FanShot

The Empty, Empty Rogers Centre

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Toronto is the fourth largest city in the majors and the Blue Jays are owned by multi-billion dollar corporation — so why haven't they made the playoffs for almost two decades? Interesting read on Bill Simmons' new website "Grantland" about the Bluejays, attendance and the Skydome Rogers Centre. General manager Alex Anthopoulos has embarked on an ambitious plan, a kind of hybrid between Tampa Bay's self-sustaining architecture and the free spending of the Yankees and Red Sox. He's built the biggest scouting staff in the game. He's signing more international players. He's focusing intensely on the draft, especially pitchers. He's in the process of building a core of smart, quality players — with Lind and Bautista at the heart of it — and then, as they mature, and build toward something better, and the fans start to return, Rogers has promised that the money will come rushing in, that a payroll north of $100 million is a distinct possibility, and the finishing pieces can be added, right on time like a train