April 18, 2018
John Schiffner ’77 leaves major imprint on Cape Cod Baseball League
By Brendan McGair
John Schiffner ’77 had it all mapped out.
It was the spring of his senior year at Providence College. Like many of his Friar baseball teammates, Schiffner hoped a solid season would translate into getting drafted by a Major League Baseball team.
Those best-laid plans were dashed following an early-season collision at home plate that resulted in a hematoma in his thigh.
“I was devastated,” said Schiffner, who ended up missing 15 games in his final go-around in a PC uniform.
From that agonizing setback on the diamond, a grand opportunity arose that helped Schiffner lay the foundation to become the most successful manager in the history of the Cape Cod Baseball League — considered the premier amateur baseball league. The pieces started to fall into place when Alex Nahigian, PC’s head coach from 1960-78, extended an invitation to his injured third baseman to participate in a series of show-him-the ropes training sessions inside the Friar dugout.
“Nahigian didn’t have to take me on the road trips, but he knew I wanted to someday become a coach,” said Schiffner. “He said, ‘Why don’t you sit next to me during the games and we’ll talk baseball?’ A situation would come up and he would ask what I would do. Of course, he’d call me a clam cake and ask, ‘Why would you want to do it that way?’ I thought that was crucial for later on.
“Nahigian was tough to play for, but he was an outstanding coach, and I learned a lot about fundamentals from him. That helped me throughout my career,” Schiffner added.
Eventually, the mentoring afforded to Schiffner while still in college transformed into a memorable 25-year managerial run in a seaside community where he affectionately became known as the summer mayor of Chatham.
Last summer, the Chatham Anglers’ manager stepped down with more than 500 victories to his credit — easily the most in the 132 seasons in the league’s history. Schiffner’s teams won two CCBL championships and six division titles. He coached more than 100 Major League baseball players, 39 of whom were first-round draft picks. Schiffner’s list of former protégés who have played in the majors includes prominent names in today’s game such as Kris Bryant, Evan Longoria, and Andrew Miller.
“It was the greatest experience of my life,” said the 62-year-old Schiffner, who joined the University of Maine coaching staff as an assistant after leaving the Cape Cod League. “To see the league and the Chatham Athletic Association evolve and watch the talent level that I was fortunate enough to have coached was pretty special.” In all, he spent 34 years with the league as a player, assistant coach, and manager.
The road to becoming Chatham’s bench boss began with Schiffner operating under an interim capacity. A vacancy was created in 1993 with Schiffner taking over a last-place club. Known at that time as the A’s before changing to the Anglers in 2009, Chatham turned its season around under Schiffner. He guided the squad to a 16-7 finish to the regular season and an appearance in the CCBL Championship game. He was named the full-time skipper after that season.
Schiffner was first exposed to the Cape Cod League in the summer after his first year at PC. He was playing in the Atlantic League near his New Jersey home when a Cape roster spot opened up after someone got hurt. He returned to the Cape following his sophomore and junior years with the Friars.
“I had never heard of the Cape until I got to PC. Once I got there, everyone was telling me, ‘Get to the Cape, get to the Cape,’” said Schiffner. “You felt special there, playing against the type of competition that you did.”
After three seasons as a player, Schiffner became an assistant coach of the Harwich Mariners for a season and then moved on to Chatham as an assistant until 1982. He said the transition to coaching was relatively smooth because he let the players who came to the Cape from some of the nation’s top programs serve as his guiding light.
“You have 15 to 18 different colleges represented on one team so you’re listening to what the players are doing at their respective programs. As a young coach, you are a sponge,” said Schiffner. “If you keep your eyes and ears open, you’re going to learn. If you’re good enough to apply some of the things you’ve learned, you’re going to make yourself into a better coach.”
Once the Chatham job officially became his in 1994, Schiffner adopted a creed that proved to serve him well during his lengthy tenure. His light-handed approach helped him break down many barriers, easing relationships among highly talented teammates who starred at high-caliber programs like USC and UCLA.
Winning is great and part of the process, Schiffner informed each of his Chatham clubs during the summer’s inaugural meeting. However, he also told the players to leave the Cape better than when they arrived and to go out and enjoy the best summer of their life. In Cape Cod lore, this became known as the “Chatham Experience.”
“By the end of the summer, they’re no longer rivals. They’re friends,” said Schiffner.
Besides the Cape League, Schiffner experienced long-term success as the coach at Plainfield High School in Connecticut. The PC social studies/education major, who was a history teacher at Plainfield High, led the school to the state tournament in 31 of his 33 seasons as coach through 2011. He was inducted into the Connecticut High School Coaches Hall of Fame in 2017.
What was the most rewarding part of his Cape Cod League endeavor? Hands down, he said it was the phone calls and text messages he received when one of his former Chatham players learned he had been selected by a Major League Baseball club.
“You can’t imagine the feeling. It is so special,” said Schiffner. “They reach out immediately after they’ve been drafted and say, ‘They offered me this amount of money. I can’t thank you enough for allowing me to showcase my skills in the Cape League.’ It’s indescribable.”
The same could be said about the heights this former Friar baseball captain reached during his 25 years piloting Chatham.
