In the days leading up to MLB’s restarted season, the Toronto Blue Jays were essentially left without a home park. The Canadian government denied the team’s request to play in Toronto amid the pandemic (out of concern over teams traveling to the U.S. and back), so the Blue Jays scattered to find an MLB-quality park.
After issues with Pennsylvania, the Blue Jays eventually had to settle on the home of their Triple-A affiliate Buffalo Bisons at Sahlen Field. But to get the park ready to host an MLB team, it needed to undergo extensive — and accelerated — renovations.
Just a day ahead of the Blue Jays’ Tuesday “home opener” against the Marlins, the team offered a look at the revamped ballpark. And MLB really did do its best to make Sahlen Field look like the Blue Jays’ home.
According to The Buffalo News, Blue Jays staffers teamed up with MLB and BaAm Productions (the firm behind the Field of Dreams Classic) to make the Triple-A park look like a suitable home for the Blue Jays.
The project included expanding the clubhouse into hallways for social distancing, upgrading the batting cages, workout areas, dugouts and the entire infield turf was replaced. The stadium — as you can see — got painted with plenty of Blue Jays branding throughout.
The visitors clubhouse will be in an auxiliary tent just off the stadium property.
It’s too bad that the Blue Jays couldn’t get the stadium rotated to face the city skyline, though. They’ll be stuck with a view of a highway and parking structure instead. That’s a Guaranteed Rate Field-esque failure in urban planning.
They probably just ran out of time for that project.
