FROM CCBL RELEASE
CAPE COD, Mass. – An expanded playoff format and 10 seven-inning doubleheaders highlight the 2010 schedule for the Cape Cod Baseball League, announced today by CCBL Commissioner Paul Galop.
The CCBL season begins Sunday, June 13 with Cotuit at Wareham being the only game on the Cape that evening and the league will feature five seven-inning doubleheaders on Saturday, June 19 and again Sunday, June 27 with all 10 teams hosting one twin-bill.
"We’re very excited about our schedule for 2010,” said CCBL Commissioner Paul Galop. “Our Executive Committee did an outstanding job guiding us to this schedule. Two scheduled doubleheaders on weekends early in the season is a result of direct feedback from our coaches. Those will be seven inning games consistent with the NCAA format. We have a game scheduled for every night like we did last year. The abundant amount of rainfall during the summer of 2009 and need to reschedule 65 games did not give us an opportunity to enjoy the ‘only game of the night’, but we believe it will be very popular.”
After increasing from a four to a six-team playoff format last summer which enhanced attendance and fan interest, the Cape League will add two more teams to the postseason mix in 2010, which are scheduled to begin Friday, August 6.
“Our expansion in 2009 to six teams in the playoffs was hugely popular among fans” said Galop. “The positive feedback we received was overwhelming. We wanted to expand upon this even more by eliminating byes and adding more baseball in August.”
By incorporating eight teams in the 2010 playoffs, there will be no byes. Each round will be two-out-of-three which enables each team to be guaranteed at least one home playoff game and the championship round will match the East Division vs. the West.
“There is so much parity in the CCBL now that any one of the teams could easily be crowned CCBL playoff champions,” said Galop “We believe the expanded playoff system does not tarnish the regular season, because we have two teams that are crowned division champions and teams with the best records will host more playoff games. I believe this proactive direction by our Executive Committee will prove to be popular with fans, while affording franchises additional opportunities to enhance revenue in these trying economic times.”
The CCBL All-Star game is scheduled for Wednesday, July 28 at 7 p.m., at a site to be determined.
