‘TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS…IN CANNON VISION!

‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all ‘cross the state, not a creature was stirring, even Leo’s teen date.
The stirrups were hung by the hot stove with cheer, in hopes Opening Day soon would be here.
The Cannons were nestled all snug in their beds, while visions of championships danced in their heads.
And mamma in pink 9 shirt, and I in my cap, were dreaming of balls ripped to left-centers’ gap.
When within Cannon Yards there arose such a ruckus, I sprung from my slumber, shouting “Hey ump, you f****d us!”
Away to the window, somewhat sluggish and uncertain, I pulled open the blinds and threw back the curtain.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow, like the moon on the breasts of Barsa’s newest ho.
When, what to my bushed batter’s eye should appear, but a fat man in red and full catcher’s gear.
With a bucket o’ balls and a bag stuffed with sticks, I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
Quicker than Maule his coursers they flew, and he whistled and called them by names that I knew!
"Now, Prazjner! Now, Weber! Now, Mancer and Lynchie! On, Hurlbert! On, Markie! On, Luby and Quinnie!
To the short right field porch! O’er the top of the wall! Now make a play! Steal a base! Crush a fastball!"
As dust devils and gnats on warm August days fly, like a Cal bottle rocket hit mile-high in the sky.
So up to the house-top the reindeer they flew, a sleigh full of equipment, and St. Nicholas too.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the shingles, a cleat-like click clack, unmistakably Kringle’s.
Made my way toward the fireplace in search of the truth, there St. Nicholas appeared like a yuletide Babe Ruth.
Dressed in Cannon duds from his head to his heels, and he obviously hadn’t missed those Italian-fest meals.
A bundle of baseball swag spilled from his sack, remember when Drew nailed that ump in the back?
Deep dimples like base plugs! Eyes a game ball-bright hue! His cheeks Cannon crimson, like McGann’s after two!
Lips pursed up like Web’s, post-Perrier flub, with a beard almost entirely white, like our club!
The smoke from his pipe was quite pungent and heady, that smell reminiscent of Andy and Eddie.
A handsome old coot with a little round pot, still, if he threw strikes I’d sign him on the spot!
He was “pleasantly plump,” a right jolly old elf, and I laughed when I saw him, a mirror image of myself!
I stared in amazement, he’s a fan it would seem, ’cause he pulled out an autographed pic of the team!
He tipped me a wink, like a young “Moonlight” Graham, and filled all the stirrups, he had hit a grand slam!
“This season you’ll crush all your A Division foes,” then he gave a high five and up the chimney he rose!
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle, and away they all flew like a Patenaude-pitched missile.
Then I heard him exclaim, as he drove out of sight, “Merry Christmas Cannon Nation, and to all a good-night!”

HO! HO! HO! As the year comes to a close I always take a moment to reflect on what was and what will be for the Cannons. As always, hope springs eternal and I am excited about the prospects for the upcoming season but I plan to work hard to take things one game at a time in 2008 and to look inside rather than outside…the best inspiration is not to outdo others, but to outdo ourselves. I look forward to once again taking the field with the Connecticut Cannons this coming spring and summer...it's sort of cold out there presently and there is snow on the ground but the days once again are getting longer and we're just a few short months away from what truly is “the most wonderful time of the year.” And just think, the highly anticipated team informational packets will be at your doors before you know it! Four months from the end of the ’07 campaign. Four months from Opening Day ’08. May this magical season bring you and yours all the joy and happiness of the holidays and may 2008 bring a CNMSBL title to the Town of Newington…for the Cannons rather than the Capitals! This is a time when we’re all asked to BELIEVE just a little bit and if we believe in ourselves in ’08 then the sky is the limit. Let’s CAPTURE THE DREAM. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. May you get everything on your wish list. Can you guess what I want? CANNONS IN 2008 and CANNONS FOREVER!

Cannons News and Notes (Christmas Edition): Jason Maule’s bachelor party, held in early November at the VFW in Berlin, CT, was a smashing success…Cannons in attendance to welcome Maule to the marital fraternity included Matt Celio, John Mancini, Mike Weber and über-retiree Kevin McGann (brother Mike was feeling a bit under the weather and was unable to attend…since then rumors have circulated that the younger McGann had a recent “snow day tryst” with a twenty-three year old Windsor Public Schools co-worker…unconfirmed stories have surfaced that McGann bought the young lady her dream gift, Hannah Montana concert tickets, as a holiday gift…in other # 2-related news: former flame and 2005 Fan of the Year Marybeth Smiley sent out holiday hopes that the Cannons have “a great 2008 season…once a fan, always a fan”); McGann celebrates his thirty-seventh birthday today while Leo Dionicio, Celio and Calabrese have birthdays coming up in January; in a pair of highly publicized local appearances that have become fodder for local sports talk radio hosts and members of the media Mike Calabrese, after a disastrous 2007 season that can only be categorized as a disappointment (.148 BA, 8.05 ERA in four trips to the mound in regular season play…he did notch a bounce-back performance on the bump in the playoffs allowing just two runs over seven strong innings against Hartford and Marlborough), has asked members of management for very little in 2008…only a chance to start at shortstop and bat ninth on a regular basis…when Craig Perrier caught wind of this request he made similar demands on the Cannons asking to play first, bat fourth and pitch anytime the urge strikes; Perrier also informed management that he received a solid verbal commitment for 2008 from “Nice Guy” Teddy Prazjner after a face-to-face meeting in western Massachusetts over the weekend; in a move that at times rivaled the Mientkiewicz-Sox Series ball controversy, Manager Emeritus Andy Borst finally turned over all memorabilia from the team’s first three seasons to current Manager Celio on Monday, December 17 (items included among other things scorebooks, written correspondence, the questions from the first-ever end-of-season Cannons Jeopardy and historical baseballs including the first win, first home run and the immortal “Colt Park Wild Card Weekend” nugget); the 2008 Cannons informational packets will be sent out in early January; the first 2008 CNMSBL winter meeting will be held on Wednesday, January 9 at the Italian Club in Avon, CT; 2008’s Step Up to the Plate Charity Baseball event will be held in Glastonbury, CT at Riverside Park over Memorial Day weekend (Managers Celio and Mike Weber have already committed raise at least $500 each to participate in the twenty-four hour contest to benefit Cystic Fibrosis and Juvenile Diabetes)…organizers have promised an increased focus on the those that take part, including nine innings of vintage play and continual complimentary concessions, a good faith showing that player benefits have been bolstered significantly since the inaugural event in ’07.