Written by Kathleen Szmit
 
 
     It was once said that if you build it, they will come. At the opening of the Cape Cod Baseball League Hall of Fame and Museum at the JFK Hyannis Museum on July 21 they were there – Commissioner Paul Galop, President Judy Walden Scarafile, and Arnold Mycock, leading light for decades of the Cotuit Kettleers.

     Famous former Cape Leaguers such as Mo Vaughn, Jason Varitek and Mike Lowell might not have been there in person, but their spirit was felt throughout the newly completed venue.

     The evening’s most important folks, though, weren’t former players or commissioners or presidents. They were the people who made the new museum possible – Gary Ellis, Jim Martin and Diane Troy.

     The trio was the design team behind the relocation, construction and decoration of the museum, which opened its doors to the public this week.

     Along with cases displaying items past and present from each Cape League Team, the museum also features plaques of players in the hall of fame, photos and information on Cape Leaguers in the majors, and enough baseball memorabilia to bring fans to their feet.

     It’s the décor that is equally impressive, though. Walls are painted in colors to reflect a sunset above a ballpark at game time, while the doors and some trim are painted Fenway green in honor of the Green Monster. On the floor is a special baseball diamond Astroturf carpet laid by Kangaroo Flooring.

     Ellis is especially proud of the colors.

     “When you’re at Fenway and you look out over the stands you know it’s sunset,” he said. “And you get the green of Fenway. All the colors here were picked from a ballpark.”

     Originally housed at the Heritage Museum in Sandwich, it was decided last year taht the CCBL Hall of Fame and Museum would relocate to the lower level of the JFK Museum in Hyannis after the museum’s contract with Heritage expired in 2008.
In the time since the museum’s closure last October, Ellis, Martin, Troy and a team of assistants have worked diligently to relocate and reopen the museum.

     “Who would have thought that in 15 months, we’d be here in the heart of Main Street?” said Scarafile.

     The idea to house the CCBL museum in the JFK Museum was actually the idea of Peter Scarafile, Walden Scarafile’s husband.

“I thought it was the best place to be,” he said. “It’s the center of Hyannis, the center of Cape Cod. It seemed like the natural place.”

     Peter was pleased with the museum’s overall appearance. “I like the four base markers on the walls,” he said. “It makes you feel like you’re in a ballpark.”

     Arnold Mycock, Cape League Hall of Fame member and longtime supporter of the Cotuit Kettleers, was deeply impressed with the new locale.

     “Little did I realize in those years so long ago that it would be so beautiful,” he said. “It’s such a tribute.”
     While Mycock appreciated the photos of major leaguers adorning the walls, he also offered kudos to Hall-of-Fame worthy players who did not always make it to the majors.

     The museum will be open free of charge for the remainder of July, at which point the JFK Museum administration will set a price for admission.

     “It’s like getting the call up from Pawtucket,” said Galop of the opening. “When you go through some hurdles during the season, this is the stuff that makes it all worthwhile.”