On the Fourth of July in 2005, one Charles Blackmon pitched three shaky innings of relief for the Cotuit Kettleers at Falmouth. He gave up four runs on five hits and walked five.
Perhaps it was a sign.
Charlie Blackmon is one of the Cape’s top big league alumni, but his path was different than guys like Kris Bryant or Buster Posey. Blackmon was a star pitcher at Young Harris College and didn’t have a single at-bat in his summer with the Kettleers. The July 4 blow-up notwithstanding, Blackmon actually had a solid summer on the mound, posting a 3.42 ERA while pitching mostly as a reliever.
But his future was at the plate. Blackmon eventually transferred to Georgia Tech, where he became a star, hitting .396 with eight home runs in his final season. He was a second-round pick of the Rockies in 2008, made his big league debut in 2012 and has since morphed into one of the best players in the game.