Before their home playoff game on August 5, the Commodores accepted several awards from both the Cape League and the state of Massachusetts.
Dores’ president Bob Curtis got things started by accepting three official citations to celebrate the Cape League’s centennial. The citations came from the Massachusetts State Senate, the Massachusetts House of Representatives, and the Barnstable County Sheriff’s office. They were presented by Massachusetts State Senator Susan Moran, Falmouth Town Manager Mike Renshaw, and Barnstable County Sheriff Donna Buckley, respectively.
The citations, all of which took the form of documents printed on official stationary, came from different sources but carried a similar message—they commended the Commodores on their centennial year, acknowledging the achievement and extending best wishes for continued success. All three citations bore the signatures of state officials.
The other ceremonial pregame duties were also taken on by the three representatives of town, county, and state. After the national anthem was sung by Emily Saba, the trio of Buckley, Moran, and Renshaw took the mound to throw out a threefold first pitch. Their respective pitches were caught by Charlie Coon (Boston College), Nolan Morr (Northwestern), and Garrett Coe (UConn). They then declared, as per tradition, the game-opening words: “Play ball.”
Renshaw, Buckley, and Moran step up to the mic. Photo by Jack Moreland.
“It’s absolutely iconic,” Senator Moran said of the centennial year. “As Chair of the Board of Selectman in Falmouth, I was very invested in helping out the [Commodores] volunteers to uplift the space and the field, because we wanted the home field to really measure up to the incredible athletes that play here.”
Moran, whose official title is Senator for the Barnstable and Plymouth District of Massachusetts, went on to explain that she was a big baseball fan, both rooting for the Boston Red Sox and attending many Commodores games during her lifetime.
The presentation of the centennial citations wasn’t the only formality held before the game. Several awards were also presented to two of the Commodores’ players: Tyler MacGregor (Northeastern) received the Outstanding New England Player Award, and Travis Bazzana (Oregon State) received both the Thurman Munson Batting Title and the Pat Sorenti Most Valuable Player Award.
Bazzana (Oregon State) attempts a balancing act with his awards. Photo by Jack Moreland.
“It’s nice to be recognized,” said president Bob Curtis in reference to the citations. “It’s appreciated that we have local support at the political level.” When asked about the players who received awards, Curtis answered with one word that said it all: “Outstanding.”
The Commodores Corner 