K MAC CALLS IT A CAREER
Legend Longs for the Simple Life, Ready for Retirement
West Hartford, CT (AP)--In an emotional press conference held late Monday afternoon at Cannon Yards, superstar second baseman Kevin McGann, an integral part of the team's development from league doormat into 2005 CNMSBL Champions, announced his retirement after five fabulous years of service to the ball club from West Hartford. "I thought it was the right time since the team is looking to get younger. My retirement should allow us to actively pursue some younger talent, giving us a chance to challenge for the A Division title in 2007," explained McGann as he choked back tears throughout the entirety of his meeting with members of the local and national media. McGann, 42, initially signed a five-year contract in March of 2001 with West Hartford, making him an unrestricted free agent after the Cannons' last playoff game in August (an 11-5 loss to eventual CNMSBL runner-up Glastonbury). McGann added: "I seriously considered signing a one-year deal and playing in home games only a la Roger Clemens. As always, Cannons' management was more than generous with their contract offer but I didn't want to create a firestorm and possibly mess with team chemistry, the thing that makes playing for the Cannons so special. Although I always hoped to make a run at oldest active Cannon it just doesn't look as if MP [fifty-one year old pitcher Mike Patenaude] is slowing down in the slightest. It's time to put my family first (McGann is married to perennial Fan of the Year nominee Heather and has three beautiful children). This is one of the toughest decisions I've ever had to make professionally but in the end the time just seemed right to say goodbye."
McGann will remain a part of the Cannons' organization as it was announced by Manager Matt Celio and Assistant Manager Mike Weber that he has agreed to become General Manager and Chief Operating Officer of the first international Cannons Baseball Academy scheduled to open in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic in the fall of 2007. McGann further mentioned, "It's a great opportunity for me and the team. I think we can develop some good talent there, indoctrinate these players into the basic Cannon tenets, ideals and philosophies and hopefully sign some of them long-term so that West Hartford will have a steady stream of young talent in the proverbial pipeline for many years to come. And, of course, Leo [Dionicio] can assist with any and all logistics, directing me to the best local nightclubs and hot spots. This is a winning combination for all parties involved."
McGann retires with a career lifetime regular-season batting average of .338 (70 hits in 207 at-bats, good for sixth and fifth respectively on the team's all-time list). Always a tough out, his 1:14.8 strike out to at-bat ratio is best among active Cannon players with more than eighty trips to the plate. McGann also hit a respectable .291 during post-season play and his fifteen playoff runs batted in place him solidly among the team leaders. Though McGann's numbers dipped somewhat during the 2006 regular-season he bounced back in the playoffs to hit a solid .333, scoring four of the team's 27 runs while knocking in a pair. However, it was McGann's defense and determination--he often played through painful hamstring injuries--that truly separated him from other players. In 2004, he was named Defensive Player of the Year and shared Most Valuable Cannon honors with Tom Luby and Mike Patenaude in the closest balloting in team history. In the championship season of 2005, McGann shared the Defensive Player of the Year award with his brother, Mike, a sibling CNMSBL first. For all of his phenomenal work in the field, the team announced that beginning in 2007 this award will be renamed the Kevin J. McGann Cannons Defensive Player of the Year Award. "No player is more deserving," intoned Manager Celio. "I know our pitchers are really going to miss Kevin up the middle. It's certainly going to be strange looking out there and not seeing number 18 on the diamond. This is a void that will be felt both on and off the field. Quite simply, the McGanns are the class of the Cannons and Kevin is irreplaceable as a teammate. He will be missed immensely in West Hartford (the team announced that no player will wear uniform #18 in the future though the formal retirement of McGann's uniform cannot occur until the first day of the 2010 season)." In response to Celio's statements McGann joked, "I'll certainly miss playing for the Cannons but you'll all still see me at the Yards next season. In fact I'll probably make more games than Cal [oft-absent picher Mike Calabrese]."
By Kevin McGann with Matt Celio contributing
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Friday, December 15, 2006
TERRIFIC TURNOUT TOLLS 2006 HOLIDAY TIDINGS
Chicago Beats St. Louis 42-27; West Hartford the Real Winner as Nine Shine
Berlin, CT (AP)--At a time of year when numbers play such a prevalent part in our lives--the Twelve Days of Christmas, the count-down until a well-deserved vacation, the amount of available credit on all of those high interest cards, the number of Dominicans on the Cannons' active roster--it is one number that burned like a beacon, a guiding star in the night sky this past Monday: nine. Nueve is the number of West Hartford Cannon 2007 roster invitees who attended Monday Night Football Mayhem at Sliders in Berlin earlier this week. From the obvious (Weber and Celio), to the expected (Barsa, Dionicio and the McGanns), to the truly unexpected (Giudice, Mancini and Maule) this impromptu gathering garnered warm words from all in attendance as the team watched the Bears and Devin Hester bounce the Rams from NFC Playoff contention.
"One of the greatest off-season get-togethers we've ever had," said elated Assistant Manager Mike Weber as the evening neared its end. "Family and friends are everything during the holidays and spending some quality time with the Cannons at Sliders is a perfect pairing, just like flying reindeer and a sleigh. I'm really impressed with the turnout and think this is a great sign for the upcoming season." This was just the beginning for the team's scheduled slate of sports-themed events at the local establishment, winner of five highly coveted awards in '06 (Hartford Advocate's "Best Wings" and "Best Sports Bar;" "Best Bar for Your Dollar" and "Best Neighborhood Bar" as voted by Reader's Choice; and the "Best Specialty Wings" at the Plainville Wing Ding): 1/20, 3:45 p.m. Indiana v. UCONN; 2/17, 3:30 p.m. UCONN at Syracuse; 3/3, 12:00 p.m. UCONN at Georgetown. "One per month until the season starts," stated Manager Matt Celio, "and if the weather holds out we might be practicing before too long. You know nine truly is the magic number."
Keep up with the many goings-on this off-season at whcannons.blogspot.com. Happy Holidays to all members of Cannon Nation!
Cannons News and Notes: The number theme continued throughout this alcohol-soaked evening: 69--what Mike McGann won't be doing with the Guidance Counselor Weber recently set him up with for a blind date (McGann claims this cold fish clenched her lips when he went in for a kiss after the first date, something that has never happened to him before...reporters were skeptical on this point to say the least); 29--age in years of Rams Quarterback Mark Bulger, who Chris Barsa repeatedly insisted was in his mid-thirties; 20--number of dollars left by Barsa, the same number he leaves each time the team visits Sliders regardless of what he orders; 12/24--M. McGann's birthday...he wanted the team to be aware; 10:30--time "Dominican Dreamboat" Leo Dionicio arrived for the 8:30 kick-off, a trend throughout the player's tenure with the team (it was also reported by members of the media that the "Gringo From Santo Domingo" shed tears while watching Happy Feet); 4 at 4--songs and time of day that M. McGann's favorite tunes will be played on the River 105.9 this Monday afternoon (teammates were able to figure out the four artists after many failed guesses--some that didn't make the final cut were Eddie Grant's "Electric Avenue", Gerardo's "Rico Suave" and Right Said Fred's "I'm Too Sexy")...the younger McGann thinks the actual songs make for an excellent Cannons Jeopardy question and he may be right; 3:33--length in minutes and seconds of the message left by Tom Luby on Celio's cell phone leading to wild speculation that the shortstop would stop by Sliders for a Hot Toddy or two (Lubes sang along with Elvis Presley's "A Little Less Conversation" but left no additional message); 2--famous people John Mancini felt John Giudice looked like (a cross between "Ray Liotta and Clark Kent"); 1--total number of shots Mancer bought for the players in attendance (he warned, "It's 100 Proof so I hope you're not driving" and then had people take a single sip of Rumpleminze...Jason Maule pounded the drink when it was delivered to him, not knowing that several teammates had not swallowed their slug; 0--number of Cannons' starting pitchers in attendance, though Ed Poland and Mike Calabrese both came close (Poland spent a relaxing night at home with his girlfriend after a grueling high school football season while Cal mistakenly went to Sliders in Plainville).
Chicago Beats St. Louis 42-27; West Hartford the Real Winner as Nine Shine
Berlin, CT (AP)--At a time of year when numbers play such a prevalent part in our lives--the Twelve Days of Christmas, the count-down until a well-deserved vacation, the amount of available credit on all of those high interest cards, the number of Dominicans on the Cannons' active roster--it is one number that burned like a beacon, a guiding star in the night sky this past Monday: nine. Nueve is the number of West Hartford Cannon 2007 roster invitees who attended Monday Night Football Mayhem at Sliders in Berlin earlier this week. From the obvious (Weber and Celio), to the expected (Barsa, Dionicio and the McGanns), to the truly unexpected (Giudice, Mancini and Maule) this impromptu gathering garnered warm words from all in attendance as the team watched the Bears and Devin Hester bounce the Rams from NFC Playoff contention.
"One of the greatest off-season get-togethers we've ever had," said elated Assistant Manager Mike Weber as the evening neared its end. "Family and friends are everything during the holidays and spending some quality time with the Cannons at Sliders is a perfect pairing, just like flying reindeer and a sleigh. I'm really impressed with the turnout and think this is a great sign for the upcoming season." This was just the beginning for the team's scheduled slate of sports-themed events at the local establishment, winner of five highly coveted awards in '06 (Hartford Advocate's "Best Wings" and "Best Sports Bar;" "Best Bar for Your Dollar" and "Best Neighborhood Bar" as voted by Reader's Choice; and the "Best Specialty Wings" at the Plainville Wing Ding): 1/20, 3:45 p.m. Indiana v. UCONN; 2/17, 3:30 p.m. UCONN at Syracuse; 3/3, 12:00 p.m. UCONN at Georgetown. "One per month until the season starts," stated Manager Matt Celio, "and if the weather holds out we might be practicing before too long. You know nine truly is the magic number."
Keep up with the many goings-on this off-season at whcannons.blogspot.com. Happy Holidays to all members of Cannon Nation!
Cannons News and Notes: The number theme continued throughout this alcohol-soaked evening: 69--what Mike McGann won't be doing with the Guidance Counselor Weber recently set him up with for a blind date (McGann claims this cold fish clenched her lips when he went in for a kiss after the first date, something that has never happened to him before...reporters were skeptical on this point to say the least); 29--age in years of Rams Quarterback Mark Bulger, who Chris Barsa repeatedly insisted was in his mid-thirties; 20--number of dollars left by Barsa, the same number he leaves each time the team visits Sliders regardless of what he orders; 12/24--M. McGann's birthday...he wanted the team to be aware; 10:30--time "Dominican Dreamboat" Leo Dionicio arrived for the 8:30 kick-off, a trend throughout the player's tenure with the team (it was also reported by members of the media that the "Gringo From Santo Domingo" shed tears while watching Happy Feet); 4 at 4--songs and time of day that M. McGann's favorite tunes will be played on the River 105.9 this Monday afternoon (teammates were able to figure out the four artists after many failed guesses--some that didn't make the final cut were Eddie Grant's "Electric Avenue", Gerardo's "Rico Suave" and Right Said Fred's "I'm Too Sexy")...the younger McGann thinks the actual songs make for an excellent Cannons Jeopardy question and he may be right; 3:33--length in minutes and seconds of the message left by Tom Luby on Celio's cell phone leading to wild speculation that the shortstop would stop by Sliders for a Hot Toddy or two (Lubes sang along with Elvis Presley's "A Little Less Conversation" but left no additional message); 2--famous people John Mancini felt John Giudice looked like (a cross between "Ray Liotta and Clark Kent"); 1--total number of shots Mancer bought for the players in attendance (he warned, "It's 100 Proof so I hope you're not driving" and then had people take a single sip of Rumpleminze...Jason Maule pounded the drink when it was delivered to him, not knowing that several teammates had not swallowed their slug; 0--number of Cannons' starting pitchers in attendance, though Ed Poland and Mike Calabrese both came close (Poland spent a relaxing night at home with his girlfriend after a grueling high school football season while Cal mistakenly went to Sliders in Plainville).
Monday, October 16, 2006
BRINGING SEXY BACK
Cannons Future Could Feature Some Familiar Faces
West Hartford, CT (AP)—The 2007 West Hartford Cannons roster could resemble a family reunion of sorts, potentially including several new players who have made their mark in some significant way on West Hartford Baseball, current Cannons’ careers or in certain cases both as West Hartford looks to build upon its third-place CNMSBL A Division finish in the upcoming season. The team today is in talks with a fantastic foursome of players who rival the famed Marvel Comics menagerie—or the 2002 recruiting class, a group consisting of four clear-cut first-ballot Hall of Famers: Tom Luby, Kevin McGann, Ed Poland and Tom Bogiatzis. Star power is at a premium in West Hartford and Sean McCann, Drew McDowell, Craig Perrier and Sean Sierra could soon become superstars in the ever-expanding Cannons constellation. McCann, a standout out Conard High School in the late 80’s alongside Mike Calabrese, is currently the Chieftains Head Baseball Coach and could provide another powerful arm in an already potent Cannons pitching rotation (where Calabrese is already joined as a starter by Mike Patenaude and the 2006 Patenaude Pitching Award winner Ed Poland). McDowell, who played with a number of current Cannons as a three-season starter at Hall High School between 1987-1989, went on to shine at Stony Brook University where he earned 1993 Conference Pitcher of the Year honors on a team that included roommate and future Minnesota Twins reliever Joe Nathan. Perrier, a Clark University Cougar with Manager Matt Celio in the early 90’s, should bolster a batting order that bashed its way to a .357 postseason average and came within one run of the Championship game (a 5-4 loss to eventual champ Bristol). Sierra, another Chieftain go-to-guy when the only way to have fun was to Wang Chung, played ball with Assistant Manager Mike Weber in the West Hartford town league and was quoted this weekend as saying that he is “very interested in the prospect of playing with the Cannons in 2007.” Weber is quite fond of the quote, “If you’re not getting better, you’re getting worse.” A strong 2006 recruiting class, highlighted by this season’s Most Valuable Cannon Jason Maule, made the transition to the A Division a seamless one for West Hartford. Those in the know understand that championships won on the field in August get their start with off-season signings in October. Inking deals with these four players would be a treat for the Cannons while the trick would clearly be on the rest of the CNMSBL.
Saturday evening saw the 2006 season officially come to a close as Assistant Manager Weber hosted JOktoberfest at his Newington abode. This fun-filled end-of-year event was heavily attended by Cannons players, family members and friends and was highlighted by hearty German fare, a hotly-contested sixteen-category Cannons Jeopardy—won by pitcher Patenaude, his first Jeopardy victory with Luby and 2005 champion John Mancini finishing a close second and third respectively—and the hugely popular 2006 Cannons Awards. “A” great time was had by all. We are family, Cannon Nation!
Cannons News and Notes: Maule’s five awards won were a single-season record (Calabrese and Celio each earned three awards after the 2005 campaign) and place him in a second-place tie all-time with Luby and Poland (Celio leads the team with six out of the forty-seven awards presented...Celio and Weber also took home CNMSBL Manager of the Year Awards in '05); Poland became the third pitcher in three seasons to win the Michael K. Patenaude Cannons Pitching Award (Patenaude, 2004; Calabrese, 2005); Mike McGann became a back-to-back winner with his 2005 and 2006 Most Improved Cannon Awards; Luby and Poland have won the Cannons Golden Spikes Award—the annual honor awarded to players who exhibit exceptional athletic ability, commitment to the Cannons and superior sportsmanship on the field of play while representing the Cannons—in each of the two seasons it has been presented…Maule was also a co-recipient this season; Celio won the Michael F. Weber Cannons Service Award and the Cannons Teammate of the Award for the second straight season; Luby has won the Playoff Most Valuable Cannon Award—now named the Tom “Mr. August” Bogiatzis Most Valuable Cannon [Playoffs] Award—in the past two postseasons; 2006 marked the first time that a member of the McGann family has not held at least a share of the Defensive Player of the Year Award (catcher Steve Markie earned the honors this year); Weber won the highly-coveted Jason T. Jackson Cannons Lifetime Achievement Award, joining Andy Borst (2004) and Celio (2005) as past recipients (this is the only Cannons Award to have a three-year time limitation for repeat recipients, leaving the 2007 race wide open); Mrs. Ann Luby won the Cannons Fan of the Year Award, receiving first-place votes on every ballot cast; Troy Barber, Borst, Calabrese, John Giudice, Mark Lynch, Steve Markie and Brian Pinney were the 2006 roster players not in attendance at the End-of-Year Extravaganza.
Cannons Future Could Feature Some Familiar Faces
West Hartford, CT (AP)—The 2007 West Hartford Cannons roster could resemble a family reunion of sorts, potentially including several new players who have made their mark in some significant way on West Hartford Baseball, current Cannons’ careers or in certain cases both as West Hartford looks to build upon its third-place CNMSBL A Division finish in the upcoming season. The team today is in talks with a fantastic foursome of players who rival the famed Marvel Comics menagerie—or the 2002 recruiting class, a group consisting of four clear-cut first-ballot Hall of Famers: Tom Luby, Kevin McGann, Ed Poland and Tom Bogiatzis. Star power is at a premium in West Hartford and Sean McCann, Drew McDowell, Craig Perrier and Sean Sierra could soon become superstars in the ever-expanding Cannons constellation. McCann, a standout out Conard High School in the late 80’s alongside Mike Calabrese, is currently the Chieftains Head Baseball Coach and could provide another powerful arm in an already potent Cannons pitching rotation (where Calabrese is already joined as a starter by Mike Patenaude and the 2006 Patenaude Pitching Award winner Ed Poland). McDowell, who played with a number of current Cannons as a three-season starter at Hall High School between 1987-1989, went on to shine at Stony Brook University where he earned 1993 Conference Pitcher of the Year honors on a team that included roommate and future Minnesota Twins reliever Joe Nathan. Perrier, a Clark University Cougar with Manager Matt Celio in the early 90’s, should bolster a batting order that bashed its way to a .357 postseason average and came within one run of the Championship game (a 5-4 loss to eventual champ Bristol). Sierra, another Chieftain go-to-guy when the only way to have fun was to Wang Chung, played ball with Assistant Manager Mike Weber in the West Hartford town league and was quoted this weekend as saying that he is “very interested in the prospect of playing with the Cannons in 2007.” Weber is quite fond of the quote, “If you’re not getting better, you’re getting worse.” A strong 2006 recruiting class, highlighted by this season’s Most Valuable Cannon Jason Maule, made the transition to the A Division a seamless one for West Hartford. Those in the know understand that championships won on the field in August get their start with off-season signings in October. Inking deals with these four players would be a treat for the Cannons while the trick would clearly be on the rest of the CNMSBL.
Saturday evening saw the 2006 season officially come to a close as Assistant Manager Weber hosted JOktoberfest at his Newington abode. This fun-filled end-of-year event was heavily attended by Cannons players, family members and friends and was highlighted by hearty German fare, a hotly-contested sixteen-category Cannons Jeopardy—won by pitcher Patenaude, his first Jeopardy victory with Luby and 2005 champion John Mancini finishing a close second and third respectively—and the hugely popular 2006 Cannons Awards. “A” great time was had by all. We are family, Cannon Nation!
Cannons News and Notes: Maule’s five awards won were a single-season record (Calabrese and Celio each earned three awards after the 2005 campaign) and place him in a second-place tie all-time with Luby and Poland (Celio leads the team with six out of the forty-seven awards presented...Celio and Weber also took home CNMSBL Manager of the Year Awards in '05); Poland became the third pitcher in three seasons to win the Michael K. Patenaude Cannons Pitching Award (Patenaude, 2004; Calabrese, 2005); Mike McGann became a back-to-back winner with his 2005 and 2006 Most Improved Cannon Awards; Luby and Poland have won the Cannons Golden Spikes Award—the annual honor awarded to players who exhibit exceptional athletic ability, commitment to the Cannons and superior sportsmanship on the field of play while representing the Cannons—in each of the two seasons it has been presented…Maule was also a co-recipient this season; Celio won the Michael F. Weber Cannons Service Award and the Cannons Teammate of the Award for the second straight season; Luby has won the Playoff Most Valuable Cannon Award—now named the Tom “Mr. August” Bogiatzis Most Valuable Cannon [Playoffs] Award—in the past two postseasons; 2006 marked the first time that a member of the McGann family has not held at least a share of the Defensive Player of the Year Award (catcher Steve Markie earned the honors this year); Weber won the highly-coveted Jason T. Jackson Cannons Lifetime Achievement Award, joining Andy Borst (2004) and Celio (2005) as past recipients (this is the only Cannons Award to have a three-year time limitation for repeat recipients, leaving the 2007 race wide open); Mrs. Ann Luby won the Cannons Fan of the Year Award, receiving first-place votes on every ballot cast; Troy Barber, Borst, Calabrese, John Giudice, Mark Lynch, Steve Markie and Brian Pinney were the 2006 roster players not in attendance at the End-of-Year Extravaganza.
2006 West Hartford Cannons Regular and Postseason Awards Winners
2006
Cannons Fan of the Year
Mrs. Ann Luby
2006
Mrs. Ann Luby
2006
Cannons Rookie of the Year
Jason Maule
2006
Jason Maule
2006
Most Improved Cannon
Mike McGann
2006
Mike McGann
2006
Cannons Offensive Player of the Year
Jason Maule
2006
Jason Maule
2006
Cannons Defensive Player of the Year
Steve Markie
2006
Steve Markie
2006
Michael K. Patenaude Cannons Pitching Award
Ed Poland
2006
Ed Poland
2006
Cannons Golden Spikes Award
Tom Luby
2006
Tom Luby
2006
Cannons Golden Spikes Award
Jason Maule
2006
Jason Maule
2006
Cannons Golden Spikes Award
Ed Poland
2006
Ed Poland
2006
Michael F. Weber Cannons Service Award
Matt Celio
2006
Matt Celio
2006
Cannons Teammate of the Year
Matt Celio
2006
Matt Celio
2006
Jason T. Jackson Cannons Lifetime Achievement Award
Mike Weber
2006
Mike Weber
2006
Tom “Mr. August” Bogiatzis Most Valuable Cannon (Playoffs)
Tom Luby
2006
Tom Luby
2006
Tom “Mr. August” Bogiatzis Most Valuable Cannon (Playoffs)
Jason Maule
2006
Jason Maule
2006
Most Valuable Cannon
Jason Maule
Monday, September 04, 2006
THIRD IS THE WORD
“Feat to Repeat” Falters; Cannons’ Season Comes to a Close Against Marlins
Manchester, CT (AP)--The 2006 West Hartford Cannons have been a dichotomy that has at times been difficult to decipher. As early as April the team was an odds-on favorite to challenge for the CNMSBL A Division Championship with a potent pitching rotation, a bruising batting order and flashy fielding at a plethora of positions. However, from mid-May to late-July the team experienced an excruciating twelve-game losing streak, solidifying its status as the league’s last place regular-season finisher while lending credence to rumors that it would be back in the B Division in 2007. In early August the team closed the campaign by winning three of four games and one week later took two of three in opening round action in the playoffs, busting brackets from Muzzy Field to the campus of Manchester Community College while advancing to the season’s final weekend. To paraphrase Winston Churchill, the Cannons were a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma this season and nobody knew what to expect as West Hartford took on top-seeded Glastonbury for the right to battle Bristol in the finals (both teams lost to the Phoenix the previous weekend). Unfortunately the proverbial clock struck midnight for the CNMSBL’s Cinderellas as the Cannons fell to the Fish 11-5, finishing in third-place in their inaugural foray in A Division play.
Early on it appeared as if the glass slipper would once again fit as the Cannons jumped on yet another higher-seeded opponent, this time taking a three-run lead in the top of the first inning. Jason Maule continued to confound opposing pitchers as he led off the game with a single to right (he advanced to second on a passed ball and moved to third with a stolen base, his team-leading sixth of the post-season). Kevin McGann followed with a walk, stole second and both players scored on Leo Dionicio’s two-run single to left. The “Dominican Dreamboat” advanced into scoring position as the throw arrived late at the plate, stole third and scampered home on a passed ball putting early pressure on Marlins’ pitcher Chris “Dingle” Barry. Mike Calabrese took the mound for the Cannons and struggled early, allowing the first five Fish to reach base safely (two singles, two walks and an error) and eventually score. Cal and the Cannons avoided further damage as Mike McGann doubled up the lead runner at third on a line drive to end the inning but a three-run advantage had quickly turned into a two-run deficit and the Cannons would never again hold the lead. Calabrese settled down in the second as he got the first two batters in order but a controversial ball call on what appeared to be strike three rattled the normally composed Cannon right-hander and the Marlins managed to score three two-out runs for an 8-3 edge. Calabrese (6 IP, 11 R, 9 ER, 12 H, 1 K, 6 BB, 2 HBP) gave up two more runs in the fourth before the Cannons responded by plating a pair in the fifth as Maule singled and later scored on a passed ball and Tom Luby drove in K. McGann who had reached on an error for the Cannons’ fifth and final run. Calabrese (1-1) allowed another run to cross in the fifth and West Hartford’s long, strange season came to a close as only two base runners reached safely over the last two frames (Patenaude on a single in the sixth and Maule with a walk in the seventh). Manager Matt Celio spoke to reporters outside of the visitors’ clubhouse after the loss: “We didn’t play well enough to win against a good Glastonbury team and I just wasn’t on top of my game out there today. The umpires got to some of our players and I probably should have made a move and brought in [Mike] Patenaude early on. I was playing for Saturday afternoon when we were involved in a Saturday morning elimination game. Instead of going for broke I played it safe and it came back to bite us. Our guys gave it their all out there. I’m just really proud of this ball club and what we overcame to get to this point. It’s something for us to build upon for the 2007 season. I fully expect us to take that next step and challenge for the Championship next year.”
The 2006 CNMSBL season is over and done for the West Hartford Cannons. As the Autumnal Equinox approaches the 2007 season seems far off, with Opening Day approximately eight months away. But those in the know fully understand that this is the time when post-season games are won and lost. Re-signing pivotal players and/or finding those key free agent acquisitions--the team is presently pursuing Sean McCann, including an impromptu Friday evening meeting at Cannons World Headquarters, as well as exploring optins with former Herb's Sport Shop standout John Rusconi and ex-Clark Cougar Craig Perrier--will go a long way toward setting the tone for a team’s future success. A third-place A Division finish is respectable but the rabid fan base of Cannon Nation will only settle for nearly was and almost ran for so long. Cinderella’s slipper may not have fit the 6-16 West Hartford Cannons for the 2006 campaign but the team hopes to lead a charmed life as they chase the 2007 title and being surprise contenders doesn’t suit a team as talented as this at all. Expectations will once again be at an all-time high as the team prepares to play out next season’s schedule and a championship is the only thing that can soothe this “third” degree burn. Follow all of your favorite Cannons throughout the off-season at whcannons.blogspot.com. Get your RED on!
Cannons News and Notes: Maule and Luby combined for 20 of the Cannons’ 46 post-season hits, scored 13 of the team’s 27 runs and had 10 of the 22 RBIs (Maule: 11, 9, 1; Luby: 9, 4, 9); Luby is the Cannons’ all-time leader in playoff at-bats (72), hits (31), doubles (10), home runs (5), runs scored (19) and runs batted in (32); with his sixteen playoff at-bats Maule took over the team lead in post-season average (.688), on-base percentage (.706), slugging percentage (1.000), on-base + slugging percentage (1.706) and fewest strike outs (0); Dionicio’s triple against Marlborough was the only three-base hit for the Cannons in 2006 (he also led the team with 17 post-season at-bats); M. McGann led the team with 3 walks in the playoffs giving him 10 for his career (behind only Ed Poland and Mike Weber with 11 each and Andy Borst with 14); Chris Barsa, Dionicio, Luby, Maule, K. McGann, Patenaude and Poland batted above .300 during the 2006 playoffs (the team batting average was .357, besting the .346 overall average assembled in six years of post-season play); Celio was the only to Cannon not to see time in any of the four games during the playoffs; West Hartford officially finished third in the Associated Press’ final poll, behind Bristol and Glastonbury (the Phoenix beat the Fish by a score of 6-4 to take home the league title); winners of the 2006 Cannons Awards will be announced on Saturday, October 14 at the Cannons’ End-of-Year Extravaganza in Newington, CT.
“Feat to Repeat” Falters; Cannons’ Season Comes to a Close Against Marlins
Manchester, CT (AP)--The 2006 West Hartford Cannons have been a dichotomy that has at times been difficult to decipher. As early as April the team was an odds-on favorite to challenge for the CNMSBL A Division Championship with a potent pitching rotation, a bruising batting order and flashy fielding at a plethora of positions. However, from mid-May to late-July the team experienced an excruciating twelve-game losing streak, solidifying its status as the league’s last place regular-season finisher while lending credence to rumors that it would be back in the B Division in 2007. In early August the team closed the campaign by winning three of four games and one week later took two of three in opening round action in the playoffs, busting brackets from Muzzy Field to the campus of Manchester Community College while advancing to the season’s final weekend. To paraphrase Winston Churchill, the Cannons were a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma this season and nobody knew what to expect as West Hartford took on top-seeded Glastonbury for the right to battle Bristol in the finals (both teams lost to the Phoenix the previous weekend). Unfortunately the proverbial clock struck midnight for the CNMSBL’s Cinderellas as the Cannons fell to the Fish 11-5, finishing in third-place in their inaugural foray in A Division play.
Early on it appeared as if the glass slipper would once again fit as the Cannons jumped on yet another higher-seeded opponent, this time taking a three-run lead in the top of the first inning. Jason Maule continued to confound opposing pitchers as he led off the game with a single to right (he advanced to second on a passed ball and moved to third with a stolen base, his team-leading sixth of the post-season). Kevin McGann followed with a walk, stole second and both players scored on Leo Dionicio’s two-run single to left. The “Dominican Dreamboat” advanced into scoring position as the throw arrived late at the plate, stole third and scampered home on a passed ball putting early pressure on Marlins’ pitcher Chris “Dingle” Barry. Mike Calabrese took the mound for the Cannons and struggled early, allowing the first five Fish to reach base safely (two singles, two walks and an error) and eventually score. Cal and the Cannons avoided further damage as Mike McGann doubled up the lead runner at third on a line drive to end the inning but a three-run advantage had quickly turned into a two-run deficit and the Cannons would never again hold the lead. Calabrese settled down in the second as he got the first two batters in order but a controversial ball call on what appeared to be strike three rattled the normally composed Cannon right-hander and the Marlins managed to score three two-out runs for an 8-3 edge. Calabrese (6 IP, 11 R, 9 ER, 12 H, 1 K, 6 BB, 2 HBP) gave up two more runs in the fourth before the Cannons responded by plating a pair in the fifth as Maule singled and later scored on a passed ball and Tom Luby drove in K. McGann who had reached on an error for the Cannons’ fifth and final run. Calabrese (1-1) allowed another run to cross in the fifth and West Hartford’s long, strange season came to a close as only two base runners reached safely over the last two frames (Patenaude on a single in the sixth and Maule with a walk in the seventh). Manager Matt Celio spoke to reporters outside of the visitors’ clubhouse after the loss: “We didn’t play well enough to win against a good Glastonbury team and I just wasn’t on top of my game out there today. The umpires got to some of our players and I probably should have made a move and brought in [Mike] Patenaude early on. I was playing for Saturday afternoon when we were involved in a Saturday morning elimination game. Instead of going for broke I played it safe and it came back to bite us. Our guys gave it their all out there. I’m just really proud of this ball club and what we overcame to get to this point. It’s something for us to build upon for the 2007 season. I fully expect us to take that next step and challenge for the Championship next year.”
The 2006 CNMSBL season is over and done for the West Hartford Cannons. As the Autumnal Equinox approaches the 2007 season seems far off, with Opening Day approximately eight months away. But those in the know fully understand that this is the time when post-season games are won and lost. Re-signing pivotal players and/or finding those key free agent acquisitions--the team is presently pursuing Sean McCann, including an impromptu Friday evening meeting at Cannons World Headquarters, as well as exploring optins with former Herb's Sport Shop standout John Rusconi and ex-Clark Cougar Craig Perrier--will go a long way toward setting the tone for a team’s future success. A third-place A Division finish is respectable but the rabid fan base of Cannon Nation will only settle for nearly was and almost ran for so long. Cinderella’s slipper may not have fit the 6-16 West Hartford Cannons for the 2006 campaign but the team hopes to lead a charmed life as they chase the 2007 title and being surprise contenders doesn’t suit a team as talented as this at all. Expectations will once again be at an all-time high as the team prepares to play out next season’s schedule and a championship is the only thing that can soothe this “third” degree burn. Follow all of your favorite Cannons throughout the off-season at whcannons.blogspot.com. Get your RED on!
Cannons News and Notes: Maule and Luby combined for 20 of the Cannons’ 46 post-season hits, scored 13 of the team’s 27 runs and had 10 of the 22 RBIs (Maule: 11, 9, 1; Luby: 9, 4, 9); Luby is the Cannons’ all-time leader in playoff at-bats (72), hits (31), doubles (10), home runs (5), runs scored (19) and runs batted in (32); with his sixteen playoff at-bats Maule took over the team lead in post-season average (.688), on-base percentage (.706), slugging percentage (1.000), on-base + slugging percentage (1.706) and fewest strike outs (0); Dionicio’s triple against Marlborough was the only three-base hit for the Cannons in 2006 (he also led the team with 17 post-season at-bats); M. McGann led the team with 3 walks in the playoffs giving him 10 for his career (behind only Ed Poland and Mike Weber with 11 each and Andy Borst with 14); Chris Barsa, Dionicio, Luby, Maule, K. McGann, Patenaude and Poland batted above .300 during the 2006 playoffs (the team batting average was .357, besting the .346 overall average assembled in six years of post-season play); Celio was the only to Cannon not to see time in any of the four games during the playoffs; West Hartford officially finished third in the Associated Press’ final poll, behind Bristol and Glastonbury (the Phoenix beat the Fish by a score of 6-4 to take home the league title); winners of the 2006 Cannons Awards will be announced on Saturday, October 14 at the Cannons’ End-of-Year Extravaganza in Newington, CT.
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
CANNONS CRASH CNMSBL PLAYOFF PARTY
Take Two of Three in Opening Weekend “A” Action; Get Glastonbury Next
Manchester/Marlborough, CT (AP)—In April many pre-season publications, professional prognosticators and parlor room pundits picked the West Hartford Cannons to win the 2006 CNMSBL A Division Championship. What wasn’t to like about this battle-tested ball club, a team that last season went 19-6 on the way to its first B Division title? The Cannons had all the pieces necessary to compete at this level and complete the regular- and, more importantly, post-season puzzles: a solid core of returning players with playoff experience; hitters, like Tom Luby, Chris Barsa and Leo Dionicio, who have become household names to diamond devotees; a heady defense led by catcher Steve Markie and the dynamic Gold Glove duo of Kevin and Mike McGann; a handful of hurlers—most notably Mike Patenaude, Ed Poland and Mike Calabrese—unmatched on any roster; and a hugely successful front office led by Manager Matt Celio and Assistant Manager Mike Weber who compiled an impressive 29-17 record (.630 overall winning percentage, .714 post-season) in their two previous seasons at the helm. Throw in several highly-touted free agent recruits, namely now-perennial MVC pick Jason Maule, to round out the roster as well as a frenzied fan base and the Cannons went from being not only the sexy pick but the smart pick in the eyes of many insiders. However, a disastrous regular-season marred by Mother Nature (three rainouts), a stilted schedule (West Hartford was off for a month mid-year) and the bite of the injury bug all contributed to inconsistency and a twelve-game skid that shook the very foundations of this storied franchise. Sexy and smart had suddenly become a sinking ship that only James Cameron and Leonardo DiCaprio could love. In August few had the seventh-seeded Cannons winning the title or even winning a single game in the playoffs, but that few included thirteen crimson-clad ball players who, despite decidedly ominous odds, still felt like favorites. This high-caliber collection shocked the second-seeded Manchester Cubs with a seventh-inning comeback (winning 5-4) and throttled the third-seeded Marlborough Athletics (a 13-4 victory) on Saturday then valiantly fought the fourth-seeded Bristol Phoenix for seven innings before faltering (a 5-4 heart-breaker) on Sunday, advancing to the loser’s bracket on the final weekend of A Division action. Surprise! The playoffs are a party and, like on-field Owen Wilson’s and Vince Vaughn’s, these Cannons crashed, creating bracket chaos while sending shockwaves throughout the state of Connecticut and the entire baseball world.
West Hartford (4-14) traveled to Manchester (14-4) as heavy underdogs against an opponent that was 4-0 versus them in the '06 regular-season but the Cannons had battled against the Cubs all year long, losing twice by scores of 2-1 on the road—once in extra innings—then dropping a double dip at Cannon Yards, 9-6 and 4-2 without some of the team’s top-flight talent. Manager Emeritus Andy Borst said earlier in the week, “It’s tough for a team to beat another five times in a row,” and his words proved to be prophetic on the field of play. Cannons’ staff stalwart Patenaude took the mound for the twelfth time in the post-season and demonstrated again that he is the Ponce de Leon of pitchers with yet another age-defying performance. Manchester managed two early runs against the left-hander but West Hartford responded with a pair of runs in the third off of Mike Kakalow as Poland scored on a Dionicio single and Markie moved Luby home on a “small ball” ground out to the right side to tie things at two. The Cannons applied additional pressure courtesy of Maule’s legs as he singled, stole second and scored on a passed ball following a Luby hit giving West Hartford a 3-2 lead in the fifth. Patenaude (7 IP, 4 R, 2 ER, 10 H, 1 K, 1 BB) saw solid defense behind him throughout much of the contest—highlights included a double play ending with a pick by first baseman M. McGann in the third, a diving stop by third baseman Calabrese that kept runners at first and second in the fourth and a caught stealing by catcher Markie in the fifth—but the lead disappeared in the sixth on three singles sandwiched around a Calabrese error at third. After a fantastic back-handed play by Luby ended the inning with West Hartford down just one, fireworks followed in the Cannons clubhouse as the generally jovial Calabrese questioned Patenaude for publicly calling him to task for the misplay. Heated words were exchanged before Luby, “the Heart of the Cannons” whom Cal later referred to as “the Godfather,” stepped in and settled both players down. With a single at-bat left Celio implored the offense to deliver a decisive blow and plate a pair of runs and the team responded to this request. Maule singled—his third straight hit—and stole second. Poland followed with a walk and Maule stole third against reliever Eddie Harris, allowing the Cannons’ two-hitter to move into scoring position without a throw on the next pitch. With the infield playing in to protect the slim advantage Luby slapped a single up the middle to score both runners and the Cannons reclaimed the lead in dramatic fashion. Patenaude (1-0) worked a 1-2-3 seventh behind a pair of Calabrese plays holding on for a 5-4 win and a date with the Marlborough A’s (who knocked off Newington) at West Field.
West Hartford, who two weeks earlier ended their losing streak against Marlborough (13-7), struck early and often for runs against A’s starter Keith Echevarria getting three in the first on a lead-off double by Maule, an RBI double from Luby and a two-out two-run error that scored the Cannons’ shortstop and Dionicio, who had singled to center. Calabrese, making his second post-season appearance in as many years, allowed two runs in the home half of the first on a Steve Garvie single and a Jack Noack home run over the short left field fence but the Cannons offense was just getting warmed up as West Hartford batted around in the second, spurred by five consecutive hits from Poland (double, run), Maule (run), K. McGann (RBI, run), Luby (double, RBI, run) and Dionicio (RBI, run). More two-out offense ensued as a two-run flare to left by M. McGann gave the Cannons an 8-2 lead that all but broke the A’s spirit. Calabrese (7 IP, 4 R, 4 ER, 8 H, 1 K, 1 BB) and Change-Up Nation had more than enough of a cushion to comfortably cruise to victory, allowing single runs in the second and seventh while facing just two batters over the minimum in between. The Cannons added two in the third on a K. McGann sacrifice fly to center—which Elias Sports Bureau later confirmed was the first in his five-year career—and a Luby double, his third in three consecutive plate appearances. Maule slugged a solo shot in the fifth—his fourth hit and run scored in as many at-bats—sparking controversy as Marlborough claimed the center fielder was not eligible for post-season play (management proved the slugger played in 75% of the team’s games this season, more than enough to meet the league’s 40% participation rule for playoff eligibility). Dionicio tripled home Luby in the seventh and scored on a Markie single to end the offensive onslaught—the thirteen runs scored were the most by the Cannons in A Division play and represented more than one-fifth of the total scored by the team during the entire 2006 regular-season (62 over eighteen games), moving Calabrese (1-0) and the Cannons into Sunday’s winner’s bracket against Bristol who defeated top-seeded Glastonbury, 3-2. Borst added after the drubbing, “Too much is never enough (perhaps a poorly veiled reference to Markie’s sixth-inning stolen base with an eight run lead). These guys told us we’d struggle for a few years at this level and questioned whether we would even be in the A Division next season. I think this is a statement game for us and it goes a long way toward announcing our true abilities to the rest of the league. The Cannons are for real and we are here to stay.”
Sunday’s game against Bristol saw a bracket-busting seven- versus four-seed match-up and was the first meeting between the two teams due to regular-season rainouts. The Phoenix seemed skeptical that the Cannons had arisen from the ashes of a last-place finish but the Cannons proved that they belonged on the CNMSBL’s biggest stage giving Bristol and starter Dave Bidwell—the Hartford Twilight League’s all-time wins leader and a member of the CNMSBL since 1993, when many members of the Cannons we still in high school and college—all that they could handle. Patenaude, fresh off his 111 pitch performance just twenty-four hours prior, headed to the hill and was effective though not overpowering, giving up two runs in the second on three hits and two walks. The Cannons exploded for three runs in the top of the third on back-to-back singles by the McGann brothers, a Poland RBI single (the superstar was sidelined with a leg injury but still batted for Patenaude) and a two-out two-run Luby knock that gave West Hartford a one-run advantage, 3-2. The Cannons’ lefty ace was touched for two runs in the home half of the third on four hits and a walk to start the inning but escaped further damage when Luby gloved a line-drive at short and gunned the lead runner at third for a dramatic double play that kept things close. Both starters battled out of repeated jams over the course of the contest as Patenaude (6.1 IP, 5 R, 3 ER, 10 H, 1 K, 8 BB) stranded runners in scoring position in each of the first six innings. Once again West Hartford came back in the final frame showing the character that has become synonymous with Cannons Baseball over the past six campaigns, especially in post-season play. Maule led off the seventh with a hit to left and never slowed from the moment he left the box until he slid safely into the soft dirt at second just ahead of the throw. Poland, clearly in pain at this point, hit a slow roller to shortstop that his bad leg prevented him from beating out: however, he successfully advanced Maule to third with one down. With the contact play on, Maule scored on Luby’s ground out to short to knot the game at four. Finally showing signs of fatigue after tossing 242 pitches over the weekend, Patenaude (1-1) walked two of the first three batters he faced—he struck out Nate Archibald in between—and Celio brought in relief pitcher Poland to preserve the tie, hoping to force extra innings. Poland (0 IP, 1 BB) produced a come backer to the mound but threw high to a leaping Luby who was covering second, loading the bases. Dane Cook patiently took five-pitches working a walk that forced in the winning run and gave Bristol a 5-4 victory moving them to the Championship game next Saturday afternoon. West Hartford Manager Celio spoke with reporters after the two days of games: “I’m really proud of our performance as a team this weekend. Everybody came up big. We played hard, we were poised out there and I think we put the rest of the league on notice. Our goals haven’t changed at all since April and we’re still going to be playing ball on the final weekend of the season while four teams are going to be watching on television. We’re not settling and we’re not satisfied with third place. The title is right there for the taking and this is not a spot that will intimidate us in any way [having won from this same position last season].”
To paraphrase Peter Wolf of the J. Geils Band, the playoffs “ain’t nothing but a party.” Now all West Hartford has to do this weekend is move when they feel that groove. With three wins on Saturday and Sunday the Cannons can bring the house to its feet and then bring it crashing down. To be the best the West Hartford Cannons (4-14, 2-1) will have to beat the best as they square off against the top-seeded Glastonbury Marlins (18-4, 1-1) on Saturday morning (10:00 a.m.) at Manchester Community College. The winner advances to a two-game series against the Bristol Phoenix that will determine this season’s 2006 CNMSBL A Division Champion. In order to capture the crown the Cannons will have to do the unprecedented: defeat the top four seeds on successive weekends. Though the task at hand is daunting, West Hartford dreams of being like Anthony Michael Hall’s Farmer Ted of Sixteen Candles fame: the freshman geek that goes to a senior party and goes home with the Prom Queen. We told you dudes the Cannons were hot. Hot, Ted the Cannons are legends! The final round games have been sold out for months but standing room only tickets will be available to the public thirty minutes before each contest. Follow the simulcast on the web at whcannons.blogspot.com.
Cannons News and Notes: Dionicio’s triple against Marlborough was the team’s first of the season; Luby had 8 RBIs in three games and leads the Cannons with 31 for his post-season career…he and Poland were the team leaders with 9 each during the regular-season…Luby passed Poland (28) for the most hits in Cannons’ playoff history with 29 and Borst (17) for the most playoff runs scored with 19; Maule had seven stolen bases on Saturday and Sunday (5 of his own and 2 while pinch running for Poland)…as was the case in the regular-season, he leads the team in 9 of 13 offensive categories…Maule has scored 19 of the team’s 84 regular- and post-season runs in 2006 (22.6%); K. and M. McGann were responsible for scoring or driving in 7 of the Cannons’ 22 runs; the team batted .386 over the first three games of the post-season after hitting just .259 in the regular-season; six of the ten Cannons who have made at least one plate appearance in the playoffs are averaging .385 or better (Barsa, Dionicio, Luby, Maule, K. McGann and Poland); the team averaged 13 hits and 7.3 runs per contest during the first weekend of post-season play, up from 7.2 hits and 3.4 runs in the regular-season; Markie and Poland will miss Saturday’s games due to their gridiron coaching commitments…Borst and Patenaude will replace them in the line-up; Calabrese, Celio and M. McGann made post-game Mexican Mudslides with the ice that Poland used to sooth his sore leg; Calabrese soiled himself on Sunday following a hard day of drinking; ballot boxes for the 2006 Cannons Awards closed at 11:59 p.m. on Friday, August 18…management appreciates all who voted and the winners will be announced at the team’s End-of-Year Extravaganza in early October.
Take Two of Three in Opening Weekend “A” Action; Get Glastonbury Next
Manchester/Marlborough, CT (AP)—In April many pre-season publications, professional prognosticators and parlor room pundits picked the West Hartford Cannons to win the 2006 CNMSBL A Division Championship. What wasn’t to like about this battle-tested ball club, a team that last season went 19-6 on the way to its first B Division title? The Cannons had all the pieces necessary to compete at this level and complete the regular- and, more importantly, post-season puzzles: a solid core of returning players with playoff experience; hitters, like Tom Luby, Chris Barsa and Leo Dionicio, who have become household names to diamond devotees; a heady defense led by catcher Steve Markie and the dynamic Gold Glove duo of Kevin and Mike McGann; a handful of hurlers—most notably Mike Patenaude, Ed Poland and Mike Calabrese—unmatched on any roster; and a hugely successful front office led by Manager Matt Celio and Assistant Manager Mike Weber who compiled an impressive 29-17 record (.630 overall winning percentage, .714 post-season) in their two previous seasons at the helm. Throw in several highly-touted free agent recruits, namely now-perennial MVC pick Jason Maule, to round out the roster as well as a frenzied fan base and the Cannons went from being not only the sexy pick but the smart pick in the eyes of many insiders. However, a disastrous regular-season marred by Mother Nature (three rainouts), a stilted schedule (West Hartford was off for a month mid-year) and the bite of the injury bug all contributed to inconsistency and a twelve-game skid that shook the very foundations of this storied franchise. Sexy and smart had suddenly become a sinking ship that only James Cameron and Leonardo DiCaprio could love. In August few had the seventh-seeded Cannons winning the title or even winning a single game in the playoffs, but that few included thirteen crimson-clad ball players who, despite decidedly ominous odds, still felt like favorites. This high-caliber collection shocked the second-seeded Manchester Cubs with a seventh-inning comeback (winning 5-4) and throttled the third-seeded Marlborough Athletics (a 13-4 victory) on Saturday then valiantly fought the fourth-seeded Bristol Phoenix for seven innings before faltering (a 5-4 heart-breaker) on Sunday, advancing to the loser’s bracket on the final weekend of A Division action. Surprise! The playoffs are a party and, like on-field Owen Wilson’s and Vince Vaughn’s, these Cannons crashed, creating bracket chaos while sending shockwaves throughout the state of Connecticut and the entire baseball world.
West Hartford (4-14) traveled to Manchester (14-4) as heavy underdogs against an opponent that was 4-0 versus them in the '06 regular-season but the Cannons had battled against the Cubs all year long, losing twice by scores of 2-1 on the road—once in extra innings—then dropping a double dip at Cannon Yards, 9-6 and 4-2 without some of the team’s top-flight talent. Manager Emeritus Andy Borst said earlier in the week, “It’s tough for a team to beat another five times in a row,” and his words proved to be prophetic on the field of play. Cannons’ staff stalwart Patenaude took the mound for the twelfth time in the post-season and demonstrated again that he is the Ponce de Leon of pitchers with yet another age-defying performance. Manchester managed two early runs against the left-hander but West Hartford responded with a pair of runs in the third off of Mike Kakalow as Poland scored on a Dionicio single and Markie moved Luby home on a “small ball” ground out to the right side to tie things at two. The Cannons applied additional pressure courtesy of Maule’s legs as he singled, stole second and scored on a passed ball following a Luby hit giving West Hartford a 3-2 lead in the fifth. Patenaude (7 IP, 4 R, 2 ER, 10 H, 1 K, 1 BB) saw solid defense behind him throughout much of the contest—highlights included a double play ending with a pick by first baseman M. McGann in the third, a diving stop by third baseman Calabrese that kept runners at first and second in the fourth and a caught stealing by catcher Markie in the fifth—but the lead disappeared in the sixth on three singles sandwiched around a Calabrese error at third. After a fantastic back-handed play by Luby ended the inning with West Hartford down just one, fireworks followed in the Cannons clubhouse as the generally jovial Calabrese questioned Patenaude for publicly calling him to task for the misplay. Heated words were exchanged before Luby, “the Heart of the Cannons” whom Cal later referred to as “the Godfather,” stepped in and settled both players down. With a single at-bat left Celio implored the offense to deliver a decisive blow and plate a pair of runs and the team responded to this request. Maule singled—his third straight hit—and stole second. Poland followed with a walk and Maule stole third against reliever Eddie Harris, allowing the Cannons’ two-hitter to move into scoring position without a throw on the next pitch. With the infield playing in to protect the slim advantage Luby slapped a single up the middle to score both runners and the Cannons reclaimed the lead in dramatic fashion. Patenaude (1-0) worked a 1-2-3 seventh behind a pair of Calabrese plays holding on for a 5-4 win and a date with the Marlborough A’s (who knocked off Newington) at West Field.
West Hartford, who two weeks earlier ended their losing streak against Marlborough (13-7), struck early and often for runs against A’s starter Keith Echevarria getting three in the first on a lead-off double by Maule, an RBI double from Luby and a two-out two-run error that scored the Cannons’ shortstop and Dionicio, who had singled to center. Calabrese, making his second post-season appearance in as many years, allowed two runs in the home half of the first on a Steve Garvie single and a Jack Noack home run over the short left field fence but the Cannons offense was just getting warmed up as West Hartford batted around in the second, spurred by five consecutive hits from Poland (double, run), Maule (run), K. McGann (RBI, run), Luby (double, RBI, run) and Dionicio (RBI, run). More two-out offense ensued as a two-run flare to left by M. McGann gave the Cannons an 8-2 lead that all but broke the A’s spirit. Calabrese (7 IP, 4 R, 4 ER, 8 H, 1 K, 1 BB) and Change-Up Nation had more than enough of a cushion to comfortably cruise to victory, allowing single runs in the second and seventh while facing just two batters over the minimum in between. The Cannons added two in the third on a K. McGann sacrifice fly to center—which Elias Sports Bureau later confirmed was the first in his five-year career—and a Luby double, his third in three consecutive plate appearances. Maule slugged a solo shot in the fifth—his fourth hit and run scored in as many at-bats—sparking controversy as Marlborough claimed the center fielder was not eligible for post-season play (management proved the slugger played in 75% of the team’s games this season, more than enough to meet the league’s 40% participation rule for playoff eligibility). Dionicio tripled home Luby in the seventh and scored on a Markie single to end the offensive onslaught—the thirteen runs scored were the most by the Cannons in A Division play and represented more than one-fifth of the total scored by the team during the entire 2006 regular-season (62 over eighteen games), moving Calabrese (1-0) and the Cannons into Sunday’s winner’s bracket against Bristol who defeated top-seeded Glastonbury, 3-2. Borst added after the drubbing, “Too much is never enough (perhaps a poorly veiled reference to Markie’s sixth-inning stolen base with an eight run lead). These guys told us we’d struggle for a few years at this level and questioned whether we would even be in the A Division next season. I think this is a statement game for us and it goes a long way toward announcing our true abilities to the rest of the league. The Cannons are for real and we are here to stay.”
Sunday’s game against Bristol saw a bracket-busting seven- versus four-seed match-up and was the first meeting between the two teams due to regular-season rainouts. The Phoenix seemed skeptical that the Cannons had arisen from the ashes of a last-place finish but the Cannons proved that they belonged on the CNMSBL’s biggest stage giving Bristol and starter Dave Bidwell—the Hartford Twilight League’s all-time wins leader and a member of the CNMSBL since 1993, when many members of the Cannons we still in high school and college—all that they could handle. Patenaude, fresh off his 111 pitch performance just twenty-four hours prior, headed to the hill and was effective though not overpowering, giving up two runs in the second on three hits and two walks. The Cannons exploded for three runs in the top of the third on back-to-back singles by the McGann brothers, a Poland RBI single (the superstar was sidelined with a leg injury but still batted for Patenaude) and a two-out two-run Luby knock that gave West Hartford a one-run advantage, 3-2. The Cannons’ lefty ace was touched for two runs in the home half of the third on four hits and a walk to start the inning but escaped further damage when Luby gloved a line-drive at short and gunned the lead runner at third for a dramatic double play that kept things close. Both starters battled out of repeated jams over the course of the contest as Patenaude (6.1 IP, 5 R, 3 ER, 10 H, 1 K, 8 BB) stranded runners in scoring position in each of the first six innings. Once again West Hartford came back in the final frame showing the character that has become synonymous with Cannons Baseball over the past six campaigns, especially in post-season play. Maule led off the seventh with a hit to left and never slowed from the moment he left the box until he slid safely into the soft dirt at second just ahead of the throw. Poland, clearly in pain at this point, hit a slow roller to shortstop that his bad leg prevented him from beating out: however, he successfully advanced Maule to third with one down. With the contact play on, Maule scored on Luby’s ground out to short to knot the game at four. Finally showing signs of fatigue after tossing 242 pitches over the weekend, Patenaude (1-1) walked two of the first three batters he faced—he struck out Nate Archibald in between—and Celio brought in relief pitcher Poland to preserve the tie, hoping to force extra innings. Poland (0 IP, 1 BB) produced a come backer to the mound but threw high to a leaping Luby who was covering second, loading the bases. Dane Cook patiently took five-pitches working a walk that forced in the winning run and gave Bristol a 5-4 victory moving them to the Championship game next Saturday afternoon. West Hartford Manager Celio spoke with reporters after the two days of games: “I’m really proud of our performance as a team this weekend. Everybody came up big. We played hard, we were poised out there and I think we put the rest of the league on notice. Our goals haven’t changed at all since April and we’re still going to be playing ball on the final weekend of the season while four teams are going to be watching on television. We’re not settling and we’re not satisfied with third place. The title is right there for the taking and this is not a spot that will intimidate us in any way [having won from this same position last season].”
To paraphrase Peter Wolf of the J. Geils Band, the playoffs “ain’t nothing but a party.” Now all West Hartford has to do this weekend is move when they feel that groove. With three wins on Saturday and Sunday the Cannons can bring the house to its feet and then bring it crashing down. To be the best the West Hartford Cannons (4-14, 2-1) will have to beat the best as they square off against the top-seeded Glastonbury Marlins (18-4, 1-1) on Saturday morning (10:00 a.m.) at Manchester Community College. The winner advances to a two-game series against the Bristol Phoenix that will determine this season’s 2006 CNMSBL A Division Champion. In order to capture the crown the Cannons will have to do the unprecedented: defeat the top four seeds on successive weekends. Though the task at hand is daunting, West Hartford dreams of being like Anthony Michael Hall’s Farmer Ted of Sixteen Candles fame: the freshman geek that goes to a senior party and goes home with the Prom Queen. We told you dudes the Cannons were hot. Hot, Ted the Cannons are legends! The final round games have been sold out for months but standing room only tickets will be available to the public thirty minutes before each contest. Follow the simulcast on the web at whcannons.blogspot.com.
Cannons News and Notes: Dionicio’s triple against Marlborough was the team’s first of the season; Luby had 8 RBIs in three games and leads the Cannons with 31 for his post-season career…he and Poland were the team leaders with 9 each during the regular-season…Luby passed Poland (28) for the most hits in Cannons’ playoff history with 29 and Borst (17) for the most playoff runs scored with 19; Maule had seven stolen bases on Saturday and Sunday (5 of his own and 2 while pinch running for Poland)…as was the case in the regular-season, he leads the team in 9 of 13 offensive categories…Maule has scored 19 of the team’s 84 regular- and post-season runs in 2006 (22.6%); K. and M. McGann were responsible for scoring or driving in 7 of the Cannons’ 22 runs; the team batted .386 over the first three games of the post-season after hitting just .259 in the regular-season; six of the ten Cannons who have made at least one plate appearance in the playoffs are averaging .385 or better (Barsa, Dionicio, Luby, Maule, K. McGann and Poland); the team averaged 13 hits and 7.3 runs per contest during the first weekend of post-season play, up from 7.2 hits and 3.4 runs in the regular-season; Markie and Poland will miss Saturday’s games due to their gridiron coaching commitments…Borst and Patenaude will replace them in the line-up; Calabrese, Celio and M. McGann made post-game Mexican Mudslides with the ice that Poland used to sooth his sore leg; Calabrese soiled himself on Sunday following a hard day of drinking; ballot boxes for the 2006 Cannons Awards closed at 11:59 p.m. on Friday, August 18…management appreciates all who voted and the winners will be announced at the team’s End-of-Year Extravaganza in early October.
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
NATIONAL TREASURE: CANNONS SHOW "HART" IN SWEEP OF NATS
Hartford Handcuffed By Poland, Patenaude; Playoffs Start Saturday
West Hartford, CT (AP)—Sequels sell. Six of the ten highest grossing movies of all time—Shrek 2; Star Wars: Episode I—The Phantom Menace; Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest; Star Wars: Episode III—Revenge of the Sith; The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King; and Spider-Man 2—are blockbuster follow-ups to films that struck a chord with audiences, sparking their imaginations in some special way. Action, adventure, special effects and, overwhelmingly, character studies in the classic themes of good versus evil and following through with something to its fruition against immeasurable odds are the norm. Hollywood couldn’t hold a candle to West Hartford on Sunday where the 2006 regular-season closed with a rematch of last season’s A and B Division Titleholders in front of a sold out Cannon Yards crowd. This time, in Basebrawl II: Champions Collide Harder, Shrek foiled the Fairy Godmother, the Fellowship smote Sauron and Spidey defeated Doc Ock all in one as the Cannons showed signs of why they were CNMSBL dark horse favorites four months ago, neutralizing the Nationals (7-13) by scores of 5-4 and 6-2 for their first series sweep and third win in four games going into Saturday’s double elimination playoffs. This was a sequel of small proportions compared to the highly-anticipated August release that West Hartford plans to put into post-production over the next two weekends as they bank on the box office bonanza that comes with back-to-back Championships. Get your red on, Cannon Nation!
On a sunny seventy-nine degree day at the Yards, the Cannons found themselves in the reversed role of visitors—the Nationals were unable to secure UOH Stadium for the season’s swan song—but responded right away on Red Day (both teams and the umpiring crew were clothed in crimson) behind the big bats at the top on the line-up. Jason Maule, returning to the Cannons after a two-week playoff run in the Hartford Twilight League, reached on a two-base error by right fielder Miguel Santiago to lead things off and soon scored on a Tom Luby single to make it 1-0 West Hartford. Ed Poland made his fourth start of the season and had his best stuff working early, holding the hard-hitting Nationals scoreless through the first three frames and “Houdini-ing” his way out of a bases loaded jam in the third with two plays at the plate and a fielder’s choice to end the inning. Conversely, the Cannons bolstered their lead in the third as Maule walked, Poland was hit by a pitch and both runners moved up a base on a balk by pitcher, former All-American and Major League farmhand Basilio Ortiz. Catcher Steve Markie laced a two-out two-run double to left off of Ortiz giving Poland a 3-0 pad. The right-hander relinquished a run in the home half of the fourth on a single and stolen base by M. Santiago and a base hit by his brother Antonio but was able to escape further damage by striking out the side in the frame for his team-leading twenty-first strike out. The Cannons added two more runs in the sixth on singles by Mike Weber—the 1000th hit in Cannons franchise history—and Mike McGann, scoring Markie and Chris Barsa after a well-placed sacrifice bunt by Kevin McGann moved them into scoring position and West Hartford held a 5-1 lead going into the home half of the sixth. The Nats touched Poland (7 IP, 4 R, 3 ER, 8 H, 3 K, 3 BB, 1 HBP) for two runs on a walk, a single and an error but were unable to add to their total as M. McGann made a solid play at third on a low line drive and Poland produced a pop to left on his 100th pitch of the game for the third out of the inning. After the Cannons failed to score in the top of the seventh, Poland (1-3) surrendered a home run to Brown Cacavale and a single to Ortiz but stranded him at third with a no-doubt fly ball to left that Andy Borst camped under and confidently corralled for the third out and a 5-4 Cannons victory. The soft-spoken Poland, who took a tie into the seventh inning against Hartford on Father’s Day (June 18) before losing, said after the game, “It feels good to go out there and get a win for us. The defense was solid, the offense is starting to really come through in the clutch and the pitching seems to be regaining some of that early season dominance that makes us so tough. We’re a better team than we were back in June and I think we can definitely make some noise over the next few weekends. I certainly wouldn’t want to face us in an elimination game.”
Mike Patenaude was the “two” in the Cannons’ one-two pitching punch and he arguably threw his best game since the second Sunday of the season (at Manchester), allowing just two earned runs while earning his first A Division victory (a hard luck 1-6). West Hartford was once again able to strike early and often for two-out runs against an opponent, with the bottom part of the line-up providing some much-needed pop. M. McGann had a one-out single in the top of the second followed by a Weber walk. Borst—who the Nats referred to as Dirty Dude and Celio latter described as a cross between Ichiro and Johnny Knoxville’s Ringer—battled to a 3-2 count against pitcher Texas Ranger "T.R." Walker and then blooped a two-run double in front of a fast-charging Cacavale in left to give West Hartford the lead while at the same time demoralizing Hartford defensively. Patenaude was lights out through the first four frames allowing just three hits and two base runners into scoring position while throwing an economical thirty-nine pitches (he tossed just sixty-nine over the entire seven innings). The Cannons tallied two runs in the fifth on a lead-off double by Maule, his team-leading sixth of the season, a Poland single, a Luby run-scoring fielder’s choice, a Barsa hit by pitch and an RBI rip to right by M. McGann—one of four hits on the day for the third baseman—that made the score a comfortable 4-0 for the cruising fifty-year-old left-hander. Although Patenaude allowed a pair of runs in the home half of the fifth on a lead-off walk to ninth batter Paul Pierce, a double by Will Farrell and a two-out 0-2 single to Ortiz—who had three of the six hits against the Cannons ace—West Hartford was able to get the runs right back in the following frame against relief pitcher Abierto Rosado. Patenaude reached on an error—he was also 2-4 on the day—and scored on Poland’s two-out single in front of a diving Walker in center. Luby moved Poland to third with a line drive hit and Barsa ripped an RBI base knock for a 6-2 Cannons lead, the most run support Patenaude had received all season and more than enough on this Sunday for West Hartford to secure the sweep. Patenaude (7 IP, 2 R, 2 ER, 6 H, 1 K, 3 BB) allowed just a two-out seventh inning double to Farrell the rest of the way and with the playoffs starting the Cannons are streaking like Frank the Tank of Old School fame. “We’re starting to come together in all fazes of the game,” said a pleased Patenaude after the wins. “We showed what kind of team we can be when we play solid defense and put up some runs. We got solid contributions from everybody out there today and that is what has made us successful in the past. We’re playing with the consistency and confidence that has been a trademark of Cannons Baseball over the past few seasons. I’m excited about our prospects in the upcoming playoffs.”
The Cannons had their Cannes Film Festival wins in this weekend’s sequel, taking the Palme d’Or with a sweep of the Nationals. But it is now mid-August, the Academy Awards of the CNMSBL is post-season play and Oscar is the much sought after A Division Championship. In West Hartford they believe they’ve got a Godfather, Part II on their hands: that rare instance when a big-budget sequel is equally as outstanding as the classic original—the 2005 title—and deserving of all the accolades afforded it. Next up for the Cannons are the Cubs of Manchester (14-4) on Saturday, August 19 (site and time TBD). Both teams are amidst season-high winning streaks and a victory goes a long way toward telling West Hartford and the rest of the league whether or not the Cannons are ready for the bright lights of the proving ground known as the playoffs. Ticket packages for the double elimination tournament go on sale Tuesday, August 15 at 12:00 p.m. and can be purchased by phone at 1 800-CANNONS or by computer at whcannons.blogspot.com.
Cannons News and Notes: Maule finished the regular-season as the Cannons leader in nine of thirteen offensive categories (hits, doubles, home runs, fewest strike outs, runs, average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and on-base + slugging percentage); Luby and Poland tied for the 2006 team lead in RBIs (9); six Cannons finished the regular-season with ten or more hits (Barsa, Leo Dionicio, Luby, Maule, K. McGann and Poland); Patenaude pitched 54 innings this season, almost double the next highest total (Poland with 29); Weber nearly made a spectacular play on a foul ball against the left field fence that popped out of his glove when he crashed into the yellow protective covering on the enclosure, prompting Luby’s response of “It’s a good thing there’s padding there”…reporters were unsure if Luby meant Weber’s mid-section or the wall; Poland is the team’s all-time leader in batting average (.426), on-base percentage (.512), slugging percentage (.667) and on-base + slugging percentage (1.179) among players who qualify (a minimum of 80 regular-season at bats required); Luby is the Cannons career leader in home runs (10) and RBIs (67) and is tied for the team lead in doubles with Matt Celio (22); Celio leads the team with 108 hits in his six-season Cannons career…Weber, Luby and Poland look to join Celio in the 100 hit club in 2007; with 35 at-bats this season Weber became the team’s all-time leader in that category (280); Borst is the lifetime leader in triples (5), walks (39) and runs (67); the team scored an average of 3.4 runs per game and surrendered an average of 6.1 runs per contest during the '06 regular season...West Hartford had 130 hits on the season and gave up 149; Mike Calabrese contacted Cannons World Headquarters late Monday and has scheduled a mid-week meeting with management to discuss his status for the playoffs; polls for the 2006 Cannons Awards are now open—four sets of votes have already been cast—and ballot boxes will be available until 11:59 p.m. on Friday, August 18.
Hartford Handcuffed By Poland, Patenaude; Playoffs Start Saturday
West Hartford, CT (AP)—Sequels sell. Six of the ten highest grossing movies of all time—Shrek 2; Star Wars: Episode I—The Phantom Menace; Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest; Star Wars: Episode III—Revenge of the Sith; The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King; and Spider-Man 2—are blockbuster follow-ups to films that struck a chord with audiences, sparking their imaginations in some special way. Action, adventure, special effects and, overwhelmingly, character studies in the classic themes of good versus evil and following through with something to its fruition against immeasurable odds are the norm. Hollywood couldn’t hold a candle to West Hartford on Sunday where the 2006 regular-season closed with a rematch of last season’s A and B Division Titleholders in front of a sold out Cannon Yards crowd. This time, in Basebrawl II: Champions Collide Harder, Shrek foiled the Fairy Godmother, the Fellowship smote Sauron and Spidey defeated Doc Ock all in one as the Cannons showed signs of why they were CNMSBL dark horse favorites four months ago, neutralizing the Nationals (7-13) by scores of 5-4 and 6-2 for their first series sweep and third win in four games going into Saturday’s double elimination playoffs. This was a sequel of small proportions compared to the highly-anticipated August release that West Hartford plans to put into post-production over the next two weekends as they bank on the box office bonanza that comes with back-to-back Championships. Get your red on, Cannon Nation!
On a sunny seventy-nine degree day at the Yards, the Cannons found themselves in the reversed role of visitors—the Nationals were unable to secure UOH Stadium for the season’s swan song—but responded right away on Red Day (both teams and the umpiring crew were clothed in crimson) behind the big bats at the top on the line-up. Jason Maule, returning to the Cannons after a two-week playoff run in the Hartford Twilight League, reached on a two-base error by right fielder Miguel Santiago to lead things off and soon scored on a Tom Luby single to make it 1-0 West Hartford. Ed Poland made his fourth start of the season and had his best stuff working early, holding the hard-hitting Nationals scoreless through the first three frames and “Houdini-ing” his way out of a bases loaded jam in the third with two plays at the plate and a fielder’s choice to end the inning. Conversely, the Cannons bolstered their lead in the third as Maule walked, Poland was hit by a pitch and both runners moved up a base on a balk by pitcher, former All-American and Major League farmhand Basilio Ortiz. Catcher Steve Markie laced a two-out two-run double to left off of Ortiz giving Poland a 3-0 pad. The right-hander relinquished a run in the home half of the fourth on a single and stolen base by M. Santiago and a base hit by his brother Antonio but was able to escape further damage by striking out the side in the frame for his team-leading twenty-first strike out. The Cannons added two more runs in the sixth on singles by Mike Weber—the 1000th hit in Cannons franchise history—and Mike McGann, scoring Markie and Chris Barsa after a well-placed sacrifice bunt by Kevin McGann moved them into scoring position and West Hartford held a 5-1 lead going into the home half of the sixth. The Nats touched Poland (7 IP, 4 R, 3 ER, 8 H, 3 K, 3 BB, 1 HBP) for two runs on a walk, a single and an error but were unable to add to their total as M. McGann made a solid play at third on a low line drive and Poland produced a pop to left on his 100th pitch of the game for the third out of the inning. After the Cannons failed to score in the top of the seventh, Poland (1-3) surrendered a home run to Brown Cacavale and a single to Ortiz but stranded him at third with a no-doubt fly ball to left that Andy Borst camped under and confidently corralled for the third out and a 5-4 Cannons victory. The soft-spoken Poland, who took a tie into the seventh inning against Hartford on Father’s Day (June 18) before losing, said after the game, “It feels good to go out there and get a win for us. The defense was solid, the offense is starting to really come through in the clutch and the pitching seems to be regaining some of that early season dominance that makes us so tough. We’re a better team than we were back in June and I think we can definitely make some noise over the next few weekends. I certainly wouldn’t want to face us in an elimination game.”
Mike Patenaude was the “two” in the Cannons’ one-two pitching punch and he arguably threw his best game since the second Sunday of the season (at Manchester), allowing just two earned runs while earning his first A Division victory (a hard luck 1-6). West Hartford was once again able to strike early and often for two-out runs against an opponent, with the bottom part of the line-up providing some much-needed pop. M. McGann had a one-out single in the top of the second followed by a Weber walk. Borst—who the Nats referred to as Dirty Dude and Celio latter described as a cross between Ichiro and Johnny Knoxville’s Ringer—battled to a 3-2 count against pitcher Texas Ranger "T.R." Walker and then blooped a two-run double in front of a fast-charging Cacavale in left to give West Hartford the lead while at the same time demoralizing Hartford defensively. Patenaude was lights out through the first four frames allowing just three hits and two base runners into scoring position while throwing an economical thirty-nine pitches (he tossed just sixty-nine over the entire seven innings). The Cannons tallied two runs in the fifth on a lead-off double by Maule, his team-leading sixth of the season, a Poland single, a Luby run-scoring fielder’s choice, a Barsa hit by pitch and an RBI rip to right by M. McGann—one of four hits on the day for the third baseman—that made the score a comfortable 4-0 for the cruising fifty-year-old left-hander. Although Patenaude allowed a pair of runs in the home half of the fifth on a lead-off walk to ninth batter Paul Pierce, a double by Will Farrell and a two-out 0-2 single to Ortiz—who had three of the six hits against the Cannons ace—West Hartford was able to get the runs right back in the following frame against relief pitcher Abierto Rosado. Patenaude reached on an error—he was also 2-4 on the day—and scored on Poland’s two-out single in front of a diving Walker in center. Luby moved Poland to third with a line drive hit and Barsa ripped an RBI base knock for a 6-2 Cannons lead, the most run support Patenaude had received all season and more than enough on this Sunday for West Hartford to secure the sweep. Patenaude (7 IP, 2 R, 2 ER, 6 H, 1 K, 3 BB) allowed just a two-out seventh inning double to Farrell the rest of the way and with the playoffs starting the Cannons are streaking like Frank the Tank of Old School fame. “We’re starting to come together in all fazes of the game,” said a pleased Patenaude after the wins. “We showed what kind of team we can be when we play solid defense and put up some runs. We got solid contributions from everybody out there today and that is what has made us successful in the past. We’re playing with the consistency and confidence that has been a trademark of Cannons Baseball over the past few seasons. I’m excited about our prospects in the upcoming playoffs.”
The Cannons had their Cannes Film Festival wins in this weekend’s sequel, taking the Palme d’Or with a sweep of the Nationals. But it is now mid-August, the Academy Awards of the CNMSBL is post-season play and Oscar is the much sought after A Division Championship. In West Hartford they believe they’ve got a Godfather, Part II on their hands: that rare instance when a big-budget sequel is equally as outstanding as the classic original—the 2005 title—and deserving of all the accolades afforded it. Next up for the Cannons are the Cubs of Manchester (14-4) on Saturday, August 19 (site and time TBD). Both teams are amidst season-high winning streaks and a victory goes a long way toward telling West Hartford and the rest of the league whether or not the Cannons are ready for the bright lights of the proving ground known as the playoffs. Ticket packages for the double elimination tournament go on sale Tuesday, August 15 at 12:00 p.m. and can be purchased by phone at 1 800-CANNONS or by computer at whcannons.blogspot.com.
Cannons News and Notes: Maule finished the regular-season as the Cannons leader in nine of thirteen offensive categories (hits, doubles, home runs, fewest strike outs, runs, average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and on-base + slugging percentage); Luby and Poland tied for the 2006 team lead in RBIs (9); six Cannons finished the regular-season with ten or more hits (Barsa, Leo Dionicio, Luby, Maule, K. McGann and Poland); Patenaude pitched 54 innings this season, almost double the next highest total (Poland with 29); Weber nearly made a spectacular play on a foul ball against the left field fence that popped out of his glove when he crashed into the yellow protective covering on the enclosure, prompting Luby’s response of “It’s a good thing there’s padding there”…reporters were unsure if Luby meant Weber’s mid-section or the wall; Poland is the team’s all-time leader in batting average (.426), on-base percentage (.512), slugging percentage (.667) and on-base + slugging percentage (1.179) among players who qualify (a minimum of 80 regular-season at bats required); Luby is the Cannons career leader in home runs (10) and RBIs (67) and is tied for the team lead in doubles with Matt Celio (22); Celio leads the team with 108 hits in his six-season Cannons career…Weber, Luby and Poland look to join Celio in the 100 hit club in 2007; with 35 at-bats this season Weber became the team’s all-time leader in that category (280); Borst is the lifetime leader in triples (5), walks (39) and runs (67); the team scored an average of 3.4 runs per game and surrendered an average of 6.1 runs per contest during the '06 regular season...West Hartford had 130 hits on the season and gave up 149; Mike Calabrese contacted Cannons World Headquarters late Monday and has scheduled a mid-week meeting with management to discuss his status for the playoffs; polls for the 2006 Cannons Awards are now open—four sets of votes have already been cast—and ballot boxes will be available until 11:59 p.m. on Friday, August 18.
Monday, August 07, 2006
GORILLA KILLA
West Hartford Moves Major Monkey from Back with Win Over Marlborough
West Hartford, CT (AP)—Ninety days. Three months. Thirteen Sundays. It had been exactly that long since the West Hartford Cannons were able to call themselves winners. Way back on Sunday, May 7, the Cannons defeated the Newington Capitals 7-4 in the second game of the 2006 CNMSBL season. One weekend, one win and already-high expectations elevated to all-time levels. However, since then the team took the field six times—three holidays, two rainouts, a bye, an appearance in the West Hartford Memorial Day Parade and several parties were interspersed—and all six times West Hartford was swept by the opposing ball club. The Cannons had ceased to fire and what started as a capuchin on their back grew to resemble King Kong as the losing streak stretched on and the calendar turned again, and again, and again. Hard fought contests, heartbreak, blowouts and blown opportunities all played a part in the twelve-game slide that sent the Cannons (2-14) spiraling into the cellar of the CNMSBL A Division. Sunday, August 6 was about redemption. It was about respect. It was about rediscovering those winning ways, even if for a single game. And as the end of the regular-season quickly approaches, so too comes the reckoning: Cannons players, management and fans have known all along that the team from West Hartford will be a real threat when the playoffs begin later this month. This weekend’s win over third-place Marlborough (11-7) serves as a resounding clarion of the Cannons potential to persistently pose problems in post-season play with solid pitching and an increasingly potent offense. Confidence was never lacking in West Hartford but now the Cannons seem re-committed to challenging for the A Division Championship. CNMSBL, consider yourselves warned.
Back within the friendly confines of Cannon Yards, West Hartford had a familiar face on the mound in the form of Mike Calabrese, the 2005 Patenaude Pitching Award winner and the only Cannon arm to amass a victory this season (Calabrese had been unavailable to the team since the June 11 match-up with Marlborough for what Cannons management described simply as “unspecified personal reasons”). Cal, though far from dominant, was effective in his first outing in nearly two months, allowing a single run in the first, two in the second and three in the fifth as he began to show some signs of fatigue (he finished throwing 108 pitches in six-plus innings of work). The Cannons vastly improved offense provided some much-needed pop in Game One (the team average just 2.58 runs per game over the first twelve contests but put up an average of 5.5 per game against first place Glastonbury last weekend) scoring in bunches early and in the clutch late. Kevin McGann led things off in the home half of the first with a single, moved to second on Ed Poland’s walk—one of two the slugger had on the day and his team-leading sixth of the season—and scored on a Tom Luby single down the left field line that knotted the game at 1. Poland was forced at third on a Steve Markie fielder’s choice but West Hartford was able to push three two-out runs across on RBI singles from Calabrese and outfielder Chris Barsa (part of a four-hit Sunday for the 2005 Offensive Player of the Year)—A’s centerfielder Shannon Doherty tried to shoot Markie at the plate but overthrew catcher/manager Paul Sciano and a hustling Calabrese beat the throw to home for a 4-1 lead. Marlborough sent eight men to the plate and scored a pair of runs in the following frame but the Cannons bounced right back with two of their own on Andy Borst’s single to start the second, Poland’s second base on balls, a Luby RBI hit and a run-scoring single from Leo Dionicio that extended the lead to 6-3. Calabrese settled down and was able to escape further damage—despite allowing lead-off runners in six of seven innings—until the fifth when the A’s tied things on two walks and three singles to knot the game at 6. In several contests during the losing the streak the Cannons held leads, often late, and lost but Luby showed why he is referred to as “the Almighty” with a one-out solo shot to left that reclaimed the lead for Calabrese (2-2) and the Cannons. Markie had a base hit and Dionicio—substituted in as a two-out runner for the catcher—stole second and scored without a throw after Calabrese singled, attempted a delayed steal and slid back safely into first, just beating the tag of first baseman Bryant Kobylarz. Calabrese (6+ IP, 6 R, 6 ER, 9 H, 1 K, 6 BB, 2 HBP) walked the first two batters he faced in the seventh and manager Matt Celio called on the right-hander Poland to close things out (Poland had started three games and relieved in another during Calabrese’s absence). Poland (Save, 1 IP, 0 R, 0H, 0 K, 0 BB) induced a double play ball to Cal at second and got Anheuser Busch on a grounder to Luby at short to end the game and the twelve-game skid, securing the 8-6 Cannons win. Luby—3-4 in the first game—called it a “veal piccata-driven victory,” referring to the team’s annual Italian-Fest that had taken place on Friday evening into the early hours of Saturday morning. “It’s been a tough road but, playing for the third consecutive Sunday, you can really see some of the bats coming around,” Assistant Manager Mike Weber told Tina Cervasio between games as a drooling and lovelorn Mike McGann looked on. “Getting Cal back out onto the field definitely provided a spark. We’ve worked hard as a team to get to this point but it was encouraging to see how some of our favorite fans—Mrs. Luby, Cel’s Dad, the Mancer and the Cannons kids, just to name a few—have stuck by us through the difficult times. Cannon Nation is still behind us one-hundred percent and we expect to give them much more to cheer about over the next few weekends.”
Game Two found Mike Patenaude perched on the pitchers mound as the left-hander looked for his first victory of the 2006 campaign. Patenaude, who has pitched well enough to win on several occasions, ran into the same trouble—run support—that has plagued him for the better part of two seasons since the addition of Calabrese. After easily getting two consecutive outs in the first frame Patenaude loaded the bases on a pair of singles and a walk and pushed a runner across the plate with his second free pass of the inning. The Cannons came right back against A’s staff ace Pete Rozsa—lefty Keith Echevarria was scheduled to pitch the nightcap but was passed over when West Hartford took the opener—as Poland doubled and scored on an error by shortstop Buddy Bell that allowed a hustling Dionicio, playing centerfield for the first time in his Cannons career, to reach base safely (during the game the “Horny Heartthrob from Hispaniola” said of his outfield experience, “I don’t play out there just because I’m black. Management doesn’t understand that we’ve got Willie Mays in center,” to which Calabrese replied, “Yeah, Willie Mays Hayes” of Major League fame who is described on the official film website as a player “who runs fast enough to steal a lot of bases but can't hit very well.” Barsa added, “At least now we know we can hide Leo’s glove in the outfield instead of at third base.”). Patenaude (0-6) allowed another run in the second on a Busch single and a Steve Garvie RBI double that would prove to be the difference. The Cannons managed only two more hits—a Barsa double in the second and a Dionicio single in the seventh—against Rozsa, who five-hit West Hartford when he faced them back in June. Patenaude (7 IP, 4 R, 3 ER, 9 H, 3 K, 6 BB) gave up two insurance runs in the seventh on a hit and three walks and suffered another hard-luck loss after going 9-4 in the 2005 regular- and post-seasons. “Mike is giving us quality starts but we just haven’t scored enough runs for him,” said Manager Matt Celio in his post-game press conference. “It’s got to be frustrating for him as a pitcher and I know it’s tough for us as a team. Fourteen runs in six starts (2.33 runs per game) and only a single run in four of those performances puts MP in a position where he needs to be nearly perfect. In contrast, Cal has fifteen runs of support in his two wins. For today anyway we’ve got to look beyond individual accolades and be happy how we got a win in Game One. I’m pleased with the improvements we’ve made offensively over the past few weekends—especially since we’ve been short-handed at times—and our pitching has been there throughout but we still need to be more consistent and put up at least four or five runs per game come playoff time.” Celio then added angrily, “Rumor has it that we want to head back down to the B Division next season (this in reference to a conversation that Luby had with members of the Marlborough team in the Cannon Yards parking lot post-game). I can tell you all unequivocally that the Cannons will be in the CNMSBL A Division in 2007 and we look to have two titles under our belts by the end of next August. It’s on like Donkey Kong, b***h. Print that in your papers.”
The proverbial primate has been purged from the Cannons posterior. Perhaps the comments made about the Cannons anticipated drop in divisions will serve as a springboard to success for the team from West Hartford. Winning in August is a wonderful thing but it is winning in late August that is the team's primary objective and the Cannons cannot be satisfied with this one victory. It’s time for the Cannons to make monkeys out of the rest of the CNMSBL A Division and that starts this Sunday against sixth-place Hartford, a team decimated by injuries to its pitching rotation. If the Cannons continue to play baseball like they are capable of they could evolve into first-round favorites in the playoffs. And that would not only be evolutionary but revolutionary for post-season prognosticators. This Sunday’s games, rescheduled to Cannon Yards, start at 10:00 a.m. and standing room seats are still available at 1 800-CANNONS or whcannons.blogspot.com.
Cannons News and Notes: With their hits on Sunday Dionicio (2) and Poland (1) moved into a second-place tie on the 2006 regular-season hit list with 12 each (Jason Maule leads the team with 14); Dionicio is the only Cannon to play in all sixteen games this season (K. McGann has played in 15); Luby had the Cannons 100th hit of the season with his single in the second inning of Game One (his three hits give him 91 for his Cannons regular-season career)...his home run in Game One was the tenth of his career, good for first place on the Cannons all-time regular-season list (the shortstop also leads the team with 5 post-season homers); Barsa’s four hits raised his average from .154 to .258 and his two doubles moved him into sole possession of second place on the team with 3 (Maule: 4); Borst wore Weber’s cup when he replaced Markie at catcher in the fifth inning of Game Two but claimed, “He won’t mind…it’s not going right on my b***s;” Calabrese improved to 10-3 (9-3 regular-season, 1-0 post-season) as a pitcher for West Hartford; Mancer Mojo came into play in a big way as Original Cannon John Mancini attended his first game of the 2006 season, the Game One victory; the eight runs scored against Marlborough were a season-high for West Hartford; the Cannons batted .467 in the first game (14-30) but only .120 in the second game (3-25); the team’s season batting average, on-base and slugging percentages continued to climb (batting improved from .246 to .254, on-base from .301 to .306 and slugging from .319 to .332); the team continued its success on Sundays following Italian-Fests, having never dropped both ends of a double header after the annual gathering; Celio and M. McGann both barfed after a night of drinking with Poland and his pal Jim Beam on Saturday evening/Sunday morning (the younger McGann also met with 2005 Cannons Fan of the Year recipient and former flame Marybeth Smiley on Sunday evening...terms were not disclosed); Calabrese and Markie earned their playoff eligibility on Sunday all but setting the Cannons playoff roster in stone (Troy Barber can still become eligible by playing in both games against Hartford).
West Hartford Moves Major Monkey from Back with Win Over Marlborough
West Hartford, CT (AP)—Ninety days. Three months. Thirteen Sundays. It had been exactly that long since the West Hartford Cannons were able to call themselves winners. Way back on Sunday, May 7, the Cannons defeated the Newington Capitals 7-4 in the second game of the 2006 CNMSBL season. One weekend, one win and already-high expectations elevated to all-time levels. However, since then the team took the field six times—three holidays, two rainouts, a bye, an appearance in the West Hartford Memorial Day Parade and several parties were interspersed—and all six times West Hartford was swept by the opposing ball club. The Cannons had ceased to fire and what started as a capuchin on their back grew to resemble King Kong as the losing streak stretched on and the calendar turned again, and again, and again. Hard fought contests, heartbreak, blowouts and blown opportunities all played a part in the twelve-game slide that sent the Cannons (2-14) spiraling into the cellar of the CNMSBL A Division. Sunday, August 6 was about redemption. It was about respect. It was about rediscovering those winning ways, even if for a single game. And as the end of the regular-season quickly approaches, so too comes the reckoning: Cannons players, management and fans have known all along that the team from West Hartford will be a real threat when the playoffs begin later this month. This weekend’s win over third-place Marlborough (11-7) serves as a resounding clarion of the Cannons potential to persistently pose problems in post-season play with solid pitching and an increasingly potent offense. Confidence was never lacking in West Hartford but now the Cannons seem re-committed to challenging for the A Division Championship. CNMSBL, consider yourselves warned.
Back within the friendly confines of Cannon Yards, West Hartford had a familiar face on the mound in the form of Mike Calabrese, the 2005 Patenaude Pitching Award winner and the only Cannon arm to amass a victory this season (Calabrese had been unavailable to the team since the June 11 match-up with Marlborough for what Cannons management described simply as “unspecified personal reasons”). Cal, though far from dominant, was effective in his first outing in nearly two months, allowing a single run in the first, two in the second and three in the fifth as he began to show some signs of fatigue (he finished throwing 108 pitches in six-plus innings of work). The Cannons vastly improved offense provided some much-needed pop in Game One (the team average just 2.58 runs per game over the first twelve contests but put up an average of 5.5 per game against first place Glastonbury last weekend) scoring in bunches early and in the clutch late. Kevin McGann led things off in the home half of the first with a single, moved to second on Ed Poland’s walk—one of two the slugger had on the day and his team-leading sixth of the season—and scored on a Tom Luby single down the left field line that knotted the game at 1. Poland was forced at third on a Steve Markie fielder’s choice but West Hartford was able to push three two-out runs across on RBI singles from Calabrese and outfielder Chris Barsa (part of a four-hit Sunday for the 2005 Offensive Player of the Year)—A’s centerfielder Shannon Doherty tried to shoot Markie at the plate but overthrew catcher/manager Paul Sciano and a hustling Calabrese beat the throw to home for a 4-1 lead. Marlborough sent eight men to the plate and scored a pair of runs in the following frame but the Cannons bounced right back with two of their own on Andy Borst’s single to start the second, Poland’s second base on balls, a Luby RBI hit and a run-scoring single from Leo Dionicio that extended the lead to 6-3. Calabrese settled down and was able to escape further damage—despite allowing lead-off runners in six of seven innings—until the fifth when the A’s tied things on two walks and three singles to knot the game at 6. In several contests during the losing the streak the Cannons held leads, often late, and lost but Luby showed why he is referred to as “the Almighty” with a one-out solo shot to left that reclaimed the lead for Calabrese (2-2) and the Cannons. Markie had a base hit and Dionicio—substituted in as a two-out runner for the catcher—stole second and scored without a throw after Calabrese singled, attempted a delayed steal and slid back safely into first, just beating the tag of first baseman Bryant Kobylarz. Calabrese (6+ IP, 6 R, 6 ER, 9 H, 1 K, 6 BB, 2 HBP) walked the first two batters he faced in the seventh and manager Matt Celio called on the right-hander Poland to close things out (Poland had started three games and relieved in another during Calabrese’s absence). Poland (Save, 1 IP, 0 R, 0H, 0 K, 0 BB) induced a double play ball to Cal at second and got Anheuser Busch on a grounder to Luby at short to end the game and the twelve-game skid, securing the 8-6 Cannons win. Luby—3-4 in the first game—called it a “veal piccata-driven victory,” referring to the team’s annual Italian-Fest that had taken place on Friday evening into the early hours of Saturday morning. “It’s been a tough road but, playing for the third consecutive Sunday, you can really see some of the bats coming around,” Assistant Manager Mike Weber told Tina Cervasio between games as a drooling and lovelorn Mike McGann looked on. “Getting Cal back out onto the field definitely provided a spark. We’ve worked hard as a team to get to this point but it was encouraging to see how some of our favorite fans—Mrs. Luby, Cel’s Dad, the Mancer and the Cannons kids, just to name a few—have stuck by us through the difficult times. Cannon Nation is still behind us one-hundred percent and we expect to give them much more to cheer about over the next few weekends.”
Game Two found Mike Patenaude perched on the pitchers mound as the left-hander looked for his first victory of the 2006 campaign. Patenaude, who has pitched well enough to win on several occasions, ran into the same trouble—run support—that has plagued him for the better part of two seasons since the addition of Calabrese. After easily getting two consecutive outs in the first frame Patenaude loaded the bases on a pair of singles and a walk and pushed a runner across the plate with his second free pass of the inning. The Cannons came right back against A’s staff ace Pete Rozsa—lefty Keith Echevarria was scheduled to pitch the nightcap but was passed over when West Hartford took the opener—as Poland doubled and scored on an error by shortstop Buddy Bell that allowed a hustling Dionicio, playing centerfield for the first time in his Cannons career, to reach base safely (during the game the “Horny Heartthrob from Hispaniola” said of his outfield experience, “I don’t play out there just because I’m black. Management doesn’t understand that we’ve got Willie Mays in center,” to which Calabrese replied, “Yeah, Willie Mays Hayes” of Major League fame who is described on the official film website as a player “who runs fast enough to steal a lot of bases but can't hit very well.” Barsa added, “At least now we know we can hide Leo’s glove in the outfield instead of at third base.”). Patenaude (0-6) allowed another run in the second on a Busch single and a Steve Garvie RBI double that would prove to be the difference. The Cannons managed only two more hits—a Barsa double in the second and a Dionicio single in the seventh—against Rozsa, who five-hit West Hartford when he faced them back in June. Patenaude (7 IP, 4 R, 3 ER, 9 H, 3 K, 6 BB) gave up two insurance runs in the seventh on a hit and three walks and suffered another hard-luck loss after going 9-4 in the 2005 regular- and post-seasons. “Mike is giving us quality starts but we just haven’t scored enough runs for him,” said Manager Matt Celio in his post-game press conference. “It’s got to be frustrating for him as a pitcher and I know it’s tough for us as a team. Fourteen runs in six starts (2.33 runs per game) and only a single run in four of those performances puts MP in a position where he needs to be nearly perfect. In contrast, Cal has fifteen runs of support in his two wins. For today anyway we’ve got to look beyond individual accolades and be happy how we got a win in Game One. I’m pleased with the improvements we’ve made offensively over the past few weekends—especially since we’ve been short-handed at times—and our pitching has been there throughout but we still need to be more consistent and put up at least four or five runs per game come playoff time.” Celio then added angrily, “Rumor has it that we want to head back down to the B Division next season (this in reference to a conversation that Luby had with members of the Marlborough team in the Cannon Yards parking lot post-game). I can tell you all unequivocally that the Cannons will be in the CNMSBL A Division in 2007 and we look to have two titles under our belts by the end of next August. It’s on like Donkey Kong, b***h. Print that in your papers.”
The proverbial primate has been purged from the Cannons posterior. Perhaps the comments made about the Cannons anticipated drop in divisions will serve as a springboard to success for the team from West Hartford. Winning in August is a wonderful thing but it is winning in late August that is the team's primary objective and the Cannons cannot be satisfied with this one victory. It’s time for the Cannons to make monkeys out of the rest of the CNMSBL A Division and that starts this Sunday against sixth-place Hartford, a team decimated by injuries to its pitching rotation. If the Cannons continue to play baseball like they are capable of they could evolve into first-round favorites in the playoffs. And that would not only be evolutionary but revolutionary for post-season prognosticators. This Sunday’s games, rescheduled to Cannon Yards, start at 10:00 a.m. and standing room seats are still available at 1 800-CANNONS or whcannons.blogspot.com.
Cannons News and Notes: With their hits on Sunday Dionicio (2) and Poland (1) moved into a second-place tie on the 2006 regular-season hit list with 12 each (Jason Maule leads the team with 14); Dionicio is the only Cannon to play in all sixteen games this season (K. McGann has played in 15); Luby had the Cannons 100th hit of the season with his single in the second inning of Game One (his three hits give him 91 for his Cannons regular-season career)...his home run in Game One was the tenth of his career, good for first place on the Cannons all-time regular-season list (the shortstop also leads the team with 5 post-season homers); Barsa’s four hits raised his average from .154 to .258 and his two doubles moved him into sole possession of second place on the team with 3 (Maule: 4); Borst wore Weber’s cup when he replaced Markie at catcher in the fifth inning of Game Two but claimed, “He won’t mind…it’s not going right on my b***s;” Calabrese improved to 10-3 (9-3 regular-season, 1-0 post-season) as a pitcher for West Hartford; Mancer Mojo came into play in a big way as Original Cannon John Mancini attended his first game of the 2006 season, the Game One victory; the eight runs scored against Marlborough were a season-high for West Hartford; the Cannons batted .467 in the first game (14-30) but only .120 in the second game (3-25); the team’s season batting average, on-base and slugging percentages continued to climb (batting improved from .246 to .254, on-base from .301 to .306 and slugging from .319 to .332); the team continued its success on Sundays following Italian-Fests, having never dropped both ends of a double header after the annual gathering; Celio and M. McGann both barfed after a night of drinking with Poland and his pal Jim Beam on Saturday evening/Sunday morning (the younger McGann also met with 2005 Cannons Fan of the Year recipient and former flame Marybeth Smiley on Sunday evening...terms were not disclosed); Calabrese and Markie earned their playoff eligibility on Sunday all but setting the Cannons playoff roster in stone (Troy Barber can still become eligible by playing in both games against Hartford).
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
GOLIATH DOWNS DAVID
Fish Fry Cannons; CNMSBL Playoff Pairings Close to Complete
Glastonbury, CT (AP)—The Old Testament battle between David and Goliath (First Book of Samuel 17: 1-58) is one of the best-known, most-loved and oft-told “tales” in The Bible. For forty days the mighty Goliath challenged the opposing Israelites for a foolhardy foe to fight him. David, who was not even old enough to serve in the army, convinced King Saul that he could single-handedly defeat the Philistine. After turning down an offer of the king's own armor, which was too big for him, David went down to the creek, selected five suitable stones and the rest of the story is legend. He killed Goliath with a single perfectly-accurate shot and upon seeing their hero defeated, the heavily-favored Philistine army made a disorderly retreat giving the Israelites, then in hot pursuit, a much-needed victory. Davey and Goliath, the stop-motion animation children’s program that aired from 1960-1975, was a show about a boy and his dog—his canine “conscience”—and in each episode the boy, Davey, experienced some form of moral conflict that required resolution. Drawing upon the guidance of others and his own beliefs, Davey came away from each experience having learned a valuable moral and life lesson. Unfortunately West Hartford’s foray against first-place Glastonbury (15-3) did not result in the so-called storybook ending. The Philistinesque fish in the form of the Monaco Ford Marlins caught the Cannons (1-13) by scores of 15-4 and 11-7 at Dolph Finn Stadium on Sunday. Although the David versus Goliath theme that is so prevalent in athletic events—"Do you believe in miracles? Yes!"—and films (Hoosiers, Rocky, et al.) did little to change the Cannons fortunes in the win-loss column, on this day Davey did learn a valuable lesson after all: baseball is about having fun and for the first time since the May 7 victory over Newington the ball club from West Hartford appeared to enjoy themselves out on the diamond. The Cannons are way past the point of moral victories having lost twelve straight games but victories in morale are another story entirely and can go a long way toward presaging a team’s postseason perspective. Winning the CNMSBL A Division Championship as the tournament’s seventh seed would be an effort of biblical proportions but like David the Cannons believe and that, Cannon Nation, is the first step.
The Cannons cast the first stone in their initial at-bat as Mike Weber singled home Tom Luby, who also had a base hit, but failed to do any further damage as Matt Celio fouled out to first to end a bases loaded rally. Mike Patenaude returned from a one-week layoff and took his customary perch on the pitcher’s mound in Game One. Monaco Ford’s high octane offense inflicted some early damage against the left-hander, scoring three runs on an error and three singles but West Hartford bounced back in the top of the second. Patenaude, Andy Borst and Kevin McGann all singled consecutively to start the frame—McGann’s hit plated Patenaude—and Leo Dionicio came through with a two-out two-run double to put the Cannons back on top, 4-3. The Marlins managed to put five additional runs on the board in the home half of the second and the Cannons cooled considerably at the plate (Celio reached on an infield hit in the third representing the team’s lone base runner the rest of the way) while the defense uncharacteristically failed Patenaude (5 IP, 13 R) as Glastonbury got five in the fourth and ended things on a two-run blast to left in the home half of the fifth for a 15-4 victory. An exhausted Patenaude (0-5) explained after the games, “I didn’t have my best stuff today but our bats are starting to come around and if we can eliminate some of the errors we should have an unforgettable August.”
It was during Game Two when the Cannons found that youthful relish that has been noticeably absent over recent weeks. The players had a quick closed-door meeting between contests and decided to shake things up, placing players at new positions while at the same time shuffling the batting order and the results were encouraging to say the least (Ed Poland was even overheard exhorting the team with the chorus from the Bobby McFerrin hit “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”). Luby took the mound in Game Two and miffed the Marlins early on with a constant diet of fast balls, allowing only a single run to score in the bottom of the first (along with Luby’s first A Division pitching performance, the Cannons started Weber behind the plate, Mike McGann at first following a hamstring injury, Poland at second, Dionicio at shortstop, Patenaude at third, Celio in left, Borst in center and K. McGann in right after he took a hard chop off of the chin in the Opener). West Hartford got things going offensively in the top of the third on three straight singles from Weber, Celio and K. McGann and all three scored on a line drive double by Poland to put the team on top, 3-1, but the Marlins mounted a comeback in the home half of the third, scoring three against Luby to reclaim a one-run advantage. In the fifth, Celio led off with a single, K. McGann followed with a base hit (both players had four hits on the day) and Poland came up big again in a two-out situation with a three-run blast into the left field bleachers for his second home run of the season, sixth RBI of game and a 6-4 Cannons lead. Monaco managed another run in the fifth but West Hartford immediately answered back with a Weber base hit (one of three hits on the day for the Cannons’ Assistant Manager) and a two-down double from Celio to the left field fence that scored pinch runner Borst, making the score 7-5. According to Reese Bobby, Ricky Bobby's father from Talladega Nights fame, “It’s the fastest who gets laid and the fastest who gets paid,” prompting the slow-footed Celio to say, “So, that explains why I’m so broke and why I'm not getting any.” With a two-run lead and a tiring Luby (5+ IP, 11 R) the Fish found their stroke and scored six runs off of the right-hander and relief pitcher Poland (1 IP) for an 11-7 final but the team was encouraged in post-game press conferences. “Everybody gave one-hundred percent today and we had a lot of fun in that second game,” Luby (0-1) stated. When asked about the team’s chances as the calendar approaches August “the Heart of the Cannons” had this to say: “We’re in all of the ball games. All we need is a couple of big hits here and there, a couple of clutch pitching performances and we’re just as good as anybody. I think we’re going to be a tough out in the playoffs.” Weber echoed these sentiments: “This is what we were looking for. The final scores, especially in the second game, aren’t really representative of all the positives we can take away from today. We were just like kids out there and that is what this game is all about. We’re starting to hit the ball and more importantly everybody has smiles on their faces. Everyone is thinking positively at this point. Even though we were short-handed again our core guys were successful. We had fun and our confidence is climbing. That’s what brings victories at this time of year.” The “Latin Lothario” Dionicio added, “We are going to be super-dangerous in the playoffs. Other teams are going to be overconfident against us, the real anaconda is going to come out of the Amazon River and we are going to kill people. I love this game!”
So Sunday saw yet another late-inning opportunity for victory slip away from the Davids of the A Division. But the Cannons still have a few stones left to sling and it is expected that moral victories will soon turn to more victories. At the moment—there are still two Sundays left in the regular-season—it looks likely West Hartford will open the double-elimination tournament against the second-seeded Manchester Cubs (12-4) who are coming off a sweep of Bristol (if the playoffs started today the match-ups would be as follows: Glastonbury Marlins: Bye; West Hartford Cannons v. Manchester Cubs; Hartford Nationals v. Marlborough Athletics; Newington Capitals v. Bristol Phoenix). The final playoff push begins this Sunday at Cannon Yards against the Marlborough A’s (10-6)—or as Dionicio describes them, “the Marlborough A-holes.” No one expected this team to be 1-13 entering August but Manager Celio maintained the confidence that seems to be coursing through the veins of all Cannons: “We’re the most dangerous 1-13 team ever assembled. We’re a difficult draw for any of the teams in this league. This weekend built some character and gave us a little of that Cannons swagger back. I know we are up to the challenge.” As in the book of Revelations, when the second seal was opened a red horse appeared and its rider held a great and mighty sword. Now is the time for the red-shirted Cannons to wage war against the rest of the CNMSBL. Single-seat tickets and standing room only seats are available at the Cannon Yards box office, by phone (1 800-CANNONS) or by e-mail (whcannons.blogspot.com).
Cannons News and Notes: With three hits on the day Weber reached ninety-five for his career (Luby is at eighty-eight); for the first time in over forty years of playing baseball, Patenaude played third base (Dionicio was so impressed with Patenaude’s play that he repeatedly serenaded the team with his rendition of “Losing My Position,” a take-off on the 1991 R.E.M. classic “Losing My Religion”); Poland’s six runs batted in gave him eight for the season, moving him ahead of Jason Maule (7) for the team lead; Borst, after taking batting instruction from Dionicio and Poland during recent weeks, stated that he will “never strike out again;” Dionico, K. McGann and Poland all topped the ten-hit total for the 2006 campaign on Sunday; the team batting average improved from .234 to .246—the team was 17 for 53 (.321) against the Marlins—while the slugging and on-base percentages topped the .300 mark (.301 and .319 respectively); the eleven runs scored were the most in a double header since West Hartford joined the A Division (the seven runs in a single game ties the team high in the Week One win against Newington); in retaliation for the fact that Connecticut is in the throes of a heat wave, Luby beaned weatherman and local radio/television personality Joe Furey; Dionicio plans to bring a southern European exotic dancer to this Friday’s Italian-Fest 2006 at Cannons World Headquarters…the “Caribbean Cut-Up” claims she will also “bring her two good friends, her left and right breasts;” pitcher Troy Barber is considering shutting down for the remainder of the 2006 season so he can undergo surgery on his right arm; Celio and Patenaude earned their playoff eligibility, joining teammates Chris Barsa, Borst, Dionicio, Luby, Maule, K. McGann, M. McGann, Poland and Weber (the team hopes to get Mike Calabrese and Steve Markie eligible against Marlborough this weekend).
Fish Fry Cannons; CNMSBL Playoff Pairings Close to Complete
Glastonbury, CT (AP)—The Old Testament battle between David and Goliath (First Book of Samuel 17: 1-58) is one of the best-known, most-loved and oft-told “tales” in The Bible. For forty days the mighty Goliath challenged the opposing Israelites for a foolhardy foe to fight him. David, who was not even old enough to serve in the army, convinced King Saul that he could single-handedly defeat the Philistine. After turning down an offer of the king's own armor, which was too big for him, David went down to the creek, selected five suitable stones and the rest of the story is legend. He killed Goliath with a single perfectly-accurate shot and upon seeing their hero defeated, the heavily-favored Philistine army made a disorderly retreat giving the Israelites, then in hot pursuit, a much-needed victory. Davey and Goliath, the stop-motion animation children’s program that aired from 1960-1975, was a show about a boy and his dog—his canine “conscience”—and in each episode the boy, Davey, experienced some form of moral conflict that required resolution. Drawing upon the guidance of others and his own beliefs, Davey came away from each experience having learned a valuable moral and life lesson. Unfortunately West Hartford’s foray against first-place Glastonbury (15-3) did not result in the so-called storybook ending. The Philistinesque fish in the form of the Monaco Ford Marlins caught the Cannons (1-13) by scores of 15-4 and 11-7 at Dolph Finn Stadium on Sunday. Although the David versus Goliath theme that is so prevalent in athletic events—"Do you believe in miracles? Yes!"—and films (Hoosiers, Rocky, et al.) did little to change the Cannons fortunes in the win-loss column, on this day Davey did learn a valuable lesson after all: baseball is about having fun and for the first time since the May 7 victory over Newington the ball club from West Hartford appeared to enjoy themselves out on the diamond. The Cannons are way past the point of moral victories having lost twelve straight games but victories in morale are another story entirely and can go a long way toward presaging a team’s postseason perspective. Winning the CNMSBL A Division Championship as the tournament’s seventh seed would be an effort of biblical proportions but like David the Cannons believe and that, Cannon Nation, is the first step.
The Cannons cast the first stone in their initial at-bat as Mike Weber singled home Tom Luby, who also had a base hit, but failed to do any further damage as Matt Celio fouled out to first to end a bases loaded rally. Mike Patenaude returned from a one-week layoff and took his customary perch on the pitcher’s mound in Game One. Monaco Ford’s high octane offense inflicted some early damage against the left-hander, scoring three runs on an error and three singles but West Hartford bounced back in the top of the second. Patenaude, Andy Borst and Kevin McGann all singled consecutively to start the frame—McGann’s hit plated Patenaude—and Leo Dionicio came through with a two-out two-run double to put the Cannons back on top, 4-3. The Marlins managed to put five additional runs on the board in the home half of the second and the Cannons cooled considerably at the plate (Celio reached on an infield hit in the third representing the team’s lone base runner the rest of the way) while the defense uncharacteristically failed Patenaude (5 IP, 13 R) as Glastonbury got five in the fourth and ended things on a two-run blast to left in the home half of the fifth for a 15-4 victory. An exhausted Patenaude (0-5) explained after the games, “I didn’t have my best stuff today but our bats are starting to come around and if we can eliminate some of the errors we should have an unforgettable August.”
It was during Game Two when the Cannons found that youthful relish that has been noticeably absent over recent weeks. The players had a quick closed-door meeting between contests and decided to shake things up, placing players at new positions while at the same time shuffling the batting order and the results were encouraging to say the least (Ed Poland was even overheard exhorting the team with the chorus from the Bobby McFerrin hit “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”). Luby took the mound in Game Two and miffed the Marlins early on with a constant diet of fast balls, allowing only a single run to score in the bottom of the first (along with Luby’s first A Division pitching performance, the Cannons started Weber behind the plate, Mike McGann at first following a hamstring injury, Poland at second, Dionicio at shortstop, Patenaude at third, Celio in left, Borst in center and K. McGann in right after he took a hard chop off of the chin in the Opener). West Hartford got things going offensively in the top of the third on three straight singles from Weber, Celio and K. McGann and all three scored on a line drive double by Poland to put the team on top, 3-1, but the Marlins mounted a comeback in the home half of the third, scoring three against Luby to reclaim a one-run advantage. In the fifth, Celio led off with a single, K. McGann followed with a base hit (both players had four hits on the day) and Poland came up big again in a two-out situation with a three-run blast into the left field bleachers for his second home run of the season, sixth RBI of game and a 6-4 Cannons lead. Monaco managed another run in the fifth but West Hartford immediately answered back with a Weber base hit (one of three hits on the day for the Cannons’ Assistant Manager) and a two-down double from Celio to the left field fence that scored pinch runner Borst, making the score 7-5. According to Reese Bobby, Ricky Bobby's father from Talladega Nights fame, “It’s the fastest who gets laid and the fastest who gets paid,” prompting the slow-footed Celio to say, “So, that explains why I’m so broke and why I'm not getting any.” With a two-run lead and a tiring Luby (5+ IP, 11 R) the Fish found their stroke and scored six runs off of the right-hander and relief pitcher Poland (1 IP) for an 11-7 final but the team was encouraged in post-game press conferences. “Everybody gave one-hundred percent today and we had a lot of fun in that second game,” Luby (0-1) stated. When asked about the team’s chances as the calendar approaches August “the Heart of the Cannons” had this to say: “We’re in all of the ball games. All we need is a couple of big hits here and there, a couple of clutch pitching performances and we’re just as good as anybody. I think we’re going to be a tough out in the playoffs.” Weber echoed these sentiments: “This is what we were looking for. The final scores, especially in the second game, aren’t really representative of all the positives we can take away from today. We were just like kids out there and that is what this game is all about. We’re starting to hit the ball and more importantly everybody has smiles on their faces. Everyone is thinking positively at this point. Even though we were short-handed again our core guys were successful. We had fun and our confidence is climbing. That’s what brings victories at this time of year.” The “Latin Lothario” Dionicio added, “We are going to be super-dangerous in the playoffs. Other teams are going to be overconfident against us, the real anaconda is going to come out of the Amazon River and we are going to kill people. I love this game!”
So Sunday saw yet another late-inning opportunity for victory slip away from the Davids of the A Division. But the Cannons still have a few stones left to sling and it is expected that moral victories will soon turn to more victories. At the moment—there are still two Sundays left in the regular-season—it looks likely West Hartford will open the double-elimination tournament against the second-seeded Manchester Cubs (12-4) who are coming off a sweep of Bristol (if the playoffs started today the match-ups would be as follows: Glastonbury Marlins: Bye; West Hartford Cannons v. Manchester Cubs; Hartford Nationals v. Marlborough Athletics; Newington Capitals v. Bristol Phoenix). The final playoff push begins this Sunday at Cannon Yards against the Marlborough A’s (10-6)—or as Dionicio describes them, “the Marlborough A-holes.” No one expected this team to be 1-13 entering August but Manager Celio maintained the confidence that seems to be coursing through the veins of all Cannons: “We’re the most dangerous 1-13 team ever assembled. We’re a difficult draw for any of the teams in this league. This weekend built some character and gave us a little of that Cannons swagger back. I know we are up to the challenge.” As in the book of Revelations, when the second seal was opened a red horse appeared and its rider held a great and mighty sword. Now is the time for the red-shirted Cannons to wage war against the rest of the CNMSBL. Single-seat tickets and standing room only seats are available at the Cannon Yards box office, by phone (1 800-CANNONS) or by e-mail (whcannons.blogspot.com).
Cannons News and Notes: With three hits on the day Weber reached ninety-five for his career (Luby is at eighty-eight); for the first time in over forty years of playing baseball, Patenaude played third base (Dionicio was so impressed with Patenaude’s play that he repeatedly serenaded the team with his rendition of “Losing My Position,” a take-off on the 1991 R.E.M. classic “Losing My Religion”); Poland’s six runs batted in gave him eight for the season, moving him ahead of Jason Maule (7) for the team lead; Borst, after taking batting instruction from Dionicio and Poland during recent weeks, stated that he will “never strike out again;” Dionico, K. McGann and Poland all topped the ten-hit total for the 2006 campaign on Sunday; the team batting average improved from .234 to .246—the team was 17 for 53 (.321) against the Marlins—while the slugging and on-base percentages topped the .300 mark (.301 and .319 respectively); the eleven runs scored were the most in a double header since West Hartford joined the A Division (the seven runs in a single game ties the team high in the Week One win against Newington); in retaliation for the fact that Connecticut is in the throes of a heat wave, Luby beaned weatherman and local radio/television personality Joe Furey; Dionicio plans to bring a southern European exotic dancer to this Friday’s Italian-Fest 2006 at Cannons World Headquarters…the “Caribbean Cut-Up” claims she will also “bring her two good friends, her left and right breasts;” pitcher Troy Barber is considering shutting down for the remainder of the 2006 season so he can undergo surgery on his right arm; Celio and Patenaude earned their playoff eligibility, joining teammates Chris Barsa, Borst, Dionicio, Luby, Maule, K. McGann, M. McGann, Poland and Weber (the team hopes to get Mike Calabrese and Steve Markie eligible against Marlborough this weekend).
Monday, July 24, 2006
CUBS "BEAR-LY" CLAW PAST CANNONS
W. H. Battles But Can't Break Out Against Second-Place Manchester
West Hartford, CT (AP)--Another CNMSBL Sunday came to a close and the Cannons suffered the same cruel fate that has befallen them each weekend since late May. Compete at the highest level the league has to offer. Challenge any and all takers throughout Connecticut, from Marlborough to Manchester. Command the all-out attention of the A Division's old guard. Come up empty in the end, this time dropping a pair to the Baby Bears, 9-6 and 4-2 at cozy Cannon Yards. True, wins and losses aren't everything, especially since it has been common practice for opposing skippers to praise West Hartford's play, wondering how a team this talented has only tallied one win. As all baseball fans know, a regular-season championship means little: it's the post-season that matters most (just ask the New Haven Cardinals). But the Cannons are still searching for that season-defining moment--that clutch rip, run-saving grab or rally-ending strike out against an opponent--that puts the team over the top and turns the 2006 tide in their favor. "It's tough to talk about the same things week after week," Manager Matt Celio told members of the media during his post-game press conference. "When you are short-handed [the Cannons were without pitchers Mike Patenaude and Mike Calabrese, shortstop Tom Luby, outfielder Brian Pinney and injured catcher Mark Lynch; free agent acquisition John Giudice missed a connecting flight from Raleigh, NC rendering him ineligible for the remainder of the season and the playoffs] and you still play a 10-4 team tight over the course of two ball games you've certainly got some special ingredients. I'll say it again: we're a very solid ball club and it's just a matter of time before we find the right mix. It's time to get cooking."
The Cannons returned home after more than a month and trotted Troy Barber to the mound in the opener. It was Barber's first start for West Hartford since June, 2004 against Griswold (the thirty-four year old has been used in spot relief this season behind Patenaude, Poland and Calabrese) and the right-hander showed signs of rust, immediately running into trouble after allowing singles to Eddie Harris and Red Moulin and then surrendering a three-run homer to Richard "Don't Mean Nothing" Marks on an 0-2 knuckleball that stayed up in the strike zone. Leif Ericson followed with a single and later scored on a passed ball and before the Cannons could blink they were down 4-0 heading into the home half of the first, a tall order for a team that has struggled with the sticks this season. West Hartford loaded the bases in the first frame against Ericson on singles by Ed Poland and Leo Dionicio and a Chris Barsa hit-by-pitch but the big blast wasn't there and the Cannons offense remained quiet until late in the game. The Cubs on the other hand added single runs in the second and third and two more in the fifth to take a commanding 8-0 lead against Barber (0-1). "It's frustrating," pronounced a bewildered Barber (5 IP, 8 R, 8 ER, 13 H, 1 K, 5 BB) after the game. "We've got a great staff here and I want to do my part. You just keep working hard and wait for a chance to take the hill. You're presented with an opportunity, you mentally and physically prepare for your performance all week and things go poorly from the get-go. I felt good out there and I felt like I was hitting my spots but as [Assistant Manager Mike] Weber said, 'So were they.' Plain and simple, I didn't get the job done today." It would have been easy for the Cannons to quit but the offense showed signs of life late behind the big bat of Jason Maule. Andy Borst used his wheels to work an infield base hit and Maule put West Hartford on the scoreboard with a two-run rocket into the left field grandstands. Poland worked a walk, stole second and scored on a Dionicio single as the Cannons cut the lead to 8-3 with two to play. In the sixth, Mike McGann singled and Borst beat out another base hit setting the stage for more firepower from Maule. The twenty-eight year old center fielder smashed his second homer in as many innings, a towering three-run shot to left, and West Hartford was only down a deuce after spotting Manchester an early snowman. Weber reached on an error by Cubs' Manager Mike Kakalow at short and Poland was hit by a pitch but Dionicio's deep drive to left-center dropped harmlessly for an out at the warning track to end the threat. The Cubs added an insurance run off of reliever Steve Markie (2 IP, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 H, 3 BB, 1 HBP) in the seventh and the Cannons went down in order to end Game One, a 9-6 loss for the hometown team.
With Poland pitching Game Two, the Cannons were confident that they could challenge the Cubs, securing a split. The thirty-one year old righty, pitching for his third straight Sunday, started strong and was able to hold Manchester scoreless over the first two innings while scattering three singles. In the home half of the first, West Hartford worked a runner into scoring position in the form of Kevin McGann but a 1-6-3 double play got pitcher Eddie Murphy out of the potential jam. In the top of the third, the left-handed hitting Murphy stuck out his bat against Poland a deposited a 308 foot just-fair fly ball over the right field fence for a 1-0 Cubs lead. Manchester struck for three additional runs in the fourth on a lead-off homer from Adolf Verboven, a wild pitch that scored Ericson who had reached on an error and a Jay Riehl RBI single. Poland (0-3) continued a troubling trend of being beaten by one bad inning--he allowed all three of his runs in the fourth frame against Newington last Sunday and took a tie into the seventh against Hartford at Cannon Yards on Father's Day but gave up five runs in the sweltering heat and humidity before being removed--even as the Cannons defense dug down to help him end the Cubs rally. Dionicio, playing shortstop in place of the vacationing Luby--in classic fashion Leo constantly questioned "Luby who?"--dove to his right to smother a sharply hit Brooks Dunne grounder and fired home from his knees for the second out of the inning to keep West Hartford close, down by only four. NESN's Tina Cervasio talked to the "Dominican Dreamboat" during the home half of the fourth, asking him specifically about his defensive play: "I'll suck up any balls that come my way. And there's nobody better on his knees than me," Dionicio replied. Perhaps something was lost in translation. West Hartford's offense provided another late spark when K. McGann led off the sixth with a single and Poland followed with a base hit. Dionicio hit a dribbler but legged out an infield hit (his third single of the day and third multi-hit Sunday in a row, showing why he was a Triple Crown candidate during the 2005 campaign) to load the bases. Celio had a one-out sacrifice fly to right that scored Poland but the Cannons could not muster any more runs and found themselves down 4-2 going into the seventh. Poland (7 IP, 4 R, 3 ER, 7 H, 5 K, 2 BB, 1 HBP) kept West Hartford within striking distance, allowing only a two-out single to Kakalow and gave Dionicio another chance to be the hero. In the home half of the seventh, K. McGann reached on a fielder's choice and Poland followed with a ground ball to third that was flubbed by Dunne. The "Gringo from Santo Domingo," perhaps remembering his missed opportunity in Game One, swung for the fences on a ball low and out of the strike zone and then grounded to short to put the finishing touches on the Cubs season sweep with a 4-2 victory.
The losing streak has reached ten but it hasn't yet taken its toll on the Cannons' confidence. Expectations are still high as the team prepares to play the first-place Monaco Ford Marlins (13-3) on Sunday at Glastonbury. Ancient Roman generals were expected to have three defining qualities: they were to be young, brave and fortunate. Surely the team from West Hartford is youthful--both in age and A Division experience--and at times they have shown signs of the bravura or the "Cannon-style" that made them the pre-season favorite to win the 2006 CNMSBL Championship. At the moment, fortune has yet to fully smile down upon this team but the season is far from over. An old Italian proverb states that fortune and misfortune are two buckets in the same well, while Latin poet Claudian wrote, "Fortune sides with the bold." The start to the season has been a series of unfortunate events, Lemony Snicket lovers. But there is much more baseball to be played. Be bold, pull up that lucky bucket and the Cannons still might shock the world. This weekend's games at Glastonbury--West Hartford's first trip to town as members of the A Division--are sold out (the Cannons advanced out of the Glastonbury Regional in the 2005 B Division playoffs on their way to the title).
Cannons News and Notes: Maule has fourteen hits on the season, seven of them for extra bases (four doubles, three home runs) and is the team leader in ten of thirteen offensive categories; Dionicio and Poland are tied for second on the team with nine hits each; with two hits on Sunday, Borst raised his average from .154 to .211...he now has 76 hits for his regular-season career; with sixteen more hits on Sunday, the team batting average rose nine points from .225 to .234; West Hartford scores an average of 2.58 runs per game (3.67 at home to 1.5 on the road); the Cannons surrender an average of 4.83 runs per contest (5.33 at home to 4.33 on the road); nine of fifteen Cannons are eligible for post-season play (Barsa, Borst, Dionicio, Luby, Maule, K. McGann, M. McGann, Poland and Weber)...Barber, Calabrese, Celio and Patenaude can join them this weekend; Italian-Fest 2006 is scheduled for Friday, August 4 starting at 6:00 p.m.; original Cannon John Mancini married long-time girlfriend Kelley Whitaker this past Saturday in West Hartford.
W. H. Battles But Can't Break Out Against Second-Place Manchester
West Hartford, CT (AP)--Another CNMSBL Sunday came to a close and the Cannons suffered the same cruel fate that has befallen them each weekend since late May. Compete at the highest level the league has to offer. Challenge any and all takers throughout Connecticut, from Marlborough to Manchester. Command the all-out attention of the A Division's old guard. Come up empty in the end, this time dropping a pair to the Baby Bears, 9-6 and 4-2 at cozy Cannon Yards. True, wins and losses aren't everything, especially since it has been common practice for opposing skippers to praise West Hartford's play, wondering how a team this talented has only tallied one win. As all baseball fans know, a regular-season championship means little: it's the post-season that matters most (just ask the New Haven Cardinals). But the Cannons are still searching for that season-defining moment--that clutch rip, run-saving grab or rally-ending strike out against an opponent--that puts the team over the top and turns the 2006 tide in their favor. "It's tough to talk about the same things week after week," Manager Matt Celio told members of the media during his post-game press conference. "When you are short-handed [the Cannons were without pitchers Mike Patenaude and Mike Calabrese, shortstop Tom Luby, outfielder Brian Pinney and injured catcher Mark Lynch; free agent acquisition John Giudice missed a connecting flight from Raleigh, NC rendering him ineligible for the remainder of the season and the playoffs] and you still play a 10-4 team tight over the course of two ball games you've certainly got some special ingredients. I'll say it again: we're a very solid ball club and it's just a matter of time before we find the right mix. It's time to get cooking."
The Cannons returned home after more than a month and trotted Troy Barber to the mound in the opener. It was Barber's first start for West Hartford since June, 2004 against Griswold (the thirty-four year old has been used in spot relief this season behind Patenaude, Poland and Calabrese) and the right-hander showed signs of rust, immediately running into trouble after allowing singles to Eddie Harris and Red Moulin and then surrendering a three-run homer to Richard "Don't Mean Nothing" Marks on an 0-2 knuckleball that stayed up in the strike zone. Leif Ericson followed with a single and later scored on a passed ball and before the Cannons could blink they were down 4-0 heading into the home half of the first, a tall order for a team that has struggled with the sticks this season. West Hartford loaded the bases in the first frame against Ericson on singles by Ed Poland and Leo Dionicio and a Chris Barsa hit-by-pitch but the big blast wasn't there and the Cannons offense remained quiet until late in the game. The Cubs on the other hand added single runs in the second and third and two more in the fifth to take a commanding 8-0 lead against Barber (0-1). "It's frustrating," pronounced a bewildered Barber (5 IP, 8 R, 8 ER, 13 H, 1 K, 5 BB) after the game. "We've got a great staff here and I want to do my part. You just keep working hard and wait for a chance to take the hill. You're presented with an opportunity, you mentally and physically prepare for your performance all week and things go poorly from the get-go. I felt good out there and I felt like I was hitting my spots but as [Assistant Manager Mike] Weber said, 'So were they.' Plain and simple, I didn't get the job done today." It would have been easy for the Cannons to quit but the offense showed signs of life late behind the big bat of Jason Maule. Andy Borst used his wheels to work an infield base hit and Maule put West Hartford on the scoreboard with a two-run rocket into the left field grandstands. Poland worked a walk, stole second and scored on a Dionicio single as the Cannons cut the lead to 8-3 with two to play. In the sixth, Mike McGann singled and Borst beat out another base hit setting the stage for more firepower from Maule. The twenty-eight year old center fielder smashed his second homer in as many innings, a towering three-run shot to left, and West Hartford was only down a deuce after spotting Manchester an early snowman. Weber reached on an error by Cubs' Manager Mike Kakalow at short and Poland was hit by a pitch but Dionicio's deep drive to left-center dropped harmlessly for an out at the warning track to end the threat. The Cubs added an insurance run off of reliever Steve Markie (2 IP, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 H, 3 BB, 1 HBP) in the seventh and the Cannons went down in order to end Game One, a 9-6 loss for the hometown team.
With Poland pitching Game Two, the Cannons were confident that they could challenge the Cubs, securing a split. The thirty-one year old righty, pitching for his third straight Sunday, started strong and was able to hold Manchester scoreless over the first two innings while scattering three singles. In the home half of the first, West Hartford worked a runner into scoring position in the form of Kevin McGann but a 1-6-3 double play got pitcher Eddie Murphy out of the potential jam. In the top of the third, the left-handed hitting Murphy stuck out his bat against Poland a deposited a 308 foot just-fair fly ball over the right field fence for a 1-0 Cubs lead. Manchester struck for three additional runs in the fourth on a lead-off homer from Adolf Verboven, a wild pitch that scored Ericson who had reached on an error and a Jay Riehl RBI single. Poland (0-3) continued a troubling trend of being beaten by one bad inning--he allowed all three of his runs in the fourth frame against Newington last Sunday and took a tie into the seventh against Hartford at Cannon Yards on Father's Day but gave up five runs in the sweltering heat and humidity before being removed--even as the Cannons defense dug down to help him end the Cubs rally. Dionicio, playing shortstop in place of the vacationing Luby--in classic fashion Leo constantly questioned "Luby who?"--dove to his right to smother a sharply hit Brooks Dunne grounder and fired home from his knees for the second out of the inning to keep West Hartford close, down by only four. NESN's Tina Cervasio talked to the "Dominican Dreamboat" during the home half of the fourth, asking him specifically about his defensive play: "I'll suck up any balls that come my way. And there's nobody better on his knees than me," Dionicio replied. Perhaps something was lost in translation. West Hartford's offense provided another late spark when K. McGann led off the sixth with a single and Poland followed with a base hit. Dionicio hit a dribbler but legged out an infield hit (his third single of the day and third multi-hit Sunday in a row, showing why he was a Triple Crown candidate during the 2005 campaign) to load the bases. Celio had a one-out sacrifice fly to right that scored Poland but the Cannons could not muster any more runs and found themselves down 4-2 going into the seventh. Poland (7 IP, 4 R, 3 ER, 7 H, 5 K, 2 BB, 1 HBP) kept West Hartford within striking distance, allowing only a two-out single to Kakalow and gave Dionicio another chance to be the hero. In the home half of the seventh, K. McGann reached on a fielder's choice and Poland followed with a ground ball to third that was flubbed by Dunne. The "Gringo from Santo Domingo," perhaps remembering his missed opportunity in Game One, swung for the fences on a ball low and out of the strike zone and then grounded to short to put the finishing touches on the Cubs season sweep with a 4-2 victory.
The losing streak has reached ten but it hasn't yet taken its toll on the Cannons' confidence. Expectations are still high as the team prepares to play the first-place Monaco Ford Marlins (13-3) on Sunday at Glastonbury. Ancient Roman generals were expected to have three defining qualities: they were to be young, brave and fortunate. Surely the team from West Hartford is youthful--both in age and A Division experience--and at times they have shown signs of the bravura or the "Cannon-style" that made them the pre-season favorite to win the 2006 CNMSBL Championship. At the moment, fortune has yet to fully smile down upon this team but the season is far from over. An old Italian proverb states that fortune and misfortune are two buckets in the same well, while Latin poet Claudian wrote, "Fortune sides with the bold." The start to the season has been a series of unfortunate events, Lemony Snicket lovers. But there is much more baseball to be played. Be bold, pull up that lucky bucket and the Cannons still might shock the world. This weekend's games at Glastonbury--West Hartford's first trip to town as members of the A Division--are sold out (the Cannons advanced out of the Glastonbury Regional in the 2005 B Division playoffs on their way to the title).
Cannons News and Notes: Maule has fourteen hits on the season, seven of them for extra bases (four doubles, three home runs) and is the team leader in ten of thirteen offensive categories; Dionicio and Poland are tied for second on the team with nine hits each; with two hits on Sunday, Borst raised his average from .154 to .211...he now has 76 hits for his regular-season career; with sixteen more hits on Sunday, the team batting average rose nine points from .225 to .234; West Hartford scores an average of 2.58 runs per game (3.67 at home to 1.5 on the road); the Cannons surrender an average of 4.83 runs per contest (5.33 at home to 4.33 on the road); nine of fifteen Cannons are eligible for post-season play (Barsa, Borst, Dionicio, Luby, Maule, K. McGann, M. McGann, Poland and Weber)...Barber, Calabrese, Celio and Patenaude can join them this weekend; Italian-Fest 2006 is scheduled for Friday, August 4 starting at 6:00 p.m.; original Cannon John Mancini married long-time girlfriend Kelley Whitaker this past Saturday in West Hartford.
Friday, July 21, 2006
THE JUICE TO GET LOOSE
Cannons Acquire Free Agent John "Juice" Giudice For Stretch Run
West Hartford, CT (AP)--Not since a white Ford Bronco driven by A.C. Cowlings ambled along the California freeways back in June of 1994 has there been such a frenzy and fanfare surrounding someone nicknamed "Juice." In an unprecedented trade deadline move at 2:00 p.m. (EST) on Friday, the West Hartford Cannons signed John "Juice" Giudice to a one-year deal with an option for the 2007 season. With eight games remaining--44% of the team's eighteen game schedule--the Cannons will have Giudice for this weekend's contests against the Manchester Cubs and the slugger will be available for postseason play if he participates in each game over the following four Sundays. "[Assistant Manager Mike] Weber really worked for this one," Manager Matt Celio told reporters outside of the team's practice facility earlier this afternoon. "We've been interested in signing Johnny for quite some time and it even looked as if we might have him locked up at the start of the year but unfortunately talks stalled. We remained optimistic that a deal could get done and it couldn't have happened at a better time for us." Giudice is represented by super-agent John "Boras" DeMorais who insisted on getting top dollar for his client, even if it meant sitting out the early portion of this season. In a prepared statement, DeMorais said, "I know the Cannons have a lot of high-priced talent locked up in long-term deals but I just wanted to make sure that John got fair market value for his services. We're both very pleased with the Cannons final offer. This is where JG wanted to play and he is ready to go." At Cannons World Headquarters Weber added, "I'm excited to have John in Cannons red. To sign a player of this caliber helps us tremendously, especially on offense. He's a confident player, the consummate teammate and he can only make those around him better. His on- and off-field attitude is just the shot in the arm the Cannons need. We look forward to having him in uniform this weekend."
Giudice, thirty-five, played his college ball at Eastern Connecticut State University where he was part of the 1990 National Championship team. After graduating in 1993, Giudice was drafted as an outfielder by the Colorado Rockies in the 20th round (576th overall) of the Major League draft. Giudice compiled a .273 average with seventy-one extra base hits--forty-two doubles, four triples and twenty-five home runs--in two seasons of Minor League ball (he spent part of the 1996 campaign and all of the 1997 season with the New Haven Ravens of the Eastern League) and played several seasons for the Bridgeport Bluefish before turning his full attentions to the Connecticut North Men's Senior Baseball League and the Cannons. Giudice spoke briefly with reporters outside of his Berlin, CT home: "I'm just happy and relieved to get this deal done. I've been itching to play and I think that the Cannons have some great young talent to compliment solid veteran leadership. This is an ideal fit for me and I just hope I can contribute starting this Sunday."
So members of Cannon Nation, be prepared to get juiced...and you won't need Victor Conte or even Ron Popeil to do it. The time has come for West Hartford to put the squeeze on the CNMSBL A Division. Single-seat tickets are still available for the Sunday, July 23 games against Manchester at Cannon Yards (10:00 a.m.) and can be purchased by phone at 1-800 CANNONS or by e-mail at whcannons.blogspot.com.
Cannons Acquire Free Agent John "Juice" Giudice For Stretch Run
West Hartford, CT (AP)--Not since a white Ford Bronco driven by A.C. Cowlings ambled along the California freeways back in June of 1994 has there been such a frenzy and fanfare surrounding someone nicknamed "Juice." In an unprecedented trade deadline move at 2:00 p.m. (EST) on Friday, the West Hartford Cannons signed John "Juice" Giudice to a one-year deal with an option for the 2007 season. With eight games remaining--44% of the team's eighteen game schedule--the Cannons will have Giudice for this weekend's contests against the Manchester Cubs and the slugger will be available for postseason play if he participates in each game over the following four Sundays. "[Assistant Manager Mike] Weber really worked for this one," Manager Matt Celio told reporters outside of the team's practice facility earlier this afternoon. "We've been interested in signing Johnny for quite some time and it even looked as if we might have him locked up at the start of the year but unfortunately talks stalled. We remained optimistic that a deal could get done and it couldn't have happened at a better time for us." Giudice is represented by super-agent John "Boras" DeMorais who insisted on getting top dollar for his client, even if it meant sitting out the early portion of this season. In a prepared statement, DeMorais said, "I know the Cannons have a lot of high-priced talent locked up in long-term deals but I just wanted to make sure that John got fair market value for his services. We're both very pleased with the Cannons final offer. This is where JG wanted to play and he is ready to go." At Cannons World Headquarters Weber added, "I'm excited to have John in Cannons red. To sign a player of this caliber helps us tremendously, especially on offense. He's a confident player, the consummate teammate and he can only make those around him better. His on- and off-field attitude is just the shot in the arm the Cannons need. We look forward to having him in uniform this weekend."
Giudice, thirty-five, played his college ball at Eastern Connecticut State University where he was part of the 1990 National Championship team. After graduating in 1993, Giudice was drafted as an outfielder by the Colorado Rockies in the 20th round (576th overall) of the Major League draft. Giudice compiled a .273 average with seventy-one extra base hits--forty-two doubles, four triples and twenty-five home runs--in two seasons of Minor League ball (he spent part of the 1996 campaign and all of the 1997 season with the New Haven Ravens of the Eastern League) and played several seasons for the Bridgeport Bluefish before turning his full attentions to the Connecticut North Men's Senior Baseball League and the Cannons. Giudice spoke briefly with reporters outside of his Berlin, CT home: "I'm just happy and relieved to get this deal done. I've been itching to play and I think that the Cannons have some great young talent to compliment solid veteran leadership. This is an ideal fit for me and I just hope I can contribute starting this Sunday."
So members of Cannon Nation, be prepared to get juiced...and you won't need Victor Conte or even Ron Popeil to do it. The time has come for West Hartford to put the squeeze on the CNMSBL A Division. Single-seat tickets are still available for the Sunday, July 23 games against Manchester at Cannon Yards (10:00 a.m.) and can be purchased by phone at 1-800 CANNONS or by e-mail at whcannons.blogspot.com.
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
CAPS POP CANNONS
West Hartford's Heartbreak Continues, Losing Streak Stretches to Eight
Rocky Hill, CT (AP)--The world of physics dictates that a Cannon packs more firepower than a Cap: bigger, "badder" and with more bang for the buck the awesome artillery assembled against a harmless child's plaything would prove to be a contest in futility, a sheer matter of superior firepower. Unfortunately physics and the field of play are two very different places and although the West Hartford Cannons once again flirted with victory in their inaugural A Division campaign in the end it was the Newington Caps who had just enough to eke by, sweeping Sunday's double header by scores of 3-1 and 6-4 at jam-packed Rocky Hill Stadium. Unquestionably the Cannons can compete at this high level of play but there is a chasm between being competitive and being champions that needs to be bridged before West Hartford rediscovers it winning ways. "We are as good or better than every team in this league," Manager Matt Celio intoned in his post-game press conference. "It's hard to explain why we can't get over the top. I do know that this is the best group of guys that we've ever run out there in terms of talent. It's just a matter of time before we put all of the pieces together and start winning ball games. Unfortunately moral victories don't help us any in the standings. Being that it's almost August, I think the time is right for this team, myself included, to ante up and kick in like men. It's time to show our true character and strength of heart out there on the diamond over the next month and a half." Interesting that Celio invoked images of the film Glory as he closed his comments while third baseman Leo "Cerrano" Dionicio conjured memories of Major League as he spoke to reporters outside of the Cannons locker room. "Would we rather be 9-1 right now and not win the title or 1-9 and win it all? So, I guess there's only one thing to do. Win the whole f***ing thing." Glory be, confidence remains high among Cannons players and if karma follows suit perhaps West Hartford is on the verge of a major turnaround. Up your butt, Jobu!
Things started well for the Cannons as they were able to take an early Game One lead against the Capitals on a RBI single by Tom Luby that scored Cannons Rookie of the Year--and Most Valuable Cannon--candidate Jason Maule who for the third straight game scored in the first frame, this time after a single and two stolen bases from the twenty-eight year old phenom. West Hartford persistently applied pressure, loading the bases after the Luby single by adding an infield hit from Mike Weber and a Chris "Zinedine Zidane" Barsa walk, but Newington ace Willie Mays Hayes was able to wiggle out of the jam with an inning-ending strike out (one of thirteen he racked up during the opening contest) to keep things close. Ed Poland pitched for the Cannons and was up to the task, dominating through the first three frames, allowing only a walk and a hit batter to reach base while the Cannons offense continued to challenge the Caps starter, putting runners in scoring position in each of the first three innings. But Hayes struck out five more batters--seven over that same three-inning span--and settled into a comfortable groove over the next several innings. In the home half of the fourth myriad miscues preyed on Poland (0-2). Lead-off hitter Gross Pelletier walked after working the count full and stole second base. Suckmy Corkum followed with a ground ball to third that Dionicio fielded cleanly and though his throw to first pulled Barsa off the bag the runner was clearly tagged as he passed. However both umpires missed the call and it immediately came back to haunt the Cannons' right-hander. After a passed ball, Hayes had a RBI base hit and Dave Klingerman slapped a seeing-eye single under the outstretched glove of a diving Luby and the pulled in infield. What had been a one-run lead quickly turned into a two-run deficit. Poland (6 IP, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 H, 6 K, 2 BB, 1 HBP) was all but perfect over the final two frames, surrendering a harmless hit in the sixth but Hayes had the Cannons number on this day (Maule reached on a error in the seventh representing the only West Hartford base runner from the fourth inning forward) as the Caps defeated the Cannons 3-1--the sixth time in nine games that West Hartford's offense was able to manage only a single run against an opponent.
Game Two found staff stalwart Mike Patenaude on the mound for the Cannons against James L. Brooks and the Caps. Although the Cannons lefty was adequate on Sunday he uncharacteristically allowed hits--albeit few of them hard--in five of the six innings he hurled, staking Newington to a five-run lead through three. West Hartford's offense finally awoke and worked Brooks for three runs in the fourth as Barsa singled home Poland (who had a one-out base hit), Steve Markie drove in Luby (who had walked) and Mike McGann took ball four with the bases loaded, scoring Barsa and chasing the Newington starter. The Cannons added a run in the fifth when Poland singled home the speedy Maule and the team threatened to tie things as they loaded the bases with two down but the Caps brilliantly brought back Game One starter Hayes who had baffled the Cannons batters earlier and he was able to induce an infield pop to ruin the rally. Patenaude (6 IP, 6 R, 4 ER, 14 H, 2 K, 1 HBP) settled down in the middle innings, relinquishing a Rondell White base hit in the fourth, but an error and two singles in the sixth gave the Caps a much-needed insurance run against the veteran pitcher (M. McGann's perfect throw to Markie from right field cut down Mike Karp at the plate keeping West Hartford within striking distance, down just two). Hayes came back and worked a perfect seventh for the save securing Newington's second win this time by a score a 6-4 as Patenaude (0-4) lost yet again by two runs or fewer (along with Sunday's setback, in five starts the fifty year old has a no decision and has lost contests by scores of 2-1 and 3-1). Patenaude, who also went 1-3 at the plate with a third inning single to left, candidly conversed with members of the media after the game: "I wasn't at my best today. I was a bit rusty early on when they scored some runs but that's what happens when you take a month off in the middle of the season [referring to the team's twenty-seven day lay-off due to rain, Independence Day and a league scheduled bye]. I was happy with our offense as we had some good runs over a couple of innings but it wasn't quite enough to get us a win."
The team from West Hartford heads home to Cannon Yards for a twin bill against the Manchester Cubs (8-4) who handed the Cannons a pair of tough 2-1 losses back on May 21 starting the eight-game losing streak. "We are in a new league and it's encouraging that we have been competitive in each of the games but at some point we have to stop simply being competitive and start winning some ball games," Assistant Manager Weber articulated on his weekly radio program, Web Wrap. "It will feel good to be home again. Hopefully we'll have the fan support and all of Cannon Nation will rally behind us. I know it has to be as tough for them to endure as it has been for us out there on the diamond but hopefully we can throw some Ws up there, close out the regular season strong and light a fuse in the playoffs." Can the Cannons start playing at a Major League level? Will this season end with the glory that players and fans of West Hartford Cannons Baseball have come to expect? The bridge between being competitive and building an A Division CNMSBL champion is currently under construction and hopefully these Cannons will toil and complete the task before it's too late. Tickets for the Sunday, July 23 (10:00 a.m.) contests against the Cubs are available at 1-800 CANNONS or at whcannons.blogspot.com.
Cannons News and Notes: Weber's hit in Game One gives him 92 for his regular-season career and puts him on pace to become just the second Cannon to pass the century plateau (Celio leads the team with 104 lifetime hits; Luby is third with 87); Markie (.375), Maule (.370) and Poland (.300) are the only Cannon regulars with batting averages at or above .300 this season; Markie and Maule are the two West Hartford players without a strike out in 2006; with his double in the second inning of the opening game, Maule now has five of the team's eleven extra base hits (four doubles and a home run for a team-best 1.044 OPS); K. McGann had his first two-hit Sunday of the season against Newington...he also led off for the first time in Game Two; Barsa busted out of a 2 for 20 start to the season with a 2-3 game in the nightcap; the 13 strike outs in the first game were a season high for the Cannons...the team's strike out to walk ratio is slightly more than 3:1; with 14 hits against the Caps the team batting average climbed seven points to .225 overall...the team on-base percentage climbed thirteen points to .281; Mark Lynch was injured in a Twilight League game and will be out for the remainder of the CNMSBL season: Assistant Manager Weber said, "Lynchie has been a great asset to the team. He's a solid pick-up and having him in the clubhouse helps us. He's a winner and we look forward to playing with him next year."; Troy Barber, Mike Calabrese and Brian Pinney did not play this weekend.
West Hartford's Heartbreak Continues, Losing Streak Stretches to Eight
Rocky Hill, CT (AP)--The world of physics dictates that a Cannon packs more firepower than a Cap: bigger, "badder" and with more bang for the buck the awesome artillery assembled against a harmless child's plaything would prove to be a contest in futility, a sheer matter of superior firepower. Unfortunately physics and the field of play are two very different places and although the West Hartford Cannons once again flirted with victory in their inaugural A Division campaign in the end it was the Newington Caps who had just enough to eke by, sweeping Sunday's double header by scores of 3-1 and 6-4 at jam-packed Rocky Hill Stadium. Unquestionably the Cannons can compete at this high level of play but there is a chasm between being competitive and being champions that needs to be bridged before West Hartford rediscovers it winning ways. "We are as good or better than every team in this league," Manager Matt Celio intoned in his post-game press conference. "It's hard to explain why we can't get over the top. I do know that this is the best group of guys that we've ever run out there in terms of talent. It's just a matter of time before we put all of the pieces together and start winning ball games. Unfortunately moral victories don't help us any in the standings. Being that it's almost August, I think the time is right for this team, myself included, to ante up and kick in like men. It's time to show our true character and strength of heart out there on the diamond over the next month and a half." Interesting that Celio invoked images of the film Glory as he closed his comments while third baseman Leo "Cerrano" Dionicio conjured memories of Major League as he spoke to reporters outside of the Cannons locker room. "Would we rather be 9-1 right now and not win the title or 1-9 and win it all? So, I guess there's only one thing to do. Win the whole f***ing thing." Glory be, confidence remains high among Cannons players and if karma follows suit perhaps West Hartford is on the verge of a major turnaround. Up your butt, Jobu!
Things started well for the Cannons as they were able to take an early Game One lead against the Capitals on a RBI single by Tom Luby that scored Cannons Rookie of the Year--and Most Valuable Cannon--candidate Jason Maule who for the third straight game scored in the first frame, this time after a single and two stolen bases from the twenty-eight year old phenom. West Hartford persistently applied pressure, loading the bases after the Luby single by adding an infield hit from Mike Weber and a Chris "Zinedine Zidane" Barsa walk, but Newington ace Willie Mays Hayes was able to wiggle out of the jam with an inning-ending strike out (one of thirteen he racked up during the opening contest) to keep things close. Ed Poland pitched for the Cannons and was up to the task, dominating through the first three frames, allowing only a walk and a hit batter to reach base while the Cannons offense continued to challenge the Caps starter, putting runners in scoring position in each of the first three innings. But Hayes struck out five more batters--seven over that same three-inning span--and settled into a comfortable groove over the next several innings. In the home half of the fourth myriad miscues preyed on Poland (0-2). Lead-off hitter Gross Pelletier walked after working the count full and stole second base. Suckmy Corkum followed with a ground ball to third that Dionicio fielded cleanly and though his throw to first pulled Barsa off the bag the runner was clearly tagged as he passed. However both umpires missed the call and it immediately came back to haunt the Cannons' right-hander. After a passed ball, Hayes had a RBI base hit and Dave Klingerman slapped a seeing-eye single under the outstretched glove of a diving Luby and the pulled in infield. What had been a one-run lead quickly turned into a two-run deficit. Poland (6 IP, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 H, 6 K, 2 BB, 1 HBP) was all but perfect over the final two frames, surrendering a harmless hit in the sixth but Hayes had the Cannons number on this day (Maule reached on a error in the seventh representing the only West Hartford base runner from the fourth inning forward) as the Caps defeated the Cannons 3-1--the sixth time in nine games that West Hartford's offense was able to manage only a single run against an opponent.
Game Two found staff stalwart Mike Patenaude on the mound for the Cannons against James L. Brooks and the Caps. Although the Cannons lefty was adequate on Sunday he uncharacteristically allowed hits--albeit few of them hard--in five of the six innings he hurled, staking Newington to a five-run lead through three. West Hartford's offense finally awoke and worked Brooks for three runs in the fourth as Barsa singled home Poland (who had a one-out base hit), Steve Markie drove in Luby (who had walked) and Mike McGann took ball four with the bases loaded, scoring Barsa and chasing the Newington starter. The Cannons added a run in the fifth when Poland singled home the speedy Maule and the team threatened to tie things as they loaded the bases with two down but the Caps brilliantly brought back Game One starter Hayes who had baffled the Cannons batters earlier and he was able to induce an infield pop to ruin the rally. Patenaude (6 IP, 6 R, 4 ER, 14 H, 2 K, 1 HBP) settled down in the middle innings, relinquishing a Rondell White base hit in the fourth, but an error and two singles in the sixth gave the Caps a much-needed insurance run against the veteran pitcher (M. McGann's perfect throw to Markie from right field cut down Mike Karp at the plate keeping West Hartford within striking distance, down just two). Hayes came back and worked a perfect seventh for the save securing Newington's second win this time by a score a 6-4 as Patenaude (0-4) lost yet again by two runs or fewer (along with Sunday's setback, in five starts the fifty year old has a no decision and has lost contests by scores of 2-1 and 3-1). Patenaude, who also went 1-3 at the plate with a third inning single to left, candidly conversed with members of the media after the game: "I wasn't at my best today. I was a bit rusty early on when they scored some runs but that's what happens when you take a month off in the middle of the season [referring to the team's twenty-seven day lay-off due to rain, Independence Day and a league scheduled bye]. I was happy with our offense as we had some good runs over a couple of innings but it wasn't quite enough to get us a win."
The team from West Hartford heads home to Cannon Yards for a twin bill against the Manchester Cubs (8-4) who handed the Cannons a pair of tough 2-1 losses back on May 21 starting the eight-game losing streak. "We are in a new league and it's encouraging that we have been competitive in each of the games but at some point we have to stop simply being competitive and start winning some ball games," Assistant Manager Weber articulated on his weekly radio program, Web Wrap. "It will feel good to be home again. Hopefully we'll have the fan support and all of Cannon Nation will rally behind us. I know it has to be as tough for them to endure as it has been for us out there on the diamond but hopefully we can throw some Ws up there, close out the regular season strong and light a fuse in the playoffs." Can the Cannons start playing at a Major League level? Will this season end with the glory that players and fans of West Hartford Cannons Baseball have come to expect? The bridge between being competitive and building an A Division CNMSBL champion is currently under construction and hopefully these Cannons will toil and complete the task before it's too late. Tickets for the Sunday, July 23 (10:00 a.m.) contests against the Cubs are available at 1-800 CANNONS or at whcannons.blogspot.com.
Cannons News and Notes: Weber's hit in Game One gives him 92 for his regular-season career and puts him on pace to become just the second Cannon to pass the century plateau (Celio leads the team with 104 lifetime hits; Luby is third with 87); Markie (.375), Maule (.370) and Poland (.300) are the only Cannon regulars with batting averages at or above .300 this season; Markie and Maule are the two West Hartford players without a strike out in 2006; with his double in the second inning of the opening game, Maule now has five of the team's eleven extra base hits (four doubles and a home run for a team-best 1.044 OPS); K. McGann had his first two-hit Sunday of the season against Newington...he also led off for the first time in Game Two; Barsa busted out of a 2 for 20 start to the season with a 2-3 game in the nightcap; the 13 strike outs in the first game were a season high for the Cannons...the team's strike out to walk ratio is slightly more than 3:1; with 14 hits against the Caps the team batting average climbed seven points to .225 overall...the team on-base percentage climbed thirteen points to .281; Mark Lynch was injured in a Twilight League game and will be out for the remainder of the CNMSBL season: Assistant Manager Weber said, "Lynchie has been a great asset to the team. He's a solid pick-up and having him in the clubhouse helps us. He's a winner and we look forward to playing with him next year."; Troy Barber, Mike Calabrese and Brian Pinney did not play this weekend.
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
J A X…HE’S JAX-TASTIC!
Former Cannons Fave Welcomed Warmly at World Headquarters
West Hartford, CT (AP)—Jason Jackson--the Cannons’ career leader in appearances on the ESPN family of networks, one of only twelve Cannons to hit a home run in regular- or post-season play (a memorable blast versus the New Haven Cardinals at Balf-Savin Stadium in New Britain), the only West Hartford player to this point to have an entire Cannons Jeopardy category dedicated to his legendary on- and off-field antics and the first Cannons player to have a team award named in his honor (the Jason T. Jackson Cannons Lifetime Achievement Award was soon followed by the Michael F. Weber Cannons Service Award and the Michael K. Patenaude Cannons Pitching Award and will be joined this season by the Tom "Mr. August" Bogiatzis Playoff Most Valuable Cannon Award)--ended his near two-year estrangement from Cannons management when he visited the team’s World Headquarters during his vacation from Florida last week. Jackson, who turned 34 on May 12, was welcomed back on Wednesday, June 28 with open arms by Manager Matt Celio and enjoyed surf and turf Cannon-style and his new favorite drink—Grey Goose on the rocks rather than a selection from the Mike’s Hard Assortment—as the two parties reconciled what had been a rocky relationship since the end of the 2004 campaign when JJax and the team officially parted company. “Jason was always touted as # 24 in your program and # 1 in your hearts and truer words have never been spoken. Cannon Nation is happy to have Jax back,” Celio told reporters after the Jackson family—wife Shirelle and sons Justin and Jordan also appeared—left following the five-hour visit. When reached for comment Jackson said briefly, “My Sundays have been empty without Cannons Baseball. I thought the love was gone but now I’m in talks to re-sign with the team in a limited role for the 2007 season and beyond.” Jackson was brought on board during the 2002 off-season—along with other big-time signings such as Bogiatzis, Tom Luby, Kevin McGann and Ed Poland—and logged much of his time at first base. Perhaps best known as a defensive specialist, Jackson was once quoted post-game saying, “I might not have much of a bat but I can field like a motherf****r.” A powerful post-season performer, Jax raised his batting average by a solid .77 points in August and was on-base in three out of every ten plate appearances in the playoffs. A frequent SportsCenter anchor, Jackson went on to host the wildly popular Jax Show on ESPN Radio (WPOP 1410 AM in the Hartford market) before moving to the Miami area to work for the National Basketball Association Heat, winners of the 2006 NBA title (he is being sized for a ring at this moment).
Cannons News and Notes: Jackson and Luby were spotted by members of the paparazzi at Grant's in West Hartford Center over the holiday weekend; 2005 Cannons Fan of the Year Marybeth Smiley ended her two-year relationship with left fielder Mike McGann, lending credence to the legend that the Fan of the Year Award is cursed (three-time Cannons Wife of the Year winner Molly Borst later divorced Manager Emeritus Andy Borst and 2004 FOTY winner and Bogiatzis girlfriend Deanna David didn’t last through the off-season after winning the "coveted" award…nobody has defended the title since 2003)…who will this year’s winner—or loser—be?; M. McGann and former Cannon Mike Santee were involved in a near bar brawl on Sunday when Santee tried to, unbeknownst to the younger McGann, hook him up with an unwanted team groupie at Harbor Yards in Middletown…no charges were filed; the Cannons return to action on Sunday, July 16 against the Newington Capitals in games that could have significant playoff implications; Patenaude’s Porno Pool Party 2: Electric Boogaloo takes place immediately following the July 16 double header.
Former Cannons Fave Welcomed Warmly at World Headquarters
West Hartford, CT (AP)—Jason Jackson--the Cannons’ career leader in appearances on the ESPN family of networks, one of only twelve Cannons to hit a home run in regular- or post-season play (a memorable blast versus the New Haven Cardinals at Balf-Savin Stadium in New Britain), the only West Hartford player to this point to have an entire Cannons Jeopardy category dedicated to his legendary on- and off-field antics and the first Cannons player to have a team award named in his honor (the Jason T. Jackson Cannons Lifetime Achievement Award was soon followed by the Michael F. Weber Cannons Service Award and the Michael K. Patenaude Cannons Pitching Award and will be joined this season by the Tom "Mr. August" Bogiatzis Playoff Most Valuable Cannon Award)--ended his near two-year estrangement from Cannons management when he visited the team’s World Headquarters during his vacation from Florida last week. Jackson, who turned 34 on May 12, was welcomed back on Wednesday, June 28 with open arms by Manager Matt Celio and enjoyed surf and turf Cannon-style and his new favorite drink—Grey Goose on the rocks rather than a selection from the Mike’s Hard Assortment—as the two parties reconciled what had been a rocky relationship since the end of the 2004 campaign when JJax and the team officially parted company. “Jason was always touted as # 24 in your program and # 1 in your hearts and truer words have never been spoken. Cannon Nation is happy to have Jax back,” Celio told reporters after the Jackson family—wife Shirelle and sons Justin and Jordan also appeared—left following the five-hour visit. When reached for comment Jackson said briefly, “My Sundays have been empty without Cannons Baseball. I thought the love was gone but now I’m in talks to re-sign with the team in a limited role for the 2007 season and beyond.” Jackson was brought on board during the 2002 off-season—along with other big-time signings such as Bogiatzis, Tom Luby, Kevin McGann and Ed Poland—and logged much of his time at first base. Perhaps best known as a defensive specialist, Jackson was once quoted post-game saying, “I might not have much of a bat but I can field like a motherf****r.” A powerful post-season performer, Jax raised his batting average by a solid .77 points in August and was on-base in three out of every ten plate appearances in the playoffs. A frequent SportsCenter anchor, Jackson went on to host the wildly popular Jax Show on ESPN Radio (WPOP 1410 AM in the Hartford market) before moving to the Miami area to work for the National Basketball Association Heat, winners of the 2006 NBA title (he is being sized for a ring at this moment).
Cannons News and Notes: Jackson and Luby were spotted by members of the paparazzi at Grant's in West Hartford Center over the holiday weekend; 2005 Cannons Fan of the Year Marybeth Smiley ended her two-year relationship with left fielder Mike McGann, lending credence to the legend that the Fan of the Year Award is cursed (three-time Cannons Wife of the Year winner Molly Borst later divorced Manager Emeritus Andy Borst and 2004 FOTY winner and Bogiatzis girlfriend Deanna David didn’t last through the off-season after winning the "coveted" award…nobody has defended the title since 2003)…who will this year’s winner—or loser—be?; M. McGann and former Cannon Mike Santee were involved in a near bar brawl on Sunday when Santee tried to, unbeknownst to the younger McGann, hook him up with an unwanted team groupie at Harbor Yards in Middletown…no charges were filed; the Cannons return to action on Sunday, July 16 against the Newington Capitals in games that could have significant playoff implications; Patenaude’s Porno Pool Party 2: Electric Boogaloo takes place immediately following the July 16 double header.
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