This article is amazingly ACCURATE without speaking to Coach Roberts. Thank you for writing. Yes, my INTEGRITY would not allow me to coach the 2025 TEAM I recruited after being informed I was voted out because of politics by the 15 member board. The request on Dec. 2nd, 2024 call was to tell others I was retiring. My parents taught me to be HONEST. All I am writing is HONEST. This was the moment I knew I could no longer work for the CAA board unless the leadership was removed. My family and I are still heartbroken three months later. Cotuit was home away from home. I will greatly miss all the players and teaching at Lowell Park, fans, campers, children and families at the library, taking the TEAM to Polar Cave Ice Cream after a game, and so many wonderful friends made the past 20+ seasons. The new President, and cronies on the board, were determined to replace me as soon as I had raised all the money to finish paying for 100% of the many beautiful new facilities at Lowell Park. Plus, early in 2025 the organization would and did receive close to one million dollars cash I had raised coming from an estate. Finally, We had the most wins in regular season play in cape league since the pandemic. Attendance was at the highest level ever in my tenure. We had the most players from the league sign pro contracts since the draft was moved to July. Pro scouts loved watching Cotuit practice before games because the players worked to improve. The scouts would often come by the dugout and compliment the teams work. The Cape league is for “Player Development!” Our staff each year helped develop young men. I loved supporting Kettleers players, on and off the field, and all off season as well. That opportunity has been taken away. Now, I will go forward trying to stay in contact with many of the former players. As I have taught for my entire coaching career, I will continue to encourage young people to always be HONEST; RESPECTFUL; CARING; and HUMBLE!
We admire and will miss you Coach Roberts. You are a role model for players and fans. Best to you and your family. Kettleers will not be the same this year.
Thank you for your thoughtful and caring message. I am heart sick I won’t be in Cotuit for the next several years. I loved the community and fans and kids in camp and every player I had the opportunity to teach. Politics seem to always get into every area of life.
Thank you for such a wonderful article Mike Roberts is such a fabulous man and amazing coach What an absolute disgrace and horrible decision by this board Mike Roberts- you are such an integral part of the Cotuit Kettleers and the village of Cotuit When a board makes a horrible decision it takes some smart members of the board to step up, realize they were wrong and fix it I hope the CAA does just that
The dismissal of coach Roberts is an abject failure of the CAA and an admission that they have no understanding of the nuances of Cape League baseball and the connection that it has to the community. It's time to hold the board accountable for their failure and get people involved that have an understanding of the game.
Just learned about this very foolish move by the board. Coach Roberts is a role model for players and fans alike. We housed a player one summer and were privileged to hear Coach Robert’s philosophy during talks to the host families and the players. His players hustled and played hard every game, unlike so many current MLB players. We will miss you Coach Roberts and will share our displeasure with team representatives at the first home game.
This whole episode is really upsetting. Our family has been close to Mike Roberts since his first year managing the Kettleers. Our son was a bat boy those years and he ended up spending most of his waking hours at the field learning about baseball and life from Coach. At the time I told Coach that I was pleased to think that he was something of a second dad to our son, and that I couldn't think of a better person for the role. Our son learned so much both on the field and off and I attribute a fair chunk of his successes to what he learned during those many summers at Lowell Park. I realize there may be reasons for the parting but if that is the case Coach and, frankly, the fans deserve to know those reasons. To treat someone who gave so much of himself to the team and the community like this is beyond my understanding.
The CAA owes Cotuit a truthful explanation. Mike is a man of honesty and integrity. His record speaks for itself. Maybe it’s the CAA that should be fired.
AMAZING they used his persona to raise a million dollars - then threw him in the trash - they have a word for these people - and you know what it is ‼️
This whole episode is really upsetting. Our family has been close to Mike Roberts since his first year managing the Kettleers. Our son was a bat boy those years and he ended up spending most of his waking hours at the field learning about baseball and life from Coach. At the time I told Coach that I was pleased to think that he was something of a second dad to our son, and that I couldn't think of a better person for the role. Our son learned so much both on the field and off and I attribute a fair chunk of his successes to what he learned during those many summers at Lowell Park. I realize there may be reasons for the parting but if that is the case Coach and, frankly, the fans deserve to know those reasons. To treat someone who gave so much of himself to the team and the community like this is beyond my understanding.
This whole episode is really upsetting. Our family has been close to Mike Roberts since his first year managing the Kettleers. Our son was a bat boy those years and he ended up spending most of his waking hours at the field learning about baseball and life from Coach. At the time I told Coach that I was pleased to think that he was something of a second dad to our son, and that I couldn't think of a better person for the role. Our son learned so much both on the field and off and I attribute a fair chunk of his successes to what he learned during those many summers at Lowell Park. I realize there may be reasons for the parting but if that is the case Coach and, frankly, the fans deserve to know those reasons. To treat someone who gave so much of himself to the team and the community like this is beyond my understanding.
As a journalist you should be aware of giving attribution for others work. You used three photos that I took without any attribution. Though I agree with your point of view that Mike Roberts was done dirty by the CAA and that he was a major contributor to the village of Cotuit... you really need to brush up on the ground rules of the ethics of journalism.
Thanks Paul. My apologies if I used some of your photos without your consent. I will remove them. I loved your story about your conversation with Coach Roberts! Such great positivity and fantastic memories reflecting the purity of the game - the comparison with Dustin Pedroia, memories of Duke Snider, and even the commentary about Manny Ramirez. And then how he became yet another Red Sox fan who was brought up a Brooklyn Dodgers fan. Great stuff! - Jay
Hey Jay, You really need to seek another means of communicating. You state "if...you used some of my photos" without my consent... IF!!! you obviously know that you did or you would not have known which photos to remove! An actual apology would have been: "So true. Shall not occur again." So sad. Don't use my art again and i shall not trouble you again.
This article is amazingly ACCURATE without speaking to Coach Roberts. Thank you for writing. Yes, my INTEGRITY would not allow me to coach the 2025 TEAM I recruited after being informed I was voted out because of politics by the 15 member board. The request on Dec. 2nd, 2024 call was to tell others I was retiring. My parents taught me to be HONEST. All I am writing is HONEST. This was the moment I knew I could no longer work for the CAA board unless the leadership was removed. My family and I are still heartbroken three months later. Cotuit was home away from home. I will greatly miss all the players and teaching at Lowell Park, fans, campers, children and families at the library, taking the TEAM to Polar Cave Ice Cream after a game, and so many wonderful friends made the past 20+ seasons. The new President, and cronies on the board, were determined to replace me as soon as I had raised all the money to finish paying for 100% of the many beautiful new facilities at Lowell Park. Plus, early in 2025 the organization would and did receive close to one million dollars cash I had raised coming from an estate. Finally, We had the most wins in regular season play in cape league since the pandemic. Attendance was at the highest level ever in my tenure. We had the most players from the league sign pro contracts since the draft was moved to July. Pro scouts loved watching Cotuit practice before games because the players worked to improve. The scouts would often come by the dugout and compliment the teams work. The Cape league is for “Player Development!” Our staff each year helped develop young men. I loved supporting Kettleers players, on and off the field, and all off season as well. That opportunity has been taken away. Now, I will go forward trying to stay in contact with many of the former players. As I have taught for my entire coaching career, I will continue to encourage young people to always be HONEST; RESPECTFUL; CARING; and HUMBLE!
We admire and will miss you Coach Roberts. You are a role model for players and fans. Best to you and your family. Kettleers will not be the same this year.
Thank you for your thoughtful and caring message. I am heart sick I won’t be in Cotuit for the next several years. I loved the community and fans and kids in camp and every player I had the opportunity to teach. Politics seem to always get into every area of life.
Thank you for such a wonderful article Mike Roberts is such a fabulous man and amazing coach What an absolute disgrace and horrible decision by this board Mike Roberts- you are such an integral part of the Cotuit Kettleers and the village of Cotuit When a board makes a horrible decision it takes some smart members of the board to step up, realize they were wrong and fix it I hope the CAA does just that
The dismissal of coach Roberts is an abject failure of the CAA and an admission that they have no understanding of the nuances of Cape League baseball and the connection that it has to the community. It's time to hold the board accountable for their failure and get people involved that have an understanding of the game.
Just learned about this very foolish move by the board. Coach Roberts is a role model for players and fans alike. We housed a player one summer and were privileged to hear Coach Robert’s philosophy during talks to the host families and the players. His players hustled and played hard every game, unlike so many current MLB players. We will miss you Coach Roberts and will share our displeasure with team representatives at the first home game.
This whole episode is really upsetting. Our family has been close to Mike Roberts since his first year managing the Kettleers. Our son was a bat boy those years and he ended up spending most of his waking hours at the field learning about baseball and life from Coach. At the time I told Coach that I was pleased to think that he was something of a second dad to our son, and that I couldn't think of a better person for the role. Our son learned so much both on the field and off and I attribute a fair chunk of his successes to what he learned during those many summers at Lowell Park. I realize there may be reasons for the parting but if that is the case Coach and, frankly, the fans deserve to know those reasons. To treat someone who gave so much of himself to the team and the community like this is beyond my understanding.
The CAA owes Cotuit a truthful explanation. Mike is a man of honesty and integrity. His record speaks for itself. Maybe it’s the CAA that should be fired.
AMAZING they used his persona to raise a million dollars - then threw him in the trash - they have a word for these people - and you know what it is ‼️
This whole episode is really upsetting. Our family has been close to Mike Roberts since his first year managing the Kettleers. Our son was a bat boy those years and he ended up spending most of his waking hours at the field learning about baseball and life from Coach. At the time I told Coach that I was pleased to think that he was something of a second dad to our son, and that I couldn't think of a better person for the role. Our son learned so much both on the field and off and I attribute a fair chunk of his successes to what he learned during those many summers at Lowell Park. I realize there may be reasons for the parting but if that is the case Coach and, frankly, the fans deserve to know those reasons. To treat someone who gave so much of himself to the team and the community like this is beyond my understanding.
This whole episode is really upsetting. Our family has been close to Mike Roberts since his first year managing the Kettleers. Our son was a bat boy those years and he ended up spending most of his waking hours at the field learning about baseball and life from Coach. At the time I told Coach that I was pleased to think that he was something of a second dad to our son, and that I couldn't think of a better person for the role. Our son learned so much both on the field and off and I attribute a fair chunk of his successes to what he learned during those many summers at Lowell Park. I realize there may be reasons for the parting but if that is the case Coach and, frankly, the fans deserve to know those reasons. To treat someone who gave so much of himself to the team and the community like this is beyond my understanding.
Jay,
As a journalist you should be aware of giving attribution for others work. You used three photos that I took without any attribution. Though I agree with your point of view that Mike Roberts was done dirty by the CAA and that he was a major contributor to the village of Cotuit... you really need to brush up on the ground rules of the ethics of journalism.
Thanks Paul. My apologies if I used some of your photos without your consent. I will remove them. I loved your story about your conversation with Coach Roberts! Such great positivity and fantastic memories reflecting the purity of the game - the comparison with Dustin Pedroia, memories of Duke Snider, and even the commentary about Manny Ramirez. And then how he became yet another Red Sox fan who was brought up a Brooklyn Dodgers fan. Great stuff! - Jay
Hey Jay, You really need to seek another means of communicating. You state "if...you used some of my photos" without my consent... IF!!! you obviously know that you did or you would not have known which photos to remove! An actual apology would have been: "So true. Shall not occur again." So sad. Don't use my art again and i shall not trouble you again.