cannot start this End-of-Season Commissioner’s Corner without first thanking the fans for joining us in record numbers at our 10 parks this summer! Last spring, when it still very much in doubt if we would even be allowed to have fans at our games, our Executive Board wondered aloud how we would fare without the day-to-day support at the field. Thankfully, restrictions were eased just in time, and your pent-up energy was able to be displayed in person for the entire summer.
The success of this 2021 season is also due in large part to the incredible planning done by our Medical Department, with COVID Safety Guidelines in place to ensure the safest route possible back to ‘normalcy’ and a full slate of games (save for a very small handful of rainouts). Thanks, and immense gratitude, goes out to our Team ‘Covid Captains’ that oversaw the completion of these guidelines created by Michelle Pavlu, Laura Murphy, Dr. Donald O’Malley, and Nicolette Branson. Without it, our season would not have taken place. This directly led to the awarding of the CCBL Dick Sullivan Executive of Year Award to Michelle Pavlu, to be presented at our Hall of Fame Ceremony this November. Congratulations Michelle!
As usual, it takes a plethora of people for our summer baseball season to exist – my yearly thanks to the GMs, Field Managers, Coaching Staffs, team board members, volunteers, supporters, and Sponsors, and EVERYONE that joined in to make it happen. We are fortunate that so many people have so much passion for this game, and this league, year in and year out. Thank you so much for all that you continue to do for the Cape League. And, again, thank you to the fans that came out to support us by attending so many games this past summer; we’ll have the stands, and hills overlooking our fields, ready for you in 2022.
Congratulations to the 2021 CCBL Champion Brewster Whitecaps. A shortened, exciting, playoff run was in the works for our season, and their team made the best of it by sweeping both the Harwich Mariners in the Semifinals, and the Bourne Braves in the Finals. Incredible baseball was played, and the Arnold Mycock Championship Trophy was hoisted at home for Brewster at Stony Brook Field. The collegiate players assembled on Cape Cod each summer to play in the CCBL are the best of the best, and the 2021 season, and playoffs, showcased that fact. It was very heartwarming to be able to go to the field each day, after missing out on a season in 2020. We’re all very happy to have the players back, and are already looking forward to next summer!
More congratulations are given to the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox, back-to-back recipients of the Commissioner’s Cup. The Cup is given to the organization that showcases professionalism, on and off the field, and integrity in their daily activities, supporting the local community, and interactions with fellow CCBL personnel throughout the year. This year, the CCBL Executive Board renamed this award the ‘Paul Galop Commissioner’s Cup’ to honor Commissioner Emeritus Paul Galop, who passed away in May. We miss you, Paul, and were blessed to have you lead the Cape League for over 15 years as Commissioner, with compassion, love, and dedication that we can all hope to emulate.
Last, and definitely not least, ‘thank you’ to our Commissioner Interns, Cam Markovsky, and Ben Bernstein, who put in countless hours assisting in keeping everything moving along, and ensuring that the daily tasks of keeping track of all the administrative needs of the Commissioner’s office were fulfilled, often exceeding expectations. And, of course, ‘thank you’ to my family for their continued support each year. I couldn’t do anything without our interns and, especially, my family.
This year is complete, plans are already being put in place for 2022, and I hope to see you at the park next year!
All the best,
Eric Zmuda, Commissioner
Cape Cod Baseball League
