HARWICH — Cody Crowell wasn’t back home for more than five minutes before the phone starting ringing. The calls routinely came in, from family members, friends and supporters, some wishing him luck on the upcoming season, others wanting first-hand confirmation that his induction into the Cape Cod Baseball League was no longer rumor but reality.

A 2003 graduate of Harwich High, the pride of the school’s baseball team, and now a scholarship player at Vanderbilt University , Crowell has returned to Whitehouse Field – the birthplace of his illustrious career – as a newly-minted member of the Harwich Mariners.

His homecoming has caused such a buzz that it’s made his first Cape League season feel like a big league debut. For Crowell, it’s not just about vanquishing opposing batters with an incendiary fastball and signing post-game autographs.

As the hometown hero, the spotlight doesn’t stop shining on Crowell once he leaves the field. Unlike your average Cape Leaguer who can achieve anonymity by trading his jersey for a polo shirt, Crowell is recognized everywhere he goes.

“There’s constant attention, and I can’t really go any place without someone asking questions,” said Crowell. “It’s good in some ways, tough in others. Today [for example] I was ordering a sandwich and a couple of kids asked me if I was a baseball player. They then asked me, ‘Do you know Cody Crowell?’ I told them, ‘I’m him.’ Even people who don’t know me by face still know me by name.” 

Decades ago, Crowell would be just another player. That was before the 121-year old Cape League evolved from a loosely-organized group of local sandlotters into the premier summer baseball program, showcasing the best college players the nation has to offer.

And it’s the Cape League ’s exclusivity that makes Crowell’s story so unique. Rarely in the modern era (since ’63) has a Cape native had the chance to hone his skills for the team he grew up watching.

The price of being in that elite minority means Crowell has to play the role of local celebrity. But he isn’t complaining. After all, not many people get to realize their childhood fantasy by age 19.

“Playing in the Cape League is a big deal to me, because it’s always been a life- long dream of mine,” said Crowell. “But I don’t talk to people about it unless they ask me about it. If it comes up, it comes up. I just try not to make it seem like it’s the most important thing.” 

Crowell, who gave serious thought to intentionally signing with another team, doesn’t deny there’s an inherent burden in being a homegrown Mariner, but refuses to use that designation as an excuse if he doesn’t live up to expectations.

“I think everyone was preparing for me to fail just because of all the pressure thatcomes with playing for your hometown team,” said Crowell. “I’m under a microscope, but it’s not that big a deal. Everyone on the team has to prove themselves and everyone has to perform. I’m no different.”

Still, Crowell wonders if there are people who doubt he belongs here, spectators who view membership in an exclusive club as nothing more than a marketing ploy. 

“Whenever people find out I’m playing for the Mariners, I get the feeling some of them think it’s only because I’m from Harwich,” said Crowell. “I haven’t seen that, but sometimes it’s in the back of my mind.”

Crowell’s suspicion is merely derivative of his competitive zeal. Deep down he knows he’s not here based on any nepotistic favor, though he’d be lying if he said he didn’t have anything to prove.

Furthermore, the non-profit Cape League stands nothing to gain by touting a hometown kid, and Harwich Field Manager Steve Englert said Crowell earned his roster spot based on his own merit.

“Granted Cody is from Harwich, but I would never bring in a kid who’s going to embarrass himself and can’t compete in this league, and so far I’ve been impressed with him,” Englert said. “He throws strikes and he can hit his spots. I don’t even look at Cody as being a Harwich guy anymore. I looked at him as a kid from Vanderbilt who’s come up here to help shut the door for us.”

If Englert’s confidences aren’t enough, Crowell’s Cape League stats validate his place in a bright white and navy blue Mariners’ uniform.

Entering this week – the halfway point of the two month season – Crowell is 1-4 with a 3.12 ERA with two saves and 15 strikeouts in 14 innings. 

The highlight of his season came opening night when he entered in the ninth and produced three successive ground outs – the last of which he assisted – to secure Harwich’s 6-3 win over neighboring Chatham . 

“I love pressure, and I love competition, so it added to the moment,” said Crowell. “But in the same sense, it was a relief to go out and produce a 1-2-3 inning, and be able to put it behind me. It’s become a lot easier to pitch now that I’m back to my comfort level.”

But like all Cape Leaguers , Crowell has taken his knocks, as when he blew a 1-0 lead against Wareham on Saturday. The Gatemen won on Crowell’s wild pitch, and less than 24 hours later, Y-D’s Chris Errecart hit a two-run, walk-off single off Crowell to outlast Harwich, 6-4, in 12 innings.

“He’s had a couple of rough outings, but that’s to be expected, and after those games Cody was upset,” Englert said. “Other guys laugh and joke when they mess up, but Cody was really bothered, and I like that because it shows he’s a competitor. It shows he cares.” 

A Whole New Ball Game 

Since his return, Crowell knows the danger of pitching in front of an audience that’s holding its breath for him, yet he was one of the few willing to look at the lighter side of the situation. He takes comfort in throwing from that old familiar mound, the site of so many golden memories.

As a four-year varsity starter, Crowell was 30-5 over his high school career and led the Rough Riders to three straight MIAA south sectional finals. His sterling play fostered an adoring fan base, who camped themselves in the left field and littered the warning track with “K” placards.

He kept his ardent supporters busy on Memorial Day 2003, when he set a school record by striking out 24 batters in a 1-0 win over rival Norton in the regular season finale.

But Crowell’s decorative stats didn’t mean much when he ventured south of the Mason-Dixon line , where all of his Vanderbilt teammates boasted comparable high school records.

“I went down there thinking I was the number one guy, but quickly found out the college game is a whole different level,” said Crowell. “In high school I could just blow pitches by guys. But now I have to study the batters, their swing, their stance, and the type of pitches they like or don’t like in order to know their strengths and weaknesses. I never considered those things in high school. Now I have to prepare with a purpose in order to execute.”

Playing behind a handful of major league caliber pitchers – four of whom were taken in the first three rounds of the MLB draft this year – Crowell red shirted his freshman season to give himself an extra year of eligibility. Playing cheerleader, he said, was a tough pill to swallow. 

“To sit back and know no matter what you weren’t going to get in the game was tough,” said Crowell. “The fact you couldn’t do anything to help your team win was frustrating.”

Crowell’s freshman year moratorium did little to hinder his progress, however. As a member of the Riverpoint Royal in the New England College Baseball League, he compiled 37 strikeouts in 30-and-two-third innings and led the team with seven saves last summer.

Crowell returned to Nashville , where he struck out 17 batters in 16 innings with a 1.12 ERA as a situational closer for the Commodores this spring. Coming out of the bullpen was Vanderbilt head coach Tim Corbin’s idea, not Crowell’s, but he was willing to embrace any role so long as it wasn’t bench warmer.

“I like the pressure of coming in during the 9th inning when the game is on the line, but I still want to be a starter,” said Crowell. “Then again, don’t all pitchers?”

The Cody Crowell many in Harwich once knew looks, and plays, a little different than they remember. He has a better command of his high 80s, low 90s fastball, a downright deceitful change-up and a sweeping 12-6 curve ball.

Physically, Crowell’s hair is bushier and his face scruffier, a look most New England baseball fans are quite familiar with. Cosmetic differences aside, he’s the same old self-assured competitor he’s always been. 

“I’ve always believed if you stay confident you’ll succeed,” said Crowell. “It’s easy to get down, but baseball teaches you to stay up, to trust yourself and to trust others around you will help pick you up.” 

Do The Right Thing 

If being a baseball player has taught him anything, Crowell says it’s moral fortitude. He’s keenly aware that a gifted arm and legions of fans do not guarantee major league stardom. He knows that on and off the field there’s little room for error, and how one solitary mistake can prove costly, sometimes fatal.

Such is the highly publicized case of former Peabody ace Jeff Allison, a Bay State 

blue chip who graduated the same year as Crowell. Selected first overall by the Florida Marlins in the 2003 MLB draft, Allison battled an addiction to OxyContin that nearly claimed his life and ruined his career before a recent comeback this year.

For Crowell, another cautionary tale hits closer to home. His Vanderbilt teammate and good friend, Ryan Mullins, a rising prospect and All-Star left handed pitcher for the Chatham A’s last summer, ruined his shot to become a first round draft pick with a DUI conviction this spring.

“What happened to Ryan was a wake-up call, but I’m not sure I needed it,” said Crowell. “I’ve learned college is about managing yourself and managing you time. I’ve learned you can’t burn the candle at both ends.”

Crowell is draft eligible next June, but it’s too early to tell when he’ll reach baseball’s upper echelon, if at all. Although he’s determined to succeed, Crowell is mindful not to put all of his eggs in one basket.

“All I can do is put myself in the best position I see possible, and if baseball works out, it does, and if it doesn’t, at least I have a degree from Vanderbilt that’ll take me in a new direction,” said Crowell. “But I do see myself playing in the majors. I still have dreams of playing professional baseball.”

And that’s why Crowell is here, to make himself a better player and to test his prodigious talent in hopes of reaching the major league. If it means being in the limelight and constantly fielding questions about what it’s like for a Harwich kid to play for the Mariners, so be it.

Occasionally, Crowell’s answers to those queries can seem almost impassive and mechanical. But it’s only because he’s tired of his own repetitious answers. Crowell is, as he says with an unmistakable smile, happy he’s returned to his roots. 

“It just made sense to come back here,” said Crowell. “Other people thought I might have some trouble playing for Harwich, but I had complete confidence I’d be successful here. Why not live at home? Why not play on your high school field?

“I’m living my dream. It’s too good to be true.” 

by Eric Adler
Eric Adler