Burns Stadium Calgary, AB
Stadium Minor League History: Pacific Coast League 1985-present
Current Status: Home
of the Calgary Cannons of the Pacific Coast League (Triple-A)
What's Good: Burns
Stadium is a servicable facility, though increasingly out of date for a
triple-A facility (in fact, the franchise is moving to Albuquerque for
the 2003 season). But it's also a very pleasant place to watch a
game. The grandstand itself is symmetrical and fairly large, and
divided about equally between individual seats and benches. A cantilevered
roof projects somewhat over the grandstand behind home and on the first
base side, though not on the third base side. The main concourse,
housing the typical array of concession stands, restrooms, and a small
but tidy souvenir store runs under the stands, but is wide and spacious
(though somewhat dark). The field is in nice shape, and beyond the
outfield fence fans can see McMahon Stadium (home
of Calgary's CFL team). One interesting feature of the ballpark
is that the sun sets behind the first base bleachers, so that fans on the
opposite side have to squint to see the game. This orientation also
results in the light towers casting long shadows directly over home plate
(see the photo above). Furthermore, due to the stadium's good size
but relatively small crowds, I was able to get a seat right behind the
home dugout only a few minutes before the game. Lastly, Calgary is
a lovely city with a pleasant summer climate, and has plenty of things
to do before or after a game.
What's Not So Good: There's
nothing terribly bad about the stadium in of itself. But the recent
crop of new stadium construction has certainly left it behind -- it doesn't
really seem like a triple-A facility. The food and beer selection
was somewhat limited, and the fans weren't especially loud, but I still
enjoyed my visit very much.
This Photo: June 28, 2001 Calgary Cannons vs. Iowa Cubs
