The 10th anniversary of the Howe Sound Cannons baseball club kicks off soon, with the team hoping to have another banner year.
The Cannons, who compete in the North Shore Men's Baseball Association (NSMBA), have been a fixture among local baseball fans and are planning on marking their decade in existence with an Icebreaker weekend in Squamish. The Cannons will host five of the teams from the NSMBA from April 29 to May 1 at the Laroy Watt field in Squamish.
"We've thought about doing this for years," said Cannons first baseman Tyler Magee, "and now that we've been around for a while and the teams know us, we decided to host them on our home field."
The weekend will consist of several games between the six teams in a round-robin format. Organizers will hand out awards at the conclusion of the games. Games are expected to begin on early Saturday morning and continue almost non-stop until late Sunday afternoon. Magee said that the Reds, Pirates, Brewers, A's and Moose will all travel to Squamish to take part in the weekend.
Magee also noted that this season will be the return of Cannons legend "Big Rig" Smitt to the team.
"We're really excited about the triumphant return of "Big Rig" Smitt," he said. "He hasn't played for us for a few years because he's been busy with work, but our fans will definitely know who he is. He's going to bring his talents and spare room out of retirement for us. He's an entertaining player and really tries hard out there."
After winning three straight NSMBA championships from 2007 to 2009, the Cannons came up short last season, losing in the finals to the Brewers. Magee said the team should be a contender again this season.
"We lost a heartbreaker last year," he said. "A lot of the other teams have been stacking their lineups the last few years to try and beat us. But I think even though we have a few guys out with injuries, we'll be one of the top two teams in the league."
Magee said that he hopes to see a lot of young fans in the stands this year.
"We would really like to encourage the youth to come out to our games," he said. "It really gives them motivation that if they want they can play 'til they're as old as some of us old farts are."
For more information on the Cannons, visit www.ballcharts.com/hscannons.
