BC Place Stadium - Vancouver, BC

[RoastedPeanut]

As Mr. Brent Butt would say, 'Go Riders!'

[Chevy114]

I like it! I just hope they don't have sight line issues or size issues like the metrodome!

[ryanblaze]

When they had a couple of games at the end of Spring Training in the mid-90`s the Mariners were going to play a few of their regular season series at BC Place because of the issues with attendance and the condition of the Kingdome. This was all put to rest however after the 95 run and then of course the subsequent approval of State tax dollars to build Safeco.

I love baseball, would love to see MLB in Vancouver but it won`t happen in BC Place. The only way baseball could be successful in this area would be to build a baseball only facility with a stadium the size of PNC Park in Pittsburgh.

Also on the subject of BC Place, the press box that was built for the intentions of the baseball configurations has been converted into the in stadium production room as well as an auxiliary security area for large events (the other security room is housed in the East Airlock) and as recently as November of 08 the lone broadcast booth of the baseball press box that hasn`t been converted is storage for extra furniture for the suites.

I did notice when I was walking through the bowels of the stadium last November a storage area that may have been all the baseball related stuff. I saw the foul poles for sure and some rolled up turf.

[Dodgeboy]

Amazing how people can just bash it without ever actually seeing a game in the places

I HAVE seen it (at least the Metrodome), and it honestly wouldn't be bad. That said, there's no way MLB would put a team in there permanently. It would make a great interm facility, and the opening roof is one heck of an upgrade.

Actually, has anyone shown this to the MN Vikings? A massively rebuilt dome might be more reasonable in this economy. And, they could still keep the baseball configuration for all of the high school and college games held there Feb though April

[Nat Bailey]

I attended the exhibition games that were played there, back when it was built, and again in the 90s and it was fine. It'd be even better with the roof gone. The turf is better now too. Come on Oakland, we are waiting!

[Nat Bailey]

I posted this before, but it went missing when I reorganized my photobucket account. So, without further ado, this is from one of the exhibition series in the early 80s. I would think with a permanent team some tamporary seating would be added to that big gap on the side.

[mrakbaseball]

. I would think with a permanent team some temporary seating would be added to that big gap on the side.

Do you believe that B.C. Place would be suitable as a full-time MLB venue after the renovations are complete? Temporary seating on the 1st base side would kind of be reminiscent of old War Memorial Stadium in Buffalo.
B.C. Place would probably only be suitable as a 2 year temporary (at most) venue should Vancouver ever be a candidate for a relocated team.

[efin98]

Do you believe that B.C. Place would be suitable as a full-time MLB venue after the renovations are complete? Temporary seating on the 1st base side would kind of be reminiscent of old War Memorial Stadium in Buffalo.
B.C. Place would probably only be suitable as a 2 year temporary (at most) venue should Vancouver ever be a candidate for a relocated team.

Why only two years? Why is it not suitable with improvements? Do you have a valid reason why it has to be abandoned after only a short time

[Matito]

I posted this before, but it went missing when I reorganized my photobucket account. So, without further ado, this is from one of the exhibition series in the early 80s. I would think with a permanent team some tamporary seating would be added to that big gap on the side.

Gap? What gap?

[mrakbaseball]

Why only two years? Why is it not suitable with improvements? Do you have a valid reason why it has to be abandoned after only a short time

I don't know enough about the luxury suite situation there, whether or not that there would be enough of a corporate presence in Vancouver to fill those suites, retail/concessions space. The all-important seating configuration would still be a slightly more spacious version of the much maligned Metrodome. Does Vancouver even have a metro population over 2 million? Vancouver already failed as an NBA city. Does Vancouver even want a baseball team? Thinking of West Coast cities for a relocated MLB franchise, you hear Portland a lot more than Vancouver, Portland probably should have been the destination for the Expos. The Nationals attendance has lagged and they have awful television and radio numbers.

[Anubis2051]

I don't know enough about the luxury suite situation there, whether or not that there would be enough of a corporate presence in Vancouver to fill those suites, retail/concessions space. The all-important seating configuration would still be a slightly more spacious version of the much maligned Metrodome. Does Vancouver even have a metro population over 2 million? Vancouver already failed as an NBA city. Does Vancouver even want a baseball team? Thinking of West Coast cities for a relocated MLB franchise, you hear Portland a lot more than Vancouver, Portland probably should have been the destination for the Expos. The Nationals attendance has lagged and they have awful television and radio numbers.

The ratings may have something to do with the fact that they are the only MLB team that doesn't control their own broadcast rights, the Orioles do. They play second fiddle to them most of the season. Not to mention the team sucks right now. Give them some time, if they make a turn around, you'll see their ratings rise.

[Dodgeboy]

I don't know enough about the luxury suite situation there, whether or not that there would be enough of a corporate presence in Vancouver to fill those suites, retail/concessions space. The all-important seating configuration would still be a slightly more spacious version of the much maligned Metrodome. Does Vancouver even have a metro population over 2 million? Vancouver already failed as an NBA city. Does Vancouver even want a baseball team? Thinking of West Coast cities for a relocated MLB franchise, you hear Portland a lot more than Vancouver, Portland probably should have been the destination for the Expos. The Nationals attendance has lagged and they have awful television and radio numbers.

I've always thought that Vancouver could handle an AL team (Montreal too, but that's a different thread ) Built in rivalries with Seattle (border battle) and Toronto (you DON'T represent all of Canada) The reason why you never hear about MLB in Vancouver is most people don't even think of it. People will say this city or that region deserves a team, but Canada never even crosses their minds, even though Vancouver is probably a better idea than OKC, San Antonio, Sacramento, Norfolk, and even Indianapolis. Personally, I'd love to see a three-way series in the AL between Seattle, Portland, and Vancouver.

That said, the odds that the MLB brass will approve of BC Place as anything but a short-term solution aren't that good. MLB REALLY doesn't want to share stadium time and especially REVENUES with other teams. BC Place already hosts the CFL, and Vancouver's soccer team is moving in once the new roof is on, so there's TWO teams to deal with, both of whom' seasons start much earlier than the NFL's

[mrakbaseball]

I've always thought that Vancouver could handle an AL team (Montreal too, but that's a different thread ) Built in rivalries with Seattle (border battle) and Toronto (you DON'T represent all of Canada) , I'd love to see a three-way series in the AL between Seattle, Portland, and Vancouver.

Seattle, Portland, Vancouver. Yes, that is what I want, but not B.C. Place. B.C. Place just isn't a baseball facilty.

[Nat Bailey]

I don't know enough about the luxury suite situation there, whether or not that there would be enough of a corporate presence in Vancouver to fill those suites, retail/concessions space. The all-important seating configuration would still be a slightly more spacious version of the much maligned Metrodome. Does Vancouver even have a metro population over 2 million? Vancouver already failed as an NBA city. Does Vancouver even want a baseball team? Thinking of West Coast cities for a relocated MLB franchise, you hear Portland a lot more than Vancouver, Portland probably should have been the destination for the Expos. The Nationals attendance has lagged and they have awful television and radio numbers.

As far as corporate seats, we had no problem with the Grizzlies at all filling those, and in fact, before anyone jumps on the team for leaving, it wasn't attendance related. It was the dollar at the time as well as having Stu JAckson for a GM, who gave the Grizzlies a awful record Every season.

Metro population is 2,116,581 as of 2006.

[efin98]

As far as corporate seats, we had no problem with the Grizzlies at all filling those, and in fact, before anyone jumps on the team for leaving, it wasn't attendance related. It was the dollar at the time as well as having Stu JAckson for a GM, who gave the Grizzlies a awful record Every season.

The dollar and taxes doomed the Winnepeg Jets and Quebec Nordiques during that same era so it's not uncommon...but the times have changed(better for Canada, worse for US but that's a whole other issue).

Didn't help that the league's idiotic lottery system prevented the worst team in the league from getting the top pick each year they were in Vancouver nor the rules barring expansion teams from picking in the top five of the draft in their initial year(only league that bars the new team from first pick overall!).

They can sustain a major sports team in the city, the BC Lions and the Vancouver Canucks are prime examples of it. What the team would need is someone with deep pockets who will stick with the team through the rough times- it can happen.

Metro population is 2,116,581 as of 2006.

It's almost 2.4 million if you take into account the lower mainland region of BC. It's larger than the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Milwaukee metro areas.