Category: All Star Game

So the All-Star Game ended in a tie, huh? The way this season’s going, must have been 12-12. Eight home runs between the teams. Everybody ran out of pitching so they called it a night.

Or not.

In the Cape League’s Year of the Hitter, it was the All-Star Game of the Pitcher as the East and West played to a 1-1 tie at Whitehouse Field. The runs scored on a dropped third strike in the eighth and an RBI single in the bottom of the ninth.

I couldn’t make it over to Harwich so I watched on Fox College Sports. I thought going in that pitchers had a chance to dominate since they’d each only be out there for an inning. But with the hitters in the league, I thought someone at some point would break through.

Instead, it looked like the game might be headed for a scoreless tie until the West got something — a little something — going in the eighth. Daniel Palka (Georgia Tech) and Jacob May (Coastal Carolina) poked singles through the infield off Brewster’s Tom Windle (Minnesota), and then they executed a double steal to put runners on second and third.

The East got an out at home when second baseman Carlos Asuaje (Nova Southeastern) made a tough play and fired to the plate to get Palka. And it looked like the East would get out of the inning when John Murphy swung threw a low 0-2 pitch. But the ball got away, Murphy ran to first and May scampered home with the go-ahead run.

In the ninth, though, against Dan Slania, the league’s best closer, the East rallied. Alex Blandino (Stanford) singled and took second on a fielder’s choice. Slania got the second out then jumped ahead of Y-D’s Robert Pehl (Washington) 0-2. Pehl worked it back to 2-2, though, and then roped a base hit into left. Blandino raced around with the tying run.

Asuaje was hit by a pitch to put the winning run in scoring position, but Slania struck out Healy to end the game, which was slated to go nine innings regardless of score.

Palka earned MVP honors for the West squad with three hits. Blandino, who was 2-for-3, won the honor for the East.

The real MVPs were the pitchers, as 16 of them tossed scoreless innings. Sean Manaea (Indiana State) didn’t disappoint in getting the start for the West, as he struck out two in the first inning. His teammate Jeff Hoffman (East Carolina) was among the most impressive arms of the night, with his fastball hitting 96. On the East side, Matt Boyd (Oregon State), Kyle Crockett (Virginia) and Ryan Thompson (Franklin Pierce) all pitched hitless frames.

The game was the lowest scoring All-Star Game since 2005, when the East won 1-0 on a run in the ninth. That game was the highlight of a pitching-dominated summer. Eight of the 16 pitchers in that All-Star Game have gone on to the Major Leagues, including Tim Lincecum and Daniel Bard.

If anybody has more observations about the game, feel free to share them in the comments.

The summer of 2012 in the Cape Cod Baseball League has been one of the best I can remember.

Saturday night, the best of the best take center stage.

The Cape League All-Star Game returns to the Cape for the first time since 2008, after three years at Fenway Park. The Harwich Mariners will host the game Saturday at 6:05 p.m. at Whitehouse Field.

For Cape League fans who haven’t made the trek up to Fenway these past three years, the return of the All-Star Game comes at a pretty good time. It coincides with a terrific season, full of great story lines, great numbers and great players. Most of them will be on the field Saturday, from Sean Manaea and his 75 strikeouts to Phillip Ervin and his 10 home runs.

As always, it should be fun.

The Schedule

2 p. m. – Gates Open to Public
2:00 – 2:40 – East Batting Practice
2:45 – 3:25 – West Batting Practice
3:40 – 4:10 – East Infield / Outfield Warm up
– Autograph Sessions Begin (See Below)
4:15 – 4:45 -West Infield / Outfield Warm up
5:00 – 5:30 – Home Run Hitting Contest
5:40 – 5:45 – Pre-Game Ceremony
5:45 – 5:52 – Player Introductions
5:52 – 5:55 – National Antham
5:55 – 5:57 – First Pitch Ceremony
6:05 – Cape League All Star Game Start

Autograph Sessions
3:40 – 4:15 – East and West Pitchers
4:20 – 4:45 – East Position Players
4:55 – 5:25 – West Position Players

Broadcast Info

For anyone not attending, the game will be broadcast live on Fox College Sports. On the radio, you can listen on WCAI and the Cape & The Islands NPR stations.

Ten to Watch
All 42 players are deserving of your attention, but here’s a quick rundown of some of the very best.

1. Sean Manaea, Hyannis
The starting pitcher for the West squad is putting together a historic season and is quickly approaching the league’s modern-era strikeout record. With only an inning or two on his agenda, the lefty’s mid-90’s fastball may light up radar guns even more than usual.

2. Phillip Ervin, Harwich
Ervin was the story of the first half of the season as he hit eight home runs in June. His pace has slowed down, but he’s still one of the league’s top hitters. The ball flat out jumps off his bat.

3. Robert Pehl, Yarmouth-Dennis
Pehl had a decent freshman season at Washington but has taken things to another level on the Cape. He has 14 multi-hit games and carries a .368 average and a league-best 32 RBI into the ASG.

4. Colin Moran, Bourne
One of the top college hitters in the country, the UNC rising junior has kind of quietly lived up to every expectation. He’s hitting .331 with five home runs and ranks second in the league in RBI. He might be the best pure hitter in the league.

5. Aaron Blair, Y-D
Blair wasn’t on a lot of people’s radar before the season, but the Marshall righty has been the league’s top starting pitcher not named Sean Manaea. He’ll start for the East.

6. Tyler Horan, Wareham
Horan didn’t get off to the same kind of start as Ervin, but he’s now tied for the league lead in home runs with 10. The Middleboro, Mass., native is also hitting .333.

7. Tom Windle, Brewster
Another talented southpaw, Windle has struck 40 and walked just 4 in 32.2 innings. Opponents are hitting .203 against him.

8. Mason Robbins, Bourne
Perhaps the top freshman on the Cape, the Southern Miss star and former 20th round pick is tied for the league lead in extra-base hits, and he’s batting .336 with seven home runs.

9. Matt Boyd, Orleans
The unsigned 13th-rounder in this year’s draft hasn’t been on the Cape long, but he’s made a big impression. After starting the year in the bullpen, he struck out 12 and allowed one hit in six innings in his first start.

10. Brandon Trinkwon, Hyannis
Trinkwon has been one of my favorites this year. A smooth shortstop and a lefty swinger, he’s hitting .339 with five home runs.