The lights at Whitehouse Field shined brighter on Thursday night as Manager Scott Pickler and the Y-D Red Sox made Cape League history. With two outs and the tying run at the plate in the ninth, Y-D’s defense closed out a landmark game—a game that awarded Pickler his 600th career win.

Scott Pickler has been at the forefront of the Y-D Red Sox for 26 seasons, his beginnings with the organization dating back to 1998. Known as ‘Coach Pick’ on the field, the manager has led Y-D to six Cape League titles, eight championship appearances, and six regular season East Division titles over the years.

“I don't have any specific number that I'm trying to reach. I just want to come to the yard every day and coach baseball,” Pickler said. “I've been here a long time and when talking about the wins, I've had losses too. It's a longevity award, that's what it is—with great players and great assistant coaches.”

Y-D’s Assistant Coach Craig Gianinno has worked alongside Pickler since the 2022 season. As a former collegiate baseball player himself, he said that coaching with Pick and seeing him set the standard in the Cape League has been special.

“I'm just thrilled for him,”Gianinno said. “I mean, 26 years in the cave—he's a winner. He'll never take the credit for it because for him it's all about the players and them having success on the field. But he just knows how to bring out the best in his teams and it showed tonight.”

After Thursday night’s win in Harwich, Pickler’s record as Y-D manager is 600-482-48 and he has maintained a win percentage of over .500 in the past two and a half decades. In the playoffs, his record is 51-32, winning over 60% of his games in the postseason.

His wife Sharon Pickler, who has supported him throughout his seasons as manager, said that every year he is with Y-D has been a meaningful milestone. She added that as Y-D’s head coach year after year, he has still never felt like this is work to him.

“Every year that he's here is a milestone and we're all enjoying it,” Sharon said. “This is just one more great win for him.”

In addition to his impressive tenure with Y-D, Pickler has also established a coaching legacy at Cypress College in California. He completed three and a half decades with the Chargers, taking a struggling program in the mid-80s and turning it into a force to be reckoned with. He led Cypress to five state championship wins and was named California Community College Coach of the Year four times in his career on the West Coast.

From coast to coast, Pickler is renowned for his elite coaching at the collegiate level. Gianinno said that in addition to being an inspiration to the players, Pick is also a strong leader for the coaching staff he works with.

“He's a great leader because he allows his coaches to coach and he's open to hearing different perspectives and ideas,” Gianinno said. “For him, it's all about how we can set up our players to be successful. So I think this is a true testament to his leadership and his development of players while also developing a winning mentality.”

With three more regular season games to go for Y-D until the playoffs, Pickler has his sights set on winning the next game. He said that he’s got a great group of players this year and he is looking forward to starting a playoff run with them next week.

“I love it here, I love what I do, and it's just a joy to come in every day,” Pickler said. “When you're doing your passion and your hobby, it's pretty easy to keep doing. I haven't had to work a day in my life.”

Photo by Sophie Solarino