5 Reasons Why the Patriots Didn't Make the Playoffs

For the first time in 6 years, your New England Patriots won't be contending for the NFL's grand prize in January. Here is a short list of reasons why:

1. The loss at Indy. Had Jabar "Reche Caldwell" Gaffney held onto the ball, the Pats would've won the division hands down. Gaffney pretty much managed to play himself off the team this season, much to my own disappointment. That was a game they should and could have won even though their usual chess match against the Colts didn't produce many points.

2. Old defenders. Ok, we know Jerod Mayo is bee's knees and should win Defensive Rookie of the Year but the other starters at Linebacker are wicked old. There definitely needs to be an upgrade at linebacker and in the secondary for next season. Some possible upgrades are soon-to-be free agent linebackers Jonathan Vilma and possibly James Farrior if the Steelers let him walk. In terms of the secondary, the Pats could have their eyes on Brian Dawkins, Chris Gamble or Jabari Greer to give their secondary a shot in the arm.

3. INJURIES. When your best player on the offensive side of the ball goes down and you still win 11 games, that's impressive. When you lose the heart and soul of your defense (Rodney Harrison) as well, that's downright ridiculous. I believe a blog post from either Mike Reiss or
Chris Gasper stated that the Pats lost over 80 man-games to injuries over the year. It's just another testament to the depth they've had to plug guys in and still rip off 11 wins.

4. Randy Moss decided to take some plays off. There were multiple games when it was pretty evident that he decided he didn't want to play. He didn't block for Welker on several occasions which cost them the chance for some big plays. There was no way Moss would've had a bigger year than last season without All-Everything quarterback Tom Brady, but he should've earned his money just as much this season by not taking certain plays off.

5. Beating the teams that matter. The Pats were only 2-4 against the teams on their schedule that made the playoffs with losses to Indy, Miami, San Diego and Pittsburgh. They got one back against Miami and smoked the 8-8 Cardinals but lost to 3 of the four best teams in the AFC (excluding the Chargers).

I'll definitely be looking forward to the draft to see who they bring in with the 24th pick (according to the guys at the Globe once again) and who they sign in order to restore some order in the AFC East in 2009.

Weston Athlete of the Year Ellen McCurdy

By John Condakes/Sports Correspondent

The 2007 Weston Town Crier Female Athlete of the Year is Ellen McCurdy, a three-sport star at Weston High where she captained the soccer, swimming and lacrosse teams her senior year.

McCurdy was elected captain of the soccer team in the fall under coach Debbie Schick. "Ellen's consistency and ability to play 100 percent all the time is where she stands out. I always knew that she would play her hardest and it makes her unique," said Schick. "Her strength as an athlete is from her athleticism and her personality and they combined to create both a well-rounded athlete and a great student."

McCurdy played midfield this season and lettered three times in soccer. Schick also mentioned that McCurdy's goal during a game against Concord-Carlisle this year turned the game around and that C-C's coach complimented Ellen on how much she had impressed him ever since her freshman year.

"What I'll never forget about soccer is when we beat Acton-Boxboro my sophomore year in the last 30 seconds," remarked McCurdy. "It was the first time that we had ever beaten them and it felt incredible to be a part of that."

McCurdy first started making headlines as a freshman in the pool for recently retired coach Pete Foley in the 2003-2004 season when she was named a Dual County League All-Star.

"Ellen is one of the most team-oriented athletes that I've seen in my 35 years at Weston," stated Foley. "She is very modest and very humble. She was named an All-Scholastic by the Herald and the Globe and she said 'you gotta be kidding me' and named three or four other kids on the team who she thought deserved it more."

As a four-letter winner on the swim team, McCurdy competed in the 50- and 100-yard freestyle as well as the butterfly and on the medley relay. She was a four-time Dual County League All-Star and a three-time All-Scholastic during her career with the Lady Tide. McCurdy helped the Red Tide win four Dual County League titles along with three North Sectional titles and aided in three runner-up finishes in Division 2 states.

In addition to being captain, McCurdy was an excellent role model. "She was an important part of all the success we achieved, a great leader and a hard worker who was terrific with younger kids in our program," explained Foley.

McCurdy also had the pleasure of swimming with her two sisters. During her sophomore year, McCurdy swam with her older sister Megan, who now attends Georgetown and her younger sister Bridget, who will be a senior.

"It was nice to have them around both at the pool and at home," recalled McCurdy.

McCurdy also played lacrosse with Megan for one year and Bridget for two years.

This spring McCurdy was elected captain of the lacrosse team. "Lacrosse is my favorite sport," stated McCurdy. "I enjoyed going to practice and playing in games and Coach (Kelly) Trahon knew how to make it fun. It made me play my hardest all the time."

McCurdy played midfield and earned three varsity letters. She was a dynamic force on Weston's attack and one of the Lady Wildcats' most consistent scorers this season.

"It's only fitting that she scored the last goal of the season for us," said Foley.

In the North Sectional final against Winchester, she took the ball three-quarters the length of the field and potted the game-tying goal that sent the contest into overtime with eight seconds remaining in regulation. She was selected as an All-Scholastic by both the Herald and Globe this spring and was a Dual County League All-Star following her junior and senior campaigns.

At Weston High's Class Night, McCurdy was awarded the John Proctor Award, which is given to the most outstanding senior athlete. Not a bad way to cap off an outstanding athletic career at Weston.

McCurdy performed not only on the field but in the classroom as well. She was an honor roll student and earned the scholar athlete award at Weston High as well as a member of the National Honor Society.

McCurdy will matriculate to Babson College in the fall where she will study business in addition to playing on the soccer and lacrosse teams.

In her spare time, she enjoys hanging out with friends, watching movies and is a lifeguard on Cape Cod during the summer.

"I think she's got a great college career ahead of her," added Foley. "She's probably the nicest girl I've coached in 35 years and she puts others before herself."

Nora Militz Profile

For the love of the game: the story of a Division 1 college softball walk-on

By John S. Condakes

Most walk-ons don’t make it past their sophomore year. They usually get frustrated with the lack of playing time and quit. For Nora Militz, a senior on Boston University’s softball team, the fight for playing time and the camaraderie of the team are what keep her coming back.

“Being on the team is like having 17 sisters,” she said. “Every day I get to play is pretty much a battle,” said Militz, “I look at it optimistically and try to do my best every chance I get.”

Throughout high school, Militz’s coach at Rolling Meadows High School in Arlington Heights, Illinois would tell her that she wasn’t good enough to play Division 1 college softball. She never made a recruitment tape but still received letters from a few Division 3 schools. Her top priority for college had always been academics and if the opportunity arose for her to play college ball, she would give it a shot.

The letters came with good reason. Militz had an excellent high school career where she lettered three times, was named an honorable mention all-conference player as a sophomore followed by two-time all-conference honors as a junior and senior and was named All-Area and team MVP as a senior. Throughout high school, she played on an elite travelling team and was a standout catcher. She had become used to being the number one backstop but that would all change when she enrolled at BU in the fall of 2005.

Her shot at playing for a Division 1 school came in September when she decided to attend a tryout for BU’s softball team. Coach Shawn Rychcik found it rather easy to accept her onto the team. He figured her ability to catch would help the team in practice or in the bullpen. Also, she is left handed so it gave him a possible left handed hitter if she developed. And lastly, he saw that she had a good personality and worked hard in the few days of tryouts.

“Her biggest strength is her character. She is one of our best kids all around. She also has one of the best work ethics and will put in extra time,” said Rychcik.

At the time, Rychcik’s squad already carried Militz’s classmate and now current co-captain Christy Leath, who would become the starting catcher as a freshman. Militz earned her spot on the team and was given the role of utility player by Rychcik. Her on-the-field action as a freshman included a few defensive innings and some appearances as a pinch runner in 15 games along with one at-bat but her primary role on the team was as the bullpen catcher.

“My love will always be for catching,” she said, “it’s been hard switching to outfield because of the way you look at the ball out there and thinking about where to run and the timing is a lot slower. I also enjoy being in charge of the game.”

Her sophomore season saw some increased playing time and Militz rose to the second catcher on the depth chart but Rychcik opted to use her as the designated hitter along with then-newcomer Rachel Moeller. Hours of hard work on her swing gained her more confidence from Rychcik and increased playing time. She finished that spring with a .237 average in 30 games and 20 starts along with two home runs and 13 runs batted in. After two seasons, she played a total of one game at catcher. That was when she realized that in order to contribute, she would have to concentrate on getting better at the plate.

Moeller and Militz have developed a friendship as they compete for playing time. According to Moeller, the two have become very supportive of each other even though they fight for playing time in right field and as the designated hitter.

“I think we're pretty similar people as far as work ethic goes and how passionate we are about the game,” said Moeller. Even though they both vie for playing time, Rychcik has used them both in the lineup at the same time on numerous occasions. In those instances, Moeller would be in the field and Militz would be the designated hitter. Last season he decided that if they played in the same game, one of them would get the start and the other would come in about halfway through.

Moeller also noted that Militz is a great teammate and that she works hard all of the time and pushes others to do their best every day. She knows to help out when someone is having a bad day, and if the team is slacking off or being lazy she's not afraid to call them out on it and make sure that as a team they get the most out of every practice. Above all else, the two share a great deal of respect for each other even though they compete against each other.

“She's very passionate about the game and you can always tell that it’s something that she loves and truly enjoys,” said Moeller. “It’s great to have a teammate who works so hard to be the best that she can be and has fun while doing it.”
Militz’s love for the game never once changed over the last four years even though she still wasn’t any ever day player and appeared in more than half of the games for the scarlet and white last spring. Last season she became more of a contributor with increased playing time and posted some decent numbers at the plate. She hit .211 in 35 games and started 31 of them with one homer and 12 RBI. Her numbers declined a little from her sophomore to her junior year but the constant pressure of competing with Moeller was likely the cause of the decrease in average.

“I put tons of pressure on myself when I play. Probably way too much because I know I need to perform and every day is a battle,” said Militz.

Rychcik pointed out in an interview that most walk-ons don’t get as much playing time as Militz has. After her freshman year, Rychcik noticed that when Militz returned in the fall that her hitting had improved a great deal. From then on, he knew that she would challenge her teammates for some innings.

“She earned her chances by putting a lot of time in the cages over that summer,” said Rychcik.

One of Militz’s teammates who has known her from the beginning is co-captain Brooke Hudson, the team’s senior third baseman. Hudson believes that Militz is one of the most selfless people she has ever met, is always willing to help out when needed and is extremely dedicated to her fellow teammates on and off the field.

“I think that Nora has earned her spot as an everyday player,” said Hudson. “She came in as a walk-on her freshman year and did not play very much, and she decided from the get go that that wasn't something that she wanted.”

While Rychcik doesn’t share the same sentiments as Hudson, he does believe that Militz will continue to earn playing time as a designated hitter and in right field.

“Nora hit a home run off the conference Pitcher of the Year and scored the winning run that won us the Speedline Tournament in South Florida against Bowling Green,” said Rychcik when asked about what moments define his senior utility player. Hudson noted that Militz’s defining moment came when she started a rally in a game against UMass Amherst.

“They had an amazing pitcher who throws around 70 mph, which is the equivalent to a 100 mph fastball in baseball and everyone on the team was really struggling,” she said. “No one was really hitting until Nora got up to bat. She nailed a line drive between the 2nd and 1st baseman and got a rally going.” For the rest of the game she had that girl’s number, and really earned the respect of the coaches and her teammates.

No matter what the circumstance, Nora Militz will be fighting to earn her playing time this season just as she has in the past. While her teammates believe that she has put in her time and earned her spot, her coach doesn’t agree. As she dons the number 18 in scarlet and white for one last season, Militz has learned to cherish every moment that she is out on the field and plays every pitch like it could be her last.

“I’ve never had a day when I’ve said ‘I don’t want to play softball today,’” she said. “I just love the game and am happy that I get the chance to get my uniform dirty whenever I’m in the lineup.”

Phil Kessel is making his shots count

By John S. Condakes

Phil Kessel is becoming the real deal before our eyes. Now in his third season of professional hockey, Kessel is a budding star in the NHL and proving to doubters that he definitely has it. The Bruins have invested a lot of time in the kid ever since they took him with the fifth overall pick in the 2006 entry draft and now that time is paying dividends.
Unlike contemporaries Sydney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin and Eric Staal, Kessel has had a bit of a different experience during his first few seasons in pros. He hasn’t been asked to put the team on his back and take control, which has aided in his growth. Phil the Thrill also had a bout with testicular cancer in the 2006-2007 season and missed 11 games which cut his freshman campaign short. Ever since then, he’s been trying to get his timing back and now it’s starting to show. Through the first 19 games of this season, Kessel has a line of nine goals and five assists and is tied for second on the team in points with nine. Behind him and his team-leading nine goals, the B’s are 12-3-4. On the whole, it has been a youth movement on Causeway Street the last few seasons but the cornerstone and leader of the pack has always been Kessel.
Ever since Game Five of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against Montreal last April, Kessel has shown his potential to be a top-tier forward in the league. B’s coach Claude Julien benched Kessel in Games Three and Four in order to motivate him. Did it ever. The young stud responded with a brilliant effort in Game Five as he created numerous scoring chances and scored his first goal of the playoffs to tie the game. The B’s never looked back and went on to force Game Six with a 5-1 thrashing of the Canadiens. In Game Six, Kessel was an absolute force potting two goals and leading the Bruins to a 5-4 victory and a decisive game seven date up in Canada. We all know how that one ended. The point is, the flashes of brilliance and teases are finally coming to fruition. It’s no longer absurd to think that Phil Kessel can’t become one of the elite players in the NHL. A player with his skill set can win games as we’ve seen him do in countless shootouts against elite goaltenders like New York’s Henrik Lundqvist and Pittsburgh’s Marc-Andre Fleury.
Scouts have been high on Kessel since he was a teenager and in his first and only season with the Golden Gophers up in Minnesota he sported a line of 18 goals and 33 assists for 51 points--51 points on a loaded Minnesota team as a freshman. Most players his age are either still busy finishing a college degree or mulling around in the lower ranks waiting for their call to the big show. There was never a doubt that Kessel’s speed, hands and hockey sense have given him the potential to be a tremendous player. What remains to be seen this season is whether or not he has the drive to take his game to the next level, but so far he seems as hungry as ever to do it.
So far this season, Kessel has used his speed much more as a weapon than in the past. He has shown that he’s not afraid to go digging in the corners for pucks and will sprint back full-speed on defense when the other team is on a fast break. In most of the games this season, Julien has paired him with fellow youngster Milan Lucic and top playmaker Marc Savard. Kessel has taken cues from both of them and their line has been one of the Bruins’ top two scoring lines thus far. Savard’s patience and creativity with the puck are two traits that have certainly rubbed off on Kessel and with Lucic the human wrecking ball out on the ice to wreak havoc on opponents’ defenders, Phil the Thrill gets just enough space to work some magic of his own.
After a full 82-game season in his second year of professional hockey, it became clear that Kessel belongs in the league. His sophomore campaign boasted a solid 19 goals with 18 assists for 37 points. He wowed crowds with his ability to dangle, skate and score and developed a knack for driving goalies insane come shootout time.
Phil the Thrill is off to his best start yet. All things considered, if the Bruins are finally going to get over the hump and win their first playoff series since 1999, they need Kessel to fulfill his potential and become the offensive juggernaut of their hopes and dreams. With Number 81 leading the way, the B’s future looks brighter than it has in years.

Lions end Raiders' streak

PENNCREST ENDS RIDLEY STREAK WITH 26-19 WIN

By John S. Condakes

MIDDLETOWN, PA-The upstart Penncrest Lions broke the Ridley Raiders’ 26 game winning streak and handed them their first loss in over two and half years Friday night 26-19. The win put the Lions in a tie for first place in the Central League with the Raiders as both squads now have identical 6-1 records.

“That was one of the biggest wins we’ve ever had,” said Penncrest coach Paul Graham whose team rallied in the fourth quarter for the third time this season. “Ridley’s defense is great but we were able to break a few big ones and that really helped us. We’re feeling pretty good right now.”

Penncrest’s comeback was sparked by a clutch play from its defense. With the Lions trailing 19-13, senior Tyriq Kershaw intercepted a Colin Masterson pass to give Penncrest possession. On the ensuing drive, senior quarterback Matt Atkinson hit classmate Rickey Bailey with a 78-yard touchdown pass to tie the game. Bailey jumped to make the catch over a Ridley defender and broke two tackles to get across the goal line. The extra point put the Lions up 20-19 with 7:54 left on the clock.

“I knew I had to go up and get the ball,” Bailey said. “Matt took a big hit on the play and when I came down my only thought was getting into the end zone.”

Penncrest struck first in the contest with a nine-yard touchdown run by Kershaw in the first quarter to go up 6-0 but Ridley came surging back in the second with 13 points of its own. Chris Myers scored on a 25-yard run and Troy Foster hauled in an 11-yard touchdown pass to put the visitors up 13-6 at the half.

Ridley didn’t let up in the third quarter as Pat Mills returned a punt 69 yards for another score leaving the Raiders in command with a 19-6 lead. Penncrest answered with a two-yard touchdown run by Jerry Boyer before the quarter ended to make it 19-13. After Bailey’s touchdown, Boyer broke for a 50-yard touchdown run to cap the scoring at 26-19 in favor of the home team.

“You can’t take anything away from Penncrest,” said Ridley coach John Waller. “We had them down 19-6 and they never gave up. That was the case [in their games] against Haverford and Springfield. They have a resilient bunch of kids.” Waller said that Ridley’s starting quarterback, Andrew Pidgeon, did not practice earlier in the week due to an injury and was unavailable for the game.

“We beat them for the first time and it feels good. We’ve never had a more satisfying win,” added Atkinson. “I keep saying that every week and we keep getting better wins.”

“This team just has some magic to it,” Graham said. “We’re not trying to figure it out, just keep it going.”

Post ALCS blues

It all had to end sometime. The Red Sox were eliminated by the Rays in 7 games. It was pretty tough to watch. The offense struggled all series and honestly, I was impressed that the Sox were able to force a game 7. The Rays pretty much had their number all year. What was most shocking to me living within plain view of Fenway Park was the blase feeling from most fans about the whole series. Sure, there are a fair number of pink-hatters around these parts but even casual fans seemed to be taking the whole situation for granted. For me, watching the game in Boston BeerWorks on Sunday night was one of the toughest games to watch. It just made me wish that the season had ended those two games earlier. I likened it to the run the Bruins went on against the Habs in March. The Bruins miraculously forced a game 7 and then shat the bed. Even though this city is known as "title town" with the Celtics winning it all this summer and the Sox and Pats combining for 5 titles this decade. Oh well, there's always next year for the Sox but for now go Bruins!

Band of Brothers: The Story of the 2008 Cotuit Kettleers

By John S. Condakes

Journalism Intern

For the last five summers, Coach Mike Roberts has been faced with the challenge of taking a group of college baseball players and making them better. At the same time, Roberts helps the boys become men. This season, 39 players put on a Cotuit jersey at some point and by the end of the summer, the final roster had been trimmed down to 24 due to injuries and the draft. The 2008 Kettleers matured and played hard together over the summer and became friends while capturing a few honors along the way. Cotuit won the Western Division regular season title over Hyannis in one of the wildest division finishes in years to qualify for the playoffs for the third time in the last five years. The Kettleers then beat the Falmouth Commodores two games to one and earned a date with the Harwich Mariners for the league championship. The boys played their hearts out, but lost in game two in the bottom of the ninth and finished with an overall record of 26-20-2.

The local nine were impressive for the first quarter of the season as they won eight of their first eleven contests for an 8-3 record and at the time were rated the number one collegiate summer baseball team by PerfectGameUSA.com. They also swept the Columbus All-Americans of the Great Lakes Summer League in a two-game exhibition series to start the summer. The most intriguing part of the team’s success was that Coach Roberts never used the same lineup on consecutive nights until July 9th. Cotuit had the bats firing on all cylinders and was the team to beat in the Western Division from the get go.

As a team, the Kettleers hit over the .300 mark for the first 15 games of the season. Cotuit was led by Auburn sluggers Mike Bianucci and Kevin Patterson and Jason Kipnis of Arizona State. Center fielder Brett Jackson and third baseman Jeff Kobernus picked up the slack later in the season but the duo from Cal Berkeley played strong defense all summer long.

Bianucci enjoyed an MVP-Caliber summer but it was cut short when he became the first Kettleer to sign a Major League contract with the Texas Rangers. The left fielder’s departure ended his line in the Cape League with an impressive .282 average with 5 home runs and 19 RBI in only 24 games. He left tied for the league lead in home runs and RBI. Bianucci wasn’t the only Major League signee from Cotuit. Nebraska’s Dan Jennings had his Cape League experience limited to just one outing before he signed. College of Charleston hurlers Clay Caulfield and Danny Meszaros also earned pro contracts and headed for the professional ranks.

Cotuit also lost their starting shortstop Robbie Shields after eleven games. Shields suffered a broken bone on his right wrist which forced him to return home and sit out the rest of the summer. The Florida Southern shortstop returned after his surgery and became an inspiration, friend and leader to his teammates.

With all of the turnover on the Cotuit roster, positions opened up for players who hadn’t won starting jobs from the beginning. The loss of Shields and the early departure of others put Coach Roberts in a tough position. General Manager Bruce Murphy and Coach Roberts got to work immediately to fill the roster spots. One of their most important acquisitions came with the return of Michael Gilmartin of Wofford. Gilmartin was an infielder who, after being released from a temporary contract in early June, came back to become the starting shortstop and a valuable contributor to the offense. Whenever there was a need to sacrifice bunt, Gilmartin was given the sign and became a specialist at moving runners along. He finished the summer with a .257 average with 2 home runs and 11 RBI in 29 games. Not bad for a guy who had started out as a temporary player.

Other late additions to the roster were second baseman Matt Holliman (Cumberland University in Tennessee), pitcher John Lambert (Santa Fe CC in Florida) and Sandwich’s own Brendon Kelliher (George Washington). Holliman solidified the middle of the infield with Gilmartin and added some pop to the lineup with his bat as he knocked in 7 runs and played the final 12 games of the season for the Kettleers before an injury kept him out of the playoffs. Lambert helped eat up some innings in the bullpen in 4 games and 4 and 2/3 innings of work and Kelliher got his feet wet in the Cape League getting a single in 5 official at-bats along with a walk.

Jeff Schaus of Clemson and Evan Crawford of Indiana were also key contributors all season long. The two showed versatility as they both started games in the infield and outfield for the Kettleers when the bench was cut short due to injuries and players who had left. Crawford also showcased unbelievable speed by stealing 11 bases without getting caught once.

Catcher Robert Stock of USC returned for his second summer and provided solid defense all season long. Stock split time behind the plate with Georgia’s Joey Lewis. Lewis also filled in at first base and designated hitter after arriving late due to competing in the College World Series. Lewis hit two homers and eight RBI in 20 games. Arizona State’s Jason Kipnis emerged as the clean-up hitter by the end of the season and sported some good offensive numbers as well as a moustache at times. Kipnis also provided great defense in the outfield. Dallas Poulk (NC State) was the everyday second baseman and after some early struggles, made some spectacular defensive plays down the stretch in close games for the Kettleers.

With all of the great offense from the Kettleers, it was their pitching that made them so tough in the final stretch for the playoffs. Cotuit basically had two aces in their rotation in Arizona State’s Seth Blair and Nick Hernandez of Tennessee. Blair’s highlight reel included a complete game, one-hit shutout in a 4-0 win over the eventual Cape League Champion Harwich Mariners and another complete game win in a 12-2 shellacking of the cross-town rival Hyannis Mets. Blair was also on the mound for when the Kettleers clinched the Western Division regular season crown in a 3-1 defeat over the Mets that also captured Cotuit’s third Barnstable Patriot Cup. Blair finished the regular season with a 4-1 record in 7 starts with a 1.72 ERA over 52 and 1/3 innings and was awarded the team’s most valuable pitcher award.

Even after all of Blair’s accomplishments, Hernandez was the most consistent fireballer in the Cotuit rotation. The southpaw from Tennessee led the league in wins at the conclusion of the regular season with a 6-3 record and a 2.54 ERA in 56 and 2/3 innings. He also led the staff with 48 strikeouts. Hernandez was also brilliant in the playoffs for the Kettleers as he won the opening game against Falmouth and held Harwich scoreless until the bottom of the ninth in game two of the Cape League Finals. Both Hernandez and Blair along with Patterson were selected to represent the Kettleers in the All-Star Game in Chatham.

Other members of the Cotuit rotation were Mario Hollands (Santa Barbara), Nate Garcia (Santa Clara), Paul Applebee (UC Riverside) and Brandon Cumpton (Georgia Tech). Zach Von Tersch (Georgia Tech) and Alex Sogard (NC State) provided relief all season long. Sam Brown of NC State not only contributed out of the bullpen but also made a few appearances at the plate and as a pinch runner. Brown scored the game winning run in a wild 1-0 win against the Bourne Braves and also started game two of the League Championship in left field. Daniel Wolford of Cal Berkeley was a valuable member of the bullpen and led the team in appearances. The “Wolf” also compiled a 3-1 record with a 3.38 ERA in 24 innings for the Kettleers as he was called upon to work out of numerous jams in the seventh and eighth innings. Drew Storen of Stanford earned the job as the closer for Cotuit. He earned 5 saves in 13 appearances with 15 strikeouts in 16 and a third innings with a 2.76 ERA.

Cotuit will return to action next year with four key players already signed in Blair, Storen, Cumpton and Patterson. They will defend their Western Division Championship and contend once again with Hyannis for the Barnstable Patriot Cup. Under the guidance of Coach Roberts and the leadership of the returning players, the Kettleers will certainly be a contender for what could be their fifteenth Cape League Championship in 2009.

Origin of the Term "Kettleer"

After writing 50 some-odd articles about them, I figured it might be a good idea to explain what a Kettleer exactly is. Not to be confused with a kettler, there is a story dating back to the late 1600s when the Massachusetts Bay Colony was in its infancy. Back then, the colonists bartered for food with the locals in any way possible because they were unable to efficiently grow or hunt their own (for the most part). In exchange for sustenance (usually corn), the colonists provided kettles to the natives. Hence the term "kettleer."

The Cotuit Kettleers were established in 1947 and are one of the Cape Cod Baseball League's most storied franchises. The Kets have won a league high 14 CCBL Championships since the league's creation in 1963.

Mariners Defeat Kettleers, Win First Cape Title in 20 Years

Harwich Wins it in Bottom of the Ninth, 2-1

Story By Phil Garceau & John S. Condakes/CAA Asst. Web Editor

WEDNESDAY, August 13, 2008

HARWICH — All good things must come to an end.
Manager Mike Roberts and his Cotuit Kettleers saw just that in game two of the Cape Cod Baseball League championship series, game which ended in a 2-1 loss to the Harwich Mariners in dramatic fashion.
“They’re the 2008 champions,” said Roberts. “I’m happy for them, I’m happy for Steve (Englert) and their organization and that’s the most important thing to me, that we are happy for them.”
Cotuit held a 1-0 lead into the bottom of the ninth inning, but after allowing the first three batters to reach base, Mark Fleury (North Carolina) laced a two-run single to deep right-center field to give Harwich its first league crown since 1987.
Despite falling short in the finals, the Cotuit organization can take pride in its accomplishments. The Kettleers won the West Division title in one the most exciting races in recent history, Roberts won his first playoff game and Cotuit reached the championship series for the first time since 1999.
“With this team, it had nothing to do with talent,” said an emotional Roberts “It had to do with the love and respect for one another and the love and respect for the game and that’s what carried them to this point. It didn’t have anything to do with talent.”
Nick Hernandez (Tennessee), who pitched eight scoreless innings before facing one hitter in the ninth, said it was the most fluid team he’s ever been a part of. “When you bring 25 guys from around the country and put them on one team, you usually aren’t going to have team camaraderie.
“We don’t have the best talent,” Hernandez continued, “but whenever you have a group of guys who want to play together and do everything together, it carries over to the field,” said Hernandez.
Hernandez (Tennessee) pitched his best game of the summer but a bottom of the ninth rally undid the Kettleers as the hosting Harwich Mariners clinched the Cape Cod Baseball League title with a 2-1 victory. The Cotuit lineup featured some changes on Thursday night because team MVP Kevin Patterson along with second baseman Matt Holliman and pitcher Zack Von Tersch all left the team after Wednesday’s loss in order to report back to school on time. Jeff Schaus of Clemson assumed Patterson’s position at first base and relief pitcher Sam Brown (NC State) took over in left field.
Hernandez and Harwich’s Chris Manno (Duke) showed an estimated crowd of 6133 what was most likely the best pitchers’ duel of the summer. The two aces exchanged 1-2-3 first innings and then Schaus and designated hitter Joey Lewis of Georgia hit back-to-back singles. Schaus advanced to third on a hit-and-run but Manno worked out of the jam to keep the Kettleers off the scoreboard. Manno, although effective, showed some control problems at times and hit three Cotuit batters without receiving a warning from the home plate umpire. The Mariners countered with back-to-back two out singles against Hernandez but he retired Alex Hilliard (Vanderbilt) on a pop out to catcher Robert Stock (USC) to keep the score deadlocked at zero. The Mariners had baserunners in every inning except the fourth, seventh and eighth against Hernandez.
The Kettleers got men on in every inning except the sixth but were caught stealing three times in the contest. Twice of those outs ended the inning. The Cotuit bats got close to pushing a run across as Schaus and Lewis both reached again with one out. Second baseman Dallas Poulk of NC State tried to lay down a squeeze bunt but Manno quickly fielded it and flipped to Harwich catcher Tommy Medica (Santa Clara) to cut down Schaus and keep the game scoreless. The Kets finally broke through in the top of the seventh as Poulk was the third hitter to be drilled by a Manno fastball. Brown laid down a decent sacrifice bunt that Manno fielded but threw over second baseman Jason Stidham’s (Florida State) head allowing Poulk to advance to third on the throw. Stock came up to the plate with no outs and delivered a deep fly ball to right-center to play Poulk via the sacrifice fly and gave the Kettleers the game’s first run.
It seemed that the one run would be all that Hernandez would need as he retired the sides in order in the seventh and eight innings. Hernandez, to some surprise, came back out in the bottom of the ninth to face Harwich third baseman Joe Sanders (Auburn). Sanders got the most of Hernandez as he stroked a base hit to right field that got under a diving Evan Crawford (Indiana) and rolled to the wall. Sanders trucked around the bases and ended up with a leadoff triple. That would be Hernandez’s final batter as he was relieved by Stanford closer Drew Storen. Storen plunked the first batter he faced to put runners on first and third and then walked Chase Leavitt (Arkansas) to load the bases. Harwich manager Steve Englert lifted Hilliard for a pinch hitter in All-Star Mark Fleury of UNC. Storen battled with Fleury and appeared to have him struck out on a pitch right down the heart of the plate and at the knees but didn’t get the call from the home plate umpire. Fleury then crushed a 1-2 pitch into right center to win the game and the championship for Harwich.
“I’m proud of how these guys have grown up this summer,” Roberts said. Roberts has every reason to be proud of his team as they never quit all summer despite losing key player after key player. Some of the current Kettleers (Patterson, Seth Blair, Brendon Kelliher) will return next summer to defend their Western Division Title and once again try to reclaim their first Cape League Championship since 1999.

Cotuit Drops Game One to Harwich

Mariners Get to Blair Early, Win 11-2

Story By John S. Condakes/CAA Asst. Web Editor, Photos by Sean Walsh

WEDNESDAY, August 13, 2008

COTUIT — Not much to say about this one except, game one-Harwich. The Kettleers now find themselves down one game to none after getting shellacked by the Harwich Mariners 11-2 at Lowell Park. Seth Blair (Arizona State) was not his usual self as he allowed ten runs over six and a third innings of work to put Cotuit in a 10-0 hole. The Mariners pushed another run across in the sixth to make it 11-0. Designated hitter Robert Stock of USC provided the first and only runs of the contest with a two run homer to right field to cut the score to 11-2. The Kettleers struggled with their hitting most of the game as they loaded the bases in the fourth but couldn’t push a run across. The home team left eight men on base on the afternoon as they scattered only seven hits. The defense was also not particularly good for the first time in a while as the Kettleers committed three errors to aid the Harwich offense.
All of the Cotuit bench players saw action in the game as left fielder Jason Kipnis of Arizona State left late Tuesday night ending his tenure on the Cape. Second baseman Dallas Poulk (NC State) was removed from the game in the sixth inning after a collision covering first base but was not seriously injured and will be available on Thursday night. Cumberland’s Matt Holliman replaced Poulk and delivered his first hit since injuring his hamstring two weeks ago in Falmouth. George Washington’s Brendon Kelliher also saw some action replacing Indiana’s Evan Crawford in right field in the eighth inning. In an interesting move by Coach Mike Roberts, NC State pitcher Sam Brown entered the game in the eighth inning as the replacement for left fielder Jeff Schaus (Clemson). Schaus moved to first base and Brown assumed Kevin Patterson’s (Auburn) spot in the order but struck out.
The Kettleers will ship out to Harwich tomorrow for a must-win contest with the Mariners. Nick Hernandez of Tennessee will face Chris Manno of Duke. Game time is slated for 7 p.m. at Whitehouse Field.

Kettleers Are Championship Bound

Cotuit Drops Falmouth Commodores, 3-2, Will Face Harwich

Story By John S. Condakes/CAA Asst. Web Editor

TUESDAY, August 12, 2008

COTUIT — Next stop, a date with Harwich. After a bit of a wait due to Monday’s rainout, the Kettleers won the decisive game three over the visiting Falmouth Commodores in another tight battle by a score of 3-2. It was nothing less than an exciting game to watch as fans from both sides hung on every pitch through all nine innings. In the end, it was Cotuit’s pitching staff that got the better of the Falmouth bats as they had done numerous times during the regular season.
Brandon Cumpton (Georgia Tech) got the call from Coach Mike Roberts to start this intense contest and he delivered a fantastic outing. In the top of the first, Cumpton issued a free pass to leadoff man Joey Wong of Oregon State but then induced a double play by catcher Trevor Coleman (Missouri) and struck out center fielder A.J. Pollock (Notre Dame) to retire the side without any damage. The Commodores struck first blood in the top of the second against Cumpton as he walked right fielder Ryan Jones (Wichita State) with two outs. Designated hitter Michael Thomas of Southern ripped a double into the left-center field gap to plate him for an early 1-0 advantage.
The Kettleers’ bats picked up their pitcher immediately in the bottom half of the inning thanks to second baseman Dallas Poulk. The NC State infielder led off with a walk and advanced to third on a hit and run executed by third baseman Jeff Kobernus of Cal Berkeley. Designated hitter Joey Lewis knocked in Poulk with a fielder’s choice to knot the score at 1 after two.
Cotuit took the lead in the bottom of the third with another rally against Falmouth starter Chad Bettis (Texas Tech). Shortstop Michael Gilmartin of Wofford got it going with a one out single and advanced to third on left fielder Jason Kipnis’s (Arizona State) single with two outs. Right fielder Evan Crawford hit a perfect soft liner into the hole between first and second to plate Gilmartin and give the home team a 2-1 lead after three.
Cumpton cruised through the fourth and fifth but was relieved by future NC State Wolfpack John Lambert in the top of the sixth. “I was getting tired so coach pulled me,” he explained in a post-game interview. “My stuff was working pretty well but I wouldn’t say it was my best outing.” Cumpton finished with five innings pitched allowing one earned run on two hits with two walks and five strikeouts as he earned the win.
The Kettleers tacked on another run in the sixth that would prove to be the game-winner. Crawford reached on a walk and was moved over to second base on a sacrifice bunt by Poulk. Number seven then used his incredible speed to swipe third base but the throw got away from Falmouth third baseman Kevin Nolan (Winthrop). Roberts seized the opportunity to send Crawford home and he dashed across the plate with Cotuit’s third and final run putting the good guys up 3-1 after six.
Cal Berkeley’s Daniel Wolford subdued the Commodores’ attack through an inning and two thirds allowing no runs, no hits, no walks and recording a strikeout. He then gave way to Stanford’s Drew Storen who, as always, took care of business against the Commodores. Storen yielded a leadoff double in the top of the ninth to first baseman Darin Ruf (Creighton) and would later allow him to score but it wouldn’t matter as he got left fielder Brian Fletcher (Auburn) to fly out to Brett Jackson (Cal Berkeley) in center field to seal with series for the Kettleers.
Playoff action continues tomorrow at Lowell Park as the Western Division Champions welcome the Harwich Mariners for a 3 p.m. contest. Arizona State’s Seth Blair will make his playoff debut for the Kettleers against Harwich’s Chris Manno of Duke.

Cotuit Wins Game One Against Falmouth

Kettleers Continue to Roll
Story By John S. Condakes

Thursday, August 7, 2008

COTUIT — The regular season Western Division Champions got off on the right foot on Saturday afternoon as they beat the visiting Falmouth Commodores 6-4 in front of a packed crowd at Lowell Park. Cotuit now leads the best-of-three series 1-0 and is one win away from securing a spot in the league championship. Prior to the contest, the Kettleers were presented with the 2008 Western Division Regular Season Championship Trophy by league commissioner Paul Galop.
Timely hitting and solid pitching once again resulted in a win as the streaking Kettleers have won ten of their last twelve including the last six in a row. Nick Hernandez of Tennessee started the game for Cotuit and was shaky through the first four innings. In the top of the first, Hernandez was touched for three hits including a two-out RBI single by third baseman Kevin Nolan (Winthrop) as the visitors jumped out to an early 1-0 lead.
The Cotuit bats picked up Hernandez in the bottom of the inning with three runs of their own to erase the deficit. Center fielder Brett Jackson of Cal Berkeley led off with a walk and moved over to third base on a perfectly executed hit-and-run on a single by shortstop Michael Gilmartin. Team MVP and first baseman Kevin Patterson of Auburn knocked in Jackson with a sacrifice fly to tie the game. Left fielder and clean-up man Jason Kipnis (Arizona State) continued to be productive against the Commodores with a single to advance Gilmartin and put runners on first and second with one out. Right fielder Evan Crawford of Indiana knocked home Gilmartin to put the home team up 2-1. Second baseman Dallas Poulk (NC State) capped the scoring with another RBI single to put Cotuit up 3-1 after an inning.
Hernandez gave up a leadoff ground-rule double to start the second and with two outs walked leadoff man Joey Wong (Oregon State) but retired designated hitter Trevor Coleman (Missouri) with a strikeout as he struck out the side. Hernandez let up an unearned run in the third on an throwing error to bring Falmouth back within one but retired the side without any further damage with the score 3-2.
The Kettleers once again returned the favor to the Commodores by adding two more off the bat of Kipnis. After a leadoff first pitch single by Patterson, the left fielder belted a the first offering he saw from Falmouth starter Jorge Reyes of Oregon State over the right field wall and into the trees for a 5-2 Cotuit lead after three.
Hernandez worked out of another jam in the top of the fourth but then cruised through the fifth and sixth before giving way to future NC State Wolfpack John Lambert. The Kettleers added another run in the bottom of the fourth after catcher Joey Lewis of Georgia led off with a triple to right field and was knocked in on a double by Jackson for a 6-2 lead.
Hernandez finished the afternoon with six innings pitched allowing two runs, one earned on eight hits with a walk and eight strikeouts. Lambert struck out Wong but then walked Coleman and was replaced by Cal Berkeley’s Daniel Wolford. Wolford allowed Coleman to score on a passed ball but worked out of the rest of the seventh with the lead intact at 6-3. Wolford stayed in for the top of the eighth and was effective in retiring the side after walking the leadoff man but then induced a 1-6-3 double play to end the inning.
“I didn’t have my best stuff,” said Wolford. “I’ve got confidence in everyone in this pitching staff and I knew that they’d pick me up like I’d do for them.”
Stanford’s Drew Storen made things interesting in the ninth as he allowed a run on Nolan’s second RBI single of the game but sealed the win as he got right fielder Ryan Jones (Wichita State) to pop out to Jackson in center. The two clubs will get back at it again Sunday night at 7 p.m. at Guv Fuller Field in Falmouth where a win for Cotuit would end the Commodores’ season.

Cotuit Finishes Regular Season With Win

KETTLEERS DISPOSE OF LOWLY RED SOX 6-3

By John S. Condakes and Benjamin B. Youngerman

SOUTH YARMOUTH-The West was won, but Cotuit continued its winning journey toward the postseason. Fresh off their Western Division-clinching win against the Hyannis Mets, the Kettleers played the second game of their double header as they paid a visit to the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox – the Eastern Division’s last place team. Cotuit featured five pitchers in the contest and Alex Sogard of NC State got the win as the local nine put the finishing touch on the season and pulled out a 6-3 victory. With the win, the Kettleers improved their record to 24-18-2, good enough for 50 points in the division.

Despite a match-up between worst and first place teams, it was a pitching deadlock early. Cotuit and Y-D combined for just two hits in the first three innings. Kettleers starting pitcher Nate Garcia allowed just one hit and struck out four Red Sox in a two-inning appearance. The Santa Clara hurler was opposed by Anthony Renaudo of LSU.

The Cotuit offense finally broke through in the fourth inning, posting 2 runs on 4 hits. Michael Gilmartin and Jeff Schaus led off the frame with back-to-back singles. With one out, Evan Crawford knocked in the game’s first run with an RBI single, giving the Kettleers a 1-0 lead. Dallas Poulk (NC State) followed with a single of his own. Jeff Kobernus of Cal Berkeley doubled the Cotuit advantage, pushing Schaus across the plate, and reaching base by way of a fielder’s choice. The inning ended when Kobernus was caught trying to steal second base.

The Sox came back with one in the bottom of the fifth on a sacrifice bunt by second baseman Tyler Marmion of San Diego State off NC State’s Sam Brown who came on in relief of Sogard. Cotuit got one back in the top of the sixth after Poulk knocked in left fielder Jason Kipnis of Arizona State with a bunt single for the 3-1 lead. Brown shut down Y-D in the home half of the inning and gave way to his future teammate at NC State, John Lambert.

The Kettleers tacked on three more runs in the top of the eighth to seal the win. Sandwich native Brendon Kelliher (George Washington) pinch-hit for Schaus and led off the inning with a single. Kipnis walked to advance Kelliher to second and the pride of Sandwich scored on a sacrifice bunt by right fielder Evan Crawford (Indiana) for Cotuit’s fourth run. Poulk tacked on two more with an RBI single to cap the scoring at 6-1 after seven and a half.

Y-D pushed their second run across in the bottom of the inning against Lambert on three singles in a row but the tall righty got out of the inning without allowing any more runs. Zach Von Tersch (Georgia Tech) pitched the ninth for the Kettleers and allowed one more on a home run to designated hitter Andy Wilkins (Arkansas) and finished the game with the 6-3 final. The local nine return to action Saturday as they host the Falmouth Commodores, who defeated the Bourne Braves Friday night 3-2 to punch their ticket to the playoffs. The first pitch will be thrown at Lowell Park at 3 p.m.

Kettlers Win the West!

Kets Beat Mets 3-1, Win Patriot Cup

Story By John S. Condakes/Photo By Sue Blanchette/CAA

Thursday, August 7, 2008

COTUIT — Drew Storen is used to pressure. The stakes were high in his most recent appearance as a save against the visiting Hyannis Mets would clinch the Western Division regular season title for the Kettleers. The Stanford hurler inherited a jam created by teammate Daniel Wolford (Cal Berkeley) with runners on first and third with one out in the top of the ninth but escaped allowing only one run. Storen and his teammates celebrated on the mound as they defeated the visitors by a score of 3-1 to punch their ticket to the post-season Thursday afternoon in game one of their double header.
Cotuit turned to Seth Blair (Arizona State) with the playoff spot on the line and Blair, although shaky at times, turned in another shutout performance through seven innings. Blair turned in his third consecutive strong outing and has allowed only two runs in his last three starts as he improved to 4-1 on the summer. His final line was six hits in seven innings with an uncharacteristic four walks, five strikeouts and hit two batters.
On the offensive side, the Cotuit bats came through in the clutch for Blair on three occasions. In the bottom of the third inning, first baseman Kevin Patterson of Auburn led of the inning with a double. With two outs, shortstop Michael Gilmartin (3 for 4, 2 RBI) of Wofford delivered Patterson home with an RBI single to put the home team up 1-0 after three. Two innings later, third baseman Jeff Kobernus of Cal Berkeley led off with a double. With one out, catcher Robert Stock (USC) contributed to the Cotuit lead with an RBI single to plate Kobernus to put Cotuit up 2-0 after five. In the bottom of the seventh, the Kettleers added another insurance run with two outs on Gilmartin’s second RBI single of the day to plate Stock for a 3-0 lead.
Blair exited the game at the end of the seventh inning and gave way to Wolford who made quick work of the Mets in the eighth. “The Wolf” got himself into trouble in the top of the ninth and with one out gave way to Storen. Storen slammed the door on Hyannis to clinch the top spot in the West for the Kettleers. The win also clinched the Barnstable Patriot Cup for the home team as they won that honor for the third time in five years even though the series was tied at 3. One of the tiebreakers was used to determine the Kettleers as winners. The tally of runs allowed was used and the Kettleers came out on top having allowed only 19 runs compared to 26 by Hyannis.
Cotuit’s local nine traveled to South Yarmouth to face the Y-D Red Sox for their final game of the season at 4:30 on Thursday afternoon. The Mets will need to beat Falmouth Thursday night in order to have a shot at making the playoffs as the Commodores and the Bourne Braves are still in the hunt for second place. Prior to the contest, Patterson was awarded the Daniel J. Silva Sportsmanship Award for his outstanding sportsmanship over the course of the season. Patterson was selected out of five finalists for the award and was presented with a plaque. Patterson was also named the team’s Most Valuable Player and Blair was named the team’s Top Pitcher after the completion of the game.
“The team chemistry makes it easier to play your game well when everybody’s playing well as a team,” said Patterson of his MVP Award. “I didn’t know that I was in the running for the sportsmanship award,” he said.
The Western Division regular season Champion Kettleers will await their opponent for a home game at 3 p.m. on Saturday afternoon at Lowell Park.

Kets Visit Patients at Dana Farber

Story By John S. Condakes Photo by Stacy Wardwell

Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2008

BOSTON — Located not too far from one of baseball’s most hallowed grounds in the heart of Boston, stands a building athletes have flocked to for decades. The Jimmy Fund Clinic and Dana Farber Cancer Institute have welcomed these well-known visitors as they spread smiles from floor to floor. On Wednesday July 30th, Cotuit Kettleers infielders Robbie Shields, Michael Gilmartin, Matt Holliman and pitcher Drew Storen, were welcomed to carry on a tradition started by Red Sox Hall-of-Fame slugger Ted Williams and saw for themselves what these incredible people go through.
The players’ first stop was a trip upstairs to the Jimmy Fund Clinic to spend time with some youngsters who are fighting cancer. There was a very somber feeling in the air as they strolled down a hallway lined with bright paintings of scenes from Disney movies. The foursome was greeted by Rosemary Lonborg, wife of former Red Sox pitcher and 1967 Cy Young Award winner Jim Lonborg. Rosemary Lonborg got involved with the clinic when Jim was pitching for Boston and since they stayed in town, she was able to remain involved.
“It’s amazing to see how much joy it brings the kids,” said Lonborg. “Some of the current Red Sox players come in a few times a year. They’ve even brought in the World Series trophy,” she said.
The players took time to enjoy the kids’ company as they chatted, played and did some arts and crafts. Storen jumped at the opportunity to finger paint with one of the younger patients while a boy wowed the players with his truck drawing abilities. He even drew them a picture and autographed it as a thank you to the Kettleers.
“Walking in there and seeing those kids with cancer was very humbling,” said Shields. “Not many people realize what kids like that go through and I would go again in a heartbeat.”
For other patients, something as trivial as having hair has become somewhat of a blessing. Five-year-old Christina Johnson was diagnosed with a brain tumor and had it removed but her communication skills are limited. Prior to the operation she had straight blonde hair and after months of treatment, she now sports brown curls. “Her hair color doesn’t matter,” said her mother. “We’re just happy to have it.”
After signing some programs and baseballs for the children in the Jimmy Fund Clinic, the players took the elevator up to the tenth floor to socialize with some older patients.
Seated in a room with a birds-eye view of downtown Boston was Sergeant Scott Miller who had been stationed in Iraq with the Military Police. After originally thinking that he had a blood clot, Miller was flown to a military hospital in Washington, D.C. to have some tests done. It was there he learned that he had cancer so he shipped up to Dana Farber for treatment. The players thanked Sgt. Miller for his service and gave him a signed baseball and a team yearbook along with well wishes for a speedy recovery.
“It not only touched my heart but it really opened my eyes about how precious life is,” said Holliman.”
Just down the hall, the players crossed paths with a patient named Adrian. All four players were deeply touched by him because of his positive outlook on life after having undergone a tracheotomy due to a battle with throat cancer. They spoke with Adrian numerous times and even invited him down to Cotuit to attend a game.
“Adrian was very inspiring to me,” said Storen. “He was told that he only had six months to live two and a half years ago. He wasn’t in good shape but he was still happy. It makes you realize that there are much bigger problems in life than you think.”
But it’s not only the players who are involved. Lisa Mathieu, a resident of Cotuit who drove the players to Boston and has hosted Kettleers for the summer in her home wore the names and photos of patients visited by the four Cotuit players as she biked in the Pan-Mass Challenge on August 2nd and 3rd. She hopes that the visiting program will continue to grow and that the Kettleers can make multiple visits during the summer in upcoming years.
The four Kettleers enjoyed their visits with the patients and never refrained from introducing themselves. “It was quite remarkable,” said Mathieu. “One player would start chatting with someone and they would all follow. We almost had trouble getting them to move from person to person,” she joked.
Although Ted Williams is (mostly) gone, his spirit lives on through the efforts of these young baseball players. These four talented and caring young men hopefully will have the opportunity to carry on their mission of spreading joy to those in need as they pursue their ultimate goal of becoming major league ball players.
“Just to see those people there was inspiring,” said Gilmartin. “They’re just regular people who got a bad break and hopefully some day we’ll find a cure for them.”

Cumpton Wins in Spot Start

Cotuit Sits Alone On Top of Western Division

Story By John S. Condakes

Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2008

WAREHAM — Brandon Cumpton (Georgia Tech) didn’t even know he would be pitching against the Gatemen on Tuesday night until that afternoon. Coach Mike Roberts sat down with his pitching staff and explained that five of his pitchers would be getting work in Wareham. Cumpton responded well to the call and earned the win as the Kettleers cruised into first place in the Western Division with a 10-2 victory over the lowly Gatemen.
Centerfielder Brett Jackson jumpstarted the Cotuit offense in the top of the first when he reached on a fielding error. Sacrifice bunt specialist and shortstop Michael Gilmartin of Wofford followed with a bunt to move Jackson into scoring position at second base. Jackson advanced to third base on a wild pitch by Wareham starter Dallas Keuchel (Arkansas) and scored on an RBI groundout by catcher Joey Lewis (Georgia) to put the Kettleers up 1-0 early on. Cotuit got a second run off the bat of rejuvenated first baseman Kevin Patterson of Auburn. Patterson (3-5, HR, two runs) missed some time battling an illness but came back to blast his fourth home run of the season over the fence in right field to put give Cumpton a 2-0 cushion to work with.
The Kettleers sent 10 men to the plate in the top of the fourth inning and put up a crooked five spot on the scorecard. Right fielder Evan Crawford of Indiana (2-3, 3 runs scored) celebrated his twentieth birthday with a leadoff double. The two-bagger would have left the yard in left center had the wind not been blowing in. Crawford advanced to third on a bunt single by second baseman Dallas Poulk of NC State. Third baseman Jeff Kobernus of Cal Berkeley laid down a bunt to score Crawford and advance Poulk to give the Kettleers a 3-0 lead. Patterson followed with his second hit of the night and designated hitter Robert Stock of USC continued his hot hitting with an RBI single to plate Poulk for the 4-0 lead. Jackson walked to load the bases and Lewis walked with two outs and the bases loaded to plate Patterson. Finally, left fielder Jason Kipnis of Arizona State got in on the act with a 2 RBI single to put the Kettleers up 7-0 after three and half.
Cumpton was outstanding through the first five innings but got into some trouble in the bottom of the sixth. With one out and one on he served up a pitch to Wareham first baseman Aaron Baker of Oklahoma that Baker belted over the fence in right field to get Wareham their first and only runs of the game to make the score 7-2. The righty from Georgia Tech finished with a line of five and two thirds innings pitched allowing two earned runs on five hits with two walks and four strikeouts.
“The fastball and curveball were working great today,” said Cumpton. “I didn’t think I’d get to go all five for the win but I got on a roll so that was nice,” he said.
Sam Brown of NC State relieved Cumpton with two outs in the bottom of the sixth and retired the final batter. Brown allowed two hits but didn’t give up a run and had two strikeouts in another solid outing. John Lambert, who will join Brown at NC State in the fall, followed his future teammate with an inning and a third of work. The tall reliever didn’t allow a hit or run and had a walk and a strikeout. The Kettleers added a run on some sloppy play by Wareham in the seventh as Crawford scored on a wild pitch after leading off with a walk. Crawford scored again in the top of the ninth after leading off with a single and once again scoring on a wild pitch. Poulk followed him home on another wild pitch to make the score an even 10-2.
Closer Drew Storen of Stanford got some work in the bottom of the ninth and retired the hapless Gatemen in order after striking out the leadoff hitter. The Kettleers will host their cross-town rivals the Hyannis Mets for their final home game at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday at Lowell Park. The Kettleers currently sit atop the Western Division with 46 points while the Mets are in third place with 44. Cotuit will look to try and solidify their chances of making the playoffs with a win on Wednesday in what is shaping up to be the most important game of the season for the local nine.

Applebee Solid Once Again in Win

Cotuit Now Tied With Hyannis

Story By John S. Condakes

Monday, Aug. 4, 2008

CHATHAM — Paul Applebee (UC Riverside) pitched another solid six innings for the Kettleers but still couldn’t earn the win after he gave up a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the sixth but the Cotuit bats picked up the slack to propel themselves to a 4-2 win over the hosting Chatham Athletics on Monday night at Veterans Field. Applebee gave up a lead off single shortstop Kyle Seager (UNC-Chapel Hill) in the bottom of first but recovered to retire the next thirteen batters in a row.
The Kettleers opened the scoring against Chatham starter Matt Zoltak (Clemson) in the top of the fifth after they threatened with runners on in the second, third and fourth innings. Catcher Robert Stock of USC got it going for the Kettleers with a one out single through the right side of the infield and then stole second off of Zoltak’s slow delivery to put himself into scoring position. Stock then advanced to third base on a passed ball against Chatham catcher Ben Mercurio of Maine. Center fielder Brett Jackson put the finishing touch on Stock’s trip around the bases as he knocked him home with a two-out RBI bunt single to put the good guys on top 1-0 after four and a half.
First baseman Joey Lewis (Georgia) got it going in the top of the sixth with a leadoff single and moved over to second base on a sacrifice bunt by left fielder Jason Kipnis (Arizona State). Kipnis was called out on a diving effort by Chatham first baseman Evan Ocheltree of Wake Forest after he went diving head first into the bag but he got the job done in moving Lewis into scoring position. Right fielder Evan Crawford of Indiana knocked in Lewis with a one-out RBI single to put the Kettleers up 2-0.
The Athletics wasted no time erasing the deficit as they put back-to-back-to-back hits together with one out in the bottom of the sixth to tie the score at 2 after six innings. Cotuit retook the lead in the top of the eighth thanks to some timely hitting. Crawford walked with two outs and easily stole his eleventh base of the season in as many tries to put himself into scoring position. With the pressure on with two outs, second baseman Dallas Poulk (NC State) drove in Crawford with a clutch RBI single to put the Kettleers up 3-2. Poulk’s single was misplayed in the outfield and he ended up on third base when all was said and done after the ball was thrown out of play. Coach Mike Roberts argued that Poulk should have been awarded home plate after the ball went out of play but the umpires disagreed. Luckily Poulk scored on a wild pitch by Carmine Giardina (Central Florida) who suffered the loss for Chatham to put the Kettleers up for good at 4-2.
“I was just trying not to do too much with the pitch he gave me,” said Poulk of his RBI single.
Georgia Tech hurler Zach Von Tersch relieved Applebee and pitched a solid two innings as he earned the win. Von Tersch gave way to Daniel Wolford of Cal Berkeley who slammed the door shut on the A’s in the bottom of the ninth as he struck out the final two batters to earn the save. The win paired with losses by both Hyannis and Falmouth leapfrogged the Kettleers into a tie for first place with the Mets as they continue their quest for a playoff birth. Cotuit’s local nine will return to action Tuesday at 7 p.m. as they visit the Gatemen in Wareham.

Hernandez Wins His Sixth

Kettleers Win With Three Games Remaining

Story By John S. Condakes

Sunday, Aug. 3 , 2008

COTUIT — The Kettleers earned another crucial two points in what has become a very tight playoff race in the Western Division as they defeated the visiting Falmouth Commodores 3-1. Starter Nick Hernandez of Tennessee tossed an excellent seven and two thirds innings to earn his league-leading sixth win of the summer.
The Cotuit bats spotted Hernandez a 1-0 lead in the first inning after center fielder Brett Jackson (Cal Berkeley) led off with a walk and shortstop Michael Gilmartin of Wofford stroked an RBI double to knock him in. Hernandez escaped a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the top of the second but bounced back to retire the final three batters in order to maintain the 1-0 lead. The Commodores broke through against Hernandez in the top of the third on back-to-back singles by center fielder A.J. Pollock (Notre Dame) and first baseman Darin Ruf (Creighton). With Pollock on third, third baseman Kevin Nolan of Winthrop drove a deep fly ball to left field allowing Pollock to score on the sacrifice fly to tie the score at one apiece. The one run would be all the Commodores would get against Cotuit pitching.
Falmouth starter Nate Karns of Texas Tech also pitched well but the Kettleers forced him from the game in the bottom of the seventh after a leadoff walk by designated hitter Evan Crawford of Indiana. Karns finished with a final line of six-plus innings pitched allowing two earned runs on three hits with two walks and three strikeouts as he suffered the loss. Aaron Loup of Tulane came on in relief of Karns and gave up a two-out RBI single to catcher Robert Stock of USC to put the home team up 2-1 after seven. That would be all that Hernandez would need as he left with two outs and one on in the top of the eighth after he allowed designated hitter Trevor Coleman (Missouri) to reach on a single.
Closer Drew Storen of Stanford was called upon once again to seal the deal for the Kettleers and walked Ruf after he inherited a 2-0 count left by Hernandez. He then bore down to retire Nolan on a deep fly ball to right field that was caught by Jason Kipnis of Arizona State. The Kettleers added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth after Jackson led off with a single to right field. Gilmartin bunted him over to second on a sacrifice and Jackson score on an RBI single by first baseman Joey Lewis of Georgia for the 3-1 lead.
“That last run that we got was huge,” said Storen. “I like the pressure but it certainly helped me concentrate on just getting outs and not protecting a one-run lead.” The Freshman All-American recorded the final three outs with ease as the Kettleers defeated the Commodores for the second consecutive time in the last three days. Cotuit took a much-needed two points after Saturday night’s loss at the hands of the Brewster Whitecaps and will travel to Chatham on Monday to face the Athletics for another important two points towards their push for the playoffs. The first pitch will be thrown at 7 p.m.

Kettleers Clouted by Caps

Brewster Beats Cotuit 12-4

Story By John S. Condakes

Saturday, Aug. 2, 2008

BREWSTER — With just four games remaining in the regular season and the Western Division crown and playoff spots hotly contested, the Cotuit Kettleers fell to the host Brewster Whitecaps last night at Stony Brook Field, 12-4.

The Kettleers host first place Falmouth tonight at Lowell Park at 5:00 p.m. in what could arguably be deemed the most important game of the season.

Sparked by a 10-run third inning off of UC Santa Clara starter Nate Garcia, Cotuit fell 12-4 in a game shortened by rain and called due to “darkness.”

The teams exchanged 1-2-3 innings in the first and second until Jeff Schaus got the Kettleers on the scoreboard with a solo home run over the left field fence. The blast was Schaus’s second of the season and put Cotuit up 1-0 but it would be their only lead of the game as Nate Garcia unraveled for ten runs on ten hits in the bottom of the inning. The Whitecaps capped off the inning with a three run bomb over the right field fence by catcher Yasmani Grandal of Miami for a 10-1 lead.

The Kettleers chipped back with one run in the top of the fourth on an RBI groundout by left fielder Jason Kipnis of Arizona State to make the score 10-2. Second baseman Dallas Poulk of NC Stateled off the fifth with a double and first baseman Joey Lewis of Georgia drove him in with an RBI single to make it 10-3. Both Poulk and Lewis were called upon to replace every day players in Matt Holliman (Cumberland), who is done for the rest of the regular season with a pulled hamstring and Kevin Patterson (Auburn) who is suffering from a virus and should return soon. Shortstop Michael Gilmartin drove a pitch to deep left field to score Lewis for Cotuit’s fourth run but 10-4 would be as close as they could come for the rest of the game.

Alex Sogard of NC State relieved Garcia in the bottom of the fifth with runners on first and second with two outs. After having not pitched in a week and half, he worked out of the jam without allowing a run to score. “I was a little rusty out there,” said Sogard. “My stuff was working good, I just left a few balls over the plate.” The score remained the same until the game was halted by rain prior to the top of the sixth.

Sogard gave up runs in the sixth and seventh to make the score 12-4 and prior to the start of the seventh inning the game was called. Center fielder Brett Jackson of Cal Berkeley laid out to rob Brewster right fielder James Meador (San Diego) of a hit and received boisterous cheers from what fans were left of the original small crowd for what would turn out to be the final out of the game. The umpires explained that they were unable to see the ball even though the sun had started to peek through the clouds.