Ryan Beil: Let us pay homage to our first half champs, the Vancouver Canadians

Champions! Hurrah! Anything is possible! Our cherished, prized and much-esteemed local baseball club has clinched the 2023 first-half title of the Northwest League and stamped their passport to the playoffs for the second straight year. We did it! 

Well, more specifically I suppose, they did it. The players. It’s fun to use the royal “we” when describing a win by your favourite sports team. And it’s something I support and do on the regular. But, at the end of the day, all credit goes to the players, coaches and staff of the Vancouver Canadians for an exceptional first half of baseball. Which sounds so magnanimous of me.

And they did it in style too. The C’s clinched the first half in front of a sold out crowd at The Nat on a sunny Sunday afternoon, with a convincing win over the Hillsboro Flops. 

So what does this all mean? It means the C’s can rest easy knowing that they will once again appear in the championship series for the Northwest League Crown against whichever team is foolhardy enough to win the second half of the season. 

Of course, resting easy is the last thing these C’s plan on doing. They immediately followed up their first half clinch with a thumping of Eugene 11-4 and have won eight of their last 10 games. It’s a good season to be a baseball fan in Vancouver.

The last time the Canadians won the league title was in 2017, which is starting the descent to 10 years ago. And who knows? Maybe we’ll get a rematch with the dreaded and evil Eugene Emeralds, last year’s champs, who currently sit in second place. 

But champions can’t be choosers. Or can they? Regardless of your answer to that philosophical question, it’s just exciting to know that we’ll get a bit more precious baseball after the regular season comes to a close in September.  

And I think we should celebrate. I know there’s lots of baseball left to play until the championship series and who knows what the results will be. But I am a firm believer that when life affords you reason to be happy, you should take it before life changes its mind. 

So here are a couple of ways I feel we could (and possibly should) mark the occasion and honour the team.

1. Key(s) to the City

I have always loved this cliched celebratory honour. It’s burned into my brain thanks to countless cartoons and sitcoms. Apparently, it’s a medieval tradition that dates back to when most cities were walled and gated. Whatever the case, let’s do it. Let’s get a mayoral proclamation, assemble the team on the steps of city hall and give them all a key to the city. What do those keys unlock? Nothing. Other than our hearts. And the mayor must wear a sash that says “Mayor” and a top hat during the ceremony or it doesn’t count.

2. Championship Walk

We must save an actual parade for the big prize. But winning the first half is still a worthy accomplishment. So, I suggest a small “team walk” where people can clap and throw small to moderate amounts of confetti. Nothing too big. Maybe just back and forth a few times on Ontario Street between 29th and 33rd avenues. A precursor to the real parade - plus any cardio is good cardio, I hear. 

What do you think, dear reader? How would you like to see the city celebrate our heroic C’s? Or am I in danger of peaking too early and jinxing our chances in the playoffs?

Come let me know. As always, forever and ever, you can find me at The Nat!