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July 9, 2023 9:24 am | by Amanda Foster
David Glancy is one of those baseball players who is instantly recognizable. Whether it’s by his stance in the batter’s box, his figure out in the outfield, his speed on the bases or his constant presence next to the coaches in the dugout, Glancy isn’t a hard man to spot.
At first glance, he seems like a quiet guy. He’s not one to crack jokes or be incredibly talkative, especially on the baseball field. Glancy takes his time at the field seriously, and he’s always eager to learn and grow.
He would tell you he’s a boring guy. He’d say a lot of his life — perhaps even too much of it — revolves around baseball. He doesn’t do much with his free time; he really just likes hanging out with his friends. But go a little deeper, and you’ll find he has his own unique story.
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As a New Jersey native, Glancy grew up close to baseball. The New York Yankees were in their prime throughout his childhood, with players like Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and Robinson Cano dominating the headlines. But the Bronx Bombers weren’t the first to expose Glancy to baseball.
That role belonged to his grandfather.
After playing football at North Carolina State, Glancy’s grandfather turned to baseball umpiring, a job he then held for 55 years. From the time he was five years old, Glancy played baseball in the backyard with his grandfather and when the time came to sign up for Little League, it was his grandfather who took the initiative to do so.
“I kind of just fell in love with baseball, right then and there,” Glancy said. “He was pretty much my influence on why I play baseball and how I got started.”
Glancy’s mother was often the one traveling with him to various baseball tournaments as he grew up, sacrificing a great deal of her time to help her son work on achieving his dream.
“She’s obviously the most important person in my life,” Glancy said. “Now that I’m older I realized how many sacrifices she made for me, and it doesn’t go unnoticed. I also try to learn from her that helping other people makes you feel better about yourself. She’s awesome.”
Glancy stayed close to home for his four years of undergraduate education. In 2019, he committed to play baseball at St. John’s University, only a little over an hour away from where he grew up. While many of Glancy’s early memories of baseball involve his grandfather, so do some of his more recent ones.
After his grandfather passed away this past March, Glancy struggled with the decision to retu
rn to baseball or not. In the end, he and his family realized his grandfather would want him to go back and continue to play the game they both loved so much.
In his first game back, Glancy hit a home run.
“(It was) kind of a tribute to him,” he said.
On Opening Night of the 2023 Cape Cod Baseball League season, Glancy hit a three-run home run to propel the Wareham Gatemen to victory and earn the title of the first Gatemen Player of the Game of the season. After the game, he credited his grandfather and father — who passed away in 2022 — as two people he thinks of every time he plays baseball. Whether it’s pointing at the sky as he rounds the bases, taking a quick glance up before he steps into the batter’s box or just setting aside a moment to reflect, they are always in his heart and mind.
“I think about them every day,” Glancy said. “I wouldn’t be here without them. I try to use it as a reminder and to put things into perspective to just come out here and have fun, because I know no matter if I did good or bad, they wouldn’t care. Whatever I do they’d be happy with me doing.”
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Having fun and appreciating the moment have been two of Glancy’s goals ever since he arrived in Wareham. As is the case with most baseball players, playing in the CCBL was a dream for him long before it became reality. He tried to make it to the league in 2022, but was coming off an injury from the year before so he didn’t quite have the numbers to get there.
A senior season with a .284 batting average, 13 home runs, 14 doubles and 37 RBI, however, was enough for Glancy to get the call and he jumped at the opportunity.
“My coach at St. John’s texted me ‘Hey, you’re going to Wareham’ and I was like ‘Sweet, let’s do it,’” Glancy said. “My freshman year of college, when I had some teammates that were supposed to go there and they’re talking about how awesome it is, I was like ‘I kind of want to do that.’ So it’s always been kind of a dream.”
Glancy made an immediate impact with the Gatemen, hitting home runs, stealing bases and roaming around the outfield to make catches and throw runners out. In the 19 games he played in a Gatemen uniform, Glancy totaled 17 hits, 13 RBI, 13 stolen bases, 20 walks and 20 runs scored with a .270 batting average, taking on the role of one of the team’s most reliable players.
“He’s been awesome,” Smyth said. “He’s kind of been that savvy veteran on our team, the older guy, and he plays the game the right way. He plays hard every day, he’s done everything we’ve asked of him. To have him out here has been a blessing.”
Glancy and Smyth grew close quickly, in terms of both a relationship and physical proximity. At every single game, if Glancy wasn’t out in the outfield or in the batter’s box, he was at the front entrance to the dugout with the coaches. It didn’t matter if he was playing that night or not; he wanted to soak up every bit of knowledge he could.
“Smyth is a great coach, and he knows a lot of stuff, so why wouldn’t I try to soak in as much information from him?” Glancy said. “I just try to pay attention. I try to treat it as the minute I show up to the field, I’m all baseball.”
Behavior like that reaped almost immediate reward, as Glancy was able to make a name for himself in something he hadn’t done often in college: stealing bases.
In his four years of baseball at St. John’s, Glancy stole a total of 13 bases. Through 19 games with the Gatemen, Glancy matched that number with ease. At the time of his departure from the Cape, he led the entire CCBL in stolen bases, and no one would have thought swiping bags was something he didn’t routinely do.
“I wouldn’t even say I’m really fast now — I’m just quick,” Glancy said. “I give a lot of credit to Coach Smyth and my teammate Drake (Digiorno) who was here before. They helped me with how to steal bases more, and it’s something that I never used.”
The strategy Glancy learned was more focused on stealing off of the pitcher rather than the catcher, something he said he thinks not a lot of people do. Clearly, it worked for him, and now it’s something he can carry with him for the rest of his baseball career.
Of course, strategy and lessons aren’t the only things Glancy will be taking with him as he leaves the Gatemen. He’ll hold lifelong friendships, memories and a feeling of pride in saying he played in the Cape Cod Baseball League.
“It’s honestly probably the best month of baseball, and the most fun month of baseball, I’ve had in my life,” he said. “Just everything from the fans, from — you know, we’re playing on a regular high school field but you make the most of it, and it kind of feels like you’re playing back in the old days.”
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Glancy’s name will join the long list of ball players to play in the Cape Cod Baseball League, and like so many of them, he has dreams to eventually play professional baseball. There’s one player Glancy models almost every facet of his game around, though, and he didn’t step foot on the Cape.
Even though he’s a Yankees fan, Glancy stuck to his New Jersey roots when picking a favorite player: Mike Trout.
“I think it’s a good thing that I look up to him because I think he is the best player in the world, and he acts like he’s some regular guy at the gym,” Glancy said. “He doesn’t ‘big league’ anyone, so that’s awesome. And obviously on the field, he does everything.”
When watching Glancy at the baseball field, it’s not difficult to see similarities between his behavior and that of Trout. The quiet drive, the natural talent and the desire to be there for others is all there.
“I’m just a player who tries to find any way, shape or form to make a difference in the game,” Glancy said. “I know I’m a good player, but there’s always going to be someone more talented than you. So you’ve got to find other ways to make an impact on the game.”
Whether that’s helping his team to a victory, picking them up after a loss or signing baseballs for little kids, Glancy just wants to have a positive influence on those around him.
“Just any way you can make a difference on someone and make an impact on them, it’s really important to me,” he said. “I just try to be myself, really.”
The fact that Glancy describes all of his behavior as “just being myself” is further indication of the kind of person he is. He knows how much the little things mean, and makes sure he takes the time to appreciate everything he has. So regardless of if he gets drafted and plays professional baseball, heads to Notre Dame to earn his master’s degree in business or eventually moves on from baseball completely, Glancy knows what’s truly important to him.
“I just want to do something that I love to do,” he said. “I just want to be happy every day. So whatever job I have that makes me happy, I’ll do. I’ll find out whatever that is down the road.”
David Glancy before Wareham's 7-6, walkoff win over the Bourne Braves, June 18, 2023 at Spillane Field in Wareham. Photo by Maddy Djuric.
David Glancy watches his home run during Wareham's 5-2, rain-shortened win over the Orleans Firebirds, June 14, 2023 at Spillane Field in Wareham. Photo by Maddy Djuric.
David Glancy dives safely into third during Wareham’s 11-10 win over the Falmouth Commodores on Opening Day, June 10, 2023 at Fuller Field in Falmouth. Photo by Maddy Djuric.
L-R: Drake Digiorno, CJ Funk, Dylan Goldstein, and David Glancy before Wareham’s 11-5 loss to the Hyannis Harbor Hawks, June 11, 2023 at Spillane Field in Wareham. Photo by Maddy Djuric.
David Glancy makes a throw from the outfield during Wareham’s 5-4 loss to the Bourne Braves, July 5, 2023 at Doran Park in Bourne. Photo by Maddy Djuric.
David Glancy looks at a double rainbow over the field during Wareham's 7-6, walkoff win over the Bourne Braves, June 18, 2023 at Spillane Field in Wareham. Photo by Maddy Djuric.
David Glancy heads for home during Wareham’s 11-5 loss to the Hyannis Harbor Hawks, June 11, 2023 at Spillane Field in Wareham. Photo by Maddy Djuric.
David Glancy bats during Wareham's 4-4 tie with the Brewster Whitecaps, June 19, 2023 at Stony Brook Field in Brewster. Photo by Maddy Djuric.
David Glancy (left) and Bobby Boser (right) before Wareham’s 3-2 loss to the Cotuit Kettleers, June 12, 2023 at Lowell Park in Cotuit. Photo by Maddy Djuric.
David Glancy makes a catch at the fence during Wareham’s 7-2 win over the Cotuit Kettleers, June 24, 2023 at Spillane Field in Wareham. Photo by Maddy Djuric.
