From the Diamond to the Gridiron

Baseball fans will be excused if they feel like trading in their cowhide for some pigskin this Super Bowl weekend.

With that in mind, here’s a look at three pieces of trivia involving times when Alberta baseball had links to the Super Bowl …

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 …

Expos, Eh?

It’s a question that has sat in the back of the minds of baseball fans for more than 20 years.

Who killed the Montreal Expos?

As Netflix gets ready to release its new documentary, we look at the Alberta farm teams of the ill-fated Expos.

In The Cards: 1987 Edmonton Trappers

It was the summer of 1987 that sealed Edmonton’s reputation as the City of Champions.

While sports teams had gathered championships, it was actually the response to that summer’s deadly tornado that led to the term being used.

Our latest “In The Cards” looks back at the Trappers of that season, who had a largely underwhelming season.

In The Cards: 1984 Edmonton Trappers

The 1984 Edmonton Trappers were the first Canadian team to win a Pacific Coast League (PCL) championship.

The Trappers would go on to claim three more PCL titles over the course of their existence, but this one had some strong underdog vibes to it.

Learn more in this edition of In The Cards …

Naked Gun Fun

Hey, if Die Hard is a Christmas classic, well then yippee ki-yay, you bet The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! is a baseball film.

And not only is it a baseball flick, just like Field of Dreams and The Hill, it has ties to Western Canada.

Joyn the Club

No pressure.

We just want you to replace Hall-of-Fame first baseman Rod Carew.

This was the looming expectation for Wally Joyner as he went about his business in 1985.

The A’s in Alberta

As Oakland baseball fans say goodbye to the Athletics, the curtain is also going down on a small piece of Alberta’s baseball history.

The Athletics had a Pioneer League team in Medicine Hat in 1977, then an affiliation with the Edmonton Trappers from 1995 to 1998.

Trappers Unlocked

The rain pouring down on what was then called Telus Field in Edmonton acted as a perfect metaphor.

Despite the downpour, more than 9,000 fans bundled up to shed tears and say goodbye to their beloved Edmonton Trappers on final time on Sept. 2, 2004.

Stairs’ Case for Hitting Success

Back for a third Western Canadian Baseball League All-Star Weekend in a row, Canadian baseball legend Matt Stairs couldn’t wait to once again share his knowledge of the game with young athletes in and around Okotoks.

Canadian Baseball Network’s Kevin Glew caught up with him for a chat about his career and more.