Vancouver Canadians baseball returns to Nat Bailey Stadium

‘Take me out to the ballgame!’ can finally be said again in the Lower Mainland as the Vancouver Canadians gear up for their return of legitimate home games.

The team didn’t have a 2020 season due to COVID-19 restrictions and were forced to play the entirety of their 2021 season on the road, again due to restrictions. Last year, the C’s called Ron Tonkin Field in Hillsboro, Oregon, ‘home base.’

Tyler Zickel, the voice of the Canadians says it’s an exciting time to be a baseball fan in the Lower Mainland.

“The big thing that’s new this year; two extra months of baseball. The Canadians are now the High-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. For over the last decade plus the team had been the rookie-level affiliate which means those players just starting their pro journey were coming to Vancouver,” said Zickel.

Zickel says he expects fans to see a much higher level of baseball then they’ve seen in years past. As the players on this years’ roster are more experienced professionals and are able to present a better brand of baseball.

“Crisper games, quicker games, guys’ are going to be hitting balls farther, better defence, more dialed-in pitching, I think that’s what fans are going to notice the most.”

Zickel says the higher level of presentation will also extend throughout the stadium.

“We’ve brought some old favourites back with a refresh in the food and beverage department, as well as some opportunities for some fans to experience some things from our new ‘Nutrl’ zone out there in left-field.”

Related Articles:

• Vancouver Canadians to give fans baseball fix with film screenings at Nat Bailey Stadium

• Capacity limits lift in B.C. as COVID-19 measures ease

• New West Baseball Star Justin Morneau prepares to enter Twins’ Hall of Fame

In terms of what fans can expect for the 2022 home schedule.

The C’s will carry on the tradition of ‘Nooners at the Nat’ with Friday home games. When the gates open at 12PM and the first-pitch will be thrown at 1:05PM.

New to this year, the Canadians will have ‘Saturday Natinee’s’ where through the months of April and May, Saturday home games will also get underway at 1:05PM. Starting in June the games will be 7:05PM starts with the return of post-game firework shows.

For Zickel, an American hire who has only worked with the team since the start of 2021 season, when the squad was situated in Oregon. He’s only heard stories about how great the ballpark is.

“There is nothing like Canadians baseball at Nat Bailey, I get goosebumps just thinking and talking about it.”

The Canadians are expected to play a full 132-game season, 66 games of which will be played at Nat Bailey. You can listen to every game live on Sportsnet 650.

Their first home game is scheduled to be played next week on Tuesday, April 19., verses the Eugene Emeralds.

It will have been 963 days since Vancouver Canadians baseball was last played at Nat Bailey Stadium.

With files from John Ackermann