BOGATZ BOWS OUT
"Mr. August" Unexpectedly Ends Cannons Career

West Hartford, CT (AP)--The state of Connecticut continues its thaw from winter storm Carson, yet a chill wind augured ill tidings in West Hartford today. As the start of the 2006 Connecticut North Men's Senior Baseball League (CNMSBL) approaches and the Cannons prepare for their first season in the league's A Division after being crowned the champions of the B Division in 2005, management issued a regrettable press release earlier this evening with the announcement of Tom Bogiatzis's retirement. Bogiatzis, the thirty-eight year-old utility player out of Middletown, finalized the move in a phone conversation late last week but it wasn't until 5:00 p.m. EST on Friday that the team officially confirmed the rumors that have been swirling around Cannon Yards for the past several weeks. "I was caught off guard," said Manager Matt Celio in his weekly conference call. "It goes without saying that the Cannons will not be the same without Tommy...you just can't replace a player of his caliber and character. Players come and go in this league but this one really hurts. Tom is a team-first kind of guy and he'll always be remembered as an integral part of the greatest playoff run in the history of the game. I truly enjoyed our time both on and off the field and will miss it immensely. I'm glad we had the past four seasons in the sun together. Tom Bogiatzis will always be a West Hartford Cannon." Bogiatzis put together solid numbers over his Cannon career, compiling a .310 lifetime regular-season batting average (he is sixth on the team's all-time at-bat list with 171 and seventh with 57 hits; he is one of just five Cannons with a home run in both the regular- and post-season). However as each season stretched on, Tommy the Greek only got better, earning him the Jackson-esqe--Reggie, not Jason--title of "Mr. August." He is West Hartford's career leader in playoff batting average (.465) and slugging percentage (1.265) and ranks in the team's top five in nearly every other offensive category (at-bats, hits, doubles, triples, home runs, runs scored, runs batted in, on-base percentage and on-base plus slugging percentage; he also has the only grand slam in West Hartford's storied post-season history). Bogiatzis issued a statement through his representatives, saying that "the Cannons have been the best thing to happen to me over the past couple of years. This decision has been very difficult for me but I don't feel I can commit the time to the team because of other responsibilities and decisions I need to make in my life." Bogiatzis was named Cannons Teammate of the Year in 2004 and Co-Most Valuable Cannon of the 2005 Playoffs. A team spokesperson announced that West Hartford will re-name the post-season MVC Award in honor of Bogiatzis.

Cannons News and Notes: The team finalized a three-year contract with Mark Lynch earlier today (terms were not disclosed); he will wear #11...Cannons management has grown less optimistic that it will be able to re-sign third baseman Leo Dionicio (the two parties have had no contact since early February and the slugger is being heavily pursued by the B Division Mets; West Hartford has been trying to lock up the Dominican long-term since the end of last season but Dionicio expressed interest in testing the free agent market after a stellar 2005)...all four Mikes are officially under contract for the upcoming campaign with the signing of Mike McGann and Mike Patenaude earlier this week...Troy Barber joined the CNMSBL full time after spliting games between the Connecticut and North Carolina Men's Senior Baseball League's last season...the Opening Day (April 30) double header against the Newington Caps has been moved to Cannon Yards (the June 18 games will subsequently be moved to Newington).