No place like home.
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) July 16, 2021
7.30.21 #WeAreBlueJays pic.twitter.com/DI90MaHaRO
The New York Yankees played the 1974-1975 seasons at Shea Stadium while Yankee Stadium was being renovated. Fans might have had a longer trip but could still sleep in their own beds.
The 2020 Toronto Blue Jays tried to play in Pittsburgh and Baltimore before going to the AAA stadium in Buffalo. Road games would be in MLB stadiums where their players got to sleep at home.
The 2021 Toronto Blue Jays did the slow march north, staying in Dunedin after spring training in April and May, Buffalo in June and most of July, and now, finally, homeward bound to Toronto as of tonight.
The Blue Jays start a homestand tonight with Kansas City, Cleveland, and Boston. The team will have played a home series with the Red Sox in each of the 3 cities.
670 days. That is the length of time since the team has played at Rogers Centre in Canada.
The Blue Jays went 10-11 in Dunedin from the start of the season, losing its final 6 home games in Florida to Boston and Tampa Bay.
The team went 12-11 in Buffalo since June 1.
The Blue Jays are 51-48 overall, 22-22 at home and 29-26 on the road. Toronto is 9½ games off the pace for the division and 4 games behind the second best wild card team. Seattle and the New York Yankees are ahead of the Blue Jays with Cleveland and Los Angeles of Anaheim a game behind Toronto.
The team did acquire LHP Brad Hand from Washington for minor league catcher Riley Adams. The MLB trade deadline is today at 4 pm EDT.
Toronto FC, CF Montreal get to cross back into Canada
Hyun Jin Ryu, Marcus Semien, George Springer: some of the Blue Jays players that have never played a home game in Toronto. The only time Ryu has pitched on Canadian soil, he got the win for Los Angeles (NL) on July 22, 2013.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Cavan Biggio, and Bo Bichette did play in Toronto in 2019 but that feels so long ago.
Semien could go in a trade deadline deal hours before the return to Toronto.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is first Blue Jays player to win the All-Star Game MVP
The Blue Jays will have 250 free tickets to front-line workers for each game at Rogers Centre in 2021.
2021 Toronto Blue Jays All-Star Game preview
ESPN used up its lone Toronto Blue Jays telecast at Fenway Park. Karl Ravech made sure the game was mostly about Boston. Yawn.
MLB Network will have the Saturday matinee at Rogers Centre as well as the Simcoe Day/Civic Holiday matinee with Cleveland. Many Canadians celebrate the first Monday in August under different banners.
Here's hoping they use the Rogers Sportsnet feed.
I’m back in Toronto! Thrilled to be part of @Sportsnet expanding coverage of the #BlueJays return with the radio broadcasts starting Friday night! There’s no substitute for the home town crowd - we are ready to be there too! 🗣🎙📻⚾️ pic.twitter.com/TH0VkeJA9H
— Ben Wagner (@benwag247) July 28, 2021
The other big news is the return on radio broadcasts. As you might remember, Rogers Sportsnet went with a radio/TV simulcast. Ben Wagner was sent out to be a field reporter, of sorts, when they were in Dunedin.
Mike Wilner was dropped from the radio broadcasts over the winter; Wilner now writes as a columnist for the Toronto Star.
We don't know who will work with Wagner for the rest of the season.
What sports will look like on Canadian soil in 2020
CanadianCrossing.com MLB coverage
One advantage the Blue Jays will have back is protection from the elements for home games. The July 17 and July 20 games in Buffalo was one of a few home rainouts the team has had during the pandemic.
Being at Rogers Centre has distinct advantages. There are some drawbacks. For the first time since 2019, the Blue Jays will play on artificial turf. The stadium has new turf and a new sound system. The players will have to learn the advantages to the new turf.
The team hasn't had to deal with customs since 2019. The unvaccinated players on the team will have to deal with a harsher living arrangement than they did in Buffalo or other U.S. cities.
Being at home is better, despite these concerns.
Toronto vs. Ottawa on the CFL battle over hot dog condiments
Going to a game involves major activities such as your favourite player hitting a home run or making a diving catch. The little things matter as well. Your humble narrator has been to Rogers Centre quite a few times for the Toronto Argonauts as well as the Blue Jays.
I was particularly impressed in my 2014 visit at the array of condiments for hot dogs at the stadium. No U.S. stadium I've seen can compare. Will be nice to have options back at the stadium.
This element might be limited or curtailed because of the safety precautions.
Baseball fans have had a chance to see their home team since the spring. Today marks Toronto's turn.
Twitter captures: @BlueJays; @benwag247
photo credit: 680 News/Rogers
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