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. 

Regular visitors to Nat Bailey Stadium would no doubt be aware ofthe existence of the man they call ‘Dancing Hans’. You can see him tothe left there, stomping out some Chicken Dance love, and that’s longbeen the enduring image of the best darn cheerleader in minor baseball.

Hedoesn’t get paid to come out to every home game and entertain the fans. He’s not looking for a career change, or a way to work up through the system and one day be GM. He just likescoming out to the ballpark, dancing on a dugout, and getting the localyokels worked up into a tween-innings frenzy or seven. People like Hans are a huge part of what makes minor league ball so much fun, and that volunteer spirit is something we sometimes take for granted. We get used to having guys like Hans around, and it’s only when they’re not there that we realize what we’re missing.

Last year,unfortunately, Dancing Hans wasn’t dancing. He’d gone through somehealth issues, but was back at the ballpark as soon as he could walkagain (much to his doctor’s concern, I’m sure), and if not for his wifefollowing him around with a big stick, to be used with force if histoes started to so much as tap to the beat of YMCA, I’m sure he wouldhave wheeled himself around the bases on a hospital gurney during the7th inning stretch. Instead, he helped out with the webcast game call on the final day of the season with his son, Tim.

Anyhoo, the relevance of all this comes frommy having opened one of the local papers, The Richmond Review, only tofind myself face to face with a huge full color model shot of theHanster himself.

And darn it all if Hans has a lot more volunteer work going on than just Chicken Dancing at The Nat!

So as a tribute to the skinniest gams in pro sports, I give you Dancing Hans’ 15 minutes of (local) fame:

The text:

"I read The Richmond Review so that I can keep up with what is happening in our fine community." 

Hans Havas, President of the West Richmond Community Association [who knew?], and President of the Richmond Youth Concert Band.

See the Richmond Youth Concert Band in concert along with the Richmond Orchestra on Friday, Feb 25 at Gateway Theatre as part of the Music Lover’s Concert.

Call 604-270-1812 for tickets. 

What’s hilarious is, this ad runs right beneath a Letter To The Editor that complains that someone on JonesRoad isn’t picking up their dog doody. Seriously - they even describehow it’s a big dog, "judging by the size of what it leaves behind."

Some people change the world complaining about dog crap, others change it by giving and giving and giving.

Love your work, Hans.

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.

Player-favourite Clubhouse Attendee Glenn ‘Magic’ Hall, a West Van resident, will be returning to the C’s in 2008 as the ‘Clubbie’.  

Making the players meals, washing the uniforms, watching over the clubhouse etc. are just part of his duties with the Canadians.  Essentially, it’s a 24-hour job and not many people are cut out for the position.  Luckily for the Canadians and their future players, Glenn is.  From the C’s site:

Glenn Hall will be returning for the 2008 season marking his fourth year with the Vancouver Canadians. A die-hard Bruce Springsteen fan, Glenn spends countless hours at Nat Bailey as the ‘Boss’ of all that goes on in the C’s clubhouse. Glenn prepares meals for the team, ensures their uniforms and other personal belongings are ready for each and every home game and is generally every players ‘big brother’ during the season.
Glenn resides in West Vancouver, B.C. during the season.

And, here’s an excerpt from an article The Province did on Glenn Magic back in 2006.

Hall ? dubbed "Glenn Magic" by the C?s ? also does all the cooking. And the grocery shopping. And the cleaning. He has an apartment at Horseshoe Bay, but he?s never there. In winter, Hall works in northern Alberta and B.C. as a cook in work camps for the oil and gas industry. He?s used to being around gangs of hungry men. But working for a sports team ? in particular, a baseball team ? is something he always wanted to do.

"I was always curious about doing this job," says Hall, who found out about the Canadians job on the Internet. "The atmosphere is tremendous," he says. "The baseball knowledge that you?re exposed to and the players at this level are totally appreciative. ? You don?t get the bitterness you might get with some of the older players further along [?] And you get invested in how they do. That?s one thing I wasn?t prepared for. You get emotionally involved in how they?re playing."

From the official press release:

January 2nd, 2008 (Nat Bailey Stadium - Vancouver, BC)

The Vancouver Canadians will introduce the club’s newest President and General Manager on Monday, January 7th at 11am.  The announcement will take place at Nat Bailey Stadium in the home clubhouse.  In attendance for the announcement will be team owners Jake Kerr and Jeff Mooney  along with the C’s 8th President in the teams 30-year history.  

The Canadians will have a media conference at 11am.  Limited seating is available for fans who wish to come and be a part of this new chapter in team history.  RSVP to rfai@canadiansbaseball.com if you wish to reserve a seat within the clubhouse for this coming Monday.  We are extremely limited in number of seats, so no fan without a RSVP commitment letter from the club will be admitted. 

Tickets for the upcoming 2008 season are available right here at http://www.canadiansbaseball.com by following the links to our ticket pages.  We have a number of great packages available right now and have a number of staff ready to help you choose the one that best suits your family, friends or co-workers.  You can call us as well and we will be sure to guide you through this site to ensure you have all the information you will need to make sure you have a seat to a Canadians game this coming season!

So, if you want to be the first person to see the new President/GM, click on the email link, and reserve your seat now!

The Canadians also mention on their site the front office has re-opened after the holidays.

In other Canadian news (seems to be a lot lately), they have posted an "in-depth look" at the minor leagues.  There’s no way this post could handle the info that’s written, so here’s the link.   

(Nat Bailey Stadium ? Vancouver, B.C.) ? The Vancouver Canadians are proud to announce that Manager Rick Magnante, Pitching Coach Craig Lefferts and Trainer Travis Tims have been assigned to Vancouver (A) for the 2008 Northwest League baseball season.

 Rick Magnante returns for his 3^rd season as Manager of the Canadians compiling a record of 76-75 (.503) guiding Vancouver to 2^ndin the NWL?s Western Division in 2007.  Rick is one win away frombecoming the Canadians Short-Season winningest coach as his 76 wins asManager trail Dennis Rogers 77 (2003-04).  This winter, Rick traveledto Taiwanas Manager of the South African National Team for the 2007 WorldBaseball Championships, and remains active with the South Africanprogram trying to develop their program.  Rick resides in Van Nuys, CA and has been with the Oakland Athletics organizations since 1997 both as a Manager and as a area scout.

Craig Leffertsmakes a triumphant return to Nat Bailey Stadium after missing theentire 2007 season due to health concerns.  Craig?s health is muchimproved and will now focus his efforts on helping Vancouver?spitching staff this coming season.  A major league career that spanned11 seasons, Lefferts pitched in 696 games over his career, placing him87^th all-time in MLB appearances.  ?Lefty? as Craig is knownaround the ballpark also has pitched in two World Series (84-Detroit,88-San Francisco) as well as a career 72-45 record with 101 saves. Craig resides in Arizona; this will be Craig?s 4^th season in Vancouver.

Travis Tims takes over the trainers room for Nate Brooks who this season takes over in Kane County (A).  Tims is a graduate of Western Kentucky University graduating with a B.A. in Sports Medicine.

The release from the Canadians goes on to mention how a hitting coach has not been announced as of today, but the name will be released as soon as it is official.

After talking with Rick Magnante at season’s end, he wanted to come back, and he will after all.  As for Lefferts, this is tremendous news.  After sitting out last season he is back in Vancouver for the 4th time, and of course having him as a coach is motivation enough for the players - considering his baseball past.

Jimmy Escalante is heading to where he was originally going last season, the Arizona A’s where he’ll be their pitching coach.  Fan favourite Benny Winslow - former player and hitting coach - will remain in Kane County after a good start in the Midwest League in 2007.

Just a few days over six months until the Canadians open the season, buy your tickets now!

The Canadians made the usual early off-season hirings to their front office last week, and one of the hirings was predicted for a while.  

Allan Bailey, Spiro Khouri and JC Fraser are now permanent members of the Canadians front office, Bailey coming in as Assistant Ticket Manager, Khouri as Group Sales Manager (taking over for Ben Ekren) and Fraser as Ballpark Operations Manager.

Bailey joined the Canadians in the ‘07 season, and was seen in the Ticket Office, as well as the Will Call table outside Nat Bailey’s gates.  He is a former McGill Red Bird, where he played baseball for five seasons.  He played 3B and pitcher in his time in as a Red Bird, and was a reliever from the mound.

Fraser was an intern in 2007, helping with the Stadium Operations.  A former advisor to the Nepal Tourism Board, he is certainly a great addition to the club.

Khouri was a Game Day intern this season, putting on the contests you all saw from the stands, which is a key part of your Nat Bailey experience.  He is now the Group Sales Manager, hoping to attract groups of over 20 to our beautiful ballpark.  His hiring has been expected for a few weeks, and the Canadians have to be happy that he will be staying on with the team.
 

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.