More than 400 Major League players wore a Cannons jersey, including Alex Rodriguez, Edgar Martínez, Danny Tartabull, and Jim Abbott.

In 1983, the opportunity to move up to AAA presented itself when the Salt Lake City Gulls were put up for sale.

In December 1983, Parker purchased an option to buy the Gulls with the intention of moving the team to Calgary for the 1985 season.

[5] Led by Mickey Brantley's four-hit game, the Cannons won 7–6 to send the crowd of 4,313 who braved the near-freezing temperatures home happy.

[11] Three years later, Erik Hanson pitched the second no-hitter in Cannons history on August 21, 1988, posting a 5–0 victory over the Las Vegas Stars.

[12] Calgary again made the playoffs in 1987, finishing atop the North Division second half standings with a record of 46–25.

After splitting the first two games in Calgary,[14] the Cannons dropped the next two in Albuquerque as the Dukes won their fourth PCL championship in ten years.

[8] The Cannons swept the Portland Beavers in three games to claim the second Northern Division pennant in franchise history.

[17] Calgary won the first two games of the best-of-five series at home over Tucson, giving them three chances to win the title.

Rodriguez was then promoted to the Mariners, playing 17 major league games before being optioned to Calgary to complete the season.

[24] Following the 1994 season, the Cannons and Mariners parted ways, as Seattle moved its AAA team to nearby Tacoma.

Calgary clinched its third North Division pennant on September 3, 1998, defeating the Canadians 4–3 when Kevin Roberson hit a pinch-hit, two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning.

Citing six years of financial losses, Parker signed a letter of intent to sell the Cannons to a group from Albuquerque, New Mexico, in January 2001.

[30] The sale, which would see the team play in Calgary in 2001, then relocate to Albuquerque for the 2002 season, was contingent on voters in New Mexico supporting a referendum to pay for a new ballpark.

[32] The new ballpark in Albuquerque was approved; however, construction delays pushed the relocation of the team back a year.

Note: the PCL abandoned the split-season format beginning in the 1998 season as the league expanded to 16 teams following the dissolution of the American Association.

Council ultimately voted to support Parker, agreeing to a seven-year lease and $1.5 million to renovate Foothills, one of the PCL's conditions on approving the relocation.

[39] Parker argued that if council did not choose to pay the majority of the renovation costs that he would sell or relocate the team.

Groups representing Portland, Oregon; Fresno, and Sacramento, California; all expressed interest in the team.

[23] As other teams built new ballparks throughout the 1990s, Foothills' lack of luxury boxes, small clubhouses, and open concourse became a growing concern for Parker.

[40] Despite numerous efforts to convince city council to help renovate Foothills, Parker was unable to secure support for the project.

When the Cannons were sold and relocated in 2002, Foothills Stadium was regarded as one of the major reasons why the team moved south to Albuquerque.