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Commissioner’s Corner - 2015 End of Season Report

08/13/2015 6:34 PM

Article By: Paul Galop

     The Cape Cod Baseball League 2015 season was clearly one for the ages. Nothing was more apparent than the amazing parity among our 10 teams. The only two teams that did not qualify for postseason play went down to their very last out before they were eliminated. Six teams in all were vying for playoff positions on the very last day of the season.

      During the regular season, Andrew Calica of the Wareham Gatemen ended the season with a .425 batting average, only the second player in the last 25 years to bat over .400! Not to be outdone, Orleans Firebirds pitcher Mitchell Jordan not only fashioned a 7-0 regular season record, but his measly 0.21 earned run average (ERA) nearly matched that of CCBL Hall of Famer Eric Milton with the best ERA in CCBL history!

      The Orleans Firebirds ran away with the East Division regular season championship as well as being recipients of the President’s Trophy, signifying the best record and most points during the regular season. The Hyannis Harbor Hawks outdistanced their opponents in the West Division to capture that divisional crown.

      Summer highlights included the annual workout for all CCBL players at Fenway Park in Boston in front of scouting personnel from all major league teams. Our annual All-Star game was held at Spillane Field in Wareham. The Gatemen organization was superb hosts and offered an unforgettable day under clear skies and a very large crowd.

      As our regular season was winding down and playoffs nearing, crowds really began to swell and the fever pitch of the playoffs arrived. In the East Division, Orleans dispatched of Chatham two games to one, while Yarmouth-Dennis swept past Brewster. Y-D went on to upset heavily favored Orleans two games to one and earned the right to play in the championship series. Meanwhile, in the West Division, Hyannis swept past Cotuit two games to none while Bourne swept Wareham by an identical 2-0 margin. Hyannis went on to sweep the Bourne Braves and settled the question of whom would meet Y-D in the championship round. Hyannis won Game 1 rather convincingly and was on the verge of winning its first playoff championship since 1991.

     But defending champion Y-D was not about to roll over, and the Red Sox swept the next two games by scoring 17 runs while pounding out 37 hits in the two game comeback. The final game at McKeon Park in Hyannis entertained nearly 6,500 exuberant fans and what a wonderful night it was. In the end, the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox had defended their CCBL playoff championship and captured the coveted Arnold Mycock Championship Trophy for the second year in a row, and fifth time in the last 11 years. What a job by the Y-D organization led by Manager Scott Pickler and President/GM Steve Faucher!

      So, as we close out another awesome summer of baseball, there are so many folks to congratulate and thank. The list is endless, but suffice it to say that the volunteers and loyal fans continue to be the heartbeat of the Cape Cod Baseball League, and we are all so grateful for this unique and special gem we have here. We truly hope that when the players get back to school, their thoughts drift back to Cape Cod and they have as many joyful memories that they provided all of us with.

      This was a very special summer, with all ten teams reporting what spectacular student-athletes they had. They were all very good baseball players, but even better people, and what more could you ask. The memories from this summer will be endless. The interns, trainers, broadcasters, endless volunteers and incredible fans can be very proud to know that the summer of 2015 on Cape Cod was one for the ages.

      This just doesn’t seem to cover it, but thank you one and all!

Paul A. Galop, Commissioner