Days before the Cape Cod Baseball League starts on Saturday, the 2024 Half of Fame Class was selected.
This year's class includes 2024 National Baseball Hall of FamerTodd Helton(Orleans), former Cape League MVP and current major leaguerNick Senzel(Brewster 2015); standout pitcherPat Neshek(Wareham 2001); batting championsAndrew Calica(Wareham 2015); Todd Cunningham(Falmouth 2009); Brick Smith(Hyannis 1980) and Falmouth managerJeff Trundy.
The Cape Cod Baseball League Hall of Fame induction ceremony is scheduled for Nov. 17, at the Wequassett Resort in Harwich.
Andrew Calica, Wareham Gatemen
Calica won the 2015 Cape League batting title during his time at UC Santa Barbara, as he finished with a .425 batting average (fifth highest in Cape League modern history), and led the league in on-base percentage (.480). In four seasons at UC Santa Barbara, he hit a .288 with 28 doubles and 43 stolen bases.
Calica was drafted by the Cleveland Indians (Guardians now) in the 11th round and spent next four seasons (2016-19) in the minor leagues with Lake County, Mahoning Valley, Lynchburg, and the Akron in Class ASA Eastern League. He finished hitting .292 overall with 15 home runs, 125 RBIs, 292 hits, 54 doubles, 11 triples and 56 stolen bases.
Todd Cunningham, Falmouth Commodores
Cunningham led all Cape League batters in 2009 with a .378 batting average for the Falmouth Commodores, which earned him the Thurman Munson Batting Championship Award. He also led the league that season in hits with 59, on-base percentage (.458), and finished second in both runs scored (31) and slugging percentage (.458) for an All-League selection.
While at Jacksonville State University he led all Cape League hitters; he hit a .346 over three seasons with 22 homers, 118 RBIs and 36 stolen bases. Cunningham was drafted in the second round of the 2008 MLB draft by the Atlanta Braves, where he played eight games in 2013 and appeared in another 39 games in 2015. His finished his majors career in 2016 where he played 20 games with the Angels. He finished his MLB career with 25 hits, five RBIs, and 20 runs scored. He spent the next three years in the minor leagues, last working as a coach for the Kansas City T-Bones of American Association of Professional Baseball. He has recently been an MBA candidate at UNC-Chapel Hill.
Todd Helton, Orleans Firebirds
Helton helped the Orleans Firebirds to the East Division title in 1994, where he hit .308 with nine doubles, had 22 RBIs, and was named to the East All-Star team as the starting first baseman. Despite not hitting any dingers the whole season, he won the Home Run Contest at the All-Star Game. He was named the National Collegiate Baseball Player of the Year in 1995 at the University of Tennessee, where he still holds several records, and was enshrined in the Hall of Fame in 2017 for baseball and football.
Helton was drafted by the Colorado Rockies eighth overall in the first round of the 1995 draft and made his major league debut against the Pittsburgh Pirates on August 2, 1997. Over his 17-year career with the Rockies, he amassed 2,519 hits, 369 home runs, 1,406 RBIs, 1,401 runs scored, and a .316 batting average. He was a five-time All Star, a three-time Gold Glove Award winner, and a four-time recipient of the National League Silver Slugger Award. He led the National League in doubles (59), hits (216), batting average (.372), slugging percentage (.698), and on base percentage (.463) in 2000. Helton retired from baseball in 2013 and the Rockies retired his jersey number 17 the following year. He will be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame this summer.
Pat Neshek, Wareham
The closer led the Gatemen to a 2001 Cape Cod Baseball League championship with a 4-2 record in 14 games, which included six saves, 29 strikeouts and only one earned run while compiling a 0.41 ERA.
He was selected in the 2022 MLB draft by the Minnesota Twins in the sixth round. Neshek made his MLB debut for the Twins in on July 7, 2006, and pitched for them until 2010 (except for 2009, missed due to Tommy John surgery). He went on to pitch for San Diego, Oakland, St. Louis, Houston, Colorado and Philadelphia in a 13-year career which ended in 2019. He was selected to the MLB All-Star game in 2014 with the Cardinals and 2017 with the Phillies.
He finished his career with a 36-25 record, a 2.82 ERA and 471 strikeouts. Neshek has created and runs his own website for his fans to interact and talk about collecting autographs.
Brick Smith, Hyannis Harbor Hawks
The first baseman out of Wake Forest helped Hyannis win the 1979 Cape Cod Baseball League championship by batting .360 in the playoffs with a home run and eight RBIs. The following season, he returned and led all Cape League hitters with a .391 batting average and won the Thurman Munson Batting Championship Award. He was first in OBP at .536, and third in slugging percentage (.648) and walks with 40. Smith had 10 doubles, one triple and seven home runs, driving in 40 runs that season. He made the Cape League All-Star team both seasons and in 1980 was named the All-League designated hitter. He was also the recipient of the Daniel J. Silva Sportsmanship Award.
Smith was drafted by Seattle Mariners in the 5th round of the 1981 MLB Draft and played during the 1987 and 1988 seasons with the Mariners. After his baseball career, he returned to Charlotte, North Carolina to teach history at Providence Day School. He spent more than 35 years there as a teacher, coach and administrator. He coached Providence to two state championships in baseball and one in basketball.
Nick Senzel, Brewster Whitecaps
Senzel won the Cape League MVP and Outstanding Pro Prospect as he led the Whitecaps to a 24-19-1 record. The infielder batted .364 with four homers and 14 stolen bases and led the league with 15 doubles, 34 runs, 33 RBIs, 86 total bases, 21 extra base hits and a .558 slugging percentage. As a junior at Tennessee University in 2016, Senzel’s 25 doubles led the SEC and he was named to several All-American teams.
Nick was selected with the second overall pick in the 2016 MLB draft by the Cincinnati Reds. Senzel is currently in his sixth year in the big leagues, now playing his first year for the Washington Nationals.
Jeff Trundy, Falmouth
Trundy began his baseball journey in Maine during his childhood, which led to a playing career at University of New Hampshire. He started his coaching career as a grad assistant coach at Colorado, and then returned to Maine to coach at Cony High School for the next 20 years. He was inducted into the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame in 2013.Trundy began his Cape League tenure in 1995 as an assistant coach with Cotuit and then Falmouth, where he became head coach in 1999. Trundy hit the 500-win career mark last year and finished the season with 513 wins.
He was selected by fellow managers for the Mike Curran Manager of the Year Award in 2004, 2016, and 2019, and is known throughout the league and beyond as “Gentleman Jeff." Trundy is a teacher and baseball coach at Frederick Gunn School in Washington, Connecticut, and has served as a part-time scout for the Toronto Blue Jays.
Contact Courtney Jacobs at cjacobs@capecodonline.com. Follow him on X/Twitter: @CJ_Journalist.
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