Podcast: Insider’s guide to Cape League with play-by-play man Tim Foley

The Base Path Podcast guest Tim Foley will open the season as Harwich's announcer June 12. (Kyle Prudhomme/NEBJ)

If you’re considering taking a trip to Cape Cod this summer to take in a Cape League baseball game, this pod is a must-listen for you.

With the Cape League set to kick off with a full slate of Opening Day games on June 12, we set out to provide an Insider’s Guide to the Cape League — with recommendations for top ballpark experiences, food stops, and youth development clinics.

Harwich play-by-play announcer Tim Foley shares his Cape League experience from growing up on the Cape, interning for the league, and now broadcasting for Harwich. He described why the Cape League is so unique in its ability to give fans a behind-the-scene look at the game’s top college talent.

“Part of what makes the atmosphere so great is that all of these teams are playing on high school fields, middle school fields or elementary school fields,” Foley said. “These small fields have a very rustic feel to them. There are ads around the ballpark and whatnot, but it doesn’t feel very commercialized. The players don’t even get walk-up songs. It’s really just about the game in its purest form.

“Whenever you’re at a game, there isn’t like there’s a home crowd. Everybody’s there to just watch the game. Everybody has a mutual respect for that. That’s just part of what makes it so great. No matter what happens, there’s people cheering in the ballpark, and it’s always just such a great time.”

The Cape League also ingratiates its players with local baseball fans by offering free admission to games and local clinics for youth baseball players.

“Every team does a clinic varying by age throughout the week,” Foley said. “The players will help to run a youth clinic in the mornings. It varies by age group. They’ll break it up by day. I think it’s a great way for young players to go and experience what it’s like to learn from somebody who is right at that professional level. It’s really about as good instruction as you can get from these collegiate players who remember what it was like.”

Listen to the entire pod.

The New England Baseball Journal podcast is brought to you by the University of Nebraska High School.

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