Former Canadians owner Art Savage dead at 58
Savage's son, Jeff, told the Associated Press that his father collapsed at his Sacramento home and died on the way to the hospital.
According to The Sacramento Bee, Savage was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2007 but underwent two months of treatment and was pronounced cancer-free by the start of the 2008 season.
Art's life in baseball:
Savage bought the Triple-A Edmonton Trappers in 1998 and moved them for one season to Vancouver, British Columbia where in their only season in Vancouver would claim the C's 3rd Pacific Coast League Championship. Days after the final pitch of the '99 season Savage would re-locate the Canadians Triple-A club to Sacramento, California and re-name them the Rivercats.
Under his ownership in northern California, the River Cats have been the most dominant team in the Pacific Coast League, winning eight division titles and back-to-back championships in 2003-04 and 2007-08. In 2007 and 2008, Sacramento was crowned Triple-A champion after capturing the Bricktown Showdown.
As a Minor League affiliate of the Oakland Athletics, Sacramento has sent more than 100 players to the Major Leagues, including 2002 American League Cy Young Award winner Barry Zito and 2004 AL Rookie of the Year Bobby Crosby.
Savage's involvement in baseball began in 1997 as vice chairman of the Fresno Diamond Group, the parent company of the PCL's Fresno Grizzlies. In 2001, after overseeing construction of privately financed Raley Field, he was named PCL Executive of the Year. Three years later, the River Cats won the Bob Freitas Award for excellence in Minor League Baseball.
The Vancouver Canadians organization would like to extend their thoughts and prayers to the family of Art Savage who brought pride and passion to the game of baseball here in our city and delivered a championship that will be forever remembered as will his commitment to the game he loved so much.