From Bat Boy to Hall of Famer

It could have been quite easy for Orv Franchuk to dislike or even hate baseball right from the very start.

The Wandering River, Alberta product instead turned around and made it a passion, earning him numerous accolades including being named to the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame.

Baseball Call to the Hall

Baseball players, coaches, builders and dreamers are taking their place among the sporting legends of Alberta.

Five major baseball figures in the province – Orv Franchuk, Dr. Randy Gregg, W.P. Kinsella, Mel Kowalchuk and Reno Lizzi – are part of a major induction ceremony that will take place at the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame …

One Crazy Summer

From Hall of Famers to World Series champs, Little League talent to Major League talent, pitch clocks to livestock, the summer of 1963 offered baseball fans a little bit of everything.

It was a weird and wonderful year at the ballpark …

In The Cards: 1995 Edmonton Trappers

A new ballpark, a new manager and a fresh crop of prospects made the 1995 Edmonton Trappers a popular part of Alberta’s sports scene.

Learn more in this edition of In The Cards …

Setting The Trap

He 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.

Coaching Duo Leaving Prospects

The Edmonton Prospects will have a new look in the dugout next year, as the coaching duo of Ray Brown and Orv Franchuk is moving on.

But the experienced skipper tandem may not be away from the Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL) for very long.

The Prospects announced the resignation of Brown, the team’s head coach, and Franchuk, the director of baseball development, on Sept. 12th after contract discussions with owner Patrick Cassidy broke down.

Chasing Perfection

Nobody’s perfect.

Perfection, they say, is a myth.

That’s where Rich Walker comes in. When the Edmonton Prospects’ pitcher took the mound at Shell Place in Fort McMurray on June 29th, he unleashed a flawless performance on the Giants.