Thirty summers after he tore through the Cape Cod Baseball League at Spillane Field, former Wareham Gatemen shortstop Kevin Nicholson is headed to the Cape Cod Baseball League Hall of Fame.
Nicholson, the league's 1996 Most Valuable Player, is one of five members of the Class of 2026. The group will be inducted on Sunday, Nov. 15, at the Wequassett Resort in Harwich.
A summer to remember in Wareham
Nicholson arrived in Wareham in 1996 as a switch-hitting shortstop from Stetson University, by way of British Columbia. He left as the best player in the league.
He hit .315 with 3 home runs and 23 RBI for the Gatemen and won the Pat Sorenti MVP Award. His league-leading 18 doubles that summer still stand tied for second on the Cape League's all-time single-season list.
From Spillane Field to the big leagues
The Cape summer launched Nicholson's pro career. The following spring he was named his conference's Player of the Year at Stetson, and the San Diego Padres took him 27th overall in the 1997 MLB Draft. He was the first Canadian chosen in the first round since all Canadians became draft-eligible in 1991, according to the Canadian Baseball Network
Nicholson made his major league debut with the Padres on June 23, 2000, and played 37 games for San Diego that season. He went on to represent Canada at the 2001 Baseball World Cup, the 2004 Athens Olympics and the 2006 World Baseball Classic. Today he coaches youth baseball back home in British Columbia.
He joins a long line of Gatemen greats in the Hall, and becomes the latest reminder that some of the game's best got their start at Spillane Field.
If you want to go
- What: Cape Cod Baseball League Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
- When: Sunday, Nov. 15, 2026
- Where: Wequassett Resort, Harwich
- Tickets: $95 for reception, brunch, and ceremony. Contact Mary Henderson at (508) 922-7388
Wareham will be in the room
“Kevin’s 1996 season is one of the great summers in Gatemen history, and this honor is long overdue,” said Gatemen President Matt Merrick. “We’d love to see a strong Wareham crowd in Harwich to celebrate him.”
The Gatemen, a founding franchise of the Cape League since 1938, invite fans, host families and alumni to come out and cheer on one of their own. Follow the team at gatemen.org for updates on the ceremony and plans for the 2027 season.
Kevin Nicholson will be inducted to Cape Cod Baseball League Hall of Fame as a Wareham Gatemen.
