Cape Cod League

Players are chosen well ahead of time by the team's GM working with college coaches around the country. There will be changes in the rosters based on injuries or perhaps how much a pitcher gets used or a drafted player not signing right away. You will have players that fill in at the start of the season for players that have not arrived or to cover injuries or at the end of season for players that leave early. My home town team The Falmouth Commodores have 22 players listed on the roster they've just announced but I believe they will carry a few more during the season and will have some players in and out filling in.

I don't know the stats recently but I would say that a high % of players have already been drafted after high school and most players will be drafted after their Jr. year if they are at a four year school. I do know that somewhere between 1 in 8 or 1 in 9 ML players played on the Cape. Games are well attended but the parks have a small capacity for fans. Scouts are very much in evidence.

3rdgeneration has given you good information.

Cape Cod baseball...THE best up-close baseball I've ever seen. One of the 'must-see' stops for pure baseball fans.

quote:

Originally posted by justbaseball:
3rdgeneration has given you good information.

Cape Cod baseball...THE best up-close baseball I've ever seen. One of the 'must-see' stops for pure baseball fans.

I just looked at the team my son played on in 2006(Falmouth) and I think every player except one was drafted.

I'm a Falmouth alum! 1988. One of the best summers I ever had!

Lots of former Commodores out there!

Guys:

My Gradfather and two of my Great Uncles played for the first Falmouth team in the Cape Cod league back when it was semi-pro ball.

When I was a kid the Commodore's HC ran the recreation program for my town so all of the instructors were players.

Which summer during thier college career do most guys typically play at the Cape? Is it the summer after their Freshman or Soph year in college?

While you'll find a quite a few exceptions, most guys play there the summer after their sophomore year; the summer preceding their draft eligibility for most.

Are there many players that have completed their junior year that play in the league?

We had a local player, who played in the Cape after his Junior year. He was a sandwich round draft and wanted to improve his signing bonus as well as prove he had overcome some arm soreness during the college season. It ended up working out well for him.

You don't choose the Cape, the Cape chooses you.

quote:

Originally posted by Hardball1:
Are there many players that have completed their junior year that play in the league?

Yes, there are players that are drafted junior year but do not sign so head to cape, some never signing that summer. However, these are usually players that have been on a team previously and more than welcome to come play.

We discussed playing at the cape during recruiting. If you look at the cape rosters, you will notice that many come from big conferences (fill ins excluded), so understand that where you play also helps in where you play summer ball.

quote:

Originally posted by TPM:
Yes, there are players that are drafted junior year but do not sign so head to cape, some never signing that summer. However, these are usually players that have been on a team previously and more than welcome to come play.

My son fit that exactly. His previous summer on the Cape was cut short by an injury...and they were very happy to have him back. Otherwise I believe it would be unusual.

Hardball1, read the book "The last best League", if I recall it stated something like %75 of MLB players in Bigs played there. You have to be from a strong conference and as said before, most of these players were already drafted out of HS.

Its the next best thing to being drafted in the bigs.

quote:

Originally posted by TPM:
We discussed playing at the cape during recruiting. If you look at the cape rosters, you will notice that many come from big conferences (fill ins excluded), so understand that where you play also helps in where you play summer ball.

Our local player was from the SEC.

I think the percentage that Pop Up Hitter Dad is trying to recall applies to college players who play or played in the major leagues. If you were to add in major league players who never played college baseball, the percentage would decline quite a bit.

Regardless, it says a great deal about the caliber of baseball played on the Cape. Couldn't agree with justbaseball more. It's a great, great baseball experience for players and fans, alike.

The Cape League is really something special. I grew up going to games and as a player I wish I had had the opportunity to play there. I read in an article that 250 Cape League alums were taken in the 2010 MLB Draft- 250! Really great baseball.

A blog that I found featured an article on the Cape by a former player, offers some very good insight:
http://minorleagueuniversity.b...gues-cape-still.html

Here are a couple of articles on how the Cape Cod League goes about acquiring players, one being the standard method, and the other through tryouts, or with a temporary contract. They explain the process well:

http://www.wickedlocal.com/cap...Cape-League-contract

http://www.wickedlocal.com/cap...y-can-mean-permanent

Two of 4thGen's college teammates were fill ins on The Cape last year. I believe both had spots in the NECL with the freedom to go when CC league team called.

How does one get selected to this league?

quote:

Originally posted by xbaseballkidx11:
How does one get selected to this league?

Read the 2 articles I posted previously.

My son played in the Cape League as a freshman and is returning this year. Feel free to pm me if you want any information. Another advantage of playing up there is that the fishing is extraordinary, and you have lots of free time during the day.

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Welcome to the HSBBW TM1324!



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quote:

Originally posted by TM1324:
My son played in the Cape League as a freshman and is returning this year. Feel free to pm me if you want any information. Another advantage of playing up there is that the fishing is extraordinary, and you have lots of free time during the day.

My son worked, it wasn't a very demanding job but it was something that his team supported. He really had very little free time, but that's ok because he was there to play baseball, not do much else.

I guess I need to clarify my statement about free time. When parents visit they have lots of free time during the day to do things on Cape Cod, like go to the beach, fish, tour Boston etc. While my son worked a job, lifted, went to early batting practice as well as regular batting practice, he also found time to fish and do some other things while he was there. The travel is much less than in other leagues, like the Northwoods, plus they play less games, which makes the Cape more attractive to some players. Also, it looks like they have added an additional mid-week off day this year, with some Sunday doubleheaders.

My son's a freshman this year, his coaches told him he was going to the cape a week before he got to school. He's excited, nervous, looking forward to the fishing.
the only part that's tough is he has to leave for the cap two days after his season ends. (which hopefully will be in Omaha)