BallparkTour.com - Rogers Centre

Tenants: Toronto Blue Jays (AL 1989-present); Toronto Argonauts (CFL 1989-present)
Groundbreaking: October 3, 1986
Opening (roof) ceremony: June 3, 1989
1st American League game: June 5, 1989 (Mil 5, Tor 3)
Playing surface: Astroturf (1989-04);  FieldTurf (2005)Architects: Rod Robbie and Michael Allen
Construction Ellis-Don Construction
Owner: Toronto Blue Jays (Hotel not included)
Cost: $500 million Canadian;  Purchaced by Rogers Communication in 2004 for $25 million Canadian.
Public financing: $60 from the Ontario provincial and Toronto city governments
Private finincing: $5 million each from 33 Canadian corporations in exchange for preferred supplier status and a
luxury suite.
Seating capacity: 50,516 (baseball); 53,000 (football)Dimensions:
Foul lines:  328 ft.
Power alleys:  375 ft.
Centre field:  400 ft.Height of fences: 10 ft.Hosted World Series: 1992, 1993
Hosted All-Star Game: 1991

  Organized baseball has had a rich history in Toronto dating back to 1885.  In that first year, the Toronto ballclub
played its games at the Jarvis St. Lacrosse Grounds.  From those humble beginnings would come one hundred
years later a first of its kind in the world - a retractable-roof ballpark.  Since 1977, the Blue Jays had played their
games at Exhibition Stadium - the converted Canadian National Exhibition grandstand - oddly configured for
baseball with the grandstands along the bases uncovered with bleacher-style seats - and outfield chair-back seats
that were covered.

  In the early 80's the first sites for a new domed stadium were proposed. Eventually, the site chosen was
underneath the mammoth CN Tower in downtown Toronto. Groundbreaking ceremonies for the domed stadium
were held on October 3, 1986. The new building would be more than just a multi-use stadium, however, it would
have the world's first retractable roof, and would be home to baseball, football, and other events. The name,
Skydome, was chosen by a local write-in suggestion contest.

  Skydome's opening in June of 1989 was a tremendous hit. Even though the Blue Jays lost the opener 5-3 to the
Brewers, visitors to the new stadium were awed - not only with the convertable roof, but a some other firsts. In
the outfield above the centerfield wall appeared North America's biggest video board - spanning an incredible 110
ft. long by 33 ft. high and costing $17 million.  Another first was the Skydome Hotel (Now the Renaissance Hotel)
featuring 70 of the 348 rooms directly overlooking centerfield.  Below the scoreboard and hotel -  Sightlines, a
300-foot-long bar, and bellow that - Windows on Skydome: a 650-seat restaurant with terraced tables - all
overlooking the playing field. Not to be outdone, The Hard Rock Cafe in right field features some tables with a
view of the field, as well.

  In 2004 Rogers Communications Inc., purchased the stadium for approximately $25 million in Canadian funds,
adding it to the company's standing ownership of the Jays and their flagship station on both television and radio.  
In February, 2005, Skydome was renamed Rogers Centre in honor of its new ownership, along with announcing
stadium upgrades for the 2005 season, including a new playing field and scoreboards.

The new field will be provided by FieldTurf, courtesy of a deal that cost the Blue Jays nearly $2 million in
Canadian funds. The new Daktronics TV screens cost nearly $8 million, which stands in stark contrast to the old
16-year old system.

"We're getting seven boards, five in color, compared to the one that cost $17 million when the building opened,"
Team president Paul Godfrey said. "This is $6 million, plus $2 million for the control room. The control room is
much more expanded. I've gotta tell you, it's going to be an amazing thing to see."

Godfrey said the alignment of the TVs will create a state-of-the-art viewing environment. The main screen in
center field will be similar to the old one, measuring 33 feet high and 110 feet across. From there, just about
everything else is different.

Rogers Centre will have two large screens on the outfield fence, each one measuring 10 feet high and 65 feet
across. Not only that, two more long and narrow screens will radiate out from the center-field board. They're
both 135 feet long, stretching nearly as far as first and third base.  For the first time, Toronto fans will get a
detailed out-of-town scoreboard, complete with up-to-date information about the current inning and who's on
base. The Jays hope those developments, along with some others, will convince more people to come to the
ballpark.

Iconic Moment: October 23, 1993.  World Series Game 6. The advantage stood in Philadelphia's favor as they
protected a 6-5 decision going into the ninth. Mitch Williams was given the call from the Phillies bullpen and
proceeded to walk Rickey Henderson on four pitches. Paul Molitor followed with a clutch single to center. Joe
Carter completed the sequence and sent a 2-2 pitch over the left-field fence for the game and title.  It was the
first walk-off World Series ending homer since the Pirates Bill Mazeroski's against the Yanks in 1960.The good: Still some "Wow" factor left for first time visitors.  Great proximity to other popular destinations, clubs
bars, and restaurants in downtown Toronto.  Also, the hotel rooms are now tinted so you can't see into them
anymore from the stands - after several "private moments" caught on tape by spectators in the grandstand.
The bad: Artificial turf.  Rogers Centre is a multi-use facility designed to make the most money possible -- it will
never see a natural grass playing field because it will never be just a baseball park.
The ugly: It once seemed spectacular - now it just seems like a stadium.  Every single ballpark designed after
Rogers Centre is significantly better.  If we were left to compare it to classic cookie-cutter stadiums built in the
1960's and 1970's, this would be a dramatic upgrade.  Compared to those stadiums, Rogers Centre has a unique
personality.  However, compared to the Camden Yards generation of stadiums, the former Skydome is just another
multi-purpose, artificial surface stadium with bad sightlines for baseball.