Capilano Stadium (Finally) Opens

INCLUDING EMIL
Everyone Was Little Biased
By DAN EKMAN [Vancouver Sun, June 16, 1951]
Because he sort of has a 20-year mortgage on the place, you could expect Emil Sick to be slightly prejudiced in his remarks about the new Capilano Stadium.
But when he stepped to the microphone at last night's opening ceremonies in declaring that “several cities in the major leagues would love to have this stadium,” there was an instant roar of approval from 8000 throats. Which indicates that if Emil is prejudiced, then baseball-loving Vancouver is prejudiced along with him.
The mob that packed every section and spilled over into the aisles just couldn't believe its good fortune. Years of privation at the old Fifth and Hemlock shanty had made them forget that comfort and beauty could mingle with baseball; it will take a while to change their minds.
As early as 4 o'clock it was evident that the biggest crowd in local baseball history not excluding the one that watched Babe Ruth, according to the old-timers, would be there for the first-night pageantry.
By 6:45, when they began to sell the remaining 5500 tickets, patient queues stretched for dozens of yards from each window. Long before game time all the grandstand seats (plus some standing room) were gone, and there was a wild stampede to the bleachers.
Old Bob Made 'Em Laugh
But hundreds didn't make it; a few repaired to the grassy slopes of Little Mountain and caught occasional glimpes of the proceedings from this modern version of the Sixth Avenue rooftops [photo to right; Ted Tilton, Jean Stewart and Jack Devries]. Others caught Hal Rodd's radio description and still others went home vowing to be a little earlier this evening.
So thick was the traffic that officials couldn't produce an exact attendance total last night. They won't have all the stubs counted until late this afternoon, at which time a second wave will be upon them.
• • •
The pros at public speaking had their say in quick, concise fashion, but it remained for Baseball Bob (last name Brown) to get the folks laughing.
In the proudest moment of his life, the old redhead stepped up and allowed as how “I'm just a poor Irishman tryin' to get along here.”
That started it, and Bob kept on fracturing the folks, of gimpy-kneed manager Bill Schuster, for instance, he paraphrased McArthur in note that “old ball players never die, they just join the Vancouver club.”
And when Mayor Fred Hume prepared to toss the ceremonial first ball, he quipped, “We've got about 10 minutes to space for this event and it's a good thing it'll take that long for the mayor to get one across.” [photo to left]
Well, Mr. Hume didn't make a liar of Bob. He tossed one in the general direction of third base and strode back to his box, clutching the souvenir ball which was retrieved for him by Salem manager Hugh Luby.
That Was Just Too Much
With Capilanos president N.C.K. “Chuck” Wills directing traffic, dignitaries filed quickly to the mike and as quickly stepped back.
The crowd saved its best applause for Schuster, who admitted “I'm a brilliant strategist—that's why Bob hired me. But a few minutes ago a photographer came to me and said, 'Mr. Schuster, I have to take a picture of the first batter to get a hit. Would you mind telling me who it's going to be?'
“That,” said Bill, in mock exasperation, “is asking too much, even of a brilliant strategist.”
Here, in brief, is how other guests saw it:
Clarence Rowland, president of the Pacific Coast League—“I've been 42 years away from Vancouver. The last time I was here, Bob Brown was managing the Spokane club in the Northwestern league and I had the little Aberdeen team. I can't tell you how good it is to come back to a park where I know you're going to spend a happy day.”
Bob Abel, president of the WIL—“We're very proud to be associated with this great city.”
Mayor Hume (in direct contradiction to the political rule that your opponants must never be praised) “The building of this park was largely due to the efforts of ex-mayors Thompson and Cornett.”
Salem manager Hugh Luby—“I'm getting used to these opening nights in Vancouver. I was here, remember, on April the 30th, when you opened at the old park. Now, I'm back again, and I want to hear some applause even though I am an 'enemy'.”
Just a Little Strange
Marionette-ish military precision, as displayed by the color guard of the Navy, Army, Air Force and RCMP representatives, was received with acclaim. But each of the lads got a hand, noteably the red-coated Mountie who had plainly just stepped out of a travel folder.
• • •
Surprisingly, the opening ceremony was finished 15 minutes ahead of schedule, which is an astounding tribute to the mike-fright of the guest list. But the Police Pipe Band, complete with three majorettes, took up the slack — a little too well. It was 8:34 p.m. by the time Bob Snyder began to fashion his 12th win of the season.
• • •
When it was all over, somebody asked Bob Brown how he felt.
“Well, sir, just a little strange,” Bob replied. “In the old park I kenw exactly where every nail was. But you know something? In this one, there's at least a half a dozen nails I just can't account for.”

Stadium a Big Hit With Fans, Officials
By ERIC WHITEHEAD [Vancouver Province, June 16, 1951]
At 8:05 p.m., Friday night, Ruby Robert Brown walked out, grinned into an outdoor microphone, and bellowed:
“Well, how do you like it?”
A roar of approval swelled down from 7500 throats and the ageless old Fox of the Western International League pocketed the official, unmistakeable stamp of approval for his brand-new ball-park, an approval delivered by those he loves best: Joe Fan, the paying customer.
In fact, it was the beaming ex-dean of old Athletic Park who stole the magnificent Capilano Stadium opening night show from a galaxy of distinguished performers.
Said Bob, with a twinkle that glittered under the arc-lights:
“I’m just a poor old Irishman up here trying to get along . . .”
Officially heading the all-star christening cast was Mayor Fred Hume, who climaxed a brief oratorical splurge with the official opening pitch — an awesome “nothing” ball that floated high and inside across the third-base foul line.
Supporting Fireball Hume in the orators’ box were:
Brewery tycoon Emil Sick: “. . .if the world had more of this wonderful friendship between neighbor nations . . . there’d be no such thing as war. . .”
Pacific Coast League president Clarence “Pants” Rowland: “This is my first trip back here in 42 years . . . “You have a ball-park that many a major league city would love to have. . .”
Western International League president Bob Abel: “We in the Western International League are tremendously proud to be associated with Vancouver.”
First man to bat in the speaker’s circle was Capilano Baseball President Chuck Wills, but Chuck kept his pride well contained and let the guests toss the bouquets . . . and there were plenty.
The fans tossed their share and there was nary a beef in a car-load. Typical Joe Fan quotes:
Captain C.R. Brewster, harbor pilot, of 2936 West Thirty-sixth: “This is just wonderful. . .”
Mrs. Nellie McLachlan, 2285 West Sixth, “You bet I’m a regular fan. Especially from now on.”
Jack Dixon, turnstile attendant, 839 East Twenty-Sixth: “Didn’t know there were so many people from Vancouver . . . never had such a workout in my life.”
Mr. and Mrs. M. Ross of 692 West Twentieth: “Magnificent. All we need now is a roof and we’ll be happy.”

New Park Just 7 Years Late, Says Rowland
By LYALL DAGG
[Vancouver News-Herald, July 16, 1951]
Vancouver’s new Capilano Stadium, which underwent a large and obtrusive christening ceremony Friday night, is just seven years late in being completed.
This was the opinion of Clarence Rowland, president of the Pacific Coast Baseball League, who, along with close to 8,000 other fans, gaped in awe at the Caps’ new home last night.
Rowland, for those who don’t remember, made his first appearance in Vancouver in 1910 as manager of Aberdeen. He played against Caps’ general manager Bob Brown.
HAVE ANSWER NOW
“If Vancouver could have had this park in 1943,” Rowland said following the special two-hour opening ceremonies, “they would be a member of the Coast League today.
“That was the year Sacramento was faltering and the only thing that held this city out was the lack of a ball park. Here is the answer to that. It is one of the finest on the Pacific Coast. And with plenty of room to expand.”
The words of Rowland were copied by every man, woman and child who pushed his way into Cap Stadium last night. The part, that is, about it being a beautiful park.
DUNC LIKES IT
Dunc Andrews, possibly one of the oldest baseball fans in Vancouver and now head usher at the park, compared it with the big league ball yards.
And Andrews has seen them all. He was in Vancouver in 1910 but later moved to Chicago and lived near the home grounds of the Cubs.
The big night for Bob Brown began at exactly 6:40 p.m. At that time, the gate officially opened and the first paying customers walked proudly into the lobby below the stands.
From then until the wickets finally closed, from lack of tickets, the fans poured in a steady stream into the new park. When the gate was shut every seat in the house was taken and people were sitting in the aisles.
Commentary of the dignitaries and players was like a group of mothers admiring a new baby.
Chuck Will, Capilano president: “At least we’re here now.”
Brown, general manager, “How do you like it?”
Emil Sick, president of Sicks Brewery: “A lot of U.S. cities would be delighted to have this.”
Bob Abel, Western International League president: “We are proud to be associated with Vancouver.”
Bill Schuster, a limping Capilano manager: “I thought all the advertising signs in the field were going to be painted green.”
At this last statement a large green blind was pulled down over the offensive white sign in centre field.

Caps Win First Game at Capilano Stadium

Sinovic, McGuire Shine As Snyder Wins No. 12
Salem 3 Vancouver 10
By ERWIN SWANGARD [Vancouver Sun]
When general manager Bob Brown and manager Bill Schuster chose their outfielders for the 1951 season they put the emphasis on speed, obviously with an eye on the wide open spaces of the new Little Mountain stadium.
And because of that speedy outfield, particularly Bob McGuire in left, and Dick Sinovic in centre, Cap pitchers will have much easier sailing than they had in the old Athletic Park.
Lanky Bob Snyder, Capilanos' leading pitcher, was the first to experience the benefit of much space in the park's outfield and much speed by the outfielders as he coasted to his twelfth Western International Baseball League victory of the season Friday night.
Long Salem drives, which would have been homers, triples or doubles in the old park became mere routine flies as Messrs. McGuire and Sinovic galloped joyfully about the outer gardens.
CAPS WERE HITTING
Meanwhile, Snyder's mates pummelled a couple of Salem pitchers, including ex-New York Yankee Bill Bevens, and went wild around the bases as the Senators entered into the spirit of opening night celebrations with an exhibition of carnival in the seventh inning.
Caps wasted little time in showing the nearly 8000 customers and Salem which team was in charge.
They teed off for one run in the second and three in the third inning. After that Snyder went along smoothly and easily, even if he did give up a couple of runs in the sixth and another in the ninth.
About the seventh inning carnival, in case you haven't heard because just about every baseball fan in town was there anyway, Chuck Abernathy was on second and Charlie Mead on first with two out when Reno Cheso slashed a hard grounder through Curt Schmidt at second base.
GREAT EXHIBITION
All three Caps ran like blazes. The Salem Senators tossed the ball around with abandon to catch the runners. When the dust had cleared away Caps scored three runs and Senators had picked up two errors.
Today, Caps and Salem were finishing their three-game series with Sandy Robertson scheduled to pitch in the afternoon and George Nicholas in the evening.

Caps Wallop Salem 10-2 to Top off Big Event
Bob Snyder Gets 12th Win Before 7500 in New Park
By KEITH MATTHEWS [Vancouver News Herald]
Capilanos 10, Salem 3
What was probably the greatest crowd in Vancouver's baseball history crammed all the nooks and crannies of "new" Cap Stadium Friday night.
And apart from being sent away happy at the 10-3 Capilano victory, the crowd—and it was unanimous—was of the opinion that Vancouver now possesses one of the finest homes for baseball on the continent.
So large was the crowd, that Bob Brown's office crew hadn't counted all the noses by the time the game had ended. At a minimum estimate, 7500 were there and when the attendance is officially totalled this morning, Mr. Brown may then dig into his records to see if this was a new mark for attendance at a baseball game.
It seemed that all of Vancouver, some of New Westminster and a representation from several American towns were there for this one.
They started lining up to get in at 4 o'clock in the afternoon and they were still running around looking for seats, which had long since been filled at 8:45. It was a tremendous gathering, which was fired awed by the beautiful spectacle of the brilliant new setting and then started to sway and gush enthusiastically with every pitch.
Bob Snyder saw to it that every pitch was a winning one for the Caps.
Bob Just Couldn't Do Any Wrong
The guy they always pick to pitch the tough ones was out there again last night. He should have been a little nervous, for 7500 pairs of eyes were watching him as if he were a freak of nature. He should have been a little wild, for it seemed natural that he wanted to win this one so badly that something surely would go wrong. He might have felt that the opposition was being a little unfair to him, for Bill Bevans was the rival pitcher and hadn't the same fellow just four years ago come within one of pitching a World Series no-hitter?
None of it phased the string-bean right-hander. He mowed them down with such regularity that his attack caught fire under him and built him a lead he couldn't possibly slip and fall off.
For five innings Snyder allowed only one hit and no more. For all of the nine he didn't walk a man. Plainly, he wasn't giving anything away for nothing.
Meanwhile, Snyder's attack went to work. They scored once for him in the second inning when Reno Cheso got life on an error and Ray Tran batted him in on an infield hopper. They scored three more in the third when Chuck Abernathy crashed a hit-and-run double down the first base line to score [Gordie] Brunswick and Dave [sic] Sinovic smashed a tremendous 400-foot triple.
As far as Snyder was concerned, those runs were enough for his 12th pitching victory, but before the night was out, the Caps had picked up more for their ace.
Comparisons between the old park and the new were being handed out freely. Of course, there is no comparison between old and new, so great is the difference.
'Homer' Turns Into Outfield Fly
However, most of the 7500 came there for that reason and they got their first chance in the second inning when Charlie Mead got some good wood on a 3-and-2 pitch and lofted it into far-off right field. It was caught after a hard run by George McDonald and you could almost hear them saying, "That would have been a homer in the old park."
And so it went. Inning after inning, comparison after comparison.
In the seventh, with the Caps already well in the van, the great throng got together and started a hand-clap chant. It was new. In the old park, they would merely have stamped their feet on the wooden floorboards.
Here, it was hand-claps. 7500 pairs of hands clapping as one. They probably heard it in Kokamunga [sic], but after the game the players remarked "that it was sure nice to hear them hollering. It made us feel like we were in a ball park at last."
Today, there probably won't be so great a crowd as opening night. It might take an awful long time to wipe this record out. But the same two clubs will play twice, 2:30 in the afternoon and 8:30 at night.
Sandy Robertson will get his first call to arms in the afternoon game and George Nicholas (8-4) will pitch under those $20,000 lights.

8000 See Big Show
Caps Blast Senators 10-3 For Park’s Baptism
By DON CARLSON [Vancouver Daily Province, June 16, 1951]
Vancouver 10, Salem 3
Vancouver’s greatest baseball-audience ever turned out Friday night to open the new Capilano Stadium, and the Caps responded by baptizing their park with a victory.
Pitching masterfully, Capilano ace Bob Snyder, (now 12 wins, two losses for the season), fully justified his choice by manager Bill Schuster as the man to start a new baseball era here successfully.
In cold statistics, Caps beat Hugh Luby’s Salem club 10-3, getting to work early on Bill Bevans, the legendary ex-Yankee, and turning in a workman-like, if not too exciting, job of baseball.
Capilano general manager Bob Brown said after close to 8000 fans must have seen the game. “We lost track when we began rushing them in just at game time,” he said.
Besides those who got in, Brown said, crowds were turned away outside the gleaming new silvery turnstiles.
Scores more watched the game from lofty perches on Little Mountain.
FIELD SOFT
They sat for more than three hours, drinking in the beauty of the new stadium, and enjoyed baseball from an entirely new point of view to what they had been used to in the old dingy park where the fans sat practically on the players’ shoulders.
There was an hour of opening ceremony and entertainment. Then two more hours of pleasure for the hometowners as the Caps took their new field in their stride, without breaking their winning pace.
“The field was very soft,” manager Bill Schuster said after. But it affected the Caps less than Salem, the Senators bobbling four times, the Caps not at all.
LOTS OF BOOM
“It wasn’t too hard a game to win,” Snyder said after when, radiantly, he beat the rest of the team out of the showers and into Brown’s office where the bubbling spirits spoke of the end of a perfect day for the Capilano organization.
Snyder allowed 9 hits, struck out 6, and had only two weak innings, the sixth when they hit him three times and he delivered a wild pitch, and the ninth, when he obviously was relaxing.
Most obvious difference between the new park and old was the room the outfielders now have.
Caps outfielders McGuire, Sinovic and Mead, accounted for ten put-outs. Glen Stetter and Ritchie Myers each pounded a long drive against the left field wall 335 feet away.
The Brownies got one run in the second, then opened up in the third on a single, double and triple by Brunswick, Abernathy and Sinovic respectively.
Sinovic’s triple was a straight-away blast to almost dead centre that kicked up the dust at the foot of the wall over 400 feet away. From there on they weren’t headed.
Brunswick, who had a good batting night, three hits in five times, tripled in the fifth on a long drive to his off field that went into the right field coffin corner.

Caps Do It Right; ‘Firsts’ All the Way on New Field
[Vancouver Daily Province, June 16, 1951]
It was a strange coincidence June 7 when, in the last game ever played at old Athletic Park, Capilano figured in every “last” [line unreadable].
The coincidence soared last night at the opening of the new Capilano Stadium when Capilanos figured in every offensive “first”—plus both defensive “firsts.”
Here are last night’s historic “firsts”:
Run: Reno Cheso [photo left]. Single: Bob McGuire [photo right]. Double: Chuck Abernathy. Triple: Dick Sinovic. RBI: Ray Tran. Sacrifice: Bob Snyder. Assist: Gordie Brunswick. Put-Out: Abernathy.
The two firsts that the Caps didn’t want were recorded by Salem players. Error: Curt Schmidt. Strikeouts: Dick Faber.

Cap Stadium Ready

ONE OF CANADA’S FINEST
New Capilano Baseball Stadium Opening Friday
[Vancouver Daily Province, July 14, 1951, pg.19]
Vancouver’s new $550,000 baseball stadium opens Friday night.
The huge stadium, located at Thirtieth and Ontario, is an exactly replica of the ball park in Seattle, except for the seating capacity. Capilano Stadium will seat 7500, while Seattle has additional bleachers, but the Vancouver stadium has ample space to build additional stands if necessary.
The huge park, considered to be one of the finest in Canada, and the best in the Western International League, takes up 18 acres.
ELECTRIC SCOREBOARD
Distance from home plate to centre-field is 415 feet, and to the left and right-field fences is 335 feet, which compares favourably with any major league park in America.
A large electronically-lighted scoreboard has been installed on the top of the centre-field fence, and the operator will have telephonic communication with the press and scorer’s box back of home plate so he can register hits, runs and outs instantly.
There are six entrances and eight double-doored exits from the park. Large ramps connect the stands wit the main hall, where concession stands are located.
The main concession stand is 120 feet long and there are two other booths to be used for selling popcorn.
NEW INNOVATIONS
The popcorn stands have additional heating units installed so the merchandise will be piping hot at all times.
New innovations in the hot-dog stands include hot plates to give patrons a choice of boiled or fried hot fogs. Another innovation will be the sale of aspirins and other headache remedies, ideal when the home team is losing.
The park is surrounded with hard-surfaced roads and two of them, Midlothian and Melrose, have been recently built to facilitate movement of traffic.
The huge parking lot adjoining the stadium can accommodate 500 cars at present and when completed will hold 1400.
GAME TIME 8:30
Bob Brown, manager of Capilano Stadium, said there will be 3500 rush grandstand seats and 2000 rush bleacher seats on sale when the park opens at 6:45 p.m. Friday. The 2000 box and reserved seats are already sold out.
Game time, when the league-leading Vancouver Capilanos meet Salem Senators, is set for 8:30, but official opening ceremonies are expected to start at 7:30.
New metal chairs have been installed in the boxes and other seats are comfortable wooden benches with folding seats.
In addition to the facilities for the public, there is a ladies’ lounge and press room, where the press can meet the managers of the teams, plus an umpires’ room and dressing rooms with showers.
Players will go direct from their dressing rooms to the dug-out via connecting tunnels.
Intercommunication systems connecting all parts of the building have been installed. Concessionaires will use this keep contact with the barkers to there will be no delay in bringing up new batches of hot dogs, etc.
LIGHT PARKING LOT
Lighting of the ball diamond will be done with 265 1500-watt lights. Special swivel lights have also been installed on the poles to light up the parking lot.
Turf from the old stadium has been laid in the infield and new grass in the outfield is coming on rapidly.
Mr. Brown paid special praise to Park Superintendent Eugene Edlund and his gang of workmen, who succeeded in transferring the turf in three days and nights of hard work.
Plans for the stadium were started four years ago, but it wasn’t until last September that actual construction began.
Mr. Brown, general manager of the stadium, started his career in baseball here in 1910, and built the old park at Fifth and Fir in 1913. Mr. Brown, who has been connected with baseball for 51 years, came to the coast to play for Portland in the old North West League, which was succeeded by the Western International in 1937.

WILfan note: the picture is a shrunken scan of a photocopy of a photocopy of a newspaper photo. The roof was added in 1956 and the press box was lengthened (the box in the photo is the right side of the current box when viewed from centre field). The distance to centre has been cut a number of times, most recently in 2007. The Ladies Lounge is long gone and the Press Room, where yours truly spent many pleasant times, was eliminated in the mid-1990s.

Wednesday, June 6, 1951

               W  L  Pct GB
Vancouver ... 33 13 .717 —
Spokane ..... 30 17 .638 3½
Salem ....... 22 24 .478 11
Yakima ...... 19 24 .442 121
Wenatchee ... 21 27 .438 13
Tri-City .... 19 25 .432 13
Tacoma ...... 20 27 .426 13½
Victoria .... 20 27 .426 13½

VICTORIA, B.C., June 6—Victoria Athletics evened their Western International league series with Tri-City Braves Wednesday night when John Tierney came out on top 3-2 in a pitcher's duel with Bob Costello.
Costello failed to receive much help from his teammates, who made three errors, which cost as many as unearned runs. With reasonable support, the veteran should have had a shutout.
Don Pries tried to sacrifice but Vic Buccola got the throw to third in time to force Tierney. Sam Kanelos made a foolish try for a double play, threw the ball into right field. Marv Diercks scored from first on the play and Pries also counted when catcher Pesut dropped the ball on the play at the plate.
A double by Spaeter, an infield out and Clint Cameron's fly sent in the Braves first run in the third. Singles by Peterson and Neil Bryant around a passed ball accounted for the second in the eighth inning. Pesut raised Tri-City hopes in the ninth when he led off with a double, only to die on second as Tierney curved called third strikes past pinch-hitter Cy Greenlaw, Spaeter and Buccola in order.
The scheduled third game of the series has been postponed because of the appearance here of the Fulham football club which takes over the park for an exhibition match against an all star Victoria team.
Tri-City ...... 001 000 010—2 6 3
Victoria ...... 002 000 10x—3 7 0
Costello and Pesut; Tierney and Martin.

TACOMA, June 6 — Bill Bevens let the Tacoma Tigers down with seven hits—four of them in the last inning—to pitch Salem to a 2 to 1 victory over Tacoma Wednesday night.
Bevens allowed but three hits over the first eight innings. Tacoma tallied its lone run in the ninth when John Kovenz opened with a single, then after K. Chorlton
had gone out, Butch Moran and Marion Watson put together singles for the lone Tiger run.
Salem ........ 000 200 000— 2 8 0
Tacoma ...... 000 000 001— 1 7 0
Bevens and McKeegan; Schulte, Clark (9) and Watson.

Spokane at Yakima, postponed, rain.
Wenatchee at Vancouver, postponed, wet grounds.

A FEW TEARS AND MUCH JOY
Caps Bid Goodbye to Old Athletic Park Tonight
By HAL MALONE [Vancouver Sun, June 7, 1951]
When Wenatchee Chiefs and Vancouver Capilanos finish their Western International League baseball game at Capilano Stadium tonight and groundsman Gene Edlund has turned off all the powerful lights, a lot of baseball fans will be happy because they had to sit in the old park for one last time.
For a few dozen fellows, the parting from Athletic Park (they’ll never recognize it by any other name) will be something to shake their memories.
The guy who’ll miss the Fifth Avenue and Hemlock antique most of all will be Bob Brown, the Caps’ general manager. Why?
Because just 38 years ago a surprisingly spry fellow by name of Brown walked through a heavy piece of brush there, carefully setting dynamite sticks to uproot thick stumps so that he might be able to set up a smooth piece of grass on which the greatest game in the world (to him at least) might be played.
Over the years, quite a number of great players passed over the sports where thick trees stood. For some ball players it was just a training ground where they could gather experience for a shot at the majors.
Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, members of the New York Yankees’ “Murderers’ Row,” played there. Brown remembers their coming and playing just as if it happened yesterday.
“They were on tour,” the old red-head reminisced last night. “Connie Mack was managing them. It was raining—real heavy like—and Mack didn’t want them to play. They came out to the ball park, anyway, without Connie. He went to a show.
“It drizzled most of the game and when Ruth came up in the seventh inning, I asked the umpire to call the game. The crowd moaned and Ruth yelled ‘If you can stand it so can I,’ and they finished the game.
Going farther back, Bob remembers when the WIL opened in 1913 at Athletic Park and the Vancouver team was known as the “Beavers.” Names like Dutch Reuther, Barker Cadman, Cliff McCarl, Dode Brinker and Wally Hood roll from Bob’s lips as it he had seen them yesterday.
Another fellow who won’t forget Athletic Park is Nat Bailey. He used to sell peanuts there. For a nickel you got a bag of goobers and a singing commercial from Nat. Today he owns a string of drive-ins.
Brown and other old-timers won’t see forget watching Norm Trasolini, who made up for what he might have lacked in talent, with an unrehearsed vaudeville performance. Nor will they soon forget Marcel Serventi, a real good pitcher, who was killed in the South Pacific during the last war. Or Coley Hall screaming at umpires. Or Johnny Nestman, the little pepper-pot at third base. Or Amby Moran, easily the best umpire to ever throw a player out of the park.
There were two fires at the park, both of them devastating but neither one of them wholly damaging. Brown lost his records in one of the blazes but his love for the park didn’t fade with the embers.
Old Capilano Stadium was the home of football games, soccer games, outdoor lacross finals and other events.
Early tomorrow morning they’ll start cutting up the turf and moving it into the infield at the new Capilano Stadium at 30th and Ontario. Some of the seats will be moved, too. And down in the cramped quarters of Brown’s office, some old pictures will come off the wall.
Mr. Brown will say good-bye tonight to old “Athletic Park.”
Like most good-byes he’ll find it awful hard to say.

SPORTS ROUNDUP
By HUGH S. FULLERTON, JR.
The Associated Press [June 7, 1951]

HE COULDN'T BE CHEW-SY
Billy Mills, a baseball comedian, was all set to do his show in Spokane, Wash., the other night when a last-minute checkup of the P. A. system revealed there was no microphone on the field. . .While attendants raced around looking for the missing mike, Billy dashed into the stands, bought $5 worth of babble gam and headed for a bleacher section filled with kids. . . By tossing gum and witticisms to the youngsters, Mills kept the show alive until the mike was found. . . As the climax to his act, Billy gave an impersonation of Babe Ruth and his celebrated “called shot” homer. . .He made the swing, trotted around the bases then, as a final touch,
readied into his pocket for a big red handkerchief to mop his forehead Mills' face dropped as he suddenly headed for the dugout and he sheepishly explained: “Gads! No hankie; only bubble gum.”