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From the Denver Post, March 16th, 1976:

PLAY BALL!

Mile High City Awarded National League Franchise For ’77 Season; St. Petersburg, Fla. Also
To Get Major League Team

Seattle, Toronto Joining American League

From the New York Daily News, March 22nd, 1976:

SEARCH BEGINS FOR DENVER TEAM’S FIRST MANAGER

New Club To Be Stocked With Players In June Amateur Draft


From the March 26th, 1976 broadcast of The CBS Evening News:

“Modifications to Denver’s Mile High Stadium are scheduled to begin this summer as the city
prepares to welcome its newly minted Major League Baseball team...”

From the Miami Herald, April 4th, 1976:

TAMPA’S NEW BASEBALL TEAM TO BE CALLED STINGRAYS

Uniforms For Expansion Club Will Be Unveiled Next Week


From the April 6th, 1976 issue of Sports Illustrated:

THERE’S A BLIZZARD COMING TO BASEBALL
A Close-Up Of Denver’s New National League Team


From the Boston Globe, April 8th, 1976:

RENOVATIONS UNDERWAY ON ST. PETERSBURG BALLPARK

From the Miami Herald, April 12th, 1976:

STINGRAYS BEGIN INTERVIEWS FOR MANAGER’S POST

From the New York Post, April 15th, 1976:

‘RAY OF HOPE
Fans in Tampa-St. Pete area looking forward to NL expansion club’s debut


From the St. Petersburg Tribune, April 23rd, 1976:

ROGER CRAIG IN RUNNING TO BECOME STINGRAYS’ FIRST MANAGER

Former Dodgers Slugger Heavy Favorite To Land Skipper’s Post


From the Denver Post, April 28th, 1978:

DEL CRANDALL INTERVIEWED FOR BLIZZARD MANAGER’S SPOT

Ex-Braves Slugger In Two-Hour Meeting With Team Officials


From the May 1976 issue of The Sporting News:

“Scouts are combing the nation’s college and high school campuses looking for promising
prospects to stock the farm clubs of the new National League franchises coming to Tampa
and Denver...”

From the May 5th, 1976 New York Daily News:

“Next month’s expansion draft is one of the most important such events to happen in baseball in
nearly a decade. With four new teams set to enter the major leagues next season, there’s a fifty-
fifty chance at least one current Yankee or Met may be wearing a new uniform come April...”

From the May 7th, 1976 Rocky Mountain News:

COLORADO SPRINGS CHOSEN TO HOST BLIZZARD'S TOP FARM TEAM


From the May 8th, 1976 Miami Herald:

JACKSONVILLE TO BE HOME OF RAYS’ NEW TRIPLE A AFFILIATE

From the May 12th, 1976 Rocky Mountain News:

CRANDALL NAMED AS BLIZZARD’S FIRST MANAGER
Formal Announcement Will Come Tomorrow


From the May 13th, 1976 Milwaukee Sentinel-Journal:

DEL CRANDALL INTRODUCED AS DENVER MANAGER
Former Braves Great To Lead Blizzard For Inaugural Season


From the May 17th, 1976 Tampa Tribune:

CRAIG LANDS STINGRAY MANAGER’S POST

From the May 20th, 1976 New York Post:

FROM PINSTRIPES TO PALM TREES?
Current Yankee All-Star Could Be Going To Tampa Next Year


From the May 21st, 1976 Chicago Tribune:

CHANGES COMING TO WRIGLEY?
Current Cubs Player Could Be Drafted By Tampa Or Denver Next Month


From the May 23rd, 1976 Boston Herald:

EXPANSION TEAM SCOUTS VISITING FENWAY TOMORROW

From the May 26th, 1976 Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

Stingrays, Blizzard Have Their Eyes On Braves Free Agents

From the May 28th, 1976 San Francisco Chronicle:

FOUR GIANTS PLAYERS BEING EYED BY COLORADO AND TAMPA AS EXPANSION
DRAFT APPROACHES


From the May 29th, 1976 Orange County Register:

ANGELS MINOR LEAGUERS SPARK INTEREST FROM NEW DENVER EXPANSION TEAM

From the May 31st, 1976 Chicago Sun-Times:

WHITE SOX MINOR LEAGUERS EYED BY TAMPA IN JUNE EXPANSION DRAFT

From the June 1st, 1976 New York Times:

EXPANSION TEAMS HOPE TO STOCK UP IN TOMORROW’S AMATEUR DRAFT

From the June 2nd, 1976 Denver Post:

BLIZZARD TAKE MOLITOR WITH 1ST PICK IN EXPANSION DRAFT

New Slugger Expected To Play Major Part In Colorado Lineup For '77 Season


From the St. Petersburg Tribune that same day:

HAROLD BAINES FIRST PLAYER SIGNED BY STINGRAYS

Infielder Impresses team scouts In workout at Colorado Springs


From the June 4th, 1976 Detroit Free Press:

LOLICH TRADED TO COLORADO FOR '77 AMATEUR DRAFT PICK

From the June 5th, 1976 St. Petersburg Tribune:

STADIUM RENOVATION PROJECT EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETE BY OCTOBER

From the June 7th, 1976 Rocky Mountain News:

BLIZZARD WELCOME LOLICH IN PACKED PRESS CONFERENCE

From the June 10th, 1976 New York Post:

STINGRAYS LOOKING TO 'RAINES' ON OPPOSING PITCHERS' PARADE

Infielder Viewed As Potential Centerpiece Of 'Rays Offense For Debut Season Next Year


From the June 11th, 1976 Orange County Register:

ANGELS’ DOUBLE A FARM CLUB MANAGER TO JOIN BLIZZARD AS HITTING COACH

From the June 15th, 1976 Rocky Mountain News:

BLIZZARD INTRODUCE TEAM MASCOT

From the June 17th, 1976 St. Petersburg Tribune:

CRAIG INTERVIEWS CANDIDATES FOR 'RAYS 1ST BASE COACH POSITION

From the June 20th, 1976 Boston Globe:

SOX ACE MONBOQUETTE BEING CONSIDERED FOR TAMPA PITCHING COACH SLOT

From the July 4th, 1976 Denver Post:

ELITCH THEATER TO HOST SPECIAL PERFORMANCE OF “CASEY AT THE BAT”
Reading Of Classic Baseball Poem Will Kick Off Independence Day Celebrations In Metro
Denver Area; Blizzard Team Mascot Snowflake Will Make Public Debut


From the July 10th, 1976 Seattle Post-Intelligencer:

MARINERS TEAM EXECUTIVES MEET WITH TAMPA AND COLORADO G.M.S
Two Spring Training Games With Each Club Scheduled For Next Year; Seattle Will Host
Toronto In Inaugural Regular Season Home Game


From the July 13th, 1976 New York Post:

A BLIZZARD OF BUILDING ACTIVITY
Mile High Stadium renovation process accelerated to meet October deadline


From the July 19th, 1976 broadcast of KCNC-TV's afternoon news program:

“The Colorado Blizzard are meeting with Major League Baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn this
weekend to discuss the commissioner's concerns that Mile High Stadium's elevated attitude may
artificially inflate players' home run totals....”

From the July 22nd, 1976 broadcast of NBC Nightly News:

“The recently created Colorado Blizzard baseball team is still months away from holding its first
spring training workout-- much less playing an actual game --but ticket demand for the newborn
ballclub is as high as that for any long-established franchise. Many of the team's home games of
its scheduled 1977 debut season are already sold out...”

From the July 24th, 1976 Montreal Gazette:

EXPOS FINALIZE TRADE WITH COLORADO EXPANSION CLUB
Denver Team Picks Up Utility Fielder Colbert In Return For Two Minor League Prospects


From the August 2nd, 1976 Rocky Mountain News:

BLIZZARD DEBUT SEASON OPENER SET FOR APRIL 6TH

Colorado To Host Reds In Inaugural Major League Game At Mile High Stadium
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