06/30/2002 10:56 AM Article By:
for immediate release: 30 June, 2002
Cape Cod Baseball League
Official Press Release
Week # 2 - Games 6/23-6/29
Sportsticker Selects Players of the Week
Chatham's Jamie D'Antona (Wake Forest) and Harwich's Mark Weinmunson (Southeast Louisiana) have been named the Coca-Cola Player and Pitcher of the week
.
D'Antona hit .400 (8-for-20) for the A's with two doubles, three home runs, seven RBI and six runs scored.
Weinmunson had a near perfect outing on June 27 against Bourne. In seven innings he allowed one unearned run, walked one and struck out seven.
There were co-winners this week for the home run hitter title, D'Antona and Cotuit's Stephen Ghutzman (Wake Forest). Each cranked out three round trippers
.
Cotuit Keeps Streak Alive:
The Cotuit Kettleers are keeping League historian Bruce Hack busy. On June 23, Cotuit won its ninth straight to set a franchise record. The former record was 8-0 set in 1964. Cotuit is the first team since Hyannis 1979 to open the season with a 9-0 mark.
On June 26, Cotuit won its 12th straight and did it by throwing a no-hitter. In the win, the Kettleers used a league record four pitchers for the no-hitter, which equals the Major League Baseball record.
The 13-game winning streak ended Saturday after Brewster tied the Kettleers 1-1 in 10 innings…but the unbeaten streak is still alive.
The last time Cotuit had such a fast start was in 1964. That year, they finished at 31-3 for a .921 winning percentage, best in league history.
Most Wins in June a Possibility:
A win on Sunday would give Cotuit the best record in June rather than its current tie with 1994 Orleans team (13-3-0). The best record in a month is Chatham at 15-0 in 1966. FYI the most wins in any month is 17 (Cotuit, July 1983)
The Long Ball is Alive and Well on Olde Cape Cod:
There were 12 home runs hit on June 23, which bests the former wooden bat record of 11 set on 8/2/91. The unofficial record for aluminum bats is 14, set in 1983.
KeySpan Homeruns for Housing Total:
According to SportsTicker, the Cape League Boys of Summer have cranked out 51 homeruns. For every home run hit this season, Official League Sponsor KeySpan will donate $25 to the Housing Assistance Corporation in Hyannis.
Pick a Side, Any Side:
Among the record setting home runs hit on Sunday were two by Steve Ghutzman (Spring, TX/Wake Forest). The Cotuit catcher hit one from both sides of the plate. Last time this happened was 1977 when Chatham's Jim Lauer hit 2 against Hyannis.
Three-Bagger Record Tied:
Cotuit's Brian Ingram (Rural Hall, NC/Elon College) tied the league record with two triples in one game versus Chatham on June 26.
Garrett Quinn to the Head of the Class:
Cotuit's 13-0-1 start is, not surprisingly, the best start for a rookie manager in league history.
It's All in the Genes:
Zachary Leone, 7 of Pelham Manor, NY threw out the first pitch at Y-D this past Saturday. Zachary is the son of former Red Sox player Freddie Leone who played in 1984.
A Truly Patriotic Sign:
On June 28, the students of Mrs. McPherson's class from the Station Avenue, South Yarmouth school signed the Pledge of Allegiance before the game.
Talk About a Face-lift:
In late May and in just four days, Y-D's Merrill "Red" Wilson field received a face-lift. The infield sod was pulled back, all the old layers of dirt were removed and then replaced. The sod was rolled back on and gone were all the nooks and crannies, which often come with age. Y-D also purchased a new batting cage.
Home Sweet Home, Times Two:
Longtime Y-D houseparent and overall Cape League guru Barbara Ellsworth is housing coaches this year. Tyson Neal and Roman Schooley just happened to have played for Southern Illinois coach Dan Callahan, who stayed with Mrs. E. when he was graduate assistant coach.
Cape League Condolences:
Our condolences to Falmouth Field Manager Jeff Trundy, whose mother passed away this past week.
When Baseball and Hockey Collide:
The Tampa Bay Lightning drafted Bourne Braves relief pitcher, John Toffey, in the 9th round last week. A two-sport athlete at Ohio State University, Toffey is one of a handful of athletes to be both drafted by the NHL and the MLB. After graduating from St. Sebastian's' High School in Needham, MA, John was drafted in the 47th round by the Colorado Rockies. Toffey had a tough decision to make when deciding where to attend school. Not only did he excel in baseball and hockey, but John could have also played football at the collegiate level. Toffey chose OSU because his coaches were willing to be flexible about being a member of both the varsity baseball and hockey teams.
When asked about which sport he wants to pursue, John claims he is still unsure. "I don't know what I want to do, that's why I still play two sports," says Toffey. He enjoys both sports, but likes the physical aspect of hockey. When deciding which sport he will take as a career path, he plans on choosing the one where he can have the longest career. Although he will be a professional athlete, Toffey says his family is very "education-oriented". Despite all the time he puts into training for two sports, John still makes time for his studies. John received the Scholar Athlete award at OSU for his GPA being above a 3.0 for two consecutive quarters. John claims his education is important to him, because he cannot predict the future and he wants to have a degree to fall back on. He is now an undecided major, but plans to join the business school.
John plans on attending OSU in the fall, and will wait to make a decision on which sport to choose. His coaches would like to see him focus on one sport. His seasons interfere causing him to do training on his own. Both of his coaches also believe once he chooses to pursue baseball or hockey, he will see improvement due to his focus on the individual sport. But for now, Toffey will keep playing both until the decision becomes clear.
John grew up on the Cape, in Barnstable. His father, Jack Toffey, played baseball at Rollins College and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Jack played in the Pirates' system before injury ended his career. He is now a sports agent, and handles his son's affairs, as well as Harwich Mariner's third baseman, Brad McCann. Brad's father, Howie McCann, was Jack's coach at Rollins College. John's grandfather is an OSU alum. John can be seen being seen this summer wearing number 9 at the Bourne's Coady Field, and this fall wearing number 19 at Value City Arena in Columbus. While Toffey continues to play both sports, scouts and members of the NHL and MLB will anxiously await his decision on which sport he chooses as a career.
For more information, please contact:
Missy Alaimo
Public Relations - Media Relations
at (508) 633-0684 or via e-mail
[email protected]
Special thanks to league historian Bruce Hack
and intern Sarah Hinckley for their contributions
