Toronto Blue Jays Will Head Home to Renovated Rogers Centre

“There’s only so many really, really big cities that love, love their sports, and Toronto is one of them,” Bichette said, anticipating a happy homecoming. “So to go there and feel the energy, we should have a pretty good crowd there. They love their Blue Jays.”

The energy of having an entire country rooting for them is not lost on this team.

“When you’re out there playing, you see signs people are holding, ‘I’m from here’ and ‘I’m from there’,” Springer said. “There’s people from all over Canada that come to these games. It’s awesome. It’s fun. I mean, it’s an honor.”

Most of the Rogers Centre remodel is for those customers, with the new “Outfield District” in particular catering to the fan experience. But the redesigned outfield fence creates new field dimensions, including shorter measurements in left and right field that Biggio and Guerrero in particular should enjoy. And, in a development that Kiermaier, a three-time Gold Glove winner, surely will love, a center field fence lowered to eight feet from 10.

The Jays have heard about it. Now they’re eager to see it.

“Feels like forever since we’ve been home,” Springer said.

Of course, a year from now, they are expecting to pack their bags for an extended time again. Phase II of the Rogers Centre renovation, this one set to include the home and visiting clubhouse overhauls, is scheduled for this winter.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/10/sports/baseball/toronto-blue-jays.html