Notes From The Nat

We’ve said the words "Vancouver Canadians’ new GM" more times than we care to remember these past two years or so, because the position has been somewhat of a revolving door… and ’somewhat’ may be the biggest understatement since Marion Jones asked her dentist if she needed any work done.

First there was Dan Kilgras - the tassled loafer GM, who was eventually (according to unconfirmed reports) promoted to Team President to stop him from leaving.

Then there was Delany Dunn - the ‘doing the best with what we’re given’ GM, who was installed to run the team on a shoestring so Kilgras could concentrate on ad sales and sponsorships, until new owners came in with a big broom and let him concentrate on what he does best - the game day experience.

Then there was Aileen McManamon - the ‘bums on seats’ GM, who brought in the biggest crowd in ages for opening day last season, but badly miscalculated what it takes to feed such a crowd once they’re in the door, and was quickly shown same.

Then there was nobody, though Andy Dunn handled the job as a consultant for a while… but not really (shh, Immigration might be listening).

Then there was Andy Dunn - the ‘Major League experience’ GM, who would also be Team President, at least according to the info given to the press a few weeks ago.

And now there’s Andy Seymour [seen above] - the ‘fun is good’ GM, who has stepped into the GM spot that, apparently, Dunn didn’t want, nor actually agree to handle, despite what was said to the press… 

So who is Andy Seymour? Why, he’s the Vancouver Canadians’ new GM… and he’s not one to make short term plans, if his last gig is anything to go by.

From his days dressed up in an inflated sumo wrestling suit, to donninga trenchcoat, hat and sunglasses as the mysterious ?G-man,? to creatingaward-winning promotional campaigns such as ?Billy Donovan Night,?Andrew Seymour has been a fixture for the Fort Myers Miracle sinceSeptember 1995. Not anymore.

The Miracle enter their 18th season as the Class A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. Seymour has been there for 13 of them.

?Youknow what?s rewarding, is seeing the families growing up,? Seymoursaid. ?This community has been fantastic down here. But I?ll get to gonorth and continue to have fun.?

Get used to that word - ‘fun’.

A supporter of Mike Veeck?sworking motto, ?Fun is Good,? Seymour said he has been strolling downmemory lane as his last day with the Miracle, Wednesday, Jan. 23,approaches. Memories include:

?The Bobble-butt doll. Madein the likeness of Riverdale High School graduate Tommy Watkins, onlyabout 500 of the dolls were made.

?On June 4, 2003, the dayafter Chicago Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa was caught swinging a corked bat,the Miracle announced ?Sammy Sosa Night,? handing out pieces of cork tofans.

?In July 2003, less than a week after Pittsburgh Piratesfirst baseman Randall Simon swung a bat at a Milwaukee Brewers racingsausage, the Miracle held a ?Salute to the Italian Sausage Night? withrandom sausage giveaways and a ?Safe Sausage Race.?

?Lastseason, the Miracle had ?Billy Donovan Night,? at which fans whochanged their minds about attending the game could negotiate with alawyer for refunds, poking fun at the University of Florida basketballcoach who backed out of a contract with the Orlando Magic.

That promotion placed first in the inaugural Minor League Baseball Promotion of the Year Award.

Granted, such a promotion might not hold the crowd’s interest like a pair of three-year-olds building a giant Subway sandwich, or a ‘$1 off your next fish and chips’ voucher from Mr Pickwicks, but one would think we’re in for an interesting ride with Senor Seymour pumping out the bizarro promotions.

Pleasant side benefit: he’s not a pinball executive. That is to say, he doesn’t bounce around from team to team, like many in the minors. And by all accounts, he’s a heck of a guy.

?Asa fan, as a worker and as a friend, I?m dumbfounded to say the least,?[Fort Myers Miracle] season ticket holder Bobby] Izzo said upon hearing the news. ?Andrew?s an institution. He?s theface of the Miracle. He has been forever… There?s not much thatthe man wouldn?t do for anybody. In all the time I?ve known him, Idon?t think I?ve ever seen him have a bad day. I don?t think I?ve everseen a frown on his face. He?s been super… The dedication and the loyalty that I have for the Miracle comes from Andrew.?

It’s not often that when a pro sports GM leaves a town, that people are actually sad about it, and the local press writes glowing tributes of their time with the team.

Some background on the Larry Donovan promotion:

In this much-lauded promotional extravaganza, the Florida StateLeague franchise paid tribute to the painfully indecisive FloridaGators basketball coach (on June 1, Donovan signed a massive contractwith the NBA’s Orlando Magic, but backed out one day later in order toreturn to the University of Florida).

On "Billy Donovan Night," the Miracle did everything short of handingout flip flops to fans as they walked through the turnstiles. But atthe heart of the evening was this little nugget of genius — any fanwho had second thoughts about attending the game was given theopportunity to negotiate out of their ticket purchase by consultingwith a lawyer and then (in certain cases) shooting a basketball througha hoop.

"It was like — Bam! — there it is. There’s our hook. For us, thehoneymoon continued. We put out a teaser about the promo, and theAssociated Press picked it up and ran a story. After that, everybodyjumped on it. All of this occurred during a period when there wasn’tmuch happening in the sports world, so the timing worked out great."

Indeed, the Miracle’s unorthodox promotion received prominent local andnational media coverage, and resulted in a crowd that was more thandouble the team’s Wednesday night average. All in all, it was a fittingstunt for a franchise with ties to the most legendary name in the worldof sports promotions.

And finally, from Seymour’s own bio on the Fort Myers Miracle staff directory:

Often mistaken for THE ROCK, Andrew enjoys entertaining. An interestthat has served him well in his second career as a Motion Pictureaction & Stunt double where Andrew has done body stand-ins for VinDiesel, Sean William Scott, Will Smith and Jack Black. In his sparetime, Andrew enjoys watching infomercials, organizing his fridgemagnets and speaking of himself in the-third-person. Favorite MoviesInclude: Slapshot & House Party 1 thru 4. Favorite Players: PaulKariya, Michael Vick, Torii Hunter & Bill Bellamy. IQ:Self-described ? ?somewhere yo-yo?ing between Nickelodeon and C-Span.?Little known fact: Andrew has written songs for both Luther Campbell& Glen Campbell.

Methinks maybe we got a good deal here.

Side note: While I’m on the ‘good people arriving’ tilt, I should also mention that a good person is leaving the C’s. Long time pleasant person, Game Day Goddess, and Ticket Mistress, Lori Bonang, is moving on to opportunities new.

One of the last remaining folks on staff from the pre-ownership change era, she will be missed (especially by guys like me, fighting opening day crowds to find someone - anyone - who knows where my press pass is).

Be happy, Loz. 

Can the prospect of success for the Vancouver Canadians in season 2008 get any stronger than it is right now?

A true Canadian joining the C’s after a three-team minor league stint in the states.  Welcome home, Mr Seymour.

January 16^th, 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

CANADIANS BRING ON HOME GROWN TALENT TO FILL GENERAL MANAGER?S ROLE

VANCOUVER CANADIANS ADD CANADIAN ANDREW SEYMOUR TO FRONT OFFICE STAFF

 (Nat Bailey Stadium - Vancouver, BC) ? The Vancouver Canadians are proud to announce that Andrew Seymour has been named the 10^th General Manager in club history Wednesday.  Seymour comes home to Canadaafter more than a decade working with the Fort Myers Miracle (FloridaState League), Tyler WildCatters (Texas-Louisiana Ind. League) and theThunder Bay WhiskeyJacks (Northern Ind. League).

Seymour is a native of Toronto, Ontarioand has been a part of the highly successful Goldklang Group whichincludes mentor Mike Veeck who instilled his ?Fun Is Good? mentalityinto the C?s newest General Manager. 

Canadians President Andy Dunn looks forward to Seymour?sarrival later this month, ?Having known Andrew for the past ten years,I am very proud to have him join our staff in the General Manager?sposition.  Andrew will bring a ton of experience to our staff and astrong promotional background that will be enjoyed by Canadians fansfor years to come?.

Nominated for an Elaine McLaughlin award (Community Service Excellence), Seymourhas been a part of numerous Minor League Baseball awards including the?Larry MacPhail?, ?John Johnson? awards and the brains behind some ofbaseball?s greatest minor league promotions.  From Bobble-Butt &Bobble?ection to Mike Tyson Night where fans got a plastic ear with apiece missing, Seymours wacky and eccentric ways should make him an instant hit out at Nat Bailey Stadium.

?Vancouver has it all ? great people, stunning beauty and culture and tremendous opportunity with a really strong owners in Jake Kerrand Jeff Mooney.  I can?t wait to get started with President Andy Dunnand the Canadians crew and continue living out my dreams inprofessional baseball,? said Seymour who arrives in Vancouver in the coming days from his home in Florida.

Ticketsfor the 2008 Vancouver Canadians Baseball season are now on sale bycalling the C?s Front Office at 604-872-5232 or visiting http://www.canadiansbaseball.com.  The Canadians open up the 2008 NWL season on Tuesday, June 17^th vs. the Tri City Dust Devils at Nat Bailey Stadium. 

So we have the major league experience of Andy Dunn as President, and now the minor league experience and promotional showmanship of Andrew Seymour as General Manager.  How much longer until Mike Veeck jumps aboard to sell pretzels?

My first promotional proposal to Seymour is the following: An Anthony Recker Bobble-Butt. 

Oh come on, you know you want it.

All I can say, is wow.  The Canadians are going nowhere but up, and this just proves that statement!

(Pacific Coliseum - Vancouver, BC) - The Vancouver Canadians have ahandful of new fans as Country music sensation Big & Rich alongwith Cowboy Troy came out for the Vancouver Tour stop wearing VancouverCanadians jerseys and game hats.

The Canadians who will be changing their look for the upcomingseason saw 13-thousand Big & Rich fans go wild when Cowboy Troycame out with John Rich wearing Canadians gear and acknowledged the C’sseveral times during their finale which finished with the Troy signingthe shirt and the hat and giving it to lucky fans in the crowd.

The C’s have made great strides in increasing their public profile,but were humbled to see a Grammy award winning Music Group come out andsupport Vancouver’s baseball club.

Thanks to Country music’s BIG & RICH!!!

C’s Media Boss, Rob Fai, is not only a media genius - but a promotional whiz! If this is part of the Andy Dunn effect, we’re certainly getting a great first impression of how his staff will be working!

The worst kept secret in Vancouver baseball has finally been confirmed, as Andy Dunn has put his John Hancock on an employment contract and settled in as the new (public) boss of the Vancouver Canadians.

Of course, this will be his second season at the helm, after he stepped in on a consulting basis last season when the Aileen McManamon experiment was shut down due to a lack of hot dogs, but ownership’s desire to keep their abrupt dismissal of the previous Team President out of the papers (and certain Immigration restrictions) meant Dunn stayed behind the scenes, didn’t put out any press conferences, and quietly lurked in the shadows making sure everything was ticketyboo, on and off the field.

From today’s piece by Lyndon Little in The Sun:

Dunn is already well versed in the running of the club. Introducedto the new owners by marketing guru Mike Veek, Dunn was employed by theclub as a consultant last summer. With the departure of McManamon, hetook on many of the de facto duties of a club president, but had tomaintain a low profile in order not to violate the terms of theconditional work permit with Immigration Canada.

"I had to becareful what I did," admitted Dunn, who is married with three childrenall under 10 who will join him in Vancouver once the school year isover in Florida.

"But I’m looking forward to being more visible to the public now."

So what comes next?

Firstly, celebration. This is a guy with baseball in his blood, who has run Major League stadium operations and farm systems, for several teams. He’s a guy who has the foresight to see what a success story the C’s could be with a little guidance, he’s a guy who clearly understands what a douchebag Washington Nationals GM Jim Bowden is, and walked away from that outfit with his reputation solid and with several good people walking in his wake, and he’s someone who can shove his fingers into the dirt at second base and tell you if it needs watering.

Of course, he’s going to have a job in front of him to penetrate Vancouver’s terrible sporting press pages with any sort of consistency. Don Taylor doesn’t seem able to say the name "Vancouver Canadians" without shuddering for a second and blurting out "MARKUS NASLUND AND ROBERTO LUONGO!" to make up for it, but if there’s one thing that the Vancouver sporting public looks for more than anything else when deciding where to spend their dollars, it’s competency.

That’s why the Canucks didn’t draw for so many years. It’s why the Grizzlies were run out of town on a rail, and why the Vancouver Voodoo’s short life as a pro roller hockey team is still a running joke to this day. Give the people a solid product, good value for money, and a plan to grow both on and off the field (think Vancouver Giants and Vancouver Whitecaps) and they’ll show up in numbers.

In that respect, the Vancouver Canadians are on really solid ground. Especially now.

Again, from The Sun:

Dunn says he understands the challenges of operating a minor league baseball team in a major league market such as Vancouver.

"Iunderstand that Vancouver is a hockey town," he said. "What we want todo is make our team a premier summer attraction. Long after the scoreis forgotten, people remember the park experience. We want to creatememories. "

"We realize we’re now in somewhat of a uniquesituation," said Kerr’s partner Jeff Mooney, the executive chairman ofA&W Canada. "With the departure of the Ottawa Lynx, we’re now thelast minor league pro baseball team in the country with a major leagueaffiliation. We want to preserve the heritage of pro ball in Vancouverand build on it."

Welcome to the city, and welcome to the team, Andy Dunn. And may I be the first to apologize for the number of times both you and Delany Dunn will have to say "no relation" over the year ahead.

But hey, now that I’ve said all this nice stuff about you… can we have a stadium speed gun? Please? 

Andy Dunn was announced as the Canadians 10th President today, following the resignation of Aileen McManamon back in June.  Dunn has been a ‘consultant’ to the team since July, and controlled the ship per-say.  

The Vancouver Canadians are proud to announce the addition of Andy Dunn to the organization in the role of President.
The announcement came at a press conference at Nat Bailey Stadium where owners Jake Kerr and Jeff Mooney introduced Dunn to the media.

Dunn, 38, has a vast amount of experience at all levels of MLB with his most recent position being Director of Player Development for the Washington Nationals.
Prior to his role within the Nationals organization, Dunn was the Vice President of Ballpark Operations which included the task of turning RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., into a facility ready for Major League Baseball.  Dunn was the Vice President of Florida Operations for the Montreal Expos during their transition to Washington, D.C.

He also worked with the Florida Marlins organization, both as president of Sales and Marketing and Director of Florida Operations and General Manager for the Marlins Class A Brevard County Manatees. 

Dunn was named the Florida State League Executive of the Year in 1999 and 2000.  He was also awarded the Bob Stower Minor League Baseball Award in 2002.
Dunn’s background in baseball gives the Vancouver Canadians an immediate presence across North America as his experience and relationships have earned him the respect of many at all levels of the game.

Andy lives in Vancouver, B.C., and is married to wife Kristi with his three daughters, Hailey (9), Colby (7) and Kennedi (3).

 This making you excited for Opening Day?  A great day for Canadians fans indeed.

Oh and by the way, when I mentioned a few days I guessed Andy Dunn would become the new GM/President, I had no idea he would occupy that position a few days later.  I had no knowledge of who would become the new boss, so don’t go thinking I ruined the surprise for the Canadians to announce - my guess was as good as any of yours.

Well, a lot has gone on with the C’s behind the scenes while we’ve been in off-season mode, and much of it I can’t yet talk about, simply because it’d be spoiling some neat surprises.

Here’s what I can tell you: Nat Bailey Stadium baseball Version 2008 is going to be awesome.

Let’s roll through the highlights.

First, yes, as has been mentioned below, there will be a new logo. The ‘concept logo’ Jeremy found will not be it, nor will it be close to it. Not sure where that one came from, but while the new logo will in all likelihood not be too far removed from the current logo, it will be a far, far, FAR improved version - thank god.

Much as I’ve been pushing for a team name change for a while, and have support on the issue from some folks on the inside, the Canadians name will not change. And to that I say, "Go Capilanos."

The team will have new uniforms - they’re going retro to a degree, but I’m not able to tell you in what way just yet. Suffice to say, you’ll notice the change. From a mile away.

There will be a team mascot, which is a positive step from a fan experience point of view, especially speaking as a soon-to-be dad of two.

All the C’s games will be broadcast in season 2008 - be it via radio or webcast - but here’s the kicker; the home games will be broadcast online via streaming video. FINALLY!

The long awaited changes to the NWL set-up, where the Arizona League is killed off and the Northwest League becomes the new rookie league, have not come, and will likely not arrive in 2009 either, due mostly to nobody in the Major League farm systems having the time or inclination to actually make it happen. That will continue to be threatened for another few years, but nobody is too keen to lose 30 players from their system in any great hurry.

The new Vancouver Team President will be announced next Monday, and though I know who it’ll be, I’m keeping my mouth shut for a bit so the team can announce it to full fanfare, which the announcement will deserve. 

As for this blog, the arrival of video webcasting of the C’s home games means we can shelve plans to do that ourselves. It’d been something I’d been planning for a while, and that we actually had a little budget for this season (thanks to those people who keep hitting the Westjet ad for their holiday travel plans), so we’ll either use that money to pick up a speed gun (so we can finally see how fast C’s pitchers are hurling), or do what we’ve done the last two years and send it to charity.

I’m guessing speed gun. 

On a personal note, I’ve sold my editorial services company, Unreel Media, to an American buyer, so I have a little more spare time than usual. Expect that to bring some more improvements to the site over the coming months - at least until I get my new PR firm up and running.

Oh, and we’ll be looking for new writers for the blog to join Jeremy and myself and really round out the coverage, so if you like the baseball, are committed to seeing a bunch of games this season, and know how to string a few interesting words together, drop us a line. We’ll talk.

First, to John: I have no idea who will be named the GM, but my best guess would have to be Andy Dunn, who is the ‘consultant’ to the team.  On the C’s staff page it doesn’t list him, even though he’s been the man running the show over the last few months.  We shall see…

Now, onto why Billy Beane has lost his mind completely. 

Today the A’s announced they’d traded fan favourite OF Nick Swisher to the White Sox for three prospects.  I’ll give Beane this - they’re top prospects but in all honesty this trade is worth nothing. 

Oakland picks up LHP Gio Gonzalez, RHP Fautino De Los Santos and OF Ryan Sweeney.

Gonzalez lead Minor League Baseball in strikeouts this season, and the former Compensation Round pick was named to the Southern League All-Star team after playing for AA Birmingham in 2007.

Fautino De Los Santos was the South Atlantic League’s (A) Most Outstanding Major League Prospect and named to the midseason and post-season All-Star team while pitching for Kannapolis.  He pitched for the World Team at this season’s Futures Game, as a MILB sophomore and went 10-5 with an ERA of 2.65 all season.  Fautino also managed to strikeout 214 batters in just over 170 innings.

The OF Sweeney was the White Sox #1 prospect going into ‘07, and has played a total of 44 games in the major leagues, combining for an average of .213, while having 17 hits in 80 at-bats.  He has hit a dinger and two doubles in that time.  In thhe minors, he’s hit .289 over five seasons, sending 33 balls out of the park, and 239 RBI.

While the three guys have impressed in the Minors, can they really help Oakland in the Majors?  Oakland is giving up Swisher, who has hit .251 in the American League (in four years), sending 80 balls out of the park which is Oakland’s franchise record for most HR’s hit by a switch-hitter.  Swisher only spent two years in the minors before making the Majors, and started his minor league career with the Canadians in ‘02.  He lasted only 13 games and went up to Visalia to close out his first pro season.

The A’s are severely relying on their prospects for ‘08, with only five veterans starting out of the whole 9-man system (forgetting the pitchers).  Mark Ellis, Bobby Crosby, Eric Chavez, Jack Cust and Mark Kotsay being the five guys, and four out of those five have had major injuries over the last two seasons.  While Oakland will be loaded in AA and AAA this season, can their prospects’ success result in major league success?  Only time will tell.
 

So yesterday, out went a press notice from the Vancouver Canadians media office, announcing that the following day, the team would be ‘recreating’ Jeff Francis’ UBC Thunderbirds locker at Nat Bailey Stadium. The media, if they so desired, could come and take pictures.

Now, for the layman, that sounds about as exciting as watching the Minnesota Wild do defensive drills. It sounds as entertaining as watching Ben Mulroney talking about himself. It sounds as thrilling as a jumping castle with a slow leak.

But that’s why you’re the layman and Rob Fai is a media darling.

See, if you cover sport in Vancouver on a day like today, what are you going to do for a story? The Canucks aren’t playing, the Lions aren’t playing, there’s no ballgame, no NFL… it’s a dead day.

And when you’re sitting there scratching your head, dying for something - anything - to take a camera to, so as to keep the boss off your ass, well a nice little photo op, complete with a few of Jeff Francis’ old teammates for quotes, well, that’s just manna from heaven.

And they did flock. 14 separate media outlets in all jammed into the long emptied Vancouver Canadians/UBC clubhouse to take pictures of a shirt. That’s basically every media outlet in the city; radio, TV and print.

I tell you no lie, tonight as the missus was getting ready to watch her Coronation Street, she flicked through the stations, and on three of them, all at the same time, there was the C’s clubhouse, bold as brass.

Now, to be sure, there will be no tickets sold this day as a result of the morass of media. Things just don’t work out that way, and that’s why the old ownership couldn’t get the press office staff off the payroll quickly enough at the end of each season, but what they didn’t get way back then (and what most sporting organizations don’t get, to be honest) is that marketing isn’t about selling a ticket today.

It’s about building a brand. It’s about building awareness, and reminding the press that The Nat exists, and, "Yes, it DOES look wonderful now that it’s been all painted, doesn’t it? Here, have a beer and a media guide."

It’s about getting people watching TV to remember there’s a ballpark in Vancouver, and a ballteam to go with it. It’s about getting people to UBC baseball games when their season begins. It’s about making sure people are watching Jeff Francis throw in the World Series on Wednesday night, and thinking, "He’s a local kid. Wonder what other local kids we might have missed at The Nat this season?"

When Coca-Cola puts up a billboard, they know it won’t sell one single bottle of pop. Nobody will look at that sign and think "must buy a Coke right now" - ever. But if they put up enough of them, and keep the brand in your face, when you feel thirsty, what are you going to pick up?

Rob Fai, and the Vancouver Canadians management and ownership team, understand this concept, and they are playing it brilliantly.

And maybe, just maybe, if more Canadian sporting organizations played for the long term, instead of the short, we might have fewer articles like this one in circulation:

Once, near the beginning of the current century, there were sixprofessional baseball teams in Canada at the triple-A level or higher,as of Opening Day 2008 there will be just one. We all know whathappened to Les Expos de Montr?al, who bolted French-speakingCanada after the 2004 season to become the Washington Nationals. Butdid you know that Canada has also lost four high-level minor leaguefranchises? The triple-A Vancouver Canadians, Edmonton Trappers,Calgary Cannons and Ottawa Lynx have all left Canada for the UnitedStates in the last 15 years.

It left me wondering, while thepro ranks have diminished, what is the state of the game itself up inCanada? Do they even still play it up there? Or is the country sohockey mad that they a) haven’t really noticed that all the probaseball teams have gone south and b) don’t play much baseball on theyouth level any more?

It’s a great article. But it’s sad that it should ever have to be written. 

Busy times for the C’s, even though there’s nary a ball being pitched at The Nat at the moment.

The annual UBC Alumni vs UBC Thunderbirds ballgame was canceled on the weekend after the deluge that pounded the city made the outfield look like BizarroWorld’s version of California, but that was the sole piece of poor news for the C’s this week.

Our own team historian, Bud Kerr [seen above], was given an award last Thursday at the Vancouver Museum that has been a long time coming; a Heritage Vancouver Lifetime Membership, recognizing his contribution to preserving the history of Vancouver baseball.

According to The Sun, "To avoid having to sneak into Athletic Park as a kid in the 1940s, Kerr volunteered to be a scorekeeper with the Capilanos" - that’s a pretty tiny summary for a guy who has been involved with the game in this city as a player, staffer, fan, archivist and promoter for so long he can take you to the spot on 5th Ave where Vancouver’s long lost Athletic Park stood back in 1913 - the same spot he used to scale the fence to watch games.

C’s owners Jake Kerr and Jeff Mooney have taken a personal interest in ensuring that Bud gets the appreciation he deserves, and have not only announced they’ll be building a museum in his name at Nat Bailey Stadium, but they’re also actively assisting him in his latest campaign; to get plaques placed at the location of each of Vancouver’s old ballparks (Considering how everything made of brass seems to get stolen by scrap metal thieves these days, might I suggest they consider plastic as an option?).

While we’re on the history front, the C’s will gather several UBC baseball alumni together in the Vancouver Canadians clubhouse to recreate Jeff Francis’ old locker, from back when he played at The Nat as a UBC Thunderbird.

Francis’ old coach, Terry McKaig, won’t be there for the ceremony, as he’s on his way to Boston to watch Francis pitch in the World Series on Wednesday (and will apparently be writing about it in the Vancouver Sun), but Brooks McNiven, Derran Watts, Brent Mutis and Cavanaugh Whiteley will be there to recount stories of ‘Frank and Beans’.

Also on Francis, according to The Sun, if you’re near UBC or Delta, you might want to stop in at a pub on Wednesday:

Mahony & Sons Public House, a UBC-based sports bar, has "a bigparty" planned for Francis on Wednesday, according to owner/managerChris Mahony.

"We’re expecting pretty close to 100 people," saysMahony. "Some of Jeff’s former UBC teammates will be there, but it’s abig party for all UBC athletes. We’ve got a lot of big-screen TVs inthe bar and everybody will be watching Jeff pitch in the game. I’m sureit’s going to be a fun time."

The recently opened bar is at 5990 University Blvd., opposite UBC’s War Memorial Gym.

TheDelta Lion Pub will also host a gathering of Francis fans on Wednesday.The pub is at 11186, 84th Ave., and is close to the Francis family home.

"Jeff’smom and dad come in here to watch most of his games," saysowner/manager Mike Mahony, who is Chris Mahony’s brother. "It’s like aWorld Series game every time Jeff’s on the mound, so Wednesday’s gameis going to be special. We’re expecting a pretty big crowd, including alot of Jeff’s friends and young baseball players in this area. They’reall Jeff Francis fans."

Good times.

KEOUGH FINDING FORM IN INSTRUCTS:
Oakland A’s Instructionals are underway, which means the best of the class of 2007 (and beyond) are in a field in Arizona being told to shift their feet and raise their elbows.

Scout.com has an interview with Oakland Farm Director Keith Lieppman, in which he says Shane Keough is showing some strong improvement in his first few days of camp.

Keith Lieppman: It?s hard to pinpointsomeone specifically because they don?t keep a whole lot of stats. Wekeep some records of it, but nothing to specific. In terms of someindividual performances, Shane Keoughis having a pretty good Instructional League. He is starting to makebetter contact and looks to be using his speed tool a little bit betterin terms of stealing bases. He is kind of getting some of the roughedges off.

OC: With Keough, do you think his struggles this season were a result of coming back from his back injury last season?

KP: No, I think with him it was just that he hadn?t played verymuch baseball in high school. He?s just somebody who hasn?t had thatmuch experience out there on the field. I think it is just a matter ofgetting the repetitions and being out there. The talent is there. Ijust think he?s just a little bit behind because he got a little bit ofan opportunity at the JC level, but prior to that, he hadn?t playedmuch.

Lieppman went on to name early 2007 C’s first baseman Sean Doolittle as someone who is mashing, and will likely move through the system fast, while 2006-7 C’s outfielder Matt Sulentic is also having a good time of things and will likely not only get back to Kane County next year, but will "definitely" stay in the outfield.

HEAVY HITTERS HURT:
Uptown Corey Brown’s injury has stopped him from getting to Instructionals, and now Amblin’ Danny Hamblin, the other half of Vancouver’s 2007 power duo, has had to pull out after injuring a groin. Also ailing is Josh Horton; The Hornet having injured his hand to the point where he can’t wear a glove, although he’s still able to swing a bat and is doing just that.

Meanwhile, Craig Italiano, who was drilled in the head with a line drive this season, seems like he’s fit and ready for action, having pitched a couple of simulated outings. You always wonder, when a kid takes a shot like that, whether he’ll be gun shy in future, so it’s good to hear about his progress.

In other injury-related news, 2004 NWL MVP and Vancouver Canadians center fielder, Javier Herrera, has been cleared to play Venezuelan Winter Ball with Caracas after two seasons riddled with injury (and suspension).

More suspicious people than I might look at Herrera’s steroid suspension two years back, and his subsequent inability to stay healthy since, and think the two might be related…

Lieppman also makes note that chronically injured 2004 C’s catcher (and 1st round draftee) Landon Powell is likely to have further troubles with his knees in the future, saying, "the chance of reoccurrence is probably great", and, even more interestingly, that the likelihood of a move to another position is not strong. "His catching skills make him what he is," says Lieppman, adding, "He?s aswitch-hitter with power and the whole thing, but with his greatreceiving skills and his throwing, there are really no other places forhim right now."

So you’ve got a guy with bad knees, who will have more knee problems, but isn’t worth shifting to another spot, so they’re going to keep him in the one place that is hardest on a guy’s knees and just see if he can luck it out? Wow - I’m not sure I’d want to be buying Landon Powell futures right now.

That said, Powell can mash. I know nobody likes to spend too much time on a DH-only guy in the minors (a la Jack Cust), since that’s the spot you’d normally put your washed up veterans, but surely it would make more sense to have Powell lose some weight and then actively push him towards first base - or even (I can’t believe I’m saying this) - third? He certainly has the throwing arm for it, and though he’d be a defensive liability, he’d be a defensive liability who could poke 30 dingers for you, from either side of the plate.

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They say charity begins at home, but when someone is homeless, where else does charity begin?

Apparently, the Vancouver Canadians front office.

The C’s are donating 100 holiday turkeys through the Salvation Army, with the assistance of Safeway Supermarkets and a bunch of front office staff, to families in need across the lower mainland. The plan is to make this an annual event.

C’s co-owner Jeff Mooney is one of the catalysts behind this move - and what a nice change it is to go from an ownership group that couldn’t afford to patch the players’ pants, to one that will fork out over a grand to feed people that, in all likelihood, will never be able to afford a ticket to a ballgame.

Hey, here’s an idea, C’s - throw a pair of general admission tickets in with each of those turkeys, and feed the eyes, as well the belly!

The handover will take place at the Salvation Army Family Center at Broadway and Fraser on Thursday at 1pm. If you’re in the area, go give the C’s management, owners and staff a pat on the back for putting your ticket money to good use.

UPDATE:
Well, the turkey handover was a huge success - not just for those who’ll be eating well this Thanksgiving as a result of the charity of the C’s, Safeway and the Sally Army, but also from a PR perspective for the team.

You know, I’m surprised more organizations don’t understand just how much they can benefit out of charity giving. Imagine how much positive publicity would come if TD Canada Trust decided to pump $5m into subsidizing low income housing, or if White Spot had a ’show us your welfare check and eat free’ day. If this much press will show up for a hundred turkeys from a baseball team, how many would turn out if Westjet gave 100 low income families free plane tickets to go see their family this Christmas?

Sure, it’s nice to give for the sake of giving. But it doesn’t hurt that, at the other end of it all, you get what you spend back times ten in free publicity. And here’s the proof:

That’d be C’s co-owner Jeff Mooney in the middle, with George Evans of the Salvation Army on his right, and Scott Gibney of Safeway on his left.

Unsure if this is considered a contravention of the Jake Kerr State Secrets Act or not, but I’ve heard now from two different sources now - one close to the C’s and one on the periphery - that the C’s could be looking at creating a new logo for the team.

This, if it happens, would be awesome. Not just ‘that’s cool’ awesome, but something close to ‘yes, that is Natalie Portman sliding her hotel key across the bar towards me’ awesome.

Well, okay, not quite that awesome. But you get the idea.

The current C’s logo is, or was (as the case may be), a mistake. It should have been a ‘V’. It should have been created using something better than Microsoft Word’s image-maker. It should have included a symbol that could be turned into a mascot, or at least been stylized enough that it would be wearable off the field. I mean, come on, what’s with the tiny baseballs? That’s Little League-standard… and to think, the old management paid money for that thing.

First off, if you’re going to do the single letter as a logo thing, it should almost always be the first letter of your city, not your nickname. You don’t see an ‘RS’ on the Boston Red Sox cap, you don’t see a ‘B’ on the Atlanta Braves cap, and you don’t see a ‘D’ sitting atop a Dodger.

Admittedly, you do see an ‘A’ on the Oakland Athletics cap, but that’s because the team has been known as the A’s through three different cities and over a century of history. Nobody else that I can think of goes the same route.

[Update: Upon further thought, I’ve remembered that the Minnesota Twins now go with a ‘T’ logo, but only because the old ‘TC’ they used was ass, and despite having a World Series history with the old ‘M’ logo that should have been permanent. The Seattle Mariners also used to stock an ‘M’, back in their old ‘trident logo’ days, but only because the M fit with the actual look of a trident.. and to be honest, that too looked kind of ass.]

The options for the Vancouver Canadians when it comes to a logo are one of two: either you go with a single letter (as the Spokane Indians and Eugene Emeralds did) or a funky mascot that you can sell to the kids (like the Everett Aquasox and Yakima Bears did). There’s really no other option.

The C’s went for the letter, mostly because it’s tough to make a mascot out of a ‘Canadian’. I mean, what would you use - a Mountie? A hockey player? A Tim Hortons donut? A stylized Tommy Douglas? An underpaid doctor? The Vancouver Canucks, with pockets much deeper than the Canadians, have struggled both with how to portray a Canuck on a logo, and how to utilize the straight ‘C’, for years, so I can see why the Canadians would take the easier option.

But when they went for the single letter, they really botched it up. When someone in Eugene or Boise or even North Van sees a giant C on a cap, what’s their first thought about where that cap comes from?

Cincinnati? Chicago? Chilliwack?

‘Couver?

Let’s set aside the fact that we totally ripped the concept, font and appearance of our logo from the Boise Hawks logo [seen left] - you know, the one they just trashed because it was old and outdated?

Let’s ignore the fact that the Spokane Indians did the exact same logo as ours, only did it eighteen times better [seen right], even getting input from local First Nations folk and using their own font design, rather than just selecting the ‘Playbill’ font in Word.

Spokane’s logo is sellable and relevant to the area. Eugene’s logo is sellable and relevant to kids.

Everett’s logo is so good, in fact, I actually considered buying one of their caps. But the C’s? I have nothing in my wardrobe with that big ugly C. The alternate ‘flying V’ I have plenty of.

But not the C.

Granted, the C’s logo isn’t as terrible as the Tri-City Dust Devils mess [seen left], which was actually stolen from the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL.

And it’s not the brewery-logo-inspired crap that ours used to be back in the Triple-A days [seen right] (thank God we weren’t owned by Kokanee, or the team would be wearing Yeti suits during batting practice).

But it’s not good. And it needs a change. And the fact that word on the street says a change is gonna come, means the C’s are STILL listening to the fans and giving us what we want.

Crazy massive props, yo.

One final word on the topic: Please, whoever makes the decisions on merchandising, please talk to me before next season. The C’s have never got their merchandising right, and it’s an area I have masses of experience in. Let me design one single t-shirt, and I guarantee it’ll outsell anything else you might come up with by 50% or more. I’ll even give you the team’s next ad slogan for free:

"Small ball, redefined."

Boom.