From the Diamond to the Gridiron

Baseball fans will be excused if they feel like trading in their cowhide for some pigskin this Super Bowl weekend.

With that in mind, here’s a look at three pieces of trivia involving times when Alberta baseball had links to the Super Bowl …

Devo, Stubby and Baba Honoured

Two former Edmonton players and a baseball builder from Moose Jaw are part of the 2026 Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame class.

In The Cards: 1988 Edmonton Trappers

It was a busy sporting year in Alberta.

Calgary hosted the Olympic Winter Games in 1988, bringing British ski jumper Eddie the Eagle into the spotlight, along with the underdog Jamaican bobsled team, and the figure skating rivalry between American Brian Boitano and Canadian Brian Orser.

In the National Hockey League (NHL), Wayne Gretzky led the Edmonton Oilers to a sweep over the Boston Bruins for their fourth Stanly Cup championship.

Edmonton’s baseball scene saw the Trappers, the Triple-A affiliate of the California Angels, go 61-80 under manager Tom Kotchman in the Pacific Coast League (PCL), causing the team to miss the playoffs for a fourth straight year.

Despite the lack of team success, there were bright spots on the squad. Let’s take a closer look in this edition of In The Cards …

From Bat Boy to Hall of Famer

It could have been quite easy for Orv Franchuk to dislike or even hate baseball right from the very start.

The Wandering River, Alberta product instead turned around and made it a passion, earning him numerous accolades including being named to the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame.

Hatching Jays and Building A Bridge to L.A.

The Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers bring championship pedigrees to their 2025 battle for a World Series title.

The Jays won Major League Baseball’s top prize in 1992 and 1993, while the Dodgers have eight championships, including one from their time in Brooklyn.

There was a time – in the 1980s and 1990s – when Pioneer Baseball League squads from Medicine Hat and Lethbridge contributed to the ultimate success of their parent clubs in Ontario and California.

Expos, Eh?

It’s a question that has sat in the back of the minds of baseball fans for more than 20 years.

Who killed the Montreal Expos?

As Netflix gets ready to release its new documentary, we look at the Alberta farm teams of the ill-fated Expos.

Baseball Call to the Hall

Baseball players, coaches, builders and dreamers are taking their place among the sporting legends of Alberta.

Five major baseball figures in the province – Orv Franchuk, Dr. Randy Gregg, W.P. Kinsella, Mel Kowalchuk and Reno Lizzi – are part of a major induction ceremony that will take place at the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame …

Putting on The Show

We look at 10 times that Major League Baseball (MLB) teams played in Alberta …

In The Cards: 1987 Edmonton Trappers

It was the summer of 1987 that sealed Edmonton’s reputation as the City of Champions.

While sports teams had gathered championships, it was actually the response to that summer’s deadly tornado that led to the term being used.

Our latest “In The Cards” looks back at the Trappers of that season, who had a largely underwhelming season.

In The Cards: 1984 Edmonton Trappers

The 1984 Edmonton Trappers were the first Canadian team to win a Pacific Coast League (PCL) championship.

The Trappers would go on to claim three more PCL titles over the course of their existence, but this one had some strong underdog vibes to it.

Learn more in this edition of In The Cards …