K MAC CALLS IT A CAREER
Legend Longs for the Simple Life, Ready for Retirement

West Hartford, CT (AP)--In an emotional press conference held late Monday afternoon at Cannon Yards, superstar second baseman Kevin McGann, an integral part of the team's development from league doormat into 2005 CNMSBL Champions, announced his retirement after five fabulous years of service to the ball club from West Hartford. "I thought it was the right time since the team is looking to get younger. My retirement should allow us to actively pursue some younger talent, giving us a chance to challenge for the A Division title in 2007," explained McGann as he choked back tears throughout the entirety of his meeting with members of the local and national media. McGann, 42, initially signed a five-year contract in March of 2001 with West Hartford, making him an unrestricted free agent after the Cannons' last playoff game in August (an 11-5 loss to eventual CNMSBL runner-up Glastonbury). McGann added: "I seriously considered signing a one-year deal and playing in home games only a la Roger Clemens. As always, Cannons' management was more than generous with their contract offer but I didn't want to create a firestorm and possibly mess with team chemistry, the thing that makes playing for the Cannons so special. Although I always hoped to make a run at oldest active Cannon it just doesn't look as if MP [fifty-one year old pitcher Mike Patenaude] is slowing down in the slightest. It's time to put my family first (McGann is married to perennial Fan of the Year nominee Heather and has three beautiful children). This is one of the toughest decisions I've ever had to make professionally but in the end the time just seemed right to say goodbye."

McGann will remain a part of the Cannons' organization as it was announced by Manager Matt Celio and Assistant Manager Mike Weber that he has agreed to become General Manager and Chief Operating Officer of the first international Cannons Baseball Academy scheduled to open in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic in the fall of 2007. McGann further mentioned, "It's a great opportunity for me and the team. I think we can develop some good talent there, indoctrinate these players into the basic Cannon tenets, ideals and philosophies and hopefully sign some of them long-term so that West Hartford will have a steady stream of young talent in the proverbial pipeline for many years to come. And, of course, Leo [Dionicio] can assist with any and all logistics, directing me to the best local nightclubs and hot spots. This is a winning combination for all parties involved."

McGann retires with a career lifetime regular-season batting average of .338 (70 hits in 207 at-bats, good for sixth and fifth respectively on the team's all-time list). Always a tough out, his 1:14.8 strike out to at-bat ratio is best among active Cannon players with more than eighty trips to the plate. McGann also hit a respectable .291 during post-season play and his fifteen playoff runs batted in place him solidly among the team leaders. Though McGann's numbers dipped somewhat during the 2006 regular-season he bounced back in the playoffs to hit a solid .333, scoring four of the team's 27 runs while knocking in a pair. However, it was McGann's defense and determination--he often played through painful hamstring injuries--that truly separated him from other players. In 2004, he was named Defensive Player of the Year and shared Most Valuable Cannon honors with Tom Luby and Mike Patenaude in the closest balloting in team history. In the championship season of 2005, McGann shared the Defensive Player of the Year award with his brother, Mike, a sibling CNMSBL first. For all of his phenomenal work in the field, the team announced that beginning in 2007 this award will be renamed the Kevin J. McGann Cannons Defensive Player of the Year Award. "No player is more deserving," intoned Manager Celio. "I know our pitchers are really going to miss Kevin up the middle. It's certainly going to be strange looking out there and not seeing number 18 on the diamond. This is a void that will be felt both on and off the field. Quite simply, the McGanns are the class of the Cannons and Kevin is irreplaceable as a teammate. He will be missed immensely in West Hartford (the team announced that no player will wear uniform #18 in the future though the formal retirement of McGann's uniform cannot occur until the first day of the 2010 season)." In response to Celio's statements McGann joked, "I'll certainly miss playing for the Cannons but you'll all still see me at the Yards next season. In fact I'll probably make more games than Cal [oft-absent picher Mike Calabrese]."

By Kevin McGann with Matt Celio contributing

TERRIFIC TURNOUT TOLLS 2006 HOLIDAY TIDINGS
Chicago Beats St. Louis 42-27; West Hartford the Real Winner as Nine Shine

Berlin, CT (AP)--At a time of year when numbers play such a prevalent part in our lives--the Twelve Days of Christmas, the count-down until a well-deserved vacation, the amount of available credit on all of those high interest cards, the number of Dominicans on the Cannons' active roster--it is one number that burned like a beacon, a guiding star in the night sky this past Monday: nine. Nueve is the number of West Hartford Cannon 2007 roster invitees who attended Monday Night Football Mayhem at Sliders in Berlin earlier this week. From the obvious (Weber and Celio), to the expected (Barsa, Dionicio and the McGanns), to the truly unexpected (Giudice, Mancini and Maule) this impromptu gathering garnered warm words from all in attendance as the team watched the Bears and Devin Hester bounce the Rams from NFC Playoff contention.

"One of the greatest off-season get-togethers we've ever had," said elated Assistant Manager Mike Weber as the evening neared its end. "Family and friends are everything during the holidays and spending some quality time with the Cannons at Sliders is a perfect pairing, just like flying reindeer and a sleigh. I'm really impressed with the turnout and think this is a great sign for the upcoming season." This was just the beginning for the team's scheduled slate of sports-themed events at the local establishment, winner of five highly coveted awards in '06 (Hartford Advocate's "Best Wings" and "Best Sports Bar;" "Best Bar for Your Dollar" and "Best Neighborhood Bar" as voted by Reader's Choice; and the "Best Specialty Wings" at the Plainville Wing Ding): 1/20, 3:45 p.m. Indiana v. UCONN; 2/17, 3:30 p.m. UCONN at Syracuse; 3/3, 12:00 p.m. UCONN at Georgetown. "One per month until the season starts," stated Manager Matt Celio, "and if the weather holds out we might be practicing before too long. You know nine truly is the magic number."

Keep up with the many goings-on this off-season at whcannons.blogspot.com. Happy Holidays to all members of Cannon Nation!

Cannons News and Notes: The number theme continued throughout this alcohol-soaked evening: 69--what Mike McGann won't be doing with the Guidance Counselor Weber recently set him up with for a blind date (McGann claims this cold fish clenched her lips when he went in for a kiss after the first date, something that has never happened to him before...reporters were skeptical on this point to say the least); 29--age in years of Rams Quarterback Mark Bulger, who Chris Barsa repeatedly insisted was in his mid-thirties; 20--number of dollars left by Barsa, the same number he leaves each time the team visits Sliders regardless of what he orders; 12/24--M. McGann's birthday...he wanted the team to be aware; 10:30--time "Dominican Dreamboat" Leo Dionicio arrived for the 8:30 kick-off, a trend throughout the player's tenure with the team (it was also reported by members of the media that the "Gringo From Santo Domingo" shed tears while watching Happy Feet); 4 at 4--songs and time of day that M. McGann's favorite tunes will be played on the River 105.9 this Monday afternoon (teammates were able to figure out the four artists after many failed guesses--some that didn't make the final cut were Eddie Grant's "Electric Avenue", Gerardo's "Rico Suave" and Right Said Fred's "I'm Too Sexy")...the younger McGann thinks the actual songs make for an excellent Cannons Jeopardy question and he may be right; 3:33--length in minutes and seconds of the message left by Tom Luby on Celio's cell phone leading to wild speculation that the shortstop would stop by Sliders for a Hot Toddy or two (Lubes sang along with Elvis Presley's "A Little Less Conversation" but left no additional message); 2--famous people John Mancini felt John Giudice looked like (a cross between "Ray Liotta and Clark Kent"); 1--total number of shots Mancer bought for the players in attendance (he warned, "It's 100 Proof so I hope you're not driving" and then had people take a single sip of Rumpleminze...Jason Maule pounded the drink when it was delivered to him, not knowing that several teammates had not swallowed their slug; 0--number of Cannons' starting pitchers in attendance, though Ed Poland and Mike Calabrese both came close (Poland spent a relaxing night at home with his girlfriend after a grueling high school football season while Cal mistakenly went to Sliders in Plainville).