VIPERS SIGN DUNCAN, BEGIN CONSTRUCTION

The one-two punch is now complete for the Calgary Vipers batting lineup for the 2008 Golden League season. Two weeks after announcing that Darryl Brinkley, Baseball America Player of the Year for 2007, would be returning next season the Vipers today disclosed that 2005 and 2006 Most Valuable Player Carlos Duncan has also signed for his fourth consecutive season with the Snakes.

Duncan finished the Vipers successful 2007 season third in the Northern League batting race. While hitting a gaudy .350 Duncan also tied with Brinkley for third in the RBI race with 82 knocked in. He was second in the league with 139 hits and fourth in runs scored with 77. The native of the Dominican Republic also smashed 13 home runs and stole 20 bases.

“These two players were both Independent League All-Stars”, said Vipers field manager Mike Busch. “With both of them in the lineup we’re obviously going to put up some big numbers again in 2008”.

The Vipers and provincial rivals, the Edmonton Cracker-Cats, will be playing in the Golden Baseball League starting in May 2008. The league which features such high profile investors as Pat Sajak and William “Boots” Del Biaggio plans further expansion into British Columbia and Saskatchewan in 2009. The Vipers and Cracker-Cats will compete in the north division against the Chico Outlaws and Reno Silver Sox. The south division features the Los Angeles Armada, Orange County Flyers, Yuma Scorpions and St. George Roadrunners.

Duncan and Brinkley will be the featured instructors at the new Absolute Baseball Academy on the grounds adjacent to Foothills Stadium. Construction of the 16,000 square foot facility began on Thursday with a scheduled opening in mid-February. The training center will feature a full sized 90 foot artificial turf infield and up to ten hitting cages.