Blue Jays bring back old school powder blue uniforms

[mikecubs]

Mapping the Future of Rogers Centre

Last week we alluded to Toronto city officials debating the future of Rogers Centre. This week, it sounds like there’s been plenty of preliminary talk between team ownership, Rogers and developers about that future—with some big plans potentially in consideration.

When Rogers Centre opened as SkyDome in 1989, it was the first retractable-roof ballpark in Major League Baseball, though several had been proposed since the late 1940s: the legendary designer Norman Bel Geddes, for example, drew up conceptual images of a Brooklyn Dodgers retractable-roof ballpark as far back as 1948. In its day, the SkyDome was an engineering marvel; besides the retractable roof, the grandstand was movable to make way for the longer and wider CFL playing field.

Since then, there’s been plenty of other retractable-roof ballparks built—Chase Field, Marlins Park, T-Mobile Park, etc. And the design that made the retractable roof possible in 1989 is a liability today: the huge footprint needed to support that massive roof puts much of the ballpark seating far from the action. The Blue Jays have made some moves to address that shortcoming over the years, including some new premium seating and concourse upgrades, but the aging ballpark certainly needs some TLC.

The consensus among the major players that the Blue Jays face a long-term facility challenge, and the debate is how to address that challenge. Rogers Communications owns the ballpark (buying it for $25 million in 2005), and the likelihood is that no public money would be available for a Rogers Centre renovation, the issue, as raised by Mayor John Tory, is whether the Jays stay at Rogers Centre or pursue a new ballpark elsewhere in Toronto.

It looks like the Blue Jays are looking more at a significant upgrade to Rogers Centre, rather than pursuing a new ballpark. Which makes sense: no reason to give up a prime location at the foot of CN Tower.

Past that, the discussions of the future of Rogers Centre are in preliminary stages. But we can see a higher-level strategy at play here, with reps from Brookfield Asset Management involved in discussions and meetings with the city. Toronto-based Brookfield Asset Management manages some $385 billion in assets across some 30 countries, according to the firm’s website, and at the very least Rogers is looking at putting some significant money into the ballpark and, likely, some associated development. We already know that ballpark-centered developments can be a success, as witnessed by the Atlanta Braves and The Battery, and there’s certainly the potential for some level of development around Rogers Centre. (Not as much as at SunTrust Park, to be sure: the area around Rogers Centre is already built up.) From the Toronto Star:

Blue Jays chief executive Mark Shapiro, who in the past has noted some of the ballpark’s deficiencies for fans, on Thursday called the site “one of the most unique, if not the best, locations in major league baseball for a stadium.

“That, combined with the age of the facility, creates a dilemma as how do you best attack what is a large-scale project, and becoming a larger-scale project in consideration,” Shapiro told reporters.

Changes already completed or under way include refreshing the stadium’s 100 level, adding a Ticketmaster Club and installing a new roof, he said. He added that future options being explored by Rogers are “bigger than I initially considered.”

It takes big plans to generate big rewards. We’ll see how big Rogers and the Blue Jays are thinking in coming months.

ballparkdigest.com/2019/08/13/mapping-the-future-of-rogers-centre/

[mikecubs]

Councillor urges Jays owner to keep team at Rogers Centre site

The city councillor who represents the Rogers Centre site doesn’t want the Toronto Blue Jays moving out, and says the owners gave him no indication their ballpark plans include that.

Councillor Joe Cressy said he accepted an invitation last month to meet with officials from the Blue Jays, team and site owner Rogers Communications, and real estate giant Brookfield Asset Management to chat “in broad terms” about their plans for the 30-year-old domed stadium.

“I shared with them that it’s my belief that having a ballpark and a revitalized stadium on those lands is important,” said Cressy (Ward 10 Spadina-Fort York). “We should continue to have a stadium helping to anchor downtown and anchor the city as a whole.

“And, if there is any ambition to do anything other than that, it needs to adhere to good planning principles and a good public process. It’s an iconic site; think of the view from the lake, with the CN Tower and the ballpark beside it.”

Cressy says he also told the partners any refurbishment must be done with private money.

“We should not be using public dollars to subsidize private ballparks in downtown Toronto,” he said.

“They didn’t have a proposal to share,” said Cressy, who added that any major changes to the Front St. site would require city approvals and he would lead a public process to evaluate them.

“My understanding is that the Blue Jays and Rogers are firmly committed to not only have the Jays stay in town, of course, but to continue to play out of the (city) core,” he said.

“I’ll let them speak to their emerging details as they’re working them through, but I was not led to believe that they were looking to relocate a stadium.”

Brookfield, a Toronto-based investor in some of the world’s biggest real estate developments, did not respond to a request for information about its role in plans for the Rogers Centres plans that are believed to rely on private financing.

Rogers spokesperson Bill Killorn said his company is “exploring options for Rogers Centre,” including preliminary discussions, but planning is in “early days” and there are no details to share.

Some have speculated a new stadium could be built at Ontario Place. The Premier Doug Ford government’s call for redevelopment proposals for that site envision “potential landmarks such as sports and entertainment attractions, and retail.”

Mayor John Tory, a former Rogers chief executive who remains on the Rogers family trust, sparked speculation in early July when he told a radio host Rogers must decide whether to “reinvest in the building or build something new.” He predicted Toronto will “see some action on it.”

Tory, who later said he was speculating, not speaking from inside knowledge, on Friday announced that, because of his Rogers ties, he will stay out of discussions of “future plans for the Rogers Centre, the surrounding area, and City’s leasehold interest in the subject site.”

The mayor, who, at city council has declared past potential conflicts on Rogers-related items, said he notified the city integrity commissioner that neither he nor his staff will take part in any talks.

The former SkyDome, once hailed as a beacon of modern technology for its fully retractable roof, has required extensive repairs over the past decade, leading some to question its sustainability and value as a sports arena.

Blue Jays chief executive Mark Shapiro, who in the past has noted some of the ballpark’s deficiencies for fans, on Thursday called the site “one of the most unique, if not the best, locations in major league baseball for a stadium.

“That, combined with the age of the facility, creates a dilemma as how do you best attack what is a large-scale project, and becoming a larger-scale project in consideration,” Shapiro told reporters.

Changes already completed or under way include refreshing the stadium’s 100 level, adding a Ticketmaster Club and installing a new roof, he said. He added that future options being explored by Rogers are “bigger than I initially considered.”

www.thestar.com/news/gta/2019/08/09/keep-the-blue-jays-at-rogers-centre-city-councillor-tells-stadium-owner.html

[mikecubs]

I think they should do small 10 year at a time just get by type renovations. Nothing long term, leave options open for a new park or even a relocation. I question the future of baseball in Canada due 2 to major issues

1. Changing demographics. Most of Canada's immigration is coming from China, India, Philippines. Very little Latin American immigration. The latin American immigration that Canada does have is a lot from Hati/Quebec French speaking thing. Hati has 0 baseball culture. The 1st 2 countries have 0 baseball culture, Philippines isn't that great either. Canada's demographics are racing towards basketball. Canada's white population is in demographic death spiral.



2. The love of 30 year old plus players by Canadian fans. Canadian fans HATE HATE HATE young players. The whole game of baseball post steroid era is entirely built on draft and development/home grown talent. Players have to put in 6 to 7 years to become free agents so when most guys hit free agency they are 30 years old and washed up or close to it. Canadian fans like old players because they are short sited and because former gm Alex Anthepolos loved them. Alex was a Canadian too so that is what made his approach so popular too. They absolute DO NOT accept the current Shipiro/Atkins regime and what they are trying to do. Gary Bettman is outright beloved in Canada compare to these 2 and their philosophy. There is just so much bad blood/confusion between the team and fans(worst of any team/fans in the 4 major pro sports). I can't see the sport working long term unless the fans had a totally 100% change in outlook/roster construction. There is no way baseball can work if you have to win but you are NOT allowed players under 30. If they run off Shipiro/Atkins(which they may well do) what type of front office talent would you get with the job requirement of having to work in a foreign country with the stipulation of no one under 30 on the roster?

[mikecubs]

Something else to keep in mind the Jays have had a lot of seasons where they have lost money per forbes.

1996 14.5
1997 -20.5
1998 -9.5
1999 -2.8
2000 -5.9
2001 -20.6
2002 -23.9
2003 0
2004 7.8 (took over control of stadium/bought it)
2005 29.7
2006 12
2007 -1.8
2008 3
2009 13.1
2010 3.6
2011 25.1
2012 -4.8
2013 -14.9
2014 -17.9
2015 1.3
2016 23
2017 -1.3
2018 -16

Counting this season the Jays have been below league average in attendance 16 of the past 21 seasons.

Compare that to the Raptors

1999-00 1.2
2000-01 NA
2001-02 5.1
2002-03 4.5
2003-04 5.4
2004-05 -1.3
2005-06 8.4
2006-07 28.8
2007-08 27.7
2008-09 18
2009-10 25.3
2010-11 7.4
2011-12 18.8
2012-13 28.8
2013-14 17.9
2014-15 23
2015-16 46.1
2016-17 51
2017-18 76

17 of 21 seasons at the current arena they have been above league average attendance including last season and 2 of 3 seasons playing at temp homes.

[mikecubs]

A minor renovation this off-season to Rogers Centre.

From Blue Birds banter:Despite low ambient lighting it was clear to see that some construction work was ongoing in the Rogers Centre’s 100-level outfield seats. It appeared that around three rows of seating had been removed from the rear of sections 101 to 108 and 135 to 142, which can be seen in these comparison photographs taken in May 2019 and this past Saturday. These seats were elevated above the concourse and blocked fans walking through from seeing the action on the field. The grey concrete pillars in those sections also appeared to have received a coat of blue paint.

www.bluebirdbanter.com/2019/11/18/20969700/rogers-centre-renovations-blue-jays-effort-board-minor-leagues







^^^Top is before/bottom is after

[mikecubs]

The Blue Jays are bring back their old school powder blue uniforms as an ulternate

www.mlb.com/news/blue-jays-jerseys-unveiled