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 …

Campbell was a Calgary Ace

He was, most likely, the best pitcher to take the mound for the Calgary Cannons.

That’s saying something for a team that was represented by major-league talents like Jim Abbott, Andy Hawkins, Erik Hanson, A.J. Burnett, Ken Forsch, Dennis Powell and Jeff Nelson.

But Mike Campbell wasn’t just a pitcher who honed his craft at Triple-A in the Pacific Coast League (PCL) – the righthander dominated the circuit in the late 1980s.

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.

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 …

OPINION: The Nightmare in Calgary

You have to think that baseball people in Calgary look at Okotoks and wonder “what if?”

What if the city had backed the Dawgs instead of forcing them out?

With Foothills Stadium being torn down, it leaves a giant void in the city’s baseball landscape.

In The Cards: ’91 Calgary Cannons

They were a colourful bunch, those 1991 Calgary Cannons.

Sporting jerseys with white, blue, red and yellow colours, the Cannons looked sharp that season.

This 27-card team set from ProCards added even more colour to the squad …

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 …

Bone Rattling

Calgary baseball fans just couldn’t wait to see the rising star outfielder suit up for the home team.

And in the spring of 1989, that wish came true, even if it didn’t quite seem like it at the time.

While season ticket holders of the Cannons were eagerly awaiting the arrival of future Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr., the Seattle Mariners – the parent club of the Triple-A Calgary team – sent up-and-coming Jay Buhner to Foothills Stadium instead.