Tough enough

 June 23, 2005


 

  
Tim Teufel, who starred at second base for the Cotuit Kettleers in 1979, is among the 10 new members of the Cape Cod Baseball League Hall of Fame announced June 12 at the league’s annual kickoff brunch at the 99 Restaurant in West Yarmouth.

“It’s very honoring,” Tuefel said in a telephone interview this week. “It’s kind of surprising, too. You don’t expect to make any hall of fame. It’s kind of a nice cap on my career.”

Then a Clemson Tiger, Teufel hit .351 for the Kets, setting league records with 16 home runs, 52 RBI and 48 runs, and was named to the CCBL All-Star and All-League teams as the starting second baseman.

The Greenwich, Conn., native went on to an 11-year career in the major leagues that was highlighted by a World Series championship with the New York Mets in 1986.

Teufel was a full-time player with the Minnesota Twins in his first two full seasons in the majors, 1984 and ’85, then averaged 95 games a year with the Mets and the San Diego Padres from 1986 through 1993, his last before retiring with a career batting average of .254.

He played 93 regular-season games for the ’86 Mets, hitting .247 in his first season in the National League. He struggled in the Mets’ memorable League Championship Series against the Houston Astros, going 1-for-6 at the plate while appearing in two of the series’ six games, but was considerably more effective in the World Series against the Boston Red Sox, going 4-for-9 while playing in three of the series’ seven games.

He also committed the other game-changing error in a series forever remembered for Red Sox first baseman Bill Buckner’s gaffe in Game 6. Teufel’s miscue came in the seventh inning of Game 1, when he misplayed catcher Rich Gedman’s grounder, allowing Jim Rice to score the game’s only run. Fellow CCBL Hall of Famer and Kets alumnus Ron Darling was the Mets’ losing pitcher that night.

Teufel hit a career-high .308 in 1987, when he played in 97 games with the Mets.

Teufel’s CCBL records have been broken: John Morris scored 50 runs for Wareham in 1981, Corey Snyder hit 23 home runs for Harwich in 1983, and Doug Fisher had 54 RBI for Falmouth in 1984.

Other members of the Class of 2005 are: Mike Curran (league administrator, 1970-1977); Bobby Kielty (outfielder, Brewster, 1998 and currently a member of the Oakland A’s); ; Mickey Morandini (infielder, Yarmouth-Dennis, 1987); Sam Nattile (outfielder, Falmouth, 1981); Pat Pacillo (pitcher/outfielder, Harwich, 1982-1983); Manny Pena (catcher, Falmouth, 1946-1949 and Sagamore, 1950-1955; manager, Sagamore, 1956-1961; umpire, 1962-1983, umpire-in-chief, 1976-1983); Jack Sanford (pitcher, Bourne/Sagamore, 1946-1954); John Thoden (pitcher, Wareham, 1989); and Ken Voges (outfielder, Chatham, 1963).

The induction ceremony is set for Nov. 12 at the Chatham Bars Inn. 

Teufel will be the Kettleers’ 12th CCBL Hall of Famer. Arnold Mycock, the Kets’ general manager for 45 years, was a member of the Hall’s inaugural Class of 2000, as was Jeff Reardon, whose 367 major league saves rank fifth all time and was the major league record when he retired in 1994. Other Kets in the Hall include Terry Steinbach and Cal Burlingame (Class of 2001); Darling, George Greer and Bernie Kilroy (2002); Jack McCarthy and Jim Perkins (2003); and Bob Butkus and Will Clark (2004).

Although the Hyannis Mets are not represented among this year’s inductees, the team has a handful of illustrious Hall members, including Boston Red Sox captain Jason Varitek and Texas Rangers manager Buck Showalter, both inducted in 2002, and 2001 inductee Robin Ventura, who retired last year after a 16-year major-league career that is likely to win him serious consideration for a spot in the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. Other Mets in the CCBL Hall include former manager Ed Lyons (inducted in 2000), infielder Ron Perry Jr. (2003), and pitcher Pat Hope (2004).

By David Curran
dcurran@barnstablepatriot.com


 


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