Aug. 22, 2006
NORMAL, Ill. -
Considered by many baseball enthusiasts as the premier amateur baseball league in the nation, the Cape Cod Baseball League has been a platform for some of the nation's best collegiate baseball players to show off their talents in hopes of earning a professional contract. The CCBL is also a place for young coaches to hone their craft and work with some of the best young talent in the country. Illinois State baseball volunteer assistant coach Mike Current used the summer to do just that, as he helped lead the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox to a CCBL Championship.
The Bloomington, Ill., native served as an assistant coach for the Red Sox under head coach Scott Pickler from June until August. The Red Sox, who are based in Yarmouth, Mass., finished the season with a 28-16 record and won their second CCBL Championship in three years by defeating the Wareham Gatemen, 5-1, in the championship game.
Current, who is beginning his second year on the ISU staff and his second as a graduate student pursuing a master's degree in sport management, was blown away by his summer spent in "The Cape."
"I couldn't have asked for a better place to spend my summer," said Current. "The weather in Cape Cod is great and the atmosphere surrounding the Cape League is amazing. Even though the fields are not the caliber of some that we play on in the Missouri Valley Conference, every one of the teams has a huge following and the fans really care about their favorite teams. It was fun to go to the field every day and watch baseball the way it's supposed to be played."
The CCBL, which has been in existence since 1885, has been a proving ground for the best collegiate baseball players in the country since its inception. With teams so equally matched and the level of parity high within the league, Current believes he was fortunate to be a part of the Red Sox.
"Winning the championship was a great experience, but it was even more gratifying to work with the players every day," said Current. "These are some of the most talented baseball players in the nation and it would be easy for them to be selfish and play just to earn a professional contract. I was lucky to get the chance to work players of that caliber who forgot about personal goals and really bought into the team concept to help us win."
Current was not alone in "The Cape," however, as Redbird junior third baseman Ryan Anetsberger also made the summer trip and played for the Falmouth Commodores. When playing against Anetsberger, Current found himself torn between wanting his team to succeed and wanting one of his players to perform well.
"Whenever we played Ryan, it was hard for me to separate between my two coaching positions," said Current. "On one hand, my competitiveness jumped out and I wanted our team to win. But, at other times I wanted Ryan to succeed and play well. Of course, I never wanted him to be the guy to beat us, but if we were up big, I found myself wanting him to get a hit."
Spending a summer away from home and coaching players who you are not familiar with may be a scary proposition for most baseball coaches. However, for Current, the experience paid off and he will always have a constant reminder of the summer of 2006, his CCBL championship ring.
