) struck out four in five strong innings, and Craig Fritsch (Baylor), who played for Y-D last year, picked up his first save. The loss was the first of the season for the Anglers, which means there are no more undefeated teams.
• In Hyannis, Orleans’ Elliott Glynn (Connecticut) struck out five and allowed one hit in six scoreless innings as the Firebirds earned their first victory of the season, 2-0 over the Mets. Jaren Matthews (Rutgers) provided all the offense with a two-run home run, his first of the year. He’s now hitting .333.
• Michael Goodnight (Houston) carried a no-hitter into the fifth and ended up with a solid six-inning, three-hit line as Y-D beat Harwich 6-5. Tyler Burgoon (Michigan) notched his league-leading third save of the season to hold off a Mariners rally and Jordan Casas (Long Beach State) went 4-for-4, the league’s best offensive performance of the season.
• Making his first appearance in a Bourne uniform, Stefan Romero (Oregon State) tripled to knock in the go-ahead run then scored an insurance run in the seventh inning as the Braves rallied to beat Falmouth 4-2.
• Wareham and Brewster played to a 2-2 tie, the third tie in five days of action. Wareham led 1-0 and 2-1, but Brewster came back both times, netting the second tying run on a safety squeeze by Lyle Allen.

What to Watch For Tonight

Originally an off day, two rescheduled games will be played tonight as Cotuit visits Harwich and Wareham travels to Chatham. There’s no fog or rain in the forecast.

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