Nat Bailey Stadium

The outside of Nat Bailey Stadium, Sep-1994.

A 1994 Pacific Coast League playoff game between the Canadians and the Salt Lake Buzz.

Fans keeping the "K" count along the left-field line.

• Location: Queen Elizabeth Park, Vancouver, B.C.
• Opened: 1952 as Capilano Stadium
• Home team: Vancouver Capilanos (1952-54), Western International League; Vancouver Mounties (1956-62, 1965-69), Canadians (1978-99), Pacific Coast League; Vancouver Canadians, Northwest League (2000-present); University of British Columbia Thunderbirds, NAIA Region 1
• Capacity: 6,500

Chronological Tour: Stop 77

Rating: 3 baseballs

The team got its name and colors from one of Canada’s most popular beers (the brewer, based in Montréal, had an interest in the team). The stadium, on the other hand, is named for the fellow who started a chain of British Columbia restaurants called White Spot (thanks to Bill Gedye of Victoria, B.C., for supplying that tidbit). The attractive stadium was one of the few I saw on my 1994 tour to feature a live organist during its games.

The PCL Canadians were sold in 1999 to an interest that moved it to Sacramento, Calif., for the 2000 season. This meant the PCL playoff games in 1999 would be the last Triple-A contests at Nat Bailey, at least for now. Fortunately, about 38 home dates per season were salvaged for the park when a Northwest League team moved in for 2000 and adopted the Canadians name.

During the spring months when the Canadians aren’t playing, the University of British Columbia baseball team calls Nat Bailey Stadium its home. The Thunderbirds play in NAIA Region 1, playing mostly U.S. competition, including several NCAA Division 1 teams.