Winnipeg Goldeyes Baseball Blog

From the Desk of the GM - April 19, 2010

2010-04-19T09:59:00.050-05:00

2010 Promotional Schedule

As promised, here is the Goldeyes 2010 Promotional Schedule. It took a little longer to get this done, but I was waiting for confirmation on what I think will be one of our most unique and sought after giveaways yet. On August 15, we will be giving away 1,500 souvenir skateboard decks, compliments of Amp Energy Drink.

The quality of our theme nights and giveaways this year might just be the best yet. In everything we have planned, we have kept our new slogan “Fun for Everyone” in mind. Having said that, I’ll let the paying public be the judges. So here we go...

Thursday, May 20 – Opening Night!
- Free Magnet Schedules to everyone in attendance.
- Fireworks after the game!
- Donnie Smith throwing out the ceremonial opening pitch.

Wednesday, May 26 – Via Rail Train Game
- Be in attendance for a chance to win a train trip for two to Jasper - Sleeper Touring Class (formerly Silver & Blue) including two nights accommodation at the Jasper Inn.

Sunday, June 6 – Inflatamaniacs Entertainment Act

Wednesday, June 9 – Air Canada Vacations Jamaica trip giveaway
- One of my personal favourite theme night and trip giveaways. This will be our eighth year in a row doing the Jamaica trip giveaway. With “Buffalo Soldier” and “One Love” by Bob Marley playing on the speakers, a cold beverage in your hand, and the chance to win a trip to a Sandals Resort courtesy of Air Canada Vacations. What a great night!

Tuesday, June 22 – Hometown Heroes Night
- Sponsored by Manitoba Blue Cross, the Goldeyes will salute the men and women of the Winnipeg Police, Fire and Paramedic Services

Friday, June 25 – Manitoba Lotteries Batting Helmet giveaway
- The first 2,500 fans through the gates on June 25 will receive a navy Goldeyes souvenir batting helmet compliments of Manitoba Lotteries

Saturday, June 26 – Ballgame and a Movie
- Bring your blankets to the park this night, stick around after the game, go on-field and watch the “Alvin and the Chipmunks – The Squeakquel” movie on the video board.

Sunday, June 27 – First Half Team Photo giveaway, On-Field autograph session & Multicultural Day in Canada
- The Goldeyes pay tribute to our ethnic diversity in our province this night.

Thursday, July 8 – Serta Pajama Party
- Put on your PJ’s and come to the park on this early July evening. Everyone in attendance will have a chance to win a Serta Mattress.

Sunday, July 11 – Boston Pizza Jersey giveaway
- The first 1,500 fans at the game on July 11 will receive a red Goldeyes & Boston Pizza red jersey.

Tuesday, July 20 – Cambrian Credit Union Shirt off our Back Night
- Twelve fans will win the chance to go on field and take the jersey right off the back of a Goldeyes player or coach. Will you be one of the lucky dozen?

Thursday, July 22 – Turn Back the Clock Night

Tuesday, August 10 – Library Night
- The first 4,000 fans will receive a Goldeyes bookmark courtesy of Winnipeg Public Libraries.

Saturday, August 14 – Country Night

Sunday, August 15 – Amp Energy Drink Souvenir Skateboard Deck giveaway
- The first 1,500 fans will receive a very cool souvenir Goldeyes skateboard deck.

Sunday, August 29 – Fan Appreciation Day
- Free set of Goldeyes player cards to the first 5,000 compliments of Rogers
- Great giveaways throughout the game

Sunday, August 29 – Second Annual Goldeyes Fun Run
- What better way to start off the last day of the regular season than taking a walk, or run around the Forks area, starting and finishing at home plate at Canwest Park. Click here to register for this fun event!

Promotions that run throughout the Summer

Sunday afternoons – Dynasty Bathrooms & Caroma Toilet Plunger Pool
- At every Sunday afternoon home game, kiddie pool will be set up on the promenade with 100 numbered plungers. Fans may purchase the plungers for $2 with proceeds to the Goldeyes Field of Dreams Foundation. During the game a PA announcement will inform the fans of the lucky "plunger number" and that fan will win a Caroma Toilet courtesy of Caroma Toilets and Dynasty Bathrooms.

Friday nights – Allegiant Air Flyaway Fridays
- Where else can you go in Winnipeg on a Friday night in the summer and pay $5 to win airfare to Las Vegas or Mesa? Well, on eight occasions this summer at the ballpark, all you have to do is be in attendance and you could win airfare for two compliments of Allegiant Air. One lucky fan each at each Goldeyes Friday home game will win airfare for two from Grand Forks to their choice of Las Vegas or Mesa.

Friday nights – The Original Pancake House Pancake Batter
- This one’s a classic at Canwest Park. Hearing the entire ballpark chanting “Pan-cake, pan-cake” along with PA guy Ron Arnst when the pancake batter has two strikes, is a sound to behold. Each Friday home game one “lucky” opposing player is selected as The Original Pancake House Pancake Batter. If he strikes out during the game, everyone in the ballpark receives a coupon for three free pancakes at the end of the game.

Fireworks x 8!!
- When faced with the unenviable position of opening at home on May long weekend AND on a Thursday night, what does a team do? Shoot more fireworks!! We have always had a fireworks show on opening night, so this year we decided the best thing to do was to add another fireworks show on the second night of the weekend series. It should be a great start to the 2010 season and our opening eight-game stretch against the Lake County Fielders and Joliet JackHammers. Here is the complete list of fireworks nights:

- Thursday, May 20
- Friday, May 21
- Tuesday, June 8
- Friday, June 25
- Wednesday, July 21
- Wednesday, August 11
- Tuesday, August 24
- Saturday, August 28

Monday Nights – University of Winnipeg Student Night
- A new promotion this year, check out the details here

MARRC Play Station Portable giveaway
- On 12 occasions throughout the summer, MARRC, or as most people know them as, the Oil Recycling people, will be drawing for a Play Station Portable. All you have to do is grab a lucky lotto ticket as you come in the park and you will have a chance to win this great prize.

Sundays in July & August – Salisbury House promotion
- At the conclusion of every Sunday home game in July and August, fans will receive a voucher courtesy of Salisbury House to receive a free Mr. Big Nip – the official Nip of Manitoba Homecoming 2010.

Until next time...

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Apr. 5: Office Blog - JG's Top 10 Live MLB Experiences

2010-04-05T09:19:00.000-05:00

For my money, nothing (and I mean nothing) beats live baseball. Turn your brain off and forget about life for three hours. How sweet is that?

Here they are in chronological order:

1. Milwaukee @ Toronto (Exhibition Stadium, July, 1979)
My first game. I don't recall (being 10 may have had something to do with it) the date or final score but I do remember Brewers centre fielder Gorman Thomas crashing into the wall.

2. Minnesota 7 Texas 5 (HHH Metrodome, August 10, 1992)
My first game indoors. As a Twins fan at the time, it was fun watching the defending World Series champs win before almost 36,000 people. And, it's true, beer really does taste better at a baseball game.

3. San Francisco 10 Cincinnati 7 (Candlestick Park, August 9, 1993)
Weekday matinee, 80-some degrees, not a cloud in the sky, cheapest seats in the outfield bleachers with fans just giving it to Reds outfielder/former Giants outfielder Kevin Mitchell, cold beer. Need I say any more?

4. San Francisco 6 Cincinnati 0 (Candlestick Park, August 11, 1993)
Weekday matinee. That's where any comparisons end to the game two days previous. With the wind blowing off the bay, I wish I had my winter jacket. John Burkett was brilliant, blanking the Reds on four hits.

5. Texas 6 Minnesota 4 (HHH Metrodome, April 22, 1999)
What a pleasure it was to see former Fish Jeff Zimmerman pitching for the visitors. It was an even greater pleasure to have lunch with him the following day and see he was the same guy just two years removed from playing here.

6. Milwaukee 13 Minnesota 1 (HHH Metrodome, June 27, 2003)
This one was over very early. But it was worth sticking around, if only to see a local boy named Koskie double and score the only run the hosts would get, not to mention a rookie named Morneau.

7. Milwaukee 8 Cincinnati 3 (Miller Park, August 14, 2005)
Sunday matinee, 80-some degrees, great seats (props to Fish starter David Manning) down the left field line, cold beer, free Ned Yost mini bobblehead giveaway. Life is good.

8. Kansas City 5 Cleveland 4 (Kauffman Stadium, September 25, 2005)
A ballpark I had wanted to visit ever since I knew what a ballpark was, even though my hopeless Royals were just that. Zack Greinke serves up a three-run shot to Victor Martinez in the first. Oh oh. Mid-game move (big props to Fish starter Shawn Sedlacek's lovely wife Joy) to a skysuite. Nice. Access to Bret Saberhagen figurine giveaway. Very nice. Paul Phillips doubles off Bob Howry to score Angel Berroa with one out in the ninth for the walk-off win. Very very nice.

9. Houston 3 St. Louis 1 (Busch Stadium, September 27, 2005)
In-and-out day trip from Kansas City to see Roy Oswalt and Matt Morris in an absolute dandy. Downtown St. Louis is cool. The Gateway Arch is even cooler. The trip back includes a stop at Waffle House. This is indeed America.

10. Seattle 10 Oakland 9 (Safeco Field, September 25, 2006)
Introduced my lovely future wife to former Fish George Sherrill over lunch. So nice (yet not at all surprising) to see he hadn't changed since leaving Winnipeg, despite how he was now making 20 times more money a month. Ballpark sushi was amazing. Played some Mario Superstar Baseball on the concourse before saying good-bye to Georgie in the bullpen. We were long gone by the time the hosts tied it in the ninth and won it in the tenth.

April 1: Taylor's Ticket Tour - Day 16

2010-04-01T13:55:00.000-05:00

It’s been a tremendous run. We’ve hit the north end, the west end, the south end and even the east end. We’ve been to Sanford and Carman and Morden and Winkler. We’ve done downtown and down the street and met up with more than 200 Goldeyes fans and potential Goldeyes fans.

It would be inaccurate to suggest that the 2010 Ticket Tour has been an overwhelming success – at least, not yet – but I do believe that by meeting a whole slew of people we’ve never met, I learned one important lesson: The Goldeyes name is as good as gold in this community.

Day 16 was a clean up day for the 2010 Ticket Tour. We called some of the people we met along the way and we’ll be doing a lot more of that as April goes along. We spoke at length with folks from NCI Radio, Variety, Earl’s, monart, Metro Trailer Sales, ChangeMakers and Investors Group Winnipeg West. We answered some important questions and cleaned up some loose ends.

We also drew the winner of that spectacular Roman Swiderek print. With Goldeyes sales and marketing director Dan Chase as our witness, and with 211 business cards in our draw drum, we chose the business card belonging to (drum roll please)...

Rick Watts, president of The Fabris & Milano Group Ltd., the marble and tile guys, over at 1035 Erin St. We’ll see Rick next week when we deliver his framed “Winnipeg Goldeyes” print and recently-purchased 2010 ticket package.

It was a wonderful trip through Winnipeg and the southern part of the province and we want to thank everyone we met for the fabulous Friendly Manitoba hospitality. And, don’t worry, we’ll be calling all of you in the coming weeks to follow up on our initial meetings.

Now, let’s play ball...

From the Desk of the GM - March 31, 2010

2010-03-31T11:43:00.041-05:00

Field of Dreams Update, etc.

It's been a while since I've posted anything here, so I've got some catching up to do. Here's an update on what's happening with the Field of Dreams Foundation as well as an update on "Team Goldeyes" and our Police Service Half Marathon Relay fundraising efforts.

Fillmore Riley LLP K’s for Kids Program

Last year I talked about the Fillmore Riley LLP K’s for Kids program. Just for fun, I got out the abacus and did some math. Here’s a recap:

“Working with a number of 300,000 fans per season, if only one per cent (or 3,000) of those fans participated in the program and pledged five cents per strikeout with an average of 300 strikeouts thrown by Goldeyes pitchers, the amount donated would be $15 per person. Multiplied by 3,000 fans, that would add up to $45,000 that would go to the Field of Dreams Foundation, which would end up in the hands of children’s charities in Manitoba. To take the math a little further, even if 3,000 fans pledged one cent per strikeout, or $3 per person, that would still be $9,000, which is more than the program currently raises.”

Well, we didn’t quite make it to $45,000 but we did raise $14,461 in 2010. The 2009 amount eclipsed last year’s amount by a full $5,000. So, thank you to all who helped make that happen and a special thank you to Fillmore Riley who, for the second consecutive year, is the title sponsor of the program.

So, if you think you might have a spare $15 between now and the end of September, send in a pledge for 5, 10 or 15 cents per strikeout. All you have to do is pledge a few dollars, our pitchers will do all the work striking out the opposition. Please click here to download a pledge form.

Goldeyes Field of Dreams Charity Golf Tournament
Monday, July 12, 2010 – Bel Acres Golf & Country Club

The 16th annual Goldeyes Charity Golf Tournament takes place at Bel Acres Golf & Country Club on Monday, July 12. It’s a great day that has as much to do with fun, camaraderie and team spirit as it does golf. The tournament is currently 70% sold out, so if you are thinking about entering a team, please give me a call at 982-2273 and I’ll save you a spot. Here are some pics from last year's event:

Winnipeg Police Service Half Marathon Relay

It’s now just over a month until Rick and I will run in the Winnipeg Police Service half marathon. According to Rick, he has been training very hard for this. He is currently running three or four times a week and anywhere from 25 minutes to an hour each time. He’s promised me that he’ll complete the first leg of the relay (about 10.5 km) in 55 minutes or less.

Our pledge drive has gone very well so for with more than $1,600 raised for the Canadian Cancer Society. Thank you very much to everyone who has pledged to date. If you would like to pledge “Team Goldeyes”, please click here and donate whatever you can spare. And, if you've got nothing else to do the morning of Sunday, May 2, come on out to cheer Rick on through the first leg of the relay. Click here to view the route for the first leg. Who knows, maybe there will be a special prize for the best home-made "motivational Go Team Goldeyes" sign we see along the course!

Next up on the blog will be this year's promotional schedule. We've got some great things planned for 2010, so check back here soon to get all the details!

Until next time...

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March 29: Taylor's Ticket Tour - Day 15

2010-03-29T15:47:00.000-05:00

We’re getting close to the end of the 2010 Ticket Tour. April is right around the corner and before we know it, baseball will be upon us.

On Monday, we passed the 200 mark in our draw for that spectacular framed “Winnipeg Goldeyes” print by our very-talented friend Roman Swiderek. Someone will win it this week, so check out goldeyes.com to see whether you’re the lucky recipient of our gorgeous draw prize.

In the meantime, Day 15 was a busy one.

We started by visiting old friends Duane Penner at Road Trips Travel and Adam Gaiser at Mark’s Work Warehouse and then we took a ride down Dugald Road to meet some terrific people.

Stopped in at Transcona Trailer Sales and had a great conversation with Budd Bier, Travis Bromley and Evan Pepper. Travis already has his tickets in Section I, but Budd seemed really interested in joining us at the park this season.

We then had a visit with Devan Monette and Tyler Bromley (yes, Travis’s brother) at Rond’s Marine and followed that up by stopping in at GNR CampingWorld. We spent 10 or 15 minutes with Doug Kendel at GNR who said business this year was great.

“And that’s amazing when you consider all the recession talk,” he said. “We sell luxury items and it’s been very busy for us for quite awhile. You wouldn’t know there was a recession here.”

We stopped in at Genivar (“a global leader in consulting engineering”) and met with Joyce Hay, who promised to circulate the ticket package around the office, before dropping in at Dynamic Machine Corp. and leaving a package with Jason Price and Richard Weiss.

With that, we moved on to Ashland Chemical, where our great weather was the topic of conversation. Our final stop was at CDP Imaging, where we had a nice chat with company president Frank R. Mueller.

In all, it was a great Day 15 and we’re just about ready to draw our lucky prize winner.

Stay tuned.

March 25: Taylor's Ticket Tour - Day 14

2010-03-25T15:30:00.001-05:00

The real reward of the 2010 Ticket Tour comes when folks we meet along the trail get interested enough in the Goldeyes to do more than just buy a mini-pack or rent a suite for a single game.

This week, we were able to complete an arrangement with Brendan Rogers and his associates Paul Winestock and Ryan Downey at RBC Dominion Securities, to purchase a quarter of a suite for the 2010 season. Obviously, our visit with Brendan last month set the wheels in motion and we thank Brendan, Ryan and Paul for becoming partners with the Winnipeg Goldeyes.

Day 14 was a busy day in as much as we spent most of it sitting down in meaningful discussion with potential ticket buyers. Day 14 was a little more hard sell than soft.

We talked at length with our great friend George Sigurdson of Sigurdson Financial, one of the real committed Winnipeggers, who not only renewed his season tickets, but also purchased 20 tickets for the season opener on May 20 that he’ll donate to MacDonald Youth Services. George is one of those guys that makes Winnipeg a great place to live.

Then we had lunch with Rick Watts, president of Fabris-Milano Group Ltd., marble, terrazzo and ceramic tile contractors. Rick was a member of the last University of Manitoba Bisons team to win Canada’s national university basketball championship, a former member of both Canada’s national basketball and volleyball teams and a creator of backyard professional whiffle ball. We know we’re going to see Rick at the ballpark on a number of occasions this summer.

We then dropped in at monart in St. Vital to visit our friend Darren Charron who was very interested in this year’s terrific ticket deals before dropping off half a dozen packages with Kevin Kaiser and Don Coucelles at Investors Group West on Portage Avenue. They always purchase a number of suites at the Goldeyes games and we expect to see them in the park a lot this summer.

We also visited with Melodye Whitesell from the Manitoba Aboriginal Sport and Recreation Council about some group nights, did a follow up with Blake Russell at the Manitoba Metis Federation, spoke at length with Kris Kopansky (the managing partner at Earl’s Polo Park) and then had a tremendous discussion with Neil Dalrymple, the general manager of Assiniboine Athletic Club. Neil loves the ballpark and knows first hand that Canwest Park is about the best place one can spend a summer evening in Winnipeg.

It was a great day, spent with a lot of people that already love the Goldeyes and the ballpark. And we also added 12 more business cards to our draw for that sensational framed Roman Swiderek print.

March 19: Taylor's Ticket Tour - Day 13

2010-03-19T08:58:00.001-05:00

Some days are just better than others. Take Day 13 of the 2010 Goldeyes Ticket Tour as an example.

It began way out west with a stop at the ESSO Avitat near the airport. A great young woman at the flight desk said she’d get our ticket news out to all the pilots from the small airlines and private jets that fly out of the Avitat.

I then spent some time with our old pal Murray Hill, the business development director for a marketing and communications firm known as ChangeMakers. Murray has long been a friend of Goldeyes sales and marketing director Dan Chase, so I expect to see my old friend at the park a lot this summer.

From there, we (at this point my student assistant Chelsea Larsen from Red River College had joined the caravan) dropped in at Winnipeg Sport and Leisure and met Natalie LaRoche. Natalie and most of her staff gathered round to talk Goldeyes and one of the customers, Roberta from Prairie Places Inc., asked for a couple of packages to take back to the office. Evidently, Roberta has known the popular Dan Chase from way back in another, younger, life.

We then moved on to Western Storage where we met Sandra Tucker who really seemed to enjoy the Skysuite nights she and her fellow employees have spent at Canwest Park. We then dropped in at Starlite Communications, followed by stops at Phase II Autobody Ltd., Aqua Tech and Crown Utilities Ltd.

At Crown Utilities, Chelsea spent some time with longtime Goldeyes season-ticket holder Frances Adolph, and learned what it means to be a real Goldeyes fan (not that she wasn’t already). And we also popped in at Thomas Auto and Tire.

Day 13 ended by going viral. We spent the first 15 minutes of Marty Gold’s Great Canadian Talk Show on 92.9 KICK-FM talking about Goldeyes tickets, the upcoming season and the spectacular team that Rick Forney has assembled.

The message was simple: It’s time to get your tickets because this is shaping up to be the best year of Goldeyes baseball – ever!

March 11: Taylor's Ticket Tour - Day 12

2010-03-11T14:00:00.001-06:00

Battling the rain and muck isn’t always fun but it does send a message: If it’s plus five and sloppy in Winnipeg in mid-March, baseball season can’t be that far away.

On Day 12 of the 2010 Goldeyes Ticket Tour, we once again brought along our student job-shadower, Chelsea Larsen, as our sales assistant and she did another outstanding job.

In fact, Chelsea got to handle a couple of solo efforts, paying a visit to both Glenn Harrison at General Paint and Heather Morris at First Avenue Office Furnishings Ltd. I’m sure they enjoyed Chelsea’s appearance a lot more than they would have enjoyed mine.

Meanwhile, we dropped in on Glenn Lepp’s people at Custom Woodworking, the receptionists at Kern-Hill Furniture, a terrific guy at Speedy Auto Glass on Nairn who said he’d be seeing his boss, Jim Capek, later in the day, a very nice young lady at Jade Transport Ltd., who said she’d be sure to hand our ticket package to company president Larry Dyck and an extremely pleasant lady at Paramount Windows who told us she’d make sure Tim Dudeck (who handles their advertising and what not) would see the ticket package right away.

We had a terrific visit with Chris Smith at the Rent-All Super Centre on Nairn who told us the best thing about Canwest Park is that he can walk home after the games. That is one of the great things about downtown baseball.

We talked to Rich at ICI Paints who told us store manager Darren Kuhlman was a big Goldeyes fan and that head groundskeeper Don Ferguson (aka Fergie) had purchased paint there in the past.

And Eric Hastie at Tool World told us they’d had a group outing at the ball park a couple of years ago and looked forward to another one this summer. Fergie told us he’s purchased a number of tools at Tool World.

We look forward to seeing all our new friends at Canwest Park this summer. Meanwhile, there are now 135 business cards in our draw for that sensational framed print by Roman Swiderek.

March 10: Taylor's Ticket Tour - Day 11

2010-03-10T16:36:00.000-06:00

Sometimes you need to get out of the office in the winter and talk to the people that really enjoy coming to Canwest Park to get a true sense of how great an evening at the ballpark can be.

That seemed to be the theme on Day 11 of our 2010 Ticket Tour as my new sales assistant, Chelsea Larsen, a student at Red River College who is in for a week of job-shadowing, and I headed down Archibald to Nairn and visited some of the businesses that are, essentially, our neighbours.

It was nice to see people that are busy and ready for a fun-filled baseball season.

We started by visiting the folks at the Habitat for Humanity Store and we also ran into Ron Raap from Premier Printing who had as many good offers for us as we did for him.

Chelsea and I walked over to Regional Products Ltd. and discovered many of the employees enjoy nights at the Goldeyes games. We then walked in on Dennis Delorme and his crew at Praxair on Nairn, a huge company that supplies atmospheric, process and specialty gases. The boys were busy but said they loved a night at the ballpark.

From there we visited Don Sicotte at Metro Centre Ltd., which provides everything from trailers and trailer parts to dock hardware, do-it-yourself aluminum fascia eavestroughs and vinyl siding. Don and his partner Maggie Pearson had a terrific 2009 and he was so busy, he could hardly take a breath, but he did say how much he enjoyed the ballpark and he’d get back to us the second he could sit down.

“I always dreamed of the being the boss and just barking out orders,” he said with a laugh. “Well, I’m the boss, but I’m too busy doing the work to bark orders.”

We then dropped in on Dave Ratte, the branch manager of Cloverdale Industrial Protective Coatings, the industrial division of Cloverdale Paints. Dave was thrilled to see us, probably because he was an old schoolmate of Jamie Betterns, my colour analyst on the Safeway Goldeyes telecasts on Shaw Bettens. Dave is another one of those guys that loves the ballpark and we’ll see often this summer.

From Cloverdale, we walked over to Carpet Girl Inc. and met design consultant James Harris. James is a New Yorker that calls Canwest Park one of his all-time favourite ballparks.

Hope we see all the Carpet Girl employees this summer.

We also met with Robert Lacey at Dufrense Furniture, who loves attending Goldeyes games with his wife, Harold Duncan at United Furniture Warehouse, who was very friendly, and the folks at Quality Life Services Inc. In fact, we met with a woman at Quality Life whose daughter was a fan services rep at Canwest Park last year and who has another daughter ready to join the crew this season.

In total, we put 14 more cards in our draw for that beautifully framed Roman Swiderek print, bringing our total to 125.

March 4: Taylor's Ticket Tour - Day 10

2010-03-04T16:07:00.002-06:00

There are just some days that are too good to be true. I’ve found that many of those days occur when you leave the confines of the Perimeter Highway and head to other parts of Manitoba. That’s when you absolutely, truly believe in the motto on the licence plate.

After spending Day 10 of the 2010 Ticket Tour in Carman and Morden, I can tell you without reservation, that this IS Friendly Manitoba.

I must start, however, by apologizing to Craig Keenan. Craig is the service manager at Medichair Winkler and it was his idea to take part of the tour and head south. It was a great idea and my plan was to meet with the Northland Machinery guys in Carman and then head to Morden, Winkler and Altona.

Well, I’ve had to re-schedule the Winkler/Altona portion of the trip to March 24 or 25. That’s because I ran out of daylight in Carman and Morden. Sorry, Craig, but as you probably know better than anyone, these are the friendliest people on the planet and I just had too many lunches and too much coffee and by 5 o’clock, I was still on the west side of the traffic lights on Highway #3.

We started in Carman, finished our promotional deal with Northland Machinery and then went to lunch at the Carman Golf Club with Les, John and Kyrke from Northland.

By that time, it was early afternoon and I still didn’t know what I was in for.

The first stop in Morden/West Winkler was at Bio-Heat Resources where Steve Alder and the rest of the new owners were about as fun and friendly as it gets. Hope to see them at the ballpark soon.

Then we met Tyler Friesen at Wentworth Ag. Inc., Kevin Bergen at Enns Agri-Sales, a wonderful young woman at Greenvalley Bobcat and the boys at Tektite Manufacturing. Never met nicer people in my life.

Then we went downtown and met up with Brad Collins at Eldon’s Furniture, Lance Derksen at Farm Credit Canada, a lovely young woman at Home Hardware and some tremendous people who work for Rudy Ens at Gaslight Harley-Davidson. I’m embarrassed that it was the first time I’ve ever been to Gaslight Harley. It’s one of the nicest stores I’ve ever seen... anywhere.

After that we visited with John Conroy at Ed’s OK Tire Store in Morden, Andrew Nickel at Little Morden Service, Jerrilyn Peters at Greenvalley Equipment Inc., a nice young woman at Manitoba Hydro Customer Service who said she’d put the ticket package on the coffee room table and then a tremendous young receptionist at PJ Trailers.

At this stage, it was time to head home. But not before stopping in at Ed’s OK Tire Store in Carman, Sperling Industries in Sperling and then at Bestland Agro where we met president Matt Bestland who was an outstanding guy.

All in all, it was a great day and in the end we had a free lunch, a lake full of coffee and we even sold a few mini-packs. We also put 19 more business cards in the draw for that wonderful framed Roman Swiderek print. We’re now at 111 cards in the draw and 20 days to go.

Day 11 of the Tour will be next Tuesday. We’re heading north and west.

March 3: Taylor's Ticket Tour - Day 9

2010-03-03T09:04:00.001-06:00

As the sun shines and the snow begins to melt, as it did on Day 8 of the 2010 Ticket Tour, it just feels like people are starting to think about spring

And when you think about spring, you automatically think about baseball, so Tuesday was a great day for our Goldeyes Ticket Tour.

We opened the day by dropping in on the folks at my MP’s office. Shelley Glover is back in Ottawa but her right-hand woman at the constituency office in St. Boniface was very charming and said she’d pass on our 2010 ticket offers to the Parliamentary Secretary for Official Languages.

After spending the morning in the office, we headed out for a luncheon meeting at Hu’s Asian Bistro on Ellice with Darrell Boughton from First Canadian Insurance and then began our trek through some of the businesses around the airport.

We stopped in at NAPA Auto Parts, visited Meditek on Ellice and then dropped in on Traction Heavy Duty Truck Parts before heading over to see our old friends at Lonestar Harley-Davidson.

Sharon and Marge Danylchuk are in the midst of a $300,000 renovation of their showroom on Oak Point Highway and we had a nice look around the new facility. It’s going to be spectacular when it’s finished.

We also spent some time talking about the motorcycle promotion they did on the Canwest Park concourse a couple of years ago, a season when their sales manager had to return to the park three times to change bikes – because he sold the bikes that were displayed on the concourse. I imagine we’ll visit again.

After our tour, we dropped in on an old friend, Larry Desrosiers, at Ecco Heating Products. In 1978, Larry and I played on the Southdale Pizza Place Falcons, the Winnipeg Intermediate Fastball League champions. Larry looked like he could still play. I suspect we’ll see plenty of Larry at the ballpark this summer.

We finished the day by having a visit with the boys at JS Furniture Gallery on Ellice and ran into our old pal Burnett Konsmo. Burnett was one of the really dedicated sports collectors in the province and he and the guys from the old Sports Collectors Club are still running auctions on the internet and by mail. Burnett is a regular at Canwest Park every summer. I just hope he can convince his fellow workers that a night at the park is more fun than a new sofa in the showroom.

All in all, a nice afternoon on Tour and we now have 92 business cards in our draw for that beautifully framed Roman Swiderek print.

March 2: Taylor's Ticket Tour - Day 8

2010-03-02T08:28:00.001-06:00

Day 8 began as well as one could imagine. As expected, our good friend Roger Williams from CanCentral Card and Supply on Erin bought a pair of mini-packs and we definitely want to say “Thanks” and give a shout out to Rog.

Things got even better when our old pal and tremendous Goldeyes supporter Dave Petrishen, who just happens to be the new business consultant at Dairy Queen Restaurants, called about mini-packs for 2010 and we made a date for next week to talk about his options.

We dropped in on a couple of terrific young ladies on Des Meurons. Our first was at Overhead Door who said she’d pass on the ticket info to president Scott Wallace and the other at Special Laser Tech Inc. who wanted to barter for my Goldeyes jacket. I told her I’d bring Goldie into the office if she and her boss bought season tickets.

Had a great chat with Garry Gerbrandt who runs Dynamic Auto on St. Mary’s Road. As busy as he was in the shop, he was still buzzing about Sidney Crosby’s goal on Sunday. Aren’t we all? Still.

From Dynamic Auto, I wanted to get down the street to see Ray Giguere at Argy’s Collectibles. A tremendous baseball man, Ray also happens to be a Goldeyes fan with a tough summer schedule. As umpire-in-chief of the BoniVital Umpires Association, he doesn’t have much time to enjoy baseball in the summer because he’s either umpiring or scheduling umpires.

In fact, anyone older than the age of 13 with an interest in making a few extra bucks this summer can call Ray at 253-1565 or 253-8452 and apply to be an umpire in St. Boniface-St. Vital. It pays up to $40 a game and there is no previous experience necessary (BTW, we’re still trying to figure out a way for Ray to tweak his schedule and buy a couple of mini-packs).

After spending almost an hour with Ray, we slipped across the street to see Dan Meyer at Meyer’s Auto. Dan was out of the office but his friendly staff told us the ticket package would be placed on his desk.

All in all, Day 8 was a productive day and we now have an even 80 business cards in our draw for that beautifully framed Roman Swiderek print.

Feb. 26: Taylor's Ticket Tour - Day 7

2010-02-26T09:28:00.002-06:00

DAY 7

Day 7 on the 2010 Ticket Tour was a busy one, a day in which we spent as much time merely talking baseball with Goldeyes fans as we did actually peddling tickets.

We started by dropping in at Northern Paint on Gertrude and had a real nice early-morning chat with the guys in the shop before heading up to see our old friend Roger Williams at CanCentral Card and Supply on Erin Street.

Roger has all kinds of memorabilia in his store and he just bought a large collection from the estate of the late, great Reyn Davis, the man who taught me everything I know about journalism. Davis was the Jets reporter for the Free Press and a man who not only loved the Jets, but a terrific ball player who loved all of Winnipeg’s sports teams.

Roger and I talked about old times and he committed to buying at least a pair of mini-packs for the 2010 season. We’ll talk again today.

We then popped in at B.A. Robinson Bath Centre and left a ticket package for showroom manager Gord Graveline and then wandered over to B.A. Robinson Co. Ltd. Electrical and left another package with marketing manager Joanne Grouette.

Then we ran into our old friend Eric Radford from Beam Global Spirits and Wine Inc., who gave us a good news/bad news scenario: He had accepted a job in Vancouver. Good news for him, bad news for his friends. We’ll miss you Eric. Keep in touch.

We then popped in on Thomas “Fergie” Ferguson at Stewart Trophies, the company that is literally building the new “Tear The Cover Off The Ball” trophy that will be handed out to the Goldeyes batting average champion. Designed by artist Kris Row and built by Fergie, it is an eye-catcher and a wonderful prize for the team’s best hitter. I hope to see all the boys from Stewart’s in the ballpark this summer.

Feb. 25: Taylor's Ticket Tour - Day 6

2010-02-25T09:23:00.001-06:00

DAY 6

If one can call a 24-hour period a “mish-mash” then the last 24 hours of the 2010 Ticket Tour was a mish-mash.

Meetings, phone calls, paperwork and enough time to sit down with fans and clients and actually SELL some tickets.

On Tuesday afternoon at 1:00, I met with Arnold Asham (not the curling Arnold Asham, but his cousin, the publishing Arnold Asham) at Grassroots News, Manitoba’s leading aboriginal newspaper, and Arnold agreed to renew his season tickets for 2010. During the summer, Grassroots News has a regular full-page feature on the Goldeyes, sponsored by one of our great partners, Valour Tri-West Insurance Brokers. Arnold uses some of the tickets for himself and his family and some as prizes for his readers. Great idea.

Tuesday night, I MC’d the Remembering Our Jets Dinner at Earls St. Vital, and our auctioneer, Bill Knight of Bill Knight Flooring, stepped up and bought a pair of season tickets. Meanwhile, I had a great chat with Joel McInnes, the restaurant leader at that spectacular Earls location, and he and I will have a sit-down later in the week (BTW, the Remembering Our Jets Dinner was a tremendous success).

On Wednesday, I had a meeting with publisher Ray Blumenfeld of WE Publications, a big baseball fan who didn’t hesitate to buy a pair of Club mini pack seats, and then I went over to have lunch with Tom & Joe of 92 CITI FM at the Hu’s Asian Bistro on Ellice. It was Tom & Joe’s monthly VIP Club lunch and this time it was the folks from Manitoba Hydro.

During lunch I met Bob Filep, a former member of the local rock band Chocolate Bunnies from Hell, and a big-time baseball fan. After a long chat about his beloved Toronto Blue Jays, Bob decided he wanted a pair of mini packs and we were happy to help him out.

So that was our 24-hour mish-mash – meetings, lunches, paperwork, contract writing and a few tremendous Goldeyes supporters.

We now have 62 business cards in our draw for that wonderful framed “Winnipeg Goldeyes” print by Roman Swiderek.

Feb. 23: Office Blog - Top 10 Things Andrew Wants To Do...

2010-02-23T09:23:00.003-06:00

I’ve talked about my bucket list in the past.

One of the things I’ve wanted to do but hadn’t until recently was learn how to snow board. Well, I can cross that one off the list. When I told people I was going to attempt snow boarding, they would say things like, “wear wrist guards”, “you’re going to be sore all over”, “you’re going to fall a lot”, etc. I can now say that everything I was told was completely accurate. Had I not worn wrist guards, I wouldn’t be typing this, my body hurts all over and I did fall a lot. I stopped counting the number of times I fell on my backside, or front, or side at about 200. And that was the first day. The second day is when I think I really hurt myself.

So, now that I’ve crossed that off my list, there are still a number of things I’d like to do before I start looking at the grass from the other side.

Top Ten things still on my “Bucket List”

10. Play a round at Augusta
9. Go to the Superbowl
8. Bungee Jump (no specific location)
7. Run a Full Marathon (preferably Hawaii, Disneyworld or Jamaica)
6. Touch the “Play like a champion Today” sign in the Notre Dame Fighting Irish locker room

5. Meet Lou Holtz (former coach of Notre Dame Fighting Irish)
4. Zip Line in Kauai or Jamaica
3. Do a flip (or 360) on a wake board
2. Watch my kids graduate university
1. Walk my daughter Olivia down the aisle at her wedding.

Some of these will be easier than others to accomplish. I’m fairly confident I can knock off at least six of these items before I knock off. I’ll let you decide which six they are.

Until next time…

Feb. 23: Taylor's Ticket Tour - Day 5

2010-02-23T09:19:00.001-06:00

Today was an interesting day. We actually had someone riding shotgun.

Paul Duque, our website specialist and group ticket expert, brought along his camera to record Day 5 of the 2010 Ticket Tour for an upcoming webisode and got a good glimpse of the Scurfield/Dovercourt business section of our fair city.

The morning began, solo, with a meeting at the Academy of Broadcasting Corporation, one of our newest partners, and a company that will be well-represented at the ballpark this summer. On our way to the meeting, we dropped in on a very nice young woman at the Cadillac Fairview office at Polo Park, who said she’d pass our ticket package on to shopping centre GM Deborah Green.

Then it was off to Scurfield with Duke and a chance to both meet and reacquaint ourselves with some terrific people.

On the way, we stopped in at Wildwood Motorsports on Pembina Highway. What a tremendous store. We’re hoping owner Paul Germain is a baseball fan.

Then we met Doug Cooke and Fred Arnold at ABB, a leader in power and automation technologies. They were great guys who, I’m hoping, will join me at the park this summer.

We then popped in at Thomas Design Builders, Anthony Allan Office Furniture, Johnson Controls and the operations office of Academy Florists, where it was great to see Kathy Lanthier again after a lot of years. Kathy was once the marketing and sales director at the Viscount Gort, but looks good as the marketing director at one of the city’s largest florists. We had a great chat. It was nice to catch up.

Then we went over and met Brian Shirtliffe, the sales and marketing manager at CWS Logistics. He was a great guy who sounded like a bit of a baseball fan and I figure I’ll get a call from him as the weather gets warmer.

Finally, we stopped in at a place that has always fascinated me, simply because it’s located right beside our television partners at Shaw. Apotex Fermentation Inc., according to its website, “provides contract services in research, process development, scale up and manufacturing of fermentation based pharmaceutical products.” I have to admit, this Tour is teaching me a lot.

I met briefly with a very busy executive assistant named Donna Pinarski who asked a number of great questions and really had a good grasp of Goldeyes baseball. I suspect we’ll see some Apotex folks in the park this year.

Tomorrow is Day 6, an extremely busy day. We now have 56 business cards in our draw for that beautiful framed Swiderek print.

Feb. 19: Taylor's Ticket Tour - Day 4

2010-02-19T14:00:00.001-06:00

DAY 4

It might have been the best day yet. If nothing else, it’s why I love Winnipeg: the people.

Back on Wednesday, as I drove out to Carman on our 2010 Ticket Tour, I noticed all the terrific new buildings on the west end of McGillivray Boulevard just before the Perimeter. So, I told myself to drop in on some of those folks, just to see what was inside.

The first place I went on Friday was Brandt Tractor Ltd. and what an impressive place. You could play basketball in their foyer. If you need a tractor, make sure you go there and look around this marvelous facility.

From there, I dropped in at Arnott Agencies (Puma, Dunlop, Warrior Sports etc.) and had a great chat with Kerri Arnott and then drove over to the magnificent Kleysen Group LP building right across the street. It’s another tremendous building that houses one of Canada’s most prestigious transportation group of companies. You know it’s “prestigious” because the building screams prestige.

From there I went over to Dovercourt Drive and knocked on the door of my old friend Scott LaCroix at the IC Group, and then went down the street and met Michelle Mauer, who works for the FWS Group of Companies, but she’s not related to Joe. By the way, Joe Mauer is the best baseball player I’ve ever seen.

We also popped in on the folks at Supreme Basics, a division of Supreme Office Products, J.R. Cousin Consultants, Com-Free and C & T Rentals. We met a wonderful lady at Vector Construction Group (“The Concrete Restoration Specialists”) who passed the ticket package on to her boss, CEO Bob Spriggs, and then we dropped in on Steve and Ev Polish, along with Michelle Anseeuw, at TNM Promotions on Scurfield.

Steve once coached my daughter’s fastball team at Glenwood C.C. while Michelle is the headliner of “Inclineations”, a tremendous Patsy Cline tribute that’s been featured at the Casinos of Winnipeg. I know Steve will be at the ballpark this summer, and it appears we may have found a new anthem singer as well.

We finished up the day with a visit to that beautiful CRNM building on the south side of Pembina Highway, just before the underpass near the Pembina Hotel. The College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba has a wonderful site and I talked at length with a terrific young guy named Patrick Yeates. Hope we see a group from the CRNM at the park this summer.

It was a short week, just four days, thanks to 92 CITI FM’s Louis Riel Day holiday. But in four short days, we now have 46 business cards in our draw for that tremendous Roman Swiderek framed print.

All in all, it was a great first week.

Feb. 19: Taylor's Ticket Tour - Day 3

2010-02-19T12:52:00.004-06:00

DAY 3

It started out like a normal Thursday. In the end, it was a crazy day.

Day 3 of my 2010 Goldeyes Ticket Tour started with a regular client meeting with Gord Tumilson from King’s Transfer and ended in a chat with a wonderful woman named Linda Desmarais at the Manitoba Metis Federation, who put in an order for some underprivileged kids.

The meeting with Gordie was great. King’s Transfer is sponsoring the Opening Pitch at the ballpark this summer and we just wanted to go over some of the details. Part of King’s Transfer’s package involves tickets and we deeply appreciate the company’s partnership. And you won’t find anyone better in the city with whom to deal.

From there, I stopped in at my barber shop for a couple of reasons (yes, I do get a haircut and, maybe, just maybe, my barber will suddenly get interested in baseball). Enzo Zaurrini is a soccer man, through and through. In fact, he has this love affair with the entire Serie A, but this morning I thought I might appeal to his adventuresome side.

“Enzo, how about some baseball tickets,” I said.

“It’s OK, but you can take my business card and put it in your draw.”

Oh yeah, when I stop at these Manitoba businesses, I make sure I grab a business card and get it into a draw for a beautiful Roman Swiderek framed print. Enzo liked the print. I’m not sure he likes baseball. Yet.

At lunch time, I sat down with Brendan Rogers, the former Bomber linebacker, who became a very successful financial advisor for RBC Dominion Securities. We talked football and baseball and I got the sense he might buy a mini-pack or two.

Then, late in the afternoon, I went over to the Manitoba Metis Federation and spent a few minutes with my new friend Linda Desmarais. Linda was going to pass on our ticket offer to the shot callers at the MMF, but in the meantime, she was thinking about some North End kids who loved going to Goldeyes games, but didn’t always have the five bucks necessary for a ticket.

I told her that’s the reason we have the Community Zone. Tremendous business people in Winnipeg buy a row or half-a-row of tickets for the entire season and our assistant GM Regan Katz and his right-hand man, Paul Duque, make sure those tickets get to the people who need a free ticket.

Linda was going to give Paul a call and I figured I just had a pretty good day.

Feb. 19: Taylor's Ticket Tour - Day 2

2010-02-19T09:06:00.003-06:00

DAY 2

It started off with a simple meeting. I was heading south to Carman to visit with John Barrett and Les Evinger at Northland Machinery.

It turned out to be a whirlwind tour of a wonderful little Manitoba town.

Now, Northland Machinery has a couple of terrific new lines of golf cars and motorized scooters, but so far, nobody knows they exist. Les, the sales manager, and I had exchanged a few e-mails and talked briefly about setting up a display on the promenade at Canwest Park before a dozen or so Goldeyes games this summer. But now, it was time to go to Carman, meet the boss and take a look at the goods.

So on Day 2 of our 2010 Ticket Tour, we climbed into the Hyundai (“I love my car...”) and headed past the Perimeter Highway, to beautiful downtown Carman.

It was a tremendous trip.

We spent 40 minutes with Les and his boss John, had a tour of the plant, checked out the Hummer and Escalade golf cars and talked Goldeyes, golf and, believe it or not, motorized scooters. I think this will be the start of a long relationship.

From Northland Machinery, we went downtown to visit with Claude Robidoux at Janzen Motors and Claude made a great comment: “I love Goldeyes baseball because I can afford to take all the kids and grandkids.” Indeed. If you’re looking for a GM Product, head out to Carman and talk to Claude.

After leaving Janzen’s, we stopped in at Lee Construction and had a nice chat with a very busy Heidi Sandulak and then we popped into the Carman Inn and got a lesson in salesmanship from the young women in the restaurant. “We need to talk to Vic (the boss, I assume),” said one of the ladies. “We deserve a night in a Skysuite.” I agreed and suggested they have a good sit-down with Vic.

At this stage, I’d almost run out of the sales packages I brought, but had enough to stop in at Carm Auto & Ag Parts to leave one with owner/manager Bob Friesen and then make another stop at Carman Ford to leave one with general manager Jim Hay. Had a nice chat with the employees at both places and it’s nice to know that the Goldeyes are loved in a town that, for the longest time, cheered for the Carman Goldeyes.

On the way home, I had to make one more stop. There was no sense going out to Pembina Highway without stopping in at the Pembina Hotel to talk tickets and the UFC 110 with our old pal Trevor Druxman.

Trev mentioned he used to be a season ticket holder and I suggested he might want to re-visit that status. We’ll talk again soon.

All in all, Day 2 of the Ticket Tour was a rousing success. I’ll be heading back to southern Manitoba real soon.

Feb. 16: Office Blog - Taylor's 2010 Ticket Tour

2010-02-16T12:02:00.003-06:00

It’s an idea that isn’t particularly new. In fact, it’s exactly what my great-uncle did when he sold encyclopedias door-to-door.

It’s referred to as “burning shoe-leather” and really is a defining principle of “old school.”

Granted, in this age of texting, Facebook, Twitter, iPad, e-mail and yes, even the occasional telephone call, the thought of actually knocking on doors to sell a product seems rather archaic. But when you stop and really think about it, it’s the only real way to meet people you’ve never met. And for me, here in the dead of winter, there is an urgent need to meet more people.

So starting, officially, on Tuesday, February 16, on behalf of the Winnipeg Goldeyes Baseball Club, we will commence with “Taylor’s 2010 Ticket Tour.”

The goal is to meet the people who work every day to make Manitoba’s businesses successful. We’ll start on the 16th and keep at it until the end of March. The goal is to talk to 300 businesses in and around Winnipeg and invite them, personally, to purchase Goldeyes tickets for the 2010 season. In fact, we’ve already set the 17th as the date we visit Carman, home of the old senior and junior Carman Goldeyes.

Now, I’ve been around our Goldeyes in some manner (or in some incarnation) since a time when the club was a mere twinkle in Sam Katz’s eye and I can tell you, I’ve never been more excited about a team’s chances to win than I am this year.

With shortstop Wes Long, third baseman Vince Harrison, designated hitter Juan Diaz, left fielder Dee Brown, right fielder Cory Patton and second baseman Josh Asanovich back in the fold and with the addition of centre fielder Aharon Eggleston and catchers Luis Alen and Brett Wallace, this is a team that will score plenty of runs. If manager Rick Forney adds the power-hitting first baseman he’s after, the Goldeyes could be an offensive powerhouse like no other.

This is a team that, barring injury, should take a legitimate run at a Northern League championship.

Meanwhile, the Northern League itself is better and more competitive than it’s been in a couple of years thanks to the addition of two new teams, including Kevin Costner’s Lake County Fielders. The 2010 NL season promises to be one of the best ever.

And that’s why I want everyone in Winnipeg to join me at the ballpark this summer. I’m so excited about this season, I’m going to go door-to-door to personally invite as many people as possible to buy Goldeyes tickets.

And then, every day during this year’s Ticket Tour, we’re going to blog about our travels right here at goldeyes.com. We want to get to know as many business people in Winnipeg as we can and we’re even going to have a prize or two at the end of the Tour. And in the process, we’re going to tell everyone about our travels.

So whether it’s a nine-game mini-pack in the Grand Slam Section ($45) or a 21-seat SkySuite for the entire 50-game home schedule ($25,000), we want you to be part of the Goldeyes family.

In fact, we started a preliminary mini-tour on Thursday evening and visited with Brent Sayles, the general sales manager at Winnipeg Hyundai, Darrell Boughton, the regional manager of First Canadian Insurance Corp., and Al Franklin, one of the three partners in Superstars Sports at 1885 Portage. I told Al that when I deliver his tickets, I’ll bring Goldie along for the celebration.

The same goes for everyone else we visit in the days ahead. All you have to do is give me a call at 982-2273 and I’ll do all the work. And on the day we deliver your tickets, we’ll bring Goldie with us just for laughs (he doesn’t know it yet, but I’m sure we can convince him).

So it’s here: Taylor’s 2010 Ticket Tour is now underway. I hope we see you before the end of March.

Feb. 16: Office Blog - Top 10 Signs of the Zodiac

2010-02-16T11:22:00.005-06:00

Having recently celebrated her ___th birthday, retail manager Megan started wondering how the zodiac signs should be ranked and why (i.e. the people born under that sign). Here's what she came up with...

Megan's Top 10 Signs of the Zodiac:

1. Capricorn - ME! ...oh and Dick Weber (founding member and long time star of the Professional Bowlers Association)

2. Scorpio - Lou Ferrigno (The Incredible Hulk) and Alan Young (Famous confidante to Mr. Ed)

3. Virgo - Andrew Collier, George Lazenby (the "Forgotten Bond" appearing in the 6th edition of the hit films) and Colonel Harland Sanders (creator of Kentucky Fried Chicken)

4. Aries - Christopher "I need more cow bell!" Walken... need I say more!

5. Pisces - Tex Avery (creator of Daffy Duck) , Janet Guthrie (first woman to ever drive in the Indy 500 and Daytona 500) and Dr. Seuss

6. Libra - Bo (the First Dog; family pet of the Obamas) and Amy Jo Johnson (the Pink Power Ranger)

7. Taurus - Our very own Blake "The Condition" Schultz, as well as Barbaro (famous race horse) and Sadaharu Oh (hit 868 home runs in a 20 year career in the Japanese Major leagues)

8. Aquarius - Hank Aaron (as we are a Baseball club), Wayne Gretzky (as we AREN'T a hockey club) and Mike Krzyzewski (famous coach for Duke Blue Devils basketball and you guessed it - we aren't a basketball franchise either)

9. Cancer - Bob Dole (former US senator), "The Hoff" David Hasselhoff and Canadian bombshell Pamela Anderson

Leaving three signs fighting for the last spot on the list...

Sagittarius - Bill Nye "The Science Guy" and the Bush twins

Leo - Danny Bonaduce, Napoleon Bonaparte, & Miss Cleo (self proclaimed psychic)

Gemini - Kelly Monaco (winner of the inaugural Dancing with the Stars) and Franz Anton Mesmer (Austrian physician who believed in the healing powers of what he referred to as "Animal Magnetism")

Hmmm... this list is sure to be controversial. Is your zodiac sign too low on the list? Which of the three bubble teams should make the list? Please feel free to discuss

Feb. 11: Office Blog - Top 10 Concerts Jonathan Green Never Got to See

2010-02-11T16:30:00.006-06:00

In my last submission, I wrote about the top 10 concerts I ever saw. Today, it's the top 10 concerts, for whatever reason, I never got to see.

10. Dwight Yoakam
I know of few people, if any, that like Dwight Yoakam as much as me. So why are he and I never in the same city at the same time? I wish I knew. Not only does he write most of his songs, which so few country artists do, he stays true to his roots. The only roots too many of today's talent know are those they try and hide with a little help from a Clairol bottle. Brutal.

9. Ultravox
The first techno band I ever got into, these guys came up with some pretty catchy stuff without coming across as fluff merchants. The best thing they did was add the brilliant Midge Ure on vocals when John Foxx left and the rest, as they say, is history. It's too bad most people know them just for Dancing With Tears In My Eyes. They were so much more than that.

8. Bruce Springsteen
Why he has never come here, at least to my knowledge, is truly a mystery. I'd be prepared to pay just to see him cover Edwin Starr's War (What Is It Good For?) and then he can go home, although he'd be more than welcome to stay and bang out The Rising, Badlands, Radio Nowhere, Downbound Train, Murder Incorporated and the list goes on. No price would be too high.

7. The Tea Party
Ask any number of people to name a genius and I'm sure you'll get any number of responses. Ask me and I might say Jeff Martin. The band's lead singer and guitar player, his songwriting and musicianship are captivating, especially his Eastern influences. It's a shame they did not meet with greater commercial success, but at the same time, maybe it's just as well.

6. U2
This would have to be before they became everybody's favourite band in 1987 with the release of The Joshua Tree. Since then, no thanks. Go back to 1984's The Unforgettable Fire or even further back to 1983's War and now we're talking. It's almost hard to believe that it's the same band from Live At Red Rocks: Under A Blood Red Sky on DVD. What a performance.

5. a-ha
Scoff if you must but I am an admitted fan of this Norse trio. Morton Harket has a voice like few others. They faded from view after 1985's Hunting High & Low, but the title track from 1988's Stay On These Roads plus a fine cover of Crying in The Rain (The Everly Brothers) from 1990's East Of The Sun, West Of The Moon show a side of the band few people saw.

4. Oasis
How sad it was to see a band that put out so much good stuff early on put out so much lousy stuff in its latter days. I took a road trip to Kansas City in 2005 and played the same three CDs pretty much the whole way, one of which was Don't Believe The Truth, their first decent release in 10 years. Yes, they were here 18 months ago, but the moment had long passed.

3. INXS
I'm talking about the years with Michael Hutchence. They never seemed to be touring anywhere I was. So many good songs over a relatively short span of time and no album ever sounded like the one preceding or following it. They also did this by taking guitars/keyboards/saxophones and making it work over and over en route to international super-stardom. That's rare.

2. Queen
I was a little too young to fully appreciate Queen in their heyday. By the time I did, Freddie Mercury was gone. There have been various incarnations of this quartet in the time since, but nothing that could hold a candle to the original members. His bandmates, in particular guitarist Brian May, are more than accomplished but their lead singer was the ultimate showman.

1. Stevie Ray Vaughan
I'm not afraid to admit I cried in 1990 when I learned he died in a helicopter crash. The guy pretty much killed himself on booze & drugs, decided to clean himself up and, after doing so, put out a kick-ass album called In Step, one that I would definitely list if filling out one of those If you were stranded on a desert island... questionnaires. He was just brilliant.

Feb. 8: Office Blog - Top 10 Concerts Jonathan Green Has Seen

2010-02-08T09:08:00.015-06:00

Having seen close to 50 concerts over the last 25 years, this was a tricky list to assemble. They are ranked in order, although if you ask me tomorrow, the order may change. Actually, it probably would. Unless otherwise listed, all took place in Winnipeg.

Honourable Mention. Gowan/Spoons (Centennial Concert Hall, 1987)
I don't think a lot of people really got Gowan. Classically trained at The Royal Conservatory of Music, it made sense that his music was very piano/keyboard-oriented, but that wasn't necessarily what your average '80s music fan was in to. He did well, certainly, but never reached super-stardom. I'm a sucker for the sound of a real piano (not synthesized) in concert, so I was in heaven. The added bonus was when he informed the crowd they would be shooting the video for Awake The Giant. If you look real close (and I mean real close), you can see me for a split second. Just don't blink. And there you have it.

10. Chalk Circle (The Diamond Club, 1987)
There were so many Canadian bands that had so much potential in the '80s and so many, for whatever reason, never realized that potential. This quartet is but one. I picked up a copy of The Great Lake, their six-song debut that featured April Fool, not long after graduating from high school in 1986 and pretty much wore it out from constant play. What stuck out most from this show was the band's energy, especially when lead singer/guitar player Chris Tait just went nuts on Superman (Meets the Man of Steel). He did it again when they played The Ex later that year, but it wasn't the same in such a massive venue.

9. KISS/Dokken (Winnipeg Arena, 1985)
Ask me to name five songs that I know for sure were played at this concert and I would be hard pressed to do so. It's not because I was stoned or that my senses were otherwise compromised, but it was the experience I remember more than anything. This was the band in its post make-up phase, on tour to promote Animalize, its most notable track being Heaven's On Fire. The image of the light-up KISS backdrop and how the stage was configured is still burned in my brain. I don't recall much of Dokken, touring to support Tooth & Nail, which I think has some of the best album cover art ever.

8. 54-40/Ultima Thule (Royal Theatre, Victoria, 1989)
I'm pretty sure this was in December of 1989. Either that or March of 1990. Regardless, it was during a break in classes at Red River, so I went out west to spend a few days visiting friends and family in Vancouver and Victoria. 54-40 is a band I have always liked but can't say have ever loved. Their stuff is good so they alone would have been worth seeing, but like GNR did to The Cult two years previous, I thought Ultima Thule stole the show. Hailing from Estonia, I had absolutely no clue what they were singing about, but it really didn't matter. It was obvious they were having a blast.

7. Bryan Adams/The Storm (Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena, Spokane, 1992)
I have nothing against Bryan Adams, having seen him three times, but this show was so similar to one I saw seven years earlier at the arena when he was on his Reckless tour with Luba. What made the night for me was The Storm, a group made up of several members of Journey plus singer Kevin Chalfant, who sounds an awful lot like Steve Perry. Their brief set included an incredible cover of Santana's Black Magic Woman and they were very gracious when I used my media access to get backstage, explaining they got the spot opening on this tour because Bryan Adams had opened for Journey years before.

6. Iron Maiden/Twisted Sister (Winnipeg Arena, 1984)
The second time I had seen Iron Maiden in just over a year, my ears were still ringing from their previous visit. One of the loudest bands I have ever seen, they augmented their displays of sound and fury with equally eye-catching stage shows, this time an Egyptian theme that tied in with Powerslave, the album they were promoting. You have not lived until you have heard Bruce Dickinson live singing Aces High, the best song off the album and one of their best ever. And while Twisted Sister may not have been an obvious choice to open for Iron Maiden, Dee Snider et al committed themselves rather well.

5. Martina McBride/Little Big Town (MTS Centre, 2008)
I would love to know how Martina McBride can get such a huge voice out of such a tiny body. Wow. Anyone that considers themself a music fan that missed this show missed out completely (even if she told those in attendance that her kids weren't overly thrilled with the idea of having to spend their spring break in Canada), from opening with Anyway to closing with her Journey and Pat Benatar covers. As for Little Big Town, for my money, Boondocks is one of the best songs to hit country radio in recent memory. They also wrapped up their set with a bang-up job of Fleetwood Mac's Go Your Own Way.

4. Big Country (The Town Pump, Vancouver, 1993)
There are a lot of bands I like that no one else I know seems to care for and Big Country is right at the top of the list. I say they deserved better in terms of commercial success, but it is what it is, so let's move on. By no means large, this was the perfect place to catch them on tour in support of The Buffalo Skinners, a very different album for them but nonetheless a very worthwhile purchase if you ever feel so inclined. It still bothers me that singer Stuart Adamson took his own life almost 10 years ago, robbing the music world of a very talented but equally troubled man. What a shame.

3. Fleetwood Mac (MTS Centre, 2009)
I was never a big fan of the band, but my lovely wife is, so she was more than happy to see them after receiving tickets for her birthday. The fact that Christine McVie wasn't on the tour kind of sucked, plus Stevie Nicks couldn't hit the high notes like she once could, but Lindsay Buckingham was just amazing. So was Mick Fleetwood. Both went non-stop. I was pleasantly surprised to hear so many songs I knew but didn't necessarily remember as being Fleetwood Mac songs. The highlight of the night was Tusk (sans USC marching band unfortunately) with Second Hand News coming a very close second.

2. The Cult/Guns N' Roses (Winnipeg Arena, 1987)
On tour to support their Electric album, The Cult were quite good, but they were completely upstaged by GNR. They were the first band I had ever seen smoke on stage, plus Axl Rose was a sight to behold, what with his lavender leather pants plus a t-shirt that featured a word (twice) I can't write on this website. I was totally blown away and if it wasn't the next day, it was the day after that when I bought Appetite For Destruction, still one of the best albums ever. It's just too bad how this band imploded, something you can read all about in Watch You Bleed, a pretty decent offering from Stephen Davis.

1. Garth Books (GM Place, Vancouver, 1996)
A feast for the senses, this was both quantity and quality. Never had I seen such a diverse crowd, one that ranged from kids to grandparents and all loved every minute of it, from his opening with The Old Stuff to wrapping up the two-hour show with a marathon sing-along of Don McLean's American Pie. The added bonus was getting to meet him (a truly nice and humble guy) at the pre-concert news conference as well as taking what is without question one of the best pictures of my life, which I managed to get him to autograph weeks later in Ottawa. How that happened is a very long story I'll save for another day.

Check out the Top 10 concerts I never got to see

Feb. 4: Office Blog - Top 10 Jersey Shore Nicknames for Goldeyes Office Staff

2010-02-04T09:48:00.007-06:00

In case you haven't seen or heard of the show before, MTV's Jersey Shore is the latest reality-show-slash-pop-culture phenomenon to hit the airwaves. The season 1 finale drew in the largest ratings MTV has ever had. The show's starting line-up features characters -- sorry, I mean real people -- with names like J-Woww, Snookie, Pauly D and The Situation (pictured above with Mike Tyson at the SpikeTV Video Game Awards).

As the Jersey Shore juggernaut rolled along, we realized that we had one of the show's biggest fans working in the box office. Nope, it's not Dennis.

It's Blake, and he found an online Jersey Shore nickname generator that has amused him to no end.

According to this website, Blake's nickname is "The Condition". He also did nicknames for Kevin Arnst ("K-Train") and Paul Duque ("Juice Box", probably because Pauly D was already taken).

Even though this is supposed to be a Top 10, it was too much fun to stop at just 10. So here are the top-13 Jersey Shore nicknames for the Goldeyes office staff...

13. Andrew Collier - A-Muscle
12. Paul Edmonds - The Body
11. Jonathan Green - The Bicep
10. Regan Katz - R-Gel
9. Dan Chase - The Tan-talizer
8. Scott Taylor - The Blowout
7. Dennis McLean - The Impact
6. Megan Tucker - Hot Spot
5. Sarah Kyrylchuck -Last Call
4. Angie Sanche - The Appointment
3. Judy Jones - The Good Time
2. Jason McRae-King - J-Tan
1. Don Ferguson - Hard Hat

Maybe we'll see these on our staff name badges this year. Then again, maybe not.

From the Desk of the GM - January 26, 2010

2010-01-26T07:57:00.018-06:00

“Relay for Life – The Sequel”

Last May, the Goldeyes committed to hosting the annual Relay for Life event at Canwest Park. Well, apparently it went well enough (besides a few tents blowing into the stands) that they asked if they could host it here again. As was the case last year, the answer was a very easy and resounding “Yes”! This year’s event will be held on Friday, May 28 from 7 p.m. through to the next morning at 7.

According to Kathy Joshua from the Relay for Life volunteer committee, the event has more than 1,500 participants, volunteers and survivors. The event is expected to raise $375,000 which when added to the money raised over the last nine years will put the total at more than $2 million!

Please click here to visit the Relay for Life website.

At this website you can get involved by:
• Registering a team for the relay
• Joining survivor’s victory lap
• Volunteering

Or, you can show your support by:
• Pledging a participant
• Buying a luminary
• Making a donation

A few weeks ago, the Goldeyes office received a very nice email from Lori Friesen, a participant in last year’s Relay for Life. She was kind enought to allow us to reprint it here:

“I just wanted to send an email to express my gratitude for once again offering your amazing ballpark to host the Relay For Life. I meant to send an email last year right after the event and unfortunately neglected to do so. The whole event was so well laid out and had a very intimate feel to it, as compared to the previous year’s wide open location. The view of downtown throughout the night was spectacular and just what I needed as I made my umpteenth lap around the track. Real bathrooms are such an extravagance after three years of porta-potties (two years with the Weekend to End Breast Cancer and 1 year with the Relay for Life). Access to the restaurants is also a treat and I believe that having the event in downtown Winnipeg goes a long way in raising the profile (and hopefully participation) of the event.

I know your organization does a lot to sponsor community events and this does not go unrecognized – “Thank You”!!!

Lori Friesen
Bodacious Babes
Winnipeg Relay For Life

And now, as promised in my last blog, here is the top ten of the day.
Today’s Top Ten is brought to us by Wendy Elias-Lopez from the Relay for Life volunteer committee.

Top 10 reasons for participating in Relay For Life:

10) It supports ALL types of cancers. There are over 200 types.
9) Because we want to beat cancer.
8) Remember loved ones lost to cancer by coming to light a luminary or walking in their honour.
7) It’s a family event for all ages. Bring your family, friends, co-workers, neighbours etc.
6) Because it’s fun! Karaoke, Bingo, themed laps, and costumes contests are all activities that have been done in the past. Come find out what’s in store for this year!
5) Celebrate a cancer survivor you know.
4) It shows those in the process of fighting cancer that they are not alone in the fight.
3) When else will you get an opportunity to camp out on the Goldeyes outfield?!
2) Because an estimated 6,000 Manitobans will be diagnosed with cancer this year. 2,800 of those will not survive. It could be your mother, your brother, your daughter, your grandpa...
1) Because cancer never sleeps...so for one night, neither will we.

Here is some more info provided by Wendy:

Registration is now open online
E-mail us at winnipegrelayforlife@mb.cancer.ca or phone us at (204) 798-0884
Check out our blog.

Thanks Wendy, Kathy, Lori and everyone else involved in the Relay for Life, and thanks to anyone doing their part to eradicate the world of this terrible disease.

Until next time...

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Clubhouse Blog - Jan. 21, 2010

2010-01-21T09:10:00.005-06:00

Last night was the season premiere of "The Inside Pitch", the Goldeyes off-season radio show.

What did everyone think?
Questions?

Clubhouse Blog - Jan. 12, 2010

2010-01-12T15:45:00.007-06:00

Ok, I’ll admit that I’ve been very delinquent in my efforts to maintain my contribution to the blog section of our baseball club’s website.

Yes, I know, I started strongly last year only to have the 2009 season start and then seemingly I disappeared – not unlike our hitting in August. But I digress.

Well, at this point I beg for forgiveness and provide you with one simple excuse. Not that I’m big on excuses, but in this particular instance, I think you’ll agree that my time away from the blogosphere was well spend on my family and around the house.

Why? Because for the first time in my life, I built a hockey rink in the yard. Not just any hockey rink, but a 50” x 90” outdoor Mecca for Dad and the kids to have fun on this winter (Mom has a bad tailbone and skating this winter might put her in the hospital, so she’s eliminated from the family fun on the ice).

This project has not taken me hours to construct, but quite literally days. As you will see by the sequence of pictures, this thing started back in November and finally after months of work, cold hands, frozen garden hoses and about $400.00 in materials, we’ll be able to skate on it this weekend.

If not, then the last picture will make for a nice family postcard next Christmas.
I’ll let you know how it goes in coming blogs, albeit more frequently than my last post. Enjoy.

Peace out,
Paul Edmonds

From the Desk of the GM - January 7, 2010

2010-01-07T09:09:00.025-06:00

"Inaugural Top Ten List"

Happy New Year from the Goldeyes family to yours! It seems like yesterday we were ushering in the new millennium and all the concerns that came with that, and now, ten years later a new decade begins. It’s hard to believe it will be the Goldeyes 17th season and 12th at Canwest Park.

In order to keep things fresh on this blog, I will be dropping in various top ten lists throughout the year. Below is the inaugural top ten list of 2010:

Here are the top ten things I would like to see in the sports world in “2K10”:

Drum roll please…

10. Back to back World Series titles for the Yankees
9. At least one round in the 70’s on the golf course for me this summer
8. RBC Cup Championship for the Portage Terriers
7. Memorial Cup Championship for the Brandon Wheat Kings
6. Grey Cup Championship for the Bombers
5. Calder Cup Championship for the Moose
4. A first place finish for Team Goldeyes (Rick Forney and I) in the Winnipeg Police Service half-marathon relay (Shameless plug time – pledges are now being accepted by clicking here – all proceeds to the Canadian Cancer Society)
3. Olympic Gold Medals for the Men’s and Women’s Olympic Hockey Teams
2. Sold out opening night on May 20 when the Goldeyes host the Lake County Fielders

And the number 1 thing I would like to see happen in the sports world in 2010…

1. A Northern League Championship for the Goldeyes!!!

Watch for more blogs and more top tens as the year rolls along.

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Clubhouse Blog - December 3, 2009

2009-12-03T08:40:00.020-06:00

"OFF-SEASON'S GREETINGS"

It’s that time of year again. No, not preparing for the holidays (well that too!), but to start putting the club together for the upcoming season. I’ve often said the best time to be a manager in Indy baseball is from the middle of September to the end of November. There’s really not much to do except send out option letters. I must admit my first two years as manager, I made myself crazy feeling like I had to have 12 to 15 players signed by January 1. I’ve become much more relaxed and patient when it comes to getting names on contracts this time of year. In fact, I prefer to wait until February and March to do the bulk of my roster building. With that being said, I think at times I drive Andrew crazy with my preference to wait.

The 2010 roster building is off to a pretty good start. I’m very excited about the Eggleston trade. As much as I didn’t want to move Andrew Cruse, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to bring in a guy like Aharon Eggleston. In my opinion, he has gotten better each year both offensively and defensively. As everyone knows, he covers a lot of ground in the outfield, which should help our pitching. Offensively, I think he will be a great addition as well. I like the fact that he hits with men in scoring position and walks more than he strikes out, two areas we weren’t very good in last year. Aharon also gives the team a very good at-bat against left-handed pitching, which will make for some interesting decisions to be made by opposing managers late in games.

We have re-signed Zach and Ian, who were two of the best left-handed relievers in the league at the end of last year. We have also agreed to terms with four position players (can’t say who) from last year’s squad that were “BIG” (get it?) contributors to last year’s success. My plan is to have three-quarters of my infield, my DH and three outfielders signed by Christmas.

On a personal note, basketball season has started for the Forney family. David is on the 7th grade team and they won their first game last night 47-40. David had his best game ever, scoring 14 points and grabbing 16 rebounds. Can you tell I’m a proud papa? I coach Christopher’s 10U team. We have our first game this Saturday and we are looking forward to it.

Andrew and I are signed up for the Winnipeg Police Service Half Marathon to run the relay on Sunday, May 2. I will run the first leg and the BOSS will close it out. Sounds like a solid strategy for a last place finish. Come join us to support a great cause. Look at it as an opportunity to chase me around the streets of Winnipeg for six miles to discuss the roster, possible trades and the upcoming season. Click here
if you would like to support the Canadian Cancer Society by pledging our run.

Well, I'm off to get Erik ready for school before venturing on to the roof to hang some Christmas lights. Wish me luck!

Happy Holidays!

-- Rick Forney

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From the Desk of the GM - November 24, 2009

2009-11-24T10:40:00.008-06:00

“Field of Dreams Foundation Update”

It was another great year for the Winnipeg Goldeyes Field of Dreams Foundation, which means it’s going to be another great year for children’s charities in Manitoba. Goldeyes fans proved again why they are the best in sports, not just for their support of the team, but for their support of the team’s charitable foundation as well. The Foundation has been around since 1995 and has raised and distributed more than $1.2 million to children’s charities and amateur athletics in Manitoba.

Here are some highlights of the 2009 fundraising events and a look forward to the 2010 season:

• The 15th annual golf tournament, held on July 20, 2009 was a great time. The event was sold out for the 11th consecutive year and the weather couldn’t have been better. In a summer filled with cold and rainy days, we were very fortunate to have clear skies and a warm day.
• The 16th annual Golf tournament will be held at Bel Acres on Monday, July 12, 2010. If you are interested in sponsoring a hole, entering a team or entering yourself, give me a call at the office and I’ll send you the information. If you were in the tournament last year, you will be receiving a tax receipt and entry form in early January.
• The K’s for Kids program raised close to $15,000. This amount is almost $5,000 more than last year. A huge thank you to all who donated. Special thank you to Tony Fletcher and the good people at Fillmore Riley for coming on board as the program’s title sponsor and to Steve and Bonnie Heller, the “K couple”, for their support of the program and for putting up the k’s above the visitor’s dugout during every game.
• On Canada Day, the Goldeyes wore replicas of the uniforms worn by the 1999 Pan Am Games bronze medal winning Team Canada. For the remainder of the season, the jerseys were auctioned off and raised close to $4,000.
• Flashback Friday jerseys were auctioned off each Friday and the eight jerseys raised more than $1,700.
• Every home run that was hit at Canwest Park by a Goldeyes player meant $100 was donated to the Foundation by Lawton Partners. A total of 62 homers were hit at home, meaning $6,200 was put in the Foundation’s coffers thanks to the good folks at Lawton Partners. A huge thank you to Mark Mancini and Lawton Partners.
• A very generous couple, who have asked to remain anonymous, donated $10,000 to the Foundation for the fourth year in a row. I have thanked them in person, but if they are reading this, I will take this opportunity to say thank you again. The $40,000 they have donated has made a lot of kids’ dreams come true.
• The annual season ticket and skysuite holder World Series Party held on October 28 was not only a lot of fun, it also raised $1,900 for the Foundation.

Now that we have spent the summer raising the funds, the Foundation would like to spend part of the off-season giving it away. There are a few criteria that the board uses when selecting recipients. Some of the main criteria would be that the requesting charity be located in Manitoba, have a charitable tax number and be focused on the betterment of children’s lives. An on-line form is available by clicking here if you would like to request funding from the Foundation.

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Until next time…

From the Desk of the GM - November 5, 2009

2009-11-05T07:58:00.025-06:00

"Start spreadin' the news..."

Well, the 2009 World Series is in the books and the Yankees beat the Phillies in six games to claim their 27th title. It was a great series, one that will remembered for many reasons. A-Rod finally produced in the post-season, Andy Pettitte showed that he’s still got it, all the money the Yankees shelled out to get Teixeira, Sabathia, Burnett and Swisher paid huge dividends and Chase Utley was outstanding, tying Reggie Jackson’s 1977 record for home runs in a world series with five.

Game six saw Hideki Matsui blast a two-run shot in the second, a two-run single in the third, a two-run double in the fifth and that was all the Yankees needed behind the impressive pitching of Pettitte. Matsui hit .615 in the series, was named MVP and his six RBI in game six tied a world series record. Pettitte, the winningest pitcher in post-season history (18) left the game in the top of the sixth with a 7-3 lead. The Yankees bullpen locked things down from there with Mariano Rivera, the all-time saves leader in world series history, doing what he does best by recording the final five outs.

History was repeated in some ways in 2009. In 1923, the Yankees opened the original Yankee Stadium and went on to win that year’s world series in six games over the New York Giants. In 2009, the Yankees opened the new $1.5 billion Yankee Stadium and won the world series in six. Check out USA Today’s Mel Antonen’s article here - for more on the similarities between 1923 and 2009.

So now we wait. We wait through the cold winter until the boys of summer head back to Florida or Arizona to begin another spring training. Shortly after the big leagues get underway our thoughts will turn to another Northern League season and look forward to what is sure to be a great 2010. Everyone around the Goldeyes office is very excited about the upcoming year with the two new teams in Rockford and Lake County joining the league. Judging by the comments I’ve heard from season ticket and mini pack holders, and even some casual observers of the Goldeyes and the league, I think the office’s excitement is shared by others as well.

If you are a current Goldeyes mini pack or season ticket holder, thank you for your continued support and we look forward to seeing you in the spring. If you are a former ticket holder who was waiting for the league to expand, or if you have thought about picking up a package, now’s the perfect time to do it. There are great seats and great packages available. We’ve got many exciting events planned for the 2010 season including more fireworks nights. Check out the ticket page at goldeyes.com by clicking here. If you see a package you like, and would like to find out what seats are available, give Blake (blake@goldeyes.com) or Dennis (dennis@goldeyes.com) a call in the box office at 982-2273 and they would be happy to pick some out for you.

In the meantime, for all my fellow Yankee fans out there, here's Frank singing New York New York.

Opening day is only a little over six months away, May 20 vs. the Lake County Fielders!

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Until next time…

From the Desk of the GM - October 28, 2009

2009-10-28T12:26:00.008-05:00

"Wednesday Mailbag"

Here's a note I received from the PA voice of the Goldeyes, Ron Arnst, with his take on this year's World Series and instant replay in baseball:

I don’t know who to cheer for in the World Series. Cheering for the Yankees and Pay-Roid doesn’t sit well with me. I would cheer for the Phillies but they sent Coste to Houston so they are off the list. Besides they beat Sherrill. Boo on them. So I guess I will cheer for the umpires. It appears they need the help.

On that topic (umpires and replay), I believe it is inevitable. The baseball traditionalist in me is not in favour of it – but you can’t ignore the future. My argument against replay technology and “challenges” is based on watching a few games over my life. How many times have you seen a player complain intensely about a ball-and-strike call and then swing at a pitch 2 feet outside or in the dirt? I think one of the things that keeps baseball apart – and I believe elevates it above other pro sports – is its long history, tradition and unrelenting reliance on the human factor. For better or for worse. Baseball is about stories. Reduce the human element and you will reduce the quantity and the quality of the stories. Let ‘em play, I say.

However, I believe replay will come to baseball sooner rather than later. If it has to come, I agree that a limited number of challenges (one per game is good) sounds like the best way to go. To help offset the time lost while we all wait around for a challenge to be decided, I suggest a couple of other changes. I believe we should also limit the number of times a batter can step out of the box to one per at bat and I believe we should limit the number of visits to the mound by the catcher or other players to one per inning. This would not include visits made by the manager or pitching coach. I see no entertainment value in watching a hitter adjust his gloves, sweatbands, cap, shirt, pants, socks and rebalance his investment portfolio after every pitch. I also don’t get a huge kick out of watching a mound meeting three times per half inning. Call me crazy but I think baseball would be better with less posturing and more playing. - Ron Arnst

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Until next time…

From the Desk of the GM - October 27, 2009

2009-10-27T10:35:00.003-05:00

“World Series 2009 and Instant Replay”

The 2009 World Series will feature the Phillies and the Yankees. So, my prognostication wasn’t bang on, only 50% right. The Phillies were just too much for the Dodgers both on the mound and at the plate. The Yankees seem to be firing on all cylinders as well. A-Rod is doing what a guy paid $50 million per year should be doing, and the two huge off-season acquisitions in Sabathia and Burnett are, thus far, making Brian Cashman look like a genius. Andy Pettite hasn’t looked too bad either for an “old” guy.

It should be a great series played out in two places that will have similar weather to Winnipeg in late October/early November. It’s going to be cold and windy so it will be interesting which team is most affected. The Phillies didn’t seem to have any issues with the cold last year and will be looking to be the first team to repeat as champions since the Yankees did it back in 1999 & 2000.

One common theme to this year’s post-season has been incredibly bad umpiring. There haven’t just been a few bang-bang plays missed, there have been more than a few blatant terrible calls, right in front of the ump making the call. In this writer’s humble opinion, it is time for instant replay to be used in major league baseball, and for more than just home run calls. The technology is there, why not use it? Why not get the call right? The NFL uses it, as does the NHL. Mr. Selig needs to embrace technology instead of continuing to stick his head in the sand and pretend it isn’t there, or that it doesn’t belong in the game.

While listening to a sports talk show on the drive home this week, a sports writer was discussing instant replay and his thoughts on what should happen. His idea was to have each team be allowed one challenge per game. One challenge per game by each team is not going to dramatically increase the length of the games. If each team has one challenge, they aren’t going to use it to challenge a close play at first, or whether a guy was tagged out trying to steal second. They will use them on plays similar to the play in the Yankees/Angels game where Nick Swisher was called out on appeal for tagging up too soon on a fly ball. If that play was challenged it would have taken about four seconds for replay to show that he did not tag too early and the run would have stood. That game ended up being a blow out, but what if the Yankees had lost that game by one run?

If you agree with me on instant replay, or not, or if you want to give me your prediction on the outcome of the World Series, send me a note to andrew@goldeyes.com. Also, let me know in your email if I can use it in an upcoming blog.

I’m sticking with my earlier prediction of the Yankees winning it all in 6.

Go Yankees!

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Until next time…

From the Desk of the GM - October 13, 2009

2009-10-13T08:14:00.009-05:00

"MLB Playoff update"

The first round of the MLB playoffs are now in the books. The first round provided some very exciting baseball with some great come from behind wins, a few dropped balls, a few blown saves and some great production from some guys that are expected to produce. George Sherrill pitched in all three wins for the Dodgers, picking up his first post-season victory in game one.

In the ALCS it will be the Yankees against the Angels and in the NLCS it will be the Dodgers and Phillies. The Phillies are looking to become the first team to repeat as World Series champs since the Yankees won three in a row from 1998-2000.

The two teams I predicted to be in the finals are still alive with the Dodgers and Yankees both advancing. It would be great to see Joe Torre face his former team in the finals.

Here's an email I received from Goldeyes season ticket holder Craig Kuhlman (the Kuhlman's are also a Goldeyes host family), with his predictions. The email was sent to me before the Phillies won Monday's night's game in Colorado to advance.

Just finished reading your latest blog. I'm late here, but I'm going to pick the Phillies to repeat. I was rooting for the Twins, but that didn't work out so well. I've been a lifelong Cubs fan, so I was very happy to see the Cards get swept! Anyway, I'm like you even though I love the Cubs, Reggie was always one of my favorite players growing up. From the time I got into baseball at the age of six in 1977, and when I got the chance to see him live when our family went to the Metrodome in 1985 against the A's, I've always loved Mr. October. - Craig Kuhlman

Feel free to send me your thoughts and picks as the CS's get underway.

Go Yankees!

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Until next time…

From the Desk of the GM - October 8, 2009

2009-10-08T14:09:00.006-05:00

"The MLB Playoffs are Here!"

If you are a fan of baseball - which I have always been - the first round of the MLB playoffs is something to look forward to. Ever since they added a wild card team from each league into the playoff mix in 1995, there are usually three games a day for the first week of the playoffs. If you aren’t a huge baseball fan, I can only assume that having your significant other change the channel to the baseball game during each commercial break on the show you are trying to watch can be somewhat annoying.

Having said all that, today’s blog will feature my predictions on the outcome of this year’s playoffs. Before I get to my predictions, a few notes on some of the teams involved:

• What the Twins accomplished just to get into the playoffs is amazing. They were seven games back of the Tigers a month ago; three back with four to play; lost Justin Morneau to a back injury three weeks ago; and needed to win 16 of 20 just to force the one game playoff with the Tigers. And then, to make things even more exciting, they won the 163rd game in the 12th inning.
• If a team features a former Goldeyes player or staff member, I will cheer for them. George Sherrill pitches for the Dodgers and Dong Lien is the strength and conditioning coach for the Phillies, so in the first round of the NL playoffs I will definitely be a Dodgers and Phillies fan. If they both advance to the NLCS, I’ll have to lean towards George’s Dodgers since Dong already got a ring last year.
• The Red Sox have won it all twice in the last five years, and have defeated the Angels in the first round in 2004, 2007 and 2008, so I’ll be cheering for the Angels to get past the Sox.
• The Cards have arguably the best player in baseball in Albert Pujols, along with great starting pitching, so I'm sure many will be picking them to go all the way.

I make no secret that I have been a Yankees fan for as long as I can remember. Reggie Jackson was my favorite player, I loved the way Billy Martin managed with great intensity and Goose Gossage was lights out when he stepped on the mound in the late innings.

Well, that was a roundabout way of getting to my picks for who will be in the World Series, and who will ultimately be drinking champagne on the field sometime during the first week of November.

My pick: Yankees vs. Dodgers in the World Series, with the Yankees winning it all in 6.

Think I’m out of my mind? That’s okay, you’re not alone. Send me your comments and picks to andrew@goldeyes.com and I’ll post some of them in upcoming blogs during the playoffs.

Go Yankees!

For up to the minute information about the Goldeyes, check us out on Twitter.

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Until next time…

From the desk of the GM - October 2, 2009

2009-10-02T08:08:00.005-05:00

“Miscellaneous News and Information”

Now that we are almost a month removed from our final game of the season, I wanted to mention some very exciting happenings around the Goldeyes office. So, here it goes in no particular order.

• CFO Jason McRae-King and his wife Jen welcomed their third child on September 24, a little girl named Poet Liv Ellena. Poet’s sisters Meguire and Piper-Prairie are very excited about the new addition to their home.
• Goldeyes radio guy Paul Edmonds wed his beautiful bride Tanis on September 19. The wedding was a spectacular event held outside at their homestead, appropriately named the “Triple Play Ranch”.
• Former Goldeyes pitcher Matt Davis and his wife Jamie became parents for the first time with the arrival of Matthew Walter Davis on September 27.
• Shane Tucker, who served as the team’s Director of Retail Operations for just shy of two years, is returning to the MTS Centre to work in concert retail operations. Shane did a great job for the Goldeyes including bringing some fantastic new retail items to the Dugout Store at the ballpark. September 30 was Shane’s last day with the Goldeyes. Megan Tucker joined us on October 1 as our new Director of Retail Operations, welcome Megan!
• Bonnie Benson (front desk receptionist) and boyfriend Kevin are expecting a child due on Christmas Eve.
• Communications director Jonathan Green and wife Dayna moved into their brand new home on September 15 and will celebrate their first wedding anniversary on Thanksgiving Day, October 12.
• Box office manager Kevin Arnst and Beth Jackson were engaged on July 2 and will tie the knot on October 9, 2010.

Congratulations and good luck to all!

Finally, while this isn’t regarding a Goldeyes staff member, I would be remiss if I didn’t wish my brother Doug a very happy birthday today. Happy birthday Doug!

For up to the minute information about the Goldeyes, check us out on Twitter.

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Until next time…

From the Desk of the GM - September 16, 2009

2009-09-16T09:52:00.045-05:00

"End of Season Edition"

Another season has come to an end and with it the hopes of winning a championship for the first time since 1994. It would be easy to dwell on the negatives of losing that hard fought battle with Fargo, but I’d rather make this edition of the GM blog about the positives of the season, and there were many. The Goldeyes finished the year with 55 wins, the most since Rick Forney took over as manager and good enough for second place overall, two games back of the RailCats.

Even with one of the worst summers in recorded history for Manitoba, Goldeyes fans proved why they are the best and most supportive in independent baseball. A total of 278,099 fans came through the Canwest Park gates during the regular season for an average of 6,180 which was tops in all of independent baseball. Even more impressive were the great crowds that came out to show their support during the playoffs. Over the three home games in early September, an average of 5,373 cheered on the Goldeyes against the RedHawks.

Juan Diaz

Juan had a fantastic season in his first year in a Goldeyes uniform. He quickly became a fan favourite as was evident every time he came to the plate at Canwest Park, a hush would fall over the crowd in anticipation of what the big guy might do. He hit 15 of his 29 dingers at home and then hit another one at home during the playoffs. It would be great to see #44 back in the lineup next year. Here are some of Juan's stats and honours for the year:

29 home runs (ties franchise record)
90 runs batted in (franchise record)
.598 slugging percentage (1st in the league)
213 total bases (1st in the league)
.981 OPS (1st in the league)
NL all-star DH
Player of the Week - week of July 19 and August 9

Ace Walker

After the great second half that Ace had for us last year, Ace had high hopes for his second year in the Northern League. He started out strong, going 5-1 in his first 10 starts and ended the year with 12 wins to lead the league and was rewarded with the Northern League Pitcher of the Year Award. Here are some of Ace's stats and honours for the year:

Northern League Pitcher of the Year
12 wins (1st in the league)
6 complete games (1st in the league and franchise record)
149 innings pitched (tied franchise record)
NL all-star RHP
Pitcher of the Week - week of June 14 and August 2
Rawlings Pitcher of the Month for June

Josh Asanovich

In his first season with the Goldeyes and first in independent baseball, Josh was solid as he anchored the second base position. In 80 games he committed just 8 errors and turned some spectacular double plays with Wes Long and Adam Frost. Here are some of Josh's stats and honours for the year:
.285 average
22 doubles
3 triples
9 home runs
32 RBI
NL all-star 2B

Adam Frost

After starting the season as the Goldeyes utility player off the bench, Adam was thrust into the starting shortstop position after the season ending injury to Wes Long on June 30. He ended the season hitting .280 and was third in the league in stolen bases with 30. He impressed those around the league so much that he was awarded the Northern League Rookie of the Year award, becoming just the third Goldeyes player to receive that award since 1994. Here are some of Adam's stats and honours for the year:

.280 average
11 doubles
3 triples
5 home runs (including two game winning walk off home runs)
19 RBI
30 stolen bases (3rd in the league)
Northern League Rookie of the Year

Organization of the Year
For the fourth time in seven years, the Goldeyes were selected as the Northern League’s Organization of the Year. This award is one that all Goldeyes staff and fans should feel extremely proud of and a part of. It’s a combination of the hard work put in by the full and part time staff and the fans support of the team year in and year out that results in this award.

K's for Kids Program

Since being formed in 1995, the Field of Dreams Foundation has raised and distributed more than $1.1 million to children's charities in Manitoba. One of the ways the foundation raises funds is through the Fillmore Riley K's for Kids program. The program has been running since 2001 and the highest per strikeout total that has been pledged, prior to this year was in 2004 when $16.54 per strikeout was pledged by fans. By taking a more proactive approach to the program this year, the current total per strikeout pledge sits at $26.71. A huge thank you to everyone who has sent in their pledge forms so far, invoices and receipts will be sent out soon. However, there is still time to get your forms in and who knows, maybe we can get that number up to $30 or $40 per strikeout before all is said and done. There were 318 strikeouts tossed at home by Goldeyes pitchers this year, so a pledge of $0.10 per strikeout will cost you just $31.80 and you will receive a charitable tax receipt for every penny of that donation. Forms are available by clicking here. We will be accepting forms until the end of September, then the final invoices and receipts will be sent out.

Thank you to everyone who has supported and continues to support the Winnipeg Goldeyes. We wouldn't still be here after 16 great years if it wasn't for you, the fans. Myself, along with everyone in the front office, the game day staff, the players and the coaching staff, all salute you, you are the best.

Please keep checking back as I will keep you updated on the off-season goings on around the Goldeyes office.

Until next time…

From the Desk of the GM - August 31, 2009

2009-08-31T08:45:00.023-05:00

"Playoff Edition"

Regardless of the outcome of tonight's fan appreciation game (7 pm at Canwest), the Goldeyes will finish the 2009 regular season in second place. With Fargo finishing third, the Goldeyes will face their arch rivals from North Dakota in the first round which is a best of five series.

Here are some historical facts and stats about the Goldeyes and RedHawks:

- The RedHawks and Goldeyes have not faced each other in the playoffs since 2006. In that series, the Goldeyes took the first two games in Fargo before coming home to Winnipeg. The RedHawks took games 3 and 4 in Winnipeg and then won a very exciting game 5 that was played back at Newman Outdoor Field.
- The Fish have not defeated the Hawks in a playoff series since 2001.
- In 2009, the teams each won 9 games. The Goldeyes were 5-4 in Fargo and the RedHawks were 5-4 in Winnipeg.
- Fargo is currently first in team batting average with a .292 mark and is fourth in team ERA at 4.79.
- Winnipeg is third in team batting average, sitting at .276 and is first in team ERA with 4.24.
- Winnipeg has hit a total of 119 homers compared with Fargo's 113.
- This is the 9th playoff meeting with the RedHawks having the lead at 5-3
- All-time playoff record for Winnipeg vs. Fargo is 14-18; at Winnipeg Stadium 2-3, at Canwest Park 4-6 and at Newman Outdoor Field 8-9.

Here is the schedule:

Wednesday, September 2 - at Newman Outdoor Field - 6 pm
Thursday, September 3 - at Newman Outdoor Field - 6 pm
Friday, September 4 - at Canwest Park - 7 pm
Saturday, September 5 - at Canwest Park - 6 pm (if necessary)
Sunday, September 6 - at Canwest Park - - 7 pm(if necessary)

All games can be heard live on 1290 CFRW AM or at www.cfrw.ca with the voice of the Goldeyes Paul Edmonds calling the play by play.

Tickets for all playoff games can be purchased at the Canwest Park box office, by calling 780-3333 or by visiting www.ticketmaster.ca or by clicking the links above for each game.

In the other first round matchup, Kansas City (#4 seed) will be looking to defend their Northern League title when they face Gary (#1 seed). That series will start in KC on Wednesday and Thursday before moving back to the Steel Yard for games 3, 4 and 5 (if necessary).

Playoff baseball is always exciting, but anytime the Goldeyes and RedHawks get together, the excitement and intensity moves to a whole new level. The players would love to see a full house on Friday night when Fargo comes to town. Hope to see everyone there!

For up to the minute information about the Goldeyes, check us out on Twitter.

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Until next time…

From the Desk of the GM - August 21, 2009

2009-08-21T08:09:00.011-05:00

“Upcoming homestand – August 24-26 & 28-31, 2009”

Only 7 regular season home games left. Here’s what’s going on at Canwest Park next week:

Monday, August 24 vs. Joliet JackHammers – 7 p.m. – Put on those cowboy boots, old blue jeans and Stetson hat and come on down to the ballpark for Country Night sponsored by QX104. Hear some great country tunes by Holly Vee and the Coyotes on the Winnipeg Free Press entertainment stage on the promenade before the game and then listen during the game as Paul Duque dusts off the old slide guitar. Okay, so maybe he’ll be playing pre-recorded music from a computer, but since you can’t see him, how would you know?

Tuesday, August 25 vs. JackHammers – 7 p.m. Magnum Oil and the good folks at Quaker State are the sponsors of this game. The first 5,000 through the gates will each receive a car air freshener courtesy of Magnum Oil.

Wednesday, August 26 vs. JackHammers – 7 p.m. – Field of Dreams Night. We will be recognizing many of the charities who received funding from the Winnipeg Goldeyes Field of Dreams Foundation during the pre-game. This would be a perfect night to hand in your K’s for Kids form to the Subway Fan Services Booth. Don’t have a form yet? No problem! Download one right here. We will also be handing out $1,000 scholarships to three Baseball Manitoba members.

Friday, August 28 vs. Schaumburg Flyers – 7 p.m. – Flashback Friday #8 – Ryan Robertson
will be here wearing his familiar #24 jersey, throwing out the opening pitch, signing autographs and saying hello to some old and new friends. Don’t forget, that jersey that he will be wearing for the opening pitch will be autographed by Ryan and auctioned off during the game. Goldeyes will be wearing the retro jerseys and hats again for the last time during the 2009 season, unless of course they make an appearance during the playoffs.

Saturday, August 29 vs. Flyers – 6 p.m. - Way back in October, the voice of the Goldeyes, Paul Edmonds was selected as the Broadcaster of the Year by the publishers of Ballparkdigest.com. The editor of the website, Kevin Reichard will be on hand in the pre-game to make a presentation to Paul in recognition of this very well deserved award.

Please note - this presentation will now take place prior to the game on Friday, August 28.

Sunday, August 30 vs. Flyers – 1:30 p.m. – The fun gets underway at 9 a.m. on this second to last day of the regular season. The Goldeyes Fun Run starts and ends at Canwest Park at 9. The route will take runners and walkers through a fantastic downtown route. Following the run/walk there will be great food, prizes and of course, a great ballgame. Download a form here or check out the Running Room website to register.

Pickup a second half team photo on your way into the ballpark then head down to the field to get it signed by all your favourite Goldeyes players and coaches. On-field autograph session takes place from 12:30 to 1 p.m. on Sunday.

Monday, August 31 vs. Flyers – 7 p.m. – It’s the last regular season home game of 2009 so that means Fan Appreciation Day! We will be handing out 5,000 sets of player cards and nine lucky fans will win a complete autographed team set, all compliments of the good people at Rogers. After the game, Archangel Fireworks will be putting on what will no doubt be the best show of the season.

The 2009 playoffs are right around the corner. Please keep checking www.goldeyes.com for details about when the Goldeyes will be at home. Tickets are on sale now by calling 780-3333, on-line at www.ticketmaster.ca or by visiting the Canwest Park box office.

Here are the dates of the playoff games which will depend where the Goldeyes finish in the standings (both post-season series are best of five):

1. If the Goldeyes finish 1st or 2nd:
• Game 1 – at seed 3 or 4 – Wednesday, September 2
• Game 2 – at seed 3 or 4 – Thursday, September 3
• Game 3 – at Canwest Park – Friday, September 4 – 7:00 p.m.
• Game 4 – at Canwest Park – Saturday, September 5 – 6:00 p.m. (if necessary)
• Game 5 – at Canwest Park – Sunday, September 6 – 1:30 p.m. (if necessary)

2. If the Goldeyes finish 3rd:
• Game 1 – at Canwest Park – Wednesday, September 2 – 7:00 p.m.
• Game 2 – at Canwest Park – Thursday, September 3 – time TBA
• Game 3 – at seed 2 – Friday, September 4
• Game 4 – at seed 2 – Saturday, September 5 (if necessary)
• Game 5 – at seed 2 – Sunday, September 6 (if necessary)

Until next time…

From the Desk of the GM - August 13, 2009

2009-08-13T08:06:00.020-05:00

"Upcoming homestand - August 17-19, 2009"

Only 10 regular season home games left. Here’s what’s going on at Canwest Park next week:

Monday, August 17 vs. Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks – 7 p.m. – We celebrate the 40th anniversary of Woodstock at the park this night. Woodstock was a music festival that took place on a farm in rural New York state between August 15 and 18, 1969. Who better to sponsor a tribute to Woodstock than the station that brings us all the classic rock hits than 92 CITI FM? If you weren’t around during this time, or were too young to remember it, or were around but don’t remember it for other reasons, read all about it here. Come dressed in your favourite 60’s-era attire and enjoy some classic tunes and a great ball game.

Tuesday, August 18 vs. RedHawks – 6 p.m. – Due to those back to back rainouts we had in June, tonight’s event is a double header starting at 6 p.m. Fireworks after the game provided by our good friends at Archangel Fireworks. Game sponsor for the double header is Canadian Footwear. The good folks at Canadian Footwear are asking fans attending that game to bring along a pair of new or gently used shoes and new socks which will be given to those less fortunate.

Wednesday, August 19 vs. RedHawks – Noon – Our third and final weekday nooner of the season. This is a great day to take an extended lunch break and watch some baseball. Game sponsor for this afternoon game is WalMart.

A few final notes... a very happy 15th wedding anniversary to my brother Doug and his wife Ronda. All the best to you both and best wishes on many more years together.

Congrats to Lorraine Maciboric and the organizers of the Princess Auto and Tallman Foundation golf tournament on August 12. It was a great day and all for a very good cause. Great job!

For up to the minute information about the Goldeyes, check us out on Twitter.

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Until next time…

From the Desk of the GM - August 5, 2009

2009-08-05T08:03:00.011-05:00

"Favourite Goldeyes Memory - Part II"

From Mickey Steen

“The number 1 memory would be that June 1994 evening when under the guidance of Sam Katz, Professional Baseball returned to Winnipeg after way too many years away. Having to call the football stadium a ballpark was a little far fetched but the best at the time.
Number 2 – June of 1999 and walking into an actual ballpark, Canwest Global, seeing construction workers still busy but looking out onto a baseball diamond, what a fantastic feeling.
Number 3 – Goldeyes beating Fargo anytime, but do recall 1997 1st round of the playoffs, Goldeyess losing the first 2 at home and then going into Fargo and winning 3 straight, how sweet it was.
Number 4 – The Goldeyes team of 2001 was probably one of the best Winnipeg fans had the opportunity to watch, Cappuccio, Ortiz, Robertson, Sachs, Myrow, Raffy, "Tiny" Thomas, to name a few.
Number 5 – The Winnipeg Goldeyes Organization, right from the beginning in 1994 to todays 2009 group, an outstanding job and each and every one of you should be proud of a job "done well".

Could keep going but better cut it off here. Well done.

p.s. Also a great memory was former Goldeyes player, Nolan Lane, playing with Gary, coming in to Canwest in 2002, hit a home run, took himself out of the line-up and retired as a player."

From Rocky McLellan

“One of my favorite Goldeyes memories occurred on Friday, June 24, 2005, it was the 33rd game of the season and the Goldeyes were playing the St. Paul Saints, who had decided to have their championship ring ceremony that night, and the Goldeyes came away with a 4-3 victory. I was elated with that particular victory since championship ring ceremonies are usually held during the home opener of the following season.”

Feel free to keep sending me your Goldeyes memories, I will be posting them as the season continues.

For up to the minute information about the Goldeyes, check us out on Twitter.

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Until next time…

From the Desk of the GM - July 30, 2009

2009-07-30T07:45:00.015-05:00

“Upcoming homestand – August 4-9, 2009”

It’s hard to believe there are just 16 regular season home games remaining this season. The season has flown by so far. There are some great games coming up with some special guests and some great promotions. Check them out:

Tuesday, August 4 vs. Joliet JackHammers – 7 p.m. – It’s Luau Night at the ballpark with game sponsor and good friend of the Goldeyes, the Manitoba Pork Council. Everyone knows a guy who likes to wear Hawaiian shirts all the time, to pretty much any event, well, here’s your chance to bring that guy to a place where he won’t stick out like a sore thumb. Fortunately for me, I am that guy, so with my wardrobe, I’ll fit right in! The sound and fury experts from Archangel Fireworks will be here to put on their usual spectacular show after the game.

On Tuesday, August 4, several members of the Goldeyes will drop by city libraries to read to children in their annual effort to promote literacy and support the summer reading club. It’s the eleventh year for the promotion and will see players visit the following libraries:
• Fort Garry - 1360 Pembina Highway
• Louis Riel - 1168 Dakota Street
• Sir William Stephenson - 765 Keewatin Avenue
• Westwood - 66 Allard Avenue
• West Kildonan - 365 Jefferson Avenue

Wednesday, August 5 vs. JackHammers – 7 p.m. – Library Night. We will be collecting books this night to be donated to those less fortunate. Quoting a press release from resident communications guru, Jonathan Green, “Donated books can be dropped off next Wednesday (August 5) as fans enter the ballpark. The Water Stewardship Minister Christine Melnick will have about 60 volunteers collecting and boxing the books, including reps from the Girl Guides of Canada, the Manitoba Book Publishers Association, the Prairie Pathfinders, the Winnipeg Trails Association and the Canada/Manitoba Business Service Centre.”

Again on Wednesday, August 5, Goldeyes players will be reading to children at Winnipeg libraries. The Goldeyes will visit the following libraries this day:
• Henderson - 1-1050 Henderson Highway
• Millennium - 251 Donald Street
• St. James-Assiniboia - 1910 Portage Avenue
• St. Vital - 6 Fermor Avenue

Thursday, August 6 vs. JackHammers – 7 p.m. – Pajama Party and bed giveaway. Fans are invited to wear their PJ’s to the park this night. One lucky fan will walk away with a Queen Size Serta Perfect Sleeper bed courtesy of our very good friends at Dufresne Furniture & Appliance and Serta Mattress. All you have to do to be eligible to win is be at the game. If we draw your seat location, you win!

Game sponsor is Monart and they will be giving away three beautiful Babe Ruth framed prints and will be auctioning off a third, with proceeds to the Goldeyes Field of Dreams Foundation.

Friday, August 7 vs. Schaumburg Flyers – 7 p.m. – Flashback Friday with Chad Thornhill. Come down to the park and say hi (or hola, he speaks fluent Spanish) to former shortstop and coach Chad Thornhill. Chad will be throwing out the opening pitch, signing autographs and saying hi to old and new friends.

Also on this night, thanks to 3M Automotive and Rondex (Brett MacNeil and Bret Greenwood), Todd Scott (world famous duct tape sculptor) is going to make a sculpture of Goldie using 3M Masking Tape. It will be a departure from what he usually does because masking tape doesn't boast the same colours or pliability as duct tape. So it will be a test for him. It will be interactive. He will already have a finished product at the game and kids will be invited to help with the sculpture and colour it (with markers).

Saturday, August 8 vs. Flyers – 6 p.m. – End of the Roll is the game sponsor this night. Season ticket and corporate sponsors will enjoy a pre-game BBQ with the players and have the opportunity to watch batting practice.

Sunday, August 9 vs. Flyers – 1:30 p.m. – Tin Lunch box giveaway. The first 2,500 fans through the gates will receive a tin lunchbox courtesy of Pepsi. Anyone who has kids knows how valuable these not only fashionable but also functional items can be.

Coming up soon, more Goldeyes memories submitted by readers of this blog.

For up to the minute information about the Goldeyes, check us out on Twitter.

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Until next time…

From the Desk of the GM - July 29, 2009

2009-07-29T14:07:00.025-05:00

"Favourite Goldeyes Memory"

In the last edition of this blog, I talked about Donnie Smith jersey retirement night on July 21 as being one of my favourite Goldeyes memories. I then invited readers to submit their favourites. I picked a few good ones and posted them below.

From Michael Elves -

“Thankfully - and unsurprisingly - I've had a lot of great Goldeyes memories over the years, but if I had to choose it would likely be Demetrius Heath's suicide squeeze last summer to win the game against our biggest rivals, Fargo. Thirteenth inning, clutch play and one that I had never seen before other than on a highlight reel. The game had gone on loooong, some of our friends had left but we stuck it out and I was so glad we had.”
- Goldeyes vs. RedHawks – August 12, 2008 – Goldeyes won 6-5 in 13 innings.

From Josh Buchholz (General Manager – Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks)

“My favorite Goldeyes memory is Game 3 of the 1998 playoffs…Sparks vs. Schmidt…even though we lost…greatest game I’ve ever seen.”

- Goldeyes vs. RedHawks – September 6, 1998 – Fish won 6-5 in 13 innings.
- George Schmidt for Fargo went 6 1/3 in relief giving up one run.
- Jeff Sparks for Winnipeg went 5 1/3 in relief giving up one hit, no runs and 12 strikeouts.

Feel free to keep the memory emails coming to andrew@goldeyes.com, I will be revisiting this theme as the summer goes on.

Next blog will feature the next six game homestand which starts Tuesday, August 4 and ends Sunday, August 9.

For up to the minute information about the Goldeyes, check us out on Twitter.

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Until next time…

From the Desk of the GM - July 24, 2009

2009-07-24T11:00:00.028-05:00

"Favourite Goldeyes Memory"

I've been with the Goldeyes almost since day one in 1994. I joined the team about 10 games into the season that year. Using some quick math, I think I've seen over 700 home games during the last 15+ seasons. There have been so many great memories at both Winnipeg Stadium and Canwest Park, it's hard to pick one that would be at the top of the list for my favourite.

This past Tuesday, July 21 would certainly be in the top 5. The jersey retirement ceremony for Donnie Smith was an event I will remember for a long time. This night wasn't just about retiring the number of one of the best pitchers in Goldeyes and Northern League history, it was more than that. It was a night to celebrate what Donnie went through just to be able to walk out on field to take part in the festivities. Many readers of this blog know all about Donnie's health problems and the very scary moments that occurred at St. Boniface Hospital during the spring.

Seeing Donnie, his wife Tara and sons Tyler and Colson on the field that night and the joy on their faces when the curtain dropped uncovering the "SMITH 21" sign in left field, was something I won't soon forget.

Judging by the lineup for autographs, which lasted the entire game, Donnie still has a lot of fans in Winnipeg. Even with five skysuites full of friends and family waiting to visit with him during the game, he not only signed autographs for the first three innings, he came back to the concourse and signed for another three innings after his tv and radio interviews were finished in the sixth.

The entire ceremony went off without a hitch, from the Goldeyes players and baseball buddies all wearing Smith t-shirts, to the presentations of the framed jersey from Scott Neiles and Rick Forney to the presentation of a Goldeyes ring and Community Service award from Sam Katz.

Now that I've shared one of my favourite memories, I'd like to hear yours. Send me a note at andrew@goldeyes.com and I'll post some of them in my next blog. Please let me know if you would like your name posted along with your note.

For up to the minute information about the Goldeyes, check us out on Twitter.

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Until next time…

From the Desk of the GM - July 16, 2009

2009-07-16T08:04:00.035-05:00

“Upcoming homestand – July 21-26, 2009”

We've packed a ton of great stuff into these next six games:

Tuesday, July 21 vs. Kansas City T-Bones – 7 p.m. – Donnie Smith Night – This is a game a lot of fans and Goldeyes staff members have been looking forward to since we announced the jersey retirement on January 21. For the past six months, we have been hard at work planning this night and the pre-game ceremony that will honour the local lad for his accomplishments and dedication to the Goldeyes organization on and off the field since 1998. The ceremony should be a fun event and no doubt emotional for Donnie, his wife Tara, their two boys Tyler and Colson, their parents and friends who will be in attendance.

The first 2,500 fans at the park will receive a fantastic canvas print of Donnie Smith, sponsored by Pepsi and the Winnipeg Free Press.

Wednesday, July 22 vs. T-Bones – 7 p.m. – Shirt off our Backs Night – Come on down to the park this night and have a chance to go on field and take a jersey right off a players back. We will be giving these game worn items away using such methods as lucky program and fishlines prizes, seat location draws and some other top secret methods. Cambrian Credit Union has been the sponsor of this fantastic theme game since 1997. It is with their help, we have been able to give away more than 140 Goldeyes players and coaches jerseys over the past 12 years.

Thursday, July 23 vs. T-Bones – 6 p.m. – Turn Back the Clock Night – We turn back the clocks to the 50's and 60's next Thursday. Starting things off will be Free Ride performing as the Beatles on the Winnipeg Free Press entertainment stage on the promenadedue prior to the game. After the game, Free Ride will be back to perform as the Rolling Stones. Due to weather we’ve had this spring and early summer that hasn't been conducive to growing corn, the players won’t be running through a corn field in left field, but they will be driven on field in vintage T-Birds. Goldeyes players will be wearing their 50's uniforms and watch out for the Goldeyes staff who will be doing their best (or worst) "Grease" impressions.

Friday, July 24 vs. Gary SouthShore RailCats – 7 p.m. – Flashback Friday with Rafael Gross. Raffy was not only one of the best pitchers ever to wear a Goldeyes uniform, but was also one of the finest pitchers in Northern League history. A few highlights of Raffy’s career:

• Baseball America All-Independent team in 2001 and 2003
• Three-time Northern League All-Star
• Goldeyes franchise leader in victories with 36
• Northern League Pitcher of the Year in 2003
• Selected to the All-Goldeyes team in 2003

Fireworks after the game! This is the rescheduled fireworks show that was originally scheduled for July 10, however, due to the 15 inning affair that night, noise by-laws prevented us from shooting them off that night. Archangel Fireworks continues to provide shows full of shock and awe.

Saturday, July 25 vs. Gary – 6 p.m. – Christmas in July – with the weather we’ve had for most of the spring and summer, it’s almost felt like Christmas since December, so instead of dwelling on the below normal temperatures, we’re going to celebrate it on July 25! The ballpark will be decorated like it’s December 25th and throughout the game, we will be giving away nine $50 gift certificates for Granny’s so you will have a head start when the real thing rolls around in five months. Watch for the Manitoba Hydro float on the promenade and a display table on the concourse where you can get information about next November’s Manitoba Hydro Power Smart Parade.

Sunday, July 26 vs. Gary – 7 p.m. – Dave the Horn Guy – the fourth and final entertainment act of the summer. Dave has a lot to live up to after Mad Chad, Quick Change and Brian Glow were all spectacular in entertaining the fans.

How do I get tickets to these action packed games you might ask? Simply call 780-3333, visit the Goldeyes box office or click on the following links for each specific game:

Tuesday, July 21 at 7 pm
Wednesday, July 22 at 7 pm
Thursday, July 23 at 6 pm
Friday, July 24 at 7 pm
Saturday, July 25 at 6 pm
Sunday, July 26 at 1:30 pm

For up to the minute information about the Goldeyes, check us out on Twitter.

GoldeyesGM on Twitter
Winnipeg Goldeyes on Twitter

Until next time…

From the Desk of the GM - July 10, 2009

2009-07-10T10:00:00.044-05:00

"Upcoming series information, etc."

With the first half in the books, we look forward to the second half of the schedule and hopefully the team can duplicate or better their first half successes.

At the 2009 Northern League All-Star Game in Joliet this past Tuesday, the Goldeyes represented Winnipeg and the Great Plains team very well. Read all about who did what here.
Here are a few photos from the all-star break featuring Chris Browne (GM of KC), Wally Backman (manager of Joliet) and Josh Buchholz (GM of Fargo) golfing, Josh and the JackHammer statue and Juan Diaz taking a mighty swing during the home run derby:

The lineup of promotions for this weekend's series against the RailCats:

Friday, July 10 vs. Gary SouthShore RailCats at 7 pm - Flashback Friday with Dan Guehne and fireworks after the game!

Saturday, July 11 vs. RailCats at 6 pm - Ballgame and a movie. Stick around after the game, stay in your seats or grab a patch of grass in the outfield and watch Kung Fu Panda on the video board. Where else in Winnipeg can you watch Fish and Cats battle it out on the field and then see a giant panda, snake, tiger, praying mantis and a crane battle it out with a crazy snow leopard, kung fu style, on a large video board? I'm guessing nowhere else but Canwest Park.

Sunday, July 12 vs. RailCats at 1:30 pm - Master of Illusion Brian Glow is in the house and will be entertaining from start to finish. I don't want to spoil the surprises he has in store, but I can guarantee that you will leave the ballpark saying "how did he do that?".

On a completely unrelated note...a huge thank you to my wife for putting up with my eclectic taste in music and accompanying me to the Green Day concert last night. It was a fantastic show with the band playing a great selection of new and old songs, ending the two and a half hour show with my personal favorite "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)". Thanks Carleigh!

For up to the minute information about the Goldeyes, check us out on Twitter.

GoldeyesGM on Twitter
Winnipeg Goldeyes on Twitter

Until next time…

From the Desk of the GM - July 3, 2009

2009-07-03T09:32:00.018-05:00

“A review of the first half at Canwest Park”

Flashback Fridays – the first four Flashback Friday guests have been fantastic. Not only did the guests themselves and the fans have a great time, in the case of Brian Duva and Carmine Cappuccio, their families did as well. Brian and Carmine brought their wives and two children to see the city they called home while they played for the Goldeyes.

Troy Fortin, Chris Kokinda, Duva and Cappuccio were the first four of eight flashback Friday guests this year, with another four coming in the second half of the home schedule. The lineup in July and August is as follows:

Friday, July 10 – Dan Guehne
Friday, July 24 – Rafael Gross
Friday, August 7 – Chad Thornhill (was originally scheduled to be Jeff Zimmerman, but he is pitching in Seattle’s organization and will be unavailable that date)
Friday, August 28 – Ryan Robertson

Entertainment acts – Mad Chad and Quick Change. To spice up the entertainment aspect of Goldeyes games, we booked four different entertainment acts this summer. The first two, Mad Chad and Quick Change, were very entertaining. People are still asking themselves two questions: 1. How does someone decide they would like to juggle three chainsaws?, and 2. How did they change their clothes so fast without us seeing how they did it?

Home record – The Goldeyes ended the first half with a home record of 15 wins and 7 losses. Being someone who enjoys stats and breaking down the numbers, I’ve broken down our record at home:

Monday – 1-2
Tuesday – 4-0
Wednesday – 2-1
Thursday – 1-0
Friday – 1-2
Saturday – 2-1
Sunday – 4-1

Double headers – 3-1

Weather – The home schedule started out cold, then warmed up a little, then it rained…a lot, then it finally got nice out for our final four games of the first half. We had three rainouts in June, including back to back rainouts on June 26 and 27. It was the first time we had back to back rainouts since May 29 and 30 in 2004.

Attendance – our attendance started slow, which can largely be attributed to the near freezing temperatures and large amount of rain the city endured most of May and early June, but did pick up near the end of June. We ended the first half with an average attendance of 6,001 (120,023 in 20 openings). Even with the slow start, the Goldeyes lead all of independent baseball in average attendance. The next two closest teams are the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League (5,647) and the St. Paul Saints of the American Association (5,167). Goldeyes fans have proven throughout the years that they are the best in baseball. They come out when the temperature is near zero, when the winds are blowing through Canwest at 70 km/hr and they come out even when the heavens have opened up, dropping five inches of rain on the field, with the hope that we will still play the game.

Canada Day – Everything except the final outcome of the game on Canada Day was spectacular. The team looked great in their replica 1999 Team Canada jerseys and hats, the weather was beautiful and the place was packed near capacity with flag-waving, face painted fans. As with just about everything we do, we can always do it better. On this day, it was the fact that we neglected to put up our red and white bunting in honour of Canada Day. It was something we hadn’t thought of because we just purchased the new bunting prior to the 2008 season and we didn’t have a game on Canada Day last year. Prior to 2008, we had the traditional red, white and blue bunting, which was obviously not appropriate to put up on Canada Day. It is something that has been noted and will be fixed for next July 1 game we have.

A brief preview of upcoming promotions in the second half home schedule:

July 10 - Flashback Friday - Dan Guehne & Fireworks after the game
July 11 - Ball game and a movie - stick around after the game and watch a movie on the video board from the field
July 12 - The magic of Brian Glow
July 21 - Donnie Smith jersey retirement night
July 22 - Shirt off our Backs night
July 23 - Special 6 pm start and Turn Back the Clock Night
July 24 - Flashback Friday - Rafael Gross
July 25 - Christmas in July
July 26 - Dave the Horn Guy
August 4 - Luau at the ballpark & Fireworks after the game
August 5 - Bookmark Giveaway Night
August 6 - Pajama Party!
August 7 - Flashback Friday - Chad Thornhill
August 8 - Pre-game BBQ for season ticket holders
August 9 - Tin Lunch Box Giveaway
August 17 - 40th anniversary of Woodstock celebration
August 18 - Double header starting at 6 pm & Fireworks after the game
August 19 - Special mid-week noon game
August 24 - Country Night!
August 28 - Flashback Friday - Ryan Robertson
August 30 - Second half team photo giveaway and on-field autograph session
August 31 - Fan Appreciation Day, Player Card Set giveaway & Fireworks!

For up to the minute information about the Goldeyes, check us out on Twitter.

GoldeyesGM on Twitter
Winnipeg Goldeyes on Twitter

Until next time…

From the Desk of the GM - June 25, 2009

2009-06-25T07:52:00.025-05:00

“Upcoming Homestand – June 26 – July 1”

Some highlights of the upcoming homestand at Canwest Park:

Friday, June 26 vs. Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks – 7 p.m. – Flashback Friday #4 Brian Duva will be here wearing his familiar #5 jersey (the only number that has been retired by the Goldeyes to date. On July 21 we will be retiring Donnie Smith’s #21), throwing out the opening pitch, signing autographs and saying hello to some old and new friends. Don’t forget, that jersey that he will be wearing for the opening pitch will be autographed by Brian and auctioned off during the game. Goldeyes will be wearing the retro jerseys and hats again.

Saturday, June 27 vs. Fargo – 6 p.m. – Orville Minish will be here to throw out the opening pitch. For those of you who don’t recognize the name, Mr. Minish has twice been inducted into the Manitoba Baseball Hall of Fame and pitched for both the Winnipeg Maroons and the Fargo-Moorhead Twins in the late 40’s and early 50’s. It’s only fitting that prior to a Winnipeg-Fargo matchup, someone who pitched for both teams 50 years ago starts things off by throwing out the opening pitch.

Sunday, June 28 vs. Fargo – 1:30 p.m. – A Sunday afternoon at the ballpark with a jalapeno Bison smokie and a cold pop. Does life get any better than that?

Monday, June 29 vs. Schaumburg Flyers – 7 p.m. – The Flyers make their first visit of the year to Canwest Park. It will also be the first time these two teams meet in 2009. It should be an interesting series. Mike Busch (former manager of the Calgary Vipers) is now at the helm of the Flyers and has put together a good ball club.

Also on Monday we host our first team photo giveaway and on-field autograph session (another one coming later in the season). Bring that newly acquired team photo on-field, get some autographs and meet the 2009 Winnipeg Goldeyes. They are really a bunch of nice guys. If you don’t believe me, come on down, say hello to a few of them and find out for yourself.

Tuesday, June 30 vs. Schaumburg – 7 p.m. – Fireworks after the game! Archangel Fireworks will be here to show everyone why they are the best in the business. And knowing Archangel, they will definitely have a great show in store the day before Canada Day.

Wednesday, July 1 vs. Schaumburg – special 4 p.m. start time – Canada Day – this game should be a lot of fun. The Goldeyes will wear replicas of the jerseys worn 10 years ago by the bronze-medal winning Canadian team at the Pan Am Games. A huge thank you to Greg Hamilton and Baseball Canada for granting us permission to wear the replicas and supplying the caps. The jerseys that are worn this day will be autographed by the players and auctioned off throughout the rest of the season.

For up to the minute information about the Goldeyes, check us out on Twitter.

GoldeyesGM on Twitter
Winnipeg Goldeyes on Twitter

Until next time…

From the Desk of the GM - June 23, 2009

2009-06-23T08:43:00.005-05:00

"Goldeyes EMS Department"

The EMS department at the Goldeyes is probably a department within the Goldeyes organization that you never want to have interaction with, but are very glad to know they are there if you need them.

In my opinion, Stef Zeuff and his staff don’t get near the recognition and accolades they deserve. At any given game, Stef and his crew could be called on to apply something as simple as a Band-Aid or a bag of ice, and as serious as the application of a defibrillator.

At yesterday’s game, there were two very serious incidents that required the immediate and skillful attention of the EMS department, both occurring at exactly the same time. A lady in Section Q had a foul ball land on her head, cutting her quite seriously. At the same time in Section S, a gentleman’s heart had slowed to a near critical rate which required a defibrillator. Both incidents were attended to and handled very quickly by Stef and the staff. It is amazing how quickly and calmly they handle things considering that people’s lives are at stake.

All of this happening a day after many of the Goldeyes EMS crew volunteered their time at the Manitoba Marathon, something they have done for many years. It was a busy day for them at the marathon with many runners suffering the effects of heat exhaustion and other ailments.

A huge thank you to Stef and his amazing team, we all feel safe knowing you are at the ballpark.

For up to the minute information about the Goldeyes, check us out on Twitter at either @Wpg_Goldeyes or @GoldeyesGM.

Until next time…

From the Desk of the GM - June 21, 2009

2009-06-21T09:42:00.013-05:00

Happy Father's Day!

On this beautiful sunny Father's Day, I just wanted to send best wishes to all the Dad's out there. Whether you take in the Goldeyes game today or not, I hope you get to spend some time with people that are special to you.

I am very fortunate not only to be at a baseball game today (the Goldeyes take on the JackHammers at 1:30 this afternoon), but I get to spend time with my Dad and son. After the game, the three of us will take the field with everyone else to play catch in the outfield. Three generations of Collier boys will be tossing the ball around. I know my Dad is very much looking forward to it as much as I am.

To all the Dad's in the Goldeyes office and clubhouse, and to all Dad's everywhere, a very Happy Father's Day from the Goldeyes family!

Picture of "Grandpa" Collier and Donavan engrossed in an intense chess match.

Pictures from Father's Day

From the Desk of the GM - June 16, 2009

2009-06-16T12:00:00.020-05:00

“Upcoming home stand – June 19-22”

Here are some highlights of what’s happening at the ballpark the next four games:

Friday, June 19 vs. Joliet JackHammers – 7 p.m. – Flashback Friday #3

Carmine Cappuccio will be here wearing his familiar #7 jersey, throwing out the opening pitch, signing autographs and saying hello to some old and new friends. Don’t forget, that jersey that he will be wearing for the opening pitch will be autographed by Carmine and auctioned off during the game. Goldeyes will be wearing the retro jerseys and hats again.

Also on this night, to make up for the fireworks show that was cancelled on June 8, Archangel Fireworks will be here putting on their usual spectacular show after the game.

The ALS Society of Manitoba will be at the park raising funds throughout the game. During an early between-inning break, batting helmets will be circulated through each section and the Skysuites level to collect monetary donations. This was a great fundraiser for the ALS Society last year and knowing how generous Goldeyes fans are, I’m sure it will be again!

Saturday, June 20 vs. Joliet – 6 p.m. – Forecast is for sunshine and 25 degrees, a great night to be watching baseball at Canwest Park!

Sunday, June 21 vs. Joliet – 1:30 p.m. – Father’s Day! What better giveaway on Father’s Day than nine Caroma toilets? Our good friends at Dynasty Bathrooms have provided us with a toilet to giveaway every inning. After the game, please join us on-field and play catch with your Dad, or sister, brother, uncle, aunt…you get the idea.

Monday, June 22 vs. Joliet – Noon – Our second home weekday matinee game of the season. A great way to spend an afternoon.

For up to the minute information about the Goldeyes, check us out on Twitter.

GoldeyesGM on Twitter
Winnipeg Goldeyes on Twitter

Until next time…

From the Desk of the GM - June 10, 2009

2009-06-10T08:04:00.007-05:00

“A Salute to the Tarp Crew”

It is something that is not often mentioned during the initial interview process, but it suddenly becomes part of just about everyone’s job description here at the Goldeyes. When it rains, the tarp needs to go on the infield. It’s a necessity. If it’s raining, and we have a game that night, the tarp goes on the field. Then, when it stops raining, the tarp comes off the field. If it is a heavy rain, and there is a lot of water on the tarp, the water needs to be squeegeed off the tarp first.

It’s a job that no one enjoys (well, maybe Blake the new guy enjoys it, but we’re not quite sure about him yet anyway - picture of Blake with his handsome conductors hat to the right),
but one that needs to get done or else we don’t play the game that night. Everyone here understands that fact. If we don’t put the tarp on, we don’t play. If we don’t get a game in, that means we play a double header at some point, usually the next night. Nobody likes double headers. A double header makes for a long night for the staff, Paul Edmonds and the visiting radio person, the players, the fans, everyone.

In the majors, they have a crew of 20 or so people whose sole job it is to be on the “Tarp Crew”. If you are on the tarp crew at a major league park, you don’t have other duties like game day production, media relations, sales, scoreboard or music operator, etc. In the minors, this job usually falls on the shoulders of the full-time staff that assist the grounds crew in getting the job done. When it starts raining during a game, we usually recruit some game day staff as well in order to get it done quickly.

I usually get to be the bearer of bad news when it’s time to put on our rain suits and hit the field. I’ve even tried to spice up my emails by saying there’s going to be a “party” on the field. It didn’t take long for everyone to realize that anytime I send out an email with the subject line saying “party”, that it can only mean one thing, and that the party will not include cake, nachos, pop and possibly and adult beverage or two. I have been told on more than one occasion that my tarp parties, well, they suck.

I think I can speak for minor league baseball teams everywhere when I say to the tarp crew, we salute you!!

With thanks and recognition to Joe Bryksa from the Winnipeg Free Press, below is a photo of the tarp crew hard at work squeegeeing the tarp in preparation to take it off the field prior to Tuesday's game.

For up to the minute information about the Goldeyes, check us out on Twitter at either @Wpg_Goldeyes or @GoldeyesGM.

Until next time…

From the Desk of the GM - June 8, 2009

2009-06-08T07:55:00.006-05:00

“Welcome back Ron”

For those of you who attended the past three games, you would have heard two different voices on the PA, neither of which was our regular PA guy Ron Arnst. Due to a death in the family, Ron was away for the weekend and thus, Jonathan Green and I had to pinch hit on the mic. Jonathan has done this gig a number of times and he does a very good job filling in on those rare occasions when Ron is away. Jonathan did the Friday and Sunday games and I made my debut on the mic Saturday night. Having been with the organization for more than 15 years now, it was something I had never done. Everyone in the office thought it was quite hilarious that my one and only time doing the announcing, I got a 12 inning game.

My personal evaluation of the job I did was “adequate”. I got all the reads in, announced all the players and my voice only cracked a few times. However, as anyone who was at the game on Saturday can attest to, just reading a script and announcing player’s names properly, does not a good PA announcer make.

I have always had a tremendous amount of respect and admiration for the job Ron does. He doesn’t just do a great job one or two nights a year, he does and has done the job 50 or so games a year for the last 15 years. However, once I was the one announcing 100 batters, multiple prize draws, between inning promos, etc., that level of respect went to a whole new level. Without a doubt, Ron is simply the best at what he does and the Goldeyes organization is very fortunate to have him as our guy. As Ron himself would tell you, he enjoys being here every bit as much as we as an organization, and the fans who attend the games, enjoy having him here.

Whether you are at the games listening to Ron over the loudspeakers or tuning in Paul Edmonds on your radio on 1290 CFRW, you can do so knowing that these two guys have announced close to 1,800 Goldeyes games combined. You can almost hear the experience every time they speak.

So, if you attended your first Goldeyes game ever on Saturday night, I apologize for the amateur act you were subjected to on the mic. Not to fear though, Ron will be back Monday night, and all will be right at the ballpark again.

We missed you Ronnie, see you tonight!

For up to the minute information about the Goldeyes, check us out on Twitter at either @Wpg_Goldeyes or @GoldeyesGM.

Until next time…

From the Desk of the GM - June 2, 2009

2009-06-02T14:17:00.036-05:00

“Relay for Life, May 29, 2009 – A Recap”

The Canadian Cancer Society held their annual Relay for Life Event at the ballpark last Friday night. It was a fantastic event from start to finish. Everyone involved was great to work with including the organizing committee, volunteers and participants.

Kathy Joshua of the organizing committee told me that the “survivor lap” which starts the evening off was an emotional event and she was right. To start the evening off, a large contingent of cancer survivors all wearing yellow t-shirts (team members and other participants wore white shirts) started the event at 7 p.m. by making one lap around the park as a group. The group was piped around the park by the Khartum Shrine Pipers and Drums group, which included a cancer survivor as you can see in the photo below.

When one stopped to think of what this group of people had gone through, just to make that trip around the warning track, was both humbling and inspirational at the same time. Here's a few photos of the survivors starting their lap.

Just prior to the survivor lap, Cynthia Neudoerffer and Hank and Lydia Venema cut the ribbon to officially start the 2009 Relay for Life. For those of you who don’t know who they are, please read my blog from March 9. They are the parents and sister of a little boy named Harry, or “Prince Harry” to those who knew him. Harry fought valiantly but lost his battle with cancer last August. While fighting the terrible disease, Harry and his family were at last year’s Relay for Life. Just prior to the cutting of the ribbon, Cynthia spoke about Harry and the rare form of cancer that would eventually take him from her and their family. She spoke about the importance of the relay for life event and what the Canadian Cancer Society means to them. It was a very moving speech to open the event.

Not everything went perfectly smooth on Friday night, Mother Nature flexed her muscles at about 6 p.m. when a close to 100 km/hr wind blew through the outfield, launching tents and just about anything else that wasn’t pegged to the field into the air. In the picture below, you can see the two Manitoba Lotteries tents (Manitoba Lotteries was a sponsor of the event). This photo was taken before the wind hit, when the wind did blow through, these tents almost ended up in the stands!

However, when 7 p.m. came along, the sun was shining, the wind calmed down and the first lap got under way.

Here's a picture of the pre-relay warmup that took place in left field, led by the "Chemo Savvy" group of survivors.

The field looked fantastic with all the tents set up.

Congratulations to the organizers, sponsors, survivors and team members. The Goldeyes organization salutes you for your continued efforts to help eradicate this terrible disease. I know the committee is already hard at work making next year's Relay for Life at Canwest Park even bigger and better!

For up to the minute information about the Goldeyes, check us out on Twitter at either http://twitter.com/Wpg_Goldeyes or http://twitter.com/GoldeyesGM.

Until next time…

From the Desk of the GM - June 1, 2009

2009-06-01T08:24:00.001-05:00

“Upcoming home stand – June 5-11”

Hard to believe this is GM Blog #30. When I started doing this in January, I thought I would run out of things to talk about. Well, 30 blogs later, I’m still writing and judging by the emails I’ve received, it’s more than just my Mom and Dad that are reading them!

Some highlights of what’s happening at the ballpark the next seven games:

Friday, June 5 vs. Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks – 7 p.m. – Flashback Friday #2 – Chris Kokinda will be here wearing his familiar #8 jersey, throwing out the opening pitch, signing autographs and saying hello to some old and new friends. Don’t forget, that jersey that he will be wearing for the opening pitch will be autographed by Chris and auctioned off during the game. Goldeyes will be wearing the retro jerseys and hats again.

Also on this night, we will be celebrating our 3,000,000th fan at Canwest Park. To celebrate, we’ve teamed up with the good people at Manitoba Lotteries Corporation and will be handing out 5,000 red Goldeyes hats that say “I’m the 3,000,000th fan – June 5, 2009” on the side.

Saturday, June 6 vs. Fargo – 6 p.m. – It’s Prom Night at the ballpark! Since it’s the month of graduations and proms, we thought we’d bring that tradition to the ballpark. Watch out for Goldeyes staff wearing beautiful prom dresses and handsome tuxes. I’ve got my powder blue, polyester tuxedo all ready to go, what will you be wearing?

Sunday, June 7 vs. Fargo – 1:30 p.m. – Collapsible clothes hamper giveaway to the first 2,500 fans courtesy of Boston Pizza. Not only are these good looking items with Goldie on one side and the Boston Pizza logo on the other, they are useful as well. Sorry, laundry service not included.

Monday, June 8 vs. Gary SouthShore RailCats – 7 p.m. – Fireworks after the game! Archangel Fireworks continues to provide shows full of shock and awe.

Tuesday, June 9 vs. Gary – 7 p.m. – Choo Choo Tuesday! Get out your conductor hats and scarves, and come down to the park for a chance to win a trip for two courtesy of Via Rail.

Wednesday, June 10 vs. Gary – 7 p.m. – The very entertaining duo called “Quick Change” will be here. You won’t believe your eyes as they change outfits right in front of you.

Thursday, June 11 vs. Gary – Noon – Our first regular season mid-week noon game of the year. These are always tons of fun, not only for the 4,000 or so school kids that come out, but also for the 3,000 or so people that probably should be working but have taken an “extended” lunch break.

For up to the minute information about the Goldeyes, check us out on Twitter at either www.twitter.com/Wpg_Goldeyes or www.twitter.com/GoldeyesGM.

Until next time…

From the Desk of the GM - May 27, 2009

2009-05-27T08:01:00.005-05:00

“K’s for Kids and Golf Tournament Update”

I’ve discussed the Field of Dreams Foundation K’s for Kids program a few times in this blog.

Here’s an update:

The response so far this year has been fantastic, with a total of $17.38 being pledged to date for each strikeout that a Goldeyes pitcher tosses at home this season. Goldeyes fans (a total of 26 to be exact) have already surpassed the record mark of $14.38 that was reached in 2005. With 43 home games remaining including tonight, it would be great to reach $30 or $40 per strikeout by the end of the season. In addition to the great support from the fans, our good friends at Fillmore Riley came on board as the title sponsor of the program. Watch for a Fillmore Riley K’s for Kids “tote board” to be placed at the entrance of Gate 3 very soon! Download a K’s for Kids pledge here.

The Field of Dreams Foundation Charity Golf Tournament has enjoyed great success over the years selling out each of the last 10 years. This year’s tournament is on July 20 at Bel Acres Golf & Country Club. Unfortunately, due to a number of reasons including the sluggish economy and a number of other golf tournaments going on that day, it isn’t quite sold out yet. We still have a limited number of individual, team and hole sponsorship spaces yet to be filled. If you would like information about the 15th annual golf tournament, please call me at 982-2273 and I’ll send you out some information. If you’ve ever wanted to get into this fantastic tournament, but haven’t been able to in the past because it was sold out, now is your chance. It’s a great day out on the golf course and a great way to get to know your Winnipeg Goldeyes team.

Anyone who has played in the tournament before can tell you the following:

1. The prizes are fantastic – everyone who plays in the tournament goes home with a great prize. Some of the prizes that will be there this year are; golf shoes, golf bags embroidered with the Goldeyes logo, golf clubs and many other prizes donated by our valued corporate sponsors.
2. The dinner is spectacular – Crystal and the clubhouse staff put on a steak dinner with all the trimmings.
3. The hole prizes are worth aiming for – all the par 3’s along with a few other holes have contests for closest to the pin, longest drive or closest to the middle of the fairway and there are prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd at each one.
4. The fun – from the time you tee off at 1 until the time you leave after the dinner, we guarantee you will have a blast out on the course with the Goldeyes player or staff member who is on your team.

For up to the minute information about the Goldeyes, check us out on Twitter at either www.twitter.com/Wpg_Goldeyes or www.twitter.com/GoldeyesGM.

Until next time...
-- Andrew

From the Desk of the GM - May 25, 2009

2009-05-25T16:33:00.003-05:00

"Opening Weekend - A Review"

Three down, 45 to go. With opening weekend now behind us, here’s a review of what happened on and off the field.

Opening night was great, even with the near zero degree weather, the fan support was fantastic and the team made it very exciting in the ninth. Even though we lost in extra innings that night, Goldeyes fans got a glimpse of the 2009 Goldeyes and their “never quit” attitude. That attitude and determination was on display again on Sunday afternoon when the Fish came back from a 5-1 deficit to win in 10 innings, 6-5. More on that later.

May 22 – Opening Night. A good crowd on hand despite the weather. Troy Fortin received a fantastic Goldeyes welcome back to the ballpark. The first of eight Flashback Fridays was a huge success, looking forward to the next seven! For a complete list of future Flashback Friday guests, click here. Goldeyes ended up losing opening night 13-12 in 10 innings.

May 23 – Faron Hall was here to throw out the ceremonial opening pitch. He did a great job, one of the best ceremonial pitches I’ve seen at Canwest! Goldeyes lost 7-4.

May 24 – As we have become accustomed to on Sundays over the past number of years, this Sunday game was exciting as ever. Trailing 5-1 going to the bottom of seven, we scored two in the seventh and two more in the ninth to tie it up at 5. In the bottom of 10, Cody Ehlers drove in Adam Frost from second to score the winning run. It was exciting to win in that fashion and even better to avoid being swept by the T-Bones.

Looking forward to tonight’s game which is Jamaica trip giveaway night sponsored by Air Canada Vacations. One lucky fan in attendance will win an all-inclusive trip for two to Jamaica. After the winter we just had, who wouldn’t want to get away once it gets cold again?

For up to the minute information about the Goldeyes, check us out on Twitter at either www.twitter.com/Wpg_Goldeyes or www.twitter.com/GoldeyesGM.

Until next time…

From the Desk of the GM - May 20, 2009

2009-05-20T09:40:00.004-05:00

“Opening Weekend 2009”

The Goldeyes will be at home this coming weekend for Arby’s Opening Weekend 2009, May 22-24 and then Gary comes to town for three May 25-27. There is a ton of stuff happening at the park. Some of the highlights are:

Friday, May 22, 7 p.m. vs. Kansas City T-Bones. Flashback Friday – Goldeyes will be wearing retro replica jerseys and hats worn from 1994 to 2002. Troy Fortin will be at the park to throw out the opening pitch and sign autographs. Troy Fortin player cards will be handed out at the gates along with the 2009 magnet schedules. Fireworks after the game. What would be better to put your 2009 magnet schedule on than a new bar fridge courtesy of our good friends at Rona? We will be giving away a brand new bar fridge autographed by the entire 2009 Goldeyes team on Friday night.

Also, at some point during the game, the Goldeyes and their fans will send Get Well Soon wishes via Shaw’s TV broadcast to former pitcher Donnie Smith, who is recovering from heart surgery. In addition, there will be a giant card fans can sign either on the promenade before entering the park or after entering the park on the concourse.

Saturday, May 23, 6 p.m. vs. Kansas City T-Bones. Mad Chad is in the house to entertain and amuse, the highlight of the night will be when he juggles three chainsaws!

Also, the night will see local hero Faron Hall and Joey Mousseau, the young man he pulled from the Red River earlier this month, toss out an opening pitch.

Sunday, May 24, 1:30 p.m. vs. Kansas City T-Bones. Goldie’s Home Run Gang Day. All members of Goldie’s Home Run Gang will have the opportunity to go on field for a chat from a member of the Goldeyes. If your child is not yet a member of the junior fan club, check out the website for details on how to sign them up.

Monday, May 25, 7 p.m. vs. Gary SouthShore RailCats. Jamaica Trip Giveaway day and Island Theme. Be in attendance for your chance to win an all-inclusive trip for two to Jamaica courtesy of the good people at Air Canada Vacations.

Tuesday, May 26, 7 p.m. vs. Gary SouthShore RailCats. School Patrols Night. Where else in Winnipeg can you see 1,200 kids geared up in bright orange vests?

Wednesday, May 27, 7 p.m. vs. Gary SouthShore RailCats. We will honour world famous Winnipeg artist Roman Swiderek at the game. Mr. Swiderek was commissioned to paint a picture of Canwest Park and it is spectacular. Come to the ballpark to meet Roman and see if he can throw a baseball as well as he can paint!

It should be a great six days to open the home version of the 2009 campaign. From fireworks to giveaways to special guests, the place to be in Winnipeg this weekend will be Canwest Park.

Tickets start at just $5. "A family of four through the door for just $20!"

Get your tickets here.

For up to the minute information about the Goldeyes, check us out on Twitter at either http://twitter.com/Wpg_Goldeyes or http://twitter.com/GoldeyesGM.

Until next time…
-- Andrew

From the Desk of the GM - May 13, 2009

2009-05-13T16:18:00.001-05:00

“And so it begins…Season #16”

It’s hard to believe that the Goldeyes will start their 16th Northern League season on Friday. Seems like yesterday I was reading the Free Press one Saturday in April of 1994 and saw an ad for tickets for Winnipeg’s new, yet to be named, baseball team. For a baseball fan like myself, this was very exciting news. I didn’t know anything about the Northern League at the time, but it didn’t really matter, professional baseball was coming to Winnipeg and I wanted to be a part of it. Countless phone calls and one round golf with Sam Katz later, I was hired to work for the team and the rest, as they say, is history. I’m still here and still loving every minute of being involved with Manitoba’s professional baseball team.

I can thank my Dad for my love of baseball. My Dad, my brother Doug and I spent many a summer touring around the Midwest to watch major league games at various ballparks including the Metrodome, Wrigley Field, old and new Comiskey Parks, Busch Stadium, County Stadium and Royals Stadium. We would often watch a game in one city then hop in the van and travel overnight to the next city and watch a game in a different park the next night.

So, as we start our 16th season of baseball, why not bring someone special to you to the ballpark and introduce this great game? It’s not just a fantastic way to spend an afternoon or evening, it’s a great way to create some lifelong memories.

For up to the minute information about the Goldeyes, check us out on Twitter at either www.twitter.com/Wpg_Goldeyes or www.twitter.com/GoldeyesGM.

Until next time…
-- Andrew

From the Desk of the GM - May 12, 2009

2009-05-12T09:00:00.001-05:00

"IBN Sports Update"

To follow up on my last blog about our home games being broadcast live on-line on www.ibnsports.com, the first Goldeyes home game to be on-line will be the home opener on May 22. Also, don’t forget to catch the Goldeyes season opener live from Kansas City on May 15 on www.ibnsports.com.

-- Andrew

From the Desk of the GM - May 11, 2009

2009-05-11T09:34:00.005-05:00

“First Home Exhibition Game”

The Goldeyes host the St. Paul Saints tonight and tomorrow afternoon at Canwest Park. It will be the first time the Goldeyes have hosted the Saints since July 31, 2005 and the first time an American Association team has ventured north of the border. It should be an exciting couple of games with former Goldeyes Brandon Kintzler and Jeff DeSmidt on the Saints’ squad. The Saints team also features some former big leaguers in Craig Brazell (NY Mets-2004 & KC-2007), Todd Self (Houston-2005) and Kerry Ligtenberg (Atlanta-1997-2002, Baltimore-2003, Toronto-2004 & Arizona-2005). Should be a good test for the 2009 Goldeyes as Rick and the coaching staff look to pare down the team from 26 to 22 to start this year’s campaign.

Don’t forget, the Goldeyes will open the 2009 campaign on Friday, May 15 in Kansas City against the defending Northern League Champion T-Bones. A week later, the T-Bones will visit Canwest Park on May 22 for the 2009 home opener. As always, there will be fireworks that night following the game put on by our good friends at Archangel Fireworks.

All Goldeyes games can be heard live on 1290 CFRW with the voice of the Goldeyes Paul Edmonds. And, if you want to watch the games while you listen, you can watch them on ibnsports.com this year. All games played in Kansas City, Gary and Winnipeg will be live on the net at ibnsports. Also, a total of 23 games will be aired live on Shaw Cable 9.

On another note… A new concession will be operating at Canwest Park this summer and we are all very excited about it. Paul Duque from the office sent me the following info about Lovey’s BBQ:

“Menu for their concourse kiosk (located in the former Sushi 101 kiosk near right field by the Patio Deck) will consist of pulled pork, chopped beef and chicken breast sandwiches at $6.50 each. Skysuites platter options include chopped brisket and pulled pork, pit beans, potato salad, coleslaw, buns, and a bottle of sweet or spicy BBQ sauce.

Their main location is Unit 1 - 208 Marion Street in St. Boniface. They have been in business less than a year and have just expanded their space to include a 30-seat private room that they can use for overflow and lineups on Friday and Saturday nights.

Owners Roger (dad) and Jocelyne (daughter) LeBleu are lovely people!

Check out their website for full in-store menu and details."

The team went there on Sunday, May 3 for a post-workout meal and were all thoroughly impressed. Rumour has it that a certain field manager will be making an appearance there for Wednesday wing nights!

And finally, for up to the minute information about the Goldeyes, check us out on Twitter at either www.twitter.com/Wpg_Goldeyes or www.twitter.com/GoldeyesGM.

Until next time…
-- Andrew

From the Desk of the GM - May 7, 2009

2009-05-07T16:41:00.002-05:00

“First Exhibition Game”

With four days of training camp in the books, the Goldeyes ventured out on the road this past Monday night to play what would be their only exhibition game against a Northern League opponent. All five other pre-season games are against former Northern League, and now American Association teams, namely St. Paul, Lincoln and Sioux Falls.

Some highlights from Monday’s game…West hit a two-run homer, Asanovich was 2-2, Pfinsgraff went four innings, no runs, three hits, no walks, three strikeouts, Odom threw two innings, no runs, no hits, four strikeouts.

Monday’s game will be the only game that the Goldeyes play this year that is not on 1290 CFRW. You can catch the five remaining exhibition games plus the 96 regular season games either on your radio dial at 1290 AM CFRW or on-line at www.cfrw.ca.

The rest of the exhibition games are as follows:

Friday, May 8 – 7 p.m. at Sioux Falls vs. Sioux Falls
Saturday, May 9 – 4 p.m. at Sioux Falls vs. Lincoln
Sunday, May 10 – 1 p.m. at St. Paul
Monday, May 11 – 7 p.m. at Canwest Park vs. St. Paul
Tuesday, May 12 – Noon at Canwest Park vs. St. Paul

I’ve heard many times since the beginning of the 2006 season that our fans want to see more variety in teams that visit Canwest Park. Well, on May 11 and 12, they will get that chance when the Saints come to town for a two-game set. It may just be exhibition, but knowing how competitive George Tsamis’s teams have been over the years, those two games will be anything but exhibition-like.

The Goldeyes will open the 2009 campaign on Friday, May 15 in Kansas City against the defending Northern League Champion T-Bones. A week later, the T-Bones will visit Canwest Park on May 22 for the 2009 home opener. As always, there will be fireworks that night following the game put on by our good friends at Archangel Fireworks.

Until next time…
-- Andrew

From the Desk of the GM - May 4, 2009

2009-05-04T13:30:00.001-05:00

“Another fantastic Open House”

Saturday’s open house was another great day. This was our 16th annual open house and it may have been the best yet, at least from the weather standpoint. Over the years, we have had some very cold, rainy, snowy days for our open house. So, to wake up yesterday to clear skies and about 13 degrees (okay, it wasn’t 13 first thing in the morning, but it got there), it was a load off my mind. It was also a load off the minds of the other 20 or so Goldeyes staff members who make an event like yesterday happen.

Some staff have been through this day many times before, whereas there are some it was their first time. It’s a bit of an eye-opener for those who have never experienced the open house. The day is full of “controlled chaos” with things that we hadn’t planned for popping up every once in a while. You would think after 15 years, we would have seen it all but every year, something comes up that we weren’t expecting.

The fan turnout was spectacular, the weather was as good as we could have hoped for, individual ticket sales went well and the 2009 Goldeyes squad looked great practicing on the field.

One final note… A huge thank you to all those who sponsored me for yesterday’s Winnipeg Police Service half marathon. With your help, I was able to raise more than $1,300 for the Canadian Cancer Society. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Until next time…
-- Andrew

From the Desk of the GM - Apr. 29, 2009

2009-04-29T10:17:00.003-05:00

“Open House”

It’s that time of year again. Rick arrived Sunday night, the players will all be here (except for pitcher Ace Walker, who is still in school) by Thursday, training camp begins Friday and Saturday is our annual Open House. The open house is always a great event with free hot dogs and Pepsi for the first 1,500 fans, the Goldeyes working out on the field and a chance for new or potential ticket holders to try out their seats. Gates open for the open house at 11 a.m. and the fun will last until 2 p.m. As always, the Northern League’s best mascot Goldie will be there trying out some new moves he’s been working on during the off-season.

Individual tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. at all Ticketmaster locations, through Ticketmaster.ca, in person at the Canwest Park box office or by calling 780-3333. Goldeyes players will be on the promenade serving Robin’s coffee and doughnuts from 9:30 to 10:30. Don’t forget to say hi to Dennis, Blake, Brittney and Kevin in the box office. They’ve been working hard all week getting season ticket packages ready to go and Judy will be there looking forward to distributing the packages. There are also lots of great individual tickets left for all regular season and exhibition games.

In addition to the great action taking place on the field, fans attending the open house will have the opportunity to get a “behind the scenes” look at Canwest Park with experienced tour guides such as Scott T. or Dan. Up in the press box, have a chat with the guys who provide you with all the sights of the game on the videoboard and the sounds you hear over the PA system, namely Regan, Paul, Jason and Ron.

Jonathan and Paul (Radio Guy) will be on-field interviewing the players and coaching staff via wireless mic throughout the afternoon. They may even ask Rick what “PFP” stands for. If you know that term, be the first to send me an email and I’ll give you my two tickets to the exhibition game against our old friend George Tsamis, former Goldeyes Brandon Kintzler and Jeff DeSmidt and the rest of the St. Paul Saints on May 11.

Angie, Sarah, Carly and Bonnie will be at the Subway Fan Services Booth ready and willing to provide all the information you are looking for about the Goldeyes. And if you haven’t filled out a K’s for Kids form or signed up your child for Goldie’s Home Run Gang, this is the place to do it.

Stef, Paul and Claude and their staffs will have the medical, security and cleaning situations, respectively, all well in hand.

Tyler and Jill will make sure each and every person (providing they are one of the first 1,500) receive a hot dog and a cold Pepsi product. Jill is new this year, so please be gentle with her.

Scott H. and Wayne have been working hard at getting the facility in game shape and Fergie has been working feverishly to get the field ready to go.

Shane and Jade will have some fantastic new Goldeyes merchandise on display and, as always, have some great deals for those attending the open house.

Anytime an attempt is made to mention staff member names, one runs the risk of forgetting someone, which I may have done this time as well.

Until next time…
-- Andrew

From the Desk of the GM - Apr. 27, 2009

2009-04-27T13:39:00.001-05:00

“Twitter”

It took me a while to figure out the attraction and growing popularity of Twitter. Initially, it just seemed like another way for people to spend their time during a work day doing anything but working. However, after further investigation, it’s a great way for companies to get small bits of information out to a large amount of people very easily and quickly.

Once you are signed up, you can get up to the minute Goldeyes information by setting up an account at http://www.twitter.com/ and then start following my notes at www.twitter.com/GoldeyesGM or for even more Goldeyes info at www.twitter.com/Wpg_Goldeyes.

Something I found very interesting and useful, was how the Lakewood Blue Claws were using the technology to keep their fans up to date as to the rain situation prior to their game last Wednesday. All those who were following the Blue Claws “tweets” would have know that the game was still on and the tarp was coming off the field. Anyone who followed the Goldeyes last summer would know that having this tool at our disposal would have come in handy, and will certainly be used this summer to let fans know whether or not the game is still on. You never know, you may get some inside scoop on what’s happening with the team.

So, after further review, Twitter is not just another avenue to avoid doing that work the boss asked you to have for him or her by the end of the day, it is also there to keep you informed on your favourite baseball team (the Goldeyes), band, actor, etc.

Some that I am following so far:

Winnipeg Goldeyes - http://twitter.com/Wpg_Goldeyes
MLB - http://twitter.com/MLB_Updates
NHL - http://twitter.com/NHL_Updates
NFL - http://twitter.com/nfl
Lakewood Blue Claws - http://twitter.com/blueclaws
Brooklyn Cyclones - http://twitter.com/BKCyclones
Brian Cashman (Yankees GM) - http://twitter.com/BrianCashmanNYY
Ballpark Digest - http://twitter.com/ballparkdigest
Gary SouthShore RailCats - http://twitter.com/railcats

Until next time…
-- Andrew

From the Desk of the GM - Apr. 22, 2009

2009-04-22T12:04:00.001-05:00

“Tigger or Eeyore”

Last night, the Goldeyes held their annual “Game Day Staff Orientation” at the ballpark. We do this every year at approximately the same time. It is an evening for new and returning staff to come to the ballpark, watch some videos about customer service, get fitted for their uniforms and to meet fellow game day staff. It is a chance for people who have worked for the Goldeyes in the past to meet the new staff and for the new staff to meet the front office staff.

It’s a chance for each department’s supervisors to meet with their staff to let them know what they expect from them during the summer. The main message we try and get across is the old adage that “you only get one chance to make a first impression”. Another message is that no department is more important than another, all departments need to work in harmony for the Goldeyes experience for the fans to be the best that it can be. We strive to be “Disney-esque” in our approach to customer service.

Which gets me to the reason for the title of today’s blog. About a year ago, Lois Horn, wife of our facility manager Scott, sent me a link to an inspirational and thought provoking video on youtube, called, “The Randy Pausch Last Lecture: Achieving your Childhood Dreams”. If you have a spare hour to watch it, I highly recommend it. It’s been viewed millions and millions of times for very good reason. Mr. Pausch was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and given only a few months to live.

The university at which he was a professor, Carnegie Melon, had a series called “The Last Lecture” in which professors were asked to give a lecture to students with the premise that if it was in fact, their last lecture, what would they want to impart on their students. The difference with Mr. Pausch’s last lecture was that it would, in fact, be his last. The hour long lecture involves him talking about how he achieved his childhood dreams, how his parents impacted his life and how much loves and will miss his three young children.

In addition to the Last Lecture he gave to his students, and as a result, to millions of people all over the world, he also wrote a book with the same title. In the book, Mr. Pausch offers some advice on many different topics. The one that I’ve listened to a number of times is the one about one’s outlook on life and how we choose to live our lives on a daily basis.

Randy was a huge fan of the Disney experience and used the analogy that people have the choice each day of being a Tigger or an Eeyore. Will you choose to be filled with joy and happiness and choose to bounce around each day like the crazy tiger from the Winnie the Pooh series, or are you going to be an Eeyore? If you are familiar with the series, Eeyore is the donkey who goes around with his head held low, down on the world and himself and is filled with pessimism.
I have, over the years, tried to be a Tigger in my approach to life. Life is way too short to be an Eeyore. It takes way too much energy to be an Eeyore. I try to be positive in my approach to life and I’ve tried to instill the same positive outlook in my kids.

Finally, the point of today’s blog. With respect to our game day staff, we want a game day staff full of Tiggers. It’s inevitable that there will be a few Eeyores that sneak through the screening and interviewing process, but they don’t usually last very long, either by their choice or ours.

It was a sad day on July 25, 2008 when Mr. Pausch passed away. Very sad for his wife and three young kids. He did, however, leave a lasting legacy that we can all learn from in his Last Lecture video and the book that followed.

Until next time…
-- Andrew

From the Desk of the GM - Apr. 20, 2009

2009-04-20T13:23:00.002-05:00

“A Blog about Blogs”

Since I started this whole blogging thing in January, I’ve been reading other blogs that are out there. I’ve found a few that I enjoy reading on a regular basis, either to find some promotional or ticket sales ideas, to find some future blog ideas or just to read about topics that I am interested in. Here are some of my favourites thus far:

Lakewood Blue Claws Baseball Club (South Atlantic League)

Brooklyn Cyclones Baseball Club (New York Penn League)

Both the Cyclones and the Blue Claws do a lot of things very well, which is why they are on my list of blogs to check up on. The Cyclones last year averaged 7,172 fan per game, more than 600 fans per game more than the second highest averaging team. Two of their promotions this summer that caught my eye are; one game this summer they will change their name to the “Baracklyn Cyclones” in honor of President Obama. At another game, called “Bellies & Baseball” the Cyclones will salute pregnant women and will feature promotions such as expectant moms walking the bases barefoot and a “craving station” where pickles, ice cream and anchovy pizza will be served. My favourite idea for this promotion is if someone actually gives birth at the ballpark by the end of the game, everyone in their family receives free season tickets for life. The Cyclones blog features various staff members who contribute to this often humorous blog. I can admit that I’ve borrowed a few ideas from this blog for my own.

The Blue Claws are also tops in attendance in the South Atlantic League and have some great ideas when it comes to promotions and value-added initiatives.

“Ben’s Biz” – written by Benjamin Hill, a writer for MiLB.com. Ben has some great stuff from around the minor leagues. Two things that Ben does that I enjoy reading is his minor league promotions preview. On the weekly preview page, Ben highlights his “Top 10 Upcoming Promotions” and then does a review of one of the promos that he had previewed. There are some very interesting promos happening around the minor leagues, some that would only have regional appeal and some that we could “borrow” for our market.

“Baseball Nerd” – written by Keith Olbermann, host of “Countdown with Keith Olbermann” an hour-long nightly news and commentary television program on MSNBC. Longtime journalist and sportscaster, Mr. Olbermann reports from around the majors on a variety of topics. Often very humorous and frequently with a bit of an edge.

“The Spence Report” – written by Spencer Fordin, beat writer for MLB.com. A blog about the Baltimore Orioles. I like to keep tabs on former Goldeyes pitcher George Sherrill and his team.

Baseball, The Yankees, and Life… – written by Jimmy Curran. What can I say, I’ve been a Yankees fan for as long as I can remember.

If you’ve come across some good baseball blogs, please leave a comment with the link.

Until next time…
-- Andrew

From the Desk of the GM - Apr. 15, 2009

2009-04-15T09:44:00.001-05:00

“Masters Blog Follow-up”

In Monday’s blog, I talked about my love of watching the Masters each year and also my lifelong desire to play Augusta National some day. A friend of my mother’s, and fellow member of the Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame Board, Don MacDonald, was at Augusta last week. After reading my blog, he sent my Mom the following email:

“I enjoyed Andrew's blog. You can tell he is from a golfing family. Now to answer how does he get to golf at Augusta, a few suggestions:
1) volunteer as a "patron marshal" for the Masters (although I am sure there is a long list) as the club has the volunteers out for a day of golf in May to thank them,
2) become GM of a major league team owned by a golf enthusiast,
3) become credentialed as a media person and hope you get selected to play on the Monday like Tim Campbell (Winnipeg Free Press sports writer) did a few years ago, or
4) become President of the RCGA.”

Don McDonald

Well, it appears I’ve got my work cut out for me if I want to cross that item off the “bucket list”!

Thanks for the info Don, much appreciated.

Until next time…
-- Andrew

From the Desk of the GM - Apr. 13, 2009

2009-04-13T10:54:00.002-05:00

“Spring is here – the Masters told me so”

Staying with the golf theme of last week’s blog, it is a sure sign that spring is here when I find myself spending 10+ hours watching golf on TV over the course of four days in April. It’s not just any golf tournament that I will watch almost from start to finish. I can admit it, I love watching the Masters. No other tournament is like it and in the writer’s humble opinion, no other golf major is like it. Maybe it’s because it’s played at the same course each year, maybe because it’s the first major each year and maybe it’s because of that fancy green jacket the winner receives, there is something about the Masters that makes it that much more special than the other three majors. There is drama, there is jubilation, and there is heartbreak. Many an Easter dinner has been interrupted, postponed, delayed and cut short because of the final holes of the Masters. Something my wife Carleigh learned very early on was that my family is crazy about playing golf and watching golf, but when it comes to the Masters, the insanity reaches a whole new level.

There are so many memorable Masters moments, like Jack Nicklaus winning his sixth green jacket in '86 at age 46, the heartbreaking losses by Norman in 1987 and 1996, all the spectacular wins by Tiger (1997, 2001, 2002 & 2005), the pros who won their first major at Augusta like Mike Weir (2003), Phil Mickelson (2004) and Mark O’Meara (1998). Then there are the underdog stories of Zach Johnson (2007) and Trevor Immelman (2008).

This year’s version was no exception when it came to a memorable tournament. How could anyone not want one of the three guys who finished at -12 to win it all? Chad Campbell, Kenny Perry and Angel Cabrera all seem like down to earth guys and I would have been equally happy had any one of them won.

I can thank my mother for my love of golf. I've been playing since I was 10. I wasn’t terribly interested in playing the first couple of years, but I’m glad I was “encouraged” to continue because in the spring of 1994, I had the opportunity of golfing with Sam, and the rest as they say, is history.

I mentioned my “bucket list” a while ago. Without question, one item in the top ten on the list would definitely be playing a round at Augusta National. Not sure how I’m going to accomplish this, but one thing is for certain if I do, when I walk up the 18th fairway I will give a wave to the imaginary crowd just like Tiger, Jack, Gary and Arnie have done a combined 17 times.

Until next time…
-- Andrew

Radio Guy's Blog - Apr. 9, 2009

2009-04-09T09:40:00.002-05:00

"Another Go"

I see the Can-Am Baseball League is down to six teams this coming season, the same number as the Northern League. Once again, a franchise in Ottawa failed to make it. It might be time for the two leagues to look at least playing an all-star game against each other. Hello Clark Griffith. Hello Miles Wolff.

Not surprising, the Japanese rallied from tournament elimination to win its second straight World Baseball Classic. The final against Korea was epic and I have really developed an appreciation for Asian baseball. They run, slap the ball around, steal bases, play fundamental defence and don’t sit around waiting for the three-run homer. Perhaps, we in North American should reexamine how we teach and play “America’s pastime?”

What is the worst sports city in Canada? Without a doubt, it’s Victoria! And if you don’t believe me, ask the Jennifer Jones rink if they enjoyed playing the Scottie in front of what amounted to crowds just slightly larger than what would show up at the St. Vital Curling Club for a weekend ‘spiel. And that was with a BC rink nearly going wire-to-wire to win the event.

Let the record show, that regardless of politics, I support our military troops in whatever country or region of the world they are deployed. In fact, I first put a yellow ribbon on my vehicle signifying my support back in 2002. I tell you this because last week I received another of the zillion chain-letter emails I get weekly. This one was about the military and if I didn’t continue the chain I was a bad guy, anti-military or would have bad luck follow me. So, what did I do? I deleted it, of course! However, I have bought a Canadian soldier a beer in a restaurant in the past or thanked them personally at the supermarket. That's how I choose to support our Canadian troops.

I have to admit to snickering at times regarding all the negativity around the NHL and its struggles in certain American markets. The possibility of having more Canadian teams in the league – including one in our burgh again – is certainly intriguing and more of a possibility everyday. But my glee comes from the fact that if a team returned to Winnipeg I would no longer be subjected to watching only the Oilers and Flames on Sportsnet West. This, of course, while the Canucks, Senators and Leafs games are continually blacked-out in Manitoba on Sportsnet’s other three regional stations - which, I also pay for. Ridiculous!

Still with hockey, anything short of an appearance in the Western Conference final would be a huge disappointment for the Manitoba Moose. They’ve had a great year – the best on record for our American League team - and a long run into May would help the team’s bottom line and our psyche as a great hockey city.

I’ll admit it, I watch House every Monday night with my live-in date. It’s a small concession considering all the sports I subject her to during the off-season. But I couldn’t help notice all of the hospital-related dramas that fill the television channels on weekly basis. The list includes ER, Grey’s Anatomy and Private Practice. I’m not sure about you, but I’m sure I speak for the majority in saying I’m not really hip on the idea of dying or being sick to the point of being hospitalized. So why is it then that all the major TV dramas have a hospital as a premise?

One thought on the new proposed football stadium for the Blue Bombers. Whether its final construction will contain a roof, no roof, partial roof or thatched roof - just build it!

As always, I’ll leave you with a funny story regarding one my three kids. Earlier this month Mark and I attended his student-led, parent-teacher conference. Much to my surprise - and certainly going against the lineage on his father’s side - his report card was excellent and his class behavior exceptional. Upon completion of the session, I brought him back to the office for a visit, at which point one of my colleagues asked him what his favourite subject was? His answer: “hockey!” Now, that is my boy!

Peace, out!
-- Paul

From the Desk of the GM - Apr. 8, 2009

2009-04-08T09:18:00.004-05:00

"Tee Time"

It’s hard to believe that on July 20, we will be hosting the 15th annual Winnipeg Goldeyes Field of Dreams Charity Golf Tournament. Back in 1995, Peter Young and I had no idea what we were starting or where it would be 15 years later. That first year we had about 60 entrants plus the Goldeyes players and staff for a total of about 90 golfers. The tournament netted $2,500 that first year for the Foundation. The tournament has grown and for the last nine years has had a full complement of 144 entrants plus the Goldeyes contingent for a grand total of 180 golfers on the course each year and consistently raises close to $20,000 for the Field of Dreams Foundation.

Steve Wood, the pro at Bel Acres Golf & Country Club, the pro shop staff and the clubhouse staff, are all fantastic to work with. They help make the day go smoothly from putting out the hole sponsor signs to delivering product to the various holes to putting on a fantastic steak dinner which is always a huge hit with the hungry golfers at the end of the day.

There are a number of individuals and companies that have played a large part in the success of the tournament. I would like to single out the Winnipeg Free Press who has been a sponsor of the tournament each of the 15 years to date, including this year. Thank you to Marnie Strath, recently retired from the Free Press, for all she did to ensure that her employer took part in the tournament each year.

With a little more than three months until tee off, there are about 30 spots remaining and a few hole sponsorship opportunities available. If you are interested in participating, please give me a call at 982-2273.

One final note… Congratulations to the Portage Terriers, champions of the MJHL for the second year in a row. Congrats to Blake Spiller and the team for bringing my home town back to back championships. All the best in the ANAVET Cup

Until next time…
-- Andrew

From the Desk of the GM - Apr. 6, 2009

2009-04-06T11:29:00.001-05:00

“Half Marathon Training Update”

With less than a month to go until the WPS Half Marathon (sold out as of April 6 with only a few spots remaining in the two-person relay), training is going well although not under ideal conditions. For someone who is not a fan of running on a treadmill, training lately has been difficult. The weather has not been conducive to running outside, so I’ve had to venture to either the Pan Am’s complex or the Reh-Fit Centre to run on their indoor tracks. The Reh-Fit’s track is a fantastic cushioned track. It is about four laps for a kilometre, so to do a 10k run, that means running around in a circle for 40 laps. Better have some good tunes on your iPod to make the time go by! More on my tune selection later in the blog.

I much prefer running outside. As mentioned in an earlier blog, I am by no means an athlete and would never consider myself to be a “runner”. Getting motivated to run is a struggle. If I am going to run, I like running outside because it provides added incentives. The number one incentive being, if you run 5k away from your house, you have to run 5k to get back. If you run 8k away from the house, you have to run 8k to get back, you get the picture. There are no options, you have to get home somehow. When you are running on a treadmill or indoor track, you can quit at anytime. That option is taken away from unmotivated runners such as myself when running outside.

Since I started training seriously on February 16, I have been running three or four times a week and have totalled about 160k, most of which has been on indoor tracks. I can’t wait for the sidewalks to dry up so I can get some in some outdoor training. My plan is to run to work at least once per week and if I’m feeling very energetic, maybe twice a week.

I try and have a good mix of music to listen to and change up the run list every once in a while. For the most part, the songs have a fast beat to keep me going but some are on the list just because I like the song, even if it’s kind of slow. The best song for my running style I’ve found is “Cross My Heart” by Marianas Trench. It’s got a beat that keeps me on the pace that I want to be at. According to the most musically inclined person in our office, that would be former “Broadway Beat” star Dan Chase, it has a 2-4 beat. It keeps me going because every time there is a snare hit, that’s when my left or right foot (depending on which foot I started with) should be hitting the pavement.

Here is a list of what is on my current training playlist on my iPod:

“Run to the Hills” and “Number of the Beast” – Iron Maiden
“Cross My Heart” – Marianas Trench
“Pump It” – Black Eyed Peas
“Lucky” and “I’m Yours” – Jason Mraz
“I Will Survive” – Gloria Gaynor
“Lose Yourself” – Eminem
“Basket Case” and “Minority” – Green Day
“I’d Do Anything” – Simple Plan
“Get Up, Stand Up” – Bob Marley
“Mercy” – Duffy
“You Really Got Me” – The Kinks
“Welcome to the Black Parade” – My Chemical Romance
Among many others.

If you have some suggestions for good workout or running tunes, please feel free to leave a comment.

Donations update – as at Monday, April 6 at 8 a.m., pledges total $831.00, thanks again to all those who have pledged me and supported the Canadian Cancer Society in the process. Only $169 left to go to hit my goal of $1,000.

One final note… kudos to Rick Forney who ran a 5k race a couple weekends ago. I won’t say what time he ran it in, but it was a very respectable time for someone who likes to run about as much as I do!

Next blog – “15th Annual Field of Dreams Foundation Charity Golf Tournament Update”

Until next time…
-- Andrew

From the Desk of the GM - Apr. 1, 2009

2009-04-01T09:16:00.004-05:00

“Coming Soon to the Ballpark Near You – Part II”

Here are some additional miscellaneous ramblings. To read my first batch of ramblings, click on my March 30 post in the blog archives on the right.

The Goldeyes will be hosting their annual hiring sessions on Tuesday, April 7 and Wednesday, April 8 at the ballpark offices from 4 to 7 p.m. each night. If you are interested in a fun-filled summer at the ballpark, working in concessions, fan services, security, parking or merchandise, please bring your resume to the park on one of those nights.

The Goldeyes have always been known for $5 tickets. We’ve had two sections with these low priced tickets since we opened the park in 1999. We decided to take it a step further this year. Beginning this season, all seats in sections A, B and now Section C will be $5 each. That’s 1,200 seats at each and every game at a very affordable price.

Continuing the theme of keeping the Goldeyes experience affordable, we have lowered prices on souvenir programs for 2009. Beginning at the home opener and continuing throughout the season, a Goldeyes souvenir program can be had for the low price of $3. Fishlines series magazines will be priced at $1.50 and the combo of souvenir program and Fishlines will be $3. The price of a program and a combo have both been reduced by $1 and the price of a Fishlines magazine has been reduced by $0.50 over last year’s prices.

Speaking of Fishlines, we will be changing how the covers are produced this year. Every year since we started producing the series magazine, we have used the same cover for the entire season. This year we will be producing nine different covers, eight of which will feature our “Flashback Friday” guests and another will feature Donnie Smith, who will have his jersey retired on July 21.

One parting note… Thank you very much to those who have sponsored me for the Winnipeg Police Service Half Marathon in support of the Canadian Cancer Society. At the time of writing this, pledges totalled $726, not too far off my goal of $1,000. If you haven’t pledged yet but will like to do so, please click here.

Until next time…
-- Andrew

Clubhouse Blog - Mar. 31, 2009

2009-03-31T10:13:00.003-05:00

"March Madness"

The madness has officially begun.

The player releases from affiliated baseball started last week and seem to be picking up pace. I have decided to do things a little differently as I’m sure many of you can tell by the lack of press releases announcing player signings.

Not to worry I am really working hard and not out on a family vacation, although I must admit I can use one right about now. My mornings usually start at 6:30am to wake up David for school unless Erik has plans on an earlier wake up time. I head right down stairs to the computer to check e-mails and look over releases that I may have received late at night. I feed and dress the kids for school and send them on their way then its back to the computer and now the phone. I have become pretty handy at multi-tasking. I figured out how to have a conversation on speaker phone, send text messages and go over release sheets/look up players at the same time. This craziness goes on for the better part of the day and most of the evening.

In years past I have had most of my roster signed by March 1st and have been finished putting my team together by the 10th of April. With the lack of releases throughout the winter has forced me to change plans and wait it out until the affiliated releases start thus creating more last minute work for me, my coaches, Andrew and Jonathan. SORRY GUYS!

I’m really excited about the players we have in place so far. Should be an exciting season. Stay tuned.

-- Rick

From the Desk of the GM - Mar. 30, 2009

2009-03-30T09:28:00.004-05:00

“Coming Soon to the Ballpark Near You – Part I”

I’ll be completely honest, after writing 12 blogs about various topics, I didn’t really have a topic for today’s edition. However, after soliciting some ideas from some staff members, it turned out there was actually quite a bit to write about. So, I’ve split my ramblings into two parts, one for today and one for Wednesday. Here goes:

Dave the Horn Guy, who will be performing at the July 26 game, sent us an email with a link to a personalized promo video. You will quickly see that Dave is a very humble guy that has some shyness issues. Well, maybe not. It should be a great show, make sure you’ve got your tickets for the July 26 game to see what else he has in store for us. Click on this link, then click “Open” to view the video. It’s a fairly large file (80MB), but well worth the wait for it to download.
(If you can't wait, click here to watch Dave the Horn Guy's video on YouTube)

We’ve got some great new on-field and in-stand promotions planned for this year.

A new promotion called “Our House”, sponsored by the Winnipeg Real Estate News, will feature a fan selected from the stands being interviewed by our man in the stands, Dan Chase, to find out where they are from and some other informal personal information. Those selected for the in-stand promotion will receive a $50.00 gift card from RONA Home & Garden. Oh, and the song “Our House” by Madness will accompany the new promotion.

The Quaker State race, sponsored by Magnum Oil, will move from the field to the video board at 15 selected games. The animated race will feature four batting helmets on wheels racing around the bases. Each section in the ballpark will be assigned a different helmet and will cheer it on. Someone in the winning helmet’s section will win a great prize from our good friends at Magnum Oil and Quaker State.

The Alumni Association of the University of Manitoba is sponsoring a new promotion called “Name that Alumnus”. At 15 games, one lucky fan gets to go on field, where they are asked a multiple-choice question about the province's largest university. The answer will relate to a graduate of the University of Manitoba.

One parting note... Thanks to everyone who came out to the Brian Glow Show at the Burton Cummings Theatre last Thursday. Brian put on a great show as always, and the food from Hu’s on First was spectacular, as usual.

Another parting note… Belated congrats to Paul Edmonds who was presented this year’s “Communications & Leadership” award by the Winnipeg Toastmasters Club at their 65th anniversary celebration on March 16. This follows his “Broadcaster of the Year” award presented by Ballpark Digest in October.

Next blog… Coming Soon to the Ballpark Near You – Part II

Until next time…
-- Andrew

From the Desk of the GM - Mar. 25, 2009

2009-03-25T09:32:00.001-05:00

“And so it begins…”

Well, the busy part of the year officially gets under way tomorrow evening, Thursday, March 26. The Goldeyes will host a spectacular magic show put on by Master of Illusion, Brian Glow. It will be the first of approximately 60 events that the Goldeyes will host this summer including two exhibition and 48 regular season games. If all goes according to plan, we will have a number of playoff dates to add to the number of events!

The season can be equal parts exciting, exhausting, rewarding and frustrating. These adjectives don’t just refer to the full time and summer staff, it also refers to the families of the Goldeyes employees, players and coaches. Anyone who has worked for a professional sports team knows the time commitment required, not just for them, but for their support at home as well. For Paul Edmonds, the summer is even more hectic as he is not only at every home game, but drives to and calls every away game as well.

So, to all the husbands, wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters of those who work or play for a professional sports team, I salute you. Without you, we all wouldn’t be able to do what we do.

A few parting notes… Following up on my blog about the “Stuff in my office” where I mentioned the “BALLGAME TODAY” sign, I am pleased to announce that Matthew Friesen from John Henry Creations was able to come through and produce a few more for me. Watch for one of these signs hanging in Bernie Clement’s Pembina Chrysler dealership at 300 Pembina Highway and the offices of Golder & Associates at 25 Scurfield Boulevard this summer.

Kudos to Regan Katz of our office who yesterday officially obtained his pilot’s licence. It’s something he’s been working towards for a couple years and all the hard work, studying and many hours in the air culminated in him getting his licence. Good for you Regan!

Until next time…

-- Andrew

From the Desk of the GM - Mar. 23, 2009

2009-03-23T10:38:00.002-05:00

“K’s for Kids Update”

On March 4, I wrote about the K’s for Kids program that the Goldeyes has in place to raise funds for the Field of Dreams Foundation. To date, a total of $3.00 has been pledged per Goldeyes strikeout at home for the upcoming season. There is still two months until opening day, so there is still plenty of time to reach or surpass the 2005 record-setting mark of $14.35 per strikeout that was pledged.

Also, as was mentioned in the March 4 blog, if you send the K’s for Kids form back by June 30 and mark “GM BLOG” at the top, you will be entered to win a skysuite for a night during July or August. As of today, no one has taken me up on that offer.

In case you missed the March 4th blog, K’s for Kids is a program where you pledge a certain dollar amount per strikeout thrown by a Goldeyes pitcher at home. So, if the Goldeyes throw 300 strikeouts and you pledged 10 cents per strikeout, it would cost you $30 at the end of the season. Not only will you get a tax receipt from the FOD Foundation, you have the chance of getting the use of a skysuite for a night for the small investment of $30! (Retail value of $850)

This blog appears the same day as the Field of Dreams Foundation Board meets to discuss how we can raise more funds for the Foundation. Our discussion will primarily be about the K’s for Kids program and what we can do to get out the word about it. Watch for new things at the ballpark promoting the program.

If you don’t feel like scrolling down the page to find the last blog about K’s for Kids, you can click here to get the pledge form.

The more money that is raised, the more children’s charities will benefit!

Next blog… “First event of the season”

Until next time…

-- Andrew

From the Desk of the GM - Mar. 18, 2009

2009-03-18T09:56:00.005-05:00

“Where Are They Now? Office Staff Edition”

It is always well documented when a former Goldeyes player graduates from the Northern League and does well at the major league level, eg. George Sherrill, Jeff Zimmerman, Brian Myrow, etc. What doesn’t get talked about much is how well people have done after working in the Goldeyes front office. Working for a minor league sports franchise doesn’t just give baseball players a chance to hone their skills and advance their careers, it is also a great place to learn a vast array of job functions and skills.

I will no doubt forget someone in this list, so if you feel I erroneously omitted you, please accept my apologies and send me an email with what you are doing now, and I will be sure to update this blog.

Below is a list, in no particular order, of people who worked for the Goldeyes, the years they worked and where they are working now:

Kevin East (1994-1995) – Key Account Manager, Kimberly Clark
Jeremy Feuer (1995-1996) – Lawyer, Olschewski & Feuer
Barb McTavish (1994-2008) – Operations Manager, Winnipeg Soccer Federation Indoor Soccer Complex
Lorraine Maciboric (1998-2006) – Executive Director, The Tallman Foundation
Brent Borbridge (1996-1998) – Account Manager, National Leasing
Devon Kashton (1996-1997) – General Manager, Winnipeg Soccer Federation Indoor Soccer Complex
Mitch Brennan (1999-2001) – National Manager of Product Advancement, Ticketmaster Canada
Darren McCabe (2004-2007) – Primary Care Paramedic (PCP), Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service
Tom Thiessen (2001-2004) – Executive Director, Building Owners and Managers Association of Manitoba
John Hindle (1994-2001) – author, novel “Jackrabbits in the Outfield”
Tracy Smith (1995-2004) – Regional Supervisor–Donor Services Representatives, Canadian Blood Services
Arthur O’Bright (1994) – General Manager, Texas Motorplex
Tracy Blackmore (1998-2003) – Teacher, grades 1, 2 & 3, Prince Edward Elementary School
Jana Thorsteinson (1994-1995) – Assistant Executive Director, University of Manitoba Alumni Association
Sherri Perrett (2000-2001) – Booking Manager, Burton Cummings Theatre
Scott Hebert (1994-1996) – Owner, Excel Fitness Incorporated

As you can see, a very impressive list! The minor leagues are not just a breeding ground for future major leaguers, it’s also a source for future captains of industry in Canada and around the world.

Next blog… “An Update on K’s for Kids”

Until next time…

-- Andrew

From the Desk of the GM - Mar. 16, 2009

2009-03-16T13:28:00.005-05:00

“Staff Survey”

Every once in a while on this blog, I will provide a glimpse into the Goldeyes front office staff and on-field coaching staff and put on display the wide variety of personalities we have working here. So, with that in mind, I emailed a survey with some varied topical questions that I think will give you a true glimpse into the minds of the people behind Goldeyes baseball. Feel free to form your own opinion of the staff based on their answers. I made some editors notes beside some of the answers in italics. I also allocated some awards to some staff for their answers.

Celebrity Crush
Jonathan – Kelly Clarkson
Angela – Richard Dean Anderson
Bonnie – Hugh Jackman
Kevin – does my girlfriend count? If not then Elisha Cuthbert. (Sappy Award)
Andrew – Kaley Cuoco
Paul Edmonds (Radioguy) – Lindsay Lohan – until she flaked out recently
Blake – Carrie Underwood
Sarah – Josh Duhamel
Dennis – June Allyson
Paul Duque (El Duque) – (current) Kristen Bell; (all-time) Jennifer Aniston
Regan – Elisha Cuthbert
Dan – Julie Andrews
Shane – Kate Beckinsale
Jason – Paul Edmonds
Judy – Bill Pullman, Hugh Jackman
Scott Taylor – Stevie Nicks, Carrie Underwood and Kaley Cuoco
Scott Horn – Kate Beckinsale
Tom – Danica Patrick
Rick – Marissa Miller
Rudy – Jennifer Lopez

Most embarrassing song on your iPod
Jonathan – Achy Breaky Heart – Billy Ray Cyrus
Angela – Thriller – Michael Jackson
Bonnie – no iPod :(
Kevin – Ice Ice Baby – Vanilla Ice
Andrew – Put a Ring On It - Beyonce
Radioguy – no iPod
Blake – All or Nothing – O-Town
Sarah – I’m Too Sexy – Right Said Fred
Dennis – what’s an iPod??
El Duque – entire album “Aquarium” by Aqua
Regan – Rhythm of the Night – Real McCoy
Dan – no iPod
Shane – Benny & the Jets (unplugged MTV version)
Jason – no iPod
Judy – no iPod
Scott Taylor – Let’s go racin’ boys – Toby Lightman (Nascar song from Fox TV)
Scott Horn – Barbie Song – Pink
Tom – no iPod
Rick – Too Shy – Kaja Goo Goo
Rudy – Gold Digger – Kanye West

Least favourite sport
Jonathan – golf
Angela – soccer
Bonnie – golf
Kevin – NBA Basketball – I’d rather watch paint dry
Andrew – soccer
Radioguy – soccer
Blake – basketball
Sarah – curling
Dennis – rodeo
El Duque – poker – I like playing, but why do they show it on sports channels?
Regan - basketball
Dan – fishing – can’t sit still!
Shane – none… unless you consider figure skating a sport instead of a performance
Jason – basketball – I’m too short
Judy – to play – curling – I do enough sweeping at home, to watch – boxing
Scott Taylor – poker (is it a sport?)
Scott Horn – cricket
Tom – curling
Rick – tennis
Rudy – synchronized swimming

Guilty pleasure
Jonathan – sweet chili heat Doritos and Cherry Nibs
Angela – reality tv shows (too many of them)
Bonnie – Bones tv series
Kevin – Saturday mornings, I like to watch Hannah Montana
Andrew – chocolate covered cherries and blueberries from Rocky Mountain
Radioguy – chips
Blake – video games
Sarah – shopping, purses and shoes specifically
Dennis – ogling
El Duque – I still watch wrestling once in a while
Regan – answer did not comply with CRTC standards
Dan – three cheese pizza
Shane – I really like to buy shoes (because my size is a pain to find)
Jason – Slurpees
Judy – eccle cakes and chai tea lattes
Scott Taylor – anything Disney
Scott Horn – chocolate cheesecake
Tom – none
Rick – chicken wings
Rudy – Johnny Walker Gold Label

If I could have one superpower it would be
Jonathan – invisibility
Angela – flying/teleportation
Bonnie – time travel – I would have started to work here years ago! (Suckup Award)
Kevin – I wish I could melt snow and ice just by looking at it, I hate winter!
Andrew – time travel
Radioguy – ability to fly
Blake – time travel
Sarah – invisibility
Dennis – X-Ray vision
El Duque – ability to fly
Regan – ability to fly
Dan – ability to fly
Shane – ability to read my boss’s mind
Jason – ability to predict the future
Judy – ability to disappear
Scott Taylor – invisibility
Scott Horn – telekinesis
Tom – ability to fly
Rick – ability to read minds
Rudy – X-Ray vision

What I’m doing at work when no one’s watching
Jonathan – buying stuff on eBay
Angela – planning my next vacation
Bonnie – reading Twilight for the millionth time
Kevin – dreaming of the day when the Leafs win the Stanley Cup
Andrew – making my picks on ESPN.com’s “Streak for the Cash”
Radioguy – reading out-of-town newspapers on-line
Blake – checking out Chicago Blackhawks news
Sarah – watching aerobics videos BUT only on my lunch break :)
Dennis – not applicable
El Duque – handling my “bid’ness”
Regan – filling out surveys for Andrew
Dan – playing on-line poker (Honesty award)
Shane – reading espn.com or tsn.ca
Jason – I do what I want, but unlike some, I don’t have a tv in my office. For real, it would be checking the stock index and U.S. exchange rate, no wonder I’m depressed.
Judy – always working (BS award)
Scott Taylor – watching baseball on MLB.com
Scott Horn – wondering what everyone else is doing
Tom – sudoku
Rick – catching a 10 minute nap
Rudy – text messaging

If I could be on a reality show, it would be
Jonathan – Survivor
Angela – The mature Bachelorette
Bonnie – The Bachelorette
Kevin – Amazing Race
Andrew – The Apprentice
Radioguy – Survivor
Blake – Bromance
Sarah – a tie between Amazing Race and The Hills
Dennis – the one in the jungle (I’m pretty sure he means Survivor)
El Duque – Amazing Race
Regan – Amazing Race
Dan – The Apprentice
Shane – Pros vs. Joes
Jason – Survivor
Judy – I loathe reality shows. Wouldn’t want to be on any.
Scott Taylor – Wipeout
Scott Horn – Fear Factor
Tom – don’t watch them
Rick – Big Break
Rudy – From G’s to Gents

Blondes, Brunettes or Redheads
Jonathan – brunettes
Angela - brunettes
Bonnie – brunettes
Kevin – doesn’t matter as long as she cheers for the Leafs
Andrew – brunettes
Radioguy – blondes
Blake – blondes
Sarah – all of the above
Dennis – bald heads
El Duque – why exclude anyone from the party?
Regan - brunettes
Dan – blondes
Shane – redheads
Jason – whoever will take me… what colour is Jen’s hair, red
Judy – brunettes
Scott Taylor – all of the above
Scott Horn – brunettes
Tom – blondes
Rick – brunettes
Rudy – brunettes

Plain, pepperoni or other
Jonathan – pepperoni
Angela – no pizza for me!
Bonnie – Hawaiian
Kevin – pepperoni and mushroom
Andrew – double pepperoni & double cheese
Radioguy – pepperoni
Blake – pepperoni
Sarah – pepperoni
Dennis – beef, bacon & mushroom
El Duque – other – supreme… wait, we’re talking about pizza, right?
Regan - pepperoni
Dan – lactose intolerant
Shane – shrimp & meatball
Jason – other
Judy – other – lots of junk!
Scott Taylor – Little Caesar’s Three Meat Treat (just $7.95)
Scott Horn – loaded
Tom – other
Rick – other
Rudy – pepperoni

I own ___ pairs of shoes
Jonathan – 11
Angela – 35 at least
Bonnie – 24
Kevin – was 3 until I started working here, now it’s 4… 4th pair are for putting the tarp on the field
Andrew – 32
Radioguy – 4
Blake – 8
Sarah – 40+… wow I didn’t realize how many pairs I had
Dennis – 5 and a half
El Duque – 11
Regan – I ran out of fingers, less than Andrew, more than my Mom
Dan – 6
Shane – lots but still not enough
Jason – 9, but one pair will soon be in the garbage
Judy – at least 20 – if I wasn’t meant to have them, they wouldn’t make them in my size
Scott Taylor – 14
Scott Horn – 24
Tom – 15
Rick – 7
Rudy – 15

Next blog… Wednesday, March 18 “Where are they Now? – Office Staff edition”

Until next time…

-- Andrew

From the Desk of the GM - Mar. 12, 2009

2009-03-12T11:04:00.003-05:00

“(Half) Marathon Man”

It was about this time three years ago that I decided I would try and run the Winnipeg Police Service Half Marathon in late April of 2006. I trained for it, probably not as much as I should have, but I did train. I ended up finishing the race with a time that I was very pleased with. When I finished, I told my wife, my Mom and Dad and just about anyone else within earshot, that I would never do that again. It was something I wanted to cross off my “life list” or what has more recently been popularized as a “bucket list”, and since I had now completed it, I didn’t feel there was a need to do it again.

Well, as usual, my memory is very short and last week, I decided I would give it another go. I started training regularly on February 16 and have been running three or four times a week. After filling out the on-line form I began soliciting pledges from family, friends, colleagues, friends of the Goldeyes, etc. It quickly began to sink in that I was now committed to doing this. People have pledged their hard earned money to the Canadian Cancer Society with the expectation that I not only participate in the run, but actually finish the race!

You may be saying to yourself, “what’s the big deal, it’s only 21 km, that should be no problem!” and you’d be right. However, for those who know me, know that I’m not the healthiest of people out there. I like burgers, fries and gravy, and just about anything that can be deep-fried. I’ve also been known to have a cigar now and then and there have been very few times in my adult life I’ve turned down a frosty beverage (BTW, I’m not encouraging the use of these products, I’m simply painting the picture). Well, continuing to eat three McDonald’s double cheeseburgers while driving from one meeting to another or enjoying the aforementioned vices, and training to run a half-marathon don’t go very well together. I am certainly not foolish enough to say I will be giving any of these things up, but for the next two months, they will be kept to a minimum.

The run is in support of the Canadian Cancer Society. I am currently collecting pledges for the run. If you are interested in donating to this very worthwhile cause, please click here to do so (Editor's Note: if the link isn't working -- probably because of all the people making pledges -- please try again later in the day). I would like to thank all those who have supported the Canadian Cancer Society by pledging me so far and thank you to those who might do so in the future.

One parting note…Only 71 days remaining until opening day, 46 days until players start arriving, 51 days until the Annual Open House and only 60 days until our first exhibition game against the St. Paul Saints.

Next blog – “Meet the Staff”

Until next time…

-- Andrew

Radio Guy's Blog - Mar. 10, 2009

2009-03-10T13:58:00.004-05:00

"A New Enterprise"

Let me first say that this whole blog thing is a new enterprise for me – one that I’ll probably pursue to get better at as time progresses. However, one thing I’ve noticed about blogging and bloggers is there seems to be more of them than actual readers! However, if you know of where I can pick up some more readers, then let me know.

Let’s face it, this winter hasn’t exactly been conducive for a lot of outdoor activities. In fact, I think I can pinpoint about four days in total since the Holidays that you even think about venturing outside with the kids for any extended period. However, that obviously didn’t resonate with one of my friends recently who ask why I didn’t take my oldest son out to play shinny on the local rink more often? He said it was “the best way to toughen kids up.” To which I retorted: “Isn’t everyone that lives here between Oct. 1 and March 30 already tough enough, and further toughening based on the weather is actually being guilty of stupidity?” That pretty much ended the conversation on toughness.

For the record, isn’t just about time we stopped casually referring to the James A. Richardson International Airport by its full name and graduated to reference our soon-to-be-new terminal as just Richardson International? When you hear O’Hare, Pearson and LaGuardia, you automatically know where these airports are located, right? Let’s think big, people.

I have this to say on the whole steroid issue in baseball: Whatever happened to “Just Say No?”

I scratch my head sometimes in bewilderment when I read stories about player contracts in baseball. For instance, where is the baseline for what went on last month when 2008 Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum re-signs for one year with San Francisco for just $650,000 and slugger Manny Ramirez rejects an initial offer from the Los Angeles Dodgers that would pay him $45 million over two years. I fail to understand the disparity, especially when every team is clamoring for better pitching.

Still with baseball, get used to superstar players opting out the World Baseball Classic in years to come even more so than this year. That is unless Major League Baseball and its Player’s Association can get together and have those players that are not injured seriously committed to participation in the event. Otherwise an epidemic is just around the corner and the tournament will become a junior national event at-best in the future.

Speaking of the WBC, I’m going to watch with a lot of interest to see if the Japanese can repeat again. They certainly impressed me four years ago with their small-ball game and I’m wondering if any of the other nations have any game plan to counteract that this time around.

It would be the understatement of the 2009 if I didn’t admit that the announcement regarding an expansion franchise in Zion, Illinois was a huge breath of fresh air around every Northern League office. Certainly, Kevin Costner’s association with the new club will add to the credibility of the franchise and league overall, but now some serious works needs to be done in getting a team in the Minneapolis area.

Next time you have a chance, ask Goldeyes’ pitcher Brandon Kintzler about his first winter in Winnipeg. And be sure to query him on washing his truck on a cold December night, only to show up at work the next day three hours late when he couldn’t open the doors the next morning on the frozen vehicle.

One of the biggest thrills I’ve experienced this off-season so far was being able to read to my oldest son’s Grade 1 class at Earl Grey School in February. His teacher put my boy on a stool right beside me and I was able to hold his and his classmate’s attention for an hour (How? I don’t know) while reading a selection of about four books. If you’ve never read to a kid or haven’t for a while, I would encourage you to do so. You might find you get more out of it than the kid.

Peace, out!

-- Paul

From the Desk of the GM - Mar. 9, 2009

2009-03-09T10:49:00.006-05:00

“Relay for Life”

I’ve learned a lot about blogs over the last month. I’ve learned that blogs can be informative, insightful, serious, philosophical, goofy or strange. The most important thing I’ve learned is that blogs are whatever the writer has on their mind at that particular time. So far I think mine have been informative and at times a little bit goofy. The one you are about to read will likely be the closest to the serious side that I will write.

Every once in a while, the Goldeyes are fortunate enough to be involved with some fantastic fundraising events. On Friday, May 29 between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. the following day, a very exciting event will be held at Canwest Park. The Canadian Cancer Society will hold its “Relay for Life” event at the ballpark. The 12-hour relay walk will take place around the warning track and everyone involved will be camping out on the outfield grass.

The following appears on the Canadian Cancer Society’s website:

"The Canadian Cancer Society Relay For Life is more than just a fundraiser. It is an opportunity to get together with family and friends and celebrate cancer survivors, remember loved ones lost to cancer, and fight back in the hope of finding a cure for this terrible disease. Relay is fun, fulfilling, and your participation gives strength to our mission to eradicate cancer. Walk with us in this inspirational 12-hour overnight event as we come together and fight to make cancer history.”

There are many ways to get involved. Check out the Relay for Life website. You can:
Create a new team
Join an existing team
Pledge a participant
Buy a luminary
Volunteer your time at the event
Join the Survivors victory lap

When approached by Kathy Joshua, a member of the volunteer organizing committee, it didn’t take long for the Goldeyes organization to jump on board. This event not only provides funding that will one day put an end to this terrible disease, it also provides hope to the people going through treatment and the families and friends who support them.

There are very few people in the world that haven’t been touched by cancer in one form or another. With permission of his parents, Hank and Cynthia, I’d like to tell you about a little boy named Harry who touched the lives of many people.

Last summer at the “Relay for Life”, “Prince” Harry (as he was affectionately referred to as), had a great time at the event, playing with his big sister and Mom and Dad, enjoying a day away from the hospital where he had spent a considerable amount of time since he was diagnosed with a rare form of liver cancer on February 22, 2008. It was a day that he was able to enjoy away from the ongoing chemo and radiation treatments, away from the Children’s Hospital, away from daily reminders that he was a very sick little boy. It was a day for his family to enjoy being with Harry and enjoy this happy, inspiring, joy-filled little boy and remember what it was like before the doctors initially diagnosed him with a very rare and, without a transplant, a highly probable fatal form of liver cancer. The world lost Prince Harry on August 3, 2008, less than two months after the Relay for Life. The reason it was so easy for me to get involved with this event is that if the dollars that are raised at the Relay for Life can help another “Prince Harry” enjoy a second, or third, or better yet, a 60th instead of just a first birthday, then it is all worth it. Below you can see pictures from last year’s Relay for Life of Hank, Cynthia and Harry and another that has the whole family including Harry’s sister Lydia.

Harry loved watching the transit bus. He enjoyed watching it as he played in Aubrey Park. If you have the opportunity of riding the #10 Wolseley bus, think of Harry.

Harry’s story is a sad one with a sad ending. With the money that is raised and the research that is being done, they don’t all end that way. There are good stories and positive endings out there. Someone close to me was diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer two-and-a-half years ago. Due to the research and advancements that have been made because of money from events like this, this person was able to have a successful thyroidectomy (total removal of the thyroid gland). With ongoing treatment including prescribed thyroid medication, follow-up scans have shown no cancer residual. Because of events like Relay for Life, I am able to write about this person in the present tense and not the past tense.

One parting note… congrats to Jeff Hnatiuk for being named this year’s “Impact Player” as chosen by the Winnipeg Free Press. For those who didn’t have a chance to read the two-page spread in the Press on Saturday, February 28, Mr. Hnatiuk was chosen by the Free Press sports staff and members of the sporting community in Manitoba as the most influential sports figure in the province. Kudos to Gary Lawless, the rest of the Free Press sports team and the selection panel for putting together the top ten. I was fortunate to be part of the selection panel. After reading the article I’m not sure how to interpret the fact that I had five of the eventual top ten on the list I had submitted. There were some on the final list that I agree with and some that I don’t. But that’s the beauty of these lists, the discussion that leads up to and follows the final decision is usually a lot of fun.

Next blog – “(Half) Marathon Man”

Until next time…

-- Andrew

Clubhouse Blog - Mar. 5, 2009

2009-03-05T09:53:00.002-06:00

"Open Season"

One of the first signs that winter is soon to be over is that spring training highlights are constantly on ESPN. With that being said we had our first major snow storm here in Maryland. I woke up to a 6 inch dumping Monday and most of the Baltimore/Washington metropolitan area received around 8 to 12 inches.

Things are starting to get real busy for me with the baseball season fast approaching. This winter was a strange one with the lack of release transactions from affiliated baseball teams. There are not as many free agent players available to us Indy ball managers as in years past, meaning fewer phone calls and even fewer signings.

For me that usually means extreme anxiety. Just knowing the countdown to opening day is on and not having as many players in place as I have had in years past can make me a little crazy at times. I often tell myself there will be ton of talented baseball players that will get released in spring training that will be interested in continuing their careers. Just one problem with that, every other independent club is in the same situation as I am and we will be competing against each other for their services. Tom and Rudy have been a great help to me as always as has Andrew and Jonathan. Stay tuned, it should be a very interesting March and April for the transaction wires in each independent league.

During the winter I have been fortunate enough to coach basketball at the recreation level. I have to tell you some days it’s more difficult than managing the Goldeyes! Christopher’s basketball season came to a close this weekend with a first round loss in the playoffs. I told the kids they lost because of poor coaching. David will be playing in the 12U league championship this coming Saturday against a very strong team from Thurmont, Maryland. I can’t wait. Rebekah is keeping busy with her dance classes and sweet little Erik is busy being a stinker. Erika joined the work force for the first time in 8 years. I’m so proud of her.

That’s all I have for now. My phone is ringing and I need to close this deal on a future Goldeyes player. Wish me luck!

-- Rick Forney

From the Desk of the GM - Mar. 4, 2009

2009-03-04T10:31:00.006-06:00

“K’s for Kids”

Years ago, long-time season ticket holders Steve and Bonnie Heller, also known as the “K Couple” that sit above the visitors dugout and put up K’s every time a Goldeyes pitcher strikes out an opposing batter, came up with a fantastic fund-raising idea that everyone can get involved with. It’s called the K’s for Kids promotion and it works like this. Fans are asked to pledge a certain monetary amount, whether it is one dollar or one cent per strikeout, thrown by a Goldeyes pitcher at home during the season. Last year, Goldeyes pitchers threw 318 strikeouts at home. So, if you pledged 10 cents per strikeout, you would have been invoiced at the end of the year for $31.80.

Every year, beginning in 2001, we have mailed out K’s for Kids pledge forms to all season ticket and mini pack holders with their pickup letters in April. In addition, we make the forms available on the website and at the Subway fan services booth at each game. However, every year it seems to be the same people who sign up and every year the money raised through this effort remains virtually the same. Which got me thinking about the almost limitless possibilities this opportunity has. So, I decided to do some math and came up with the following:

Working with a number of 300,000 fans per season, if only one per cent (or 3,000) of those fans participated in the program and pledged five cents per strikeout with an average of 300 strikeouts thrown by Goldeyes pitchers, the amount donated would be $15 per person. Multiplied by 3,000 fans, that would add up to $45,000 that would go to the Field of Dreams Foundation, which would end up in the hands of children’s charities in Manitoba. To take the math a little further, even if 3,000 fans pledged one cent per strikeout, or $3 per person, that would still be $9,000, which is more than the program currently raises.

For added incentive to get involved with this program, if you donate $15 to the K’s for Kids program, you’ll receive a $15 charitable tax receipt that you can use to reduce your taxes on next year’s tax return.

To get things rolling for 2009, I am pledging $1 per strikeout.

To really spice things up, if you send in your form by June 30 and write “GM BLOG” at the top of your form, you will be entered to win a Goldeyes skysuite for a night sometime during July or August this summer. If you’re the winner, you can pick the night!

If you would like to get involved, please click here to view the form and print it out.

One parting note… I had a great time reading at David Livingstone School last week. Not sure how I was included with some real celebrity readers, but did my best to stumble through my book “Reading is good for you because…”. Janet Stewart from CBC and I read to the Kindergarten and Nursery School kids. I am certainly glad I read before Janet, she was very funny and entertaining. Kudos to Lorraine Maciboric from the Tallman Foundation for setting that up with the school. Below is a photo of the celebrity readers, and me!

My next blog…Monday, March 9 – “Relay for Life”

Until next time…

--Andrew

From the Desk of the GM - Mar. 2, 2009

2009-03-02T09:18:00.003-06:00

“Best Value for your Money”

You can’t turn on the radio or TV or open a newspaper these days without being bombarded with bad news about the economy. Doom and gloom surrounds us on a daily basis. Times are tough out there and the phrase “disposable income” seems like an oxymoron. You may be wondering where I’m going with all this, so here it is. At the Goldeyes, we realize that families’ budgets are being squeezed tighter and tighter every day. However, we also know that even during these difficult times, people still need to get out once in a while and have some fun.

“$20 gets a family of four through the door” – Sam said those words before we opened the doors to Canwest Park back in 1999 and we’re still saying them now. When we opened the ballpark in June of ’99, there were 800 seats available each game for $5 each. 10 years later we continue to make it even more affordable to come to the park and for 2009, there will be 1,200 seats at each game available for only $5 each.

We believe there is absolutely no better value for your entertainment dollar than going to a Goldeyes game. Not only is there great baseball to watch on the field, but most games have a giveaway item, fireworks show or an entertainment act, and at all games there is free stuff thrown into the crowd throughout the game. If you catch a free ice cream or a bag of potato chips or a bag of sunflower seeds – Boom! – you’ve almost made your $5 back! Even at the $10, $12 or $16 ticket levels, we still believe there isn’t a better way to be entertained for three hours for the money.

If you buy a group package and bring out your staff, clients, friends or family, everyone gets a free souvenir. You basically get your money back with each group ticket purchased by getting a great Goldeyes souvenir to take home!

We are celebrating playing at Canwest Park for 10 years and have introduced some additional benefits for being a season ticket or mini pack holder. Here they are:

BENEFITS OF SEASON TICKET PACKAGE:
- Same seats for all 48 regular season, two exhibition and six potential playoff games.
- 15% discount at The Dugout Goldeyes Souvenir Store
- Invitations to the annual pre-season “Meet The Goldeyes”, Fan Appreciation Barbecue and “World Series Party” events (exclusive to season ticket holders)
- Benefits of our “Catch & Release” program
- Preferred parking opportunities
- Special discounts and offers from a variety of Goldeyes partners and vendors
- First right of refusal for a variety of events, concerts and shows at Canwest Park and other venues

In addition to these benefits that season ticket holders receive every year, as a 10th year celebration bonus, for every season ticket held, holders will receive:
- Two Goldeyes 2009 home games at no charge
- One $10 Goldie’s Grill Gift Certificate
- One $10 Hu’s on First Gift Certificate

If a full season ticket is too much, our five different nine-game mini packs might be perfect for you. The five different packages are: first half, second half, mid week, Saturdays and Sundays. Many different options for many different types of Goldeyes fan.

BENEFITS OF 9-GAME MINI PACKS:
- Same seats for each game in the 9-game package
- 10% discount at The Dugout Goldeyes Souvenir Store

The special BONUS you’ll receive for each mini pack purchased:
- $10 Ticket Gift Certificate for any 2009 Goldeyes Home Game
- $10 Goldie’s Grill Gift Certificate

To get your ticket packages, click here or call the Goldeyes box office and speak with Dennis, Blake or Brandon at 982-2273.

One parting note…Kudos to the Winnipeg Goldeyes fans for helping raise significant funds for the Field of Dreams Foundation again in 2008. The Foundation raised and distributed more than $150,000 to 40 children’s charities in Manitoba bringing the year-to-date total to more than $1.1 million. In my next blog, I will talk about an easy way to get involved with the Field of Dreams fundraising efforts through the K’s for Kids promotion.

Until next time…

-- Andrew

From the Desk of the GM - Archive - Feb. 17, 2009

2009-02-27T10:10:00.003-06:00

(Note: This post first appeared on the Goldeyes.com blogs)

A huge thank you to David, Ingrid, Kevin, Angie, Keith, Lorraine, Donna, Judith, Loretta, Edna, Rick, Lorraine, Charlene, Grant, Loretta, Daniel, George, Martha, Wayne, Sandee, Ken, Sandi, Troy, Janice, Doug, Ronda, Karen, Florence, Edna, Bernice, Kenn, Joyce, Robert, Dorothy and Robert T. These are all the fine folks who joined me, my wife and kids on the Goldeyes Cruise through the Eastern Caribbean at the end of January. It was an fantastic collection of casual fans, long-time season, mini-pack, skysuite ticket holders and corporate sponsors.

A few highlights….

Keith Micklash and his wife Lorraine, from Magnum Oil, were kind enough to provide Goldeyes hats and visors for all cruisers. Also, for the get-together on the second to last night, they brought light-up martini glasses for everyone. A huge thank you to Keith and Lorraine for that.

The Pauls family. George and Martha brought the three Pauls boys and their wives on the trip for a total of eight Pauls on the cruise. On a shore excursion in St. Maarten, the entire Pauls family went on an off-roading adventure across the island and concluded the day with the entire family, George included, getting their hair braided and beaded. It was a pleasure getting to know the Pauls family. Here are photos of the Pauls family prior to getting on the boat and at the cocktail party hosted by Continental Travel.

David and Ingrid Price – for anyone who was at a Goldeyes game last summer, you would definitely know David and Ingrid, if not to see them, certainly from hearing them. They sit in Section O, row 3 and are constantly talking to the home and visiting players throughout the game. They brought as much life to the cruise as they do to the games. David’s performance in the impromptu synchronized swimming performance in the pool on the ship was something I will never forget! I will be selling DVD’s of his performance this summer at the ballpark. (just kidding David!)

Former Director of Sales for the Goldeyes, now Executive Director of the Tallman Foundation at Princess Auto, Lorraine Maciboric and her husband Rick made the trip as well. It was great to see Lorraine again. We spent most of the time reliving old war stories from her eight years with the team. Rick and Lorraine celebrated their 25th anniversary on the boat and rumour has it that the island of St. Thomas now has a whole lot less diamonds than it did before Rick was done with it.

Having half of the Collier family on board was a ton of fun. My brother Doug and wife Ronda along with my mom and dad joined Carleigh, Donavan, Olivia and me. We were able to celebrate a milestone birthday for my mom on board (I won’t say which one!).

The good people at Continental Travel, namely Daryl, Charlene and Suzanne were all fantastic from start to finish. The get-together on board was first class and enjoyed by all. All signs are pointing to there being a second annual Cruise, watch the Goldeyes website for more details.

A few parting thoughts… the first for good friends of the Goldeyes, Mickey and Judy, we’re all thinking about you and wishing you speedy recoveries. The bottom of section E and the top of section F wouldn’t be the same without you there.

And finally, my most sincere condolences to the family and friends of Scott Giffin who tragically lost his life in Portage la Prairie on February 9. My thoughts are with you during this difficult time.

Until next time…

From the Desk of the GM - Archive - Feb. 9, 2009

2009-02-27T09:55:00.009-06:00

(Note: This post first appeared on the Goldeyes.com blogs)

We hope you enjoy reading the various blogs that will appear on our website. Many people with various backgrounds will blog here, from manager Rick Forney and some of the players to the voice of the Goldeyes Paul Edmonds and National Post columnist Scott Taylor.

My blog will focus primarily on off-field activities around the Goldeyes office. I’ll leave the on-field discussion to the experts, namely the players, Rick, the coaches, Paul and Scott.

Since receiving our 2009 schedule in November, we’ve been hard at work to make sure every game will have an exciting theme, fantastic giveaway or exotic trip giveaway so you leave the park entertained every time you come.

Some of the highlights of the 2009 promotional schedule are:

Celebrating 10 years at Canwest Park. It’s hard to believe we’ve already been playing ball downtown for 10 years. Seems like yesterday I was standing in a gravel lot littered with old shopping carts and broken glass. By the end of the first week of June, more than three million fans will have enjoyed Goldeyes baseball at Canwest Park.

Donnie Smith Day – we will retire the jersey of the local boy on Tuesday, July 21. As part of that evening, the first 2,500 fans through the gates will receive a spectacular canvas art print featuring Donnie Smith.

Flashback Fridays – every Friday regular season home game, one popular former Goldeyes player will return to renew acquaintances, throw out the opening pitch and sign autographs. Check out our website for who is coming and when.

Canada Day – this is a game you will want to be sure to attend. The Goldeyes will wear replicas of the jerseys worn 10 years ago by the bronze-medal winning Canadian team at the Pan Am Games. A huge thank you to Greg Hamilton and Baseball Canada for granting us permission to wear the replicas and supplying the caps. Following the game, the jerseys will be autographed by the players and auctioned off.

Entertainment acts – we will have a number of spectacular entertainment acts throughout the summer including:

Mad Chad (May 23) – very funny entertainer, the highlight of his show is juggling three running chainsaws.
Quick Change (June 10) – a couple that change their entire wardrobe repeatedly in front of the crowd in the blink of an eye. It will leave you saying “How did they do that?”
Master of Illusion – Brian Glow (July 12) – Brian will bring his world-renowned act to the ballpark that afternoon. I don’t want to give too much away, but many fans will be involved along with everyone’s favourite mascot, Goldie.
Dave the Horn Guy (July 26) – Dave has 25 horns strapped to his jumpsuit and he performs a “body orchestra”. He has appeared on Jay Leno, America’s Got Talent as well as many NBA half-time shows.

Check back weekly as we continue to confirm many more promotions. In addition to updating you on exciting activities coming up at Goldeyes games this summer, I’ll also take you inside life at the Goldeyes office and what goes on at the ballpark between the final game of one season and opening day of the next.

I look forward to writing this blog and hope you enjoy reading it.

Watch for my next blog where I talk about the first annual Goldeyes cruise….

From the Desk of the GM - Feb. 24, 2009

2009-02-24T22:22:00.011-06:00

"The Stuff in My Office"

When a person works at a certain place for 15 years, it’s only natural they begin to accumulate "stuff". However, by the wide-eyed reaction people often have when entering my office, I am starting to think I may have a little more stuff than the average person.

Some of the items in my office:

29 items hung on the wall – some framed, some autographed. Of these, a few favourites items include:

framed photo of Don Larsen taken during his World Series perfect game that is autographed and personalized

framed photo of my son Donavan and me autographed and personalized by Notre Dame football head coach Charlie Weis. I was wearing a Notre Dame jersey in the photo

framed photo of former Goldeyes manager Hal Lanier, autographed and personalized with a very nice note

23 autographed baseballs
3 autographed footballs
3 autographed bats
10 bobble heads
1 stool made out of four broken bats and a base
1 radar gun
6 “talking mini’s” – figurines of famous people that talk when a button is pushed
1 mini-fridge under my desk (no comment on contents)
47 baseball jerseys and one football jersey – some autographed
6 pairs of running shoes
1 box of Goldeyes toques (for the players during spring training)
1 shoe shine kit
2 marionettes
50 new baseball bats waiting for the players to arrive
7 different Goldeyes caps
10 framed photos of my wife and/or kids
1 “Oscar” trophy – given to me by the staff after appearing in our Goldeyes “Spring Training” commercials
1 copy of every televised Goldeyes game (on VHS or DVD)

Probably my favourite item in my office is the “BALL GAME TODAY” sign that my wife had made for me as a present last Father’s Day. We saw these signs in storefront windows when we were in Boston a couple of years ago. Stores would put these old style signs in their windows to let everyone know when the Red Sox were at home. Last summer, Kevin Arnst and Dennis McLean were charged with the responsibility of putting the sign up in the box office every day of a home game. They may or may not know it yet, but that duty will fall on their shoulders again this summer.

Wouldn’t it be cool if every business in Winnipeg put up a “BALL GAME TODAY” sign in their window? If you are a business owner that has a street-front window and are interested in having a sign, give me a shout at the Goldeyes office and we’ll make that happen.

One parting note… Happy 40th Birthday to my long-time good friend Larry Smith. Without a doubt the biggest Boston Bruins fan in Portage la Prairie, he’s very happy this year that they are actually having a good season. He’s enjoying rubbing it in to all his friends who are Canadiens fans.

Until next time…

-- Andrew

From the Desk of the GM - Feb. 23, 2009

2009-02-23T12:58:00.002-06:00

Way to go George! For those that haven’t heard, George Sherrill (Goldeyes pitcher 2002-2003) avoided arbitration with the Orioles and received a one-year, $2.75 million contract for 2009. The Northern League could use George as the poster boy of how, if you work hard, not just during the season but in the off-season as well, good things can happen.

George wasn’t a #1 draft pick out of Austin Peay State in Tennessee that was using the Northern League as somewhere to stay in shape while he waited to re-enter the draft so he could get drafted by a team that could pay him more. He was a guy who loved baseball and loved to pitch. In fact, George wasn’t drafted at all and thus turned to independent baseball as a way to get noticed by those that overlooked him in college.

He started out in Evansville of the Frontier League for a couple seasons, then on to Sioux Falls for one season and then to Winnipeg to begin the 2002 season. He had a good year in ’02 with 61 strikeouts in 41 innings and a respectable 3.07 ERA, but he knew he could do better than that. He came back in 2003 and was virtually unhittable. He had lost about 25 pounds and gained about five miles an hour on his fastball. After only 16 appearances that season with the Goldeyes (16 innings, 30 strikeouts, four walks, eight hits), his contract was purchased by the Seattle Mariners, and the rest they say, is history.

Following a trade last off-season from Seattle to Baltimore, George was given the opportunity to be the Orioles closer. And close he did. George saved 31 games and was rewarded at the midway mark by being named to the American League All-Star Team. Not only did George get the opportunity to suit up and take in the festivities at Yankee Stadium, he played a pivotal role in the game. Entering the game in the top of the twelfth inning , he proceeded to pitch two-and-one-third innings, striking out two, walking none, allowing one hit and didn’t allow a run. There were some (namely John Kruk of ESPN) who said after the game that it should have been George that was awarded the MVP trophy, and not former St. Paul Saint J.D. Drew.

Good for you George, you’ve made us proud and given every player that wears a Northern League uniform hope that, with hard work and dedication, anything can happen.

One parting note… Congratulations and good luck from everyone in the Goldeyes organization to Milt Stegall as he runs off into the sunset. #85 had quite a career. What will always stick out in my mind about Milt was not just his play on the field, but even more so was the way he conducted himself off the field. He is a class act. I will always remember Milt throwing an opening pitch to Kevin Glenn at our game, two days after he set the all-time CFL touchdown record. Thanks to Milt and Kevin for doing that and to Brendan Taman for setting it up. Milt’s long catch-and run-plays will be missed. I look forward to seeing him on TSN broadcasts this summer.

Until next time…

-- Andrew