The view from Alex B. Haas Memorial Park, Harwich. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.
by Jeff Shaw
“Ocean views.” “Waterfront location.” “Private dock.” “Deeded rights to Sandy beach.” “Easy access to Gray’s beach.” These vivid descriptions, used predominantly in real estate listings, illustrate the fabulousness that is Cape Cod, i.e., the water. Indeed, a large sandy, peninsula surrounded by water (Cape Cod Bay, Atlantic Ocean and Nantucket Sound and Buzzards Bay), plus a mindboggling 300+ inland fresh water ponds, adds up to one special place.
Yet, because so much of Cape Cod – beaches, marshes, forests, ponds – are protected (and they should be), there are less shoreline attractions than other coastal communities. On the flipside, the lack of shoreline development/attractions, is also what makes Cape Cod one special place.
The memorial rock inscribed with a lovely poetic tribute. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.
With so many of us drawn to the water, finding a secluded place on Cape Cod can seem few and far between. Fear not.
While not a traditional park, the Alex B. Haas Memorial Park in Harwich is a wonderful spot. First, it honors those “crossing the bar,” with an unobstructed view of Saquatucket Harbor, a beautiful resting place.
Surrounded by green shrubbery, the Alex B. Haas Memorial Park is hidden in plain sight. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.
Second, it is located in an active harbor, so the loading and unloading of boats is some of the best free entertainment you will find on Cape Cod.
Three, it is located between the popular Dockside Cafe and the iconic Brax Landing, two restaurants pumping delicious smells into the air.
A seated view from Alex B. Haas Memorial Park, Harwich. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.
Now sure, no one is bringing family and friends to meet up at this park. The park is barely the size of a Ford F-150 – with the tailgate closed. Yet, it is a somewhat hidden sanctuary in a lively place.
Haas Memorial Park is for your quiet time. Watch, listen, meditate, read, paint, do what inspires. It’s an awe-inspiring view.
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.
