9 REASONS TO ROOT FOR THE CAPE COD BASEBALL LEAGUE.

BY BILL HIGGINS

illie Stargell, the Pittsburgh Hall of Famer from the “We Are Family” World Series champion Pirates, was fond of saying, “When they start the game, they don’t yell, ‘Work ball.’ They say, ‘Play ball!’ ”

And so it is. Welcome to another summer of the Cape Cod Baseball League, hardball heaven amid sea breezes and sand dunes. The 10-team league is recognized as the country’s premier summer collegiate baseball organization. From Orleans to Wareham, from mid-June to mid-August, the teams play six days a week on local fields where the grass is real and the price is right. Admission is free but contributions are encouraged. The players, still amateurs, are accessible; most games end with youngsters crowding around the soonto-be stars for autographs.