With Opening Day set for Saturday, June 13, managers and representatives from each Cape League franchise gathered Thursday at the 99 Restaurant in West Yarmouth for the league's annual First Pitch Brunch.
The event brought together league executives, former major leaguers and all 10 managers, including first-year skippers Jack Dahm of Falmouth and Rob Cooper of Cotuit.
The Cape League's 14th commissioner, John Castleberry, welcomed attendees as the league prepares for another summer of collegiate baseball.
“This is a good get-together to relax before the season gets started, and everybody starts competing, screaming at one another,” Castleberry said. “It's a nice time.”
Although the room was filled with rival franchises, there was a noticeable sense of camaraderie among the managers.
Each manager took the podium to discuss their upcoming season, share the challenges of assembling a summer roster and congratulate Bourne's Scott Landers, whose Braves won the 2025 Cape League championship and have appeared in four consecutive championship series.
Although Bourne’s dynasty-like run has been a constant, some managers like Yarmouth-Dennis’ Scott Pickler are seeing more change than ever before.
“I have eight position players right now,” Pickler said. “We're going to scrimmage Harwich today and I’m playing a bullpen catcher at shortstop.”
Pickler is the winningest coach in the Cape League, entering his 28th season and still finding new challenges each year.
The Cape League has blossomed into the premier collegiate league in the country.
With 398,000 attendees and 185 former Cape League players drafted in the 2025 MLB Draft, Castleberry knows the league is only trending up.
As the buffet line swelled, each booth became filled with its team’s unique colors and tables full of food.
Rob Bradford, who emceed the event, joked that the 99 serves the "best eggs in baseball.” Bradford is a writer with WEEI and hosts a baseball podcast, Baseball Isn’t Boring, with former major leaguer Joe Kelly.
With all of his major league connections, Bradford is seeing firsthand how intertwined the Cape League is with the majors.
"Virtually 75% of the people in a major league clubhouse have played in the Cape,” Bradford said. “Not only did they have the stats here, but they have the memories, and the relationships, and the history, and the time of their life, which they're never going to forget."
Armed with an encyclopedic knowledge of the Cape League and the game of baseball, Bradford introduced each manager before they took the podium.
One former World Series Champion he mentioned was Dennis Cook. Cook won the World Series in 1997 with the then-Florida Marlins, and is using that experience entering his second season with the Chatham Anglers.
Cook has exposure to all aspects of the sport and is using his rookie campaign on the Cape to fully prepare for the upcoming season.
Cook noted that summer baseball has changed significantly during his decades in the game, with players balancing commitments ranging from the MLB Draft to national team opportunities.
"Back in my day, you played all summer, or you went home and worked," Cook said. "Now some kids come for two weeks and then go to the beach with their girlfriend."
Despite those changes, Cook believes the Cape League remains one of the best opportunities in collegiate baseball.
"This is a great opportunity for them to feel thankful to be here, and to showcase their talent in front of all the scouts," Cook said.
The number of Cape League alumni getting drafted is only growing as the talent on the Cape continues to rise.
“Having that experience to understand how the rosters work will definitely help,” Cook said. “I still wake up at night thinking about managing my roster.
“The draft dichotomy has changed,” Castleberry said. “This is one of the greatest baseball experiences and one of the best summers you’ll ever have.”
The brunch also served as the stage for several honors and announcements. The Cape League unveiled its 2026 Hall of Fame class, featuring former Cape standouts Seth Etherton, Matt Goyen, Grant Green and Kevin Nicholson, along with longtime league contributor John Garner.
The league also announced longtime Y-D Red Sox executive Jack Martin as the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award, the Wequassett Resort & Golf Club as the Peter Gammons Award winner and former Wareham Gatemen president Glen Hannington as the 2025 Executive of the Year.
The event ended with Landers and Castleberry taking a photo with the 2025 edition of Bourne’s championship banners.
“It's a Norman Rockwell photo– it’s Americana at its best,” Castleberry said. “It's a chance to see the best players before they get big.”
All ten teams kick off their summer with the Cape League on June 13. For more information about this upcoming season visit www.CapeCodLeague.com.
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