The Vancouver Canadians keep on rolling.
The Northwest League baseball team continues to be a success story both on and off the field despite any obstacles it has to face.
Whether it鈥檚 an pandemic, a switch in schedules from short-season to full-season or a change in ownership, Canadians President Andy Dunn and his staff always find a way to make Nat Bailey Stadium a destination for sports fans in the summer.
The Single-A Northwest League affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays won the first-half Northern Division pennant with a 38-27 record and thus has already clinched a playoff spot.
鈥淲e鈥檝e had great weather and the crowds have been great. We鈥檝e also played great on the field. It was a little bit crazy first half because traditionally we鈥檝e never won the first half but we鈥檒l take it. We had a lot of fun and we鈥檙e looking forward to playing some baseball in late September,鈥� says the 53-year-old Dunn, who has spent time as an executive in both the Miami Marlins and Washington Nationals organizations.
The Canadians have been a success both on and off the field since Dunn鈥檚 arrival in 2008.
The organization has won four Northwest League Championships and has appeared in six championship series including losing to Eugene in the championship series last year.
Off the field, the Canadians regularly draw well over 200,000 fans per season at 鈥淭he Nat鈥� and are always looked at as one of minor league baseball鈥檚 biggest success stories when it comes to attendance.
The 2023 season also marks the first with a new ownership group in place as Jake Kerr and Jeff Mooney opted to sell the team to Diamond Baseball Holdings 鈥� an American company that owns 20 professional teams 鈥� this past spring.
Despite the ownership change, the organization hasn鈥檛 missed a beat.
鈥淭he transition has been fantastic. They (DBH) are the owners of the franchise and they鈥檙e great to deal with. These guys aren鈥檛 going to show up and runs things on a day-to-day basis. They鈥檙e supportive and they want to do what they can to make sure that we are putting out the best product locally for our community. There鈥檚 been no challenge whatsoever. It鈥檚 been a pretty seamless transition,鈥� notes Dunn.
Change is something that Dunn and the Canadians have been accustomed to the last few years.
The Covid Epidemic caused the cancellation of the 2020 Northwest League season. When the league did resume play in 2021, the C鈥檚 played out of Hillsboro, Oregon due to border restrictions.
When the team finally did return to Nat Bailey Stadium for the 2022 season, it did so with a revamped front office staff as many long-time members of the organization left during the two-year break.
Then when Major League Baseball revamped the structure of minor league baseball prior to 2022, the Canadians and the Northwest League went from playing short-season baseball from June through early September to running a full schedule starting in April.
鈥淭he weather in April is always a challenge. I鈥檓 looking at our grounds crew back then 鈥� they鈥檙e out there every day trying to put out the best product they can for both for the guys on the field and for our fans to see what the fields look like 鈥� and the grass isn鈥檛 even growing yet and everything is wet. We were very heavy (with games) in April. Whenever you are heavy in April, it鈥檚 always going to be tough. Not only when it comes to getting people in the building but also in our staffing levels at the ballpark because we do have so many young people working for us that are in school. You just have to grind through and get to the summer months as people will come out with the better weather,鈥� says Dunn.
The Canadians not only have a great reputation with fans when it comes to the game day experience at Nat Bailey Stadium but also in the community and with corporate partners.
When it comes to corporate partners, Dunn鈥檚 philosophy is simple. If you want to be involved, the organization will find a way.
When it comes to getting fans to come out, Dunn has a simple mantra鈥� make attending a Canadians game an event that will create a memory.
鈥淲e take great pride in keeping it affordable. I mean there鈥檚 some tough times going on right now as everything鈥檚 going up in price, so we want to give people something fun to do. Just a few weeks ago, we had our 鈥楧og Days of Summer鈥� and I think we had 700 dogs here at the ballpark. Some of those people weren鈥檛 traditional baseball fans but it was an outing and an event. It was crazy. We鈥檝e also brought back our Superstar Nights 鈥� it鈥檚 just about doing some fun things to create a memory when they come to the ballpark. That鈥檚 kind of what we鈥檝e always been after. We found a little bit of a formula that works and it鈥檚 just something we鈥檙e real proud of,鈥� explains Dunn.
Dunn and the organization continue to look at how the game experience can improve at Nat Bailey Stadium which means making changes to the facility that was built in 1951.
The first base side of the ballpark that currently houses the BBQ picnic area will eventually be replaced by a new clubhouse for the Canadians complete with new workout facilities and batting cages to meet MLB鈥檚 guidelines for minor league teams.
鈥淲e need to bring the ballpark up to MLB standards and it鈥檚 something that we鈥檙e pretty excited about. Hopefully soon we will be unveiling some renderings to get people excited about it and to keep building on what we鈥檝e done,鈥� says Dunn.
As for a BBQ picnic area, it鈥檚 going to be relocated.
鈥淲e鈥檙e designing some things right now that will hopefully allow us to relocate the picnic area on the rooftop which will allow for some spectacular views. We have designers and engineers looking at that right now,鈥� notes Dunn.
When it鈥檚 all said and done, Nat Bailey Stadium will look somewhat different.
However, when it comes to a game day experience you can bet Dunn and his staff will continue to make it an affordable event.
Veteran B.C. sports personality Bob 鈥渢he Moj鈥� Marjanovich writes twice weekly for Black Press Media. And check out his weekly podcast every Monday at Today in B.C. or your local Black Press Media website.
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