June 12, 2011
By Jon Cooper
Sting Daily
Complete List of Summer Assignments
The Cape Cod Baseball League advertises itself as the place “Where the stars of tomorrow shine tonight!”
The league, which began its 127th season this past weekend, features 10 teams, each playing a 44-game schedule (running into the first week of August). That includes a showcase, with its All-Star Game July 29th at Boston’s Fenway Park, and concludes with three rounds of playoffs.
Originally an outlet for G.I.s returning home from World Wars I and II, and local college players, the CCBL was officially sanctioned by the NCAA in 1963 and enhanced its credibility as a developmental tool from college coaches nationwide in 1985, when it became the first college summer league to go solely with wooden bats.
The league boasts more than one thousand active alumni playing professional baseball at all levels and, in 2010, counted 236 active Major Leaguers among its alumni. Among the latter are two-time National League Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum, 2007 A.L. Comeback Player of the Year Carlos Pena, and 2002 Cy Young Award winner Barry Zito.
When Major League Baseball held its draft last week, more than 250 drafted players improved their game in the Cape Cod League.
Georgia Tech has had its share of players hone their skills in the league, including current Major League greats Mark Teixeira, Jason Varitek, and Matt Wieters, and retired legend, Nomar Garciaparra, the 1997 American League Rookie of the Year and 1999 and 2000 A.L. batting champion.
Tech’s list could expand in coming years, as five of the nine Yellow Jackets selected in last year’s June Draft — Derek Dietrich, Cole Leonida, Brandon Cumpton, Tony Plagman and Jeff Rowland — boast alumni status from the league.
The Jackets have nine players on their current roster participating on five different teams in the 2011 edition of the Cape Cod League.
Below is the list of Georgia Tech players and the teams for which they’ll participate this summer, as well as links to those teams’ websites.Here is the link to the Cape Cod League.
Brewster Whitecaps
Luke Bard – RHP (So.)
Chatham Anglers
Buck Farmer – RHP (So.)
Cotuit Kettleers
Kyle Wren – OF (Fr.)
Falmouth Commodores
Chase Butler – 3B (Fr.)
DeAndre Smelter – RHP/OF (Fr.)
Wareham Gatemen
Matthew Grimes – RHP (Fr.)
Daniel Palka – 1B/LHP (Fr.)
Mott Hyde – 2B/SS (Fr.)
Brandon Thomas – OF (So.)
