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- Canadian government denies permission to play in Toronto amid Covid-19 concerns
- Buffalo’s Sahlen Field and Dunedin’s spring training complex potential options
- The Jays’ first home game is slated for 29th July
Major League Baseball’s (MLB) Toronto Blue Jays are urgently seeking a new home venue just days before the season gets underway, after the Canadian federal government refused the franchise permission to play at Rogers Centre over Covid-19 concerns.
With the revised 60-game season commencing on 23rd July, the Jays have been hit with a major setback, having previously received city and provincial approval to stage games at their current stadium, subject to strict Covid-19 health protocols.
However, federal officials have now said MLB’s market-based plan to resume play, involving regular travel back and forth to other team cities akin to a normal season, is too much of a health risk. This has been compounded by a surge in the number of positive coronavirus tests in the US. At the time of writing, the country has 3.83 million confirmed cases and suffered 143,000 deaths.
“Of particular concern, the Toronto Blue Jays would be required to play in locations where the risk of virus transmission remains high…We have concluded the cross-border travel required for MLB regular season play would not adequately protect Canadians’ health and safety,” said Marco Mendicino, Canadian minister of immigration, refugees, and citizenship.
“As a result, Canada will not be issuing a National Interest Exemption for the MLB’s regular season at this time.
“Canada has been able to flatten the curve in large part because of the sacrifices Canadians have made. We understand professional sports are important to the economy and to Canadians. At the same time, our government will continue to take decisions at the border on the basis of our health experts in order to protect the health and safety of all Canadians.”
The Jays are currently the only MLB franchise to be based outside the US, with the other 29 due to play their games in their home ballparks without fans.
The Toronto-based team will now need to relocate across the border in order to compete the 2020 season. Potential options include Sahlen Field in Buffalo, New York, home of the Jay’s Minor League Baseball (MiLB) affiliate the Buffalo Bisons, or the franchise’s spring training complex in Dunedin, Florida.
That said, questions marks remain over the viability of both venues. Sahlen Field, though not in use after the MiLB season was cancelled, would require hasty, significant upgrades to meet MLB standards, including the lighting and repurposing concourses. The Florida complex, while much larger, is located in a US hotspot for Covid-19. The state has more than 350,000 cases, with Florida representative Donna Shalala saying the area needed to “close down”.
Mark Shapiro, Blue Jays president and chief executive, said a number of options were being considered.
“Dunedin is the only one that is 100 per cent seamless right now and ready to go. That from a player-health standpoint has some challenges,” he explained.
“Buffalo is certainly one that we’ve spent an increasing amount of time on in the past few weeks. That is not done. There are some infrastructure and player-facility challenges to get that up to major league standards. And then we have other alternatives that are real that we continue to work through that may be better for us.”
The Jays are due to get their season underway against the Tampa Bay Rays on 24th July, with their first home game set for 29th July against the Washington Nationals.
Major League Baseball’s (MLB) Toronto Blue Jays are urgently seeking a new home venue just days before the season gets underway, after the Canadian federal government refused the franchise permission to play at Rogers Centre over Covid-19 concerns.
With the revised 60-game season commencing on 23rd July, the Jays have been hit with a major setback, having previously received city and provincial approval to stage games at their current stadium, subject to strict Covid-19 health protocols.
However, federal officials have now said MLB’s market-based plan to resume play, involving regular travel back and forth to other team cities akin to a normal season, is too much of a health risk. This has been compounded by a surge in the number of positive coronavirus tests in the US. At the time of writing, the country has 3.83 million confirmed cases and suffered 143,000 deaths.
“Of particular concern, the Toronto Blue Jays would be required to play in locations where the risk of virus transmission remains high…We have concluded the cross-border travel required for MLB regular season play would not adequately protect Canadians’ health and safety,” said Marco Mendicino, Canadian minister of immigration, refugees, and citizenship.
“As a result, Canada will not be issuing a National Interest Exemption for the MLB’s regular season at this time.
“Canada has been able to flatten the curve in large part because of the sacrifices Canadians have made. We understand professional sports are important to the economy and to Canadians. At the same time, our government will continue to take decisions at the border on the basis of our health experts in order to protect the health and safety of all Canadians.”
The Jays are currently the only MLB franchise to be based outside the US, with the other 29 due to play their games in their home ballparks without fans.
The Toronto-based team will now need to relocate across the border in order to compete the 2020 season. Potential options include Sahlen Field in Buffalo, New York, home of the Jay’s Minor League Baseball (MiLB) affiliate the Buffalo Bisons, or the franchise’s spring training complex in Dunedin, Florida.
That said, questions marks remain over the viability of both venues. Sahlen Field, though not in use after the MiLB season was cancelled, would require hasty, significant upgrades to meet MLB standards, including the lighting and repurposing concourses. The Florida complex, while much larger, is located in a US hotspot for Covid-19. The state has more than 350,000 cases, with Florida representative Donna Shalala saying the area needed to “close down”.
Mark Shapiro, Blue Jays president and chief executive, said a number of options were being considered.
“Dunedin is the only one that is 100 per cent seamless right now and ready to go. That from a player-health standpoint has some challenges,” he explained.
“Buffalo is certainly one that we’ve spent an increasing amount of time on in the past few weeks. That is not done. There are some infrastructure and player-facility challenges to get that up to major league standards. And then we have other alternatives that are real that we continue to work through that may be better for us.”
The Jays are due to get their season away against the Tampa Bay Rays on 24th July, with their first home game set for 29th July against the Washington Nationals.
