CAN-AM LEAGUE Independent Pro Baseball Since its beginnings as the Northeast League in 1995, the Can-Am League has entertained millions of fans Nandre Bois throughout the U.S. and Canada with high-caliber professional baseball played in state-of-the-art facili- ties. The second-oldest existing independent league, the league has carved out a niche in some of North America’s most crowded, competitive sports markets. In 2014, the Can-Am League enters its third season of interleague play with the 12-team American Asso- ciation, another stable, highly-regarded independent league with clubs stretching throughout the Central Time Zone from Texas to Manitoba. The Can-Am League’s roster rules mandate a mix of young and experienced players, ensuring a high level of play while also keeping rosters fresh and players hungry to move up to the next level. Every year, Can- Am League players advance to higher levels; dozens of league alumni have reached the majors as players, while others are coaches, managers and umpires and front-office staff at all levels of baseball. Craig Breslow, Boston Red Sox Steve Delabar, Toronto Blue Jays New Jersey Jackals 2004 Brockton Rox 2009 2013 MLB All-Star miles wolff • Commissioner Wolff started the first modern independent league, the Northern League, in 1993, and has been the Can-Am League’s commissioner since 1999. He is also the commissioner of the American Association, an independent league in the Central U.S. and Canada. Currently the owner of the Burlington (N.C.) Royals of the Appalachian League, he owned the Carolina League’s Durham Bulls from 1980 to 1991. Wolff has also owned professional teams in Butte, Mont.; Asheville, N.C.; Utica, N.Y.; and Pulaski, Va., as well as the Raleigh (N.C.) IceCaps of the East Coast Hockey League. For 18 years, he was president and publisher of Baseball America, the trade publication of professional baseball. Wolff has been named the 79th most important person in baseball history by Total Baseball, and one of the Top 10 Best Owners in Sports by ESPN. new jersey jackals Little Falls, New Jersey www.Jackals.com County Population: 783,000 Stadium: Yogi Berra Stadium (1998) • Capacity: 3,784 First season: 1998 • 2013 Attendance: 76,883 Now entering their 17th season, the New Jersey Jackals have thrived in metro New York City’s crowded sports marketplace. Based out of Little Falls, N.J., the club plays at Yogi Berra Stadium on the campus of Montclair State University. The stadium, which the Jackals share with the univer- sity’s baseball team, also features the Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center; it includes exhibits and memorabilia connected with the New York Yankee legend’s career. The stadium and the adjoining Floyd Hall Arena were built in 1998 with a donation from Kmart CEO Floyd Hall, a resident of Montclair and the Jackals’ chairman. Since their start, the Jackals have been successful on the field, winning four league championships and reaching the playoffs 12 times. Several of the club’s players have reached the major leagues, most notably Boston Red Sox LHP Craig Breslow. Off the field, the Jackals have attracted over 1.5 million fans through the gates of Yogi Berra Stadium since their inception. floyd hall • Team Chairman Hall served as the CEO of KMart from 1995 to 2001, after previously spending time as the CEO of Target and the Grand Union supermarket chain. He formed Floyd Hall Enterprises in 1997 to manage Yogi Berra Stadium, the Jackals, and the adjoining Floyd Hall Ice Arena. joe calfapietra • Field Manager The two-time Can-Am League Manager of the Year, Calfapietra enters his 12th season leading the Jackals. The club has made the playoffs the last six seasons un- der Calfapietra; meanwhile, New Jersey has sold over 25 players to major-league organizations since 2006. quebec Capitales Quebec City, Quebec www.CapitalesdeQuebec.com Metro Area Population: 765,000 Stadium: Stade de Quebec (1939) • Capacity: 4,700 First season: 1999 • 2013 Attendance: 141,396 Since professional baseball returned to Quebec City in 1999, the Capitales have become one of independent baseball’s most successful clubs. The winners of the last five Can-Am League champion- ships, the Capitales have attracted over 2 million fans to Stade de Quebec since their inception. The club’s on-field success, solid attendance, and strong community presence have helped to make the Capitales the torchbearer for baseball in French Canada. The team’s roster typically includes a mix of Canadian and American players, and featured Cy Young Award winner Eric Gagne in 2009. Built in 1939, Stade de Quebec has a rich base- ball tradition. The stadium hosted the Quebec Braves and Quebec Alouettes of the original Can- Am League in the 1940s, as well as the Eastern League’s Quebec Carnavals and Metros from 1971 to 1977. The Double-A affiliate of the Montreal Expos, the Carnavals/Metros featured Andre Nandre Bois Dawson, Warren Cromartie, Ellis Valentine and Hall of Famer Gary Carter. jean tremblay • Team President Tremblay purchased the Capitales in October 2010. Tremblay is the president of Groupe Vertdure, a Quebec City-based lawn-care company. Since its beginnings in 1987, Vertdure has grown to over include 30 franchises throughout Quebec and Ontario. patrick scalabrini • Field Manager Scalabrini, a native of Sherbrooke, Quebec, enters his fourth season as the manager of the Capitales. In his first four seasons, the Capitales have gone 203-139 and won four league championships. Previously, Scalabrini played nine professional seasons, including four with the Capitales and one in the Baltimore Orioles’ system. rockland boulders Ramapo, New York www.RocklandBoulders.com County Population: 311,000 Stadium: Provident Bank Park • Capacity: 4,750 First season: 2011 • 2013 Attendance: 143,231 In 2011, the Rockland Boulders began play at the $38 million Provident Bank Park, one of the coun- try’s most impressive new stadiums. The Boulders are based out of Ramapo, N.Y., an affluent suburb 35 miles northwest of New York City. The town was rated as New York State’s best place to live in 2006 by Money magazine. Brian Evans Featuring a wraparound concourse, a state-of-the- art Daktronics video board, and 16 luxury suites, Provident Bank Park was named the 2011 “Project of the Year” by the American Society of Civil Engi- neers. The 2012 Can-Am League Organization of the Year, the Boulders led the league in attendance with 161,375 fans through the gates. The ballpark has become an asset to the region, hosting numer- ous concerts and community events, as well as Nyack College’s baseball team. ken lehner • Team President Lehner has over fifteen years of sports management experience in baseball, football and hockey. Prior to the Boulders, he worked with the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons, the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning, and spearheaded construction of the $20 million Space Coast Stadium, the Florida Marlins’ spring training home. jamie keefe • Field Manager Keefe enters his second season with the Boulders. In 2011, he earned Can-Am Manager of the Year honors, leading the Pittsfield Colonials to a 52-39 record and a berth in the league championship. Originally a third-round draft pick of Pittsburgh in 1992, Keefe spent nine seasons playing professionally, reaching as high as Triple-A. trois-rivieres aigles Trois-Rivieres, Quebec www.LesAiglesTR.com Metro Area Population: 143,000 Stadium: Stade Fernand-Bedard (1939) • Capacity: 4,500 First season: 2013 • 2013 Attendance: 71,568 The Can-Am League’s newest member, the Trois- Rivieres Aigles played their first season in 2013 at historic Stade Fernand-Bedard. Built in 1939, the ballpark has been the home of baseball in central Quebec for generations, and hosted the Double-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds from 1971 to 1977. The provincial government spent C$7 million to renovate the ballpark in 2009. The Aigles are operated by a group of local inves- tors, including 2003 National League Cy Young Award winner Eric Gagne. Located halfway between Montreal and Quebec City on the St. Lawrence River, Trois-Rivieres is one of North America’s oldest cities, having been settled in 1631. Aigles investor and 2003 National League Cy Young Award winner Eric Gagne jean-francois picard • Team President Formerly a star catcher for the Trois-Rivieres Aigles junior teams, Picard man- aged the Aigles from 2002 to 2005, where he assembled a 123-77 record and won the Quebec Elite Baseball League’s championship in 2005. Picard is currently the director of the Alphonse Desjardins Sports Complex in Trois-Rivieres. pete laforest • Field Manager The former major-leaguer was named the Aigles’ first field manager in Novem- ber 2012. A native of Gatineau, Quebec, Laforest spent parts of four seasons in the big leagues with Tampa Bay, San Diego and Philadelphia between 2003 and 2007. He was the Can-Am League MVP in 2009 with the Quebec Capitales..