MLB Ballpark Updates

Humans travel to Mars, Donald Trump gets convicted of a crime, and the Oakland Athletics break ground on a new ballpark.  What do all of these things have in common?  They are all stories that I will never believe until I actually see them.  The A's announced a couple of weeks ago that they have a binding agreement to purchase about 50 acres of land in Las Vegas for a new ballpark, thus presumably a major step forward in their long and arduous ballpark saga.  I say "presumably" because this saga has been going on for nearly 20 years, since the first renderings for Cisco Field in Fremont were released way back in the mid-aughts.  Many around the industry share my skepticism as little more than political posturing to gain leverage for their negotiations on lease terms with the City of Oakland.  Given the long history, I still think that the Howard Terminal site in Oakland is not entirely off the table, and I'm not going to believe that the A's are actually moving to Vegas until a financing plan is in place.  But for now, Erik and I can look at sexy renderings and fantasize about a trip to Las Vegas in 2027.

Another ballpark concept seeming to gain steam is the potential move of the Kansas City Royals to a new downtown facility.  I wrote about this last year so I won't regurgitate that blog post again, but since then, the new ballpark has been narrowed down to a handful of sites, and a number of community informational meetings have been held for citizen feedback.  This park still seems a long way away logistically and financially, but out of all of the MLB teams seeking new ballparks, KC seems the most realistic that it will eventually come to fruition.

In terms of ballpark updates that have actually happened, the Blue Jays got to show off the first phase of their stunning renovations when they opened up for the season a few weeks ago.  Toronto has elected to forego a new ballpark (for now) and instead invest a 9-figure sum into modernizing the brutalist Rogers Centre, which is already over 30 years old and somehow one of the oldest parks in the league.  I'm glad that they decided to keep the old Skydome as it is one of the better urban locations you'll find in the league, and personally I feel is vastly underrated.  The fact that the Jays are now the major tenant of the stadium and no longer have to share with a CFL team allows them to truly focus this stadium as a baseball-only facility, and the renovations certainly reflect that.  The first phase primarily includes a new "Outfield District" which is set up in a variety of "neighborhoods," intended to enhance fan experience and give more social/gathering options that are expected of the modern ballpark.  There are also a bunch of new social spaces and drink rails in the main concourse, and some upgrades on the player side as well including bullpens, training facilities, and staff rooms.  As if I needed an excuse to get back to Canada, I can't wait to visit Toronto again when all phases of the reno are completed.

STANDINGS AND UPCOMING SERIES AS OF 5/1/23:

Brewers 18-10, -1.5; 3 @ Rockies, 3 @ Giants, 3 v. Dodgers

Twins 17-12, +3.5; 3 @ White Sox, 3 @ Guardians, 3 v. Padres

2023 GAMES ATTENDED:

Erik - 0

Peter - 3