August 4 for August 3 Update

I went to Bourne on Monday for both ends of a doubleheader between Bourne and Brewster. Bourne won both games to secure a playoff spot and knock Brewster out of contention.

Right-handed starter Kendal Volz from Baylor started for Brewster and showed he is still struggling to regain the dominant form he displayed as Team USA's closer in 2008. The Red Sox selected Volz in the ninth round of this year's draft, and had a very high ranking member of their front office scouting Volz on Monday. Volz is big with a solid build at 6'4" 220, but he is short-arming his pitches and landing on a stiff front foot which is limiting his velocity. Volz was known to touch 97 mph with his fastball last summer, but it sat between 87-90 mph on Monday and only once touched 91. He threw a 77-79 mph curveball that was very good when he threw it well, but that was only once every three or four times he threw it. The curve simply spun and stayed up in the zone too often, and Bourne's hitters were able to get to it. Volz also threw an 83 mph changeup and a hard slider that had tight break but which didn't move a whole lot. Volz clearly needs to find his velocity again to maximize his effectiveness, but he has shown potential in the past.

Bourne's Game 1 starter was Robert Morey from the University of Virginia. Morey is average height with a thin frame at 6'1" 185. He comes almost straight over the top when he throws and throws with some effort. His fastball sat in the 88-90 mph range, and he threw a good curveball with tight overhand break which he could throw for a strike. Morey also threw an 84 mph slider with tight break but which didn't a lot and had the effect of a cutter. He rarely showed a 79 mph changeup. Morey is decent but his stuff is not outstanding.

Righthander Michael Dimock from Wake Forest got a spot start for Bourne in Game 2. Dimock is also average height with a thin frame at 6'1" 185. He throws with some effort but gets good extension and has good arm action. Dimock is not afraid to throw his fastball over both sides of the plate. He has an average slider with sharp run, a curveball with slow, overhand break and an average changeup with downward movement. Morey and Dimock were really quite similar, aside from just the identical height and weight. Both were solid, both knew what they were doing on the mound, but neither had exceptional stuff.

The offensive hero of the day was Bourne first baseman/designated hitter Kyle Roller from East Carolina. Roller has put up monster numbers this season and is the odds-on favorite to win the league's MVP award. Roller wasn't selected until the 47th round of the draft by Oakland, but the Red Sox executive said he was surprised Roller lasted that long. That comment begged the question why didn't the Red Sox just take him, but the answer is perhaps that Roller might not be more than a DH in professional ball. But Roller can hit. He smashed an outside fastball for a double to the left-centerfield gap and hit a moon shot grand slam in the first game, then smoked a single up the middle in the second game. Roller is slow and is not very good in the field, but he is making himself some money with the display he has put on this summer.

Bourne rightfielder Ben Klafczynski from Kent State also had a big day at the plate. Klafczynski has proven to be a tremendous athlete in the outfield, but he has struggled to hit all summer. He hit two ground-rule doubles and hit a third double toward the fence Monday. Klafczynski has quick hands but he has kind of a one-plane swing that makes him prone to strikeouts. Still, Klafczynski has good size and great athleticism and will get a lot of looks next spring. He was an All-American coming out of high school in 2007.

Brewster third baseman/second baseman Jedd Gyorko from West Virginia still looked uncomfortable in the infield but he is continuing to prove he is a really good hitter. Gyorko steps in the bucket and never fully closes his open stance which leaves him susceptible to outside pitches, but he still manages to get his bat to the ball and make solid contact more often than not. He has good pitch recognition and does well sitting back on breaking pitches. His biggest issue is his lack of position in the field.

I will be at Harwich at Brewster for a few innings and then over to Bourne at Hyannis on Tuesday.

AROUND THE LEAGUE

Y-D 3 Falmouth 0: Four pitchers combined for a four-hit shutout for Y-D. Third baseman Steve Chatwood from the University of San Diego went 1-for-3 with a run scored.

Chatham 5 Harwich 4: Third baseman Matt Duffy from Tennessee went 2-for-4 with a home run for Chatham. Leftfielder Leon Landry from LSU went 4-for-5 with two RBIs for Harwich.

Orleans 6 Hyannis 5, 11 innings: Right-handed pitcher Matt Hiserman from Santa Clara pitched 5.1 shutout innings in relief for Orleans, allowing one hit and striking out one. Designated hitter Ryan Cuneo from the University of Delaware went 3-for-6 for Hyannis.

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July 23 for July 22 Update

I went to Hyannis again on Wednesday to see Hyannis play Brewster mainly because it was the most convenient place to go as I get my stuff together for the All-Star Game on Thursday.

I had already seen both starters, and with Brewster winning 1-0 there weren't many hitters to talk about either. But a few of the relievers who came in are worth discussing.

Righthander Kendal Volz from Baylor made his 2009 Cape League debut for Brewster, and it was a pleasant surprise to get to watch him pitch up here. Volz has been a highly-touted prospect and made a big name for himself last summer as Team USA's closer, but he fell to the ninth round of this year's draft when the Red Sox selected him after an up-and-down college season. Volz has reportedly thrown 97 mph in the past but his fastball sat in the 87-89 mph range Wednesday. His 76-80 mph slider was a very good pitch with late movement, and he didn't throw his changeup in his inning of work Wednesday. Volz is big with a solid build at 6'4" 220, but he throws with effort. He clearly wasn't at top form.

Brewster right-handed reliever Tyler Thornburg from Charleston Southern was also interesting to watch. I caught Thornburg throw during the first week of the season, but hadn't seen him since then before Wednesday night. Thornburg is undersized at 5'11" 176, and he throws with big-time effort. He gets good extension and has a hitch in his motion before he throws straight over the top. I hesitate to make this comparison, as his mechanics are not as exaggerated and his stuff is not as good, but Thornburg evokes a faint comparison to Tim Lincecum. But Thornburg's command is not as good, he doesn't throw as hard and his curveball doesn't break as much. Still, Thornburg's fastball sat in the 93-94 mph range, and his 77 mph curveball had very good overhand break. He also showed a decent changeup with some tailing action in on right-handed hitters. Thornburg impressed me more than he did the last time I saw him when his curveball wasn't working for him, but with his command he is kind of an adventure every time out.

Brewster right-handed reliever Stayton Thomas from the University of Texas was decent too. He is also undersized at 5'11" 175, and he throws with some effort. Thomas' fastball sat in the 87-89 mph range and had some glove-side run and sinking action. He threw a very good 72-74 mph curveball with big break. With his size his velocity might be maxed out, and his current two-pitch combination likely wouldn't be good enough to consistently fool professional hitters.

Hyannis right-handed reliever Dallas Gallant from Sam Houston State showed good stuff again but struggled with his control. One of the more successful relievers in the league this summer, Gallant's fastball sat in the 91-92 mph range, his hard 84-85 mph slider had really tight break, and it complemented his sweeping 77-79 mph curveball well. Gallant has good size and a thin, athletic build at 6'3" 185. Scouts are talking about him as one of the better relievers on the Cape.
Finally, Hyannis left-handed reliever Mark Gormley arkfrom Brown, who pitched for Brewster earlier in the summer, looked better than I remembered him in previous outings. Gormley is average height for a pitcher with an athletic build at 6'2" 200. He has good arm action but he throws with effort and falls off the mound when he throws. Gormley's fastball sits in the 87-88 mph range. He has a decent changeup that tails back in toward left-handed hitters, and an average slider.

Both catchers looked good behind the plate Wednesday, and each threw out two runners trying to steal second base. Brewster's Dan Butler from the University of Arizona moves very well back there and has a really accurate arm. His bat isn't as good as his defense, and Butler is already three months away from his 23rd birthday which limits his status as a prospect. He is also a little undersized for a catcher at 5'10" 190. Hyannis' Kenny Swab from Young Harris has struggled terribly at the plate this summer, but he is also a good defensive backstop.

AROUND THE LEAGUE

Falmouth 7 Chatham 6, Falmouth 5 Chatham 2: In the first game of the doubleheader, rightfielde Ryan Jones from Wichita State went 3-for-3 and second baseman Connor Mach homered for Falmouth. Centerfielder Whit Merrifield from the University of South Carolina went 2-for-3 with three RBI. In the second game, shortstop B.A. Vollmuth from Southern Mississippi homered for Falmouth and first baseman Dean Green from Oklahoma State homered for Chatham.

Bourne 4 Wareham 0: Bourne right-handed starter Alex Wimmers from Ohio State pitched six shutout innings, allowing four hits and four walks and striking out 10. Second baseman Pierre LePage from UConn and shortstop Zack MacPhee from Arizona State each had two hits for Bourne.

My All-Star Game recap will appear Friday afternoon, highlighting the best performances of the league's signature event.

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