CANNONS FIRE FIRST, FAST IN "A" FREE AGENT MARKET
Welcome Maule, Pinney to West Hartford; Take First Step Toward Title Defense

West Hartford, CT (AP)--"Feat to Repeat 2006" is in full swing. In a press release issued from Cannons World Headquarters at 6:00 p.m. EST on Friday, February 3, the team announced the highly anticipated signings of Jason Maule and Brian Pinney for the 2006 campaign. Both players have been coveted by teams throughout the A Division of the Connecticut North Men's Senior Baseball League (CNMSBL) and each is said to be "very excited about joining a championship-caliber club like the Cannons." In this evening's "Hot Stove" segment on the Weber's Weekly radio program Assistant Manager Mike Weber said the acquisitions of the two prized players "puts [the Cannons] in the position to repeat as champions this year. Five-year plans are a thing of the past--referring to West Hartford's well-documented and widely emulated regimen of internal player development, timely trades and fruitful forays into the free agent market that resulted in a championship just five short years after the team's inception--and I know this ball club and its fan base expect nothing short of a title in 2006. The future is now."

Maule, a twenty-eight year old rubbery-legged racehorse out of Central Connecticut State University, was drafted by the Houston Astros in 1999 and spent time in the New York Yankees organization before signing with the Cannons. "The kid can play anywhere: infield, outfield, you name it," said an obviously excited Manager Matt Celio after a signed contract arrived at team headquarters via certified mail and team doctors gave Maule a clean bill of health. "Jason will do a great job of setting the table for us at the top and can drive in some of those big boys down at the bottom of the order. Our offense has been solid in the past but we've only begun to scratch the surface here. This guy is the real deal." Maule had a career year in the Battle Creek, Michigan Midwest League during the 2001 season posting a .347 batting average, with 101 hits, 143 runs scored and 56 stolen bases. More of the same is expected for West Hartford in the following months. When contacted for comment, Maule said, "I think the Cannons are the perfect fit for me. I'm very excited about the opportunity to play for such a storied franchise. It will be nice to put the pinstripes back on again." Maule will wear #1 in West Hartford.

Pinney, a prolific twenty-eight year old pitcher who also prospers at the plate, is a product of the Pro-Lab Indians pipeline that has delivered such stars as Chris Barsa and Leo Dionicio to West Hartford. In recent years the fire-baller Pinney has posted an ERA well below 2.00 while at the same time leading the Tribe in a number of offensive categories. His arm, added to the already impressive rotation of Mike Patenaude, Mike Calabrese and Eddie Poland, gives the Cannons four top-flight starters in a rotation that the experts at Baseball America have called "the best staff top to bottom in the CNMSBL. Period." Weber was quoted earlier this evening as saying, "getting either Pinney or Maule would have been a major coup for the Cannons. These guys were near or at the top of most CNMSBL team's positional depth charts this off-season. Getting them both is beyond big. It gives us our second straight A-rated rookie class and, more importantly, it means that West Hartford has become the choice for the league's high profile free agents. The quality of our club is unparalleled both on and off the field and the players we've been able to add over the past fourteen months are undeniable proof that the feeling among talent around the league is that the Cannons are the team to play for in Connecticut." Pinney, who will don #16 for the C's, in a written statement expressed his "extreme pleasure" in joining a team "with all the pieces in place to bring another championship banner to West Hartford."

Cannons News and Notes: West Hartford remains optimistic that it can negotiate deals with John "Juice" Giudice, a former farm hand in the Colorado Rockies system and Calabrese crony Mark Lynch...Kevin McGann, the 2005 Cannons Co-Defensive Player of the Year (an award he shared with his brother, Mike), signed a one-year deal with the team (terms were not disclosed though Cannons management has offered a long term deal that would keep McGann in West Hartford until his Hall of Fame career comes to a close)...Barsa inked a contract with the team on January 23...catcher Steve Markie agreed to a contract extension...in a recent interview in Male Fitness, Dionicio called the Cannons experience "the best thing that ever happened to [him] as a baseball player" and expressed his interest in signing a long-term deal with West Hartford despite recent pressure from the newly established Hartford Mets of the CNMSBL B Division...Dionicio, Celio, Poland and Calabrese all celebrated birthdays in January...Tom Bogiatzis and Weber both turn a year older this month...John Mancini closed on a house on Price Boulevard in West Hartford, the future site of many Cannon events...the team also officially announced the creation of the Mancini Mojo Award, presented to the player who brings certain immeasurable intangibles to the table each season...Jonathan Baldwin, Ricky Hartunian and Jason Jackson will not return to the team in 2006, though the club's Lifetime Achievement Award will still be named for the legendary JJax...season ticket packages go on sale Saturday, February 18 at 10:00 a.m. with purchases available on the Internet at whcannons.com or by phone at 800 CANNONS (226-6667).