Emily and I went to our first Vancouver Canadians baseball game Friday night. We had a blast watching the Canadians hammer the Boise Hawks 11-4. I really wish we would have discovered the Canadians a few summers ago, as it was fun, cheap entertainment. I played a lot of baseball growing up, and there is something rewarding about watching minor league players on the cusp making The Bigs. There are a lot of young, talented players on the Canadians roster.

The Canadians offensive onslaught on Friday was led by Michael Choice, who just joined the team a few weeks ago after signing with the Oakland A’s and receiving $2 million bonus. He got the crowd into the game when he hit a monster home run in the 3rd inning, and then followed that up with a 3-run triple. He was a exciting hitter to watch at the plate, and was only a double away from hitting for the cycle.

I enjoyed watching the baseball game, but there was also plenty of between-inning distractions to keep lesser baseball fans amused, including a sushi race, the jive-dancing grounds crew, and the traditional 7th inning stretch. Nat Bailey is a gorgeous stadium, and there isn’t a single bad seat in the house. Some things to keep in mind if you’re going to a game:

• if you have a seat along on the 3rd base line, expect sun in your face for the first hour
• bring a sweater, once the sun sets it gets a bit chilly
• there are extensive concession stands, but the food and drinks are expensive – $7 for sushi, $5 for popcorn, $7.50 for bottled beer, etc.
• there aren’t any water fountains, so bring your own water
• cycling is the easiest way to get to the game. Nat Bailey is located on the popular Ontario bike greenway, and there is lots of free bike parking next to the stadium.