Minor League Baseball is About to Start in the Pacific Northwest
Vancouver Canadians
Professional baseball in Vancouver dates back to 1922 with the Vancouver Capilanos. One of the original members of the Northwest League, the Canadians came to be in 1946.
The most notable thing about the Canadians is the use of their stadium in films over the last forty years. Nat Bailey Stadium traces its origins back to 1951 and was originally called Capilanos Stadium. If the stadium looks familiar, it’s not a coincidence. The ballpark was featured in “Highlanders,” “Psych,” and “MacGyver.”
The Canadians have been as high as Triple-A and as low on the minor league totem pole as short-season. This year they are back to an entire season of games. Due to the COVID restrictions in Canada, where they will play is still up in the air. With an average of over 6,000 fans per game last season, they were in the top 10 overall for attendance-to-capacity.
Spokane Indians
The oldest team in this group is the Spokane Indians. This former Pacific Coast League (Triple-A) team dates back to 1892. Though the Indians’ name came about in 1903. The history behind the Spokane Indians is exceptional.
In 1946, the team was traveling by bus from Spokane to play the Kitsap Bluejackets in Bremerton. While making the trip through Snoqualmie Pass, the team bus swerved to miss an oncoming car and slid off the road and down a short cliff where it burst into flames. Nine baseball players died as a result of the crash.
In 1970, Tommy Lasorda managed the Indians to an incredible 94-52 record and won the Pacific Coast League by 26 games. From 1983-2020, Spokane played in the Northwest League. This year they are part of High-A West and in a new relationship with the Colorado Rockies. The Indians routinely clear 200,000 fans annually, and with an extended season, that number should get closer to 400,000.