Herald News Services

It could be hot dogs, Cracker Jacks and the crack of bats as a group from Calgary is looking at bringing pro baseball back to Greater Victoria.

"We are investigating the market right now and have had meetings with (Langford, B.C., Mayor) Stew Young looking for a possible site of a (baseball-specific) ballpark," said Darren Parker, whose family, led by dad Russ, owned the Triple-A Calgary Cannons from 1985 to 2001. "We're serious about it and are negotiating to purchase a club, but that's as far as we are right now. It's such early times, if it proves to go anywhere."

Parker and his Capacity Group sports marketing and consulting firm from Calgary is eyeing a Victoria franchise in the Golden League by 2009. Parker was in Victoria over the weekend to look over the B.C. capital.

"Victoria is a beautiful area and we like the market," he said Monday, after returning to Calgary. "If we can make something work we're definitely serious about doing it. It all comes down to getting a new facility."

The league is entering its fourth season and was founded in 2005 by baseball-obsessed Stanford University whiz kids David Kaval and Amit Patel, and backed by a group of investors.

There are currently two Canadian franchises in the nine-team circuit -- the Calgary Vipers and Edmonton Cracker Cats.

The 2008 regular season opens May 22 and runs through Aug. 31.