For baseball fans in Vancouver, tomorrow is Christmas Eve, and the baseball game at Nat Bailey, Christmas morning.  It should be a great day of baseball, and it has some phenomenal players, involved.  I’ll get to that in a second.  Here’s your basic information for tomorrow’s game.

Who: The Vancouver Canadians versus the Tri-City Dust Devils.

Where: Nat Bailey Stadium; 4601 Ontario Street (at 30th Avenue), Vancouver, BC

When: Tomorrow night, Tuesday, the 17th of June.  Gates open at 5:30, first pitch 7:05.

Why: Best. Baseball Team. Ever. You also may witness history, if the C’s win, because Manager Rick Magnante will be tied for the most wins by a Manager in short-season franchise history. 

It honestly should be a blast, and is expected to sell-out.  There will be a lot of unexpected surprises.

The Canadians released their roster today (thanks for sending it my way Leithan), and it includes many familiar faces, as well as some new ones.

On the hill, there are three southpaws, all three of which are returning from last year’s team.  They are Pedro Figueroa (#32 in your program books), Fabian Gomez (#5) and Carlos Hernandez (#11).  Both Gomez and Figueroa spent all of last year in Vancouver, while Hernandez split time between the C’s and Arizona.

Other returning pitchers are Edgar Tejeda and Inoel Deaza (back for his 3rd year).  Also returning is a 2006 pitcher who missed all of last season, Chad Lee.  He will wear number 20, as he did two years ago.  Some new Dominican pitchers are Hector Garcia, Ronny Morla and Juan Villegas, all three of whom pitched in Arizona last season.  Morla, I should add, has been named the Opening Day starter.  Two pitchers are coming out of College, and they are Ryne Tacker (who saw action in Kane County last month) and Shawn Haviland, fresh out of Harvard University.

Behind the dish, it’ll be the combo of Julio Rivera and Juan Nunez, with Petey Paramore expected to arrive over the next few days. 

In the infield, Dan Wentzell, Francisco Tirado and Marcos Luis are all newcomers, while Walter Correa and Carlos Arrieche return.  Expect Jason Christian to arrive in the next few days, following a break from his Michigan baseball season.

Out in the OF, there are five players, and two have Nat Bailey experience.  Those two are JD Pruitt (the HBP king) and Lorenzo Macias, who was injured in the final game of the ‘06 season, and didn’t play last year due to an injury.  Straight out of college are Jeremy Barfield (#35) and Mitch LeVier (#4).  Coming from the rookie league is Jareck West. 

More draft picks are expected to come to the Nat in the coming days, but until then this looks like a pretty decent lineup.

The Dust Devils don’t have a roster out as of Monday night.

Opening Night isn’t just the only great night of the opening 5-game homestand, because Tim Raines is here the following night, as well as the opening of the Bud Kerr Nat Bailey museum.  The next night is a seat-cushion giveaway, followed by a weekday nooner.  To top the homestand off, a Saturday night fireworks show.  How can you not go to all five of these? :)