Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2016

U-18 Baseball World Cup tickets a hot commodity
Event organizers launch tickets sales just in time for holiday rush.  
By Leith Dunick
Thunder Bay News Watch

THUNDER BAY -- By the time Canada’s semi-final game began at the 2010 World Junior Championship, tournament organizers were forced to add additional seating to Port Arthur Stadium.

Tickets were a hot commodity six years ago and with Japan likely joining 11 other teams in Thunder Bay next September at the recently rebranded 2017 U-18 Baseball World Cup, it’s likely they’ll sell even faster when the event lands in the city for the second time.

Tournament director Warren Philp on Wednesday announced launch of ticket-package sales, through the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium box office, just in time for the last-minute Christmas shopping rush.

“People remember the lines waiting at our ticket trailer,” Philp said. “We did not have an automated ticket-selling system in 2010, just by the nature of where we were at the time.

“Now we’re set up and ready to go and there’s no need to wait in lines, if you lock in right now, for one of about 1,000 seats we’ll be selling (right now).”

The packages, which start at $199, include all 50 tournament games, at both Port Arthur Stadium and Baseball Central. Vouchers for the stadium games will be provided to purchasers, who can then select their reserved grandstand seats starting in April.

They include seats to both the bronze-medal game, which Canada dropped to Cuba in 2010, and the gold-medal game, which six years ago pitted Australia against the eventual winner, Chinese Taipei.

“Get it before Christmas. Get it as a stocking stuffer. You’ll come away, in April, with 50 tickets to 50 games,” Philp said.

The talent should be unbelievable, he added.

Nine players from the 2010 event have gone on to play major league baseball, including all-star shortstop Francisco Lindor of the Cleveland Indians, outfielder Jorge Soler, who won a World Series with Chicago last month before being dealt to Kansas City, and Dalton Pompey, an outfielder with the Toronto Blue Jays organization.

Past participants include the likes of Texas starting pitcher Yu Darvish and Blue Jays catcher Russell Martin.

Ab Cava, who in 1951 was the mascot and bat boy in the first game ever played at Port Arthur Stadium, was first in line to purchase his tickets. His son, Rory Cava, played for the 1977-80 Ottawa ‘67s before embarking on a six-year pro career with the Dallas Black Hawks, Fort Wayne Komets, Adirondack Red Wings, Carolina Thunderbirds and the Indianapolis Checkers  

Ab Cava was involved with the 2010 tournament and can’t wait for Sept. 1, 2017 to arrive. Rory and Philp were teammates on the Port Arthur Nats Major Little League team in 1972 with Ab Cava as coach.

“It was really good baseball,” said Cava, who acted as an ambassador for the Italian team six years ago.

“It was so much fun. I enjoyed the team and I really enjoyed the baseball. I think it was a success then and that’s why it’s back year. I know it will be a success again.”

Tickets are also available at www.thunderbay2017.com.