By DAN CROWLEY

    All he wanted was another chance. Last summer an injury forced East Carolina University pitcher T.J. Hose to give up his roster spot with the Cotuit Kettlers to Pirate teammate Shane Matthews. Healthy this spring and still hoping for a chance to pitch in the Cape League, Pirate’s coach Billy Godwin made some phone calls for his right-hander and just over a week before the season opened, Godwin landed Hose a temporary roster spot with the Bourne Braves.

    “About two-thirds of the way through our college season I mentioned to my coach about how much I had always dreamed about playing in the Cape League,” Hose explained. “I asked him to try to work something out to get me a spot. About the first week in June he called me and said Coach (Harvey) Shapiro had a temporary spot.”

    Excited about having a second chance, Hose arrived in Bourne full of enthusiasm and ready to pitch. The fact they he didn’t have a permanent contract was naturally a concern, but soon his love for the game, talent and early success had him on track for a permanent spot.

    “Knowing that you don’t have a permanent spot makes you work harder,” he smiled.      “You know you have even more to work for.”

    The pressure to perform and the scrutiny Cape League players receive from professional baseball scouts and the media fueled his determination to be the best pitcher he could be. In early July it all paid off when Hose received a permanent contract from the Braves. But this wasn’t just Hose that had come up a winner, the Braves had found a pitcher that not only had shown he deserved to be there, but three weeks later pitched his way onto the Cape League All-Star team.

    “This can be overwhelming,” he said with obvious enjoyment. “I’m just trying to enjoy every minute. I came here with high expectations, but to have all this happen to me is a bit overwhelming. Playing in the all-star game I guess is just the cherry on top of the cake.”

    Hose was one of the top pitchers for the East Carolina Pirates this season. He led the staff in wins (6), strikeouts (70) and innings pitched (95.1). He finished his spring with a record of 6-5 and an ERA of 3.97. Entering the all-star break this summer he tops the Bourne staff in wins at 4-2.

    “Being able to pitch up here has given me a lot more confidence,” Hose said. “Last season had its ups and downs for me and I needed to come up here and feel comfortable on the mound.”

    Hose has four pitches that he’ll use when he takes the hill. He throws a fastball, sinker, change-up and slider. In a pinch he’ll often turn to his slider to get a batter out. Pitching to wood bats changes the way a pitcher works and Hose has some experience in that department.

    “I think with the wood bats you go in a little bit more,” he explained. “Hitters have a tendency to watch that pitch. With a metal bat they are going to go ahead and swing. You also can stay away a little bit, but you don’t really change your game, you make the hitter change his to hit you.”

    The excitement and pure joy that Hose brings to his job are obvious from the smile that has become a part of the uniform he wears. From selling 50/50 raffle tickets on a day he isn’t pitching, to cleaning the dugout after a game, it’s clear that he just loves what he is doing. Being on the first place Bourne Braves, who have had a lock on the top spot for most of the summer, is another reason to smile.

    “This is a talented team,” Hose said. “We have depth and we have a bunch of great guys. We have great chemistry.”

    A native of Hagerstown, Maryland, Hose had an outstanding high school career in which one of the many highlights was the chance to pitch in the state all-star game in Camden Yards, where he was awarded MVP pitching honors.

    “That was unbelievable; there was so much adrenaline,” he recall with excitement. “I was supposed to start the game, but I wanted to close. I wanted to sit out in the bullpen and soak it all in.”

    When his family came to the Cape for a visit in early July, Hose had the chance to visit Fenway Park in Boston for the first time. As a member of the 2007 Cape League All-Star team he had a second chance to visit the venerable ballpark, this time with some of the best players in college baseball.

    “Just walking into that stadium I got chills and goose bumps,” he said. “There were so vmany great players that played at Fenway. It has such a great atmosphere and what a great setting for baseball.”

    The summer has been a dream come true for T.J. Hose, but it is a dream that he has worked very hard for. From a last-minute temporary player, to permanent status with a first place team, to a spot on the all-star squad it has been everything that he wished for. After college, like so many players who come to the Cape each summer, Hose wants a professional baseball career.

    “I think this will probably be one of the greatest summers that I’ve ever had,” he added with his ever-present smile. “I’m hoping this will be the summer that sets my career off. It’s a big stepping stone in getting me to where I want to be.”