CAL CALLS IT QUITS
Former Most Valuable Cannon Cuts Ties With Connecticut’s Team

West Hartford, CT (AP)—In a brief press conference held at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 17, Mike Calabrese opted out of the final year of his contract with the Connecticut Cannons ending a three-year run with the CNMSBL ball club. Calabrese, a West Hartford native who will turn thirty-nine at the end of the month, told reporters in a teary-eyed two minutes at the podium that he “love[s] all of the guys” on the team and that he “will miss all of the parties and get togethers” but personal factors played a prominent part in his difficult decision (no word on the impact at 1076 Boulevard where current Cannon Mark Lynch and Cal will soon cohabitate). Rumors immediately swirled around town that the league’s Hartford and Southington entries have expressed interest in the pitcher/infielder though representatives for Calabrese would neither confirm nor deny this. Right-hander “Cal,” as he is affectionately known, exploded on the scene for the then West Hartford Cannons in 2005 posting a 7-1 regular season record with a 2.71 ERA (he also hit .317 going 13 for 41), and “Cutter Nation” proved to be the perfect compliment to southpaw Mike Patenaude. Calabrese followed by winning Game Two over the Stafford Phillies in postseason play as the Cannons marched magically to the CNMSBL B Division Championship beating the lower level’s perennial powerhouse New Haven Cardinals. Cal took home three highly coveted Cannon Awards following the ’05 campaign—the Cannons Rookie of the Year Award over a talent-rich class that included Chris Barsa and Leo Dionicio, the Patenaude Pitching Award and the Most Valuable Cannon Award—and was one of several reasons the team felt confident making the leap to the A Division for the 2006 season. Cal and the Cannons found the transition to the upper level tough, winning just twelve games in two seasons but off-season acquisitions added to an experienced and battle-tested nucleus have the team again thinking title in 2008. “Cal was a Cannon original and this is the end of an era for our ball club,” said Manager Matt Celio as he met with reporters outside of World Headquarters following the announcement. “His passion—paired with his ability to ‘party Cannon-style’—was unparalleled. He was a fiery force on a roster filled with ‘lunch pail’ players (Cal is one of two players—along with Dionicio—who had personalized Jeopardy categories after each of the past two seasons) as well as a media darling and a quote machine. I’m especially thankful for his contributions to the 2005 Championship team…we couldn’t have won it without him. This is by far the toughest part of the business but it is just that…a business. Cal will be missed and we wish him the best of luck in any and all endeavors.” Calabrese’s six losses are the fewest for any Cannons pitcher since statistics were kept with accuracy beginning in 2004 (eighty-three innings of work being the cut-off) and he only faltered once in five postseason appearances (2-1) while compiling a team-best 4.25 playoff ERA over his colorful career.

Cannons News and Notes: 2008 Cannons informational packets were mailed at 12:17 p.m. on Tuesday, January 15; rookie Scott Hurlbert became the first member of the team outside of management to return paperwork/payment; the Cannons added P/IF Tom Clark to the roster earlier this week (TC is another product of Barsa’s Indians pipeline); many of the Cannons’ “first-years” have expressed interest in team merchandise for themselves and their families…Jack Vanasse has gone so far as to design a “My Daddy can strike your Daddy out” Cannons t-shirt for all pitchers’ progeny…these are flying off the shelves at the Cannons Clubhouse gift shop and on-line at ctcannons.blogspot.com (don’t forget to check out current and archival entries at the team’s blog); management is still involved in talks with IF Jamie Palmese; Cannon Nation was out in force on Friday evening at Hall High School—the former site of Cannon Yards—as Mike McGann’s Hall Warriors handled the cross-town rival Conard Chieftains in freshman basketball (along with McGann, Calabrese, Celio and Steve Markie and families were in attendance); Celio and Mike Weber will attend the second CNMSBL Winter Meeting scheduled for Wednesday, February 13 at 7:00 p.m. in Avon; Opening Day ’08 is exactly fourteen weeks (ninety-eight days…first pitch is in exactly 2352 hours) from today; the second annual Step Up to the Plate Charity Baseball Marathon to benefit Cystic Fibrosis and Prostate Cancer research will be held over Memorial Day weekend (Friday, May 23 starting at 6:00 p.m. to Saturday, May 24 ending at 7:00 p.m.) at Glastonbury’s Riverfront Park…Cannons management plans to be the most-represented team in the event; the New and Improved Jax Show starring former Cannon Jason Jackson is now on the air weekdays at 2:00 p.m. (EST) on WQAM 560 in Miami (streaming broadcasts can be found at WQAM.com); Celio celebrates his thirty-seventh birthday today.