A different atmosphere permeated the Goldeyes clubhouse when training camp opened on May 1. With only six players back from the 2008 squad, and only one was here in 2007, there were a whole lot of new names on the lockers. The occupants of most of those lockers were not only new to Winnipeg, but also to independent baseball, yet it didn’t take them long to play like they had been here for years.

Unlike many of their predecessors that were perennial slow starters, these Goldeyes burst from the gate like a champion thoroughbred, surpassing the powerhouse 1997 squad for the best start in franchise history. Boasting a solid defence, a pitching staff full of quality starters and relievers plus an offence that pounded the ball on a nightly basis, Winnipeg was the class of the Northern League.

With first place all to themselves pretty much from opening day, the Goldeyes were 7-3 after 10 games, 15-5 after 20 games, 21-9 after 30 games and 27-13 after 40 games before hitting the all-star break a league-leading 28-15. They had a six-game lead over Gary, the team they faced to conclude the first half and the same team they would face to open the second half when play resumed five days later in the friendly confines of Canwest Park.

Home field had definitely been an advantage for Winnipeg entering July 10 action, as the Goldeyes were a league-best 15-7. But someone forgot to tell the RailCats, a league-worst 7-15 on the road at that point, who promptly walked in and handed the hosts their first series sweep of the year at home.

It was part of a season-high seven-game losing streak and a stretch that saw Winnipeg drop 11 of 15 games to fall into second place. That funk, albeit temporary, was followed by a season-high eight-game (10 if you count the completion of two suspended games in Kansas City) winning streak that vaulted the Goldeyes back into top spot.

They would remain in the league lead for more than two weeks before another slide dropped them down to third with a week left in the regular season. By the time September rolled around, the Goldeyes had climbed over the RedHawks into second, setting up a first-round meeting with their arch-rivals for the first time since 2006.

On paper, it was a series that could go either way. Winnipeg had better pitching, Fargo-Moorhead had better hitting, the defence was just about even and the teams split their 18-game season series. And so it should come down to one game after both teams each won two of the first four games to force an all-or-nothing fifth game in Winnipeg.

After taking an early lead, the Goldeyes watched what had been such a promising season come to a disappointing end as the RedHawks prevailed to set up a date with Gary in the Northern League Championship Series. And while it may have ended sooner than it was supposed to, it was still a very successful season for Winnipeg in more ways than one.

It began in May with the best start in franchise history and continued into June when pitcher Daniel Haigwood was picked up by Oakland, making him the 56th member of the Goldeyes to move on to organized ball after playing in Winnipeg. In July, nine players were selected to play in the all-star game, some of whom took their rightful place in August when the post-season all-star team was announced.
 
That group included pitcher Ace Walker, second baseman Josh Asanovich and designated hitter Juan Diaz. Less than a week later, Walker became just the second hurler in franchise history to be named NL Pitcher of the Year. The list of award winners grew to include infielder Adam Frost, who was named NL Rookie of the Year, while general manager Andrew Collier earned NL Executive of the Year honours for the fifth time in eight years. And the awards did not stop there.

As an organization, the Goldeyes were saluted once more for being the best at what they do. In a year where more than 300,000 fans were welcomed to Canwest Park, Winnipeg led the league in attendance (and all of independent baseball in average attendance) for the tenth-straight year. Those kinds of numbers attracted attention from around the league, as the Goldeyes were named NL Organization of the Year, becoming the only four-time winner since the award was first handed out in 2003.

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