HARWICH, Mass. — The annual Cape Cod Baseball League Hall of Fame induction ceremony took place at the picturesque Wequassett Resort and Golf Club on Sunday, November 17. The Hall of Fame class included Andrew Calica, Todd Cunningham, Todd Helton, Pat Neshek, Nick Senzel, Brick Smith, and Jeff Trundy, who each brought friends and family to Harwich to celebrate. The event featured a luncheon followed by the official induction ceremony, during which the inductees received their rings and were honored with tribute videos.

The day began early, before friends, family, or fans arrived. The Hall of Fame inductees, who had also met the previous evening, had the chance to walk the resort and reflect on their achievements before the festivities began. It was a moment for each inductee to step back, appreciate their contributions to the Cape League, and recognize the honor being bestowed upon them. It also marked the first time the entire Hall of Fame class had the opportunity to converse as a group.

“It kind of makes you feel small,” Todd Cunningham admitted. The 2009 Cape League batting champion shared how being inducted alongside individuals with such varied career paths put his own success into perspective. “They all put up these big careers and big numbers, but it's cool to be a part of this very small, kind of tribal, community and inducted into the Hall of Fame.”

“I played in front of 30–40,000 fans, but coming into an event like this, where it's so intimate, private, and so well-done, is just incredible,” Cunningham added.

Longtime Falmouth Commodores manager and beloved coach Jeff Trundy was unable to attend the ceremony in person, but he was well represented. Several members of his former coaching staff attended on his behalf, and Trundy experienced his induction virtually via livestream.

Cunningham, who played for the Commodores in 2009, praised Trundy and expressed his honor in being inducted alongside his former manager. During his speech, Cunningham recounted a story about a one-on-one meeting with Trundy, in which he made a request about playing time he thought would be denied. Instead, Trundy graciously accommodated him, demonstrating the qualities that make him an outstanding coach and person.

Inductees Andrew Calica and Nick Senzel both had standout seasons in the Cape League in 2015. Senzel won the Cape League MVP and Most Outstanding Pro-Prospect Award with the Brewster Whitecaps, while Calica earned the Thurman Munson Batting Title with the Wareham Gatemen.

Since the Cape League transitioned to wooden bats, no one has surpassed Calica’s record-setting batting average of .425. “We've got some different generations here—being able to chat and talk about each of our experiences, and reminisce about those days, was a great opportunity,” Calica said.

Calica added that “you can't beat this view here,” he said of the Wequassett Resort that overlooks Pleasant Bay and the Cape Cod National Seashore. “I’m just trying to take it all in stride, and trying to enjoy it and soak it all up.”

Senzel reflected on how the Cape League prepared him for his professional career. Prior to induction day, he said “you learn to prepare the right way and figure out what routine works for you. You really need to take care of your body every day,” he said.

Both Senzel and Whitecaps manager Jamie Shevchik shared a story about a local Brewster marketplace and joked about them naming a sandwich the “Senzel Special” because of his routine visits.

Calica and Senzel, who dominated opposing pitchers in 2015 and were arguably the two top players that summer, were fittingly inducted together. “I’m excited to be part of the induction ceremony today,” Calica said. “It definitely exceeded my expectations. I’m just humbled and grateful to be here.”

Pat Neshek, a multi-time MLB All-Star who retired in 2019, described the ceremony as an opportunity to relive some of his memories. “It’s neat to kind of relive it and see a lot of the people from the past, from the Cape, and talk a little baseball,” said Neshek, who pitched for the Wareham Gatemen in 2001.

However, he admitted he was unsure if he was even going to have a roster spot at first. One of his teammates from Butler had recorded the final out of the 2000 Cape League championship, so his collegiate coach presented him to Wareham as a pitcher that could “win you a championship”—the rest is history.

Now a baseball coach himself, Neshek reflected on how meaningful the induction was for his family. “When I finished playing, [my son] was only five, so he has limited memories. It’s cool for him and my daughter to see the pictures and ask questions [about my career].”

No inductee stole the show quite like Brick Smith did during his speech. He obviously had fond memories of playing for Hyannis during the summers of 1979-80, but caught everyone’s attention with his stories about frogging with his teammates, encounters with snakes, and even catching a horseshoe crab.

Smith said “[he] was awestruck” when he first arrived at the Wequassett Resort for the induction. “You gotta remember, this is the first time I've been back to the Cape since 1980,” he said. “Everything’s gotten bigger, and this venue is phenomenal.” Smith would be the first to tell you how much of an honor it was to be inducted into the Cape League Hall of Fame, especially with the class around him.

“They’re all good guys. It’s like you know them already, even though you don’t. The commonality is amazing, it’s really impressive.”

The 2024 Hall of Fame class was headlined by Todd Helton, who entered the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, just four months earlier. Helton was a member of the Orleans Cardinals in 1994, and says the induction reminded him “it's absolutely beautiful [on Cape Cod]. That’s one of the things I remember most about playing here. I got to go see [Eldredge Park], so it was funny to see what I remembered and what I didn’t.”

Helton’s former Colorado Rockies manager, Clint Hurdle, made the trip to present him with his ring. Their shared World Series appearance and longtime friendship made the moment especially meaningful. “When I look at Clint, I don’t see my manager,” Helton shared. “He’s a great friend, my mentor, and someone who’s there for me every day.”

Although Helton went on to have an illustrious career as one of the best Rockies players of all time, he was quick to praise the induction class around him: “I enjoyed listening to what kind of seasons these guys put together up here, just impressive.” Helton still had a fantastic summer in ‘94, leading Orleans to the best record in the East Division and participating in the Home Run Contest.

“I was just trying to get a wood bat around and into the strike zone. These guys were hitting .460 and winning MVPs, to do that against the pitching you face up here is a tremendous feat.”

The annual Cape League Hall of Fame induction ceremony demonstrated why it’s a cherished, ceremonious day and honor for the inductees, their family, friends, and fans. Andrew Calica, Todd Cunningham, Todd Helton, Pat Neshek, Nick Senzel, Brick Smith, and Jeff Trundy are now enshrined as Hall of Famers, and will be forever remembered as Cape League legends.

Top photo courtesy of Scott A. Levy Photography