If patience is a virtue, Russ Parker has a dugout full of it.
Calgary’s “Mr. Baseball” went through the ringer to bring Triple-A baseball to the city, including rumours, a difficult deal and a snowstorm.
On the 35th anniversary of the team’s debut at Foothills Stadium, we take a look back at the road taken to bring the Pacific Coast League team to Calgary.
Read More Blast From The PastWe venture to the provincial capital for this edition of In The Cards.
The overall look and feel of the set gives it a big league feel, reminiscent of something Topps might have created.
On the field, the Trappers were the defending champs, having won their first PCL title in 1984.
Read More In The Cards: 1985 Edmonton TrappersThis should have been a set that included a Ken Griffey Jr. baseball card.
Alas, the Hall of Fame outfielder ended up being too good for Triple-A baseball, skipping straight from the Double-A level in 1988 to the Seattle Mariners in 1989. Nonetheless, this blue-bordered ProCards set of the Calgary Cannons included plenty of Major League Baseball (MLB) talent.
Read More In The Cards: 1989 Calgary CannonsFathers and sons and baseball.
Bret Boone knows a lot about these things. He is the grandson of Major League Baseball (MLB) infielder Ray Boone, the son of catching great Bob Boone and in 1992 he became the first third-generation big league player in history when he was called up from the Calgary Cannons to play with the Seattle Mariners.
At 49 years of age, Bret is a decade removed from his playing days, but as a father he now does what Ray and Bob did before him – he watches his son play baseball.
Read More In the Name of the Father