Riviera stated that the CBL would be "AAA quality",[2] He was rumoured to have approached the Winnipeg Goldeyes about switching leagues, and even nominated Pete Rose for the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.
[5] However, despite early promises that the league could, and would, average over 2,000 fans per game, it was clear that the CBL was not remotely close to projections.
[5] The national TV deal was cancelled after only six weeks after the CBL was unable to find enough sponsors to cover the production costs.
Unwilling to absorb any more losses, Mallett pulled the plug on the league, suspending operations the day before the game.
Following the game, a home run derby was held, in which Jamie Gann of Kelowna hit the only dinger, thus giving the West the victory.