In The Cards: 2000 Calgary Cannons

The Cannons were in their second year of serving the parent Florida Marlins and their final few seasons of existence as a minor-league team.

An appearance in the Pacific Coast League (PCL) championship series in 1998 – their third franchise loss in the finals – was barely visible in the rearview mirror.

There were, however, bright spots on the 2000 roster, as we discover in this edition of In The Cards …

OPINION: Five Famed Names for the Canadian Baseball Hall

“You have to know the past to understand the present.”

As we continue to beam about the state of baseball in Alberta, it’s important to acknowledge and celebrate our past.

It’s time for the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame to consider some of the builders who helped bring the Pioneer League and Pacific Coast League to Alberta.

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.

Hyers Learning

In order to claim a World Series championship, you have to make the right hires.

For the Texas Rangers – who coaxed manager Bruce Bochy out of retirement with impressive results – that included luring Tim Hyers to the Major League Baseball (MLB) organization.

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.

Mound Surgeon

He’s a man known much more for the surgery that’s named after him than his stellar pitching career.

But Edmonton baseball fans got to know Tommy John – the person – a bit during his time with the Triple-A team in Alberta’s capital city.

In The Cards: 1993 Calgary Cannons

As far as rosters go, the 1993 edition of Calgary’s Triple-A squad was not the best that the Cannons had to offer the Stampede city.

However, they did offer up a new look with some pinstripes.

Take a look back at the roster and the uniforms in our latest In The Cards.

Champagne & Styrofoam Cups

There are proper sendoffs and there are forgettable exits.

Sometimes the buildup for a final moment, a last chance at glory, produces the perfect moment.

On other occasions, even when the end is inevitable, the final out is less than magical. Like it was for Ken Forsch of the Calgary Cannons, it was just… over.

Cannon Fodder

Wait and see.

That will be the most likely outcome for a pair of former Calgary Cannons who are hoping to gain acceptance into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York …

In The Cards: 1994 Calgary Cannons

It’s a funny thing.

This series is called “In The Cards”, which would lead you to believe that the main stories of a particular season are reflected in the cardboard collectibles on display.

However, the 1994 Calgary Cannons team set might be better known for the players not in it, like Alex Rodriguez and Darren Bragg.