Cape Cod Baseball League

Visit All 10 Cape Cod Baseball League Parks in One Weekend

by Jeff Shaw

The distance between the teams located farthest from one another is 47 miles. Photo credit: Google maps.

The month of June is known for many things; graduations, maximum daylight, outdoor concerts and endless replays of Alice Cooper’s Schools Out [for summer]. But on Cape Cod, the month of June means the beginning of a wonderful tradition and summer rite of passage: the Cape Cod Baseball League.

If you need a refresher, ten teams located between Wareham (just off-Cape) and Orleans, (Lower Cape), compete annually in this officially NCAA sanctioned summer league. (Though, as many books point out, the origins of organized baseball on Cape Cod are local and amateur.) Most professional scouts love to be assigned to the Cape League because of the concentration of teams. As an example, the distance between Wareham and Orleans, the two farthest outposts of the 10-team league, is a mere 47 miles. Conversely, teams in leagues in larger geographical areas may be separated by 47 miles each!

Indeed, closeness and geography makes the Cape Cod Baseball League special. So why not see for yourself and visit each team’s ballpark this summer? Below is a plan to do just that…in a single weekend. You read that right, it can be done:

Double Header Weekends. The weekends of June 17-19 (Father’s Day) and June 24-26 both have double headers on Sunday. The earliest double header begins at 2pm (at Cotuit) and the latest double header begins at 5pm (at Chatham). Meaning you can easily catch three complete games and probably see even more games if you only stay for a few innings and move along. Watching three complete games sounds like the ultimate ‘summer catch’ [Cape League-based movie pun intended]!

Last Weekend. The July 29-31 games are the last regular season weekend games. If you are savvy, you can catch games (heading East) at Hyannis (6pm) Harwich (6:30pm), Orleans (6:30pm) and Chatham (7pm) on Friday; start Saturday in Brewster (4pm) and then proceed West to Wareham (6pm—crossing the bridge should be okay on a Saturday), then head back over the bridge and down to Falmouth (6pm). On Sunday, start in YD at 4:30pm, then head West to the second half of the Cotuit game (4:30pm) and then the middle of the game at Bourne (6pm).

Unique Game Locations. Four Cape League teams will travel off-Cape for regular season game play. The first game between YD vs. Hyannis will be Wednesday, July 20 at 11:00am at Dunkin’ Donuts Park in Hartford, home of the Class AA Hartford Yard Goats, affiliated with the Colorado Rockies. The second game between Bourne vs. Wareham will be Monday, July 25 at 6:45pm at Polar Park in Worchester, home of the Worcester Red Sox. And of course, don’t forget the All-Star Game on Saturday, July 23 at 6:00pm in Wareham.

Pinned locations of all ten Cape Cod Baseball League teams, color coded by West and East Divisions. Photo credit: CCBL.

Below are the addresses to the fields of all ten teams.

Fields: https://gatemen.org/schedule/directions-to-ccbl-fields/

Brewster Whitecaps (Eastern Division)

Stoneybrook Elementary School, 384 Underpass Rd, Brewster, MA 02631

Chatham Anglers (Eastern Division)

Veteran’s Field; 702 Main Street, Chatham, MA 02633

Harwich Mariners (Eastern Division)

Whitehouse Field; 75 Oak Street, Harwich, MA 02645

Orleans Firebirds (Eastern Division)

Eldredge Park; 78 Eldredge Park Way, Orleans, MA 02653

Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox (Eastern Division)

Red Wilson Field; 210 Station Avenue, So. Yarmouth, MA 02664

Bourne Braves (Western Division)

Doran Park, 220 Sandwich Road, Bourne

Cotuit Kettlers (Western Division)

Lowell Park; 10 Lowell Avenue, Cotuit, MA 02635

Falmouth Commodores (Western Division)

Guv Fuller Field, Main St., Falmouth Center

Hyannis Harbor Hawks (Western Division)

McKeon Field; 120 High School Road, Hyannis, MA 02601

Wareham Gatemen (Western Division)

Clem Spillane Field, Rte. 6, Wareham Center at 54 Marion Road and Viking Drive

June 3, 2022

Cape Cod Prestige – Trophy Style

The President’s Trophy of the Cape Cod Baseball League. Photo credit: Cape Cod Times.

February 14, 2022

by Jeff Shaw

Author’s Note: With the 2022 Winter Olympics on mind (and on the television 24/7), I began to ponder about similarly prestigious competitions on Cape Cod. Other than the Cape Cod Baseball League, I couldn’t really think of any off-hand.

As my online research intensified, I came across an odd, but somewhat related, commonality. The word “Cape Cod” was used directly, or referred to indirectly, in the names of a handful of trophies representing rivalries in various youth, amateur and even professional sport competitions.

The list below is far from complete, but was fun to discover during the prestigious Olympic week(s)!

Cape Cod Prestige – Trophy Style

Cape Cod is such an iconic place that it comes as no surprise countless restaurants, stores, streets, parks, even menu items, and much more, bare its name. Another obscure, yet important item to many, also bare its name; the trophy.

Below are a few trophies named after, or refer to, Cape Cod.

Cape Cod Cup

If you had to guess which sport the Cape Cod Cup is named after, which would it be? Baseball? Hockey? Auto racing? Fishing? If you guessed any of those sports, you would be wrong. Turns out, the Cape Cod Cup is a golf trophy.

Every year, the Cape Cod PGA Chapter team captain invites a team of chapter professionals to compete against the Cape Cod Amateur Team, whose captain does the same thing. Each team features 14 players and play a Nassau 4-ball match play format – with three points up for grabs per match.

Wondering about the all-time history of this fun golf rivalry? The Amateurs lead Professionals: 15-14-2.

Canal Cup

The Canal Cup, the annual youth hockey clash between Sandwich and Bourne, is one of the most heated rivalries on all of Cape Cod. First played in 1983, a game Sandwich won 7-4, the Canal Cup has grown into an annual rivalry between the two towns and the two teams.

“It has become a rite of passage for hockey players from both towns and a family tradition that transcends generations. Fathers who played in the Canal Cup now watch their sons take the ice before one of the largest high school hockey crowds they’ll ever see. Former players return for Canal Cup weekend to watch brothers face off on the same ice they skated on as players.”

Sandwich dominated in the late 2000s to mid-2010s, though in 2015, Bourne snapped a decades-old drought, winning 4-3 in overtime. Prior to that dramatic overtime thriller, Bourne’s last win against Sandwich was 2006.

There is also a similarly sounding hockey tournament, the Cape Cod Canal Classic, a men’s hockey league tournament with similar local rivalries.

A generic Cup trophy. No images seem to exist of the Cape Cod, Codish, or Canal Cups. I’m beginning to think these are not actual trophies, but just names of events. A huge bummer that would be.

Codfish Cup

A relatively new annual rivalry debuted in 2019, with the 1st Annual Dennis-Yarmouth and Nauset Codfish Cup. The Codfish Cup is a day of youth hockey competition with teams consisting of players from mites up to the varsity high school level.

The event pits natural rivals against one another while raising funds and awareness for a charity of the home team’s choosing. In 2019, the charity selected was the Sean M. Gannon Fund of the Cape Cod Foundation. Participants were also asked to donate a non-perishable food item to be collected (and later distributed) by the Family Pantry of Cape Cod.

Arnold Mycock Trophy. Photo credit: Cape Cod Times.

Arnold Mycock Trophy & President Trophy

The Cape Cod Baseball League championship trophy is named after Arnold Mycock, former general manager of the Cotuit Kettlers. Over his 62-year career (1950-1994 as GM), Mycock is credited with leading one of the most successful franchises in the league. Mycock was selected to the Cape League’s inaugural Hall of Fame class in 2000 and is a recipient of the American Baseball Coaches Association’s Meritorious Service Award.

The Cape Cod Baseball League also presents the President’s Trophy annually. The President’s Trophy, first presented in 2012, is given to the team with the most overall points in the league.

The Cape Cod Mini Masters Tourney Trophy does exist! And my name is on it! Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.

Cape Cod Mini Masters Tournament Championship Trophy

Mini golf lovers will rejoice knowing the Cape Cod Mini Masters Tournament Championship Trophy is real. This invitation-only event is tough to qualify for, but is making the rounds (pun intended) across the Cape. Even better, as its most recent winner, the trophy rests proudly on my fireplace mantle.

Do you know of other Cape Cod named or referenced trophies?

Arnold Mycock – “Mr. Cotuit Kettleer” – Passes Away

Stop at the Chatham Filing Station

Stop at the Chatham Filing Station

My wonderful wife, Ellen, is usually in charge of decision-making. She has an excellent track record when it comes to choosing contractors, buying gifts people actually like/use, booking great vacation lodging, and many other decisions that require some homework. She also has a run of success with lesser decisions, such as choosing new (to us) restaurants.

Last week, she knocked another one out of the park (a subtle shout out to the Chatham A’s that wowed us with 3 Home Runs later that evening at our first home game of the season). The “home run” restaurant choice was the still-relatively new (they opened Memorial Day Weekend 2017) Chatham Filling Station “An American Roadside Diner” on Old Harbor Road.

Since it was June, we were able to stroll in around 9:30am and were seated immediately. While we were guided to a table by the windows, we could not help but get distracted in child-like wonder by all the cool vintage items, framed pictures and unique theme of a true filling station (both literally food and fuel) on a road trip to a destination unknown.

This only one part of Helen Kelsey’s wall mural. Check out the rest at the restaurant!

My coffee cup was filled within 30 seconds, a balanced medium brew, and I immediately locked eyes on an incredible mural on the back wall. The wall painting, by Helen Kelsey, is an explosion of color with layers of meaning, telling the story of the fondest memories of cross-country travels by owners, Rik and Caren Morse. The painting captures some of those moments as well as illustrates the past history and present culture of Chatham.

Sharks in the Park outside Eldridge Library.

I actually told the waitress that I could not stop starring at the mural (as I was facing it and somewhat couldn’t help it) and felt compelled to take multiple pictures while trying not to disturb other (somewhat oblivious) customers. (I have the same reaction each time I see “Sharks in the Park.”) And that’s fine, art often does not connect to the masses. Even the waitress admitted she discoveries little new details when glancing at the wall every now and then.

The menu is balanced, not too small, and not overwhelming either. Some of the dishes are classic comfort food; grits, biscuits and gravy, and huevos rancheros. While the grit bowl selection was impressive, the shrimp and grits option was only available on the lunch menu, so we’re hoping that can be added to the breakfast menu. I love seafood for breakfast (my wife never tires when I re-tell the story of the most amazing salt fish scrambled eggs at a restaurant in Jamaica) and selected the Fish Cake Eggs Benedict. Ellen went with the Carolina Cheesy Grit Bowl.

Both dishes came out steaming with a slice of fresh watermelon on the edge of the plate for a delightful presentation. The fish cakes were large, packed with flavor and covered in “Come Back Sauce,” a slightly sweeter twist on the classic Hollandaise sauce. It worked. The side of potatoes was a good portion, perfect for a mutual “taste test exchange.” We cleaned our plates and took a quick look at the lunch menu, a preview of a return trip with the nephews from Colorado next week. I am happy Ellen found this gem despite already seeing the future line out the door on weekends in July!

We ended up doing A LOT that day, and thank you to the Chatham Filing Station for keep us full well into the afternoon. We walked the shoreline of Pleasant Bay off the North Chatham town landing, paddleboarded around Stage Harbor (thank you John McGrath at Chatham Kayak Company for bailing me out with the paddle) and White Pond (both with the dog), split a “Salty Llama” (chicken salad wrap) and Beanstock Summer Splash coffee at Chatham Cookware Cafe, toured sharks in the park outside Eldridge Library, grabbed the last pair of QS amphibian shorts in in my size at Chatham Clothing Bar and watched an 11-1 Chatham A’s win over Hyannis at Veteran’s field while enjoying a fresh lobster roll (ellen) and fried clam strips (me) from Chatham Pier Fish Market, while tossing bags in between innings on those custom crafted

Our cornhole boards make their season debut at Veteran’s Field.

Chatham A’s cornhole boards.

It was a great day in Chatham thanks to Ellen and the Chatham Filing Station!

Pride of the Chatham A’s: Cornhole Boards

Pride of the Chatham A’s: Cornhole Boards

About this time one year ago, my friend Matt (well, in this case, “frienenemy” Matt, more on that later), was building his own custom cornhole boards. Three years earlier, I had done the same thing with my neighbor, now friend Tom, when we both first moved into the neighborhood. Side bar: There is no better way to bond with your new neighbor by building your very own cornhole boards together. The combination of playing with power tools, making supply runs, and celebrating small successes with a cold one was plain old fun. I highly recommend building your own boards if you have the time.

Rustic looking cornhole boards fresh off construction.

Now frenenemy Matt’s architectural plans called for a customized paint job of the logos of his, and his wife Kate’s, college alma maters. Since the boards neighbor Tom and I built took a little longer than we told our better halves to expect, construction was our only goal. A paint job would have to wait – 3 years. While I’ve always wanted to paint the boards, I never gave much thought to settling on a theme, logo and colors. At first, I liked the rustically toned, barren wood look; it kind of fit into our woodsy backyard. It later dawned on me while ‘tossing bags’ in our Chatham front yard, to make the theme of the boards the one and only Chatham A’s of the Cape Cod Baseball League. That was one year ago.

Not only was paintings the boards after the Chatham A’s fitting for where they are used most, but due to the uniqueness of appreciation for the Cape League, these boards may literally be one of a kind. Although, Cape League Cornhole Boards were announced for sale earlier this spring on Twitter, so mass production of individual team themed cornhole boards could be coming. But that’s not the point. I made these boards with my own hands, and hands of my wife (ellen) neighbor friend (tom), and frienenemy (matt) – he’s an Orleans Firebirds fan, ugh — and have many humorous stories to tell of each step in the project.

My summer hero, A’s Mike Daniels, 1989 season.

My appreciation for the Cape Cod Baseball League stems from the 1980s while attending one of their week-long youth baseball clinics. The clinics are half-day camp for the 8-14 year old avid baseball players, whose parents needed a deserved break. I loved every moment of that week. I didn’t mind getting up early or running in the heat because the coaches are all current Chatham A’s players. Big Brothers. Heroes. And remember, 1 in every 6 Cape league players gets called up to the show so getting coached by future major leaguers is pretty cool. My dad even bought a dozen donuts for the coaches the last day of the clinic to show his appreciation for returning a happy (i.e., tired) child.

To this day, one of my favorite memories was the conditioning drill at the end of the day where the group is divided evenly; one group on home plate as the “batter,” the other group on second base, as the “baserunner.” On the whistle, the first batter ran down the line, rounded first and ran into second base mimicking hitting a double; while the baserunner did the opposite; ran to third, then to home plate mimicking scoring from second base. Once the runner touches the base/plate, the next person in their line repeats the play until everyone in line is on the opposite side of the infield. It’s race – and I was the anchor in the second base group. When my turn came, our team was a good 2-3 seconds off the pace, and somehow, I dug deep (likely to impress the future stars of Major League Baseball-MLB) and made up the time just to cross the plate before my opponent reached second! My teammates and coaches screamed and cheered, the latter excited likely due to $20 and a case of beer on the line for the winning team. We won. As an eight-year old kid, getting high fives from my teammates, many older than me, and Cape League player-coaches was the best reward. My loyalty and pride for the Chatham A’s is still strong after all these years.

The Cape Cod teams are run by volunteers – amazing when you think about how polished the product. Since games are free to attend, teams rely heavily on donations from fans, merchandise sales as well as a $100,000 grant from MLB. Hold that thought as we bounce back to my cornhole boards…

The big decision that faced me was which logos to paint on the boards. For a quick trip down memory lane, over half of the ten team league used to be or is named after a major league franchise (though in some cases, the Cape team name predated the MLB team name). Why does this matter? Because MLB trademarked the names first. In 2008, MLB decided to enforce their trademark law, preventing Cape teams from using certain vendors for their merchandise sales (merchandise sales count for about 1/3 of their revenue), essentially forcing Cape Cod teams to choose between maintaining a link with the major leagues and remaining true to their hometown heritage.

Three of the six teams caved to the pressure from MLB, including Chatham (formerly A’s, now Anglers), Hyannis (formerly Mets, now Harbor Hawks), and Orleans (formerly Cardinals, now Firebirds). In Chatham’s case, team officials smartly chose “Anglers”, a name with a strong cultural reference to the town’s maritime history and current industry, plus the name starting with the letter “A” provided clever branding similar to how their old “A’s” logo was used. Three other teams, Bourne Braves, Harwich Mariners, and Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox kept their hometown heritage but could not use the full team name in any merchandise sales. Their uniforms/t-shirts could only read “Harwich” or “Mariners,” but cannot be used together. All Cape teams have come to terms with MLB with their logos and names, but must pay a royalty fee on all merchandise sold. That’s right folks, MLB squeezing dollars from an all volunteer organizations! I doubt this is a surprise to anyone, but certainly a good example of what is wrong with professional sports and how the Cape league provides a solid alternative.

Limited edition “lost” Chatham A’s logo, circa mid-90s.

At this point, you may be asking what’s with all the history and background? Because I used a lost Chatham A’s logo for one of the boards. So perhaps the boards will subtly point out or lead to a conversation of the ridiculous MLB trademark issue while providing a fun outdoor activity. Now that I think about it, because of the trademark issue, individual Cape Cod team cornhole boards are probably not likely.

The lost Chatham logo chosen was actually a special edition logo that featured a circus-elephant holding a baseball bat, with the original “A’s” logo on a banner resting on its back. I have no idea who came up with the concept, or what it has to do with Chatham, but solving the mystery is on my summer to do list. Someone at Veteran’s Field knows the answer. The practical challenge of painting this logo on one of the two boards was that there was no clear copy of the image on the internet. I only had my cherished cap (signed by unknown players under the brim). I finally stumbled upon a blurry green version of the logo online. But that was it.

Frenemy Matt enlarged the blurry green logo by using a projector to then trace the image onto the primed board. The same process was used for the painting of the second board, the current logo. The time-lapse series of photos shows below how long and who helped make these boards. I thank Ellen, Matt and Tom for their proficiency with power tools, projectors and paintbrushes. I remain beyond happy with the finished product. The cornhole boards are now ready for prime time at Veteran’s Field for the 2018 season – and will make their game day debut on Saturday, June 16.

Following a final coat of sealer, I posted a picture of the final product on Twitter and tagged many associated with the team – Chatham Anglers media, broadcasters Cooper Boardman and Josh Schaefer and beat writer Peter Warren inviting them for a pre-game toss. While I watch most games from our spot along the bank behind center field in camping chairs, I am open to re-locating to the dugout level with the boards to make it part of the fan activities. Maybe start a fun competition in between innings for a chance to win that MLB licensed team apparrel!

The vintage and current A’s logo cornhole boards. See you in Center field.

About Cape Cod

About Cape Cod

Having grown up in the northeast, it’s hard to imagine meeting someone who has never been to, let alone heard of, Cape Cod. But alas, it happens. For those who are not familiar with Cape Cod, here is short overview and list of what a visit or vacation may look like, from an admittedly biased observer.

Cape Cod is a peninsula off the southeast coast of Massachusetts jutting out about 67 miles into the Atlantic Ocean. “The Cape” consists of 15 towns beginning at the Cape Cod Canal, two islands (Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket), and the area around Buzzards Bay. While most people experience Cape Cod during the busy summer months of July and August, the shoulder seasons (spring and fall) are increasingly popular times to visit and even winter is becoming stocked with events and activities to keep people coming back throughout the year. About 200,000 people live on the Cape year round, with the population more than doubling in the summer months.

While there are many classic Cape Cod traditions to experience such as, watching a double feature at the Wellfleet Drive-In, riding, running or walking the Cape Cod Rail Trail, enjoying the raw bar at The Beachcomber or chowder at The Squire, exploring 63,000 acres of the Cape Cod National Seashore, climbing the steps of the Pilgrim Monument, catching a Cape League Baseball League game at one of ten fields spread from Orleans to Wareham, or visiting the Kennedy Museum, to name a few (and I didn’t even mention all the festivals and celebrations), these places may not always be there, as we learned painfully with Liam’s due to erosion at Nauset Beach. Take advantage while you can.

Here’s a short list of a few activities that make the Cape, well, the Cape for adults and kids a like:

A familiar sight off Route 28 in West Chatham.

Driving by familiar town and neighborhood sights;
Enjoying fresh seafood where ever you turn (if you’re not into that, don’t fret, the Cape is littered with tasty twists on traditional cuisines);
Packing up for multiple lazy beach days where you often forget what day it is;
Getting dragged with your family on a whale watch only to realize you really enjoyed it, even if you puked;
A few of my beach toys.

Competing with your fellow beachgoers in just about any beach game like paddleball, corn hole, scoop golf, Waboba surf water ball, best sand castle, you name it;
Playing the role of wanna be local fisherman or typical tourist for a day of fishing on the boat or clamming in the flats;
Boating whether charter or some kind of tour, getting out on the water;
Re-discovering your appreciation for a deck of cards, board games and puzzles on rainy days;
Realizing soft serve ice cream cannot be beat;

Veteran’s Field, Home of the Chatham A’s.

Watching a Cape Cod Baseball League is just about the best way to spend a summer evening on Cape Cod;
Treating yourself to something sweet; homemade fudge, salt water taffy and at least one banana split;
Building up the nerve to sign-out a sailfish (single) sail boat and not capsize – or drift out to sea;
Photographing and touring a few of the dozen or so lighthouses spread throughout the Sound and Bay sides;
The majestic Chatham Lighthouse on a clear summer day.
Finding your inner “Tiger” on the back nine during a competitive game of mini golf;
Listening to (my) favorite, Ocean 104.7, custom crafted for Cape Cod’s news and ideas (radio station);
Soaking up summer sounds of the town(s) band concerts on summer evenings;
Going on breakfast run for fresh brewed local coffee and baked goods, returning as a hero to your family or group of friends;
Appreciating nature: beautiful gardens, blooms, sunsets, tides the occasional rainbow;
A bloom in our backyard.
Collecting sea shells, sea glass, and other wash’a shore items; and
Cursing yourself repeatedly for deciding to depart the Cape on Sunday after 10:00am (traffic!).

Whatever you decide to do, slow down just a little bit and you will enjoy your time on the Cape.