It’s officially a month away - the start of the 2015 West Coast
League season. The Victoria HarbourCats are about to do what no baseball team has
been able to do in Victoria since the 1940s – open their third consecutive season. Not the Seals, or the Capitals, Blues, Mussels or Tyees. Not since the Victoria
Athletics played here for 6 seasons from 1946-1951 has our town seen the same organization
take the field for a third opening day in a row.
As expected, this is the biggest year yet for the
HarbourCats. For most sports teams, year three is where the fan base decides if
it’s going to stick with the team. Year one is all about the thrill of the new
baby, the new car smell. Pretty much a free pass, people are just happy to be
at a ball game. Year two is more objective, but is still full of anticipation
of seeing something better than year one, and watching it grow. Lots of new
fans who may have missed it the first time around, coming out to see what all the
talk is about. Your first year fans are still interested, and you’re gaining momentum
with sponsors and new fans who realize you’re not just a fad. Year three? Well now there’s expectations. Fans
have sat through a couple losing seasons, and seen some moves on and off the
field that have left them frustrated and scratching their heads. They want more
this year, they want the organization to give back as much as they have
invested in the first two years.
So the HarbourCats set out to do what most teams try to do in
year three - they alter the formula slightly, shuffle the pieces around a bit, and
try and build on past success while introducing something new. Keep the old
fans, bring in the new - the recipe for success in the Victoria sports scene. We
go into this season knowing full well that some things will change, while some
things will remain the same.
What can you expect will happen in 2015? Today we look at the first five of my "Top Ten" things I’m excited to see around the park this season...
New Ownership Group
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| Jim, call for you on... every line actually! |
I like the local flavour, and if nothing else it makes sure
that everyone in the organization from top to bottom is rowing in the same
direction: Keeping HarbourCat baseball in Victoria for the long term. This is
further solidified by the fact that new part-owner Jim Swanson remains the VP
and GM (and part-time announcer, program seller, chief cook and bottle washer,
etc.). The HarbourCats are pretty much
Jim’s third child, and he’s making sure that everything that happens at the
park and beyond is done to make the team successful. It’s a tall order for
anyone, but if anyone can do it, it’s probably Jim Swanson.
New Coaching Staff
Being an IT guy, I appreciate the binary nature of life in
general. On or off, black or white, good or bad. I think we are in for that
with the coaching staff this year. Coach Merritt is one of those guys who will
either knock it out of the park, or crash and burn. We’ll see which way it
goes, but one thing is for certain – it will be entertaining. The past two
years, you half-expected the coaching staff to pass out and fall over down the
first base line, but I don’t expect that this year. I expect animation,
volatility, a few choice words overheard by the first couple of rows, and even
a couple ejections. The passion should play well with the 19-21 year old's
holding the gloves, and should keep the fans entertained as well. I’m hoping it
turns out a binary 1…
Quinn Keeler (and the rest of the game-day team)
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| Ms. Keeler running the show |
…Game-day Presentation Changes
This year will see less happening on the field, and more happening
in the seating areas – meaning more fan interaction. The on-field mic and
personality has been (refreshingly) removed, and has been replaced with a more
dynamic in-game announcer (Dan Salmon), who
will regularly move around the park interacting with fans and announcing from
places other than the stuffy booth above home plate. Expect to see additional
local faces (like the recently announced Mira Laurence) as well. It will be interesting to see how this plays out,
but it should be a welcome change. Old favourites like the dizzy bat and RC
cars will remain, while some new additions (think RC cars on steroids) should
bring some big laughs. I am looking forward to seeing what Quinn and crew come
up with.
Earlier Game Time – 6:30!
Last year’s convenience store tie-in with the 7:11 start
time didn't really add to the experience at the park, but it certainly made for
conversation. The HarbourCats had a few late nights at RAP last year, which
means a few things: It gets bitterly cold some nights (cold enough that the ice
cold water coming out of the bathroom faucets is actually warmer than your
hands are at the time); it gets well past bed time for many Victoria fans,
especially those coming from areas outside the downtown core; and the city gets
a bit silly if the lights are left on past a certain point. Moving the start
time to 6:30 should help with all of those problems, meaning more people in the
park later in the game, enjoying the odd comeback or dominating closer
performance.
Check back tomorrow for the final five items on the top ten list, focused more on the fan experience.
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