Exhibition Stadium
Toronto, Ontario
Formerly, Skydome
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
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.
Toronto Blue Jays
One Blue Jays Way
Toronto, Ontario M5V 1J1
Tickets: (416) 341-1234
In the Action $195
Premium Dugout $59
Club 200 Infield $62
Field Level Infield $57
Club 200 Baselines $39
Field Level Bases $39
Field Level Baselines $28
100 Level Outfield $23
200 Level Outfield $21
200 Level Family Zone $9
500 Level $9
Seating Chart
Purchase Jays Tickets
TV: RSN, TSN
In-park dining choices: Windows on Skydome, Bistro, Hard Rock Cafe, Sightlines, SkySnack.
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Directions & Parking
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NOTES, FACTS AND FEATURES
In 2004, Skydome became the last major league stadium to play on classic Astroturf.
Kids 14 and under are encouraged to come down to the field to Run the Bases after each Saturday home game.
Rogers Centre has 161 private SkyBoxes.
The roof system features a series of 3 moveable panels and 1 stationary panel. Panels 2 and 3 slide on parallel rails while panel 1 slides on a circular rail "tucking" underneath 2 and 3... The roof operates on a system of steel tracks and 54 drive mechanisms called "bogies" and is powered by a series of DC motors that generate over 750 horsepower... Roof area is 339,343 square ft. and the weight is 11,000 tons... span at widest point- 674 ft... height is 282 ft. (from field level to highest point)... open/close time - 20 minutes (71 ft. minute)
In the 1992 World Series, The Athletics Jose Canseco hit a mammoth home run into the 5th deck in left field.
Skydome's original Sony Jumbotron cost $17,000,000 in 1989 and was the largest video board in North America.
Bullpens are located just beyond the left and right field fences.
The pitcher's mound is constructed on a fiberglass dish and can be lowered or raised by hydraulic system.
Conversion takes approximately 10-12 hours to convert from baseball to football.
Over 8 miles of zippers connected the strips of Astroturf.
All-time American League Attendance Record four years in a row: September 23, 1990 3,885,284; September 23, 1991 4,001,058; October 4, 1992 4,028,318; September 26, 1993 4,057,947.
American League dictated that the roof stay closed for each of the playoff and World Series games played here.
When closed, Rogers Centre could hold a 31-story building, making it almost twice as high above the field as Minnesota’s Metrodome.
The Renaissance Toronto Hotel at Skydome sits on the edge of Toronto's financial core and in the heart of its entertainment district. The Hockey Hall of Fame, the Theater District and the Harbor Front are all within a five-minute walking distance from the Rogers Centre.
The ownership of SkyDome filed for bankruptcy protection in November 1998, the same month in which the Blue Jays signed a new ten-year lease to play in the stadium.
The CN Tower (the world's largest free-standing structure) is right next door.
North America's largest McDonald's was located down the right field concourse, however they pulled out after attendance plummeted in the late 1990s.
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