HarbourCats to make major announcement next week

The Victoria HarbourCats have informed the media that a press conference will be held on Friday November 30th to make a major announcement. The team is being tight-lipped about the subject of the "presser", but it is clear that this is bigger than a run-of-the-mill press conference to unveil new team jerseys.

Rumours have started circulating about what the news might be, so I might as well join the fun and add to the speculation. Verifiable facts are hard to come by at this point, but I have a few educated guesses that are worth throwing out there. In no particular order, here is what I have come up with:

1. The team will announce a high-profile addition to the coaching staff to help out Dennis Rogers and Bob Miller. Perhaps an MLB legend like Maple Ridge's Larry Walker or ex-Victoria Seal Josh Arhart will spend their summer in the Garden City helping out the HarbourCats.
   Chances of panning out: ** out of five baseballs. 
2. The City of Victoria will announce they are making major renovations to Royal Athletic Park. Given the recent budget issues at City Hall, this one is highly unlikely. A guy can dream, can't he? Don't the great baseball fans of Victoria deserve a palace like the residents of Hillsboro, Oregon?
   Chances of panning out: Zero out of five baseballs.
3. The team will announce the signing of a mega-prospect. Perhaps a player who will go high in the MLB draft will be wearing a HarbourCats jersey next season -- someone like slugger Michael Conforto of Oregon State. How cool would that be? And does it get any more Canadian than having a Beaver on your team?
   Chances of panning out: *** out of five baseballs.
4. The West Coast League will award the All Star Game to Victoria. Earlier this year, 55 West Coast League players were taken in the MLB draft. Can you imagine having two teams full of bona fide prospects roaming the friendly confines of RAP? If Victoria were to get the All Star Game then the city would be crawling with hordes of big-league scouts. An event of this magnitude might energize this city's baseball fans like the Eri Yoshida game in 2010. Realistically, I can't see the league giving the All Star Game to an expansion team. Yet.
   Chances of panning out: * out of five baseballs.
5. The HarbourCats are being purchased by the Toronto Blue Jays / Rogers Communications. Why not? The Jays have purchased just about everything else this off-season, so maybe HarbourCats owner John McLean will flip the team for a tidy profit. The Jays have added $166 million to their payroll recently. What's an extra few bucks?
   Chances of panning out: ** out of five baseballs.

But seriously -- after racking my brain I have to admit that I have no idea what the announcement will be. If you have any ideas, please leave a comment on this blog post. It's going to be a torturous wait to find out.