08/05/2010 3:00 PM - BREWSTER ---- There is no better feeling in the world than pursuing your goals with the people who love you most by your side. Mike Dowd (Franklin Pierce) can attest to this.
“It’s been a dream of mine forever (to play in the Cape League),” the Brewster Whitecaps catcher said. “Since I was little, coming to games and seeing guys who had potential to be in the big leagues, and to now be in their shoes is amazing.”
Hailing from a small, yet successful Division 2 program, Dowd finds himself playing on one of the biggest and brightest collegiate stages in the country. What makes his experience in the Cape League unique is that his older brother, Sean, has been by his side since the first day he stepped onto the field at Stony Brook Elementary.
Sean, a recent graduate of Springfield College with a degree in sports management, is the head intern for the Whitecaps this summer and serves as game day operations supervisor.
“We’re required to pursue an internship as part of our major and I thought what better way to do that than be down on the Cape working with the same team my brother is playing on?” he said.
Having pursued different paths in life over the past four years, both feel their relationship has only grown because of the distance.
“Our relationship is great now. We used to be a lot more competitive with each other, both playing sports. One of us had to win or be better. There couldn’t be a tie,” Mike said.
The East Bridgewater natives are now chasing their dreams together, and rooting each other on along the way.
“I think it’s pretty cool to share this experience together only because I knew that one day he was going to be here one way or another. He’s a phenomenal athlete and anything he tries to do he does well,” Sean said.
The brothers share many qualities and interests, although their personalities are different.
“Mike is a lot more laid-back and takes in situations before voicing his opinion. On the other hand, I am a lot more outgoing and usually say what immediately comes to mind,” Sean said, with a chuckle.
While Sean is 2½ years older, the similarities between the brothers are immense. Both are athletic, (Sean played football at Springfield College), both are competitive, and both have relished their time on the Cape.
“So far, it’s been a great experience,” Mike said. “I felt a little overwhelmed looking at the roster with the big name schools and the big Div. 1 teams, coming from a small Div. 2 school. But I think it’s made me a better player overall, chasing the big-time arms.
Mike hopes the experience and exposure he has gained this summer will carry over into his junior season at Franklin Pierce.
“I can take that experience and use it to develop more,” he said. “I kind of went through my sophomore slump there and struggled. Now I can be more confident, having seen different pitchers and playing with the best.”
Probably the most notable and admirable similarity between the two brothers is that when they dream, they dream big.
“I definitely want to play at the next level. It’s my junior year and it’s going to be a big year for me, being my draft eligible year,” Mike said. “Hopefully things work out and some team sparks an interest in me and I can play baseball at the next level.”
Sean would also like to take things to the next level.
“My dream is to work with some organization, whether it is at the professional level or the Div. 1 level. It really doesn’t matter to me, just to be able to work in an organization of a sport that I love,” he said.
As these two brothers find themselves in the same place in life right now, there’s no telling where their careers will take them.
“I’m proud of everything he has done. Who knows, maybe someday I’ll be his manager,” Sean said. |
