1 July, 2004

Cape League Offers Different Dreams for Different Players

     All Cape Leaguers are here to play ball, lots of it. But they aren’t all here with the same dream or goals.

     While nearly everyone wants to keep on playing baseball for some players, the “temps” just want to be playing next week. Others think of the big leagues, while some look ahead to the next college season.

     The pitchers would love to roll up gaudy stats; the batters don’t want to embarrass themselves.

     We surveyed a cross section of talent to see what they think of summer on Cape Cod.

     Even temporary players who get off to a great start aren’t assured of staying. Teams have contracts with players currently trying out for Team-USA or playing in the College World Series.

     The temps may be gone by the time you read this but every year some hook on, like Justin Maxwell, last year’s MVP for the Bourne Braves, and make a name for themselves.

     John Cronin of Richmond is a temp with the Brewster Whitecaps. The right-hander picked up a save in Brewster’s opening victory.

     “Obviously I want to get off to a good start because I’m a temp and I’ve only got two weeks to prove myself,” he explained. “If I stay and get to keep playing, I’d like to help the team out as much as possible.”

     Cronin lives in Branford, Conn., so he’ll be available if anyone calls in the coming weeks.

     “It is definitely a challenge you accept coming here but the Atlantic-10 has a lot of good players as well,” Cronin said. “So I’m used to good talent but this is the best of the best.”

     Cronin was the closer at Richmond and he hopes to have a role in Brewster’s relief plans.

     “Every time you get in a game your heart is racing,” he observed. “It’s definitely a challenge to come out and shut them down.”
Another Brewster temp, Brian Jarosinski of Maryland (Maxwell’s school), tripled in the winning run in the opener and was batting .304 after seven games.

     “I came up here to try to get better and to play against the best,” Jarosinski said. “My goal is to improve, keep working hard and hopefully get a shot. I played centerfield at Maryland and they’re using me in left here.” 

     Orleans Cardinals second baseman David Uribes is here from Pepperdine. He made the Cards during tryout camp, and he hopes to stick around.

     “I want to play hard every day and have good at bats,” he said echoing a theme. “I’m going to see some good competition. I won’t get three hits every day. But I can focus on getting the bat on the ball.”

     The Cardinals have another second baseman, Blake Sharpe of the University of Southern California, so Uribes may have to split his time, but each day is a bonus.

     “I really didn’t expect to be here,” he admitted. “But if I’m good enough I want to stay and take it day by day…. I don’t want to say I’ll hit .300 because them I’ll be pressing, but I certainly want to play as hard as I can.”

     Brewster first-baseman Andy Hunter should be here for the duration. He was a freshman All-American last year at Minnesota.
“I think the most important thing is to get experience against this type of pitching, facing this caliber of player and competition is great,” he said. “You want to see how you match up against guys from around the country, both offensively and defensively.”

     Hunter will use the Cape League games to continue to fine-tune his game.

     “I want to keep working at first base,” he noted. “It’s a move I made recently. And I hope I keep getting good looks there.”

     Catcher Drew Butera of Orleans is from a smaller school, Central Florida, and the chance to work with the country’s pitching aces drew him to the Cape.

     “It’s just a thrill to work with these guys; they’re the best pitchers in the nation,” he said. 

     He hopes to impress people at the plate as well as behind it.

     “I want to have a good at bat every time up,” Butera noted. “We all know this is a pitcher’s league. But I want to have good at bats and hit the ball hard every time.”

     Of course for many players, especially some of the big school types who’ll soon be arriving from the Team-USA trials or the College World Series, they’d like to catch a scout’s eye.

     “I just came here to play hard, do the best I can, and hopefully get seen and hopefully move on to the next level and learn everything I can to improve my game,” admitted Chatham catcher Jake Muyco. 

     “I want to get seen by the scouts and this is the premier league and I got a chance to come up here,” Chase Gerdes of the Y-D Red Sox agreed. 

     Gerdes hit .360 in limited action at Baylor this spring and hit .335 in the Northwoods Summer League last year.

     “I’m going to try and have a similar year up here,” he said. “I’m dealing with an injury now but this is a great place to play. Playing every day is different than college. There we play Tuesday, Friday and Saturday, Sunday but up here you do nothing but play.” 

     Muyco plays at North Carolina State in the Atlantic Coast Conference, which is a baseball conference.

     “I did OK there,” he said. “I didn’t throw out as many runners as I might’ve and I hit just under .300. One of the things I want to work on is getting stronger.” 

     As a catcher it’s always difficult working with an entirely new pitching staff, but if Muyco ever does play pro ball, he’ll be in that situation again and again.

     “I enjoy it. It’s good to see if I can handle these guys and how they respond to what I do back there,” he said. “The first week it was (tricky) but after awhile it gets better and you get used to their stuff and you know what they like to throw.” 

Hitter’s fright, pitcher’s delight

     This is a pitcher’s league and pitchers have a pretty good time. Hyannis Mets hurler Mark Sauls was here last summer when he posted a 2.38 ERA in 13 games.

     “Last year was pretty nice, it’s a great atmosphere with great players,” he recalled. “This is a good summer league. I’m here to get better, work on technique, face some wood bats and hopefully move up to the next level. It’s a lot different facing wood. You can throw inside and they won’t hit it out. With metal you get any part of the bat on it and it goes. So it’s good that way.”

     It’s not as much fun for the hitters.

     “With wood it’s more pure. You don’t get cheap hits,” Gerdes noted. 

     Sauls will graduate from Florida State in 2006 so he’s hoping to get noticed as well. His teammate Graham Taylor is also a Mets returnee. The Miami of Ohio hurler was 2-0 with a 1.14 ERA last year.

     “I had the opportunity to come back and I consider this the top league in the country,” he said. 

     Taylor’s proud of his home conference (The Mid-American) but he’s glad to see Cape League talent.

     “There’s a huge difference over our conference, the MAC. We have some top players but we don’t have the outstanding players you see up here; everyone is good,” he noted. “You can’t make a mistake pitching-wise. It’s a challenge. You’ve got to come out with your game face on every day.”

     Besides stronger hitters, he’s noticed something else.

     “There is a lot more speed in this league than in our conference,” he observed. “You have to be prepared with your pick-off move and be aware of what is happening.”

     Pitching against wood isn’t necessarily more relaxing either.

     “It’s an advantage with wooden bats but when the games are so often 2-1, 3-2, it puts more pressure on you. You can’t make a mistake,” Taylor said.

     Taylor has started two games and lost one this season and expects to head back into relief, as he did last season.

“I just want to keep playing, get better and get noticed and develop my skills against ??????????

     The opportunity to play against future draft picks is what brought Georgia Tech’s Lee Hyde up here as well. He’s pitching for Y-D.

     “My coach got me up here. This is the best place you can play summer ball,” Hyde said. “I definitely wanted to get up here.”
He was 5-2 as a freshman at Tech.

     “I have some stuff I want to work on up here, my changeup, a breaking ball. I was mainly a fastball/slider pitcher at Georgia Tech,” Hyde said. “And I just want to have fun. This is summer ball.”

     Unlike some of the other players, he’s feeling no pressure.

     “I don’t worry about scouts. I have two more years (before he can be drafted) so I’ll worry then,” he shrugged. “I’ll learn what I can in this league. I’ll meet all the new guys. You see different coaches from different programs with different opinions. It’s a great experience.”

     And that, of course, is what everyone really wants.