MARCH MADNESS
Managers Mull Over, Mouth Off About Much-Maligned Twenty-Six Game Schedule

Avon, CT (AP)—Spring has sprung in Earth’s northern hemisphere and at 42° north latitude, 73° west longitude in Connecticut, Cannon Nation has closed to within four weeks of Opening Day. Winter has waned, the snow has all but melted, a robin or two has been spotted, and as a result baseball cannot be far behind.

Paperwork and bill payments in the form of an initial 2009 roster and the according player fees were the main items on the docket at the fourth Connecticut North Men’s Senior Baseball League (CNMSBL) meeting, attended by representatives from seven of ten A Division teams (Columbia, Hartford, and Windsor were mysteriously missing). Like the third installment of the Grumpy Old Men movies, Bristol’s Gary Calusine and Newington’s Dave Sacco railed against the league’s new twenty-six game schedule, citing issues both economic and elderly. “Six extra games and an extended playoff format puts all teams in the hole for another thousand dollars or more,” intoned an obviously irked Calusine (though this is nothing new). “We should scale things back to a twenty-game schedule: one double header against the other nine teams and a home-and-home with one team based on last season’s standings (Connecticut would square off against Newington in this scenario). Hey, I guarantee you Bristol is going to be able to put a competitive team on the field no matter what but I was just laid off and I don’t have the money to cover this increase.” Sacco stated nasally, “We are an older team (he yet again informed any and all who were interested—meaning nobody—that the Capitals have played in Newington since the late seventies) so it’s tougher to field a competitive squad over several extra Sundays. This favors the younger teams like Connecticut and Suffield.” Winsted Manager Paul Graves fervently argued in favor of extended play, saying in his characteristic northwest corner drawl, “My guys are psyched for more games. Yeah, it’s going to cost more money, but many teams have locked in field dates so changing at this point might not be all that easy.” Cannons coach Matt Celio, along with Glastonbury, Marlborough, and Suffield agreed that the late date made a change difficult if not impossible, but all agreed they would be willing to a twenty-game schedule if A Division President Mike Clinton could alter his already-created team template (Clinton, away on what envoys explained simply as “business,” missed his second straight meeting, as well as Wednesday’s Step Up to the Plate charity gathering). Talks then turned to the proposed three-game series that will likely mark this season’s playoff match-ups as an area where changes could still be made. “Single elimination on Saturday morning for the bottom four seeds,” argued Calusine. “Then the winners make up an elite eight that will play in the afternoon and on Sunday.” Regardless of the decision, seeding is going to be more important than ever and the top six spots will be hotly contested.

“It feels good to get our roster in. It means the season is getting close,” Celio told media members at Cannons World Headquarters on Friday. “Although there are some decisions still to be made in terms of the schedule, our team is built for success in either scenario. As always, I believe no team has made as significant off-season moves as the Cannons have and these additions are going to pay immediate and long-term dividends. We’ve not only improved on paper—many pre-season publications have us picked to win the A Division this year—but in the clubhouse as well. We’re younger, quicker, more athletic, and there is a renewed commitment to excellence. We’ve spent a lot of money signing these new players but it’s all money well-spent. The Connecticut Cannons are better today than at any time since we’ve been in A Division play.”

Today was the first full day of spring. In just twenty-eight days, the Connecticut Cannons will take the diamond against the Winsted Rifles in pursuit of the ultimate prize: the Andrew Clarke/Michael Clinton Trophy. The sun will continue to climb higher and higher in the sky as daylight hour’s increase and the weather warms. This is a time of growth, renewal, and new life. If all goes according to plan the Cannons will put a vastly improved product on the field in 2009. The goal of this team is to never stop getting better. The expectations are for a championship and nothing less. Everything this team hopes to accomplish in lies directly ahead. The Cannons are born again.

Winter Meeting News and Notes: Talks with free agent pitching prospect John Mayette stalled earlier this week, leaving the team looking for one more solid starter to complete the 2009 rotation; team officials opened discussions with Rob DePalma in attempts to add to the already awesome assembled nineteen-man roster…his informational packet was dropped in the mail at the Lasalle Road branch of the West Hartford Post Office earlier today (the team has already had a busy off-season, signing Juan Checo, Drew Clarke, and Josh Svoboda); Mike McGann officially ended (poorly) his months-long relationship with Melissa Lotstein late last week, making him once again eligible for re-election as the Mayor of Manville; Celio’s portrayal of Coach Jack Bolton in the Sedgwick Middle School’s seven-show production of Disney’s High School Musical begins this Thursday (Assistant Manager Mike Weber, McGann, and his brother and former Cannon, Kevin, will attend); Graves said of Celio and his sixty shed pounds, “You’re ready for a thong, dude. You already hit enough doubles off us last season. Are you going for triples now? I’ve gained all you’ve lost. My pants all hurt me. It sucks.”; Celio spoke with his father on the ride to Avon and when he mentioned the meeting his proud papa cracked, “Is this a real meeting or are you just going over to the Mancer’s? If so, you better bring beer…and food.”; a possible cage session at Drew McDowell’s sports complex has been put forth for next weekend; the team has moved ahead with new navy jerseys for the upcoming campaign; Connecticut’s games with new entry Suffield on May 31 will be played at Windsor Locks High School (Suffield Academy, the home field of the Irish, is unavailable until after school is out); with Eastern’s move to Columbia, all teams have the same 10:00 a.m. start time (Leo Dionicio and Tom Luby can now arrive at all A Division fields at 9:55); the fifth and final league meeting of ‘09 will be held in mid-April.