TODAY: In response to the Globe & Mail’s story, Rogers Communications spokesperson Andrew Garas released a statement to media: “Prior to the pandemic, we were exploring options for the stadium but through this year our primary focus has been keeping our customers connected and keeping our employees safe, so there is no update on the Rogers Centre to share at this time.”
Andrew Tumilty, a spokesperson for Waterfront Toronto, also told The Canadian Press that Willis’ piece “was the first Waterfront Toronto has heard of the Quayside site as a potential new home for the Blue Jays,” in reference to the team’s apparent Plan B if building a new ballpark on the current Rogers Centre site isn’t feasible.
NOVEMBER 27: Rogers Centre has been the Blue Jays’ home stadium since 1989, but that might not be the case for much longer. Blue Jays ownership is hoping to knock down Rogers Centre and put up a new multibillion-dollar facility in its place, Andrew Willis of the Globe and Mail reports.
As you’d expect with such a grand plan, there are potential roadblocks in the way. For one, Rogers Communications Inc. – which owns the Blue Jays – does not own the land on which the ballpark sits. That belongs to Canada Lands Company. Secondly, the Blue Jays would need the Canadian federal government to sign off in order to move forward with this project, which Willis writes could take five to eight years to complete if approved. Jays ownership, government officials and the real estate arm of Brookfield Asset Management Inc. plan to go public with the project in 2021, though, according to Willis. Those two companies would fund the stadium, whereas Rogers Centre was built largely on taxpayer money.
A replacement stadium for the Blue Jays would occupy some of the same land as the Rogers Centre. The rest would be dedicated to “residential towers, office buildings, stores and public space” as part of a redevelopment plan for Toronto, per Willis. If that plan collapses, though, the Blue Jays could seek a new lakefront stadium instead. Any new facility would feature natural grass, not the artificial turf the Blue Jays play on now, though it’s unclear whether it would include a retractable roof – the most recognizable aspect of Rogers Centre.
In the event the proposal to build a new stadium on the Rogers Centre site succeeds, it’s unclear where the Blue Jays would play their home games in the interim. Nearby Buffalo, N.Y., hosted the Blue Jays in 2020 because of travel restrictions stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, but there is no word on whether that will continue if the club has to wait for a new ballpark.
Good for them. Never been to skydome but it’s hideous on television.
I’ve been oh-so-close. I was in CN Tower looking down on Skydome when the players were warming up. While I was in Toronto, I stayed at the Renaissance which overlooks the field. I did not have one of those rooms, but had my young daughters peek at an O’s-Jays game from the hotel restaurant entrance.
I guess new ball parks will becoming to Oakland, Tampa Bay, Arizona, and Toronto by the end of the 20’s.
And then Jerry Reinsdorf will start crying for a new taxpayer funded stadium to start the 30s.
100 years to the day Jerry bought the team
You mean when I have to move to Charlotte with my baseball team?
It’s kinda cool inside of it looking at the roof and what not but it’s so bad
I went 2 years ago and was pleasantly surprised of how it looked. It was clean and well kept imo.
I enjoyed it when there in 2012. Definitely understood the criticisms and complaints, but have never had a problem visually with it. That may be due to favourite team bias, but hey, whatever.
It’s actually A decent stadium inside. Good food and the location is central in the city. But yes- it’s old, the outfield is weird, there’s like 20 hotel rooms who have windows to the outfield (very odd). Hope they can get approved. Anytime you need to deal w federal govt in any country.. roadblocks ahead.
Seeing SkyDome on television is what made me a Blue Jays fan, back in 1990. The most futuristic park in baseball. Still the only retractable dome — not a shoebox with a lid. Perfect symmetry. There’s nothing like having a hotel in the stadium, nothing like looking up to the CN tower. If I weren’t thousands of miles away (California) and poor, I’d love to go.
That said, hopefully they’ll design something even better.
Chase field has a fully retractable dome. It was built that way..
Chase Field is a shoe box. It does not have a dome, it has a retractable lid. The definition of a dome requires that it be curved: “a rounded vault forming the roof of a building or structure, typically with a circular base.” Only SkyDome has a retractable dome.
Admittedly that’s because retractable domes turned out to be a terrible roof design when it comes to practical considerations, and the shoe boxes can be opened much more fully with less complication. But I think domes are pretty.
Mr technicality
Not nearly as hideous on tv as the new Texas Rangers ballpark.
Astro turf is a horrible thing, speaking of which all of the ball parks built in the past 20 to 30 years yave been pretty odd. Minute Maid, Nationals park, PNC, Petco park, what ever they are calling the staduim in San Fran nowadays, Chase Field, then there’s Sun Trust Park, the Twins ball park, New Yankee Stadium, and last but definitely the least Globe Life Park… What were they thinking when they decided that was a good idea??? Well if they do get past the roadblocks to get a new stadium hopefully its like the odd ones they’ve built recently and not these new replacement stadiums that looked the same as the old one, or pretty much like a standard ball park.
What about T-Mobile Park, formerly Safeco Field, in Seattle?
I’ve hated it since the first step across its threshold. There’s no atmosphere or personality at all…it’s a cavernous dog and it needs to go
Some parks last 100 years and some last 30.
Or if you’re the Braves, about 15.
Haha and the Rangers too!
They did that so they would get out of the Hood.
So because they are racist?
The city wasn’t keeping up with maintenance and improvements like they were supposed to ($17M worth), and the area around the ballpark was supposed to be developed. Instead, it was allowed to decay even further. There was also supposed to be a Marta stop at the ballpark which never happened. Fans had to ride a shuttle from downtown and then walk the gauntlet of homeless and street vendors to get to the park. When the Falcons got a new stadium downtown, the Braves had had enough.
Well that… and maybe a little racist too? The Atlanta Hawks were busted on a conference call for talking about wanting less black fans in the stands. Their GM or president got fired over it, or something like that. The Braves definitely moved to a “whiter” part of town…. and coincidentally still don’t have Marta access. They just traded the street vendors for shops and bars they could profit more off of. It’s still a crap walk to the park from affordable parking.
Elmedius, another case of correlation being claimed to equal causation huh?
The battery itself was all new construction and is actually an outlier demographically from the rest of that corner of Cobb county the stadium sits in. In fact, if you drive around the neighborhoods away from the stadium you’re going to see very few “white” residents.
When the braves moved, they looked at who was buying their tickets, and what zip codes those people were coming from. You know what they saw? It came predominantly from the northern arc around altanta, thus making a i285 northern location somewhat ideal.
I285 is no prize traffic wise, however, anyone coming from up north on game day either fought surface street nightmare or the downtown connector as it was.
At the Ted the braves had some of the cheapest MLB ticket options available. I’m talking under $5 to sit in the upper decks almost every game. People near the stadium didn’t support it as was their choice.
After decades of lies and neglect by Fulton county, when the time came to look elsewhere they did, and went close to their core fan base – racism had nothing to do with it.
Hard to believe or recall that Skydome was the envy of the league at one time—ultra modern // state of the art. Then Camden Yards came along.
If Covid restrictions are lifted my guess they keep the team in Canada and play in Montreal. Something of that magnitude in that climate I would guess would take two seasons to complete.
What exactly do you mean by “that climate” lmfao
Well…in summertime all those ice blocks they’re using to build the new stadium will melt.
Ahahahah
So I just fell down one of those Google rabbit holes.
I’m a builder (not of stadiums, sadly enough) in Minneapolis. We definitely experience a huge slowdown in winter. Jobs are so problematic that my partner and I hardly build at all Nov-March. & October & April are typically slow times, as well.
Back to the rabbit hole.
From what I can tell, Toronto is a little bit milder than Minneapolis, actually. (Who knew?) Still, the weather would have to be a factor. Sure. One can always just “bring more guys on”. But more hands does not always equal more production.
What do you mean “who knew?” Everyone knew. Toronto is a lot farther south than Minneapolis.
I suppose 1°33′ *could* be considered “a lot further south”? Seemed pretty close to me. Which is why I went ahead and looked it up.
But – hey – you sure told me or whatever, huh?
🙂
CDaddy didn’t factor in the lake effect.
Why would they move… Toronto is the most populated city and has very supportive fans that makes zero sense
they want to tear down the current stadium and rebuild it. thats not a 1 offseason project, Hes referring to an interim home
It says it would only partially on the same land, and the Cardinals pulled it off in one offseason (even after making the playoffs) when they built Busch Stadium III on half of the land that Busch II occupied. You just build half of it in advance, get the other half in playable shape over the offseason, and then finish it up during early season road trips.
I like how easy you make it sound. For real.
That does seem to be a viable template.
Seriously though, the difference in weather from St Louis to Toronto would definitely be a factor.
He means temporarily play in Montreal for a season or two during construction. As opposed to playing in Buffalo. Does Montreal have a suitable stadium at this point?
Montreal and suitable stadium do not belong in the same sentence.
They’d have to play in Olympic Stadium like they do at the end of spring training. Good luck signing free agents who are willing to play on that infamous surface, though.
The sensible thing would be to build the new stadium in the parking lot of the old one if there’s room for that. The article seems to be saying there isn’t.
Been to SkyDome/Rogers Centre a couple of times, if I recall, there isn’t any room in that downtown area for anything, let alone a new ballpark next to the existing one. I’m not an architect, engineer or city planner, but this seems like quite the undertaking if the Jays don’t find a temporary new home for year or two.
You know construction is fine with the Covid right? And construction still happens in winter months Toronto gets cold but not that bad
5-8 years? The game will have killed itself off by then.
Three innings will be considered too long for millennials, so instead of wasting time with putting a runner on second base in “extra innings”, they’ll either flip a coin, let the fans vote on which team should win, or see which player can get the most views on TikTok.
So yes, get off my lawn.
The Tik Tok part really made me LOL.
same
I’m a teenager, and I resonate with that statement lmao. Maybe the first step towards influencing younger crowds is 1. marketing players 2. taking down blackout restrictions 3. making it cheaper to watch. Simple things, but Manfred thinks ThE GamE IS tOO SloW.
Nothing like Jayce Tangler shaming Tatis for hitting a grand slam!
Problem with you millennials want everything for free and done for you.
The game was great the first 150 years..
At the same time, all the “wily veterans” need to stop badmouthing today’s players and telling viewers how much the game sucks from “back in the day”.
Yes, it sucks that their entire career earnings in the 70s or 80s is less than Mike Trout or Bryce Harper make in a single season, but GET OVER IT.
Instead of badmouthing today’s game and how it’s not the same, start telling a story of why baseball is the greatest sport there is, rather than football or basketball.
I think baseball needs to strengthen fan bases by making it so great players great teams have longer Windows to win. I’ve been a reds fan for as long as I can remember but I’m almost done I’m just tired of ten years of rebuild for a year or two of hope.
All tv/radio deals should fall under the league umbrella with total revenue sharing with minimum spending
All good points, but it really is true that they don’t make it cheap or easy to watch the games. People will pay, but not something ridiculous.
Teenagers aren’t millennials. Millennials were born from about 1980 to about 1995. Some of them probably have teenage kids.
Manfred is a millennial?
Well, Rob Manfred IS an anagram for “Mr Bored Fan”, so he probably acts like one.
Interestingly enough, his name is also an anagram for:
1) Former Band
—Probably some obscure type of music “that you wouldn’t understand”
2) Modern Barf
—Seems what most fans think of him as.
3) REM for Band
—Aren’t they popular with millennials? Or is it hipsters?
4) Mr Born Deaf
—“You fans want us to market players better? Hey, let’s put pinch runners on second base instead! You want an expansion draft? Hey, I wonder what it would be like if we add a 5th base and run the bases clockwise instead!”
5) “Damn Ref, Bro!”
—Why umpires will be replaced with computers.
Disagre. No matter how hard they try. The Grand old game will shine thru and survive.
Yes, millennials are whats killing the game. Since we are making generalizations here, lets all go back to a time in the game when many of the people that the old generation tells us to look up to, were either raging acoholics, racists, suffering from addiction, or cheaters. Surely, we should all look up to such great old figures of the game like the alcoholic racist Tony La Russa, who showed how amazingly he could handle a franchise back in Arizona. Or Billy Martin, who couldn’t even last out an entire contract without getting fired for his horrible behavior towards pretty much everyone and for his massive alcohol addiction, which literally got him killed. But then again, thats also what’s wrong with millenials too, right? We’re just so damn soft… I think older fans spend way too much time worrying about how the younger generation is “ruining the game” that they dont know how to just appreciate the game anymore.
The backslide started with Gen X. Blame them first.
The whole argument of “Which generation ruined baseball” is completely tired. Since when was baseball ruined? Do the exact people who complain about this, not still watch baseball, and frequent a BASEBALL RUMORS website? Like seriously. Must suck being so filles with piss and vinegar.
Baseball was ruined when hitters were allowed to pad-up their arms and umpires were told to unjustifiably warn pitchers for brush backs. Now you see bombs, walks and Ks. Don’t believe me? Check the ratings.
Skydome was great when it first opened. Now, it needs refreshing at the least. Need to get rid of the turf and replace it with real grass. Need to widen the seats as well.
Too much back bacon for the hosers in the last 30 years, eh?
Sounds great. Need a new stadium? Team can build it, or get some “sponsors” to fork over the 3-400m, which will of course have luxury boxes for those richies included in the plans.
No tax dollars, NO fake reports about how much any stadium brings to a city, or 500m area. How many would vote to approve of this who have to pay for the thing? That’s what matters , yet never will happen outside of a small area vote possibly.
New stadiums for ANY sports teams? Better pay for them themselves. Most taxpayers, who actually get stuck with the bill are not interested.
300-400M doesn’t even get you a 1/2 stadium these days. Price tag starts @ $600M (for a basic stadium) and goes way up from there.
I agree with your take and appreciate your passion, johnsilver.
Did you see the part about the Blue Jays and Brookfield Asset Management funding the stadium that will replace the mostly taxpayer-funded SkyDome / Rogers Centre?
Most tax payers benefit from it even though they are not interested. That’s why it happens. Look through at the broad purpose.
Straight from the Clydesdale’s mouth.
If you shop for all parts and supplies at Goodwill, Salvation Army, or the Dollar Store, then MAYBE you could build a stadium for $400 million, but you’d be using a lot of popsicle sticks or Legos for certain parts of it.
No welfare for billionaires
They should model their new ballpark after Safeco field in Seattle. That’s a beautiful ballpark with a retractable roof that essentially prevents rainouts but still gives a fan the feeling of being outdoors. I have attended games in every ballpark on the west coast with the exception of Oakland. Safeco is my favorite.
Safeco is a beautiful park. I enjoyed it on a nice summer night with the roof open and it felt like a traditional stadium. Much more natural feel than Chase Field.
That wouldn’t work in Toronto where they’re more worried about cold weather (and the rare early season snowstorm) than rain.
@DrDan
Thats a clown comment bro.
I love the Rogers Centre, always will. But if they can build a new stadium with no dome and real grass, I say go for it.
down with domes
Yes for grass, but Rogers Center isn’t technically a dome in the first place. Whatever they replace it with, it also needs to come with a retractable roof. Plenty of other places manage to pair retractable roofs with natural grass.
I can just see this vast beautiful stadium with a Canadian lake outside the stadium that balls get hit into and fans can fish out in canoes. Maybe a stray moose will graze across the field after closing too.
Lol, no seriously, it sounds like a great place to play just based on the first statement, though I doubt you want to say “Hey fans, come spend your money here at this pile of dog crap!”. I hope they look like the simulation pictures of the A’s Jewel Box stadium. That looks great, I hope the same for this one. I never liked Rogers.
This would be great. Skydome/Rogers Centre was awesome in its day, but its now the seventh oldest ballpark in baseball. The Atlanta Braves and Texas Rangers have each built TWO new stadiums since Skydome opened. It’s time for a new one.
Also, I’m glad to hear that a new one would have natural grass. Toronto already faces more challenges than most teams in recruiting free agents. Most of that is due to being in Canada, but the artificial turf can make it hard to attract players as well. They did redo the infield with natural dirt a few years ago, so that helps, but all the grass is still artificial.
Adopting the Atlanta model near present day SkyDome (it will always be SkyDome) is ideal. Used to watch a lot of games at Exhibition Stadium – amazing how far ballparks have come since those days.
Hearing this news was amazin to wake up to. We’ve needed this for SO long. I love being at games, but the Dome is atrocious to walk into and gross to look at. Can’t wait for the new!
I went 2 years ago and was pleasantly surprised of how it looked. It was clean and well kept imo.
I was there once. Mark McGwire hit a 3-run HR to put the A’s up and the fans were too busy doing the wave to realize what happened.
I remember way back in the day when they had people bumping uglies in the hotel perfectly visible to people in the stadium. lol
Haha… I still remember the Dave Winfield seagull incident.
@DrDan
Thats a clown comment bro.
People talk down on Jays fans but besides a few ugly incidents I think the 2015-16 seasons really got a lot of people interested in a positive way. When the roof is open I thought it was a great place to watch a game. Although maybe a little dated. I never understood why the renovations never included anything exterior or the seating. The outside of the SkyDome is ugly as hell and a little paint or brick would have gone a long way. I understand the desire for a “real” park but they’re crazy if they don’t put another retractable roof on the thing. Especially if they plan on playing deep into October.
Adam Jones and Hyun Soo Kim might take exception to your “a few ugly incidents” statement.
They played a game at Camden Yards with no fans because of rioting in the city; don’t throw half cans of Bud Light in glass houses.
A half can of BL at a stadium is about 10$ worth of schwill, no way you waste that.
Oh no
I was fortunate enough to play in a slo-pitch tourney back in ‘96 at the then Skydome. Man did the ball carry!! But the turf was brutal. A teammate slid on it and when he popped up there was a still smoking, polyester melting carpet burn in his pants leg!!Great memories but the place is an obscenely symmetrical concrete monster that needs to die.
Orlando?
Five to eight years to complete?? And I thought California and the wacko environmentalist with there EIR’s slowed things down to crawl was bad.
It’s part of a huge multi-billion development in the area, or so they are saying in other reports.
That’s involves planning and gaining approval, too, you know.
I’d particularly to thank those who have never been to Toronto for their helpful views on the existing stadium, the prospective sites and the local finance players. As Canadians, we sometimes take for granted how relevant canoes, specialty bacon and ceremonial mountie uniforms are to our daily lives.
I’ve never been. Was a kid when the SkyDome was considered a modern marvel.
Part of me thinks I need to see it once beside it’s gone.
I just wanted to say I’m sorry. But really hurry up get the new stadium done so Drake’s mansion isn’t Toronto’s current crown jewel.
HAha good point
I’ve been to Toronto. Kind of a dirty city. No reason to go back.
I’m not trying to start a thing here, and I don’t know where you’re from, but the downtown core is one of the cleanest downtowns ive ever seen. I don’t live there and I don’t care which city “wins”. But I was blown away.
Hey Shane, no problem. That was just my one time experience several years ago.
Is it true that you can buy all of those things with Canadian Tire money?
I say make centre island into the new jays ballpark. Keep the nude beach.
Do they have nude beaches in the winter?
Good question. I’m not sure if the ferry is open to take you to the nude beach in the winter
Thé things is
They will do that for thé big money condos appartement that will be build around not to please the fans whit a new nice stadium
If Roger do somethings is for money not for baseball or baseball fans
maybe outside of downtown is a better option. Downsview has 520 acres opening up in 2024. there is also Mississauga and Vaughn.
The best thing about Rogers Centre is the location. You’ve got the Hockey Hall of Fame a 10 minute walk away. Toronto is a vey nice city to visit for a couple of days. Forget getting seats to a Mapleleafs game though. That place is always sold out . The hockey fans there are rabid, which is part of its appeal frankly. The Hockey Hall of Fame is absolutely wonderful .
The best part is that it’s literally built on Union Station. Can basically park anywhere you want in the GTA and end up at the ballpark.
I’d like them to get a new stadium just for the real grass. That black crap that flies up from the turf is distracting.
I’d rather the Jays just build the stadium on the lakefront to begin with. It is a perfect place for the stadium. Also, by doing that, they could just continue to play in the Rogers Centre while it is being built.
Why don’t they just relocate to the United States?
Because Toronto is the third-largest city in MLB, and it markets to an entire country. Every comparable baseball market (NY, LA, Chicago) has not one but two teams.
Nothing is wrong with the current stadium besides the turf. And that won’t get improved upon in the new stadium. Not worth it IMO.
They’re putting grass in their new stadium. So how does the turf not improve?
Man are the Rogers Board of Directors messed up. They want to spend billions on a new stadium with apartments and real estate development and can’t buy top-of-the-line players to fill in the holes. How about Brad hand for $10 million? This organization is turning into a bit of a joke. Edward Rogers needs to be replaced.
This might be the dumbest take I’ve ever seen, and that’s saying a lot.
It’s really not a dumb take when you use logic.
You’re, think about it for a minute. Rogers wants to spend billions on real estate around a team that is terrible and they refuse to bring the budget into line with the big clubs. Don’t forget that Rogers also offered $3 billion for cogeco. That’s about $5 billion in spending. And the BlueJays during that time they paid $8 mill for Ray. Duh. Rogers is the richest owner in baseball and the budget should reflect that.
Perhaps the real estate game is a way for Rogers to slowly get out of the baseball ownership business or balance future losses in media revenue as more people cut cable.
Good to hear the Blue Jays will get a new stadium. The A’s will get a new stadium in 500 years.
Jays A’s and rays all need a new stadium. Place your bets who gets one first
This story seems like it’s out of nowhere. Why now? Could it have something to do with the Canadian government not allowing play in Toronto in 2020 and possibly 2021? Is this some sort of power play maneuver?
Just seems an odd time to bring this up. I know the field surface has been changed in the last few years, with real dirt in the infield and better artificial turf in the outfield. This place used to draw 4 million a year when the Jays were winning World Series in the early 90s. From photos of the exterior, the stadium looks nice, blending in with downtown Toronto. I’ve never been but looks good.
Anyway, I think there’s more to the story. Certain stadiums have inherent issues that can’t be overcome. Ballpark at Arlington? Hotter than hell even at night. Oakland Coliseum? Bad plumbing and just plain ugly. The Trop? Bad. I watched a ton of games at Candlestick and I loved it because I love the Giants. Me and the other 7000 people there. Then they moved to Pac Bell and I found out what a nice ball park should be. So What’s the real issue with Rogers Centre? Put a winning team on the field. Jays are close so filling up the park shouldn’t be that hard.
Dave, I think the big issue with it is that it was built as a multi use stadium instead of a ballpark and at a time when it was built simply for watching events. Newer parks are designed for baseball specifically and with more diverse game day revenue streams. A renovation to follow the trends in baseball has been in the cards for a long time, but the logistics of that have probably pushed the costs to the point that starting fresh without the restrictions of the current building is a better choice from a cost/benefit perspective. The timing of it might also have to do with taking advantage of potential economic stimulus supports.
Thanks. I’ve never been to Toronto and it looks like a beautiful city. I’m curious to know how Canadians will feel about using stimulus money toward building a new venue. Having grown up in the SF Bay Area the previous owner Bob Lurie tried several times to get public money toward a new park and failed. Pac Bell (now Oracle park) was completely financed privately.
It is a huge project to place a new park in nearly the exact location. There is space but not that much.
I would have chosen Ontario Place for a new stadium. That’s near the old locations of Toronto baseball, from Exhibition Stadium to Hanlan. Ontario Place is inactive and they could really turn it into a great baseball park. The only issue would be subway transit.
TTC Ontario Line is supposed to be in play on the same timeline — terminating at Ontario Place.
The proposed Ontario line subway goes there .
Ontario line and go train at exhibition place
Proposed. Because TTC has NEVER been behind schedule.
On the opposite corner there’s room to build and I believe Rogers owns that site as well
Roberto Alomar used to live in the hotel.
Move the Tropicana Dome to Toronto…problem solved……..
Classic example of long-range planning. The raptors can’t play in Toronto… This author wants to talk about a new baseball stadium in Toronto… Stupid.
Do you think the taxpayers would have approved in 1989 if they were told the ballpark would only be used for 30 years? In today’s economic environment, you guys are nuts. Be thankful for what you have.
Taxpayers enjoy paying their taxes in Toronto. They don’t put up a fight.
I agree with you. Be thankful. Walking through the rain and cold to the old Skydome gave me comfort that the team played indoors. Never had an issue with the park. It’s all about the team that takes the field rather than the field itself.
It’ll be at least 35 years before it’s done, and several others have lasted a similar amount of time.
Doesn’t make it right.
I agree DodgerOK.
They’ll have to bring Jose Canseco back to christen the upper deck
Rogers better not intend to use tax dollars or exemptions to build this. It is not needed.
The Rogers Center needs a renovation. Replace all blue seats with dark baseball green seats. Paint all exposed cement surfaces with faux dark red brick pattern. Replace all blue cushioning and the fences with dark baseball green. Then there would at least be some baseball feel to the place.
Repainting is among the least of their worries. Besides, most fans like to see their stadium decked out in their team color.
This is the real reason Rogers hired Mark Shapiro.
I have to give credit to Rogers and Shapiro.
Shapiro can do renovations. Look at the Jake and the new Dunedin complex, they are amazing. Cudos to Rogers for hiring Shapiro to develop real estate, just remove him from making all baseball decisions and hire an elite baseball Pres/Gm.
Will Rogers do that/ doubtful because Shapiro tows the Rogers BlueJays budget spin so well.
Many in Cleveland disapprove of what Shapiro did to the Jake. Those shipping container ad platforms in right field are an eyesore.
It was crazy how many Cleveland fans I’ve run into either thanking us Jays fans for taking Shapiro off their hands, or saying sorry for Shapiro landing in Toronto. They do not like him at all.
It’s clear that Shapiro was brought to the BlueJays to tow the company line. Beeston wouldn’t have put up with the lousy budget and performance and he had the cred to sway the board.
Shapiro is a Rogers board puppet and he is good with real estate. In cleveland, he was eventually removed from baseball decision-making.and that will eventually happen in Toronto too.
I went to SkyDome in ‘89 when it first opened. It was interesting because it was so futuristic but it wasn’t a ballpark and it certainly hasn’t aged well.
I always though that when this time came that the Skydome would make a great year around resort or condominium complex. Turn the field into an elaborate green park with ponds and condos and stores where the seats and club houses were. It would be summer all year around. What a paradise.
With a roof that opens and closes when needed over a housing complex and park would be awesome.
I have shared in Season Tickets at the skydome for the Toronto BlueJays. I have bought 10 game flex-packs for the Bluejays. One year I attended 40 home games in exhibition stadium.
In the early 2000’s I wrote a letter to Paul Godfrey, then the President and CEO of the Jays. In the letter I asked him to upgrade the the look and feel of the Skydome/Rogers Center to have a more baseball feel. I explained I was a baseball purist and didn’t want the generic concrete feel of the place. I expressed I didn’t care about entertainment factor, what I wanted was hear the crack of the bat, the pitch hitting the catcher’s glove, baseball dark green seats and fences, dark red brick faux over all concrete. I might have mentioned the smell of fresh cut grass.
Paul Godfrey was kind enough to write me back. He said that the goal was for a “complete entertainment experience for the fan”.. In other words he was more concerned entertaining the masses that he was providing a baseball experience. In short it was about money. the more people the better.
We must remember with Rogers it is about money first, baseball and winning second. Why else would the Rogers board want to bid $3 Billion for Cogeco or spend $2 Billion on real estate and a new stadium?