WINNIPEG GOLDEYES DAILY CLIPPINGS

THURSDAY, MAY 20 th , 2021

- Canaries Sneak Past Goldeyes Late— (Steve Schuster), 5/18/21 - Gotta’s Clutch Triple Powers Canaries to First Win of Season— (Joey Zanaboni), 5/19/21 - Canaries Bounce Back With Big Win in Second Game With Winnipeg (Video Link)—Dakota News Now (Mark Ovdenden), 5/19/21 - Forecast for Goldeyes Looks Gloomy—Winnipeg Free Press (Taylor Allen), 5/17/21 - Sioux Falls Canaries’ New Owners Ready to Win Over Fans by Investing in Team, Ballpark, Gameday Experience—Argus Leader (Matt Zimmer), 5/18/21 - Goldeyes, Generals Get Fan Support in Preseason Exhibition—Jackson Sun (Brandon Shields), 5/17/21 - Sportsbeat-Winnipeg Goldeyes General Manager Andrew Collier (Audio Link) —CJRB 1220 (Clayton Dreger), 5/10/21

CANARIES SNEAK PAST GOLDEYES LATE STEVE SCHUSTER – WINNIPEG GOLDEYES – WEDNESDAY, MAY 19 th SIOUX FALLS, SD – The Winnipeg Goldeyes (1-1) lost 5-3 to the Sioux Falls Canaries at Sioux Falls Stadium on Wednesday night.

Tied at 3-3 and with two outs and no one on base in the bottom of the eighth, hit a ground-rule double into the left field corner and took third when Angelo Altavilla reached on an infield single. Nick Gotta followed with a two-run triple to centre field that put the Canaries ahead.

Former Major League left-hander Caleb Frare retired the Goldeyes in order in the top of the ninth to earn the save.

Winnipeg had just tied the game in the top of the eighth against Canaries’ reliever Robbie Gordon. Raul Navarro lined a single off the glove of Gotta at second base and advanced to second when Logan Hill beat out an infield single. After Max Murphy walked to load the bases, Kevin Lachance beat out a potential double play on a groundball to shortstop that allowed Navarro to score from third.

Gordon (1-0) picked up the win in relief for the Canaries (1-1), while John Gorman (0-1) took the loss for Winnipeg.

The Goldeyes took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. Jay Gonzalez led off the game with a single and stole second base. Tyler Hill ripped a two-run home run down the left field line.

Sioux Falls tied the game in the bottom of the first on a Jabari Henry RBI single and a two-out, bases loaded walk to Michael Hart.

Logan Landon’s two-out, RBI single in the bottom of the fourth gave the Canaries a 3-2 lead.

Goldeyes’ starting pitcher Christian James took a no-decision, allowing three earned runs on two hits in four innings. James walked six and struck out three.

Canaries’ starter Carlos Pimentel also took a no-decision, allowing two earned runs on six hits over five innings. Pimentel walked three and struck out eight.

Travis Seabrooke worked two scoreless innings relief of James. Kyle Thomas pitched a scoreless bottom of the seventh for Winnipeg.

Navarra robbed Landon at shortstop in the bottom of the second. Landon ripped a groundball into the hole that Navarro stopped on one knee to his backhand. With Landon sprinting down the first base line, Navarro hurled a perfect one-hop throw, still on one knee, to Kyle Martin at first base to complete the putout.

The series concludes Thursday night at 7:05 p.m. Joey Gonzalez (0-0, 0.00) faces Canaries’ left-hander Ty Culbreth (0-0, 0.00). All the action can be heard locally on CJNU 93.7 FM and worldwide at www.cjnu.ca

The Goldeyes will continue to monitor the reopening of the Canada/US border and assess a potential return to Shaw Park in 2021.

In the coming weeks, Winnipeg Goldeyes staff will contact ticket holders with more information and appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding.

GOTTA’S CLUTCH TRIPLE POWERS CANARIES TO FIRST WIN OF SEASON JOEY ZANABONI – SIOUX FALLS CANARIES – WEDNESDAY, MAY 19 th SIOUX FALLS - Nick Gotta smacked a two-out, two-RBI triple in the bottom of the eighth to break open a tie game and send the Sioux Falls Canaries to a 5-3 victory over the Winnipeg Goldeyes Wednesday. The win was the first of the season for Sioux Falls. The Birds look for the series win over Winnipeg Thursday at 7:05.

Carlos Pimentel got the start for the Canaries and struck out eight in five innings of two-run ball. The starter allowed a two-run homer to Tyler Hill in the first but rebounded well with four straight zeroes to close the appearance. Kevin Folman fired two scoreless innings in relief before Robbie Gordon left the bases full to keep the game tied 3-3 in the eighth. Caleb Frare earned his first Canaries save with a 1-2-3 ninth.

After falling behind 2-0 in the top of the first, the Birds’ bats rallied in the bottom half of the opening inning on an RBI single by Jabari Henry and an RBI walk by Mike Hart to tie the game 2-2. The Canaries took a 3-2 lead in the fourth on an RBI single from Logan Landon.

Sioux Falls notched the win despite being outhit 8-7. Mitch Glasser scored twice for the Canaries. He doubled in the eighth inning and crossed the plate as the go-ahead run. Raul Navarro recorded a pair of hits for the Goldeyes. Each team left nine men on base.

Gotta’s go-ahead triple came on a full-count offering in the ninth from John Gorman (0-1), who suffered the loss for Winnipeg. The Canaries will start southpaw Ty Culbreth in the rubber match Thursday evening. Winnipeg is expected to start right-handed hurler Joey Gonzalez. A live stream will be available via aabaseball.tv, and Birds fans can tune in on Fox Sports 98.1 KWSN.

VIDEO: CANARIES BOUNCE BACK WITH BIG WIN IN SECOND GAME WITH WINNIPEG MARK OVENDEN – DAKOTA NEWS NOW – WEDNESDAY, MAY 19 th LINK: https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/2021/05/20/canaries-bounce-back-with-big-win-in-second-game-with-winnipeg/ SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) -The Canaries lost their season opener Tuesday night 9-0 to Winnipeg. And when they fell behind right away on a 2-run HR by Tyler Hill it looked like more of the same. But they bounced back with 2 in the home half as Jabari Henry had his first RBI of the season. And Sioux Falls native Logan Landon put them ahead 3-2 with an RBI in the 5th after being robbed by Raul Navarro on a great play at shortstop in his previous at-bat.

After a delay, Winnipeg came back to tie it 3-3, but Nick Gotta’s 2-run triple in the 8th turned out to be the deciding hit in the game as the Canaries prevailed 5-3. Starting pitcher Carlos Pimentel struck out 8 in his 5 innings pitched. He gave up 2 earned runs on the Hill home run. The rubber game of the series is Thursday night at SF Stadium.

FORECAST FOR GOLDEYES LOOKS GLOOMY TAYLOR ALLEN – WINNIPEG FREE PRESS – MONDAY, MAY 17th IT’S been more than 20 years since Rick Forney pitched professionally, but the longtime Winnipeg Goldeyes manager might just have to get his arm ready for action again.

Last week, the Goldeyes said goodbye to two impressive arms, as Josh Lucas signed with the and fellow right-hander Ryan Dull inked a deal with the . Lucas, a 30-year-old from Florida, has appeared in 22 MLB games over three seasons (2017-2019) and was expected to be a main cog on the staff. Dull, a 31-year-old from North Carolina, has 171 MLB games over the course of five seasons on his résumé.

That only scratches the surface. The Goldeyes were hit with a huge blow recently when starting pitcher Mitchell Lambson informed the club that he was moving on from pro ball to accept a full-time job back home. The Arizona resident originally joined the Fish in 2017 as a reliever but went on to become one of the most dominant starters in team history. The southpaw was named the AA’s pitcher of the year in 2019 after going 13-3 with a 3.03 ERA in 21 starts.

To top it off, shortstop Wes Darvill, one of the team’s most reliable fielders and hitters, has been placed on the inactive list as he’ll be suiting up for Team Canada until June 5 at the upcoming Americas Qualifier for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics at the New York Mets’ spring training complex in Port St. Lucie, Fla.

"I’ve been left in a situation where I’ve lost my No. 1 starter, my No. 2 starter, my closer, and my shortstop in a 10-day period during a time when there are no players to sign... It’s great for them and I’m super happy these guys are getting back to affiliated baseball, but it’s left us in a situation where we’re scrambling," Forney said in a phone interview on Sunday.

"You can’t replace a Mitch Lambson, you can’t replace a Josh Lucas at the top of your order. You can’t find a guy at the side of the road, or two guys at the side of the road, that can throw 250 innings for you. Somehow, we’re going to have to make up those 250 innings."

Off the field, things haven’t exactly been easy for the Goldeyes, either. They held their training camp in Franklin, Wisc., and have now settled at The Ballpark, a 6,000-seat stadium in Jackson, Tenn., which is where they will reside until the Canada-U.S. border restrictions loosen up. The Fish ended their preseason on Saturday with a 9-3 win over the Houston Apollos in Jackson.

Even if there were players out there to sign, the Goldeyes are a tough sell these days due to all the uncertainty.

"I got my ass kicked this year trying to get players more than ever. It’s been difficult," said Forney, who’s entering his 15th season as the team’s manager.

"I can’t answer questions. Players that are willing to play indy ball and willing to hear you out, you got to talk about your situation, the city you play in, you got to know what you’re selling. For years, I was selling myself, the Goldeyes organization and most importantly, I was selling the city of Winnipeg. But what was I gonna sell (this year)? Were we going to be a travel team? Were we potentially not going to play at all? It was very difficult."

Instead of managing, Forney will have to do more coaching this year as he’ll likely have to bring in rookies out of college and try to develop them. Now the question is whether that talent, or lack thereof, will get the green light to make the trip north to play at Shaw Park at some point. The AA is returning to a traditional 100-game regular season this summer than runs till Sept. 6.

"Obviously, I’m hoping for the opportunity to get back to Winnipeg to see so many familiar faces that I’ve come to know over the last 20 plus years that I’ve been there. I know how much a lot of people are missing Goldeyes baseball, but I just don’t know if it’s a reality this year or if it’ll be in the cards," he said.

"That would be heartbreaking to me because I know how important Goldeyes baseball is in the summer to a lot of people up there and it’s important to me."

SIOUX FALLS CANARIES’ NEW OWNERS READY TO WIN OVER FANS BY INVESTING IN TEAM, BALLPARK, GAMEDAY EXPERIENCE MATT ZIMMER – ARGUS LEADER – TUESDAY, MAY 18 th When fans file into the Birdcage for the Canaries' first homestand of the 2021 season this week, new owner Brian Slipka hopes the paying customers feel a difference right away.

Slipka, a Sioux Falls native who in March completed purchase of the American Association franchise with partners Anthony Albanese and Sam Swartz, knows what he's getting into in Sioux Falls, and seems determined to turn the team's fortunes around. Not by staging cheeky promotions (though there will be plenty of those) or simply begging people to come to the ballpark, but by giving them a reason to.

It's no secret the Canaries have struggled financially over the last decade as attendance has lagged and the American Association has evolved into a league of large-market minor league franchises.

But it's also been plainly obvious that there was only so much money the previous owners were willing or able to spend. Just keeping the stadium operational was costly. The team never used the full salary cap. At times the manager's ability to make moves and bring in new players was limited by budgetary constraints.

And there was only so much that could be done to spruce up a ballpark that has quickly become outdated, especially with all the new and impressive parks that have become part of the American Association landscape.

No one is suggesting previous ownership groups didn't work hard to keep the team afloat and reach fans. But without a big financial investment, they were largely crossing their fingers that good weather would bring in big crowds and create more revenue. Slipka and Albanese are adhering to the old adage that you have to spend money to make money.

To get it out of the way, yes, the new owners are very interested in a new ballpark. But that's down the road. Slipka and Albanese, who were college roommates, live in Minneapolis and plan to be visible in Sioux Falls this summer, understand the fanbase is skeptical. They plan to win them over.

Here are just a few of the things Slipka offered in an excitedly rambling half-hour conversation last week as the team made its final preparations for the season.

On making money: "We're not looking to make a lot of money on this. We don't have to make any money. A lot of owners get into this with their own agenda in mind. Our agenda is community-first. We want to improve people's lives, improve the community's experience at the ballpark.

"I think it took maybe three conversations with people when I was like, 'OK, I've heard enough. If I was a fan, I know how I'd be feeling, what it would take to jolt the system, and that's gonna have to be us throwing a lot of money at this."

On making the Canaries a Sioux Falls destination: "I want it to be like this: If someone calls you and says they're visiting Sioux Falls for a weekend, what do we need to do while we're in town — I want you to say, without hesitation, we need to hit a Canaries game. I want us to be top of mind."

On a new stadium: "Ultimately we want to get a new stadium. But we want to earn the right to even say it's time for a stadium. Right now the team hasn't done anything to prove to anybody that the city or business leaders should invest in that. There's been nothing earned to suggest we ought to have a new stadium — yet." Slipka and Albanese became successful owning multiple businesses, and had talked long ago about someday owning a team. When they reached the point that Slipka says they were no longer working for a paycheck, they decided to pursue that dream. That was around the same time the previous Canary owners put the team up for sale.

"We looked at a lot of teams," Slipka said. "But Sioux Falls seemed like the best opportunity to have an impact and an influence as owners and make investments as we'd like to. Kind of control the narrative and dictate the kind of culture and tone we want to set."

Making a strong first impression was important, and the new group delivered, announcing shortly after their purchase of the team an installation of a $500,000 video board for the centerfield scoreboard structure. It was a long overdue addition to the park and will be a game-changer both in the presentation of the game itself and in improving the fan experience. Fans might be surprised just how much of a difference it makes.

From there they launched the Canaries Community Fund, and gave manager Mike Meyer permission to use the full salary cap to fill out the roster. The team will get upgrades in equipment and uniforms, too.

"Mike's been operating with one hand tied behind his back," Slipka said. "We're giving him the full capacity to do what he needs to do."

While the staff wants to make a positive first impression in this homestand they'll also spend the early stages of the season evaluating every aspect of the gameday experience, from customer service to concessions. They've also brought on John Gaskins, aka Harry Canary, on a full-time basis as director of game operations and entertainment. Gaskins has planned promotions and themes for every homestand that will make heavy use of the new videoboard. "We think we're gonna put some smiles on people's faces," Gaskins said. "These new owners have been like rocket fuel (to the staff). The morale has gone up so much for the people who have worked in this organization for a long time. Things are on the uptick, here. Things are going to get better. When you come here we're going to make you want to come back."

As for the prospect of a new stadium, Slipka was upfront about wanting a new facility at some point, and it's a legitimate desire. The Birdcage no longer holds up as a stadium.

How realistic a new park might be for a franchise that's become something of an afterthought in town, however, is another story, and the owners know that. Right now, new or upgraded facilities are at the tail end of a roughly five-year plan.

"We hope to be neutral (break even financially) by year two and by year three have a definitive long-term stadium plan identified, vetted and in motion," Slipka said. "We'll continue to execute at the Birdcage and making it the best experience it can be and by year five or six hopefully we're having a grand opening for either a highly-renovated Birdcage or a brand new ballpark."

It all sounds good today. Now Slipka and his group must put the dreams and promises into motion. He knows that, and seems ready for it.

"I understand that everybody is jaded," he says. "This is a gamble. I might lose my you-know-what. But if that happens I'll still feel like it was worth it, because we're going to do everything we can to get this team and business on solid ground."

GOLDEYES, GENERALS GET FAN SUPPORT IN PRESEASON EXHIBITION BRANDON SHIELDS – JACKSON SUN – MONDAY, MAY 17 th Saturday night marked the end of more than 20 months without a professional baseball game being played in Jackson.

While plenty of high school and travel ball games had been played in in 2020 and in the early part of this year – along with the home schedule for Lane College baseball – the Winnipeg Goldeyes’ exhibition game against the Houston Apollos was the first game at the pro level since the Jackson Generals won the 2019 Southern League Championship.

“It’s just so great to be back out here watching pro baseball again,” said Marcus Sabata, the GM for the Jackson Baseball Club.

The crowd that filled about 25 percent of the 6,000-seat stadium was particularly vocal in cheering the Goldeyes, who are in Jackson playing their home schedule while there’s a strict guidance in Canada about crossing the border with the United States as a restriction related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Our fans that we have here every night – no matter how big – is always vocal, but this crowd seems to be a little more so tonight,” Sabata said. “But it’s been over a year-and-a-half since they’ve been able to do this, so they’ve probably missed it and were more ready to get out here.

“I know I feel that way as a baseball fan myself.”

After the Apollos took an early lead with a two-run homerun in the top of the first, the Goldeyes dominated on the scoreboard the rest of the game starting with a homerun from Kyle Martin in the third that bounced off the Elite Construction sign level with about halfway up the video board in right field.

Then two innings later, Max Murphy had the highlight hit in a seven-run fifth inning when he sent a double down the right-field line to clear the bases and bring in three runs.

Jackson’s adopted team won 9-3.

The stadium’s full concession offering was available on the concourse behind home plate as concession stand workers wore masks. Sabata said they will continue to do so as they work inside and handle food.

The crowd was vocal after the National Anthem and the ceremonial “play ball” heard through the public address system. There were even a few cheers after the first pitch to officially usher pro baseball back to the Hub City.

While Sabata declined to comment on the situation regarding the club’s public legal disagreement with the City of Jackson and Mayor Scott Conger over the license agreement and their ability to use the facilities, fans weren’t shy about showing their support for the club and having baseball in Jackson.

A group of fans in the upper deck put homemade signs up on the railing in support of the club saying things like “Let them play.”

“My job is to make sure we have a quality gameday experience for the fans and everything goes well in getting the game together,” Sabata said. “But we appreciate the support very much.”

While this game was an exhibition, the season starts for real this week as the Goldeyes will be on the road at the Sioux Falls Canaries before returning to Jackson on Friday to begin a three-game series with the Dogs. First pitch is at 6:35 p.m.

The series is the only one scheduled at home before May 30, which is the current date Conger has set for the club to vacate.

AUDIO: SPORTSBEAT – WINNIPEG GOLDEYES GENERAL MANAGER ANDREW COLLIER CLAYTON DREGER – CJRB 1220 – MONDAY, MAY 10 th LINK: https://www.discoverwestman.com/local-sports/sportsbeat-winnipeg-goldeyes-general-manager-andrew-collier