baseball

I worked for several years in baseball operations for two Major League Baseball franchises, and to this day, one of my greatest experiences was spending three weeks scouting at the Cape Cod League. Jim Collins does an excellent job of portraying the league, its management, scouts, fans, coaches and players. He brings several angles to the book, showing that not all players get along, that there are "classes" of players, and that 20-year old boys will act like, well, boys. For the casual baseball fan, this is an excellent look at something other than the Major Leagues. For the die-hard fan, it is a must read.

My sons and I gave this book to my husband for Father's Day. But I couldn't put it down once I started reading it! I spent my college summers on Cape Cod and we are avid fans of the Cape Cod Baseball League (with a special place in our heart for the Chatham A's.) Last week I had the joy of reading this while sitting on a Cape Cod beach.

The writing is exceptional, the enthusiasm of the fans authentically represented, ... and the dreams, emotions and antics of 20 year olds during a summer on Cape Cod... well you will have to read it for yourself.

Jim Collins does a fabulous job bringing it all together -- the beauty of the Cape, the showcase of these outstanding college ball players, the presence of the scouts, the local volunteer power and commitment behind the league, and the best of baseball before many future stars become celebrities. We have always felt that the Cape Cod Baseball League is the "best" of baseball, but Mr. Collins adds so much more as to why it truly is the "last best league."

Jim Collins masterfully chronicles a season in the Cape Cod League -- a summer baseball league for collegiate players with professional aspirations. Collins follows one campaign of the Chatham A's, one of the most popular teams in this league. Along the way we are introduced to a series of memorable characters, such as John Schiffner, the intense manager of the A's who moonlights as a high school teacher and coach the rest of the year, Jamie D'Anotona, a talented, immature, and complex collegiate star, trying to find his way both in baseball and the world, and Blake Hanan, a likable middle infielder who has focused his life on becoming a professional baseball player.

Hanan's experience is probably a descriptor of the entire league, for Cape Cod is where dreams and reality intersect. Many in the league will go on to the professional game, some even signing for huge bonuses with major league clubs, while others, such as Hanan, will find their hopes for the professional game dashed through a summer of intense competition.

As we learn more about each of these individuals, Collins paints an idyllic picture of small towns who bond with their hometown teams, of the crack of the wood bat as opposed to the ping of aluminum heard in the college game, and the purity of a game that is played for joy rather than for money and endorsements.

Enjoy The Last Best League! It is a true reading pleasure for any fan of the game!