Ever wonder what the boys in blue are up to this time of year? Well, they’re not freezing their butts off in Toronto like us, that’s for sure. They head south for the winter like, well, birds. By February, you won’t find Bautista, Dickey, and Lawrie wandering through Yorkville; they’ll already be with the rest of the team down in Dunedin, Florida.
Located a half-hour directly west of Tampa International Airport (TIA) and just minutes north of spectacular Clearwater Beach, Dunedin is a sleepy little town full of retirees and sun-catchers alike. Some estimates claim there are more than 20,000 Canadians in the greater Tampa Bay area – which, as you can probably guess, means a lot of Jays fans.
The Jays, however, no longer seem to be too content with their current digs. Having signed a 40-year deal with the town of Dunedin way back in 1977, that contract is almost up (2017) and there’s a lot of talk of the Jays heading out of town. The problems stem from a number of, what appear to be, planning issues. Like we said, this deal was made 40 years ago.
For one, the practice facilities aren’t anywhere near the actual stadium. They’re on the other side of town, which, granted, is not very far at all (in Toronto terms), but most teams now have their training and practice facilities connected to their field so everything can be done in one place. Not that we made it to the big leagues, but we have to admit it doesn’t really seem ideal to get all warmed up and then jump on a bus. Or finish a game and not be able to immediately step into the weight room for a cool-down workout. Despite their distance, the practice facilities seem to offer a great deal of space. Made up of four large baseball diamonds that back into each other, it means that standing at the centre of them you can spin 360° and see 100% Blue Jays. The players are divided amongst the separate diamonds and routinely perform drills while fans lean against fences with deep (fantasy league level) interest and coaches carefully take in every swing and pitch made in the park.
The second issue that seems to have the Jays organization upset is the size of the stadium itself. While the box office claims it can fit just over 5500 people, walking inside it feels little more than a step up from high school ball. Mind you, this is fantastic for fans. Watching a game here offers the chance to be as close to players as you’ve ever wanted, and for a ridiculously low price. How low? You can get a box seat at a premium game (think NY and Boston) for $31 or settle into a regular game baseline vantage for just $14. The issue for the Jays is there’s little room for modern expansion. The stadium needs better washroom facilities and larger vendor stalls, not to mention that we have friends with bigger closets than the space found in the Blue Jays’ official clothing and merchandise shop.
But whatever the issues the Jays are having, we’re not. Catching a spring training game in the Grapefruit League is simply a right of passage for any Torontonian in Florida in the month of March. And with seats this good and this cheap, it’d be a shame not to enjoy a good seventh-inning stretch. This season’s home opener is on Thursday against the Phillies. If you’re going to be down here in the next four weeks, we suggest you get an early jump on what’s going to go down this season.
#LYNL | (Live Your Notable Life)
Cover image from: Toronto Blue Jays Facebook
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