Blue Jays stadium

by Oaktown123 on Jul 20, 2009 10:05 AM EDT Comment 16 comments

Hi everybody, i'm normally on AN but I just came over here to ask, does anyone know if Skydome is going to get renovations soon, or are the Blue Jays going to get a new stadium? Don't get me wrong, I like your stadium, I was just wondering. The only thing I see wrong with it is the fact that it gets so hot when they close the roof. And the artificial turf.

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I doubt there will be a new stadium in the near future.

For one it would be tough to get the money together in this economy. I very much doubt that the Jays could talk the government out of a lot of money with unemployment high in Ontario. Maybe after the current slump is over.

by Tom Dakers on Jul 20, 2009 10:13 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I haven't heard anything about a new stadium

It would be great but I’m not sure it is going to happen anytime soon, particularly in this economic climate.

The turf is a new kind that is supposedly easier on the knees and back, but it has looked a little patchy this year to my eyes. A stadium with a lake view would be amazing.

"Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our closed rooms... The game of ball is glorious." - Walt Whitman

by hugo on Jul 20, 2009 10:15 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

They very recently renovated the stadium. There is new turf and the whole thing got a facelift.

Theres nothing wrong with the skydome. I like it.

Onions Baby Onions

by ohmybosh on Jul 20, 2009 10:57 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Beeston did mention in an interview

That they were looking at bringing Soccer into the Rogers Center and because of that they were going to look at new turf options,

But I was already under the impression that this turf was some of the best stuff available vs the old stuff that everyone hated playing on.

'But I don't want to go among mad people' Alice remarked.
'Oh, you can't help that' said the Cat 'we're all mad here'.

by JohnnyG on Jul 20, 2009 11:36 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

New Stadium?

That seems so unrealistic. The Skydome, now Rogers, was a financial flop at a ballooned cost of C$600M, bailed out by govts and leading to bankruptcies. Rogers picked it up for C$25M. At roughly 20 years of age, the annual amortization is still only $60M per year. I would think they have to keep it another 20 years at least to extract any kind of financial reasonability from the project.

Personally, I think it would be misuse of funds to build a new stadium. If the powers that be were smart, maybe they can start pouring some money into a reserve fund in anticipation of building a new facility decades from now.

by aagoodfella on Jul 20, 2009 12:10 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I'd love to see a new stadium

They were a year too early making it, because right after the ‘retro’ look came back in. I’d love to have a stadium that isn’t cookie cutter. With different walls heights and distances throughout. As for the turf, I don’t know why they can’t do the Trop thing and have the basepaths cut out? Couldn’t they just fill in those just as easily as the base cutouts for football? Would love to see grass in there, just keep the roof open more and let the rain in. Never understood why grass wouldn’t work.

It won’t happen though, so it’s just a fool’s dream. *sigh

by solace on Jul 20, 2009 12:59 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

But it was 10 years before a retro had a retractable roof

And a few years more before one that would work on that site, and plus there was no way SkyDome was going to be baseball only, so it’s a moot point.

They're not just hitting home runs. They're doing the little things, like hitting doubles.

by Torgen on Jul 20, 2009 2:07 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

maybe we can build a retro stadium just as that fad wears out only to be stuck with an “outmoded” park for the next 30 years …. LOL

chasing trends is a precarious practice

Rogers is the first retractable roof dome (that worked) and set the standard for many copycats to follow. It was a design marvel back then and remains one to his day. It is something to be proud of, not replaced – until its economic life has been expired.

by aagoodfella on Jul 20, 2009 2:19 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

i agree but...

when the roof is closed, the stadium has a stultifying hushed quality….and it really is too hot….that saying, when open, it is one of the top ten stadium out there—- i find the retro theme to be played…i.e., citibank field is a joke and hopefully the end of the era

the best solution would be to replace part or whole of the roof with skylight…i assume the cost would be prohobitive though

by norm depalma on Jul 20, 2009 10:08 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

yep

for sure upgrades are in order over the life of the structure. I agree that ventilation would be at the top of the list. After that I might upgrade the chairs. They are comfortable enough but a more breathable material or construction that does not make you sweat so much would be nice. Also cup holders for the massively overpriced beer would be convenient.

by aagoodfella on Jul 20, 2009 10:45 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don't get it

Why do you dislike having a “cookie cutter” stadium? I hate the fact that each individual stadium has varying outfields and random shapes (though some are by necessity, I know). That is one of the silliest things – that every field in the league is different from the last one.

I don't want to play golf. When I hit a ball, I want someone else to go chase it. ~Rogers Hornsby

by wroth91 on Jul 20, 2009 11:54 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

It's an element of home field advantage

If your stadium has details that you know better than your opponents then you can exploit that knowledge, but what is there to know about a stadium with the most generic outfield dimensions possible? That the warning track is just a different colour turf?

They're not just hitting home runs. They're doing the little things, like hitting doubles.

by Torgen on Jul 21, 2009 4:02 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Stadium

A while back the Argos were looking to build a smaller outdoor stadium, or could move to BMO field with Toronto FC. If that were the case I think there could be some major reno’s done on Skydome err Rogers Centre to make it more fan friendly as a baseball only stadium…

The other thing is that if the NFL moves to Toronto at any point I don’t think the ‘dome is right for an NFL team in the long term. There aren’t enough seats (55,000 I think for football would be a small NFL stadium) so that could lead to a new stadium potentially for the Jays as well…

by bunner on Jul 20, 2009 9:58 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

If the NFL gets a new stadium I don't want the Jays to be there

Let them add seats to the dome and the Jays get their own field

They're not just hitting home runs. They're doing the little things, like hitting doubles.

by Torgen on Jul 21, 2009 4:00 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Given past experiences.........

………..like the 1976 Olympics in Montreal and given the 2010 Winter Olympics coming up in Vancouver and given the huge excesses (over budget) that these events have led to, I don’t see any chance for a new Jay’s stadium. Plus, I don’t see any need as I love the SkyDome. Given how North America is faring economically right now, it’s perhaps the worst time to float such an idea (ehm I’m convinced the EU is in for even bigger troubles economically, so why not shut up on that aspect?). Sure, the SkyDome will need some serious maintenance over time but I am for it, not against. Well, the only time I was there to see a game was April 28 so I can’t comment on the heat.

by Marco1978 on Jul 21, 2009 5:15 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs