MY CRUDDY VALENTINE
Snow Squalls, Slick Roads Spoil Latest CNMSBL Winter Meeting

Avon, CT (AP)—A bit of a letdown describes things best. Like a late-arriving Hallmark card or half-price chocolate heart, Wednesday, February 18 marked the third of five Connecticut North Men’s Senior Baseball League (CNMSBL) winter meetings at the Italian Club in affluent Avon, Connecticut. A mix of snow and rain fell for the better portion of the afternoon making driving conditions treacherous, especially for teams traveling from the far reaches of the state, conspiring to create the most poorly attended meeting in recent memory. Paperwork and bill payments were once again the main topics of discussion, though only a handful of the leagues’ twenty-four mangers braved the elements to make an appearance and place baseball orders (A Division President and Glastonbury G-Men Manager Mike Clinton was on vacation so Cannons management met briefly with representatives from Eastern Connecticut, Marlborough, and Windsor before departing).

“Even though the wintry weather dampened our stadium, we won’t let it dampen our spirits,” stated Manager Matt Celio from Cannons World Headquarters on Thursday morning. “Opening Day (a home date against fierce rivals the Winsted Rifles on Sunday, April 19 at 10:00 a.m.) is quickly approaching. Fifty-nine days and counting and the excitement level surrounding this team and this season is palpable. As always, the Connecticut Cannons have worked tirelessly to make off-season improvements to a team that was one out away from our first finals berth. We positioned ourselves perfectly in free agency (P Juan Checo and IF Josh Svoboda have committed for the upcoming campaign and only need to finalize their deals…the team is also involved in talks with pitcher—and personal friend of Jason Maule—John Mayette while contract negotiations continue with P Bill Gills), we’re getting healthy (Celio suffered no permanent brain damage—though many would argue to the contrary and perhaps could make a case for prior impairment—from a recent concussion and the corpulent coach has dropped more than forty pounds since the start of ’09, allowing him to test his tweaked hamstring at a recent combine at Kingswood-Oxford School in West Hartford, P Tom Clark’s fatigued right arm is well-rested, Checo’s knee is nearing one hundred percent, and IF Tom Luby expects to take batting practice in the near future after back surgery), and we’ve regrettably released a few players (Mark Lynch and John Mancini will not return to the team in 2009). These additions and subtractions are going to pay immediate and long-term dividends by giving us more flexibility, both offensively and defensively. We’ve not only improved on paper—many pre-season publications have picked the Cannons to win the A Division this year—but in the clubhouse as well. Other teams stood pat this off-season while the Cannons have again addressed areas of concern. We’re deeper, younger, quicker, more athletic, and there is a renewed commitment to excellence. We’ve spent a lot of money on contracts but we’ve believed since our earliest days in 2001 if the team isn’t getting better then we’re getting worse. The Connecticut Cannons are a stronger team today than at any time since we’ve played in the A Division. This is an investment in our future, both short- and long-term. It’s definitely an exciting time to be a part of Cannon Nation. Bring on the Rifles and everyone after!”

Cupid called: Valentine’s Day ’09 has come and gone. Patches of grass are apparent everywhere one looks and we are just over a month away from the beginning of spring. In a little more than eight weeks the Connecticut Cannons will once again take the diamond in pursuit of the ultimate prize: the Andrew Clarke/Michael Clinton Trophy. There is only one word the Nation wants to see on its collective Necco Conversational Heart in 2009: Champions. In the immortal words of Bill Balcerzak, “EXPECT TO WIN!”

Winter Meeting News and Notes: 2009’s Fork Ball is scheduled for this Saturday evening at 6:30 p.m. at Glastonbury’s Pazzo Café…Cannons expected to be in attendance—with their significant others—include: Bill Balcerzak, Chris Barsa, Andy Borst, Celio, Tom Clark, Mike McGann, Adam Pallone, Svoboda, and Mike Weber (Luby may meet members of the team for after dinner drinks); Balcerzak had Clark, Leo Dionicio, and McGann to his Hartford home for the Syracuse/UCONN game last week; Gills and wife Julie are expecting their second child in July; Lynch had until midnight on Sunday to agree in principle to a one-year incentive-laden contract extension but instead decided to test the waters of the waiver wire: “I've decided that I will not be playing with the Cannons this summer. In brief, my decision was based upon the level of monetary commitment versus the amount of playing time this would potentially equate to. There are too many other opportunities to play baseball for me to ignore. I had fun while I was around and I hope the Cannons enjoy success during the 2009 season.”…Celio informed Lynch in January that the catcher position has become a strength for the Cannons, with the emergence of Kevin Quinn along with the steady contributions of Steve Markie and Borst, and that the oft-injured backstop would have to compete for the job…Lynchie rejected this challenge to man up and instead asked to be removed from future e-mails…Quinn almost immediately claimed #11 as his own, simply stating, “Hells yeah, baby!” (with Lynch and Mancini moving on, the team has rid itself of two known non-drinkers, a move Weber has supported for years: “Prohibition has been repealed!”); Jack Vanasse has joined Audra Celio as Cannons representatives on the CNMSBL’s Step Up to the Plate Charity Baseball Marathon committee (his two cousins, both suffer from Cystic Fibrosis, will throw out the ceremonial first pitches on Friday, May 22 at the third incarnation of the event); a possible cage session at Drew McDowell’s sports complex has been put forth for Sunday with Celio, Vanasse, and Weber expressing early interest; President Clarke brought a sample on the team’s new navy tops to Wednesday’s meeting, leaving Celio fairly impressed: “These uniforms are a flash back to our original jerseys and provide a major marketing opportunity for the Cannons. Some finishing touches need to be made but I think the team and our fans are going to love them (Chief Umpire Mike Lombardo approved the new design saying, “The Cannons are going to look sharp and that is the first step in playing sharp,” attributing his paraphrase to Ricardo Montalbán rather than Fernando Lamas…this is Montalbán’s second mention in News and Notes this season…Luby stated he felt good post-surgery “despite the recent passing of Vincent Ludwig,” Mr. Roarke’s Naked Gun character); Celio’s portrayal of Coach Jack Bolton, father of basketball star Troy, in the Sedgwick production of Disney’s High School Musical begins in just more than a month…the show opens in late March and ends after a run of seven shows in early April; Borst has approached several teammates in an attempt to establish a new Board of Directors for Urban Oaks, the New Britain organic farm where the “Father of Cannons Baseball” works (Celio, McGann, Weber, and Kevin McGann all received offers); the fourth league meeting will be held in one month, on March 18.