By Jason Wesseldyk
Sports Editor
The past couple of years, I’ve shared my experiences traveling to different Major League Baseball stadiums, providing my thoughts on each one and ranking them in terms of my favorites.
Two years ago, that included an exhausting-but-fun seven stadiums in seven days, including stops in Milwaukee, both Chicago stadiums, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Cleveland and Detroit.
Last year, Busch Stadium in St. Louis was added to the mix.
This year was my first international experience as my dad, my two sons and I made the trek across the northern border to the Rogers Centre in Toronto, home of the Blue Jays.
So without any further ado, let’s jump in.
In the spirit of full disclosure, our trip to Toronto wasn’t exclusively baseball related. Rather, my oldest son Colin was part of a study abroad program in Italy and his professor at Central Michigan University opted to have the group fly out of Toronto to save money on the plane tickets.
As soon as I realized the day we were dropping him off at the airport was during the baseball season, I quickly went to the Blue Jays’ schedule to see if they were playing at home. As luck would have it, not only were they home, but they were hosting none other than my beloved Detroit Tigers.
Unfortunately, our trip got off to an inauspicious start and I had a period of doubt when it came to making it to the game.
The problem can be traced back to, of all places, the Secretary of State’s office.
Michigan recently started a program that allows residents to obtain an “enhanced” driver’s license, which also acts as a passport to Canada and Mexico. When I found out about the trip, I ordered an enhanced license, as did my younger son Caleb. My dad already had an enhanced license.
As it turned out, there is also something called a “real” license, which is good for entry into federal buildings and domestic flights. Apparently, the SOS office often sends “real” licenses instead of “enhanced” licenses.
Such was the case for us, so we three of us technically didn’t have the proper documents to enter Canada (Colin had a passport for his flight to Italy) and we were sent to the speak to a Canadian border agent.
Thankfully, the border agent was extremely kind and understanding. She said she encountered this problem multiple times each day, and allowed us entry into the country.
With a sigh of relief, we were off to Rogers Centre.
Arriving at the stadium was interesting in itself, as the parking garage we ended up in was literally beneath the Rogers Centre. So all we had to do was take an elevator up, and we were in the stadium.
For those how don’t know, Rogers Centre—which was originally called the Sky Dome when it opened in 1989—was the first stadium with a fully retractable roof. With the threat of rain in the forecast, the roof was on, making it the first time I’d ever been in a domed stadium.
To put in bluntly, I didn’t like it.
Baseball is a game that’s meant to be played outdoors. And while I totally understand the rationale for having a retractable roof for weather-related issues, it just felt wrong.
To make matters worse, it was “Barbie Day” at the ballpark, meaning there was a sea of pink and multiple Barbie-related activities. Not exactly my cup of tea.
The fact that the Tigers lost 2-1 after holding a 1-0 lead much of the game didn’t improve my mood, either.
There was a cool moment late in the game when they turned the lights down and everyone got out their cell phone and turned on their flashlights, making for a unique aesthetic.
But overall, if I’m being honest, Rogers Centre ranked near the bottom of the list of stadiums I’ve visited the past few years. Only Rate Field, home of the Chicago White Sox, ranks lower, and not by much.
Still, I’m definitely happy I went. I have a bucket-list goal to visit all 30 MLB stadiums before it’s all said and done, and this allowed me to mark off one more. And I got to see the Tigers, which was a nice bonus.
Plus, getting stopped at the border makes for a fun story to tell, so there’s always that.
