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Red, White and Blue Devils

Jimmy Herron and Griffin Conine after an Orleans-Cotuit game earlier this summer.
Jimmy Herron and Griffin Conine after an Orleans-Cotuit game earlier this summer.

 

Pretty much every day this season, I’ve checked to see if it’s the right time for the Duke post. Orleans’ Jimmy Herron and Cotuit’s Griffin Conine have been two of the best hitters in the Cape League since day one, Zack Kone is an all-star and several of their teammates are having solid summers. Duke’s presence is one of the stories of the summer, and I probably could have picked any random day to make it the Daily Fog theme.

But today is probably the best day.

Herron won East MVP honors and Conine took the West MVP award at Saturday’s All-Star Game as one of the big stories of the summer became the big story of the All-Star Game. They are the first college teammates in Cape League All-Star Game history to win the MVP awards. That dates back to 1988, when the game became a division vs. division affair. Previously, when the All-Star Game featured the Cape and the Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League, just one MVP was handed out.

Herron capped a comeback that gave the East squad a 5-3 win when he doubled home the go-ahead runs in the seventh inning. He finished 1-for-4 with the two RBI.

Conine had upped the West’s lead to 3-0 with a two-run homer in the third inning. He finished 2-for-4 with two RBI and was the only player on either team to log two hits.

With their first four pitchers tossing shutout innings and Conine pushing the lead, the West was poised for a bit of surprise result, given the dominance of the top two teams in the East this summer, both of whom had a heavy presence on the East All-Star squad. But the East chipped away on a home run by Brewster’s Michael Curry (Georgia) and an RBI groundout by Y-D’s Kyle Isbel (UNLV).

Falmouth reliever Mitchell Miller (Clemson) got in trouble with three walks in the seventh, and Herron made him pay, battling through a 10-pitch at-bat with six foul balls before smacking a lined drive up the middle to give the East the lead.

The West was unable to mount a comeback and the East prevailed, continuing an every-other-year trend in the All-Star Game. After a tie in 2012, the East has won in 2013, 2015 and 2017, with the West winning in 2014 and 2016.

As for Conine and Herron, the All-Star Game MVPs may not be the only MVP awards they’re in contention for, not with the Cape League’s leaderboard looking like this as the regular season gets back to action today:

Screenshot 2017-07-23 at 10.01.33 AM

Other All-Star Game notes:

– Great crowd at Wareham’s Spillane Field, announced at 7,163. There was nary a set to be had in any of the sets of bleachers, even in the outfield.

– Orleans’ Stephen Scott won the Home Run Derby over Brewster’s Chandler Taylor.

– Orleans’ Ryan Rolison was credited with the win and Y-D’s Riley McCauley grabbed the save.

– Kris Bubic of Y-D and Logan Gilbert of Orleans had the most impressive innings on the mound, with a pair of strikeouts each. Gilbert, who is emerging as the best pitching prospect in the league, was particularly impressive, as he struck out Willie McIver and George Janca on a total of nine pitches.

– Falmouth’s Alec Bohm was likely near the top of the list of players scouts wanted to see, and he didn’t disappoint, smashing a double to deep center in the second inning.

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Notes From a West Resurgence

Mark Laird, pictured earlier this summer, had an RBI as the West won 5-0.
Mark Laird, pictured earlier this summer, had an RBI as the West won 5-0.

 

The Friendly’s Cape Cod Baseball League All-Star Game dodged the rain and went off without a hitch on Sunday at Doran Park in Bourne. Work prevented me from getting over there, so you can get first-hand accounts elsewhere, but here are some notes from the West’s 5-0 victory.

  • The West won two of the three All-Star Games that were played at Fenway Park a few years ago, but it had been a long time since the West celebrated a victory on the Cape. Before Sunday’s win, the last time was 2002, when a West team led by Cotuit’s Bryan Snyder beat the East 4-1. The East won the next six All-Star Games before the West won in 2009 and 2010 at Fenway.

  • The shutout was the first since 2010, when the West won 5-0 at Fenway Park.

  • Ten pitchers combined on the shutout for the West team, limiting the East stars to seven hits.

  • Hyannis reliever Ryan Perez (Judson) officially went from curiosity to bona fide star when he struck out the side in the third inning and earned West MVP honors. Perez can pitch right-handed and left-handed, and he’s had an impressive summer. He came into the All-Star Game with a 2.05 ERA and 38 strikeouts in 26.2 innings. He struck out a formidable trio in his one All-Star inning, fanning Mikey White (Alabama), Jordan Tarsovich (VMI) and Ian Happ (Cincinnati). I hope there was a stand-off between the switch-hitting Happ and the switch-pitching Perez.

  • Perez is the first pitcher to earn MVP honors since Wareham’s Konner Wade in 2011. He was the first Hyannis MVP since Ben Paulsen in 2008.

  • Chatham’s A.J. Murray (Georgia Tech) won MVP honors with a 2-for-2 night, becoming the second Angler in as many years to win the top honor. J.D. Davis took the MVP award for the East last year.

  • Each team had one returning all-star. Reigning batting champ Kevin Newman (Arizona) went 1-for-2 for the West. Ian Happ (Cincinnati) was 0-for-2 for the East.

  • The Twitter consensus is that the pitching was better in this year’s All-Star game than last year’s. Brewster’s Cody Ponce (Cal Poly Pomona) was perhaps the most impressive.

  • According to Piliere, Wareham’s Kyle Cody (Kentucky) hit 97 on the radar gun, while Y-D’s Phil Bickford (Cal State Fullerton), a first-round pick last year, threw pitches at 94, 95, 95 in a three-pitch strikeout.

  • Wareham’s Chris Chinea (LSU) and Falmouth’s Cameron O’Brien (West Virginia), both playing from the catcher’s spot, hit home runs for the West. Falmouth’s Matt Eureste (San Jacinto) and Bourne’s Mark Laird (LSU) also drove in runs.

  • Cotuit’s Tres Barrera (Texas) won the 2014 TD Ameritrade College Home Run Derby but was limited to one in the Cape League contest. The CCBL crown went to Harwich’s Sal Annunziata (Seton Hall).

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    East Out-Slugs West Sluggers

    Harwich's Ian Happ hit one of two home runs for the East in the All-Star Game.

     
    The West lineup featured the league’s top four home run hitters – and the home run hitting contest champ – but it was the East that brought the pop in the 2013 Friendly’s Cape Cod Baseball League All-Star Game. Chatham’s J.D. Davis (Cal State Fullerton) and Harwich’s Ian Happ (Cincinnati) homered as the East smacked 12 hits and cruised to a 9-3 victory at Red Wilson Field.

    It was the highest-scoring all-star game since 2008, when the East won 8-6 at Veteran’s Field in Chatham, and it represented the kind of fireworks show that was expected but not received at last year’s All-Star Game, when the teams finished in a 1-1 tie.

    The West actually took a 1-0 lead off East starter Aaron Bummer (Nebraska) in the top of the first on an RBI fielder’s choice by Kevin Cron (TCU). West starter Jaron Long (Ohio State) then did what he always does – pitch a scoreless frame.

    But the East steadily took control from there, scoring at least one run in each of the next five innings. The stretch was capped by a three-run homer from Davis in the sixth inning. Davis finished 2-for-2 with a homer, a double, and three RBI on his way to East MVP honors.

    Y-D’s Alex Blandino (Stanford), the East MVP in last year’s game, would have made it two in a row if not for Davis. Blandino went 2-for-3 with two RBI in front of the home crowd. Happ, Ross Kivett (Kansas State) and Branden Cogswell (Virginia) also drove in a run apiece for the East.

    Jalen Beeks (Arkansas) was credited with the win on the mound. Six of the nine East pitchers tossed a scoreless inning, with Daniel Savas (Illinois State) and Trent Szkutnik (Michigan) each striking out two. With top arms Jeff Hoffman and Chris Ellis not participating, Y-D’s James Kaprielian (UCLA) reportedly flashed the best radar gun numbers in a quick eighth inning.

    Cron won MVP honors for the West.

    The East has now won two of the last three All-Star games. Before that, the West had won two straight.

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    All-Star Game Preview

    The Cape League’s best will converge on Red Wilson Field in Yarmouth today for the Friendly’s Cape Cod Baseball League All-Star Game. The Cape’s version of the mid-summer classic is on sandy soil for the second year in a row after a brief stint at Boston’s Fenway Park. Fifty of the league’s best are split among the East and West rosters. First pitch is slated for 4:35 p.m.

     

    The Schedule

    12:30 p.m. – Gates open to public
    12:30 – East Batting practice
    1:15 – West Batting practice
    2:10 – East Infield / outfield warmup
    2:45 – West Infield / outfield warmup
    3:30 – Home run hitting contest
    4:10 – Pre-game ceremony
    4:15 – Player Introduction
    4:22 – National Anthem
    4:25 – First Pitch ceremony
    4:35 – All Star Game starts

    Autograph sessions
    1:45 – 2:15 East and West Pitchers
    2:20 – 2:50 East Position Players
    2:55 – 3:25 West Position Players

     

    Broadcast Info

    The game will air live on Fox College Sports. On the radio, WCAI will have the call.

     

    Ten to Watch

    Plenty of stars will be on display. Here are 10 you may want to keep special watch on.

    1. Max Pentecost, Bourne
    The starting catcher for the West squad is a Triple Crown candidate and the top catching prospect the Cape League has seen in years.

    2. Jaron Long, Bourne
    Pentecost’s battery-mate, Long will gets the well-deserved starting nod. He leads the league with a 0.30 ERA and five wins.

    3. Rhys Hoskins, Falmouth
    The leader of a huge Falmouth delegation, Hoskins has been the league’s steadiest hitter. He has five home runs and a league-best 30 RBI.

    4. Derek Fisher, Harwich
    The top prospect in the Northwoods League a year ago, Fisher has done nothing but hit in Harwich. His average sits at .344.

    5. Alex Blandino, Y-D
    The only two-time CCBL all-star in the game, Blandino will represent the hometown Red Sox well. His batting average ranks third in the league.

    6. Aaron Bummer, Harwich
    The lefty from Nebraska has been a quality start machine since day one for the Mariners.

    7. Kevin Cron, Falmouth
    Right Field Fog’s Midseason MVP, Cron has slowed down a bit but is still one of the league’s premier power bats.

    8. Matt Troupe, Orleans
    The Firebirds closer ranks 13th in the league in strikeouts despite not starting a single game.

    9. Ryan Kellogg, Bourne
    The rising sophomore was terrific for Arizona State in the spring and has been very good for Bourne, as well.

    10. Dante Flores, Chatham
    The top hitter on the league’s top team, Flores is hitting .339 in his second summer in Chatham.

     

    Storylines

    No Ties, Please

    Last year’s CCBL all-star game ended in a 1-1 tie, with the only runs scoring on a dropped third strike and an RBI single. I don’t think anybody wants a repeat.

    Friendly Confines

    Last summer was the year of the hitter, but the All-Star game didn’t fit in. At cozy Red Wilson Field, I would expect a lot more offense this season. The home run hitting contest could also sizzle. The last time Red Wilson Field hosted an all-star game, in 2006, current Texas Ranger Mitch Moreland launched 25 home runs to win the contest. I don’t know if anyone has that much power this year, even in the Y-D launching pad, but the stage is certainly set.

    Missing Star

    Radar guns will light up as always, but the Cape’s top pitching prospect, Jeff Hoffman, won’t be doing it. Hoffman’s short stint on the Cape is over. For him, though, one all-star game was enough. When he touched 96 in last year’s game, he morphed from interesting arm to big-time prospect.

    It Always Counts

    If you’re a pro sports fan, you’re used to all-star games that don’t matter, as much as Bud Selig tried to get you to believe otherwise. In summer leagues around the country, you don’t need added incentive. This piece at Baseball America (subscriber content) highlights the importance of summer all-star games for both players and scouts. In the Coastal Plain League All-Star Game this year, an undrafted player was offered a free-agent contract by the Royals right afterwards. And one National League scout said, “It’s huge. It does help us a ton. The time of year, it’s perfect for our (prospect) follows. And it helps us out a lot to kind of get a head start on the follows for next year.”

    Division Rivals

    The East won six consecutive all-star games from 2003 to 2008. The West snapped the streak in 2009 then won again in 2010. The East got back on track in 2011 before last year’s tie. The East won the 2006 game at Red Wilson Field 7-2.

    Country Wide

    Forty-three schools across 24 states are represented on the all-star roster. California leads the way with eight schools represented and 11 players.

    Familiar Faces

    Six sets of college teammates will be Cape League all-stars together. Stanford has the most with three – Wayne Taylor, Alex Blandino and Austin Slater. Virginia, Rice, San Diego, Ohio State and Arizona have two each.

    Commodore Pride

    Six of the nine spots in the West starting lineup will be occupied by Falmouth Commodores. Hyannis, Cotuit and Bourne just have one each.

    Hawks in the Pen

    If West manager Mike Roberts of Cotuit doesn’t mind handing the ball to his rivals, he might consider finishing the game with a trio of Hyannis pitchers. Eric Eck leads the league in saves, Sarkis Ohanian has been the league’s top setup man and still hasn’t allowed a run, and Kyle Freeland leads the league in strikeouts. Freeland has pitched mostly as a starter but has also come out of the bullpen twice and would be a good late-innings candidate in an all-star game.

    Conference Clash

    Starting pitchers Jaron Long of Ohio State and Aaron Bummer of Nebraska both hail from the Big Ten Conference. That’s the second time in three years that pitchers from the same conference have gotten the start, joining SEC arms Taylor Rogers and Ryan Eades in 2011. Before that, it had been a lot of years, at least since 2003.