Duffy in a Year of Transition

Here is another article I wrote for the company I work for - MVPScout

CHATHAM, MA – Matt Duffy suffered some bad news at the beginning of his 2009 season with the University of Vermont. Just two weeks before opening day Duffy and his team were informed that the baseball and softball programs at UVM would be cut due to lack of funding. “It was crazy,” Duffy said. Duffy and his teammates were shocked by the news and immediately started to think of what was going to happen to them and their baseball future the following spring. “It was definitely a blow to everyone on the team. I guess we just had to deal with it,” Duffy said.
Duffy is one of the lucky ones. He has committed to playing with the University of Tennessee and should be an asset to their team next spring. “I don’t know what completely to expect but I know that it will be very good baseball,” said Duffy. In Duffy’s final season with UVM he set two UVM baseball program records by scoring 57 runs and hitting 57 RBIs. “I had a good season. The coaches were really helpful and I worked hard,” Duffy said. “When I found out [our program] got cut it actually made me work even harder.” All his hard work paid off. He led his team and the America East conference in batting (first time a UVM player to lead the America East in batting since 2002) with a .388 average and was named the America East Player of the Year.
This summer Duffy is the third basemen for the Chatham Anglers. The upcoming Tennessee junior grew up in Milton, MA so going to Cape Cod League games was something familiar to him as a kid. “When I was about 12 or 13 I came to a couple games with my friends who lived down at the Cape,” said Duffy. “I was playing baseball and [the Cape] was always a place that I wanted to play. It is cool that I got the opportunity to come down here and play,” he said. Now Duffy’s childhood dreams are coming true and has a .211 batting average with Chatham and plays the hot corner very well currently having an errorless season. “My goals are just to get better and do well. Hopefully we can win, that would be a good bonus,” he said. Duffy stands at 6’3” and weighs 210 lbs. Duffy also pitches but does not think he will for Chatham or Tennessee in the 2010 season.
Chatham, having the best record at the Cape (9 – 4), seems to have had a bit of luck in a lot of their come-from-behind wins this season. Rumor has it that Duffy is the team’s lucky charm. When he is on the field Chatham’s luck seems to turn around. “I wouldn’t call myself a lucky charm, it was just something crazy that happened,” said Duffy. “It is pretty funny a couple of the guys on the team made a few jokes about it but I am definitely not the only one making it happen.”
Duffy says he is currently not being looked at by any professional teams but if he keeps the same drive and determination as he did in his final season with UVM, Duffy should bring Chatham and Tennessee a lot of runs and maybe even some luck.

Chatham Losing Streak

After an impressive start this summer having a 9 - 1 record, Chatham has had a three-game losing streak. It all began last Friday at Chatham's home field Veteran's Field. They faced the Bourne Braves and could not get ahead of them after committing four errors. Bourne shut out Chatham beating them 4 - 0. Bourne started their scoring in the 5th after a solo homerun was hit by Cody Freeman over the center field fence. Another run was scored in the 6th and two more in the 9th after an error made by Chatham's left fielder Jeff Schaus.
The next loss Chatham suffered was in Cotuit on Satruday in a close 3 - 1 loss. Chatham could not get their bats going in the 9th when they had the bases loaded with a chance to come back.
In Orleans on Sunday night Chatham fell behind 2 - 0 early in the top of the first inning after starter Tom Keeling walked batters and had 5 wild pitches allowing two Firebirds to score. Keeling was taken out of the game and replaced by Logan Verrett who pitched 5 innings allowing no runs to score and had seven strikeouts. Chatham's only run was when Tom Belza singled which allowed Joey Terdoslavich to score. Unfortunately the Anglers could not get another run in the 9th to tie up the game and they suffered their third loss in a row.
Tonight they face the Brewster Whitecaps at Stony Brooke Field and hopefully can reverse their streak back to a winning one.

Addison Johnson Returns to Chatham

Here is another article I wrote for the company I work for MVP Scout:


CHATHAM, MA – The Chatham Anglers, who have been ranked the number one summer league team in the nation, have been patiently waiting for outfielder Addison Johnson to return – for two years to be exact. The Clemson junior suffered a hand injury in the 2008 season along with a hamstring injury which kept him out of the entire 2008 season. It was the longest Johnson has ever gone without playing baseball since he started as a kid. “I’m excited to be back,” Johnson said about his second summer with Chatham, “just as long as this weather lets up.” The Cape League has suffered two days without any games being played because of all the rain that has been happening which will give many teams, including Chatham, multiple double headers. “This summer I really want to work on my hitting. I did not have such a good season during the school year. I want to work on being a good lead-off hitter,” said Johnson.
As a freshman at Clemson in 2007, Johnson had a .286 batting average and scored 35 runs for the Tigers. He also helped lead his team to the NCAA Tournament where he had a .417 batting average in 17 appearances at the plate. Johnson then was ranked in the top 25 sophomore baseball players in the country. Johnson then went to play for the Cape Cod Baseball League for the Chatham A’s in the summer of 2007 and added speed on the bases and in the outfield for Chatham. He had a .276 batting average with 48 hits and 11 RBIs.
Unfortunately the world would not be able to see his next season with the Tigers or with Chatham after he broke his hand. Johnson, excited to play, tried to play after one month by treating his broken had with bone stem. But because he came back too soon he suffered a stress fracture in that same hand along with a pulled hamstring putting him out for the entire 2008 season and summer. “It was tough - sitting on the bench the whole season watching everyone else play, and we didn’t have that great of a year last year so that made it even more frustrating,” said Johnson. “But it feels good to be out here now and play at full speed.” Johnson took the time to rest and get back to top physical condition for the 2009 season at Clemson. Johnson said, “[My injury] might be the reason I didn’t play as well as I wanted to this season because I didn’t play last summer. We have to get on a roll and keep playing if I want to get better playing.” Before Johnson’s summer he hit .217 in his 2009 season with Clemson and had 14 RBIs. In the outfield Johnson had a .967 fielding percentage with only 4 errors. Johnson says he is back to perfect health now and just needs to “get [his] eye back and a lot of at bats.”
He stands at 5’7” and weighs in at 170 pounds. Don’t let his size fool you. His speed and talent in the outfield and at the plate make up for his size. Johnson was drafted this year in the 2009 draft by the Oakland A’s in the 48th round. “They are going to follow me around this summer but I think I will just end up going back to school,” said Johnson. Chatham is in good position now being 8 – 1 on the season leading the entire Cape Cod League. Johnson thinks the title can come back to Chatham. “We have got an awesome start,” said Johnson, “Wouldn’t really want to change much because everyone is playing so well.” Johnson is not active player for Chatham yet but he hopes when he gets in that he can continue to help Chatham to be on their way to the playoffs.

Rain, Rain go away!!

Yesterday all Cape League games were canceled and the games on Sunday were minimal and if the players did get to play, it was a moist and cold day on the diamond. Today the Cape League faces more rain outs with the %60 chance of rain. This proposes trouble for the league when trying to find days where these games can be made up and also proposes a threat of multiple double headers for teams.
As for this baseball fan I just want the rain to go away so I can watch more exciting baseball. On Sunday, the last day a game was played on the Cape, Chatham faced Orleans in Orleans. Not many fans showed up as it was cold and misting out but those fans who didn't show missed an exciting game. Chatham did not get off to a good start falling behind Orleans 7 - 1. But in the next inning they found a way to get within 7 - 5. In the top of the ninth the Anglers scored one more run before shortstop Brian Harris (Vanderbilt) stepped up to the plate and cranked a grand slam over the left field fence giving Chatham a 10 - 7 lead and eventually the win.
Chatham seems to be the come-back kids and now have a record of 7 - 1. Hopefully their hot streak can continue and they can take their team to the playoffs this year.

Chatham Wins Again in Late Innings Against the Defending Champs

On Saturday night at Veteran's field, the Chatham Anglers faced the defending Cape League champions the Harwich Mariners. Chatham was leading going into the 8th inning. Chatham's closer Russell Brewer came in to put the game away in the ninth but instead gave up several hits to the Mariners initiating their rally. Dain Hall (Villanova) lead off the inning with a single to center field. Harwich's Keenan Wiley then reached on an infield hit giving Harwich runners on 1st and 2nd with no outs. The Anglers then botched a play on a sacrifice bunt by Harwich's Chris Wade. The bases were loaded and Hall was able to score on a ground out by Trent Mummey (Auburn.) Then Chatham's catcher allowed a passed ball and Harwich scored to tie the game at 3. Brewer then got three quick outs with some impressive strikeouts.
After a scoreless tenth inning and great pitching performance from Chatham's Kevin Scanlan (Maine), the Anglers answered back. Tom Belza reached on an error for the Anglers to lead off the inning. The Steven Brooks then advanced Belza to second on a bunt single. Chatham's catcher Mike Murry then stepped to the plate and faked a bunt and slapped a hit to left field which allowed Brooks to score and Chatham to have a walk off victory in the 11th. This game was a good preview to what is to come. Both of these teams are the favorites in the East and this match up is what fans could see in the playoffs.

Chatham Improves to 4 - 1

On a beautiful and warmer Chatham night, the Anglers picked up their 4th win of the season in the 10th inning against the Wareham Gatemen 5 - 4.
In the make up game against Wareham that was "fogged out" last Friday night, the Anglers got off to a rough start. After the first three innings the Anglers found themselves down by three after the Wareham Gatemen scored two runs in both the second and the third inning. On the mound for the Anglers was Thomas Keeling, a senior left hander from Oklahoma St. Chris Leonida (Georgia Tech) got things started for Wareham in the second inning by hitting a single past Chatham's third baseman. A double then followed that was hit by Jake Lemmerman (Duke) putting runners on second and third. Both those runners scored off of a base-clearing double hit by Wareham's Chris Hannick (Cal State Northridge).
Chatham cut the lead in half in the bottom of the second inning. But Wareham's bats were too hot for Chatham to keep Wareham's lead at bay. The Gatemen scored two more runs in the third when Leonida walked and advanced to third on two passed balls. After Chatham's new pitcher Pete Kennelly (Fordham) walked another batter, Wareham's Chris Hannick (Cal State Northridge) hit a double driving both batters in putting Wareham up 4 - 1.
Chatham's hopes seemed lost until they got their bats together in the bottom of the eighth inning driving in three runs tying the game at 4. Going into the 10th inning, Wareham could not get a run off of Chatham's closer Taylor Hill (Baylor). In the bottom of the inning Chatham got three singles and was able to score on a passed third strike to end the game. Chatham plays Bourne tonight in Bourne at 6pm.

Brewer Proves Himself in the Fog

I wrote this profile of Vanderbilt's Russell Brewer for the company I work with MVP Scout (mvpscout.com).

CHATHAM, MA – The Chatham Anglers’ opponent this week was not the Wareham Gatemen, Hyannis Mets, or the Brewster Whitecaps, it was the weather. Chatham is notorious for having a mysterious, thick fog that coats Chatham’s home field, Veteran’s Field, and last weekend the fog cut Chatham’s first two games of the season short. Friday’s game lasted two innings, but on Saturday the Anglers were able to play 8 innings and get their first win of the season against the Hyannis Mets defeating them 4 – 1.
Russell Brewer, a right hand closer from Vanderbilt, also got his first win of the summer in the deep midst of the Chatham fog. After Boston College’s Mike Dennhardt pitched four innings and after the first 30 minute fog delay, Brewer, standing at 6 feet and weighing in at 190 pounds, came in for relief for two innings. The righty threw hard sinking fastballs and change ups leaving the Hyannis batters fooled. In his two innings pitched he struck out six batters. He gave up two singles in the fifth but pulled it together and struck out the next three batters getting Chatham out of a jam. Although it was foggy, cold, and the air was moist, Brewer stuck out the next three batters he faced in the sixth showing why he was named the Russ Ford Outstanding Relief Pitcher of the Year last summer at the Cape for his season with the Hyannis Mets. Brewer was relieved in the 7th by his Vanderbilt teammate Taylor Hill.
Chatham’s pitching coach Tyler Kincaid says that he is trying to get to know Brewer and is familiar with him through his season with Hyannis last summer. “We are trying to work on his control with his two-seam [fastball] and that is pretty much it,” said Kincaid. “He threw a very good four-seam [fastball] yesterday against Y-D (Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox). It just exploded on the batters,” said Kincaid. Brewer’s fastball clocks in between 93 – 95mph and Kincaid says that all Brewer wants to do is “get saves. So we will put him in all summer and just have him as a workhorse at the end.”
Brewer’s season last summer at the Cape Cod League was impressive. He had 12 saves out of 12 attempts, 17 strikeouts, and a 2.74 ERA in 18 appearances and 23 innings. He was the first Hyannis Mets pitcher to win the Russ Ford award since 1991. His pitching coach with Hyannis, Chad Gassman said when Brewer “steps on the mound, he is ready to pitch. If we can get to the end of a game with a lead, it is usually going to be secured as a win.” As for this season Brewer says his goals are to “try to repeat last summer and get to Fenway on July 23rd.” The Cape Cod League All Star game will be held on July 23rd making it the first time at Fenway Park in 22 years.
Originally Brewer was recruited by Vanderbilt as a position player and had not pitched in over two years before the spring of 2007. Brewer said, “I came in as primarily an infielder. I threw a little bit in the fall and then I went off freshmen summer and told them I could pitch. I had a pretty good summer,” said Brewer. He proved himself the summer of his freshman year. He started out as strictly a starter with a 4 – 2 record during his season with the Waynesboro Generals of the Valley Baseball League in Virginia. He had an impressive 2.15 ERA and two shutout complete games in his 11 appearances in Virginia. “Then I came back to Vanderbilt and Coach said that if I wanted to get playing time I should pitch,” said Brewer. The sophomore then turned to closer when the Commodores found themselves without one. “I started doing mid-relief and then just made my way to closer. Then I came up [to Cape Cod] and my coach saw me pitch on TV and wanted me to be their closer,’ said Brewer.
As for the major leagues Brewer said he has talked to a few teams before the draft but none recently. Some of the teams he has talked to are the Yankees, the Angels, and the Orioles.
Brewer’s coach from Vanderbilt says Brewer “is as consistent as any pitcher we have. He could be used in many roles, but really flourishes at the end of the game because of his attitude.” At the end of Brewer’s 2009 season at Vanderbilt Brewer had a record of 1 – 2 and a 2.96 ERA in 27 innings pitched. Although Brewer is known to have trouble with control, he has proved himself to be a force to be reckoned with especially on the fields of the Cape. Chatham’s 2008 season was not as successful as expected, but this year with pitchers like Brewer, Chatham is looking tougher for teams to beat this summer. Brewer said, “If I get 12 saves again this summer then we are winning a lot of ball games.”