VIPERS AND CRACKER-CATS EXPLORE OPTIONS

Following their request for a fair playing schedule for the 2008 season the two Alberta teams in the Northern League received an unexpected and abrupt reply from the other six league directors on Thursday at meetings in Minneapolis – place bonds totalling $1,000,000 or be written entirely out of the schedule.

The Northern League, one of the nation’s oldest independent leagues, fielded 12 teams in 2005. Four teams left the league following that season. However, the push to control spending led to the engineering of a schedule created to lower travel costs to Alberta for the American teams.

Calgary and Edmonton, each with population bases of over one million residents, attendance have experienced lower than expected attendance in cities where hockey is dominant. Instead of trying to strengthen those franchises the Northern League owners chose to protect their own.

“The number of professional minor league baseball teams in all of Canada has dwindled to five”, said Edmonton owner Dan Orlich. “Yet Edmonton and Calgary have maintained a 100 year history of pro ball. The Cracker-Cats, successfully opening three seasons, have created a continuing tradition. No amount of Northern League intimidation and bluster will discourage the opening of another 33 seasons in Edmonton.”

Calgary owner Jeff Gidney pointed out the Vipers have come from nowhere to contest for the league championship in just three seasons. “Men like Darryl Brinkley, this season’s player of the year, strengthen my conviction to maintain, develop and expand our Calgary investment”, said Gidney.

The Calgary and Edmonton owners have formed a committee to consider their forthcoming alternatives to provide high quality professional baseball in their cities.