Government delays leave Jays feeling like empty nesters
It’s not quite Rogers Centre or bust, mainly because the Toronto Blue Jays can’t count on receiving government clearance for their dome being home for the 2020 season.
But with action due to begin in less than 10 days, the team remains committed to making its case to health authorities that the downtown Toronto stadium can be a safe and viable home in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We’re trying to do the best thing for the safety of our players, the safety of the community and competitively,” a senior
Jays official familiar with the lengthy and exhaustive process told Postmedia. “Everybody knows the time frames and is working hard to clarify.
“It’s still a lot to navigate ... there are a lot of moving parts with very little certainty. But everybody does recognize we have to come to some sort of conclusion relatively soon.”
Out of necessity, the Jays are preparing to move elsewhere if their bid is denied by federal health authorities. The problem with packing up, however, is the two prime alternatives are considerably less than desirable.
The team has all but ruled out returning to TD Ballpark in Dunedin, Fla., given the pandemic disaster in the state. Originally, the Jays had considered playing the first two homestands there while issues in Toronto were resolved, but that’s no longer an option.
Which brings us to Buffalo’s Sahlen Field, home of the Jays’ triple-a affiliate, the Buffalo Bisons. While the Jays have discussed playing games at the picturesque stadium not far from the Peace Bridge, it remains a long shot.
Simply put, the Buffalo stadium, while a terrific spot to watch a game, is not a great venue for major-league players to play in. From the cramped clubhouses to outdated batting cages, to substandard lighting and bullpens that are on the field, it is considerably less than ideal.
Renovations would be needed and they would not be easy. The organization would have to come up with creative options to find adequate space for both the home and visiting teams. Under MLB protocols, players have to social distance and that requires space not available at the park.
Just as playing in Florida means heat and virus fears, playing in Buffalo would hardly be an ideal environment for a team that believes it can be in the post-season mix in a shortened 60-game season.
“In the case of competitiveness, there is no close second to Toronto,” a source said. “Nothing. Could you imagine (the Jays) using the Buffalo facility versus the Yankees using Yankee Stadium facilities? That’s a competitive disadvantage.”
And therein lies part of the struggle for the Jays as they sort through what is inching toward desperate times. When the team departs for Boston for a pair of exhibition games Tuesday, it certainly wants to know where it will be returning.
“We can’t leave here not knowing what we’re coming back to,” the source said.
An MLB source said the league is in regular contact with the Jays and there is no hard deadline on when a decision needs to be made. But the clock keeps ticking, and at some point visiting teams will need to make travel and accommodation arrangements.
Meanwhile, the team is doing everything it can to run a safe and healthy training camp at Rogers Centre, where protocols are strictly enforced.
On Monday, a group of players that had remained in Florida following a positive test for COVID-19 arrived, including outfielders Lourdes Gurriel Jr.,
Jonathan Davis, Josh Palacios and Forrest Wall. Also arriving were pitcher Hector Perez and this year’s first-round draft pick, infielder Austin Martin. Davis and Perez had both been placed on the injured list by the Jays last month.
In many ways, the work to gain government clearance has been tedious for the Jays’ executive team, led by team president Mark Shapiro.
The requests from the government changed frequently over the past six weeks, especially after the pandemic worsened in parts of the U.S.
The Jays have made it clear they accept the uncertainty and volatility of the process and say they will be understanding if authorities shut down the ballpark to them.
It is believed the Jays are in pursuit of a letter from Marco Mendicino, the federal minister of immigration, refugees and citizenship, declaring it’s of national interest to have the Jays play ball here. The letter would be similar to the one
NHL teams seeking permission to be playoff hub cities received.
The worse things get in the U.S., the tougher the sell becomes, however. Politicians are certainly aware of the perception of a double standard for athletes as well as the public outcry associated with allowing players to come in from the U.S., where so much of the pandemic response has been handled poorly.
The cry to “play ball” will come soon enough. And the Jays just want to know where they will hear it.