11 Jul 2007

‘Worst part of trip to Boston was the end of it’

By Shooter Hunt
GateHouse News Service

Wed Jul 11, 2007, 02:29 PM EDT 

    Falmouth Commodores pitcher Shooter Hunt is writing about his experiences in the league throughout the season for the Falmouth Bulletin. This piece was written after his 11-strikeout performance Monday night.
Hello again Commodore fans.

    We just got done beating Cotuit today, 7-3, and as we head into tomorrow's off-day the season is already half way done. My Dad and two brothers, T.J. and K.C., were able to make it up for tonight’s game, and got to see me pitch. My Dad was only able to see me pitch once this year because of conflicts back home as well has about 1,500 miles that separate northern New Jersey from New Orleans, so I really wanted to be at my best for him. 

    I felt really good out on the mound tonight, and definitely felt the good vibes of the home crowd. After the game we went to the 99 to eat, and then back to the Mamarys house to spend a bit of time together.

    Since my last article, we have been up and down as a team. We win a few games in a row, and then lose a few very close ball games. Last week we had an off-day on Monday, July 2, and it was one of the best off-days that I have every had. 

    Aja, Kevin Dubler and I kicked off the day by going to Dunkin' Donuts to get some good breakfast. After that we hopped aboard the Mamary boat once again, but this time with the youngest of the Mamary sons, Sam, and one of his friend's, Alex Bargende.  We immediately headed over to Black Beach, and dropped anchor. While Aja and Alex went on a crab hunt, "Doobs" and I chilled with Sam on the boat listening to some music and relaxing in the sun. After about three hours of exploration, Aja and Alex came back to the boat, and it was time to head back to house to get ready for our trip into Boston. The Red Sox were in town to finish up their series with the Texas Rangers, and Jonathan, another of our host brothers, had tickets so that the four of us could see the game. 

    However, the biggest surprise to us would come when our buddy, Matt Nuzzo, gave us a call letting us know that one of his friends had four extra tickets five rows behind the Rangers dugout. This was just too good to give up, and we gladly accepted the tickets. Matt’s friend was at the game along with Kyle Weiland and Preston Claiborne. Needless to say, there were plenty of "Fenway Franks" eaten throughout the 9-inning game, and all were enjoyed greatly.

    The worst part of the trip into Boston was the end of it, and the good-byes that were said. The night before Matt Nuzzo had been released from the Commodores team in order to make room for the new players who were arriving. Matt was one of the first people I met up here last year, and we really shared a great bond. We chatted all throughout the school year, excited to get back up to the Cape to play together once again. However, the fact that Matt was a temporary player kept both of us very nervous at the end of many games. Temporary players do not have permanent contracts, and are not usually kept around for very long because the players who have permanent contracts are always coming in.

    Matty had been an exception to this last year when a bunch of permanent players did not show up, but this year we were not so lucky. I was devastated by the loss of Matt, but also understood that it would not be the last time that a good friend would go his own way. Baseball is incredibly similar to life in that there are so many failures, ups and downs, new experiences, and losses. It is very hard to succeed in baseball, as in life, without taking the good with the bad. Though Matt Nuzzo is no longer up here, he is forever a Commodore and forever a friend.

    On a brighter note, the Fourth of July, is the essence of Cape Cod. The Fourth has that great feeling of bar-b-q, fireworks, and of course, baseball. In thrilling come-from-behind fashion we were able to beat Harwich, 5-4, in front of a great group of fans that braved the drizzle of the entire day. That night, Aja and I were treated to an amazing bar-b-q back at home, and we then took off for the Heights to try and catch the fireworks. On our way down to the Heights it began raining pretty steadily, and after picking up outfielder John Wallace, we thought we would make perfect time for the 9:30 fireworks. And we would have, except that the fireworks began at 9, and we got to see nothing. Even though we did not get to experience the fireworks, we did have a win under our belts, so we were able to sleep easy.

    Getting back to the present. We are indeed halfway through our season, and the playoffs are definitely within our grasp. The team is beginning to hit extremely well, and the pitching staff is starting to turn it on at the right time. Tomorrow should prove to give us some much needed R&R before the stretch run begins.

Go Commodores!
Shooter