“That creates a demand for an even greater amount of space due to social distancing and the other attributes of the protocols within the document that we’re operating under,” Shapiro said. And MLB really did do its best to make Sahlen Field look like the Blue Jays’ home. Show full articles without "Continue Reading" button for {0} hours. The Blue Jays finally set flight in their temporary Buffalo home on Tuesday night. "But if 2020 has taught us anything, it's that anything is possible. Minor League parks are naturally smaller, not just in terms of seating, but also clubhouses and facilities, and these stadiums simply weren’t built with this new reality in mind. Follow him on Twitter @KeeganMatheson. Now, things are looking up. The company issued a statement in July saying it was "honored" to have its name on the ballpark. Boston’s Fenway Park could work as a good example, as the clubhouse and facilities in that stadium are very small relative to others in the Majors. In other words: The naming rights Sahlen's purchased for hundreds of thousands of dollars annually will draw similar exposure this year to the naming rights purchased for millions in other cities by Citibank, Coors and other top-level brands. “That means we’re trying to think about the size of spaces, locker rooms, cages, training rooms and resources.”. Blocked by the Canadian government from playing in Toronto because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Blue Jays will play their 2020 home games at the Buffalo ballpark, home to the team's top minor-league affiliate. Following the club’s announcement on Friday, the focus immediately shifted to the major project of renovations and additions to the stadium. TORONTO -- The Blue Jays have found a home for the 2020 MLB season at Sahlen Field in Buffalo, the club announced on Friday. Shapiro said that the Blue Jays have been in daily communication with the players throughout this process. Photos posted by the Blue Jays on the team's social media accounts show TD Bank, not Sahlen's, will have its logo plastered on the signage behind home plate — which Allphin called the "best position in sports" because it's on screen for enormous stretches of baseball games. The area took a big hit before the pandemic when a rumor popped up saying there was a case of COVID-19. It's time to meet Dale Moss! Andrew Cuomo and why New York embraced the Toronto Blue Jays. "The Bachelorette": We Have to Talk About Dale Moss, Padres Outfielder Tommy Pham Stabbed Outside Midway Strip Club: SDPD, Asiatown took hit over COVID-19 rumors, but business is back, Sasse: The Houston Astros are 'miserable cheaters', Rays defense leads the way in push for the Pennant, Is Cashman or Boone More to Blame For the Yankees Shortcomings? Now Buffalo is a major-league city, at least for a summer. Clubs are adhering to a strict, detailed set of protocols from MLB, and the Blue Jays will need a stadium that allows for that. Buffalo Business First reported at the time, Blue Jays are set to play their first game at Sahlen Field, Buffalo ready to host the Blue Jays, though fans won't even notice it, Toronto Blue Jays will make Buffalo their home this summer, Blue Jays' move to Buffalo stirs up memories of Rochesterians' trips to Toronto, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. They hail from Toronto, home to one of the largest metropolitan areas in North America. He can be reached at JCAMPBELL1@Gannett.com or on Twitter at @JonCampbellGAN. These are needed for two reasons, the first of which focuses strictly on baseball and competition. New York Gov. To comply with protocols, the Red Sox made use of their concourse areas, which typically house fans and vendors, and have renovated suites to use for player lockers. Microsoft may earn an Affiliate Commission if you purchase something through recommended links in this article. "You're going to have the best minor-league stadium in the United States of America," Cuomo said on the stadium's first day. ", "Let's assume it's under half a million dollars a year," he said. Originally known as Pilot Field, the venue has since been named Downtown Ballpark, North AmeriCare Park, Dunn Tire Park, and Coca-Cola Field. Just a day ahead of the Blue Jays’ Tuesday “home opener” against the Marlins, the team offered a look at the revamped ballpark. Instead, the Jays will play ball at Sahlen Field, a 16,600-seat stadium named after a fifth-generation, family-owned Buffalo company that has spent more than a … "They play in the (American League) East, which is the most covered division by far. Jon Campbell is a New York state government reporter for the USA TODAY Network. TORONTO -- The Blue Jays have found a home for the 2020 MLB season at Sahlen Field in Buffalo, the club announced on Friday. It was among the first in a run of retro ballparks in downtown locations. The players’ clear preference was to play in a Major League park, but Shapiro feels the organization is aligned on the Buffalo plan. The existing lighting is good, but it needs to be upgraded and supplemented to bring it up to Major League standards, both for game play and broadcast purposes. ", Good Morning from Sahlen Field! The Blue Jays are calling Buffalo their home after the Canadian federal government rejected a plan for the team to use the Rogers Centre in ... "It feels like I'm in a totally different stadium. "The Blue Jays will play 30 home games there, give or take. For other issues, the Blue Jays will need to “reimagine” the physical space at Sahlen Field. Now, the company says Sahlen's products are available in stores in 35 states. Check out the latest offer. The company also owns Sahlen Sports Park, an indoor, multi-field facility in Elma, Erie County, where the Flash used to practice. Instead of a summer of hosting Buffalo Bisons minor-league baseball, Sahlen Field will be home to at least 28 Blue Jays games featuring the likes of the New York Yankees, New York Mets and Boston Red Sox. | Joe & Evan, Nightengale: White Sox's interest in Tony La Russa is 'very legitimate', Philadelphia Jumps To Seventh Spot On List Of 'Rattiest Cities' In US, Public viewing scheduled at Gallier Hall for Zulu King George Rainey, Man Dead, Another Injured In Monday Night Shootings In Baltimore County, The Rays are one of the most fun teams in sports I D.A. Keegan Matheson is a reporter/editor for MLB.com based in Toronto. “I’ve always thought one of the greatest things I’ve heard expressed along the way is, ‘Wherever you are is your Major Leagues.’”. But to get the park ready to host an MLB team, it needed to undergo extensive — and accelerated — renovations. "Few people from the Sahlen family would have guessed ... that our name would be associated to this extent with that of a Major League Baseball team's home," the statement read. Please consider supporting our efforts with a subscription to the New York publication nearest you. Mario Cuomo delivered remarks and threw out the first pitch at Pilot Field when it first opened on April 14, 1988. Toronto’s first scheduled home series, July 29-30 against the Nationals, will now take place in Washington. From 2011 through 2015, the company had its name on Sahlen's Stadium in Rochester, a soccer facility that hosted the since-moved Western New York Flash, a professional women's soccer team then owned by Joe Sahlen, president of the Sahlen Packing Co. Sahlen's has deals with the Bisons, Watkins Glen International, the Florida Panthers of the NHL and the Charlotte Knights minor-league baseball team to ensure their hot dogs are served during races and games. Clare Crawley gave the former NFL player her first impression rose...but will he be the one to win her heart? None of those deals, however, compared to the exposure Sahlen's is due to get this summer, even if the Major League Baseball season is already shortened because of COVID-19. More: Toronto Blue Jays will make Buffalo their home this summer, More: Blue Jays' move to Buffalo stirs up memories of Rochesterians' trips to Toronto. But the Sahlen's name does remain displayed on the center field scoreboard, the photos showed. The exposure is huge.". The Blue Jays reconfigured the locker rooms and training rooms to allow for physical distancing, spacing individual lockers for players six feet apart.
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