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 …

Dante’s Peek

The unlikely return of the Toronto Blue Jays to the postseason in 2020 put the spotlight on several of the club’s rising stars.

Shortstop Bo Bichette is one of them. But there is another Bichette with the organization who may prove just as valuable to the team – Bo’s father Dante, who serves as an assistant hitting coach on the Blue Jays.

Many of the most valuable lessons that life and baseball had to offer, were learned by Dante Bichette as a member of the Edmonton Trappers.