20 July 2009

Cooper Leads Five Commodores to All-Star Game
By Jim Chandley, CCBL Intern

FALMOUTH, Mass.—Patrick Cooper (Des Moines CC) will be one of five players from Falmouth headed to Fenway Park on Thursday. Cooper has led the Commodores bullpen in every way so far this season. If Cooper were any better at putting out fires, he might be working part-time for the town’s Fire Rescue Department.

     “He’s been incredible,” said Commodores GM Dan Dunn. “If we could have a guy like him pitch every day, we would,” the GM added of his all-star reliever. Cooper has been all but untouchable this year. His ERA is less than half a run. He has pitched only 19.1 innings, all out of the bullpen, but has amassed 28 strikeouts in that time. In laymen’s terms, if Cooper were a major league pitcher, he would be ninth in all of baseball with 13 K/9 innings.

     Thursday will mark Cooper’s first trip to Fenway. “I’ve never been before,” said the young pitcher. “It’s a major sports destination; I knew I would go someday, I just never imagined I would be playing there.”

     Cooper will be joined by “The best hitter in the league,” in the words of Dunn, Todd Cunningham (Jacksonville State). Cunningham is second in the league in batting average (.368). Cunningham’s outfield mate Brian Fletcher (Auburn) will be joining him in Boston. Fletcher was in Falmouth last summer and had a rough summer. Dunn describes him as one of the best examples ever of a player who turned himself around.

     Taylor Wall (Rice) will also represent the pitching staff on the West All-Star team. B.A. Vollmuth (Southern Miss) will also be making the trip to Boston. Vollmuth has been playing excellent defense at shortstop for Falmouth and has been slugging and driving in runs since becoming the starter at that position.

     Falmouth will look to make some major contributions on Thursday as the league’s All-Star Game returns to Fenway. Not to be forgotten is Falmouth’s number three hitter and offensive anchor Hunter Morris (Auburn). He will represent the West in the Home Run Hitting Contest before the game. 

Jim Chandley can be reached at Chandley@capecodbaseball.org
 

John Garner, Jr.
Director of Public Relations & Broadcasting
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johnwgarner@earthlink.net 

Brian Doyle
Web Editor
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Interns: Chris Blake, James Chandley, Ashley Crosby, Phil Garceau, Michael Campbell, Katy Ann Fitzpatrick