CHATHAM, Mass. — The first year of the Dennis Cook managerial era brought both soaring highs and steep lows for the Anglers. Periods where Chatham held the best offense in the Cape Cod Baseball League were alternated with stretches where it struggled to hit much at all. That inconsistency led to a season where the Anglers won 17 games, missing the CCBL playoffs.

But when Cook took the Chatham job, his goals were simple. He wanted to get the Anglers to play hard, help them become better players and teach them how to conduct themselves as professionals. As a former 15-year Major League Baseball veteran, Cook has a wealth of experience when it comes to the latter.

Of course, he still wanted to win, but the team’s success was a secondary priority in his eyes. So, with Chatham’s season drawing to a close, he had nothing but positive things to say as he assessed his debut summer at the helm of the A’s.

“I think we sent them home healthy and better. All of them,” Cook said of his players. “That’s the goal.”

Cook’s inaugural season was highlighted by dominant pitching performances, timely home runs and offensive eruptions. Here are the moments that defined the Anglers’ 2025 campaign:

1. Ashton Larson seals dramatic 11-8 win over Falmouth with 5th-inning slam (July 6)

Ashton Larson’s (Texas) 2024 summer with the A’s ended on a low note. In the Anglers’ East Divisional playoff contest against Harwich, the Chatham right fielder committed a ninth-inning error that ultimately contributed to the Anglers’ season-ending loss, as the Mariners roared back to life to secure a 7-5 comeback victory.

He never got a chance to atone for that mistake.

But in his second summer in Chatham, he was finally given the opportunity to redeem himself. On July 6, the A’s were locked in a back-and-forth contest with Falmouth at Veterans Field, and Larson committed a third-inning error which eventually allowed a run to score.

Two innings later, he was up at the plate facing Commodores righty Robby Porco, with the bases loaded and the Anglers down 7-6. With one triumphant swing of the bat, Larson erased any evidence of his previous mistake, driving Porco’s offering over the right-field fence to give Chatham a 10-7 lead that it wouldn’t relinquish. The Veterans Field faithful gave him a raucous reception as he rounded the bases, with Larson having vindicated himself in the only way that he could.

“It’s a great feeling to be able to execute in a big spot and help the team win,” Larson said.

2. Chatham walks off Harwich in the 10th inning to end season with 3-2 win (August 3)

While the Anglers had already been eliminated for several days prior to their Aug. 3 contest against Harwich, that didn’t mean they were ready to phone it in. The Veterans Field crowd totaled in the thousands for Chatham’s season finale, and the energy was palpable as they attempted to will the A’s to one final victory to close the season.

Jackson Freeman (Northwestern) scored the game’s first run on a first-inning Chase Fralick (Auburn) single to prompt cheers from the crowd, and the Veterans Field faithful continued to roar when Daniel Jackson (Georgia) scored a second run on a third-inning Reed Stallman (Mississippi State) infield single.

The Anglers waited seven innings to score their next run. With two outs and runners on second and third, Isaiah Lane (San Diego) came up to the plate, as the shortstop represented Chatham’s final chance at a season-ending win. Lane took the first three pitches he saw from Josh Donegan, working the Mariners’ righty for a 2-1 count.

But he didn’t even need to lift a finger to break the 2-2 deadlock. Donegan’s fourth offering was spiked in the dirt, and as it careened past Harwich catcher Matt Conte, Lane walked out of the box, waiting for Fralick — the winning run — to receive his inevitable Gatorade shower after he trotted across home plate.

“That just shows their character,” Cook said of the A’s. “They could have mailed it in when we were eliminated, and they didn’t do it.”

3. Anglers celebrate America’s Anniversary with 7-5 victory over Orleans (July 4)

The Fourth of July began around 8 a.m. for the A’s, as they congregated at the house of Chatham Athletic Association President Steve West before trekking across the town of Chatham to find their parade float.

The float carried players, coaches and interns alike throughout Chatham, with Anglers fans lining the streets in full force. Children beckoned for autographs, players were handed donuts and beach balls, and cheers intensified to a fever pitch whenever locals recognized the A’s float approaching in the distance.

Regardless of the result of that night’s game against Orleans at Eldredge Park, it was already a fantastic day for the Anglers. A win just gave Chatham fans another reason to celebrate.

After getting substituted in for Gavin Gallaher (North Carolina) at shortstop in the sixth inning of the A’s contest against the Firebirds, Lane came through in a massive way, lining a two-run eight-inning single into left field to seal a 7-5 Fourth of July victory for Chatham.

“Sometimes, you gotta win ugly,” Cook said about the A’s performance. “I think tonight, we won ugly.”

4. Chatham bats ignite for 7 1st-inning runs in 10-6 victory over Brewster (July 2)

The quantity of close games Chatham found itself locked in throughout the summer was enough to warrant mandatory cardiograms for all Angler fans. The A’s dealt with three ties and had plenty of comeback efforts go both for and against them, keeping everyone in attendance on their toes for all nine innings.

Sometimes, it’s nice to have the outcome decided for you after one.

On July 2, Chatham took its first visit to Stony Brook Field of the summer, hoping to follow an 11-run performance against Wareham with a similar offensive output against Brewster. It took just one inning of play to determine how the contest was going to play out.

Henry Ford (Tennessee) led the game off with a home run, and he capped off the first inning by lining a two-run single into center field. Four runs and eight at bats sandwiched the two events. By the time Brewster had found its first three outs, the only audible sound at Stony Brook was the euphoria emanating from the first-base dugout.

“It feels good to think you won the game in the first inning,” Daniel Jackson said. “Sometimes you put up seven and you might lose. But odds are probably not in their favor.”

5. Nate Taylor Ks 10 across 4 perfect innings to secure Chatham’s 1st win of the season (June 16)

After Chatham combined for two runs across season-opening losses to Falmouth and Bourne, it was evident that the A’s were going to need to lean on their pitching staff to find their first win of Cook’s managerial tenure. So, when the Anglers took a trek to Spillane Field on June 16, there was no better time to have their best pitching performance of the summer.

Despite not getting the chance to start in his freshman season at Georgia, right-hander Nate Taylor (Vanderbilt) was handed the ball early for the A’s, tasked with shutting down Wareham in Chatham’s third game of the summer. Cook got everything he expected and more.

Taylor was utterly dominant in his first start of the summer, striking out 10 Gatemen over four unblemished innings, allowing zero baserunners in his appearance. His efforts gave the A’s all the time they needed to attack Wareham starter Cooper Consiglio; they racked up seven fourth-inning runs to seal a 9-2 victory over the Gatemen.

“He wants to be great,” Cook said of Taylor. “And he’s going to be.”