21 July, 2005

Cape League stint part of long-term plan

Cape League baseball is well-known as being the stepping stone to the Major Leagues. Although college ballplayers compete at an elite level, once they hit the Cape League the expectations rise along with the competition. That includes getting to balls that other guys can't.

"I have made a few errors that were tough plays and probably wouldn't be errors if I was at school," says Wake Forest product Andy Goff, who is playing for the Bourne Braves this summer. "I guess when you play in a league that is of this caliber, they expect you to make those plays.

"On one play I actually dove for a ball in the hole and the runner beat it out and I was charged with an error," Goff explains. The infielder says that field conditions, while not always ideal, don't matter. "It took some getting used to the fact that the fields are not always the greatest. Bad hops are a nightly occurrence for both teams."

Putting the errors behind you, even if the college scorers would have chalked them up as a hit, is part of the mental process that pro players must endure. Goff says the Cape League has been a great training ground for the physical mechanics that make up the game, as well as the mental.

"I get to play every day against the best competition in the country and I know I have gotten much better. I think the Cape League is probably the best thing a young player can experience if their ultimate goal is to play professional baseball," says Goff. "It not only prepares them physically by developing them as baseball players but it is a grind on the players mentally as well.

"You have to get ready to play every day. Some days you are not going to feel great and some days you are. It's the days that you do not feel great that you have to try and scratch out a hit or do the little things to try and help the team win."

With a chance to showcase your abilities at the ballpark nightly, the pressure could become daunting. Thinking that one ground ball, one at-bat could elevate or doom your career would be counter-productive, the infielder says.

"You can't allow yourself to think like that. If you put that much pressure on yourself to succeed, then the fun is sucked out of it. This game is supposed to be fun, remember? That's what I find myself saying to myself all the time. It is actually from a baseball movie, "Bull Durham." "So let's have some fun damn it. This game is fun, remember!"

Goff has been in touch with college buddies who are playing summer ball in other leagues. He says he's looking forward to returning to Wake Forest with his Cape League experience in his back pocket.

"I would like to have some time at home though to see my family and my girlfriend Brandi, but I am not looking forward to saying goodbye to the fiends I have made here. I'm just thankful for the opportunity to be able to play up here.

"I have kept in touch with all my friends from school who are pretty much all ballplayers or athletes. They like to hear about the league and stuff. My roommate is playing in Alaska this summer and doing very well."

"Off days" are a rarity at this point in the season. Goff says that the schedule he's followed since he arrived - work, lift, play, relax - is what he is adhering to still.

The Bourne Brave says he's gotten the chance to experience the Cape a little bit and the fan base that follows the CCBL.

"The 'Chowda' is pretty good everywhere I eat," he says. "People do treat you a little differently if they know you are a Cape Leaguer, but I try not to stand out too much. Everyone has been great.

"I enjoy after games signing autographs and talking to the kids. It's pretty neat how they think you are like a superstar or something, even if you are only batting .200."

Andy Goff of Pittsburgh and Wake Forest University is sharing his experiences on and off the field as a first-time Cape League player.