In The Cards: 1986 Edmonton Trappers

As a team, the Edmonton Trappers didn’t accomplish a great deal in 1986.

The Triple-A Pacific Coast League (PCL) squad went 68-73 in front of 229,682 fans at John Ducey Park that season, falling short of a postseason berth.

That said, the primary purpose of minor-league baseball teams has never been about winning championships. Player development and converting young athletes into Major League Baseball (MLB) talent has always been the underlying goal of these feeder squads. In that regard, this Trappers team had plenty of success stories.

In The Cards: 1981 Edmonton Trappers

The 1981 Edmonton Trappers had plenty of Major League Baseball (MLB) talent on its roster, but the team lacked true star power in its introductory campaign.

Who cares when you look this good though, right? Sporting lids that look like they could melt in the acid rain (it was a thing in the 1980s, you can look it up) and pin-striped uniforms that might just be the sharpest looking pyjamas you’ve ever seen, the Trappers had that Leo Chavalier look of a winner.

Learn more in our latest installment of In The Cards …

Potent Pitching

Luring one of the most mild-mannered players in Major League Baseball (MLB) history to charge the mound is an unusual achievement, but it’s one that Lou Pote can celebrate.

The 6-foot-3 right-handed pitcher was with the Anaheim Angels in 2001 when he did the nearly impossible: he made Hall-of-Fame designated hitter (DH) Edgar Martinez mad … like, really mad.

It was the sixth inning of an early October game in Anaheim between the Angels and the Seattle Mariners, who finished that season with an American League (AL) record 116 wins.

Dutch Treat

He wasn’t here for a long time, but Bert Blyleven did appear to have a good time during his brief stay in Alberta.

It was an unlikely pit stop for the Hall of Fame pitcher, who made two starts for the Edmonton Trappers in May of 1992.

The third-round pick of the Minnesota Twins in 1969 was playing his final pro season when he arrived in the provincial capital.

In The Cards: 1992 Edmonton Trappers

There really must be something in the water in Edmonton.

In 1992, “King Fish” Tim Salmon made it rain as a member of the Trappers. The outfielder led the Pacific Coast League (PCL) in home runs (29), total bases (275), runs batted in (105), extra base hits (71), on-base percentage (.469) and slugging percentage (.672).

Salmon’s card from this 1992 Fleer ProCards set – the subject of this edition of In The Cards – was undoubtedly the most sought after of the bunch.

In The Cards: 1993 Edmonton Trappers

This chapter of our In The Cards series – which profiles Alberta baseball collectibles – comes courtesy of Ross Flats Vintage Apparel, who kindly donated this 1993 set of Edmonton Trappers cards.

The 27-card set was made by Fleer ProCards and it features some fairly static poses, but the images of the pin-striped Trappers are clear. Edmonton’s John Ducey Park can also be seen in the background.

White Lightning

When you look back at those postseason games from the early ’90s, it’s all there.

You can see the threat on the base paths, the ability to come up with timely hits and, of course, the wall-crashing catches in centre field.

Devon White was never the guy for the Toronto Blue Jays during their back-to-back World Series titles in 1992 and 1993. But you cannot win championships without key contributors like White roaming the outfield and batting at the top of the order.

In The Cards: 1985 Edmonton Trappers

We venture to the provincial capital for this edition of In The Cards.

The overall look and feel of the set gives it a big league feel, reminiscent of something Topps might have created.

On the field, the Trappers were the defending champs, having won their first PCL title in 1984.

Wax Tracks

It is seemingly a marriage of three favourite pieces of baseball lore: cards, travel and books.

Brad Balukjian’s new book, “The Wax Pack: On The Open Road In Search Of Baseball’s Afterlife,” dives into what happened to the players he found in a pack of 1986 Topps baseball cards.

It led him down an 11,341-mile adventure that can only be described as a mix of nostalgia, travelogue and self-discovery.

Q&A with Matt Stairs

He was the guy you wanted at the plate with the game on the line in the late innings.

In the playoffs.

He was coming in cold and the ice in his veins helped him maintain a cool demeanor in pressure-packed situations.

Canadian Matt Stairs is the quintessential pinch hitter. He has a World Series ring that was earned, in part, from his postseason heroics for the Philadelphia Phillies in 2008. The Fredericton, New Brunswick product is also in the record books for his 23 regular season, pinch-hit home runs.