Lotusland's Nat Bailey Stadium has never been known as a slugger's park.
Heckfire, even my favourite Vancouver Canadian of all time had a hard time launching them out of there before he moved on to the real pad in Atlanta, a place where bloopers could win World Series games.
But....
Here's something I did not know until today, courtesy Tom Hawthorn's great Globe obituary of the even greater Le Grand Orange, Rusty Staub:
...It was in Vancouver (for an exhibition game) that (Expos) manager Gene Mauch convinced the outfielder to alter his swing to better pull the ball for power, as he had only hit five home runs into the first week of June. "I just bent my knees a little and dropped my hands a bit and started swinging, and it just felt free," Mr. Staub recounted in John Robertson's 1971 biography, Rusty Staub of the Expos. He hit batting-practice homer after batting-practice homer at Capilano (now Nat Bailey) Stadium in Vancouver.
"That was the day that I became a home-run hitter again," he later said...
Imagine that!
.
7 comments:
Very cool.
Beer--
Very cool indeed.
Now, for me at least, it surpasses the Brooks Robinson's 'ripped open elbow with a dugout can-opener' story.
.
If one does not already exist there ought to be a book of such anecdotes about BC hard ball.
Just a side note,I found my 1962 Giants program the other day ,Mays ,McCovey, Cepeda, Alou brothers,Marichal.Too bad it's not the one with my adventure getting Mays and McCoveys autographs. Now a days its Delair Park to catch the Abbotsford Cards. Lots of kids who have played there on different teams have gone on to the show.
sd--
Ya!
I'm going to go to more of that league's games.
Also...they've built a new ballpark at the fine institution where I work. Been open two weekends so far...A whole lotta rainouts, but it's pretty good ball also.
.
Where does Vancouver's Premier team play?
Western edge of greyest point.
.
Post a Comment