Ten days of warm, dry weather and a never-ending supply of hot dogs and Cracker Jack.
If the weather gods co-operate and bring blue skies to Citizen Field during the World Baseball Challenge, Aug. 13-22, the sponsors will be happy, the organizers can relax, and sports fans can kick back and watch some of the best baseball the city has ever witnessed.
Weather concerns aside, all the pieces are starting to fall into place for the six-team tournament, which features national teams from Canada, Cuba, Japan, Chinese Taipei, the Bahamas and, back after a four-year absence, Team U.S.A.
The sponsors have jumped on board the WBC to support the tournament in its third trip around Prince George basepaths, and WBC chair Jim Swanson says that's a credit to the 35-member volunteer committee that brought the event to the city on two previous occasions.
"We continue to work with so many sponsors who have been a great part of this," said Swanson. "There are always going to be other events going on in the community that are looking for sponsorship money as well, and we like to think we've proven ourselves as the highest-level sporting event in Prince George history. It's world-class baseball and the crowd numbers have been huge."
While hot sunny weather blessed first WBC the city hosted in 2009, the 2011 version was plagued with rain-outs. Opening night in 2011 was a washout and the Canada versus Chinese-Taipei game was postponed because of rain and later cancelled because it had no bearing on team standings. Despite the weather woes, attendance in 2011 increased 24 per cent over the 2009 crowd count, from 18,000 to 24,000. The Cuba-Canada game two years ago drew a crowd of about 4,000.
Swanson admitted after turning a tidy profit in 2009, the tournament was left owing more than it made in 2011 but was not prepared to release how much debt was left behind.
"Without the work that [WBC marketing director] Shawn Rice and the marketing team do, there is no event," said Swanson. "We need about $400,000 in cash to make this event work, but the in-kind donations takes that closer to $700,000. We've done a good job of sharpening our pencils, working with a variety of businesses and service and product providers to give them value for being part of the event."
On Monday, the WBC committee received a $10,000 grant from the City of Prince George to pay for installation of temporary bleachers, which will bump the seating capacity of Citizen Field to 4,000. The actual cost of the seating upgrade was $80,000 in 2009 and $50,000 in 2011.
"We appreciate council's involvement, they put a lot of work into refurbishing Rotary Field in 2011," said Swanson. "As much as it was World Baseball-aided, it was more for the needs required of that facility from youth groups, who use it far more than World Baseball needs it for 10 days."
