Toronto Blue Jays: Life Begins at Rogers Centre

“Happy birthday, Rogers Centre!”

On June 5, 1989 life started at the SkyDome for the Toronto Blue Jays. They moved from Exhibition Stadium (photo below) and played their first game.

That date will live in the history books within the landscape of Toronto sports history. It was the day that the Toronto Blue Jays moved from Exhibition Stadium over to the SkyDome, the first retractable roof stadium.

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A lot has changed over the past 26 years. At that time, in Toronto, games were televised primarily on the T.V. station CTV within the Greater Toronto area. Of course today, across Canada, games are shown on Rogers Sportsnet from coast to coast. During that June 5th game against the Milwaukee Brewers, CTV decided to join the game in progress, after the evening news.

When the coverage of the game started, they showed a half hour feature on the building of the SkyDome. The stadium took two and a half years to construct at a cost of roughly $570 million Canadian. They spent the T.V. coverage showing the unique features of this modern ballpark.

The Blue Jays played the game at the SkyDome among 48,378 screaming fans. SkyDome was the place to be and the Blue Jays were a hot ticket. Baseball fans in Toronto, fifteen years old or younger, are probably thinking this is an embellishment but, rest assured, it is completely true.

In their first game in their new home, they lost 5-3 to the Brewers. The Brewers’ designated hitter Robin Yount, shortstop Gary Sheffield and left fielder Glenn Braggs cashed in all the runs for “Brew” crew.

Left fielder George Bell and first baseman Fred McGriff drove in the only runs for Toronto. Each of them hit solo homeruns. Fred McGriff was a menacing player for opponents to face. McGriff was affectionately known as ‘the Crime Dog’. He will forever be known as the first player to hit a homerun there.

Toronto starting pitcher Jimmy Key threw a complete game, giving up 9 hits and throwing an astonishing 141 pitches. You are reading that correctly – 141 pitches. To throw 140 pitches or more wasn’t unusual in those days! This was the only game that a Blue Jays pitcher would throw over 140 pitches. In Key’s next start, he threw 3 innings and allowed 5 earned runs.

The starting lineup was:
Junior Felix, RF
Tony Fernandez, SS
Kelly Gruber, 3B
George Bell LF
Fred McGriff 1B
Lloyd Moseby CF
Ernie Whitt C
Rance Mulliniks DH
Nelson Liriano 2B

After the game the Blue Jays were 23-32, in 6th place in the AL East, 9 games behind the Baltimore Orioles. They had already fired ex-manager Jimy Williams after the team won 12 of its first 36 games. They replaced him with Cito Gaston and the team went on to win the division title. They defeated the Baltimore Orioles in a final weekend showdown for the AL East crown. That happened on September 30, 1989 as closer Tom Henke struck out Orioles Larry Sheets. After replacing Williams, they went 77-49 under Gaston. The team went on to the playoffs for the first time since 1985 against the Oakland Athletics, but the A’s were just too powerful.

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There have been some bright spots at the SkyDome since that magical season of 1989. Since then, the stadium was home to back to back World Series titles, hosted an All-Star Game in 1991 where they saw the American League win 4-2 against the National League. In the game, Toronto’s star pitcher Jimmy Key was rewarded with a win. All-star second baseman, Roberto Alomar, was also a participant in the midsummer classic game representing the Toronto Blue Jays in his first year north of the border.

Fast forward to 2015! The Toronto Blue Jays team has changed. The stadium is no longer known as SkyDome. It changed its name, in 2005, to Rogers Centre. The Rogers Centre, as well as the Blue Jays, are both perceived in some circles as not the team to get behind and the stadium to see a game in. The Blue Jays have not won in 22 years and show no immediate signs of ending the streak soon. To American fans, they are the forgotten child. Stadiums are updated and new ballparks are built and to some fans the Rogers Centre is a stadium behind the times.
That might be so true! However, to those fans who were lucky enough to remember 1989 it was a very special stadium to visit in the late 1980’s and a place of memories.

Next: Jose Reyes to the outfield?

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