WINTER WONDERLAND
CNMSBL Meeting Commences ’08 Campaign for Cannons

Avon, CT (AP)—On Wednesday the mercury rose to 63° in central Connecticut and, arriving on cue with this warm weather, the first of four Connecticut North Men’s Senior Baseball League (CNMSBL) winter meetings was held at Avon’s Italian Club. Several items were on the A Division docket including divisional realignment, a possible return to the Hartford Umpire Board and a bigger and better Step Up to the Plate Charity Baseball Marathon. “Fees were paid, rivalries were rekindled and the future looks bright for Cannons Baseball in 2008,” said an obviously enthused Assistant Manager Mike Weber after the gathering. “The four months following the season are the longest for me. The return of these meetings means the new season can’t be that far off. The old saying is that hope springs eternal and this season hope, fate, destiny, hard work and talent are all going to collide in a big way at Cannon Yards and those five elements combined should add up to lots of victories for us.” The biggest news of the early season arrived in the form of divisional realignment: the Cannons are now grouped with the Hartford Nationals, the reigning league champion Eastern Connecticut Cubs and the Winsted Rifles. “We’ve always matched up well with the Cubbies, the Nationals have fabulous facilities and I wouldn’t mind getting more than one weekend’s worth of whacks against the Rifles,” Weber replied when asked about the Cannons new cronies. “I think the improvements we’ve made this off-season would have made us a tough draw regardless of who we matched up with.” In 2007, six Cannons (Chris Barsa, Matt Celio, Leo Dionicio, Mike McGann, Mike Patenaude and Weber) “stepped up” and participated in the league’s first annual charity baseball event and raised more than $5,000 as a team for Cystic Fibrosis, Prostate Cancer and New Britain’s Little League (nearly $25,000 was raised league-wide). The 2008 marathon is scheduled for Memorial Day weekend (Friday, May 23 into Saturday, May 24) at Riverfront Park in Glastonbury and league officials have promised to take care of the players with free food, drink and a number of incentive-laden prizes. Cannons management hopes that the 2008 team can take this challenge to the next level. “It was a great time for some great causes. Cel played the full twenty-four hours last season and I think we’ve got some guys who will be gunning for that milestone. We play to be the best on Sundays but this weekend allows us to play for something bigger than league bragging rights. It’s time for us to hit another grand slam for some great charities.”

Winter Meeting News and Notes: Seven of the eight A Division teams were represented at Wednesday’s meeting (Hartford Nationals Skipper Tony Santiago was absent); Celio proposed alternate home weekends for the two Newington teams…when Capitals Manager Dave Sacco quipped, “[The Caps] are too big of a draw in Newington. We’re killing their gate;” Celio volunteered to start the season on the road at Winsted (April 27, Fussenich Park)…no official word had reached World Headquarters at press time; currently four Cannons rookies will join the club in 2008 (Scott Hurlbert, Adam Pallone, Ted Prajzner and Jack Vanasse…three of the four listed “champs” in some capacity in the “expectations for 2008” section of their player profiles…“Nice Guy” Teddy responded with just one word, “Domination”…the team is also involved in talks with representatives for Jamie Palmese); the latest from “Lynch Nation:” #11 “is happy to report that [he] is currently in a new relationship with Heather. She’s 29 and very excited to be a part of Cannon Nation. She is a very much into the competitive spirit. In fact, she is a personal trainer and understands what hard work and dedication it takes to be a winner. [She] is down to earth and will get along with the rest of our cheering section…Heather sounds like a perfect fit and if Lynchie is happy, the team is happy…citizenship has its privileges!; McGann has been met with nothing but uncomfortable silence since his snow day tryst with a 23 year old co-worker from the school he works at…way to go Mike!; as a direct result of the Step Up to the Plate event, the CNMSBL finished fourth nationwide for donations made to the league’s charity (Prostate Cancer); the second winter meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, February 13: items up for discussion include initial rosters and the possibility of lowering the league’s minimum age to twenty-seven…management opposed this move (though according to Web, “if anyone knows a young ringer Cel certainly could be swayed, especially if the kid can throw!”); Barsa is involved in heated daily discussions with Newington town officials about the team’s return to Cannon Yards in ’08; Cannons Informational packets are expected to be mailed this Saturday morning from the Lasalle Road branch of the United States Post Office.