The Real Kettleers

COT13_yalerosen — Yale Rosen slides in safely for Cotuit during a game this week.

You could make a pretty good team out of players who have left Cotuit this summer. From Max Schrock, Will Remillard, Aramis Garcia and Brad Zimmer to Trevor Seidenberger and Dusty Isaacs, you’d be in good shape.

The latest loss is the biggest. Mike Ford arrived for his second summer in Cotuit coming off a draft in which he didn’t hear his name called despite a spring that will go down in Ivy League annals. Ford’s goal was to hook on with a Major League team – and he’s done it. He is expected to sign with the New York Yankees this week.

Ford, who was fresh off a 4-for-4, two home run day, was an MVP candidate. He could make the all-departed Kettleers squad a Cape League contender.

But I have a feeling the real Kettleers would still find a way.

On the day they said farewell to Ford, Cotuit beat Bourne 2-1 and took a three-point lead on Hyannis for first place in the West. The Kettleers – despite all the personnel losses, and despite having had 41 different players don their uniform – have the second-best record in the league.

On Tuesday, they got another strong pitching performance from Jared Walsh (Georgia), who continues to lead the league in ERA at 0.36. The only caveat is that Walsh hasn’t pitched deep into games – he doesn’t have a win or a loss – but he’s been so steady that he’s often set Cotuit on a path to victory.

He went 4.1 scoreless innings against the Braves, striking out three and allowing just one hit. Joel Seddon (South Carolina) allowed his first run of the year in relief but kept Cotuit in front and picked up the victory. Brian Miller (Vanderbilt) turned in his third-straight two-inning stint and picked up the save.

Kyle Kubat (Nebraska) was strong in six innings of work for the Braves, but two unearned runs made the difference. Danny Diekroeger (Stanford) led the Cotuit offense with two hits, while Yale Rosen (Washington State) and Jake Fincher (NC State) had one RBI each.

Cotuit would have loved to have Mike Ford adding a home run to the victory or any of the former Kettleers chipping in. That’s not going to happen, but it sure looks like the Kettleers will be making the best of it anyway.

Harwich 3, Chatham 0

Chandler Shepherd (Kentucky) turned in his third scoreless start of the summer and his bullpen finished the job as the Mariners (16-13) knocked off first-place Chatham (9-9-1). Shepherd had gone six shutout innings twice before, and this one may have out-done the first two. He struck out eight and gave up just three hits against a Chatham team that’s been the best in the league. Johnathan Frebis (Middle Tennessee State) worked two scoreless innings in relief before Chris Oliver (Arkansas) struck out the side around a walk in the ninth for the save. Aaron Barbosa (Northeastern) had two hits and an RBI to lead the Mariner attack. Derek Fisher (Virginia) and Branden Cogswell (Virginia) drove in the other runs. Harwich has won three straight.

Orleans 6, Hyannis 5

The Firebirds had dropped five in a row and – with Brewster hot on their heels – they were in danger of falling into the East basement. They stopped the streak and avoided that drop in the most dramatic fashion possible. With his team trailing 5-4 and Hyannis closer Eric Eck (Wofford) on the mound, Jordan Luplow (Fresno State) drove in the tying and winning runs with a base hit as Orleans walked off with a 6-5 victory over a Hyannis team that generally doesn’t lose close games. The Firebirds had also rallied for two runs in the eighth after Hyannis had gone up 4-2. The rally made a winner out of Brian Clark (Kent State), who went three innings and actually gave up the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth. Collin Slaybaugh (Washington State) had four hits to lead the Firebirds, who had said goodbye to an injured Greg Allen (San Diego State) earlier in the day. For Hyannis, Tyler Spoon (Arkansas) and Skyler Ewing (Rice) both hit their fourth home runs of the season. Ewing went 4-for-5 and now ranks third in the league in hitting.

Falmouth 5, Y-D 1

The Commodores had gone 1-4 in their last five, with the only win coming against Y-D. They matched up with Y-D again Tuesday and used a four-run seventh to pick up another victory, snapping a two-game skid. They’re now 16-12, a point back of Hyannis for second in the West. Troy Stein (Texas A&M) went 2-for-3 with a homer and three RBI to lead Falmouth. Casey Gillaspie (Wichita State) and Leon Byrd, Jr. (Rice) drove in one run each. On the mound, John Means (West Virginia) went six innings without allowing an earned run. He struck out three. Donny Murray (Holy Cross) got the victory.

Brewster 5, Wareham 1

The Whitecaps (11-17) won for the fifth time in seven tries and remained two points out of fourth in the East. Brandon Leibrandt (Florida State) was dominant for a second-straight start, allowing just an unearned run on three hits in five innings. He now has a 1.59 ERA and hasn’t allowed an earned run in his last two starts. Nick Lynch (UC Davis) went 1-for-3 with three RBI to pace the offense, while Nicholas Vazquez (Pittsburgh) and Cole Lankford (Texas A&M) also drove in runs. For Wareham, Sean Newcomb (Hartford) was a bright spot. The big lefty – who started on opening night then missed a big chunk of time with illness – had his best performance since returning. He struck out five in three innings of relief.

What to Watch

Just two games on the schedule today. Orleans visits Hyannis and Wareham heads to Bourne. Both are 6 p.m. starts. In Hyannis, Jeff Hoffman (East Carolina) will make his third start of the summer.

July 12, 2013July 12, 2013

The Next Big Thing

CHA11_krisbryant — Kris Bryant and the Cubs have agreed to a deal

Maybe it’s the wishful thinking of a Cubs fan, but I’ve thinking/hoping ever since the draft that Kris Bryant could be the next Cape League alum to hit it big in Major League Baseball.

There are plenty of solid Big Leaguers, of course – the alumni list hit 1,000 just this week – but I’m talking perennial all-star types, the Buster Poseys and Evan Longorias of the world. If it happens, Bryant could be the first Cape League star of the 2010’s.

And there’s reason to think it will happen. Bryant hit 31 home runs for San Diego this past spring, 10 more than anyone in college baseball and more than a lot of teams. He had a remarkable year and shot to the top of draft boards. The Cubs took him with the second overall pick and the sides have reportedly have agreed to terms this week on a record signing bonus.

Bryant’s tim on the Cape was typical of what you expect from a freshmen – some struggles, but flashes too. He hit only .223 but bombed three home runs and had more than a third of his hits go for extra bases.

Had Bryant not gone to Team USA and returned to Chatham, it’s a safe bet he would have been a star. Can you imagine him hitting the juiced balls? I’m not sure any record would have been safe.

As it is, Bryant is still a full-fledged Cape League veteran, not a cameo guy like Mark Appel or Mike Zunino.

And he may be the league’s next star. This Cubs fan hopes so.

I mentioned this on Twitter, but I’ll make note of it here too. Max Pentecost’s amazing performance Wednesday night is made all the more amazing by the fact that he was the starting catcher that night and remained behind the plate for all 12 innings. It’s been a while since the Cape had an elite catching prospect. Pentecost may fit the bill.

Derek Fisher hit eight home runs on his way to top prospect honors in the Northwoods League last summer. The Virginia slugger has yet to hit a home run on the Cape but he’s still been one of the league’s best. Fisher leads the league with a .397 batting average. He has five multi-hit games in his last eight. He has also struck out just six times in 58 at-bats and has a .500 on-base percentage.

Chatham is doing perfectly fine for itself this season, but that lineup almost had one of the best hitters in the country. Taylor Sparks of UC Irvine was a late invitee to Team USA, and he’s tearing it up for the National Team. He leads the squad with a .421 average.

Speaking of the Anglers, for a while it looked like Chatham was going to be a team of solid players, without any stars. Dante Flores has stepped into the void. After hitting just .154 for Chatham last summer, he’s one of the best hitters in the league this year. His triple-slash line is .354/.419/.576, one of the best in the league.

There is quite a battle going on for the league lead in stolen bases. Brewster’s Scott Heineman currently has it with 14 steals, but Harwich’s Aaron Barbosa is hot on his heels with 13. Orleans’ Greg Allen and Falmouth’s Kevin Newman each have 11. All of those guys are on pace to run right past the league-leading totals of the last few years. Tony Kemp led with 18 last year, Kyle Wren had 18 in 2011 and Andy Burns had 25 in 2010. The last huge total came in 2009, when Chris Bisson stole 36.

Former Chatham A Grant Green was called up to the Oakland A’s this week. He was hitting .318 with 11 homers at Triple A. If Green makes a name for himself at all in the Big Leagues, he’s got Cape League Hall of Famer written all over him. Green won a championship with Y-D then was an MVP candidate for Chatham the next year.

My most underrated players in the league so far? Connor Joe of Chatham and Conner Hale of Falmouth. Joe is hitting .282 with a homer and 10 RBI. Hale is at .278 with a home run and 11 RBI. Also, why are there so many Connors/Conners/Conors in the Cape League this year? I can’t keep the spellings straight.

Chatham has two players, Mitchell Gonsolus and Sheehan Planas-Arteaga, with on-base percentages north of .420 – and both of them have batting averages under .270. The Anglers can really work a walk.

Wareham reliever Ryan Riga has been a busy man this summer. He leads the league in appearances with 14. The Gatemen have played 24 games.

There’s always a middle reliever who doesn’t get as much but deserves as much attention as starters and closers. Cotuit’s Joel Seddon is at the top of the list so far. He’s made six appearances and hasn’t allowed an earned run in 15 innings.

Some of my favorite players on the Cape are small-school guys who make an impression and come back the next year when their teams need some help. Cotuit’s Galli Cribbs, Jr. and Wareham’s Fred Shepard are doing it this year. Cribbs, of Clarendon College, is hitting .229 and playing a solid shortstop when asked for a Cotuit team that’s been hit hard by personnel losses. Wareham has been in a similar boat and Shepard has stepped up. The left from Amherst has an ERA that’s on the high side but he’s tied for fourth in the league in strikeouts.

July 3, 2013July 3, 2013

Coastal Duo

COT13_bensmith — Ben Smith delivers a pitch for Cotuit earlier this summer.

Ben Smith and Patrick Corbett left Coastal Carolina in the spring knowing they’d be back together this summer in Cotuit.

I’m not sure they knew they’d be this together.

The Coastal Carolina teammates have each pitched in four games for the Kettleers – the same four games. Smith has started four, and Corbett has come on in relief in the same four.

It’s mostly a quirky coincidence, but it’s also been very effective.

Smith suddenly leads the league in strikeouts with 22 while Corbett has yet to allow an earned run in 8.1 innings of work. Cotuit has won three of the duo’s four games, with the only loss a walk-off by Chatham – when Smith and Corbett had already departed.

That Chatham game marked the first use of the tag team. Smith started and went 2.2 innings. Corbett followed him to the mound and went 2.1. Five days later, in a 6-3 win over Orleans, Smith stretched out to five strong innings, while Corbett chipped in for one out in the eighth. Their next game against Wareham, they were in full-on tag team mode, with Smith going six innings and Corbett finishing the job with three.

Last night, the Kettleers beat Brewster 8-2 with Smith and Corbett combining for seven strong innings. Smith struck out seven and gave up two runs on five hits in 4.1 innings of work. Corbett came on in the fifth and struck out three in 2.2 scoreless innings. Brian Miller (Vanderbilt) then worked two scoreless frames to finish it off.

The Cotuit pitchers had plenty of run support. Logan Ratledge (NC State) hit his second home run – in his second game with the Kettleers. The rest of the attack was balanced. Rhett Wiseman (Vanderbilt), Yale Rosen (Washington State), Kevin Bradley (Clemson), Jake Fincher (NC State) and Galli Cribbs, Jr. (Clarendon) all drove in one run each.

The win was Cotuit’s 11th of the year, best in the league.

If they need another one five days from now, they’ll know who to call.

Hyannis 4, Harwich 2

The Harbor Hawks (10-4) matched up against Harwich’s Chandler Shepherd (Kentucky), who hadn’t allowed a run in two starts. Shepherd struck out nine in six innings, but Hyannis touched him up for three runs on its way to an impressive victory. Steve Wilkerson (Clemson), Skyler Ewing (Rice) and Jeff Schalk (UAB) all homered for the Harbor Hawks, while Chase Griffin (Georgia State) drove in the other run. The three home runs matched the team’s season total going into last night. Hyannis also got strong pitching. Austin Pettibone (UC Santa Barbara) struck out four in six scoreless innings on the same night his brother Jonathan picked up a win for the Philadelphia Phillies. Eric Eck (Wofford) picked up his third save with two strikeouts in a scoreless ninth. For Harwich, Derek Fisher (Virginia) went 3-for-4 while Ian Happ (Cincinnati) had two hits and an RBI. The Mariners are 9-7 and have dropped three in a row.

Chatham 7, Bourne 5

The Anglers (10-5-1) joined Cotuit and Hyannis in the double-digit win club with their third straight win. They scored five runs in the first inning and never trailed, holding off a charge from Bourne to win. Hunter Redman (Texas Tech) had a huge night to lead the offense, going 4-for-4 with an RBI. He had three hits for the season before that. Jimmy Pickens (Michigan State) added two hits and an RBI, while Josh Eldridge (Old Dominion) knocked in two runs. North Carolina standouts Landon Lassiter and Michael Russell made their Cape debuts and had one hit apiece for the Anglers. On the mound, Joe Goodman (High Point) picked up the win in relief and Kyle Funkhouser (Louisville) picked up a save in his debut. Bourne (7-9) got three hits from Trent Gilbert (Arizona) and two RBI from Max Pentecost (Kennesaw State).

Orleans 11, Falmouth 5

The Firebirds (8-7) scored double-digit runs for the second time this year and moved over .500 with the victory over Falmouth. They finished with 17 hits off of a parade of Falmouth pitchers, doing all their damage in the first four innings. Zach Fish (Oklahoma State) led the charge, going 3-for-4 with three RBI. Ross Kivett (Kansas State) went 3-for-4 with two RBI, and Austin Davidson (Pepperdine) had two hits and three RBI. Leadoff man Greg Allen (San Diego State) went 2-for-6, stretching his hit streak to six games. He has also had three straight multi-hit games and is now hitting .333, good for third in the league. Corey Miller (Pepperdine) picked up the win with five solid innings. Four relievers worked one inning each. Kevin Newman (Arizona) had three hits for Falmouth (9-7).

Wareham 6, Y-D 3

The Gatemen (3-13) snapped a give-game skid with a much-needed victory over Y-D (7-8-1). Kurt McCune (LSU), a former Friday starter for the Tigers who spent the spring working his way back from injury, was solid in his first Cape start of the year, striking out two and allowing two runs in five innings. Trey Killian (Arkansas) was terrific in relief, giving up one run and striking out five in a four-inning save. The offense got two hits and two RBI from Trevor Podratz (Hawaii), plus three hits and an RBI from Cole Stancil (St. Leo). The team’s 12 hits were a season-high for the Gatemen.

What to Watch

Teams square off tonight in the first of two holiday rivalry games, with all the same teams meeting tomorrow on the other’s home field for the Fourth of July. Cotuit hosts Falmouth tonight at 5 p.m. in a battle of two of the West’s best teams. Chris Ellis (Ole Miss), who has given up one earned run in three starts, goes for the Kettleers against Trey Teakell (TCU), who has a 1.47 ERA in three starts. In the East, Orleans hosts Chatham at 7 p.m., with Trent Szkutnik (Michigan) on the mound. He allowed two runs in his first start. Aaron Garza (Houston), who owns a 2.34 ERA, starts for Chatham.