Nat Bailey Stadium Explained

Rogers Field at Nat Bailey Stadium
Nickname:The Nat
Logo Image:Rogers Field at Nat Bailey Stadium Logo.png
Pushpin Map:Canada#British Columbia
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Canada##Location in British Columbia
Pushpin Mapsize:240
Pushpin Label:Vancouver
Pushpin Relief:yes
Former Names:Capilano Stadium (1951–1978)
Nat Bailey Stadium (1978–2009, 2021–2022)
Scotiabank Field at Nat Bailey Stadium (2010–2020)
Address:4601 Ontario Street
City:Vancouver, British Columbia V5V 3H4
Owner:City of Vancouver
Operator:City of Vancouver
Capacity:6,500
Dimensions:Left field – 320feet
Centre field – 385feet
Right field – 330feet
Backstop – 30feet
Outfield fence – NaNfeet
Surface:Grass
Broke Ground:1951
Cost:C$550,000
($ in )
Architect:William Aitken[1]
Tenants:Vancouver Capilanos (WIL) 1951–1954
Vancouver Mounties (PCL) 1956–1962, 1965–1969
Vancouver Canadians (PCL) 1978–1999
UBC Thunderbirds (NAIA) 2000–2010
Vancouver Canadians (NWL/High-A) 2000–present

Rogers Field at Nat Bailey Stadium, also known as The Nat, is a baseball stadium in western Canada, located in Vancouver, British Columbia. It is home to the Vancouver Canadians of the Northwest League High-A.

Stadium history

The stadium is located in Hillcrest Park immediately north-east of Queen Elizabeth Park in the Riley Park neighbourhood of Vancouver. It replaced Athletic Park, which had opened in 1913. Originally built in 1951 as Capilano Stadium, it was renamed Nat Bailey Stadium in 1978 for Vancouver restaurateur (and founder of the White Spot restaurant chain) Nat Bailey after his death to honour his tireless effort to promote baseball in Vancouver. On June 16, 2010, Scotiabank and the Vancouver Canadians announced a naming rights agreement that led to the name Scotiabank Field at Nat Bailey Stadium[2] until that agreement ended in 2019 and the stadium reverted to its prior name.[3]

The stadium was first home to the Vancouver Capilanos in the early 1950s and later attracted the Oakland Oaks, who became the Vancouver Mounties of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League, from 1956 to 1962, and 1965 through 1969. The PCL returned to Vancouver in 1978 with the Vancouver Canadians, owned by Harry Ornest. He purchased most of the primary assets of Sick's Stadium in Seattle and shipped them north for use at Nat Bailey.[4] The Canadians stayed in Vancouver through the 1999 season, then relocated south to Sacramento, California. The following season, a second incarnation of the Canadians began playing in the short-season Class A Northwest League and now play in Class High-A.

The stadium's seating capacity is 6,500 and as of 2019 they led the short-season A clubs in attendance and outdrew Vancouver's AAA team.[5] Their major league affiliation remains with the Blue Jays.[6]

The Canadians ownership signed a long term lease at Scotiabank Field at Nat Bailey Stadium in February 2007. They have significantly improved and modernized the stadium while also restoring parts of the park to their original 1951 condition.[7]

In April 2023, team officials announced that Rogers had acquired the naming rights to the stadium in an agreement through the 2027 season. The stadium was then renamed to Rogers Field at Nat Bailey Stadium.[8]

Bud Kerr Baseball Museum

The Bud Kerr Baseball Museum is located inside Nat Bailey Stadium within the stadium concourse along the third base side. The museum, which opened on June 18, 2008, is dedicated to the more than sixty years of baseball that have been played in that stadium.[9] The museum is named for Bud Kerr, the team's official historian until his death in 2009,[10] and celebrates the players who have spent some of their careers there including: Rich Harden, Sammy Sosa, and Tim Raines, who helped open the museum.[11]

In fiction

The stadium was used as the home of the fictional Santa Barbara Seabirds Class A Minor League Baseball team in the "Dead Man's Curveball" episode of the television series Psych. It was also used as the home of the fictional Seacouver Chiefs in the "Manhunt" episode of . It is also the setting for a scene between MacGyver and Reggie Jackson in the MacGyver episode "Squeeze Play".[12]

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: William Aitken, Sicks' Stadium Designer, Dies . June 12, 2022 . . July 23, 1961.
  2. News: Vancouver Canadians rename "The Nat" . June 16, 2010 . News 1130.
  3. Web site: Nat Bailey Stadium. MiLB.com. Minor League Baseball.
  4. News: Ol' Sicks' for sale  - works . . . May 23, 1978 . 18 . Google News.
  5. News: 2019 Affiliated Attendance By Classification . Ballpark Digest . August Publications . December 3, 2020.
  6. News: Armstrong . Laura . Blue Jays are ignoring geography to keep Canada's only minor-league team in Vancouver . June 12, 2022 . . December 13, 2020 . en-CA.
  7. News: Terdiman . Daniel . Wi-Fi in the minor leagues . December 3, 2020 . . June 21, 2006 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220612144332/https://www.cnet.com/culture/wi-fi-in-the-minor-leagues/ . June 12, 2022 . live.
  8. News: New for 2023: Rogers Field at Nat Bailey Stadium . Ballpark Digest . August Publications . Kevin . Reichard . April 18, 2023 . April 23, 2023.
  9. News: Fai . Rob . Bud Kerr Museum brings back memories for fans both young and old . July 30, 2017 . Vancouver Canadians Baseball Club . May 1, 2009 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220612145030/https://www.milb.com/news/gcs-574846 . June 12, 2022.
  10. News: Hawthorn. Tom. Ultimate baseball fan helped save Nat Bailey Stadium. July 30, 2017. The Globe and Mail. July 28, 2009.
  11. Web site: Scadden . Natalie . Fun Facts from the Bud Kerr Baseball Museum . C's Extra Innings . July 30, 2017 . July 13, 2015.
  12. Web site: MacGyver Shooting Locations. Richard Dean Anderson Website. August 1, 2020.