HAT'S OFF
2006 "Sabbatical" Starts For Original Cannon Mancini

West Hartford, CT (AP)--Simply stated, the words John Mancini and West Hartford Cannons are synonymous. Since day one in 2001, number twenty-one has been a part of Cannons Baseball. He started the long trek to a title alongside such legendary names as Borst, Patenaude and Weber and saw things to fruition as the team reached the zenith of the CNMSBL mountain, winning the 2005 league championship. John "Mancer, Romancer the Hat Man Dancer" Mancini (a.k.a. "Blue Fire" or "Flowers") announced in an emotional press conference early Monday morning that he will not return to the team for the 2006 season. "This has been a very difficult decision for me and my family," said an obviously exhausted Mancini. "The Cannons have played such a significant part in my life over the past five-plus years. Unfortunately my schedule is stacked for the next several months. It's just hard to believe that I won't be pulling on that red jersey come Sundays this spring and summer. I'll really miss being out there with the boys."

This was another off-season jolt to the team that won the B Division crown in dramatic fashion just eight short months ago, beating the New Haven Cardinals 10-9 in eight innings in the decisive Game Three of the State Series. After a move to the A Division and three major signings (Mark Lynch, Jason Maule and Brian Pinney...West Hartford has been unable to finalize a contract with John Giudice but still continues its efforts) the Cannons had positioned themselves as the experts' choice for CNMSBL supremacy in 2006. However, the team took a significant hit when "Mr. August," Tom Bogiatzis, unexpectedly announced his retirement in mid-February. "The Father of Cannons Baseball," Andy Borst, has yet to re-sign for the upcoming campaign and in conjunction with Mancini's departure only four Cannons remain from the inaugural 2001 season (Matt Celio, Steve Markie, Mike Patenaude and Mike Weber). "John Mancini was, is and always will be a West Hartford Cannon," Manager Celio told reporters on Monday afternoon outside World Headquarters. "He is not only a life-long Cannon but a life-long friend. From tee ball to youth baseball to high school he has always been there. It will certainly be strange to look out and not have number twenty-one patrolling the outfield at Cannon Yards. The landscape of West Hartford baseball will be a bit more bleak in Johnny's absence. Unfortunately it's the nature of the business and we must move forward. We will win this season for Blue Fire, Bogatz and Borst and every other Cannon who has taken the field before. The fact that we're the favorites remains unchanged."

Mancini has been a model of consistency and commitment over his five-year Cannon career. He ranks fourth on the team's all-time games played list and is fifth in career regular-season at-bats. He is seventh on the ball club in doubles, is tied for seventh in base on balls and is ninth in runs scored. Mancini has also put up solid post-season statistics throughout the years (.290, 2 2B, 4 BB, 7 K, 8 R, 7 RBI, .371 OBP, .355 SLP, .726 OPS), raising the level of his game when it mattered most--a trait common to core Cannon players. He was the recipient of the 2004 Most Improved Cannon (MIC) Award and a new award--the Mancer Mojo Award--had been named in his honor before the departure was officially announced (the team informed all outlets that this plaque will not be presented in 2006 because Mancini was to be solely responsible for the selection). At the end of his meeting with the media, Mancini fought back tears and boasted, "I will be back. In 2007, when you look to right field you'll see John Mancini out there busting his butt off. My best years are ahead of me."

Cannons News and Notes: Opening Day 2006 is this Sunday, April 23 when the Cannons battle the Bristol Fighting Phoenix Insurance Salesmen at Chase Field in Bristol, CT at 10:00 a.m. (the team is off on April 30 before opening at Cannon Yards against the Newington Capitals on May 7); fifty year-old Mike Patenaude will get the Game One start on Sunday, his fourth Opening Day start in the team's six-season existence (Tom Luby got the start at Farmington in 2005); Mike Calabrese and Mark Lynch have been spotted around town throwing simulated games in preparation for the upcoming campaign; West Hartford starts the season with a fifteen-man roster, the smallest Opening Day output for the team since 2003; Leo Dionicio has teamed up with homerunhopefuls.org to collect used baseball gloves for children in the Dominican Republic.