(Photo Credit – Vancouver Canadians)
The man largely credited with reviving professional baseball in Vancouver has decided to call it a day.
The Vancouver Canadians announced on Friday that Andy Dunn is leaving the club after 16 years. The Dalton, Georgia native had this to say about his tenure in the C’s media advisory.
“It’s been an honor and privilege to call Vancouver home for the past decade and a half. Between my arrival in 2007 and the Northwest League championship to end 2023, we achieved things many people didn’t think were possible in this city and this ballpark. To have been a part of the franchise’s storied history – and to have been entrusted with its stewardship all these years – has been one of my career’s biggest highlights. The organization is in great hands with Allan Bailey and the terrific C’s staff at The Nat, with the continued support of Diamond Baseball Holdings. I will always be a Vancouver Canadian at heart and am excited to root for the club as a friend and a fan.”
There is no word yet who will fill the role but general manager Allan Bailey, assistant general manager Stephani Ellis and vice-president of sales and marketing Walter Cosman will look after things for the time being.
Dunn played college ball for the Western Carolina Catamounts as a middle infielder from 1988 to 1991 and graduated with a degree in Sports Management in 1992. After spending three years with the Triple-A Oklahoma City 89ers, Dunn went on to work for the Florida Marlins and the Montreal Expos organizations before making the move to Washington in 2005. BIV.com (Business in Vancouver) says he was there to help the Nationals set up shop at RFK Stadium. Dunn remained with the Nats until 2007 when he was brought aboard by Jake Kerr and Jeff Mooney as the president of the Vancouver Canadians. Dunn’s impressive credentials included winning The Sporting News Minor League Executive of the Year honours and was twice named the top executive of the Florida State League.
According to the previously linked story from BIV.com, Dunn saw his first C’s game in 1999 which turned out to be the last game they ever played at the Triple-A level. The Canadians—affiliated with the Oakland A’s—knocked off the Charlotte Knights—a Chicago White Sox affiliate—in the Triple-A World Series at Las Vegas three games to two. Dunn would help the franchise return to similar heights by overseeing five Northwest League championship titles and seven trips to the league final when the C’s became an affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays in 2011.
The Canadians also won the John H. Johnson Award in 2013 as Minor League Baseball’s top franchise and the Continued Excellence Award for customer service in 2017 by Ballpark Digest.
Along with overseeing the expansion of seating at Nat Bailey Stadium and the doubling of yearly attendance figures from the low 100,000s to well over 200,000, that’s a lot to fit onto the back of a baseball card.
On a personal note, I want to thank Andy for not only being the driving force that kept the world’s great sport thriving in YVR but also for all of his support, especially this past season when I had to step away from my press box duties to attend my Mom’s funeral in Ireland. Andy was the first among many to welcome me back when I returned to the ballpark in mid-June. Thank you, Andy! You will be missed. It will be strange not seeing you in your corner office at Nat Bailey Stadium.
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