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.

In The Cards: 1990 Calgary Cannons

It was the summer of 1990 and life was good for Calgary baseball fans.

If you went to Foothills Stadium to take in a Triple-A game that season, the odds were good that you’d get to see shortstop Omar Vizquel pick a ball out of the infield dirt and fire it over to first baseman Tino Martinez to record an out.

If you were really lucky, you might show up on one of the nights that outfielder Jay Buhner suited up for the Cannons that year.

For those who collected baseball cards, the sports collectibles business was booming.

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.

Uphill Battle

Rickey Hill dreamed of playing pro baseball.

While he didn’t play in Major League Baseball, the Texan did spend time in the minors despite his considerable adversity.

Hill’s journey, which included a stop with the Lethbridge Expos, is the basis of the new Netflix movie, The Hill.

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.

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.

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.

Calgary Expos: All-Time Team

The Montreal Expos had a professional baseball following that was truly national in scope.

During their 36 years of operation, the Expos ran minor league affiliates across Canada, including Edmonton, Ottawa, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Quebec City, and Lethbridge.

They also had a Pioneer League club in Calgary between 1979 to 1984, leading to many star-studded performances that we highlight here.

In The Cards: 1982 Edmonton Trappers

Year two of Edmonton Trapper baseball offered up the team’s first superstar.

Learn more about him and his teammates in the latest edition of In The Cards …