Edmonton Snowbirds

Western Division

980 Phipps-McKinnon Building, 10020-101 A Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T5JOP6

403.423.1751

Director: Jack Pecover

General Manager: Jack Pecover

Field Manager: Donna Terry

Home Field: Renfrew Stadium

Starting Time: 6:30 p.m.

Team Colors: blue, white, gold

The Snowbirds played only the last year (1979) the league was in existence and finished the season with a 17-55 record. The following is an article from the Edmonton Journal written during the team's inaugural season.

Be a Bird-Watcher (Edmonton Journal reprint)

The timing couldn’t have been worse for the Edmonton Snowbirds. The city’s newest pro sports franchise makes its International Women’s Professional Softball Association home debut at Renfrew Park tonight at 6:30 against San Jose Rainbow. Meanwhile, Edmonton Eskimos will be preparing to meet B.C. Lions in a Canadian Football League exhibition game before about 43,000 fanatics at Commonwealth Stadium.

“No we’re not overjoyed with that, “Snowbird general manager Jack Pecover sighed Monday night. “But we scheduled our game before we knew about the other game and it would have been impossible to change it anyway. But it will certainly affect us.”

The Birds have sold slightly fewer than 400 tickets for tonight’s opener but team officials are hoping for a crowd in excess of 1,000. “I would be disappointed if there aren’t more than 1,000 people there,” says Pecover. Meanwhile the Birds were out on the weekend trying to drum up interest in the team and Snowbird coach Donna Terry thinks they may have succeeded.

“The girls were out both Saturday and Sunday giving clinics and I was really pleased with the response. Not only did we draw the attention of the women but even the men came and listened. In fact, one lady said to her husband, “You go and see the Eskimos and I’ll go see the Snowbirds.””

But Terry realizes what the team is up against. “We know with women’s softball we have to educate the public. But we’re realistic. We know it will be tough the first year. And I told them (the players) not to expect paradise.”

On the field, the Snowbirds have set a surprising pace in the early going. They sport a 3-4 won-lost record, putting them 1½ games behind league leading Buffalo Bisons and one game behind San Jose and New York Explorers.

That record was complied despite a terrible opening night in which the Birds lost both ends of the double header in two error-filled games, 9-0 and 6-0. The team rebounded splitting its next two doubleheaders and winning its last game comfortably 5-1.

“That series gave us a lot of confidence coming home,” said Terry. “Because San Jose is a solid, experienced ball club. They’ve been together for six years.”

The Snowbirds have only been in Edmonton since the end of last week and for most of them it is their first time in the city. Most of the players are lodged in a large house on the south side. “The girls have set up committees for everything,” say Terry. “They’ve got a refreshment committee and a social committee…"

So while the Snowbirds may not have the big bucks to toss around, they have plenty of spirit. Terry expects that spirit to carry them to the IWPSA playoffs. Jack Pecover is hoping that spirit can be bottled and sold to the public.

To read more news articles from the Snowbirds 1979 season, see below.