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Cape Cod

F FloridaHokie100+ posts
Son has been advised he will be playing there next summer, '07. Those of you who have been through this experience, please advise...

...Does the concept of working by day and playing baseball by night work as well in reality as it does in theory? Are the boys actually able to squirrel away some earnings through this?

...Do the communities really support the leaque as a whole, and local teams in particular, as published articles would indicate?

...How difficult is it to find a place to stay up there for a week or so, at a reasonable rate, so we can go see him play and take in some of the local color? Must these plans be made well in advance, or is there some provision for same among through the team or league?

...Would you recommend a chain hotel, a high-profile resort, or a little mom-and-pop inn/B&B to stay in?

Any advice that anyone could offer would be appreciated as this is well outside of my experience (and geographic familiarity zone).
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FungoFungoHighly Regarded and Beloved Old Timer
quote:
Does the concept of working by day and playing baseball by night work as well in reality as it does in theory? Are the boys actually able to squirrel away some earnings through this?

It does work fairly well. The person that saves money will be the parent. Every dollar they earn is a dollar you save.
quote:
...Do the communities really support the leaque as a whole, and local teams in particular, as published articles would indicate?

I think the community supports the league as a whole but the support for the individual teams is fair. Understand that Cape Code is a resort area and the actual fixed population is very small.
quote:
...How difficult is it to find a place to stay up there for a week or so, at a reasonable rate, so we can go see him play and take in some of the local color? Must these plans be made well in advance, or is there some provision for same among through the team or league?

We did call the team contact person and got some info ahead of time and finding space was not difficulty at all for us.
quote:
...Would you recommend a chain hotel, a high-profile resort, or a little mom-and-pop inn/B&B to stay in?
We stayed at a "quaint" Mom and Pop motel and were very pleased with the facilities. Price was very reasonable. I felt as if the atmophere of Cape Cod lends itself to the smaller accomodations instead of the hotel chain. In our case the innkeeper used to be a lighthouse keeper and we really got some good information about the lighthouses and their history. For yankees these are pretty good folks (until they get behind the wheel of a car). I still havent figured out these "roundabout" intersections they have. Big Grin
Fungo
TPMTPMHSBaseballweb Member since 2003
FloridaHokie,
Nice! Your son is going to love it! Mine passed up his first year due to lots of innings, but he is so very sorry that he didn't go for the two years. It is exactly as they say, an experience of a lifetime.

Mine played for Falmouth, and they are pretty serious about working while up there, if that's what you want to call it. Wink Mine worked at the field and worked camp, pay is nominal and covered his fee for housing, but I can tell you that you will be his biggest contributor. Big Grin Unless you wish to pay in advance for his housing, then the money he earns is his.

Sons days were work am, gym then off to field or to the bus for an away game. Curfew on game nights and weekends. His schedule forced him up early in the am and he liked it that way, kept his routine steady. All those wild cape stories I had heard about were not true.

We went for a long weekend, and found great accomodations, your sons host family or the league will recommend accomodations. Living in FL, we didn't feel that we needed beach accomodations. And a lot depends on where he will play and live. My son's field was down the street from the beach and harbor, while other towns may be further in (Warham and Bourne). Some towns, like Chatham, for example are strictly summer resort towns, so they are pretty higher priced. My son's host family lived their year round, as many others I met in Falmouth. Some places, if you book in advance will make you pay up front, july 4th weekend is expensive and we found end of July (heading towards playoffs and the allstar game) to be a great time to visit.
We choose a long weekend when team did not have to travel because traffic is bad up there in summer. Originally we had plans to rent a house, but our trip to Omaha pretty much dictated less time at the cape.
The communities support their teams in every aspect to the fullest, they become "their" boys for the summer. Everyone loves them, they can't do enough for them. The allstar game is awesome (even if your player doesn't play), 5K or more in attendence.
Send me a pm, let me know which team.
B BeenthereILHSBBWeb Old Timer
quote:
Son has been advised he will be playing there next summer, '07. Those of you who have been through this experience, please advise...

Congrats...My son, Paul Petrulis, Mississippi State, '93, played for Chatham in 1992. Won the Cape title and never got the ring that they were promised.

...Does the concept of working by day and playing baseball by night work as well in reality as it does in theory? Are the boys actually able to squirrel away some earnings through this?

My son worked during the day at a gas station. Made a few bucks to spend. Since the travel isn't tiresome, that is a plus, but working for a few bucks to spend takes it's toll on the performance. Lots of studs invited to play. You put up some numbers in the Cape and your draft position skyrockets. We were there when Billy Wagner came in to close the all star game. What a sight to see with the scouts scrambling to their folding chairs and "guns" behind the screen!

...Do the communities really support the leaque as a whole, and local teams in particular, as published articles would indicate?

Yes, they do. My son had a great time with the family that he stayed with.

...How difficult is it to find a place to stay up there for a week or so, at a reasonable rate, so we can go see him play and take in some of the local color? Must these plans be made well in advance, or is there some provision for same among through the team or league?

We stayed at a "bigger" hotel and enjoyed the "roundabouts", as Fungo suggests. Spent a ton of time walking along the beach and ate a ton of lobster. Took a whale watching boat and saw some whales and saw a couple of huge sharks. I was on the second deck. They let some people "fish" the waters and when a guy caught a 4 foot shark, I almost jumped off the ship...but we saw a HUGE shark swimming around our boat under the clear waters (likely about 4-5 feet below the surface). Great experience. Make sure that you go whale watching. First time in my life that I actually saw a "tide", too. All in all, a great experience. Lots of sightseers.

...Would you recommend a chain hotel, a high-profile resort, or a little mom-and-pop inn/B&B to stay in?

Any advice that anyone could offer would be appreciated as this is well outside of my experience (and geographic familiarity zone).


Happy to chat with you. John Petrulis 815-469-4520
denisr400denisr400500+ posts
Congratulations Florida Hokie on your sons accomplishment. My son had opportunity this summer to play with Falmouth for final 3 weeks of Cape season.
Fungo was right on as usual with his advice. I was surprised at ease of finding accomodations and there are tons of options.
Most of the kids worked a few hours and basically ended up with pocket change but I heard stories of some having some rather rigorous work and long hours - try to avoid that unless the $ is absolutely necessary as they are all tired after end of college season.
Soxnole knows of some great restaurants in Boston. We tried to go to a Bosox game but didn't fit schedule - son got to sit 2nd row behind Sox dugout for a game.
If you can, take ferry to Martha's Vineyard. We rented mopeds and rode along ocean, swam, and had a blast.
We also caught the All-Star game and met many nice locals. The host families are fantastic & along with the team volunteers make the whole thing work.
Google Cape Cod league and you'll find a neat video which pretty well captures it all. The roundabouts are crazy and suggest if you have rental car getting the electronic direction devices.
Best of luck to your son and hope he enjoys it - plenty of scouts at games and dozens at All Star game along with 5 or 6 scouting directors.
FrankFFrankF1,000+ posts
FloridaHokie,

First things first, congrats on your son's selection to play at the cape.

My son played for Y-D in 2004 when they won the championship (yes, beenthere, he got his ring Razz).

His job was working the baseball camps in the morning and he had an absolute ball doing it. Not sure how much he made, but we didn't have any out of pocket expenses for him. The team covered his travel expenses to and from the cape.

Some communities support their teams a lot more than others (check attendance). Some even have special discounts for the players at different venues.

Depending on where your son is playing will determine where you stay. At Y-D there were no large hotel chains nearby. We stayed in a small hotel that was nice, fairly inexpensive, no bells and whistles which was fine for us as we only needed a place to lay our heads anyway. Like Fungo said, you can get in touch with the team contact person to see if there are any specials or discounts for the parents. I would start now checking on availability.

There are a ton of things to see and do there.

The DVD denisr400 is talking about, which I highly recommend getting, is "Touching the Game; The Story of the Cape Cod Baseball League". Everything in it is pretty much right on as to our experiences. It has two DVD's. One about the baseball and one about Cape Cod.

Be advised, there are those whose experiences were not good and ended up leaving.

I personally think getting a good host family makes all the difference.

As my son says, "Best summer he's ever had!" It definitely put him on the radar screen. In fact, he will be in your town in a couple of weeks for fall instructs. Wink

Frank
Last edited by FrankF
P 04Parent100+ posts
My son played for Wareham this summer. The Cape League experience varies considerably depending upon where you are. Work schedule was about the same as already mentioned. Although the work isn't hard, it eats up some time. The schedule can be demanding and is designed that way. They usually play 6 days a week. Rain wreaks havoc with that type of schedule. A lot of the boys are pretty worn out by mid July but they manage to make it through. It is a long season (about 44 games + playoffs)) after a long college season. We we're amazed at the community support. We were going to an Orleans beach several hours before the game and folks already had their chairs and blankets set up. The place was packed. A few playoff games had close to 7,000 or more this year.

Housing options seemed plentiful with the price varying greatly according to location and type. Host families adopt your kid for the summer - and beyond.

I had heard a lot about the Cape Leage but observing in person was quite a thrill. It reallly is a unique experience for a player. Great experience and exposure. Wish we could go back next year for the entire summer.
C Coachric1,000+ posts
Hello Stan and congrats to H for his invite to the Cape. It is a great place to play. I had baseball relationships with coaches and GM's from Bourne, Chatham and Yarmouth-Dennis back some years ago. Coaches change as some just move on or want their summers to evaluate their respective programs.
Accomadations aren't too bad, Some very small mom & pop places are nice and clean and nearby to what you need. I would plan as far ahead as possible, lots of web searches.
Host families are usually experienced at having players and they know how to treat them.
Work is always different, so if H can latch on to something he likes doing, he will be better off.
The baseball atmosphere is really quaint and very exciting and the competition will be top notch. In the very little free time they will have, the beaches are nice, beach hangouts are cool for young people and Boston is less than an hour from some of the towns. Newport is also less than an hour and is a great summer spot.
The traffic is really worse than anyone can describe, not like what we see in Fla but much slower and sometimes you don't move 5 feet in an hour.
All in all I'm sure its an experience of a lifetime for the players, and as a coach and instructor, I couldn't wait to get there.
TPMTPMHSBaseballweb Member since 2003
04parent was correct, they ususally have only one day off of baseball a week. However, this summer the cape experienced some of the worst rain they had in years. Mine had gotten there a bit later, and I think all summer he had two nights off due to make up of rain outs.

It is designed to be very demanding.

By the way, son's host family suggested that we take the bus in from the airport and not rent a car. I found it to be a great suggestion. Since son had his truck, we used his when he was working and dropped him off at field before games.
Also, better airport to fly into is Providence RI thand Boston but we couldn'g get a flight there the days we needed to.

04Parent who is your son?
dad10dad10100+ posts
There are two tricks to driving on the Cape. One is to not drive when everyone else is. That is, don’t try to drive TO the Cape on a Friday afternoon, or From the Cape on a Sunday evening. There are only two bridges on and off the Cape.

Once you’re on the Cape, the other trick is to learn the back roads. Forget those computer driving programs and get a real street map. Then figure out where you are, and where you want to go. Then avoid Rte 28. Drive through the towns back roads. It’s more pleasant and less touristy and you’ll get where you’re going quicker. Generally you’ll find the worst traffic from the canal to Hyannis. Once you get past Hyannis many people have already gotten where they’re going and traffic thins out.

The ‘roundabouts’ (better known as ‘ Rotaries’) are simple . . you drive counterclockwise and get off at the road you need to take to get you where you want to go. If you miss it, then keep on driving around until you come around to it again. If you continually miss your road you’ll eventually run out of gas after a few hundred times around it and then you can just ask directions from the policeman who comes to find out what the big hold up is.

Agree with TPM on using Green Airport in RI (Warwick-Providence). It’s like a bus terminal and it’s a whole lot easier and less stressful than Boston’s Logan airport. Traffic from there is easier too.

Enjoy your time! People really enjoy going to the games and the players are like heroes to the kids.
sonsbaseballvaletsonsbaseballvalet10+ posts
FloridaHokie,

One of the best books I’ve read about playing on the Cape is “The Last Best League” by Jim Collins. It’s a great narrative about what the Cape Cod League is all about. Living about 5 miles from the Wareham Gatemen field, I’ve had the opportunity of taking my two sons to see many games over the years. There is nothing better than to watch great baseball on a warm summer night.

On a side note at the Gateman field you can get about twenty feet from the catcher. One night with my “climbing the baseball ladder 15 year old” we had the chance to see a pitcher that was throwing smoke, had to be in the mid ninety’s. After a couple of pitches my son turns to me and said “I’d be all over that.” Big Grin Maybe someday.
F FloridaHokie100+ posts
Thanks to all for the great advice and insights to experiencing the Cape and all it has to offer. Needless to say, my family and I eagerly anticipate a trip up next summer. My son has learned that one of his high school teammates, now playing at Miami (my son plays for UF) will also be playing on his team in Orleans. How cool is that.

Sonsbaseballvalet...
That's a great story about your kid at the Wareham game. One of the things I appreciate about baseball... It rewards those who have the courage to dream big dreams, coupled with the commitment to invest heavily in those dreams. All the best to your boy as he "climbs the ladder".
F FormerObserver1,000+ posts
quote:
For yankees these are pretty good folks (until they get behind the wheel of a car).


quote:
The traffic is really worse than anyone can describe........but much slower and sometimes you don't move 5 feet in an hour.


They drive like that down here in Tejas, too!

But, I'd loved to have spent some time up there in the summer.....................

Nice thread, I enjoyed reading ya'lls posts about the Cape and Cape baseball.

quote:
After a couple of pitches my son turns to me and said “I’d be all over that.” Maybe someday.


I think I'll put that in my signature.
Last edited by FormerObserver

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