By Roy Reiss
July 7, 2013

With another week completed in the Cape season, here’s a few observations, perhaps a very little insight, and even more ramblings as we’re about to near the halfway mark of Cape League action (where has the time gone?).

• Coach Mike Roberts feels “this is the time when you really get to know what you have on your team”.  Thru the first 17 games the Kettleers strength has certainly been their pitching, both starting and relieving. In fact they rank 2nd overall in the league in this key area with a staff ERA of 2.34. The club is also hitting at a solid clip, ranking 4th overall in the league with a team batting average of .253. One area Coach Roberts hopes to improve upon in the next several weeks is the infield defense which has been sub par up to this point. Every coach preaches pitching and defense and hopefully the Kettleers will improve their play in the field if they want to make a serious challenge for the Arnold Mycock Championship Trophy next month.

• Speaking of that defense, maybe the Kettleers are turning the corner as their last 3 games have shown marked improvement. Tuesday against Brewster and Wednesday against Falmouth they didn’t commit an error for the first time this season. And this past Sunday, Chrisitian Cecillio, the lefty from the University of San Francisco went 7.1 innings against Bourne, allowing 1 run and 5 hits. He struck out 2 and didn’t walk a batter with his 81 pitches. Of the 22 outs recorded, there were 15 infield grounders without an error. As intern Nick Solari pointed out in a recent game story, the Kettleers are 9-2 when committing 2 or less errors in a game while sporting a 2-4 record when making more than 2 errors per game.

• Can the Kettleers be catching lightning in a bottle for the 2nd straight year? Logan Ratledge (N.C.State) joined the team this week and immediately made his presence known, slugging home runs in 2 consecutive games while playing an excellent 2nd base. Just about a year ago Daniel Aldrich (College of Charleston) joined the Kettleers and sparked them during their 2nd half surge which led to a league best 30-14 record. Aldrich, who later signed with the Yankees, had 4 round trippers in his first 6 games and knocked in 11 runs.

• You always have to be thinking ahead in this league and that’s the main reason Kevin Bradley (Clemson) started his first game of the season behind the plate when Brewster visited Lowell Park. It seems Will Remillard (Coastal Carolina) was drafted this year by the Cubs and has until July 12th to decide whether to sign with the organization. Should Remillard ink a contract, the Kettleers would need depth behind Nolan Clark (Concordia) at the catcher position. Bradley who caught some bullpen sessions in college this spring thus received an “on the job” audition against the Whitecaps and the following night versus Falmouth.

• Things that may interest only me. ..Coach Roberts is in his 10th year at the helm of the Kettleers but only ranks 8th in seniority amongst the 10 CCBL head coaches. And that speaks volumes about how the CCBL teams have stability at the management level….It’s not often that you see two new players on the same team get hits in their first at bats in the same game. It happened last week when the Kettleers Edwin Rios and Jake Figgins both singled in their initial plate appearances…. . Still can’t get over the Cotuit lineup in their first road game at Chatham when Coach Roberts had nine left handed batters as starters.

• 

  Don’t miss Connor Sullivan’s video highlights. Photo by Joe Cavanaugh

  Have to mention an at bat in a recent game that exhibited patience and discipline. Centerfielder Jake Fincher (N.C. State) came up to the plate against Bourne with the bases loaded in the 5th inning. He quickly fell behind in the count 1-2 yet eventually coaxed a walk after battling thru 9 pitches and forcing in the 3rd run of the game. It’s that kind of at bat that’s sure to catch the eye of the many scouts following the players this summer.

• Questions, questions, questions…..Did you ever wonder how many player transactions the Kettleers have made this season?….Or how many different style Cotuit hats Lise Bourque stocks in the Kettleers store?….Don’t you just love the video highlights produced by intern Connor Sullivan that appear regularly on this web site?……Why are there so many left handed starters on the CCBL rosters each year?….Who do you think the Kettleers MVP is at this point of the season?

• The interesting quote of the week comes from the Chatham Angler’s coach John Shiffner who has been with the team for 31 years, 21 of which as skipper. “What we’re here for is to develop these kids. I think the most important thing for me is not a championship as much as when the majority of kids leave and say it was the greatest summer of their lives.” Wonder if the volunteers of all 10 Cape teams feel that way?

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 ESPNBoston.com.