CANNONS TO MAKE MEMORIAL DAY MARCH
Team Invited to Participate in West Hartford's Annual Parade

West Hartford, CT (AP)--In a press release issued from World Headquarters earlier today, management officially announced that the Cannons have been invited to participate in West Hartford's 2006 Memorial Day parade (scheduled to start at 10:00 a.m.) on Monday, May 29. Richard Hennessey, the town's parade planner, was quoted as saying, "We will be glad to have the Cannons Men's Baseball Team join the parade this year." Hennessey also asked that the team's media relations department provide WHCT-TV (local cable channel #5) with pertinent background information for the tape to broadcast program that will air several times this summer and on into perpetuity. Manager Matt Celio commented: "Many of the players on our team are products of town baseball leagues and we remember fondly marching in the parade some twenty-five years ago. It will be a great honor to be a part of something so special. Something so American. Tossing gum to kids, kissing babies...just terrific. It will bring back marvelous memories, will allow us to give something back to the town and our many fans and will show the importance of baseball, regardless of age, in West Hartford's daily fabric." This is just one of many media-savvy moves that have been planned for the 2006 campaign. Along with the creation of whcannons.blogspot.com, The West Hartford News (along with eleven local area papers) has agreed in principle to publish an article about the team (a celebration of last season's epic championship run and this season's squad) and WHCT-TV has expressed interest in producing and airing a weekly call-in program dedicated entirely to Cannons Baseball. Finally, New Britain Rock Cats management has approached the team, hoping to honor the title-holders during an upcoming Rock Cats home game this summer. Assistant Director of Media Relations/Operations John Mancini has been integral to the buzz building around the Cannons this off-season and was formally commended by the team for his many off-season efforts (Mancini also agreed in principle to a one-year incentive-laden contract late Sunday afternoon).

Cannons News and Notes: The Town of West Hartford informed Cannons management that youth baseball games will not be scheduled at Cannon Yards on the five dates the team has provided. Tom Carson, President of the West Hartford Babe Ruth League, was quoted as saying, he "hopes the Cannons have a great season." Fourteen of eighteen roster invitees for the 2006 season have submitted their paperwork (ten of eighteen have also made a monetary commitment). The third Connecticut North Men's Senior Baseball League meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 14 (7:00 p.m.) at Kenney's in Hartford (the team hopes to have all paperwork accounted for at that date and time). Assistant Manager Mike Weber announced a second party to be held at his home in Newington on June 18 (in addition to the end-of-year extravaganza that he will host after the season). The party schedule (along with the team's game schedule) can be found at whcannons.blogspot.com.