Well known for producing gallons of clam chowder and seashell trinkets as far as the eye can see, Cape Cod, Mass. has also been churning out Major League ballplayers for the past 114 years.
Many of the best young college baseball players in the nation boost their professional prospects, and get a taste of life in the pros, by spending their summers on the sandy peninsula, competing in the Cape Cod Baseball League.
This summer, four young men made the trek north from Charlottesville. Catcher Jon Benick and pitchers Brandon Creswell, Jon Metzger and Greg Withelder honed their craft in the country's premier summer league.
None of the four enjoyed a breakout summer--Withelder only pitched in two games before injuring his troublesome right shoulder--but they can take solace in the Cape League's proven track record for nurturing future pros.
One of every six major leaguers played there, a roll call that includes such luminaries as Baltimore's Albert Belle, Houston's Craig Biggio, Chicago's Frank Thomas, Anaheim's Mo Vaughn and Boston's Nomar Garciaparra.
As befits such a prestigious gathering, invitations are issued with great care. Players with NCAA eligibility remaining can be recommended for the league by their college coaches, while others--as in the cases of Benick and Metzger--are specifically recruited by the individual clubs.
"It really in every sense is a two-way street," said Virginia asst. baseball coach Steve Whitmyer, who played for the Cotuit Kettleers in 1982 as a Notre Dame senior. "We can try to place some guys, but certainly we get contacted by
other teams that have interest."
Cape League roster spots are coveted highly because of the wealth of talent within the league and the opportunity it presents to play in an environment that closely approximates minor league ball, the next step along the professional road.
"You're playing against great college players," said Garciaparra, the superstar shortstop who was a Cape League All-Star in 1993 after his sophomore year at Georgia Tech. "You get guys from different colleges coming together and creating one team, so the competition level is great.
"You're on the road, away from home. You play on more of an everyday basis. In that respect, it gives you a real taste of what professional life might be if you're ready to continue on," the 1997 American League Rookie of the Year added.
The four Virginia players said they relished the opportunity to raise their level of competition.
"It's really nice to see some other players who are really good," said Benick, a third year who split time behind the plate and at first base for the Harwich Mariners. "I get to play with [former Florida State infielder] Marshall McDougall--he hit six home runs in a game."
Benick and his fellow Cape Leaguers, accustomed to playing a few times a week at college, also had to adjust to playing every day. Clubs play 44 games in a 56-day season that runs from mid-June through the first week of August.
"Playing six days a week is a lot different than playing three days a week at school," Benick said. "You kind of get burned out a little bit, but you've got to just learn to come to the ballpark every day and be ready to play."
Metzger, who split time between the Bourne Braves and the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox, had a more optimistic take on the increased workload.
"I actually like it a lot because you can get into a nice routine," the third-year lefthander said. "You pitch and then the day after, you work out, run, do whatever you have to do."
But don't make the mistake of thinking the Cape League is some kind of major-league boot camp. It features enough small-town touches to bring a smile to the face of even the most cynical follower of baseball.
Each of the players lives with a host family--Garciaparra said he still keeps in touch with the family he stayed with six years ago--and holds down a part-time job. Benick worked at a local restaurant before enrolling at Cape Cod Community College.
A glance at their stats reveals that this summer was indeed a learning experience for the four Cavs: all three pitchers posted sub .500 records and Benick checked in with a .198 batting average.
Metzger, who started with Bourne and switched to Yarmouth-Dennis to get more playing time, had perhaps the most successful campaign. He and Creswell each won only one of four decisions, but Metzger held opponents to a .268 average, despite his 5.58 ERA.
The Virginia coaching staff will look to Creswell to anchor the rotation next season, but he worked mostly in relief this summer. The 5-foot-9 lefty, who barely grabbed a spot in the Cape League, was the only Cavalier to play for a winning club, as his Wareham Gatemen made the playoffs with a second-place finish in the Western Division.
Perhaps the only negative for Metzger and Creswell was that with so many talented players per team, playing time was hard to come by. Cape League clubs play only 12 fewer games than the Cavaliers, yet Metzger pitched less than half as many innings. Creswell led Virginia with 100 innings in the spring, but got about a third as much work this summer.
Despite their diminished roles, both southpaws got valuable experience pitching in a league that uses wooden bats instead of the aluminum ones found in college ball. With that change in mind, hurlers learn that they no longer have to nibble on the outside corner to keep from giving up a home run.
"I believe that the greatest thing [about the Cape League] from a pitching standpoint is you learn to pitch inside, use your fastball and be aggressive," Whitmyer said. "That's the best thing for the pitcher: scouts can determine whether a guy can pitch inside."
Benick, who began the summer with an abysmal stretch of hitting, shakes off the notion that his struggles were linked to the change in bats. He improved greatly as the season progressed but could not get his average back up to the Mendoza line. The Auburn transfer, who was named to the All-ACC Second Team after winning the Virginia triple crown and setting a school season record in hits, did well against his fellow Cavaliers.
"He got two off me the other day," Metzger said with a smile. "Hey, I was happy to help him out."
Withelder's injury put a damper on an otherwise successful summer. The third-year lefthander excelled in the Cape League last summer, but made only two appearances for the Falmouth Commodores this year before suffering his shoulder injury. Withelder had trouble with that same shoulder, as well as his elbow and forearm, in the spring.
"There was concern about the decision to go up [to the Cape League], but he and his family made that decision," Whitmyer said. "To be honest, he probably has not been 100 percent for quite a while."
While the four players from Virginia had to adjust to differences in the Cape League, they hope to join the list of major leaguers who got their start in that tranquil Massachusetts town.
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