Rating the new neighbourhoods of the Rogers Centre Outfield District
A handy guide to the new Rogers Centre experience
Late on Thursday morning, in a brief ceremony emceed by the great Hazel Mae, staged between home plate and the pitcher’s mound, Blue Jays president and CEO, Mark Shapiro, presided proudly over an official ribbon-cutting ceremony for his pet project, the Rogers Centre Renovations - Phase One. The ceremony was followed by a guided tour of the new outfield attractions for the benefit of 90 curious local media members. The Blue Jays return home to open the home schedule on April 11.
For several years, Shapiro had lamented about the 20th Century fan-experience at Rogers Centre, trying to find ways to upgrade and present his sport as 21st Century entertainment. Major-league baseball and the Blue Jays have been fighting a losing battle as any stadium would, that does not go above and beyond the commonplace.
Hours of travel time battling traffic, expensive parking, jammed into a cramped plastic seat, with strangers to your right and more to your left, having access to less information and a worse view than if you were watching on TV. How about then fighting your way to the aisle, heading to a concession stand with no view of the field while waiting in line for overpriced items that lack diversity and imagination.
What phenomenon does the Jays’ Renovation - Phase One compare to? Well, in 1969, PBS invented and introduced a forward thinking new neighbourhood for children who liked to learn, called Sesame Street. In 2023, the Blue Jays introduce a forward thinking new neighbourhood for adults who like to drink, called the Outfield District. Come to think of it, the Jays may actually be serving the same group that enjoyed the birth of that other neighbourhood.
As a public service, Griff’s The Pitch will now proceed to rate the seven new Rogers Centre attractions, each modelled after a distinct Toronto neighbourhood, and rank the pros and cons of what they offer, mostly in terms of ambience and view.
1-Corona Rooftop Patio (Right Field, 500 level)… On a warm summer eve, with the roof open and a soft breeze blowing past the CN Tower, this highest of the new locales will seem ideal. There is live music offered and plenty of standing room at various levels facing the field, offering a great view of both bullpens and the Jays game as it unfolds. The only downside in trying to compare this Patio with the best rooftop patios in the city is that given the quicker MLB games and with sale of alcohol cut off after seven innings, last call could be around 9:00 p.m. on many nights.
2-Rogers Landing (Right Field Corner next to visitors bullpen)… The Landing is a sneaky-great place to watch the game. Down one flight of stairs from the Catch Bar, it is strictly about baseball and drinking, right next to the visitors bullpen (separated from enemy catchers by a three-metre high link fence) with fans hanging directly over right. There is a great likelihood of fans being targeted by home runs down the line.
3-Park Social (Left Field, 500 Level)… This is the most colourful of the new locales, in terms of both furniture and food menu. There are great standing locations from which to watch a game and plenty of non-baseball things to do for the kids, both hi-tech and lo-tech, if they are not into watching every pitch. Food items that include a delicious-looking three-cheese grilled-cheese, are described as “food-truck inspired”. Plenty of non-alcoholic beverages on the menu. This is definitely THE family choice.
4-The Catch Bar (Right Field, Level 100)… This isn’t as intimidating as I had imagined in terms of hostile fans leaning into the visitors bullpen and disrupting preparation. Word is that the Jays have hired extra security personnel to try and head off drunk Jays fans looking for their 15 minutes. There is a freestyle, first-come, first-served bleacher seating overlooking the pen, while the Catch bar itself on Level 100 is spacious, but will likely always be crowded because it’s the first area you pass when entering from the right field concourses. Boasts a menu of designer drinks and is also well within range of home run balls to right.
5-Schneider’s Porch (Right Field, Level 200)… A second sneaky-good place to watch a game. No, you’re not going to see the Blue Jays manager John Schneider here any time soon. This particular Schneider has been a hot-dog magnate since 1890. The Porch will be a beehive of activity on Loonie Dog Tuesdays. But be warned in advance that the Poutine Dog is not part of the loonie menu. Also be warned in advance … uh, the Poutine Dog. This area is 100-percent with a great view of the field — unless you happen to be riding the giant hot-dog see-saw and are at the saw end.
6-The Stop (Centre Field, Level 100)… Hard to rank this location any higher than six, especially as an area at a baseball event that has no view of baseball. Located behind the giant black batter’s eye in dead centre, it was clever marketing to pattern it after a subway stop when there was really no other use for this giant concourse area. The menu is advertised as “diverse, easy to grab eats”. Might be ideal if you arrive an hour before game time on a weekend when there is no batting practice and are looking for quiet conversation. I will try the Touch ‘em all Joe Aperol Spritz.
7-WestJet Flight Deck (Centre Field, Level 200)… And the first will be last. Recall that the Flight Deck used to be the shining star in the outfield alcohol firmament. The location has been around for years, but not much has changed. The view from straightaway centre remains the same and other than adding a back wall of pinball and video games and a couple of sand-covered shuffleboard tables near the bar, it will seem very familiar. Given baseball-fanatic parents and game-playing kids, this level has a chance of setting a record for temporarily lost children from inattentive parenting.
One thing that has become perfectly clear after viewing the huge financial investment Rogers has put into upgrading the Rogers Centre (the second half occurs next year) is that the Blue Jays are not going anywhere soon. Now we need to see how the actual games are affected by the changes to dimensions.
Another shoutout to drunk jays fans.
Looking forward to seeing the new outfield soon!
Great to see the investment by Rogers. I hope there is a summary after the home opener on cost for the offerings (somewhere if not here).