Nat Bailey Stadium
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Nat Bailey Stadium | |
|---|---|
| The Nat | |
 |
|
| Location | 4601 Ontario St., Vancouver, British Columbia |
| Broke ground | 1951 |
| Opened | July 15, 1951 |
| Owner | City of Vancouver |
| Operator | City of Vancouver |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction cost | $550,000 CAD |
| Architect | unknown |
| Former names | Capilano Stadium |
| Tenants | Vancouver Mounties (PCL) (1956-1969) Vancouver Canadians (PCL) (1978-1999) Vancouver Canadians (NWL) (2000-present) UBC Thunderbirds (NAIA) (2000-present) |
| Capacity | 6,500 |
| Field dimensions | Left Field - 335 ft Center Field - 395 ft Right Field - 335 ft Backstop - 30 ft |
Nat Bailey Stadium (known affectionately as "The Nat") is home to the Vancouver Canadians of the Northwest League and also plays host to the University of British Columbia baseball team.
[edit] Stadium history
Originally built in 1951 as Capilano Stadium, it was renamed Nat Bailey Stadium in 1978 to honour the work of Vancouver restaurateur Nat Bailey and his tireless effort to promote baseball in Vancouver.
Nat Bailey Stadium is located on the eastern side of scenic Queen Elizabeth Park in the Riley Park-Little Mountain neighbourhood of Vancouver.
The stadium was home to the Vancouver Capilanos and later the Vancouver Mounties of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League until 1969. The PCL returned to Vancouver in 1978 with the Vancouver Canadians, who competed in the league until 2000 season, after which the team relocated to Sacramento, California. The following season, a second incarnation of the Canadians began playing in the short-season Class A Northwest League.
The stadium's capacity is 6500; however there have been over 7000 fans in attendance at games held on Canada Day. Over 7800 fans squeezed into the park for Game 4 of the 1994 Pacific Coast League Championship Series between the Canadians and the Albuquerque Dukes.
The Canadians ownership signed a long term lease at Nat Bailey Stadium in February 2007. They also intend to improve and modernize the stadium while also restoring parts of the park to their original 1951 condition.
[edit] Services
Nat Bailey sells a wide of variety of snacks sold by very attractive food hawkers to stadium regulars like peanuts and licorice ropes to bite-size cookies. Free wireless Internet access is also available in the stands.
[edit] External links
- Vancouver Canadians
- Friends of Nat Bailey Stadium, a group dedicated to preserving The Nat
- UBC Thunderbirds baseball
- News.com article about Nat Bailey's free Wi-Fi
| Current ballparks in the Northwest League | ||
| East Division | West Division | |
|---|---|---|
| Avista Stadium • Memorial Stadium Gesa Stadium • Yakima County Stadium |
Civic Stadium • Everett Memorial Stadium Nat Bailey Stadium • Volcanoes Stadium |
|
