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Copyright © 2022

Athletic Park

Slide Athletic Park
home of the mavericks fan_wifi igniter_tickets
INAUGURAL SEASON1978RENOVATIONS2010, 2022CAPACITY2200 person
DIMENSIONSLF/RF: 350ft Gaps: 365ft Center: 380ft SURFACENatural grassPHONE NUMBER(403) 580-5811
ADDRESS1 Birch Ave SE Medicine Hat, AB T1A 0E6

Athletic Park has been the home of baseball in Medicine Hat for more than 40 years. The Pioneer League A’s played there in 1977, then were replaced by the Blue Jays in 1978. The Blue Jays rookie affiliate stayed in Medicine Hat until 2002, when they moved to Pulaski, Virginia.

When the Blue Jays moved out, the Mavericks moved in. Playing in the Western Major Baseball League, a collegiate summer league that operates out of Saskatchewan and Alberta, the Mavericks have won three league championships and two division championships in their 17 seasons.

The diamond itself is located just to the east of the downtown core, right on the banks of the South Saskatchewan River. Major river floods in 1995 and 2013 did significant damage to the park, resulting in a number of repairs and upgrades as well as the construction of a massive berm beyond the outfield wall to keep river waters in the river valley and out of the city proper.

In 2022, the ball diamond saw $3M in upgrades, thanks to funding provided by the Government of Canada’s ‘Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program’ (ICIP). Modernizing our athletic facilities has improved the spectator experience for both residents and visitors alike. The improvements also demonstrate the desire of the community to see this anchor facility entertain our city long into the future and become the eastern landmark of the Waterfront District.

fan_wifi

Athletic Park Key Moments

  • In 1992 when the home club, the Toronto Blue Jays, made it to the World Series there were six former medicine Hat Blue Jay players on the roster. These players were Jimmy Key (left), David Wells (right), Pat Borders, Mike Timlin, Randy Knorr and Mark Eichorn. Indeed over the years, up to then, seventeen players from the Medicine Hat team went on to the major leagues after playing in Medicine Hat. The General Manager of the Medicine Hat team, Kevin Friesen, noted that “Toronto’s philosophy has always been to draft the young kids, the high school kids, put them here. They’re going to make mistakes like they always do at this level. Then four, five years down the road, kids that were here are now in the major leagues.” Medicine Hat News, October 7, 1992.
  • In June 1994, the two time World Champion Blue Jays came to Medicine Hat to play the National Baseball Institute Blues. This event caused the Medicine Hat News of May 14, 1994 to predict that this would be “one of the biggest sporting events in Medicine Hat’s history.” The Medicine Hat Blue Jay’s home field was prepared for the game by adding about 6000 bleacher seats, enclosing the park with a perimeter fence and putting up a new backstop. Much to the delight of nearly 10,000` fans, the National Baseball Institute Blues team of young amateurs, based in Surrey, B.C. defeated the World Champions 4-3.
  • Toronto Blue Jays vs NBI: 1994
  • Pioneer League Championship Games: 1982, 1995
  • Baseball Canada Cup Championships: 2005, 2006, 2008
  • Alberta/ Montana American Legion State Tournaments: 1996, 2006
  • Canadian Oldtimer Championships: 2006,2018
  • Severe flooding causes major damage: 1995, 2013
athletic park flooding
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