Should there be a 2020 MLB season–something that’s still very much up in the air–it remains to be seen whether the Toronto Blue Jays will play out of their Dunedin spring-training complex or share Tropicana Field with the Tampa Bay Rays.
The assumption is that the Blue Jays will not be allowed to open play at Rogers Centre due to quarantine requirements imposed by the national government. If these restrictions aren’t lifted and play resumes, the Blue Jays will need to make a hard choice about their 2020 venue.
TD Ballpark, the team’s Dunedin spring training home upgraded for 2020, is the obvious choice, with a training complex nearby and the lighting reportedly upgraded to meet MLB standards. Other upgrades, such as the installation of additional high-def cameras, would not seem to be insurmountable challenges. And the talk since the season was shut down has centered around the Blue Jays playing the season there.
The backup plan, it would appear, is sharing Tropicana Field with the Tampa Bay Rays. A taxi squad could still training out of Dunedin. The big advantage to sharing Tropicana Field: it’s a climate controlled environment, and presumably avoiding hot Florida nights in July and August would be something that goes over well with players. The other big advantage: Toronto was a team built for synthetic turf, and the Trop features synthetic turf.
A long shot: Using a minor-league facility for play. The Blue Jays’ top affiliate, the Buffalo Bisons (Class AAA; International League), could conceivably host MLB baseball, but we’ve been told there are some concerns that an MLB team playing out of an MiLB ballpark at a time when MLB is planning to contract 42 teams may not present the best optics.
RELATED STORIES: Training complexes closed down after COVID-19 outbreaks; New MLB offer: Full prorated salaries, 60-game season; Manfred “not confident” there will be 2020 MLB season; Tonight’s SportsCenter special to cover return of sports, more; Players cut to the chase, ask MLB to set terms of the 2020 season; MLB’s latest offer: 72 games, 80% prorated salaries; Manfred: We’ll be playing baseball this summer and fall; Latest MLB offer: 76 games, prorated salaries; MLB reportedly rejects 114-game season; what comes next?; Why a 50-game season makes sense for MLB, MLBPA; Fate of 2020 MLB season again up in the air; Players reject MLB financial plan for 2020 season resumption; California, New York govs clear way for sports in empty ballparks in June; Teams find alternative uses for ballparks as entertainment venues; Fans prioritize safety when considering return to baseball: study; When baseball returns, will fans return as well?
"still" - Google News
June 21, 2020 at 06:25AM
https://ift.tt/2BpkT4c
Still to be determined: Where Blue Jays play in 2020 - Ballpark Digest
"still" - Google News
https://ift.tt/35pEmfO
https://ift.tt/2YsogAP
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Still to be determined: Where Blue Jays play in 2020 - Ballpark Digest"
Post a Comment