Summer Stars: 6 July

�� 2 SUMMER STARS Thursday, July 6, 2006 From The Cheap Seats Gammons Means So Much To Baseball Fans The news spread around the Arnie Allen Diamond at Guv Fuller Field quickly last Tuesday afternoon. Whis- pered voices asked the question over and over: “Did you hear about Peter Gammons?” Then my cellphone began to buzz, more questions about The Commissioner. “Is he okay? Man, I hope he pulls through.” Peter Gammons, of ESPN and ESPN.com, suffered a brain aneurysm that day. The man who made his name by producing his Sunday baseball notebook in the Boston Globe before moving on to The Worldwide Leader as their go-to seamhead was put out of commission by an unforeseen medical condition that will leave him out of the lineup for a while. I can’t think of any other reporter that could get sick and have the story not only be on the news, but end up as one of the lead stories. This man is adored by New Englanders, and beyond, and everyone wants him to recover quicker than a Roger Clemens fastball. The interviews with other reporters told the story of just how important this guy is, in and out of the game of baseball. Sean McAdam, the respected Providence Jour- nal baseball columnist, nearly came to tears speaking of his respect and friendship with the man. I’ve been lucky enough to make Peter’s acquaintance on several occasions and all I can tell you is that I adore the man. As a young baseball writer he took the time to For The Umpires, It’s talk about the game with me when he certainly could More Than Balls And have been doing just about anything else. Strikes The first time I met him was at the Cape Cod Baseball League All-Star game, back in 1998 I believe, in Chatham. Page Four He was talking baseball with an up-and-coming young pitcher by the name of Mark Mulder and it was apparent right away that not only did he know just about every- thing there was to know about the game, but he knew ev- Where There’s eryone, too. And they all like him. That’s quite an accom- plishment for a journalist, whose job is to dig deep, get Smoak There’s the best information and tell it like it is. We talked about Havens Page Seven the game a bit and then parted ways and I left feeling like I had just spent time with an oracle. Every year Gammons comes to Fuller Field in Falmouth and speaks with the players prior to a game, and he always tells the same story. He relays how Darin Erstad Beach Chairs And made a name for himself playing in Falmouth and also Baseball Bats was a good person off the field, which is just as important. Gammons loves to relay how Erstad was Bradlees Page Six Employee Of The Month. The ballplayers all soak in every Mangini Makes His Mark word, because they know they’re listening to someone that counts. Then, like boys younger than they are, they 3 all ask to have their picture taken with Peter Gammons, because that is a cool photograph to have on your mantel when you’re a ballplayer on your way up. Full Cape Cod League Game Schedule I have rubbed shoulders with Peter several other times Page 10 along the way, and it’s not always baseball that is the topic of conversation. He loves good rock and roll and By The Numbers we share a love for the greatest American rock band in circulation, Pearl Jam. I remember seeing him standing Pages 12-13 side stage at the first of a three-night stint at the Tweeter Center back in 2003 and he was rocking out nearly as Batting Around The Week In Review much as those of us in the seats. Later in the show Eddie Pages 11-14 Vedder grabbed his acoustic guitar and played “Thumb- ing My Way” and said it was dedicated to a friend that was hanging out with them that night. You should know that Peter was previously on record as saying that was Look for this issue online @ www.capenews.net one of the best songs he’d heard put to vinyl in the last several years and it was one of his favorites. This past week Vedder dedicated another song to On the Cover: Matt Mangini hopes to display his power with Gammons from a concert in Minnesota, and like everyone the bat for the Hyannis Mets this summer. SportsPix photo by else wished Pete a quick recovery. Matthew Scott. A statement by Gammons’s wife this week said that Peter was doing well and that he would be resting and recovering at home. She asked that people respect their publisher project manager design services manager privacy, which is a reasonable request. However it must William Hough Chuck Borge Christine Stutzman not be easy to rest when the phone is ringing off the hook nonstop because everyone in the baseball world wants to sports editor sales manager design services check in and make sure you’re doing okay. This is, after Rich Maclone Steve Krammes Linda Stewart all, a man whose list of contacts could fill a phone book. Jill Spencer I am sure that Pete will be back in action very soon. photo editor Julia Balducci It’s only a matter of time before we see him filing a report sales Daniel W. Webb from his back yard on the Upper Cape, telling us who is Danielle Guay design & layout press supervisor being traded and why or why not the deals get done. He’s Tricia Keough Elisabet K. Rodrigues David Pittman Peter Gammons, who else is going to tell us? Dawn Mitchell Trisha Herlihy (Rich Maclone is the sports editor for Summer Stars nterp 50 Depot Avenue Barbara Warner e E ri and Enterprise Publishing. He can be reached at h s Falmouth, MA 02540 Nancy Medeiros e [email protected].) T 508-548-4700 • 1-800-286-7744 Esther Buchanan Falmouth • Mashpee • Bourne • Sandwich Fax: 508-540-8407 Thursday, July 6, 2006 SUMMER STARS 3 Matt Mangini Making His Mark With The Mets BY WILL BUSSIERE of the nation’s best averages. that ball. We’re gonna see score the game-winner and Matt Mangini, like the fans Around that time in Hyannis, home runs from Mangini.” give the Mets a 4-3 win, then in Hyannis who watched him members and supporters of In the field, Mangini has their third straight. But it was jump out to a .318 average the Mets organization came started every game of the Mangini’s defense that put in the first two weeks of the together for a pre-season young season for the Mets the Mets in position for their Cape League season, kept function, where they all but at third base, where he has payoff. one eye on last weekend’s crossed Mangini off the quickly won over the home “It was a fun play,” he said. Team USA trials. His team- roster—after all, how long fans with the perfect mix “I’m just glad I was prepared mate in Hyannis and at North could he play like this without of flash and steadiness. He for it.” Carolina State, second base- appearing on the national shows off unmatched ability Mangini has gotten Mets man Ramon Corona, was one team’s radar? on screaming line drives and fans and team personnel of 35 players invited to try “I thought that he’d be a slow-rolling bunts, having excited about baseball in out for the national team this Team USA guy right from the committed only one error at Hyannis again. His hitting summer. start,” Mets head coach Greg the hot corner in 44 chances and fielding skills have been “I called him and wished King said, “and I was actu- through the first 11 games of drawn out with a strong work him the best of luck, and ally looking to see if we had the season. ethic that has quietly drawn everybody’s supporting him any other third basemen that The signature shot on the attention of everyone here, trying to keep track of might be able to come in if Mangini’s Hyannis highlight from his coaches to pro him, see how he’s doing,” we lost him.” reel came in the 10th in- scouts. Mangini said. “We’re behind Mangini did inevitably fall ning of a game on June 23 “Every time he’s out of the MIKE RACITI/HYANNIS METS him 100 percent.” off his torrid pace, finishing at McKeon Park against the box, he’s running a full 90, Hyannis Mets third baseman But the buzz around the season with a .343 aver- Wareham Gatemen, who whether it’s hit to the pitcher Matt Mangini looks for a sign McKeon Park is for Mangini, age. But his contributions loaded the bases with no- or anywhere else, and that’s from third before stepping into the player Team USA didn’t were impressive on an NC body out and threatened the sign of a kid that’s gonna the batters’ box. For The Umpires, It’s tab. And given the start that State team that batted .333 to put the game well out go somewhere,” King said. he had to his sophomore and challenged numerous of reach. Playing in on the Sure enough, to find him More Than Balls And season with the Wolfpack, it’s school records along the way grass, Mangini charged in before the game in Hyannis, Strikes a wonder that they didn’t.

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