Tag: sport

Summer is in full swing on Cape Cod

The beaches are bustling with locals and visitors alike, and the ice cream shops can hardly scoop fast enough to cool off the queue of sun-kissed patrons in between rounds of mini-golf. But it’s not summer on the Cape, according to die-hard sports fans across the nation, without the excitement of the famously riveting Cape Cod Baseball League games played by the most up-and-coming college players with big dreams of making it to the Major Leagues. 

Red Wilson Field, named in 1981 for legendary Yarmouth coach, manager, and player Merrill “Red” Wilson, located at D-Y High School, has been home to the Red Sox since 1973. However, it would be another 4 years until the team would be expanded to include the town of Dennis. Over 40 years later, the 2022 Yarmouth-Dennis Red-Sox are off to a great start, currently holding first place in the East Division. The team recently had seven players selected onto the Easts All Star Roster, including two starting fielders, two reserve fielders, and three pitchers.

The 24th year of coaching for Scott “Pick” Pickler has seen him break the record for all-time managerial wins in the Cape Cod Baseball League. On June 25th after a 5 to 3 win against the Cotuit Kettleers, Pick earned his 540th win, all with the Y-D Red Sox, earning cheers and accolades from the team and fans.  “He is a great coach, a great ambassador for the community, and a great leader of these young men. We couldn’t be prouder of all his accomplishments,” boasts Shane Skinner, Interim President of the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox, who was there for the record-breaking game, and had the honor of presenting Pick with a plaque to commemorate the win. Pick and his team, in doing their part to give back to the community, have been involved by volunteering their time with many local organizations, including Cape Cod Five, Ryan’s Family Amusements, the Red Jacket, and the Dennis Senior Center.

Being involved with the Cape Cod Baseball League has been a blessing for Shane. “I’ve always had a passion for sports,” he explains, “and being able to combine that passion with my experience of running businesses is like a dream come true.”  Shane can be found at each and every home game making sure things run smoothly and overseeing all business operations. With the help of ten dedicated baseball fans on the Board of Directors, over 30 Volunteer Interns, and over a dozen Community Volunteers, the Yarmouth-Dennis Red-Sox enthusiastically hosts a fun Game Day experience for families and fans of all ages. At a recent game, a small group of young kids stood up in the balcony next to the press box and sang “Take Me Out To The Ball Game,” a new addition to the festivities this year. “I’d say most nights it’s about 60% giggles and 40% singing which is just great,” Shane laughs. “The kids love it.” Singers have come from all over the state, and some from right here on Cape to sing the National Anthem before games, and set the scene for a family-fun night of good ol’ American baseball.

Upwards of two thousand fans per game don Red-Sox gear, lining the bleachers and dotting the outskirts of the field with beach chairs, for their chance to see superstars in the making. The merchandise booth offers trinkets, hats, and attire for all ages to support their favorite team. Families who come early can observe batting practice and then partake in some of the in-game events. This week on Tuesday 7/19 is Pokémon at the Park Night, hosted by the Cape Cod Toy Chest, and patrons can enter with Pixy 103 to win a baseball autographed by the team. On Thursday 7/21, the players will be available after the game to greet fans and sign baseballs, souvenir bats, and other items. Concessions offer a satisfying assortment of ball-game favorites like sausage subs, hot dogs, burgers, pretzels, and cold drinks. They sell out of hot delicious Paradise Pizza by the 5th inning, so be sure to order early! The 50/50 shed will have raffle tickets on sale, in addition to candy and drinks. The raffle is held at the bottom of the 7th inning. The Y-D Red Sox, and the entire Cape Cod Baseball League, strive to maintain a family-friendly atmosphere. Admission and parking are free, but tax-deductible donations are always welcome. As a not-for-profit establishment, donations keep the team equipped and outfitted, and able to put on a great season year after year.

Baseball Clinics For Kids

Youth Baseball Clinics for ages 5-16 run Monday-Friday from 9-11:30 am and are run by Coach Pickler, the Assistant Coaches, and some of the players. “It’s just a great opportunity. These kids get to go out there and play some baseball and learn some skills from these top players and have a great time each week. The weekly clinics end with a kids vs. family baseball game. I just played against my two sons, and we couldn’t have had a better time.” The last week for the 2022 clinics begins Monday 7/25. Registration can be completed online or at the field.

There’s a saying amongst the team:

When on Cape Cod you must:

  1. Go the beach
  2. Eat a lobstah
  3. Go to a Y-D baseball game

We hope to see you there!

For more info about the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox visit the website, or find them on Instagram and Facebook.

This blog is funded through the Town of Yarmouth’s Tourism Revenue Preservation Fund.

Photo credit: Y-D Red Sox Intern Sadie Parker

(Britt Skinner is a freelance writer.)

Exotic adventures await mini-golf fans in Yarmouth

The Taylor brothers would be proud.

New York mini golf developers Joseph and Robert Taylor are credited with the zany idea of placing windmills, wishing wells, and other elaborate obstacles into their courses. Who knew the trend they started in 1938 would evolve to such extremes?

Thanks to the brothers’ Taylor, today’s mini golf courses are one part Pebble Beach and nine parts Disney – with creative obstacles that not only make it more challenging to sink the ball in the cup but also draw families with children who revel in the theme-park settings.

It’s enough to make you smile at muffing a 2-foot “gimme.”

Yarmouth residents and visitors are lucky enough to have four flamboyant mini golf courses in town, each with its own assortment of ostentatious obstacles – from life-sized jungle animals to a half-sunken pirate’s galleon to Captain Ahab and the elusive white whale. But the icing on the kitschy cake has got to be the giant steam-spewing skull with light-up eye sockets just a couple miles west of the Bass River Bridge.

SKULL ISLAND AT BASS RIVER SPORTS WORLD

Skull Island Adventure Golf wasn’t always a maze of waterfalls, mountains, and palm trees.

When owner Lou Nickinello and his father Tony opened 60 years ago in 1961, it was essentially a flat course with traditional sculptures. The holes were challenging, Nickinello said, but it wasn’t nearly the attraction that it is today.

Nickinello hired Castle Golf and spent two years renovating and expanding the old facility to create an elaborate Swiss Family Robinson-themed minigolf adventure park – complete with 18 challenging holes.

Today Skull Island is a 38,000 square-foot-marvel, with 20 waterfalls, 25 fountains, a haunted treasure cave, and a towering treehouse. Nearly a quarter-acre of the course’s surface area is covered in water.

Every hole has a water obstacle, and all 18 holes are challenging. But the hardest hole might be No. 3, which runs uphill, Nickinello said. If you don’t hit it just right, the ball comes rolling back down.

When the redesigned Skull Island first opened, not everyone was a fan of the giant namesake statue, Nickinello said. But today, the skull is a Route 28 landmark. It’s a familiar meeting place and a setting for parties, functions, and charity events. It hosted this summer’s Yarmouth Pirate Festival and it marks the starting area for the town’s world-famous St. Patrick’s Parade. Wedding parties pull up in their limos so people can get out and take pictures with the iconic skull, Nickinello said.

If you want more than a 90-minute round of minigolf, Skull Island Sports World is ready to accommodate. The sprawling complex at 934 Main St. (Route 28) in South Yarmouth also features a driving range, batting cages, a go-kart track, and an indoor arcade. That means you can practice your long game or your short game, while the kids ride go-karts or play in the arcade.

Skull Island’s season runs from April 1 through the end of September. Find more information on prices, birthday parties, special events, and hours by calling 508-398-6070 or visiting skullislandcapecod.com.

WILD ANIMAL LAGOON

Can’t make it to the zoo this summer? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered – with 18 holes of challenging mini golf to boot.

Wild Animal Lagoon, 62 Main Street (Route 28), West Yarmouth, offers the chance to putt your way past elephants, a mountain gorilla, a white-horned rhinoceros, and other exotic beasts – all while listening to the roar of cascading waterfalls.

The course features bank shots and boulders to make the putting more interesting, along with watering holes where jungle-themed statues hang out. Think of a bellowing hippopotamus and sunbathing crocodile. By the way, have you ever tried to sink a putt while standing next to a giraffe and fighting the shadow of a crashed airplane? Here’s your chance.

Call 508-790-1662 or visit https://www.wildanimallagoon.com/ for prices, a coupon, and more information.

PUTTER’S PARADISE MINI-GOLF

Maybe you’re a Cape Cod traditionalist, who prefers lighthouses, sea captains, and spouting whales for mini golf statuaries. If so, head straight to Putter’s Paradise, 119, Main St. (Route 28) in West Yarmouth.

The 18-hole course features concrete statues of a stern-looking Captain Ahab holding a harpoon in search of the elusive white whale – which just happens to be spouting water in the nearby lagoon. There’s also a concrete lighthouse, lobsterman, and squirming pink octopus clutching a putter, all created by local artist T.J. Neil.

After your round of minigolf, you can pick up an ice cream cone, smoothie, frozen yogurt, or sundae made with Gifford’s ice cream from Skowhegan, Maine. And what could be cooler than that?

Call 508-771-7394 or visit puttersparadise.net for more information.

PIRATE’S COVE ADVENTURE GOLF

You’ll find more cascading waterfalls – along with caves, skulls (albeit considerably smaller than the big one at Skull Island), and a model pirate ship – at Pirate’s Cove Adventure Golf, 728 Main St., (Route 28) in South Yarmouth. Pirate’s Cove is one of more than two dozen pirate-themed minigolf courses in a chain that stretches from Florida to New Hampshire and Arkansas to South Dakota.

The Yarmouth Pirate’s Cove features two 18-hole courses – the Captain’s Course and Blackbeard’s Course, which is handicap accessible. (There’s also a special rate for those who want to play all 36 holes.)

Pirate’s Cove is usually open into October, but this year the attraction will close Sept. 12 for renovations before opening again in the spring of 2022, according to the company’s website.

Call 508-394-6200 or visit piratescove.net/locations/massachusetts/south-yarmouth/ for more information.

Andy Tomolonis is a textbook author, travel writer and freelance multimedia journalist.

Y-D Red Sox and Cape Cod League returning to action

After the pandemic forced Cape Codders to endure a summer without their favorite baseball games last year, the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox are ready to play ball in 2021.

Earlier this month, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker announced that the state is lifting all remaining COVID-19 restrictions as of May 29. Also, the state of emergency in Massachusetts will end on June 15, Baker said – five days before the start of the 2021 Cape Cod Baseball League season.

COVID-19 cases, deaths and hospitalizations are all tracking downward, and Massachusetts is on schedule to meet its goal of 4 million people fully vaccinated by June 1, Baker said. So, with businesses preparing to open at full capacity across Cape Cod, many are eager to get outside and have some old-fashioned fun. It’s also clear that absence has made the baseball heart grow fonder.

There’s a great deal of enthusiasm about the return of Cape Cod League Baseball this year, said Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox President James P. DeMaria. “The pent-up excitement is absolutely palpable. It’s fantastic.”

The league begins its 40-game schedule at 5 p.m. on Father’s Day, June 20. That’s when the Brewster Whitecaps visit Red Wilson Field in South Yarmouth to take on the Y-D Red Sox. (Find a complete Cape League schedule online.)

If the crack of the bat and smell of new-mown grass – along with the occasional waft of grilling hot dogs – doesn’t get you primed, the price of admission should do the trick. All Cape Cod Baseball League games are free. Parking is free. Concessions are affordable. And the spectator experience is incomparable, DeMaria said.

“When people come to visit the Cape, and they’re looking for things to do, and they’re looking for things that are family friendly, and they’re looking for things that are within their budget, and they’re looking for things that their kids will enjoy, and they’re looking for things that are outdoors – we’re all of those things.”

People can bring their families, he said. They can enjoy a wonderful evening outdoors and see future major league stars playing a fantastic brand of baseball in an environment that is “a slice of Americana,” DeMaria said. “It’s a great experience, and it’s quintessential Cape Cod.”

FUTURE MAJOR LEAGUE ALL-STARS

Most fans know that watching any Cape League game offers the chance to see future major-leaguers, including all stars and World Series champions. The Y-D Red Sox are no exception, DeMaria said. He noted that many Y-D players have gone from rounding the bases at Red Wilson Field to thrilling the fans at Fenway Park and other big-league venues. You want names?

For starters, there’s Chris Sale. The Red Sox ace played in Yarmouth during the summer of 2009 then helped the Red Sox win the 2018 World Series – even striking out Dodgers’ slugger Manny Machado for the final out. All told, there were 14 former Cape Cod League players in the World Series that year.

Last year’s Major League Championship series featured more Y-D alums.

“We had four players in the World Series last year – three Dodgers and one for the Tampa Bay Rays,” DeMaria said. The Cape Cod League alumni wearing Dodger Blue in 2020 were Justin Turner, Walker Buehler and Chris Taylor. Tampa Bay catcher Mike Zunino is also a former Y-D Red Sox player.

There’s more: Cleveland Indians pitcher Shane Bieber, winner of last year’s American League Cy Young Award, played with the Y-D Red Sox in 2015. When you count the players on all 10 Cape Cod League Baseball teams, there are annually 300 active alumni playing in the major leagues and more than 1,250 players all time, according to CCBL statistics. One in every six Major League Baseball players has spent time in the Cape League.

SUPPORTING THE TEAM

While all Cape Cod Baseball League games are free, donations are appreciated. Supporting the concession stands and souvenir shops is helpful, too. DeMaria said the hope is that people come to the games and spend a few hours, grab something to eat, buy a T-shirt or hat, and enjoy themselves.

With most games starting at 5 or 6 p.m., dinner at the ballpark is a convenient and inexpensive option. A hot dog is $3; a cheeseburger is $4; and it’s $7 for a sausage, pepper and onion roll. You can also try Capt. Parker’s award-winning chowder for $6 ($8 if it’s served in a bread bowl). And a Moose Tracks ice cream cone is just $3.

All home games are played at Merrill “Red” Wilson Field behind D-Y Regional High School, 210 Station Ave., South Yarmouth. There’s free parking at the high school, and the field has a capacity of 5,500. Bleachers along the first-base and third-base lines, allow a great view of the game, and there’s plenty of open space for those who want to bring lawn chairs to sit on the grass. But keep your eyes fixed on the action and watch out for foul balls – these are future big-league batters with a lot of power in their swings.

The D-Y High School field and all the fan accommodations are in excellent condition, DeMaria said. He says the team will follow any safety precautions recommended by local public health officials.

While the state is lifting its remaining COVID-19 restrictions on May 29, protective face masks will still be required on public transportation, inside health facilities, in public schools, and in buildings where vulnerable populations live. Also, those who have not been vaccinated are advised to continue wearing masks and practicing social distancing.

LESSONS FROM FUTURE STARS

Beyond the games, there’s coaching. Youngsters who want to sharpen their skills at hitting, fielding and throwing can take a clinic under the direction of Y-D Red Sox manager Scott Pickler, with help from staff and players. Clinics are available for boys and girls 5 years and older, with a focus on individual skills, along with sportsmanship, citizenship and character. The clinics run Monday through Friday mornings and cost $90 a week – which includes a T-shirt.

OPEN YOUR HOME TO A CCBL PLAYER

Yarmouth residents who want to get more involved with the team can host a player for the summer. Like other Cape Cod Baseball League teams, the Y-D Red Sox rely on local families to provide room and board for players who stay with one family for the entire season. Ballplayers are expected to toe the line to family rules and provide their own transportation. “We’re always looking for host families,” DeMaria said, noting that those sign up for the program this year, might become host families during the summer of 2022. Find out more at the Y-D Red Sox website.

The Y-D Red Sox also use volunteers to help with fundraising and community activities, help at home games and provide other team services. If you’re interested in learning more, email DeMaria at jdemaria@ydredsox.com.

Andy Tomolonis is a textbook author, travel writer and freelance multimedia journalist.