The Blue Jays would rather be home, but welcome the move to Buffalo (and thousands of fans) over Dunedin

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 31/05/2021 (1628 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Blue Jays are back in Buffalo, and while it may not be the trip north they were hoping to make, a return to Sahlen Field should be a welcome one.

Buffalo was always a likely stop for a second straight season, with the weather at open-air TD Ballpark in Dunedin, Fla. verging on stifling by June and the Canadian government having not yet granted any professional teams — or their American opponents — the national interest exemption needed to travel freely across the border.

Sahlen Field brings back good memories for those Jays players who spent 26 games there in 2020, amassing a 17-9 record on the way to a playoff spot.

“As a team, we loved playing at Sahlen Field last year,” said infielder Joe Panik. “I don’t know what it was, we played really good ball there.”

The park won’t be the same as the one they left last fall. A recent renovation included:

• Moving the bullpens off the field and behind the outfield wall.

• New batting cages beyond right field.

• A new weight room and renovated clubhouse facilities.

• Better lighting, including the addition of two temporary light poles.

Sahlen Field also offers better protection from the elements on the field than in Dunedin. While both ballparks are considered hitter-friendly, the lack of a second deck at TD Ballpark meant players had to battle sun and wind on defence. Evening start times were eventually pushed back by half an hour to minimize the problem.

Infielder Marcus Semien said this past month that many players had never experienced such conditions at the major-league level. Semien, whose home stats are down slightly across the board compared to his away numbers, added that he has enjoyed road games this year because the team gets to play in big-league stadiums.

“When you’re playing in Dunedin and it’s windy, without a second or third deck, the ball is going to fly,” Semien said at the time.

Acquired as a free agent in the off-season, Semien didn’t play in Buffalo last year, but was eager to get to the new-old digs.

“Looking forward to seeing the stadium and the city,” he said over the weekend. “My family is there waiting for me, so that’ll be nice.”

Another key element at Sahlen Field that was not possible last year? Fans.

A crowd of almost 6,000 is expected for Tuesday’s opener against the Miami Marlins. That’s the limit for the first eight home dates, or 35 per cent of the 16,600 capacity, including sections designated for those fully vaccinated. It’s expected to increase to 45 per cent starting June 15. Fans will be offered a free Johnson and Johnson vaccine at the ballpark, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced recently.

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Almost every player and coach asked about the move mentioned support in the stands as one of the big pluses.

“Hopefully it will become more of a home-field advantage, because it wasn’t in Dunedin,” said manager Charlie Montoyo. “Every team we played, they had more fans … than we did.”

While Panik is happy to get back to Buffalo, he’s still hoping for a return to Toronto, where he has yet to play as a Jay.

“Trust me, we would all love to be in Toronto,” said Panik, in his second season with the club. “I personally would love to be there, but with circumstances the way they were, really looking forward to getting to Buffalo.”

Laura Armstrong is a Star sports reporter based in Toronto. Follow her on Twitter: @lauraarmy