By Kathleen Szmit
kszmit@barnstablepatriot.com

     During last Saturday’s steamy afternoon in a parking lot next to Spillane Field in Wareham, a well-known Centerville man was in the midst of grilling lots of yummy fare when suddenly a baseball game broke out.

     For a bevy of fans attending the 2007 Cape Cod Baseball League All-Star Game, that’s sort of what it was like, as chef and Kettleers fan Rich Petze demonstrated the proper way to tailgate, serving up such sumptuous fare folks nearly forgot about the game.

     Petze, president of Barnstable Little League and host parent to Reese Havens, All-Star shortstop for the Cotuit Kettleers, is an avid baseball fan and, as folks at Saturday’s game soon learned, grill master extraordinaire. 

     The idea for tailgating formed when Petze learned that this year’s All-Star game would be held at Spillane Field. Where last year’s was held at Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School in South Yarmouth, and offered a place for Petze’s family to spread a blanket and relax, Spillane’s layout didn’t easily lend itself to blankets and beach chairs. 

     Tailgating provided Petze, his wife, Joni, and their two boys, Anthony and Dominic, a comfortable place to while away the hours before the game, and serve up a veritable smorgasbord to friends. “I was really kind of looking for a place to hang out pre-game,” said Petze, “and attract some fans from Cotuit.”

     Petze estimates he fed about 30 or more Cotuit supporters throughout the day from a menu that included Teriyaki steak tips, seasoned chicken, freshly caught striper, bratwurst, asparagus, zucchini and summer squash all expertly grilled by Petze on his own brought-from-home apparatus. 

     Throughout the afternoon Petze was visited by Cotuit fans, friends and players as word of his fantastic fare spread quickly. “It was pretty good,” he said. “Everything from burgers to fish.”

     In spite of putting in plenty of time tending the flame, Petze managed to take in a number of All-Star events, including helping Dominic – also a huge baseball fan – gather signatures on his East and West Division All-Star Barnstable Bats. 

     Of course, the big question of the day, other than “Who’ll win the game?” ultimately became, “Are ya gonna do it again next year?” 

     “I don’t know,” Petze said with a grin. “It all depends on where the game is at.”