18 August, 2005

Bourne takes two Cape League awards

Bourne may have lost the Cape Cod Baseball League championship game, but the Braves took away two of the top honors - the Commissioner's Cup and the Robello 10th Player Award.

The Commissioner's Cup is given to the team "that demonstrates the highest level of integrity and professionalism on and off the field, ensuring and enhancing the championship caliber of the Cape Cod Baseball League."

Last season, the Wareham Gatemen and Falmouth Commodores shared the first-time award.

"There are many objective and subjective factors that go into the decision making process of this award," says Commissioner Paul Galop. "On-field issues such as team behavior, professionalism, ejections and aggressive posture on our anti-tobacco stance all play a part in our review process. Additionally, off-field issues such as player behavior, administrative deadlines with CCBL documentation and community involvement also contribute to our award assessment," adds Galop.

The Braves, who finished the season with a 26-17 record and clinched their first Western Division title since 2003, made a huge impact on and off the field this season - something GM Mike Carrier predicted would happen at the end of last season.

"After last season during one of our board meetings we set the goal for our franchise to win the 2005 Commissioner's Cup," says Carrier. "We started out with a goal to improve ourselves as an organization, and this is truly the icing on the cake."

Carrier credits his coaching staff, led by Harvey Shapiro, for delivering a competitive team that put the principles of sportsmanship, honor and respect above everything else. This philosophy speaks for itself, as the Braves had no ejections or suspensions during the 2005 season.

Lincoln 10th Player Award winner

He's often the player who makes the biggest difference on a team; he's often the player who comes out of nowhere to lead his team to what has infinitely been dubbed the "Promised Land." Some will call him a five-tool player, and others, simply put, refer to him as the guy who can do just about anything on the baseball field.

By George Kostinas
By Don Sherlock / dsherloc@cnc.com