By Andrew Hendriks
Canadian Baseball Network
Brooks Robinson, Reggie Jackson, Ozzie Smith, Tony Gwynn and Ken Griffey Jr.

These are just a few of the household names who kickstarted their professional careers with stops at the corner of Ontario and East 29th Ave in the heart of Vancouver’s Riley Park neighborhood.

Designed by local architect William Aitken, Capilano Stadium first opened it’s doors in the summer of 1951 and has been a staple on the Canadian sports landscape ever since. 

Although the old yard has undergone many structured sets of renovations, a few coats of paint and one name change since its inaugural year in 1951, the park itself looks virtually identical to the way it did back in baseball’s golden age.

The preservation efforts put forth on this historic gem of a stadium have been headlined by many individuals over the Cap’s 65 years in operation and now it is the turn of John Stewart. 

After cutting his teeth as a clubbie with the Greensville Astros of the class-A Appalachian League, Stewart joined the Vancouver Canadians as the visiting clubhouse attendant ahead of the 2016 campaign and was later promoted to coordinator of stadium and clubhouse operations come season’s end.

This winter, Stewart has been tasked with the responsibility of finding an individual who will tend to arguably the most important element of Vancouver’s beloved ballpark; the field itself. 

Now accepting resume’s for a vacant head groundskeeper position with the Canadians, Stewart is in search of an individual who shares in his astute attention to detail, quality workmanship and overall passion for the game. 

In order to considered for this position, applicants must have experience in the field and be either a Canadian citizen or be legally able to work in the country.

Since becoming an affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays in 2011, a handful of players including Marcus Stroman, Roberto Osuna, Kevin Pillar and the 2016 American League ERA champ Aaron Sanchez have called Nat Bailey home as they began to make their way up the professional baseball ladder. 

Perhaps you can follow in their footsteps with a job at the Nat this summer.

Those interested in learning more about the position are asked to contact Stewart by email (jstewart@canadiansbaseball.com).

- Follow Andrew Hendriks on Twitter (@77hendriks)