Fighting for the finals

It’s an online showdown between Thunder Bay's Port Arthur Stadium and Okotok’s Seaman Stadium for a spot in the finals for Canada’s Favourite Baseball Park.

The 60-year-old baseball facility has moved into the semi-finals in a contest to determine Canada's most beloved amateur baseball stadium. The online voting started at noon Monday for the final four and is scheduled to run until Aug. 15.

Port Arthur Stadium has to beat Seaman Stadium in Okotoks, Alta. before it can advance to the finals. The other two stadiums competing for a spot in the finals are Stade Fernand-Bédard in Trois-Riviéres, Que. and Labatt Field in London, Ont.

Larry Hebert, president of the Thunder Bay International Baseball Association, said the city’s stadium has a long history compared to Okotoks, which is a new park. But he doesn’t believe age alone can guarantee Thunder Bay a spot in the finals.

Port Arthur Stadium’s success rested in the hands of the online voter.

“We got our hands full the next couple of weeks,” Hebert said. “It was pretty close in our round to the semi-finals. We had 36 per cent of the vote and the runner up at 34 per cent. We hope fans really get on the Internet and support us.”

Hebert said people get one vote per electronic device.

Warren Philp, executive director for the International Baseball Association, said not only would they have bragging rights, but the declaration of Canada’s favourtie ballpark could also lead to a boost in attendance for games played at the stadium.

 “It is going to be an interesting week,” Philp said. “I think it will be important for us to have that claim and have that notoriety of being Canada’s favourite ball park.

“We will obtain a banner from Baseball Canada that will recognize Port Arthur Stadium as Canada’s favourite ballpark and we will have the bragging rights for a period of time. We will be able to use that to boost baseball tourism in this community.”

People can vote online at www.baseball.ca.