By Steve Keating
TORONTO (Reuters) – The Toronto Blue Jays, who are putting the finishing touches on a rebuild, hammered five home runs to christen their renovated ball park on Tuesday, beating the Detroit Tigers 9-3 in their construction delayed home opener.
Alejandro Kirk provided the big fireworks with a three-run blast while Matt Chapman, Kevin Kiermairer, George Springer and Bo Bichette each slammed solo shots into the bleachers, rebranded the “Outfield District” as part of a $300 million retrofit.
While work continues on both the team and stadium the early reviews are positive, the Blue Jays living up to their explosive reputation with a home opener record five homers that underscores their status as World Series contender.
It has been 30 years since the Blue Jays won the second of their back-to-back World Series and in those three decades Toronto has gone through several painful rebuilds.
When the SkyDome opened in 1989 it was an architectural marvel with a retractable roof and a championship calibre team pulling in the crowds.
Thirty-four years later it is trashed as a soulless concrete tomb where a good on-field product is just a part of the total “fan experience”.
‘Take me out to the ball game’ can still be heard at every ball park but vendors shouting out, “peanuts , cracker jacks” not so much.
Now the ball park menu leans toward gourmet fare and prices, with vendors pushing dishes such as anh mi chicken sandwiches, with halal ginger chicken, kimchi mayo, cucumber, pickled carrot and cilantro on a baguette.
You no longer need a seat for a Blue Jays game, buy a $20 general admission ticket and wander through the new “neighbourhoods” past the Corona Rooftop Patio, Schneider’s Porch or the Park Social.
You do not even need to be that interested in baseball, said Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro, adding the ball park can just be a place to go.
“There are people who want to be at the game, but not necessarily watch the game,” Shapiro told the Globe and Mail.
“They want to high-five when a home run happens, to hear the horn go off and then back to talking to their friends over a fire pit, drinking a beer – and it’s a really cool atmosphere.”
If that is the case there was a lot of high-fiving on Tuesday.
The Tigers’ Nick Maton hit a three-run second inning homer but the Blue Jays hit back in the bottom of the inning, Kirk answering with an RBI double.
Chapman connected on a solo shot in the fourth before Kiermairer and Springer slammed back-to-back homers in the fifth.
Toronto would put the opener away with five runs in eighth with Kirk doing the big damage with his three-run homer.
(Reporting by Steve Keating in Toronto. Editing by Peter Rutherford)
