CHATHAM — David Williams, more than half way to first, pulled up, planted his left foot, pivoted, and began to turn around after hitting into a bases-loaded double play in last week’s game against Brewster. 

The big swinging Chatham A’s slugger wasn’t credited with an RBI, but got a whole lot of credit when he – along with Corey Brown who scored on the play – returned to the dugout.

“That’s all we wanted, that’s all we needed,” shouted Chatham Field Manager John Schiffner, who applauded his left fielder’s effort, which gave the A’s a 3-0 third inning lead in a game they went on to win 13-0. 

While the A’s, still in their teething stages, have shown the ability to hit for both power and average, it’s their veteran-like proclivity to somehow, anyhow put runs on the board – as exemplified by William’s unofficial RBI groundout against the Whitecaps – that’s truly been the driving force behind their early season success. 

“A lot of these guys have sacrificed their base hits in order to get a run in, and that’s what we’ve liked most so far about the hitters,” said Schiffner, now in his 13th year with Chatham. “In the past, when we’ve had men on with less than two outs, guys would try to hit the big bomb or get a base hit. Instead, these guys are content to roll over and hit a ground ball to get the key RBI. Base hits are wonderful, but the run is most important, and these guys are buying into that system. They’re doing what a baseball team should be doing. They’re getting the job done.”

That’s why Chatham, 5-2-1 at the week’s start, is off to its best start in years. The A’s refuse-to-lose attitude, which surfaced from the onset in their 6-5 win over Y-D opening day, is another reason they sport the best winning percentage (.714) of all 10 Cape League teams.

Trailing the Red Sox 5-0, Chatham scratched across a run in the eighth before brawny first baseman Matt Rizzotti rocked reliever David Robertson’s first pitch out of Red Wilson Field for a game-tying grand slam. Speedy second baseman Chris Carrara singled, stole second, moved over on a ground out, and scored the game-winner on a passed ball in the ninth to cap the comeback, which did wonders for the nascent A’s.

“Getting that kind of win over Y-D, on their home field, and on opening night put a real good taste in our mouths,” said Schiffner. “It was a real confidence builder right away.” Especially for Rizzotti. 

“Hitting that grand slam, for me personally, was big because that was my first Cape League hit,” said Rizzotti, who leads the league with 10 RBIs. “I was thinking my first hit would’ve been a little seeing-eye single though the second base side. But that grand slam gave me a lot of confidence. Obviously the ultimate goal as a hitter is to hit a grand slam, so now that it’s out of the way, it’s like everything else is cake. I’m relaxed and I feel good when I come up to bat.”

The Manhattan College sophomore isn’t the only Chatham player feeling at home at home plate. 

The A’s biggest hitting star, thus far, has been third baseman Danny Espinosa. Red hot at the hot corner, Espinosa is leading the league in hitting (.406), on-base percentage (.513), slugging percentage (.656), and has a league-leading two triples.

Chatham has also been a terror for opposing teams on the base paths: Carrara has five stolen bases, while Brown has swiped six bags. Designated hitter/first baseman Allan Dykstra has added pop to the A’s bats, leading the team with a pair of home runs.

A’s fans could’ve been reeling after the loss of last year’s loaded lineup, featuring Cape League MVP Evan Longoria, batting champion Chris Coghlan (.346 average), and fellow all-stars Baron Frost (.343) and Alex Presley (.341), who finished second and third, respectively in the batting race. But it’s clear this year’s crew is hitting pretty. As Schiffner succinctly put it, “You really can’t pitch around anybody right now.”

Further bolstering Chatham’s nine is the return of catcher Nick Derba, utility infielder Aaron Reza, speedster Adrian Ortiz, and short stop Todd Frazier, whom Schiffner said have played a valuable leadership role.

The combination of Chatham’s new hot bats and savvy vets has fueled the A’s offense, which is hitting .246 – second best of all CCBL teams. 

Schiffner, who praised his team’s strong defense, said the only question mark is the A’s pitching, which has big shoes to fill after last year’s formidable rotation, which featured four all-stars and struck fear into the hearts of opposing hitters. 

“Our pitching is solid, but it’s no where near the staff we had last year,” said Schiffner, with a proviso. “But then again, that was a once-in-a-lifetime staff.

“What we, and our fans, need to realize is that we’re not going to have Andrew Miller out there this year,” said Schiffner, referencing the six-foot-six southpaw, who went 8-0 with a 1.83 ERA and 114 K’s over his two year’s in A’s pinstripes. “We don’t have the guy who can throw 92-94 miles-per-hour anymore. Our guys are going to have to pitch to get guys out. They’re going to have to rely on their competitiveness and their best stuff.”

So far their best stuff has been good enough, as the A’s rank second-best in team pitching with a collective 2.01 ERA, and remain the only staff that’s yet to yield a home run. Chatham’s lineup will also be strengthened with the return of UNC ace Robert Woodard, fresh off leading the Tar Heels to the college world series championship series. Woodward went 5-1 with a 2.53 ERA last summer.

Shutting the door on teams hasn’t been much of a problem either, thanks to the return of lights-out closer Derrick Lutz, who has two saves already, and is on pace to match, or perhaps break, his mark of 12 saves last year. 

Though all the pieces seem to be falling into place, Schiffner’s optimism remains relatively tempered.

“I like to divide the season into four, 11-game quarters, and right now we’re on pace to do a pretty good job the first quarter, so we’re pretty pleased with how we’ve done so far.” 

Their strong hitting and pitching aside, a reason for their auspicious start, the A’s players say, has to do with the quick bond they’ve formed with each other. 

“We have good chemistry together, and that’s what a summer team is all about,” said Rizzotti. “It’s like an all-star team. Any team can come together with the best players, but if you don’t have the right chemistry, you won’t play well. Everyone here gets along and that’s been key.”

by Eric Adler