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.