Scotiabank Field at Nat Bailey Stadium

Scotiabank Field at Nat Bailey Stadium
The Nat, Nat Bailey Stadium


Former names Capilano Stadium
(1951–1978)
Nat Bailey Stadium
(1978–2010)
Location 4601 Ontario Street
Vancouver, British Columbia
V5V 3H4
Owner City of Vancouver
Operator City of Vancouver
Capacity 6,500
Field size Left field – 320 ft (98 m)
Centre field – 395 ft (120 m)
Right field – 320 ft (98 m)
Backstop – 30 ft (9 m)
Outfield fence – 6 ft (2 m)
Surface Grass
Construction
Broke ground 1951
Opened July 15, 1951
Construction cost C$550,000
($5.12 million in 2016 dollars[1])
Architect William Aitken[2]
Tenants
Vancouver Mounties (PCL) (1956–1969)
Vancouver Canadians (PCL) (1978–1999)
Vancouver Canadians (NWL) (2000–present)
UBC Thunderbirds (NAIA) (2000–present)
Nat Bailey's main grandstand

Scotiabank Field at Nat Bailey Stadium (known as "The Nat" and commonly by its previous name Nat Bailey Stadium) is home to the Vancouver Canadians of the Northwest League in the summer and the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds in the spring.

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 Queen Elizabeth Park in the Riley Park-Little Mountain neighbourhood of Vancouver.

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.[3] 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.

The stadium's capacity is 6,500. However, there have been over 7,000 fans in attendance at games held on Canada Day. Over 7,800 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 have significantly improved and modernized the stadium while also restoring parts of the park to their original 1951 condition. The addition of Bud Kerr Baseball Museum followed in 2008.[4]

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.

Naming rights

On June 16, 2010, Scotiabank and the Vancouver Canadians announced a naming rights agreement that would rename Nat Bailey Stadium as "Scotiabank Field at Nat Bailey Stadium".[5]

Services

Food services are operated by Aramark.

References

  1. ↑ Canadian inflation numbers based on Statistics Canada. "Consumer Price Index, historical summary". CANSIM, table (for fee) 326-0021 and Catalogue nos. 62-001-X, 62-010-X and 62-557-X. And Consumer Price Index, by province (monthly) (Canada) Last modified 2017-07-21. Retrieved July 28, 2017
  2. ↑ http://www.baseball-fever.com/archive/index.php/t-28736.html
  3. ↑ "Good ol' Sicks' for sale – works". Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. May 23, 1978. p. 18.
  4. ↑ "Canadians earn 2013 President's Award". Minor League Baseball. 2013-11-04. Retrieved 30 July 2017.
  5. ↑ "Vancouver Canadians rename "The Nat"". June 16, 2010.

Coordinates: 49°14′35″N 123°06′23″W / 49.2431°N 123.1063°W / 49.2431; -123.1063

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