Another Dutchie will join a team in the independent CanAm League for the 2018 season. Next to Kalian Sams (Quebec Capitales) and Danny Arribas (Rockland Boulders), Gianfranco Wawoe will call the CanAm League home. He will join the New Jersey Jackals.
The ball player from Curaçao made his first steps in professional baseball in 2011 in the Mariners’ organization. In the first three years of his professional career, Gianfranco played in the Dominican Summer League. Eventually, he was promoted to the Pulaski Mariners of the Appalachian League (Advanced Rookie).
After 94 games at A Full Season (Clinton LumberKings) when he hit .263, he was promoted to the Jackson Generals (AA, Southern League) in 2015. With the Generals, he hit .333 in four games. Gianfranco spent the 2016 season with the Bakersfield Blaze (A-Advanced) in their final season in the California League, as he hit 
.288. In 2017, he split the season between AAA, AA and A-Advanced. With the Tacoma Rainiers (AAA), Giancarlo appeared in two games but did not collect a hit. At AA, with the Arkansas Travelers, he played fourteen games and hit .241. In 97 games with the Modesto Nuts (California League), he hit .270.
After his contract expired, the Mariners did not seem to be interested re-sign Gianfranco, so he ended up with the Indy team.
The Jackals were established in 1998. At the time of the Jackals’ establishment, they joined the now-defunct Northeast League. The Jackals were one of the most successful teams in the Northeast League as they won league titles in 1998, 2001, 2002 and 2004.
Since the Jackals joined the CanAm League in 2005, the club hasn’t won a league championship. In 2016 the Jackals finished the regular season on top of the league with a four-game lead over the Rockland Boulders but were ousted in two games in the playoffs by the later 2016 champion, the Ottawa Champions.
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