The Canadians certainly do things differently, eh . . .
After a non-descript night at the Downtown Holiday Inn in Buffalo, NY, I crossed the border and made my way through Canada. The drive to Toronto is only about 100 miles so I arrived at the Skydome a little after mid-day. I checked into the Skydome Hotel, the only hotel in the world attached to a Major League Baseball stadium, and tried to rest in anticipation of the upcoming game. The hotel is overpriced but is designed to offer visitors all the opportunities to experience baseball, or whatever sport happens to be taking place that evening in the Skydome. For tourists who want to get a "complete" Skydome experience, the Skydome Hotel is definitely the place to stay.
At 4:00pm, I gathered up my stuff and made the short walk around the hotel to the press entrance of the stadium. On the outside, Skydome is an immense concrete structure located in the heart of downtown Toronto. The CN Tower is perched just off the south side of the stadium, and Lake Ontario runs along side. The retractable roof was closed when I arrived. Upon entering, I realized the size and scope of this magnificent baseball wonderland. Everything is clean, almost sterile, and twice the size of any other ballpark I have ever visited.
Skydome is one the newer parks in the majors. It was built in 1989, has a capacity of just over 50,000 for baseball, and is shared by the Toronto Argonauts (Canadian Football League team), and the Toronto Raptors (NBA Team). It is very hi-tech, with neon lights, purple and teal coloring on many of the upper levels, and the words "The Next Generation" scrawled on the turf in front of each dugout. And, it boasts the largest "jumbotron" screen in North America (second largest in the world). Despite all that, Skydome has a distinct baseball feel to it, with no visible lines in the astroturf remaining from football games and every seat has a good view of the playing field (although the stands in the upper decks are quite steep).
The problem is, when you walk around the concourses of the stadium, you get the feeling you are walking in an arcade rather than a sports complex. There is a considerable amount of neon displayed on the souvenir stands and vending machines offer sports cards and other goodies. It is more like what Marty McFly would be watching baseball at in the second Back to the Future movie.
When I walked into the Skydome, I was shown the way to the underground level of the stadium. Figuring that I could find my way to the field entrance, I started walking in hopes of finding a door. The first thing I came across was the Blue Jays bullpen where Roger Clemens was working with his two sons Koby and Kory on their game. In addition to being in total awe of Roger Clemens, one of the greatest pitchers of all time, I was touched by the family moment I was watching. Roger Clemens was being a good dad.
I continued walking, past both clubhouses, some concession stands, and then I found myself in the bullpen again. Needless to say, I was a little bewildered and asked for directions. One more lap around the park as I tried to decipher exactly what the directions I was given meant, and I was walking through the hallway and out the visitors dugout onto the field. I was early.
After sitting for a few minutes in the Red Sox dugout I walked onto the field. As I was standing near the batting cage, the roof began to open. A totally incredible sight, 11,000 tons of steel effortlessly moving to reveal the warmth and light of the perfectly sunny day. I overheard one Red Sox player remark on how amazed he was that the moving of the roof made so little noise that he wouldn't have noticed if not for the introduction of sunlight to the otherwise dimly lit stadium. I had to agree.
As batting practiced moved into full swing, I took my place in the Blue Jays dugout and watched as the players stretched, took some warm up tosses, and hit slow pitches over the fences to appreciative fans. In the dugout, the press corps was gathering for what would be two separate press conferences, first with Manager Cito Gaston, and then with pitching ace Roger Clemens. It seems to me that the press corps at Skydome was particularly large compared to those in the other stadiums I had visited. I overheard an interview with Cito Gaston in which he ranked the best players in the American League by statistical category and position, and then spoke with him briefly about the trip.
All in all, the mood of the players and coaches, on both teams, was very light and all were very friendly. Most of the Blue Jays players waved, winked, or asked how I was doing. A few coaches I was introduced to listened intently and asked questions as we discussed the trip, and numerous players offered their broken bats, batting gloves, or balls from batting practice for my collection. Despite feeling very small and young among these polite and courteous gentlemen (amazing . . . they're ballplayers too) I thanked everyone generously and left the field forty-five minutes before the game started to take my spot in the press box.
I wasn't able to organize a formal meeting with any member of the Blue Jays management, but that is not to say that the organization was not supportive of my trip or helpful in my adventures. The Director of Media Relations, Howard Starkman, met me in the dugout and introduced himself. He made sure that my credential was being honored without troubles and proceeded to introduce me to coaches and other personnel that had gathered in the dugout. Later, in the press box, he offered me a media guide, invited me to eat in the media dining room and checked on me throughout the game to make sure I had everything I needed. The Blue Jays, and Howard Starkman in particular went out of their way to make sure I was happy and to make sure my time at Skydome was enjoyable. Most of the questions about inter-league play and international players seemed to answer themselves by taking a closer look at the preparations being made for the upcoming "battle of Canada" series against Montreal or the roster of the Blue Jays and their many languages and ethnicities. The Blue Jays are a truly international team.
When I arrived in the Press box, I was greeted by a series of attendants who showed me to a seat on the second level and assigned me a meal ticket. I joined a group of local reporters in the line for food (peas, pasta, rice, salad, meat, and a custard dessert) and we spoke about the trip, local sports, the upcoming game, and various other topics. One reporter, Marcy Cornblum, in addition to being a writer makes custom clothing for the players including leather jackets. She acknowledged the main reason she still comes to games was because she has many friends among the players and coaches and likes to see them on a regular basis. We spent time off and on during the game plotting promotional ideas for the Great American Baseball Trip. She seemed genuinely interested in the idea while the others seemed more intent on finishing their dinner.
Throughout the game, reporters typed away on their computers, almost oblivious to the contest in front of them. They all seemed to be working on a big story that came out of the press conference with Roger Clemens. Each tried to capture his feelings about playing Boston (Clemens played with Boston until this season) and his reactions to the upcoming return to Fenway Park. They shared stats, talked about family, commented on how much they wanted a vacation, and enjoyed the comfortable seats and the full service lounge behind them. They are all veterans of the business and seemed surprised by little that was happening on the field.
THE FOODSkydome is rumored to have the best food in baseball. I certainly couldn't find it. Everything is affiliated with McDonalds and all the food is sold out of SkySnacks booths with golden arches hidden slyly in the background. The regular selection of McDonalds hamburgers and fries is complimented by hot dogs, pizza, and frozen yogurt. In addition, McDonalds seems to be responsible for the production of the pretzels. The one I purchased was hard, tasted of plastic, and certainly wasn't enhanced by the weak flavored mustard (despite the wonderful hi-tech dispensers located throughout the concourses.)
Although I didn't partake, there also seemed to be a significant amount of beer available to fans. Several different brands including Canada's own Molson Blue and Heineken seemed to highlight the selection (which mysteriously lacked such American delights as Budweiser and Bud Light). Needless to say, the Beers of the World Stand was extremely popular throughout the game.
Frankly, I was a little disappointed by the food that was available for purchase. Outside the Skydome, advertisements for Chicken Hot Dogs (for the health conscious fan I suppose) led me to believe that the food inside would be above average. Unless you want to eat at the Hard Rock Cafe or in the Skydome Hotel restaurant (both are pricy and difficult to get a reservation at) all you will find is McDonalds food that is above the average price (even with the nice discount associated with the exchange from American currency to Canadian currency) and below the average quality. Oh well.
After walking around the stadium for a while, I joined some fans in the stands to watch the middle innings of the game. Nobody in my section was very talkative, about baseball or anything, even with my prodding for answers about their feelings on the stadium, the team and the game in general. Instead, they described the fans at Skydome as "quiet . . . and reserved." The loudest noises of the evening seemed to be coming off the brilliant plays by the fans when catching foul balls. And for most of the game, that was understandable.
The game started off slowly, but the Blue Jays were clearly in control. Breaking out to an early lead thanks to aggressive running and clutch hitting, the Blue Jays went into the seventh inning looking like they would walk away with the contest. But, the Red Sox hit three homers in the top of the seventh inning and looked like they would put the Jays away for good. Then the fans woke up. The chorus of boos coming from the crowd was deafening . . . the Jays made it out of the inning, and in the bottom of the seventh, the Jays battled back to come within a run. That is as close as they got. The Red Sox bullpen closed out the Jays in the ninth with a couple of strike-outs and everyone went home disappointed with the loss.
Despite the outcome, the evening at Skydome was an interesting and exciting one. Baseball in Canada is certainly different than in the United States, whether it is the music in between innings, the fans in the stands, or the food being served. Priorities are different, people focus on different aspects of the game, and the media certainly seems to take the entire event more seriously. The whole experience, including the field, the fans, the players, and the city is worth another look, if nothing else than to watch some stellar baseball.
