PRESS RELEASE – Ottawa Stadium and the Ottawa Champions Baseball Club will host the 2017 Can-Am League and American Association of Professional Baseball League All-Star game. Following a vote by Owner’s in both Leagues, Ottawa was awarded the 2017 All-Star game to align with the Canada’s 150th Birthday celebrations taking place in the Nation’s Capital.
“We are very excited to add our own Ottawa Champions hosting the 2017 All-Star game to the list of events in our City in 2017,” said Mayor Jim Watson. “We appreciate the commitment that the Can-Am and American Association Leagues have made to the Ottawa Champions to host the Game and related festivities which will boost our tourism sector and local economy.”
The 2017 All-Star game will take place as the Nation’s Capital celebrates Canada’s 150th Birthday. The Club will coordinate activities and events in conjunction with the City of Ottawa’s 2017 Task Force for Canada’s 150th Anniversary. In addition, Ottawa Champions President David Gourlay also announced that a Special Organizing Committee for the All-Star festivities will be unveiled in January comprised of community leaders from across the National Capital Region.
“We are delighted to host the All-Stars from both the American Association and Can-Am Leagues in 2017 so the Ottawa Champions can celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday” said Gourlay. “We look forward to opening our doors for the community to enjoy exciting baseball activities and family fun events to recognize the contribution baseball has made in Canada and the National Capital Region”.
Over 500 athletes, coaching staff, team executives, and families will participate in an All-Star skills competition, the All-Star game and a series of special locally focused activities on dates to be selected by the Special Organizing Committee in consultation with the City of Ottawa’s 2017 Task Force, Ottawa Toursim and the Ottawa Champions Baseball Club.
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The one issue i think this team may have it the Rapidz did not is the other sports in 2015 we have Cfl/Nasl/Can-Am/Audl.
I guess they think the Ottawa franchise will last more than just one season this time!
If you look at the past teams outside of the Lynx attendance was not a issue.
The Ottawa Champions franchise is legit. From ownership on down to the team trainer I know this franchise will be operated in a proper way. The biggest thing for me is people need to temper their expectations with the attendance. To expect the Champions franchise to match or even come close to the attendance numbers that the Ottawa Lynx (AAA) drew is insane. In my mind if the Champions franchise can have a total team attendance number of 100,000 at season end I would consider 2015 a success. Creating a Canadian rivalry with Quebec & Trois-Rivieres will only strengthen the Champions franchise further into the future.
Actually, it’s not “insane” at all. In 2008, the Can-Am League drew better than the last couple years of the Lynx.
2008, Rapidz: avg. 2,197
2007, Lynx: avg. 1,923
2006, Lynx: avg. 1,915
Granted, it’s not apples-to-apples – the Can-Am doesn’t have to deal with the cold weather in April and early May, and the Lynx had much better crowds in their early years.
But 2,000 per game is extremely doable (~54 home games = 108,000 for the season) – and it would eclipse what the Lynx drew by the end of their tenure.
Not sure but my guess is a Central or South Division team will host in 2015 and St Paul in their spiffy new ballpark will host in 2016. Again this is just a guess on my behalf.
Who has it this year?