Calgary Vipers Add Baseball Magnet

New Vipers catcher Rick Guarno

Patrick Arlis, Calgary’s steady hand behind the plate last season, is moving on to pursue coaching interests in the Milwaukee Brewers organization.

In his only season with the Calgary Vipers of the Golden Baseball League, the 28 year old catcher who is a traditionally a light hitter, had a career year with the bat hitting 35 points better than his career .238 minor league batting average at .273. 

His seven home runs were also a career-high, besting the six dingers he hit while playing for the Jupiter Hammerheads of the Florida State League (A+) in 2005.

In his place, the Vipers have signed Rick Guarno out of Colorado in the Pacific Coast League (AAA).  

Guarno is also not known for his bat, but he comes in with these dubious stat; he’s played in 287 career minor league games, has hit 15 homeruns and has been hit by pitches 42 times.  That’s once every seven games!!! 6.83 games to be exact.

Legendary batting champion Ted Williams who played in nearly 10 times as many major league games as Guarno has minor league contests (2292-287) only got plunked 39 times in his entire career.

Craig Biggio got nailed a major league baseball record setting 285 times in 2,850 big league games, exactly once every 10 games….

Kinda makes Biggio look like a fraidy cat.

Have I mentioned that for the price of lunch at McUpchucks you have a 1-in-7 chance of seeing a live human hit with a object hurtling at him at speeds anywhere between 80-100 MPH?

Welcome to Calgary, Rick. I look forward to watching you do what you do best.

First baseman John Urick is also on his way into Calgary.  The 27 year old former Oklahoma State slugger is at a career crossroads and might be an asset if he has one of those breakthough years that late bloomers tend to do.   Don’t hold your breath however, waiting for that to happen.

Rick Guarno

John Urick

Patrick Arlis

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