Vancouver Canadians return to Nat Bailey stadium this spring
Team played all its games in Oregon last year as COVID-19 prevented cross-border travel
After a three-year hiatus, the Vancouver Canadians have returned to the Nat Bailey Stadium to prepare for the upcoming season.
The team took the field last year, but had to play the whole season on the road — in a Portland suburb — due to COVID-19.
Team manager Brent Lavallee, who grew up in North Delta, joined the team in 2020 but the season was cancelled as the COVID-19 pandemic took off.
"Being here in this city and this stadium it means a lot to myself, to my family," he said
"This place has a special place in my heart."
The team's new play-by-play announcer, Tyler Zickel, also joined the team during its Nat Bailey stadium hiatus.
The team brought him on in 2021, and he did his job from Portland. He moved to Vancouver less than a month ago.
"To have this opportunity to be here in person at this most storied building, I'm just so touched and grateful," he said.
The team is affiliated with the Toronto Blue Jays, and this year's roster features six of the Jays' top 30 prospects, including 20-year-old infielder Leo Jimenez, who Zickel says is the one to watch.
"He's going to be electric to watch," Zickel said.
Fifteen players on the 2022 team are returning from 2021.
The 2022 season begins April 8, as the Canadians take on Spokane in a three-game series. The first game at Nat Bailey stadium is April 19 against the Eugene Emeralds.
With files from On the Coast