Cape Cod’s 2012 Strawberry Festival Was a Tasty Start to the Summer
The Cape Cod Baseball League celebrates its 128th season in 2012 and continues to provide fans with competitive baseball entertainment, where the country’s top college players display multi-dimensional skills in their purest form. Although well into the season, there is still great baseball to enjoy especially with the playoffs starting in a couple of weeks.
The Cape League is recognized as the best amateur summer leagues in the country by college coaches, as well as professional baseball scouts. Players from around the USA and all college divisions are recruited to play in the ten-team loop.
With over 1,000 alumni performing at all levels of professional baseball in 2010, a record total 236 former Cape Leaguers populate major league rosters, including Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum (Harwich ’05), slugging first baseman Mark Texeira (Orleans ’99), AL Manager of the YearEric Wedge (Yarmouth-Dennis ’88), AL Comeback Player of the Year Carlos Pena (Harwich ‘96/Wareham ’97) former Cy Young Award winner Barry Zito (Wareham ’97 & ’98), former AL MVPFrank Thomas (Orleans ’88), former AL batting champion Nomar Garciaparra (Orleans ’93), former NL Fireman of the Year Billy Wagner (Brewster ‘92) and New York Yankees manager Joe Giardi(Cotuit ’84).
The list of Cape League all time alumni in MLB totals more than 830 names, including those of Baseball Hall of Famer Harold “Pie” Traynor (Falmouth ’19), former New York Yankee greats Red Rolfe (Orleans ’30) and Thurman Munson (Chatham ’67), Major League managers Bobby Valentine(Yarmouth ’67) and Buck Showalter (Hyannis ’76), Cy Young Award winners Steve Stone (Chatham ’68) and Mike Flanagan (Falmouth ’72), Firemen-of-the-Year Wayne Granger (Sagamore ’62) andJeff Reardon (Cotuit ’74-76), Major League scout Lennie Merullo (Barnstable ’35), slugging first baseman Jeff Bagwell (Chatham ’87-’88) and Craig Biggio (Y-D ’86), the only former Cape Leaguer to amass over 3,000 hits in the major leagues.
What a great chance to see tomorrows greats! The Falmouth, Commodores schedule can be found on http://www.falmouthcommodores.com. Another way to enjoy you Cape Cod vacation.