Two Northern League representatives peered through a fence and into Cairns Field Thursday morning.

This was no in-depth tour of Saskatoon's main ballpark -- the place was shut tight when they arrived -- but their quick peek was enough to hint at the challenges facing any professional baseball team wanting to move into the outdated facility.

Calgary Vipers' president/chief operating officer Peter Young and Edmonton Cracker-Cats' general manager Al Coates, both in town for an afternoon press conference, said the park isn't up to Northern League standards.

But both men think it could be gussied up, perhaps even gradually.

"I don't think it would be too much trouble to make a comfortable 3,500-seat stadium there," said Young, whose Vipers play an exhibition game against the Cracker-Cats May 10 in Saskatoon. "It's not Winnipeg and it's not Joliet and Kansas City with these beautiful multi-multi-multi-million-dollar parks. But the cost of running those multi-million dollar parks, and the lease payments on them . . . if you could put 2,000 or 3,500 people into (Cairns) on a regular basis, you'd make money."

The Northern League, one of the longest-running independent circuits out there, is eyeing Saskatoon as a potential expansion site. But they have no ownership prospects, the park needs a lot of work and local fans and businesses have been burnt repeatedly by badly run minor-pro franchises and leagues.

NL commissioner Clark Griffith checked the city and park out earlier in the week.

Young said his Vipers continue to face scepticism from people jaded by the departure of the Triple-A Calgary Cannons and a variety of failed pro sports ventures in that city, but he said the fact his team is about to enter a third season shows they're not a fly-by-night franchise.

"I know everybody in the Northern League would dearly love to have Saskatoon in," said the Cracker-Cats' Coates. "You'd need a collection of people with financial where-with-all and you'd need some help from government to help fix (Cairns Field). I don't think that's a real tall ticket. It doesn't all have to be done in one year.

"I understand you guys have been bitten by some fly-by-night operations and that's too bad. But our league isn't fly-by-night. You've got eight owners, all wealthy men, who operate a professional league."

The Edmonton and Calgary franchises have a vested interest in seeing Saskatoon join the league, as do the Winnipeg Goldeyes. All three teams -- the only Canadian squads in the eight-city circuit -- make repeated trips through this province en route to other destinations and a stopping-off point would cut travel costs.

The league will use the upcoming game as a means to judge Saskatoon's suitability, but Young downplayed that angle Thursday afternoon.

"To be brutally honest, it's very important to both our teams as an exhibition game," he said. "What it means to baseball in Saskatoon, or to the Northern League, is secondary. We're just here to do our part; we're here to show people what it's all about. We're not going to beat the bandwagon, other than to say the Northern League is good-quality baseball. If expansion happens, great. If not, we'd like to make it an annual stop in our exhibition season."

Approximately 4,000 tickets are on sale for the game. Todd Plaxton, who is chairing the game, said half those tickets are spoken for through minor baseball. Game proceeds go to Saskatoon's minor baseball park-improvement fund.

Tickets are available at Al Anderson Sports, Olympian Sports or by calling 975-0828 or 220-1202.

Ticket prices are $15 for adults and $7 for kids aged 13 and under.