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Sweet and Sour Lou

They call him Sweet Lou.

It was a nickname that Lou Piniella earned as a player because of his silky swing.

He later became one of the great managers of the game, although he drew the ire of Calgary Cannons supporters while he managed their parent team, the Seattle Mariners.

Hawk Eyes Return

Vauxhall Academy of Baseball grad Garrett Hawkins has been rising up the San Diego Padres’ depth chart since being drafted in 2019.

However, his plans have hit a roadblock after undergoing Tommy John surgery in August.

As Tyson Shushkewich reports, the right-hander is still hoping to return in 2024.

The NeverEnding Torey

He has all the ingredients of a great manager.

And Torey Lovullo – the long-time skipper of the Arizona Diamondbacks – picked up a lengthy grocery list of those ingredients through his minor-league travels, which included stops in Alberta.

Diamonds in the Rough

They were the first official affiliate established for the new Arizona Diamondbacks.

A full two years before the Major League Baseball squad took to the field, the Lethbridge Black Diamonds were expected to be a powerhouse in their inaugural season of 1996.

We take a look back at the successful three-year history of the team, which took numerous twists and turns off the field.

Palmegiani Rises Up Jays’ Ranks

Coming off a strong 2022 season split between two minor league affiliates, Damiano Palmegiani was determined to continue moving up the Toronto Blue Jays’ minor league depth charts.

The Vauxhall Academy of Baseball product is doing that with another strong season with the Double-A New Hampshire Fishercats.

Funderstruck

A two-way star with the Okotoks Dawgs and Edmonton Prospects has made his Major League Baseball debut in stellar fashion.

2017 Western Major Baseball League MVP Kody Funderburk pitched two perfect innings – including three strikeouts – with the Minnesota Twins on August 28.

Ahead of Schedule

It might still be early, but Erik Sabrowski is already exceeding expectations in restarting his professional baseball journey.

Not only is the Edmonton-area product back from his second Tommy John surgery earlier than expected, but he has been nearly flawless in his first few appearances for the Akron RubberDucks.

Clawing His Way Back

Erik Sabrowski knew he wasn’t going to be on the lineup card when the Minor League Baseball season started.

That didn’t stop him from showing up early to Spring Training, looking to see what kind of progress he’s made since undergoing his second Tommy John surgery since 2018.

The Edmonton product is hoping to get back on the mound in the Cleveland Guardians’ system this summer.

Alberta’s 2023 Pro Connections

With the 2023 Major League Baseball season now underway, it was only a matter of time before each organization started setting up its affiliate rosters for the coming year.

While things can and will change, we thought we’d scour as many minor league rosters for Alberta connections to get you updated on where everyone is.

Bliss, Blasphemy & Bizarre Nights at the Ballpark

A barefoot pitcher, a chimpanzee chasing players around the diamond, a missing mascot head and much, much more.

Minor league baseball really does have it all and Tim Hagerty knows that better than most people.

We chat with the author of “Tales from the Dugout: 1,001 Humorous, Inspirational & Wild Anecdotes from Minor League Baseball” about some of the connections in his book to Alberta.