Last year, we brought you the first CodBall Holiday Shopping Guide. This year, we would like to show you some more gifts that would be great for a Cape League (or any other hard-core baseball) fan.
- 2006 Cotuit Kettleers Baseball Cards ($30 donation): One of the best teams in recent CCBL memory was the 2006 Kettleers. Eight members of the team were named all-stars, including MVP Justin Smoak. It's guaranteed that some of these players will end up in MLB, so this card set is a must own.
- Eye on the Dream NECBL Documentary ($30): This is a 10-part TV series available on DVD. It documented the 2006 season of the Keene Swampbats from the NECBL. Each episode is 40 minutes, so this 3-DVD set will keep any college baseball fan busy for a while.
- We recently ordered Catch the Dream: The Story of Hawaii Winter Baseball. This book presents the story of the elite winter league in Hawaii, which presents a sort of book-end with the Cape League.
- CCBL Online Stores: Official League Merchandise, Wareham Gatemen (special holiday deal: fitted hat for $20), Bourne Braves (store currently down), Falmouth Commodores, Hyannis Mets (special holiday deal: free shipping on orders over $75), Y-D Red Sox (featuring '07 championship gear. purchase by December 12th for Christmas delivery), Harwich Mariners, Brewster Whitecaps, Chatham A's
- Donate to the CCBL or the team of your choice in the name of your loved one.
- The Official Catalog of MLB.com arrived in the mail recently. It features a photo on the cover of two winter gloves cupping a baseball as if it were a fat snowball. It's not exactly Cape Cod Baseball but a lot of Cape Cod Baseball players are now playing for these teams.
- Andrew created an excellent book list on Amazon. I would add a few books that I've read over the past year that are not Cape-specific but I think great reads for any baseball fan. A Well Paid Slave: Curt Flood's Fight for Free Agency in Professional Sportsis a must-read for any Cape player or parent who wants to understand the law and economics of major league baseball. License to Deal: a season on the run with a maverick baseball agent is another must read if you want to understand the behind the scenes work of signing players. The Baseball Economist: The Real Game Exposed is my final recommendation for a book that looks at the business and ecnomics behind the game.
Happy holidays to all! And please add your own gift wish list.