THUNDER BAY – Volunteers and ticket sales are the main focuses of organizers heading up the 2017 U18 Baseball World Cup.
Warren Philp, the tournament’s executive director, on Thursday said they’re still looking for about 200 more people to commit to help out during the 10-day event, scheduled to begin on Sept. 1 at Port Arthur Stadium and Baseball Central.
“For the 600 or so volunteers that have been associated with the Staal Foundation Open over the last four years, it’s a call-out to them and others in the community to go to www.thunderbay2017.com and get on board and register as volunteers,” said Philp, set to take World Baseball Softball Confederation officials on an inspection tour of local venues, 43 days before the tournament’s opening game between Japan and Mexico.
“We do still have needs, up to 200 people, I’d say, maybe more.”
Philp said they need foot soldiers to work during the tournament, acknowledging it’s not the most ideal time to seek out people to give up their time.
“It’s a busy time in our community, with school coming back into session and summer being over. But we need people on that Labour Day weekend through the following Sunday to be volunteering their time to help us run a world-class international event.”
Philp also stressed the importance of filling the stands at both venues, pointing out that a global television audience will be watching.
Crowds were slow to pick up steam in 2010, the last time the event was held in Thunder Bay, but overflow seating was brought in as Canada worked its way into the semifinal round, falling to Cuba in front of thousands.
There are plenty of options Philp said, including 2-for-1 matinees.
“For the first five days of the tournament, Friday through Tuesday, you’ll be able to buy a ticket for the morning game at Port Arthur Stadium, and the afternoon game for the price of one ticket, at $20 a ticket for a seat in the grandstands at Port Arthur Stadium,” Philp said.
“And those games on Saturday and Sunday afternoon will involve Canada.”
The host country will take on Nicaragua on Sept. 2 and Korea on Sept. 3, both games starting at 1 p.m.
Both weekend morning games include Chinese Taipei, who won the tournament in 2010.
Michael Schmidt, the executive director of the WBSC, said he expected most of the two-day Thunder Bay tour will go off without a hitch.
He said he’s expecting a routine field inspection at both sites, despite extensive renovations that took place at Port Arthur Stadium and Baseball Central, upgrades demanded by the governing body ahead of the U18 event.
“It’s just to double-check everything, to talk with the local organizing committee about what they have to provide, what special problems they might face, because we have the knowledge from other tournaments about what are the big issues,” Schmidt said.
“It’s just to figure out things right now so when the tournament starts we will not have any problems.”
