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September 26
September 22
Well, the Cardiac Kids came up one heartbeat short of the PCL championship.
And no, I haven't been off mourning, or pitching myself off a bridge. My few days away from Cannons Corner have been spent moving. Sorry about any confusion, or lack of updates.
Well, first and foremost, the Guns came up a game, or even a run short in their chase for the PCL crown. We hit well, but pretty much right at the Zephyrs. Let me tell you, the office wasn't the most fun place to be Monday.
The Zephyrs won the first game of the Triple A World Series 7-2 against the Buffalo Bisons last night. For more information, including how to listen to the games, click on the graphic. The series is also being televised on ESPN 2.
With so many free agents (twenty to be exact) on this year's team, we knew that we would not see most of the players after the last home game of the season. What we now know is that it is probable that there will be no old faces at all. Chicago has changed their Triple A affiliation from Calgary to Charlotte. Here's a portion of the Cannons press release from yesterday:
"We had a great year with the White Sox," stated Cannons President Russ Parker. "We understand their desire to have their minor league affiliates in the same area and in the United States. It's difficult for Major League teams to have affiliations in Canadian cities for many reasons."
There has not been a decision at this point as to which Major League organization the Cannons will partner with next season. The Florida Marlins and Anaheim Angels are the only Major League teams without Triple-A affiliations for next year.
"We run a good operation and can work well with any Major League club," said Parker. "The facts of our Canadian location, our geography, and our facility being what they are will make it very difficult for us to have a long-term relationship with one organization. We just have to accept the reality that most teams prefer a club located in the States or, secondary to that, a club with a newer facility."
As mentioned above, there are just two major league teams without affiliations. The popular guess (and even reports in the media) point to the Angels going with the Edmonton Trappers, and the Cannons and Florida having a shotgun marrage. This isn't the best of circumstances, but the last time we went through this was last year, and look what happened on the field!
When we get any official word, I'll post it here, and I am working on a season wrap up for Cannons Corner, which I'm hoping will be on by the end of the week.
September 19
It was a pitching duel last nigh at Zephyr Field. And the first man to flinch would lose. Unfortunately for the Cannons, Tom Fordham flinched. Fordham was the losing pitcher as the Cannons lost 8-1, making their finals series tied at two games apiece.
It all comes down to tomorrow's game. An important note: Tomorrow's game is an afternoon contest, starting at one o'clock. This change is because of the continued unsettled weather in New Orleans (this caused a long delay to the start of tonight's game). So by suppertime, a new PCL champion will be declared, and either the Cannons or the Zephyrs will be off to Las Vegas for the first Triple A World Series.
September 18
Every game, there seems to be someone different filling the breech. Today, it was the turn of someone totally unexpected to help the Cannons get to within one win of the PCL championship.
Pitcher Rich Pratt, the forgotten man in the staff, came in relief last night, and held the Zephyrs to two hits and no runs over two innings to get the win.
Offensively, the Cannons got a solo shot from Mario Valdez, and a two hit, two RBI performance from Brian Hunter.
The Cannons now go into game four up two games to one. Tom Fordham will start for the Guns.
All the local Calgary stations will have highlights of tonight's, and tomorrow's games, on their late night sports shows, and perhaps on other's throughout the day.
September 17
The last home game of the 1998 season was last night. And the Cannons made it as exciting as any game in this year of the Cardiac Kids.
After taking a six nothing lead, the Cannons let the Zephyrs get back into the game, with a top of the ninth home run making an 8-8 tie game. The Guns loaded the bases with two out (including a Kevin Roberson infield single!) and Brian Hunter wasted no time, slamming the first pitch over the centre field wall for a grand slam home run, and a 12-8 win.
The win puts the Guns and Zephyrs even in the best of five series. The teams shared a 737 for the long flight to the Big Easy last night, and play tonight (6:05 Calgary time), Friday and Saturday (if needed).
The Zephyrs don not have an online radio presence, so for all the latest action, please click on the 'up to the minute PCL scores' at the top of the page for all the latest action.
September 14
We are down to the final series of the PCL year, and the final two home games of the Cannons' season. The Cannons are to play the New Orleans Zephyrs for the Pacific Coast League championship.
The Zephyrs and Cannons played their games against each other in late June and early July, including a 6 game in 4 day stretch right before the All Star Game. Frankly, those games were too long ago to get much in the way of insight from them. The Zephers have lost some of the offensive pop that gave them the top batting average in the PCL at .291. (The Cannons were 12th at .276.) However, their pitching shut down the number one team in the league in RBIs and home runs, the Iowa Cubs, in their series. The Cannons will not have the leeway that they had with the call up decimated Fresno squad.
Well, it's not quite a radio deal, but there will be a local radio presence in the pressbox at Burns for the next two nights. QR77's Sports Talk, with Mark Stephens, is going to be broadcast from high atop Burns Stadium tomorrow and Wednesday. The show runs from six until eight, the first two hours of the Cannons game. Click on the link below to listen to Sports Talk!
September 13
For once, the game wasn't decided in the ninth inning.
For the Cannons and their fans, the three runs that they scored in the first provided a welcome cushion, one that was being whittled away when the Guns rallied in the seventh. But the Griz got in a world of trouble in the seventh, and Jason Evans' grand slam homer killed off any hopes the Fresno side had of winning the Pacific Conference Championship. Dave Toth's solo shot was the final nail in the coffin, and a couple of innings later the game was over, and another celebration was on.
The final score (incorrectly reported by at least one local media outlet) was a 9-3 victory for the Cannons, and the stage is now set for the PCL final.
In what a hurricane reduced to a best of three affair, the New Orleans Zephers beat out the Iowa Cubs 2-1, to advance against the Cannons.
The last two home games of the regular season are Tuesday and Wednesday at 6:05. The finals will not be online, so you have to come down to Burns to get all the action!
September 12
It's down to one game.
The Cannons and Grizzlies made a best of five into a best of three, and now it's a best of one. After winning a thriller yesterday, the Cannons dug themselves too big a hole this afternoon, and came up one double short of clicking the Pacific Conference championship.
After giving up three before they even got to bat, and down by five at one point, coming back to lose 6-5 was something to see, but it wasn't enough to force a fifth and final game.
The starters for tomorrow are the same two that started (and got roughed up) in the Wednesday's game in Fresno, the Cannons' Tom Fordham against the Grizzlies Troy Brohawn. Hard to say what the score will be, let alone who will be on the winning end, but based on the last four games, it will go down to the last out!
So come on out to the game (eat some dogs and drink some beer), and cheer on the Guns! For those who are bedridden, click on the Big 13 KYNO logo to listen, starting at 1:30. Hopefully Johnny Dosco is over the bad cold he has had the last few days, and which almost incapacitated him yesterday.
September 11
Mission accomplished.
It sure would have been nice for the Cannons to sweep the two games in Fresno, but it was not to be. An Eric Christopherson blast in the ninth inning brought things level, but the Grizzlies scored a run in the tenth, and won seven to six. The Guns stranded two baserunners in both the ninth and tenth innings.
However, what the Cannons wanted to do is split in Bieden Field, and they did that. Now the scene shifts to Burns Stadium, and the serioes in now a best of three affair.
On the mound, Calgary right-hander Luis Andujar (3-3, 6.26 ERA) will face Fresno's Steve Soderstrom (11-4, 4.05 ERA). In his last outing, Anduhar was superb, throwing 5 no hit innings against Tacoma, with nine strikeouts.
Game time is 7:05 at Burns, so come on out! Phoning in your request might be tough today, so be prepared to spend a bit of time on hold, or come down to Burns Stadium to pick them up. And if you're bedridden, or from out of town, tune in to Johnny Dosco's call on the Big 13 KYNO by clicking on the link!
September 10
The first game of the playoffs sure was a barn burner!
The Cannons jumped out to a seven nothing lead, but Fresno came back, with four home run blasts to take the lead 8-7.
Former Cannon pitcher Jeff Darwin was in to close for the Grizzlies in the top of the ninth. With two out Jeff Liefer pitch hit, and what looked like a fly ball sent the Fresno fielder back to the track, then to the wall, then leaping at the wall, while the ball bounced off the top of the Bieden Field fence, and out for a two run home run, and a 9-8 lead. The Griz went down quickly in the bottom half of the inning, and once again the Guns pulled one out in the ninth to win.
The Liefer home run was the seventh of the game, and third by the Guns. This series is turning out to be a home run derby, and despite being out dingered 4 to 3, game one goes to the Cannons. Wednesday's game will see Fresno trying to even the series before flying out to Calgary. Game time is 8:05, with the pregame show at about 7:50. Click on the "Big 13 KYNO" link below to listen to all the exciting action.
September 9
The playoffs are now only a few hours away. The pitching match up is the Cannons' Tom Fordham against the Grizzlies Troy Brohawn. The Cannons' first playoff game in 8 years can be listened to on the net. Click on the link below to listen to Cannons playoff baseball!
To listen to this broadcast, you require Real Player (or Real Audio). If you don't have this great freeware, click on the link below to download it!
September 8
A few thoughts on this off day before the playoffs start.
Benji Gil being on the DL isn't (in my opinion) the worst thing that could happen to the Guns. Being brought up to replace him is highly touted prospect Juan Bautista. Bautista was an everyday player with the Barons, and could prove to be a hand during the playoffs. Gil on the other hand, has proven to be more than a handful. His griping to the press a few weeks ago only told the fans what most of the observant ones already knew, that Benji didn't like being here in Calgary. Doing something as goofy as hurting his elbow three days before playoffs shows that his mind isn't on the team, something very different from the rest of the squad.
Looking at the stats between the two teams, (as Marc Ciampa has done on ">his site) there isn't a lot to choose from. The two teams finished with identical win/loss records, and most of the other major team stats are similar. Call ups are always a factor in minor league playoffs, and in this the edge would have to go to the Cannons, whose parent club has left them relatively unscathed. By contrast, Fresno lost five players to the Giants.
With the games being at two of the league's launching pads, expect lots of homers. Also, we aren't dealing with the leagues most consistent pitching staffs, so I expect to see lots of runs during this series.
Remember, the first two games are set for Fresno, and game time Wednesday and Thursday is 8:05 Calgary time. You can listen to the game by clicking on the link below, and if you don't have Real Audio, click on that logo to get the Real Player.
September 7
The playoff matchups are now set. In the Pacific Conference final, the Cannons will be playing the Fresno Grizzlies.
The series starts Wednesday and Thursday with games in Fresno, followed by games here in Calgary Friday night at 7:05 and (if necessary) Saturday and Sunday afternoon at 1:35.
As promised, the first round of the playoffs are available online, through Fresno's radio flagship. Click on the link below to listen to Cannons playoff baseball!
To listen to this broadcast, you require Real Player (or Real Audio). If you don't have this great freeware, click on the link below to download it!
The Cannons ended the regular season by defeating Tacoma 8-5 in 13 innings. The Guns finish the regular season with their second best record ever, 81-62. The finish 4 1/2 games ahead of Tacoma in the Northern Division. And next, Fresno on Wednesday, and the start of PCL playoffs 1998.
September 6
It's the second last game of the season, and the Guns still don't know whom they will face in the first round of the playoffs. Neither Salt Lake nor Fresno have been able to muster a win in the past three days, so Fresno have held onto their slim lead atop the South Division.
The Cannons have been playing out the string, losing Friday, winning Saturday and losing 1-0 in 11 innings against Tacoma. Luis Andujar threw 5 innings of no hit ball in Sunday's tilt, striking out 9. Manager Tom Spenser has been resting a couple of starters each day this series, to try to help the team get over some of the knocks of a 144 game season.
Looking at the stats alone, it's hard to see how the Guns have 80 wins. They are 10th in hitting with a .278 average. The only offensive stat they lead the league in is sacrifice flys.
Among individual leaders, Mario Valdez is 5th in average, Olmedo Saenz is third in home runs 4th in runs scored, Lou Frazier is 2nd in steals, and other then that, no Cannons are in the top five, despite most Guns being with the club the full year.
On the pitching side, Russ Herbert's 145 strikeouts (4th in the league and second overall in Cannon's history) is the only individual stat in the top five for the Guns. Overall, Kurk Champion's pitching staff was 14th of 16 teams going into today's game, with a 5.05 ERA.
Why did this team win then? Well, they just seemed to be able to win. The did it with runs when they needed them, and the odd gem of a pitching performance when the team wasn't hitting. There is no one closer on the team, but the staff does have 34 saves. There isn't hugely great hitting, but the runs came when they were needed.
This is going to be a very fun team to watch and listen to in the playoffs. And regardless of which team wins in the South, you'll be able to catch all the games online! More info on how (through Cannons Corner of course!) once a winner is determined.
September 4
Wow.
What a night!
Last night's game was one of the most exciting kaleidoscope of images I've ever been witness to. For those of you who don't know, the game had as storybook an ending as you'll ever see. Down 3-2 in the bottom of the ninth, pitch hitter Kevin Roberson, who had a wisdom tooth removed earlier yesterday, sent a 400 foot shot over the fence in left, giving the Cannons the Northern Division title in front of almost 9,000 fans.
Some of the images I remember include:
Seeing the flood of people coming in at the gates at 5:00, and just continue to come and come and come.
All those people seemingly needing to get food and drink at the same time, their patience, and the great work of all my staff in doing their best to serve way more people then normal.
The way all the fans were really into the game.
The ninth inning, and the way it ended. Seeing hitting coach Orsino Hill waving the ball over the fence as Roberson rounded first, then all the players going nuts as he rounded the bases.
The two minute (?) standing ovation at the end of the game, with all the players tipping their hats as they went into the locker room.
The shivers going up my (and all the other guy's) spines as we got to go out on the field and do our annual peanut toss while "Thunderstruck" played and the fans continued to go mad.
The team bringing the crowd to their feet once more as they came out, spraying themselves and the crowd with champagne. John Finn, with a big cigar in his mouth, wanting to touch every fan that came up to the screen when the team did a victory lap. Lou Frazier the heart and soul of the team, busting a move on home plate. And the crowd roaring it's approval the whole time.
And even after the game, where players came up to the On Deck Tent, to party with the fans, and with the staff. That's the kind of thing that just doesn't happen with a major league franchise like the Flames! And (almost) to end the night, flipping from station to station to see the highlights, with everybody roaring together each time the ball sped into the night, and went over the fence.
Next is a series we've looked at all year as THE series, now made trivial and meaningless. The Guns are on their way to Tacoma, to play the last four of the year. Sporty will do what he can to rest as many bruised and hurt bodies as possible, and watch the scoreboard to see if we face Salt Lake or Fresno in the first round of the playoffs.
If Salt Lake wins, the first two playoff games are here on Wednesday and Thursday. If Fresno wins, the Cannons play here Friday, (and if necessary) Saturday and Sunday. Either way, go get tickets! The ticket office is open all weekend in order to take care of the many people coming down to see the first Cannons playoff action in seven years.
Later today or tomorrow, I'll put up my picks for the player awards. I wanted to do it today, but with all the excitement of last night, well, can you blame me if it slipped my mind?
September 3
And then there was one.
One more home game in the (regular) season. One is the magic number. And one is the number of teams left to defeat for the Cannons to gain the Northern Division Championship.
The Cannons continued their winning ways in 'another classic PCL defensive struggle', winning 11 to 8. The win, combined with Edmonton's collapse in the late innings, and the ensuing Iowa win, eliminated the Trappers from the post-season. Tacoma's win this afternoon means that they are hanging on by a thread, hoping the Cannon's lose tomorrow, they win, and then they sweep the Guns in Tacoma over the weekend.
I want to have the Cannons win here. First, it would be great for them to clinch here at in front of their home crowd. It would also mean a lot less anxiety coming into the weekend.
I'm sorry about the briefness of this update. In Friday's update I'll give playoff ticket information, when we're playing (if we know that info) and the award pics, with my own versions of the awards.
September 1
Welcome to September! In the past few years, this month has been one of looking back and reflecting on the past year. However, we enter this September still talking about the present, and looking forward to the future.
The Cannons won their eighth game in a row last night, with a dramatic 6-5 win, as Mario Valdez's soft liner brought home Benji Gil with the winning run.
This combined with a Tacoma loss to Fresno and a wild come from behind victory for Iowa over the Trappers, gives the Guns a 4 1/2 game edge over the Rainiers, and a five game edge over the Trappers. Most importantly, their 'magic number' is three with both teams.
It seems that about the only thing that can derail the Guns is September callups. Jim Abbott is 'home seeing his family for a couple of days', but is not really expected to be back. And hard working Craig Wilson, who has played himself onto this team as Mr. Everywhere, was called up with the trade of Sox utility infielder Chris Snopek. Without a doubt there are several Guns which deserve the trip to Chicago, but we hope that the Sox (well out of any race) will wait.
Only three home games left! Well, in the regular season anyways. Come on out and see this incredible team.