By Roy Reiss
It’s great to have baseball back on Cape Cod and especially in Cotuit. The stands at Lowell Park have been packed. The crowds have really enjoyed the action. The energy level at the games has been so noticeable to long time Cape followers. It’s “Have a Hit” and “Hey Hey Cotuit” time. And for all the new fans who have flocked to Lowell Park for the first time, there’s a very special feeling about their Cotuit Experience. “I think the thing that impressed my wife Ann and me so much is as newcomers you all are so warm to us and conversations flow so easily,” stated Tom Eyerly of St Augustine, Florida. “There are good questions about us and people are truly interested in finding out who we are, where we’re from and what our histories are. It is very rewarding for us as a couple.,” added Eyerly, grandfather to Kettleers intern broadcasters Chris and Stefan Caray. And maybe that’s what makes the Cotuit Experience so unique!
Nice Lowell Park Moment
The date was July 3, 2019 as the Kettleers were hosting Falmouth in the traditional home holiday game before a packed house. Early in the game plate umpire Dan Henry took a fast ball to the head and was knocked unconscious. He suffered a severe concussion and didn’t umpire at all in the 2020 season. Fast forward to July 10, 2021 and there was Henry who was just cleared to resume umpiring, making his first start behind the plate and it just happened to be back at Lowell Park!
Random Thoughts and Observations
It just seems that utility man extraordinaire Brooks Baldwin (UNC Wilmington) makes everything look easy making key plays. He can throw a dart from left field to home plate and nail a runner, he can dive and stab liners at both 3rd base and 1st base, and he can get a miraculous put out by coming up with a loose ball off the catcher’s glove….Always great to see former Kettleers getting selected in the MLB draft….What an outstanding job volunteers Leah Ridpath and Scott Hill are doing with the Kettleers interns and how about Treasurer Fran Maycock in the Kettleers office….Watching Peter Flaherty Junior grow up and develop a keen eye for baseball talent has been a real treat….The new first base grandstands have really been a perfect addition to one of the prettiest baseball fields anywhere.
Coach Roberts Mission
In a recent interview with Kettleers intern Lauren Kirkley coach Mike Roberts was asked if he felt any pressure to have the Kettleers repeat as CCBL champions in 2021, “teaching is the primary job of the coaching staff. I’m going to teach every day. The pressure is really on the players. If they want to win for this community, for our fans in this beautiful ballpark, they have to decide how hard they want to play, but I’m going to teach every day!” stated Roberts.
Things that May Interest Only Me
Love the fact that NESN is televising a Cape League game weekly. What great publicity for the league….Intern Jeff Hurlock takes great pride in maintaining the grounds at Lowell Park and he’s done an unbelievable job keeping the field in tip-top shape….One of the best moments during a game at Lowell Park is hearing the crowd salute the players parents who’ve come from all over the country to witness the action at Lowell Park….Another highlight is camper’s night when all the youngsters who participate in the Kettleers camp get to go on the field, meet the players and seek autographs….Always enjoy checking the team statistics. For most of the current season the Kettleers have been in 10th and last place in team fielding. However a recent 6 game errorless streak has vaulted them into 8th place.
Kettleers Korner will be anything and everything that might interest fans, past and present, about the Kettleers. Roy Reiss, who started his career working for Curt Gowdy Broadcasting, was a former sportscaster on Channel 7 and several radio stations in Boston. His son Mike now covers the Patriots for ESPN.com.