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February 18, 2022 3:02 pm | by Samantha Santos
It’s not just the players who go on to have careers in professional baseball. Many other alumni of the Cape Cod Baseball League have successful careers in professional sports after their time in the League. Countless coaches, medical staff, and interns have gone on to work in Major League Baseball from all around the CCBL.
For the Wareham Gatemen, the number of alumni working in MLB is quite impressive. Over the next several weeks leading up to opening day, we will be giving updates on some of these former Gatemen coaches and interns who have moved on to the professional ranks. We start with six alumni who all ended up working for one MLB team in particular – the Tampa Bay Rays.
Sydney Malone, former Player Development and Scouting Intern for the Gatemen, has been with the Rays Organization since the fall of 2018. She is currently one of two Coordinators of Amateur Scouting for the Rays, where she handles a lot of the medical aspects of scouting. Malone quality controls the scouting process, making sure the Rays have all information needed in order to draft up-and-coming players.
Malone was with the Gatemen for the summers of 2017 and 2018 and was the first to be hired by the Rays. She spent her first summer in Wareham learning the ins and outs of scouting and getting comfortable with reporting. During her second summer, she took on the role of Assistant General Manger Intern. She worked alongside current Gatemen President Andrew Lang, while overseeing the Baseball Operations internship process.
“That first summer kind of shifted my focus because I loved doing it and it made me realize where my passion was and it was in amateur scouting,” Malone said.
Massachusetts native, Jake Girard works with Malone as Assistant of Amateur Scouting. The two met in 2018 when Girard was also a Player Development and Scouting Intern for the Gatemen. Since 2020, Girard works closely with data collection. He ensures scouts have accurate reports and assists in preparation for the annual MLB Draft that takes place every July.
During his time with Wareham, Girard grew his confidence in his abilities, despite the outcome.
“It’s okay to fail because it’s opportunity to learn. When you’re able to work with that in mind it allows you step outside your comfort zone and that’s where a lot of growth and good ideas come from,” Girard said.
In 2019, Ellie Weller and Ben Smith were Gatemen interns working in the Player Development and Scouting program. They now both work in Research and Development for the Rays Front Office. Weller is the Coordinator of Baseball Research and Development for Tampa. She mostly handles analytic work as well as handling the communication within the department and to the rest of the Rays Organization. Smith is a Junior Analyst of Research and Development in Tampa Bay. In his position, he focuses on pitching analysis for the Rays and their minor league and rookie affiliates.
2019 was a successful year for other Wareham Gatemen staff as well. That summer, Mackenzie Corrigan was an athletic trainer for Wareham and worked alongside assistant pitching coach Tim Smith.
Corrigan remained with the Gatemen through the 2021 season. She was an integral part of the Gatemen’s success and keeping players healthy through the 2021 summer season. Corrigan recently accepted a position with the Rays Organization and will be taking on the role of Performance Science Assistant Intern for the Low-A affiliate of the Rays, the Charleston Riverdogs.
Tim Smith maintained a close connection with manager and coach Jerry Weinstein while both were coaching for the Cotuit Kettleers in 2017. When Weinstein returned to manage the Gatemen in 2019, he asked Smith to come with him as an assistant pitching coach. Smith went on to become a Sports Scientist for the High-A Affiliate of the Rays, the Bowling Green Hot Rods.
These Wareham Gatemen alumni echoed similar feelings towards their time on the Cape and what it meant for their careers. “Everyone in this game was starting out at some point and knows what it’s like to try to work their way into MLB and I think a lot of people do want to help.” Ben Smith said.
While professional baseball has its major differences from the collegiate level, experience doesn’t seem to be the make-or-break factor to getting a job in the front office of an MLB team. “Being nice to everyone, and interacting with everyone you can, and constantly asking questions, and being curious – that’s what I found the most helpful,” Ben Smith said.
The experience of spending a summer in the CCBL is an invaluable experience that provides immense opportunity for personal and professional growth. “[Being an intern] certainly propelled me into this job for sure. If I wouldn’t have had those two summer experiences, I don’t think that I would be here.” Malone said.
