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I've always been a reader of these fourms but now it's time to post.  I was at the Goldeyes game last night and wow 6,631 were on hand last night.  It just goes to show you the Canadian teams need to be playing each other more.  I would like to see Edmonton & Calgary even Fort McMurray play Winnipeg in the future, and this is my reason why. 

Start with Edmonton, you don't get a ownership & ballpark like Edmonton has very often, the Capitals brass has proved the last three years that they can make independent baseball work in Edmonton.  Calgary has a ballpark, not all that great but it could work.  An ownership is needed in Calgary and in reading the article about Fort McMurray trying to join the AA, the name Mel Kowalchuk was mentioned.  Could Mel be the possible owner in Calgary?  From what I heard at last nights game Fort McMurray, & Edmonton both had people in the stands checking things out with the league and from my understanding it's been going on for some time now.  Back to the Calgary situation, I don't know how missed managed the Vipers were but attendance has not been all that great in the past, the same can be said for Edmonton before the new ownership took hold.  Could a new owner turn things around in Calgary?  Fort McMurray has an owner but no ballpark and won't until 2014 or 2015.  In my mind Edmonton drives the boat here, if they get into the AA so to do the other Alberta teams.  If the AA just adds Edmonton for 2013, it brings the league to 14, add Edmonton/Calgary that's 15 teams add Edmonton/Calgary/Fort McMurray that's 16.  Lot's of senerious could be worked out, just add Edmonton, add all three and have Fort McMurray play as a road team.  It's makes me wonder if that's what might happen otherwise why would Fort McMurray be talking to the league if the won't have a team for 2-3 years?  If they play as a road team it helps out the other Alberta teams and would create a four team Canadian division.  Or if Calgary couldn't find a owner maybe Fort McMurray plays out of Calgary for 2-3 years until a ballpark is built.

Now on the the American Association.  I think your going to see a major alignment again in independent baseball this off season.  Gary is a hot topic right now, and I will say this they have the worst travel in the AA, and right now Gary isn't carrying a vet on it's roster, it's funny that this happened right before Gary went on it's CanAm League roadtrip.  Trying to save money I don't know.  As for Joliet, Schaumburg joining the AA not going to happen.  Right now I would say Joliet/Schaumburg will make money or at least breakeven.  The travel is good in the Frontier League and so to are the player salaries.  My guess is Gary is losing money this season and it's not there fault but for years they had easy travel with Joliet, Schaumburg, Rockford, Lake County all being close now St Paul is there closest opponent 8+ hours away.  Gary to the Frontier League just makes sense, now espcially since London looks to be gone.  Another team on the rocks has to be Sioux City.  Attendance numbers are almost Golden Baseball League numbers.  I think the league knows Sioux City is on the rocks just look at the schedule they have.  They don't make a CanAm League trip, and the only trip they make to Texas is to Grande Prairie & El Paso for a total of six games.  Sioux City also gets every Monday off in August... must be nice.  Yet you look at the location of Sioux City, and they might have the best location in the AA.  Right in th middle of everyone.  So if Gary goes to the Frontier League and Sioux City folds the AA is at 11 teams, or even if you lose one of these teams, you guys do the math the Alberta situation slides right in.  On to the CanAM League and it's in rough shape in my mind.  When you go from 8 to 5 teams in one year red flag.  Newark looks like it might be in rough shape and so to Worcester.  Even is one of those teams folds this league is all but done.  Rockland could join the Atlantic League, with it's great ballpark, and Quebec is in the same situation Edmonton is in now.  Miles must have this in his mind.  All in all I think down the road you'll see a all Canadian division within the American Association, Edmonton, Fort McMurray, Calgary, Winnipeg, Quebec, Ottawa, Trois Riviers.  As a Canadian baseball fan I'm okay with that. 

Around the Association on July 7 Paul Edmonds talks to Doug Simunic & Sam Katz about lots of topics including Edmonton/Calgary.  In total it's about 40 min both Doug & Sam want to see the Alberta teams back in the fold.  Sam even mentions himself and Edmonton have been talking for well over a year.