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.
Read More Champagne & Styrofoam CupsJim Abbott has served as inspiration in the baseball world for decades.
Born without a right hand, he persevered to become a college, Olympic and MLB pitcher who threw a no-hitter for the New York Yankees in 1993.
Abbott once again inspired fans with an improbable comeback in 1998 that included five appearances with the Calgary Cannons.
Read More Reinventing the AbbottHappy birthday Junior Felix!
Err … happy belated birthday?! Or is it tomorrow?
As elusive as he was on the base paths at times during his playing career, the actual date of birth of Junior Francisco Felix Sanchez also proved hard to run down.
His official birthday is listed as October 3rd, 1967, but it was long suspected that the outfielder from Laguna Salada in the Dominican Republic was much older than that date would suggest.
Read More Ageless WonderHe may have just hit a triple, but Peter Pocklington couldn’t help but dream about crushing a home run.
The ink was still fresh on his acquisition of the Ogden Athletics of the Pacific Coast League when he mused about something much bigger: Major League Baseball.
On the 40th anniversary of the Edmonton Trappers beginning play in the PCL, we take a look back at the efforts made to bring the team to the capital and the legacy left behind.
Read More Setting The TrapIn the 1980s, there was no one cooler than the multi-sport athlete.
Bo knows that, and Deion Sanders packaged it for “Prime Time.”
Kirk McCaskill also had a pretty good idea of what it took to play two sports at the highest level …
Read More Dropping the PuckHe 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.
Read More Dutch TreatWhen 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.
Read More White LightningFor Edmonton baseball fans, Reggie Jackson really was the straw that stirred the drink.
On May 16, 1983, the man known as Mr. October arrived in Edmonton for an exhibition game between the hometown Trappers of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League (PCL) and their parent club, the California Angels.
It was a nothing game for the Angels – a northerly stop wedged between an 8-6 loss to the Minnesota Twins and a 3-1 victory over the Seattle Mariners – but it was a statement game for fans in Alberta’s capital.
Read More The Straw That Stirred the Drink