Blogs

In the city of Vancouver, I am very fortunate as a broadcaster to have some pretty good broadcasters around me to look up to.  Without saying, Jim Robson, Jim Hughson, Don Taylor and Barry McDonald are in my opinion, the tier one guys in the business.  Robson's historical calls of the Canucks, Hughson's tremendous voice and inflection, Taylor's quirkly, humourous yet insighful delivery and BMac's ability to put you at ease giving some of the best 'interview' in Canada.  I am very lucky to have those so good, so close to me to learn from.  But on a hot, humid day in Spokane, Washington - I g

Writing a blog about baseball has been a real treat for me this season - although at times I debate whether or not I should show my personal side or simply keep it generic and just try and paint you readers a basic picture.  Obviously some 18 posts in, I am sure it has become apparent that I have no problem wearing my heart on my sleeve, so this article should really come as no surprise. 
 

Over the years, as a broadcaster you come across numerous athletes that all come with their own skills set, personalities, quirks, etc...  I think it is fair to say no two athletes are the same in that regard.  One athlete may be a nice guy, but terrible at the plate.  Another guy might hit the cover off of the ball, but can't buy a friendship over the summer because he's too much of a primadonna.  This season, the Canadians have quite the cast of characters.  Some good, mostly great with the occasional oddball.  It's tough over the course of a short-season summer to say that each and every

When the 2008 NWL schedule first comes out, broadcasters usually circle the trips that they look forward to around the circuit.  For instance, right away I circle Everett as the commute is short and the shopping usually keeps you busy with all the outlet malls nearby the hotel.  I also circle Salem-Keizer because once per trip, the team gets to go

Knowing Jimmy Escalante as well as I do, I am pretty sure he would never admit to this, but I will.  The Canadians Pitching Coach as come far enough over the past two seasons with the C's that he should get a look up the Oakland Athletics minor league food chain shortly.  What he has done with a number of pitchers has been outstanding.  From Carlos Hernandez, the timid lefty that in 2008 suddenly became one of the most dominant pitchers in the Northwest League, to Jose Guzman, the Canadians closer that has a microscopic ERA of 0.39 and nine saves as of this post...

Stop #3 on the Rob Fai Nation NWL Tour has me stopping in Salem, Oregon focusing on Volcanoes Stadium, home of the two-time defending NWL Champion Salem-Keizer Volcanoes. I have graded each stadium in the NWL on five dimensions so far: 1) Fan Experience (line-ups, washrooms and ushers, etc...) 2) Food (signature item, palatable, etc) 3) Seating Bowl (comfort, image, etc) 4) Ambience (nostalgia, feel, PA music, etc.) 5) The 'It' Factor (what makes this stadium stand out) The fan experience in Salem-Keizer begins when you first walk into the stadium.

Stop #2 on the Rob Fai Nation NWL Tour has me stopping in Boise, Idaho focusing on Boise's Memorial Stadium. I have graded each stadium in the NWL on five dimensions: 1) Fan Experience (line-ups, washrooms and ushers, etc...) 2) Food (signature item, palatable, etc) 3) Seating Bowl (comfort, image, etc) 4) Ambience (nostalgia, feel, PA music, etc.) 5) The 'It' Factor (what makes this stadium stand out) Boise's Memorial Stadium has one of the nicest exteriors in the league and truly looks like a 'baseball stadium'.

As I worked my way through this blog, I will try to create as many visuals and story lines as possible with today's feature focusing on the first handful of stadium's I have managed to get through this NWL season. Entry #11 focuses on Yakima's County Stadium. I have graded each stadium on five dimensions: 1) Fan Experience (line-ups, washrooms and ushers, etc...) 2) Food (signature item, palatable, etc) 3) Seating Bowl (comfort, image, etc) 4) Ambience (nostalgia, feel, PA music, etc.) 5) The 'It' Factor (what makes this stadium stand out) Yakima County Stadium:

I remember when this years edition of the Vancouver Canadians arrived from Phoenix, AZ, just days before they would take to the field trying to bring home Vancouver's first NWL Championship in the clubs nine year history. Usually the C's have a high round draft guy that everyone is raving about, or one dimension of the team that makes it easy to figure out if they will compete or not over the course of the season. In 2000, SS Freddie Bynum was a 2nd rounder who had a ton of potential, but was as raw as you would find in a first year pro.

Hey everybody, sorry to have been so tardy in getting my latest entry in - but with the team firmly entrenched in the state of Oregon, I suddenly find myself with plenty of time to get caught up on the website. Right out of the gate, let's get the bad stuff out of the way. The boys are struggling through a losing streak that currently sits at six games. In five of those games, the Canadians have brought the tying run to the plate in the last inning and just can't seem to find that one big hit that gets them over the hump.