Falmouth Creative in Supporting Teammates07/13/2010 9:56 AM Article By: FALMOUTH ---- In a recent nail-biting 1-0 win against the Harwich Mariners, the Falmouth Commodores cheered on their fellow teammates in a unique way.The Commodores played the Mariners in a game that was scoreless through 11 innings before Falmouth won it on a bases-loaded passed ball in the 12th. If the epic win wasn’t enough, the Commodores made the game even more entertaining. When games go down to the wire, and the pressure’s on, players in the dugout “rally” to hype them up and support their team. They change their appearance, turn their baseball caps backwards or do something in unison. For example, the Bourne Braves have done the “cowboy,” using their caps as handkerchiefs over their mouths, and the “Captain Morgan,” putting one leg over the fence of the dugout. Traditionally, the Commodores have worn their caps backwards, inside out, or resorted to the “dorsal fin,” which is folding their caps in half and placing them vertically onto their heads. But recently, with three innings to come up with new rallies, the Mariners and Commodores engaged in a theater-worthy rally. It started off like any other night. The players began by all wearing their caps backwards. But as the innings rolled on, the Commodores got more creative by also turning their shirts backwards, and then putting one arm inside their sleeves. In retaliation, the Mariners made a bunker out of the bullpen and hid behind it while throwing out spare baseballs. The Commodores fired back by loading a fake cannon, made of baseball bats, and throwing dirt to make it appear as though the cannons were actually hitting the ground in front of them. Rallies show support and unity in the team and bond the players. “I think the team’s true colors come out during rallies. As an athlete, there needs to be a balance. You want to support your team, but you also don’t want your teammate to lose focus,” Falmouth field manager Jeff Trundy said. “If you’re the team that’s rallying, I think it improves the players focus. As for the game last (week), it was important for the team to rally because it showed support for your teammates.” The fans joined in on Falmouth’s rally by stomping their feet on the bleachers, which unified the fans with the players. It was nothing, if not entertaining. “I’m glad the fans enjoyed it,” Trundy said. |