On any given night at Nat Bailey Stadium, the 麻豆传媒映画Canadians relief pitchers will be watching the action from the bullpen, now in a new location deep in left field. The Hey Y鈥檃ll Porch and the expanded bleachers look over the C鈥檚 relievers as they chew and spit, warm up their arms, and yack with fans during nine innings of baseball.
It鈥檚 the yacking that players say they really like. And the added attention if they get called in.
鈥淔ans are right there watching us,鈥� said Sean Ratcliffe, a six-foot-four left-handed batter who throws right. 鈥淭he adrenaline gets going from warming up in the bullpen, not just when you step up on the mound. It starts in the bullpen and it helps having fans right over your shoulder, watching every little thing.鈥�
Half a dozen kids walk away with baseballs. Sometimes a pitcher leaves with the phone number of an eligible bachelorette. Earlier this season, a T-ball player with South Van Little League named Jack Baxter-Bellas gave his player鈥檚 card to his new friend, C鈥檚 closer Andrew Case.
鈥淗e signed it and everything,鈥� said Case. 鈥淓very game he comes by and I talk to him for a while. He鈥檚 my man.鈥�
Club president Andy Dunn planned the ball park expansion to include roughly 900 more seats, better accommodation for disabled spectators, seating for small and large groups, eight rocking chairs and more concession stands. A consequence is the improved bullpen, which wasn鈥檛 much to write home about before this season.
Nestled right in front of fans, it鈥檚 integrated into the stands like the bullpen at Seattle鈥檚 Safeco Field and other MLB parks, where spectators are just feet away from Big Leaguers. In Vancouver, they鈥檙e close enough to interact 鈥� and players do.
Case pitched in 麻豆传媒映画last summer and can compare the difference. Gone are noises from kids in the bouncy castle. Drawing his ear are more engaging interactions.
鈥淭he fans are older out here, they can talk to you about life,鈥� said the closer who leads the Northwest League in saves and delights in seeing hand-written signs that read 鈥淐ase Closed鈥� in the stands. 鈥淪ome fans would ask, 鈥榃here ya from? How ya liking Vancouver?鈥� You know, just ask about life, have real conversations, it鈥檚 not just all about baseball.鈥�
Talking about things other than the game is a welcome change, he said. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e here every day from one o鈥檆lock to 11 o鈥檆lock at night. You鈥檙e here every day throwing the ball, that little ball controls your life, so anything that can kinda get our minds off it, just be comfortable with it, it鈥檚 always good.鈥�
Sheena Taff was at a game with her husband earlier this month and talking with the players added to her experience. With a small group of friends, they spent the most of nine innings on the porch, hanging over the railings talking with Case, Ratcliffe and other pitchers. The young men were challenging each other鈥檚 trivia knowledge, answering questions and 鈥渇un facts鈥� displayed on the big screen in centre field.
鈥淭hey were having fun,鈥� said Taff. 鈥淢y husband could name all the players to the quiz questions.鈥�
That night, at least seven children asked for baseballs. The bullpen handed them out.
A young woman with curly hair also asked for a ball and then handed it back with her phone number written on the white leather. The relievers aren鈥檛 shy about sharing their own numbers 鈥� not that of the clubhouse or their host families, but their cell numbers. Both Case and Ratcliffe have been on dates that started this way.
鈥淚 haven鈥檛 been on a couple since the beginning of the season,鈥� said Ratcliffe, 20, who grew up in Ontario and has allowed an average 4.80 runs in 30 innings with the C鈥檚 this season.
鈥淚t is a thing. It鈥檚 well-known if a girl hits on you or asks for your number, you have to do it,鈥� said Case, allowing 2.87 runs so far this year and a 1.2 walks or hits in 47 innings.
This is one of the few things that can distract him. 鈥淲hen there鈥檚 great looking girls, 100 per cent. But other than that, it鈥檚 good. Fans come first in my mind.鈥�
Peppered in the conversation is also criticism, often yelled and anonymous. Opposing outfielders put up with it, too.
鈥淭hat came during our nine-game losing streak,鈥� said Ratcliffe.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 when the entertaining comes out,鈥� said Case, a relaxed and outgoing 22-year-old from Saint John, New Brunswick. 鈥淚f we don鈥檛 perform, they鈥檒l let us hear it. At the end of the day, we鈥檙e still the 麻豆传媒映画Canadians and they鈥檙e going to cheer for us.
鈥淭hey come out and they pay good money to watch us play,鈥� he said. 鈥淵ou always want to perform better for them to come back and watch you, make a friendship and hang with all summer. They鈥檙e trying to help you be better by cheering you on, so we always want to be at the top of our game.鈥�
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