WILLIAMSTOWN, MA – Eph senior baseball co-captain Harry Marino is living out his childhood dream this summer as a member of the Chatham A's (Anglers).
The Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) is considered to be the premier summer collegiate baseball league and has long been a breeding ground for future Major League Baseball players. In 2010 alone there were 236 CCBL alumni scattered around the Major Leagues, and ten former CCBL players were named MLB All-Stars in 2011.
While the CCBL is usually reserved for the star players from top-tier Division I schools, occasionally there will be a few Division III athletes will make the roster of one of the talent-laden CCBL's ten teams. This year Harry Marino worked his way onto the roster of the Chatham Anglers by surviving a tryout and earning a season-long contract.
The left-handed Marino is believed to be one of two Ephs to play in the CCBL in at least the last 25 years. Jabe Bergeron '04 played for the Harwich Mariners during the summer of 2002.
Marino, a native of Westfield, NJ, spent the 2011 season for the Ephs as one of head coach Bill Barrale's weekend starters, where he compiled a 5.79 era with a 3-3 record in 7 starts. He is 9-6 on his Eph career with an earned run average of 5.49.
This summer, however Marino finds himself working out of the bullpen for the 10-20-1 Anglers.
This is not the first time that Marino has played summer collegiate baseball. He spent the summer of 2010 on the Bristol Collegians of the New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) with fellow Eph Stephen Maier. It was that experience that gave Marino the idea of testing his luck on the Cape.
"I watched Cape League games growing up and it was always a dream of mine to play in the league," stated Marino. "After a successful year last summer in the NECBL I figured there was a chance I could make it a reality. Coach Schiffner, the coach of the A's, was the first person I contacted, and he took a look at my stats from the NECBL and, luckily, he offered me a spot as a temporary player to fill in while the team waits for all their players to come in from the College World Series. Luckily I pitched well during my time as a temp, and after a few weeks I was offered a full contract to stay for the summer."
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| Harry Marino '12 on the mound for the Catham A's |
Moving to the CCBL, Marino has found a number of differences from the NECBL. "The biggest difference is travel," said Marino. "Nowhere in the Cape is more than an hour away. Plus you can't beat the Cape in terms of location. Chatham is a beautiful oceanfront resort town."
While travel time has decreased, Marino has discovered an increase in the caliber of players he is competing against. "The level of play is definitely a step up," remarked Marino. "The majority of players in the Cape come from major D1 programs and were drafted out of high school. In the NECBL there's a lot of players with a good shot to play professional baseball, in the Cape it's expected."
Adjusting to the higher level of play and his role as a relief pitcher, Marino has found the level of play in the CCBL to be starkly different than what he is familiar with in the NESCAC. "You can't get away with anything," remarked Marino. "If I make good pitches I can get these hitters out, but mistakes that I can get away with at school get hit hard here."
Additionally, Marino has come to notice clear differences between the Cape League and Division III baseball in general. He points out that, "Many of these hitters are future professional baseball players, which is a rarity in DIII baseball. They've dedicated their lives to becoming the best baseball players they can be, and have been highly successful at every level. The depth of each team's lineup is incredible."
Coming out of the bullpen for the Anglers is hardly Marino's only task this summer. As if he did not have enough on his plate having to prepare for the immensely potent bats that comprise every team in the Cape League, Marino works Monday through Friday at the Chatham A's Youth Camp, as well as on the field crew that preps the field for each home game. On the side, he also gives individual pitching lessons to a few young lefties after the camp sessions end for the day.
This schedule makes for some very busy but highly enjoyable days for Marino, who also is sure to start every morning at the gym. "I'll wake up and go to the gym, then head to camp for the morning," noted Marino describing his typical daily routine. "After camp I'll either work on the field if it's a home game, or give a private lesion if it's an away game, then go home and if I'm lucky grab a quick nap before heading to the field for the game at night."
For Marino the best part of the summer has been, "playing with the best of the best, the next generation of Major League Baseball players, and making the team. Each day has been a blessing and I know I'm going to look back on this experience years from now as one of the greatest of my life."
The Cape experience has taught Marino a lot about himself as a pitcher and he hopes to carry these lessons with him throughout the rest of his playing career. "When I'm at my best I can get out even the best D1 hitters in the country, but I also know from experience that when I'm not I can get hit by anyone," said Marino. "I've learned not to get too high or too low after each outing. If I'm consistent with my approach I know that things will go my way more often than they won't. I'm definitely going to bring this even-keeled approach back to school with me."
All of the successes Marino has achieved during his career at Williams and now with the Anglers have been a direct result of his tremendous work ethic, something that Williams Coach Bill Barrale has seem in his left-hander for some time. "Harry is one of the hardest workers I have ever coached. Baseball is very important to him and his work ethic has become contagious on our team. I am very excited to see him lead our team as a co-captain this coming year."
After the summer of Marino's dreams concludes, he will return to the Williamstown for his senior year where his is double majoring in Political Science and English and concentrating on Legal Studies. In addition to the demands of his academic and athletic schedules, Marino will continue to work for the Sports Information Department where he has done stats for the football, basketball, and baseball teams for the last two years.
Upon graduation from Williams next June, Marino is not exactly sure what he would like to day. He is hoping that he has grabbed the attention of a Major League scout this summer so that he can continue to play the game he loves after college. When his playing days are over either after the spring of 2012 or a few years down the road, Marino is thinking about attending law school with the goal of practicing law or working in the front office of a Major League Baseball team.
