If you are planning a trip to Rogers Centre to see the Blue Jays play, and you’re coming from the United States, here are a few things you should know.
First, you don’t need to bring a lot of cash. I exchanged $150 in US currency into Canadian and came back with most of it. Most everyplace accepts credit cards, and the two border crossings accepted either currency. It’s still nice to have some, but I only used about $50 in Canadian. I could have used credit cards but chose not to do so. Fortunately, I’m headed to the Rotary District Conference in Victoria next month. Perhaps I’ll use my Canadian currency for that trip!
Second, there is parking around Rogers Centre, but it would be best to get there early. We arrived two hours prior to the game and found lot parking for our truck just a couple blocks from the stadium. It cost us $40 Canadian.
Third, fuel is expensive. By our calculations, diesel was about $6 per gallon. In New York, it was closer to $4.50 per gallon. In general, we have been paying between $3.75 and $5 per gallon. Fill up before you cross the border.
Finally, take time to explore the area. We didn’t do this because of our schedule, but we look forward to a return visit. In addition to the Toronto Blue Jays, baseball enthusiasts might enjoy a trip to the oldest remaining baseball diamond in the world, Labatt Memorial Park, just an hour or so north of Toronto. We enjoyed our brief stay and two nights at Bronte Creek Provincial Park and would happily return to see more of Ontaria.
Our Impressions of Rogers Centre
The most unique feature of Rogers Centre is the hotel rooms that span one end of the field. For about $500 per room, you can have your own personal suite to watch the game. The Toronto Marriott City Centre Hotel offers rooms with the ultimate view right over the outfield end of the stadium!
Our Seats: We did not have hotel room seats, but we still thought they were excellent! We were in section 212 R (right field), Row 2, Seats 6, 7, and 8. Rogers Centre has a relatively unusual numbering system for its seats. When you enter your section, rows on the right side of the aisle have single digits until half-way across. The left side of the aisle has double digit numbers that are also in that section. The section changes numbers when the seat numbers change from single to double or vice-versa. It is easy to end up in the wrong section.
The Food: While the food we had was good, there wasn’t anything particularly exceptional about it. For the most part, this ballpark has standard baseball fare. I looked around for Shopsy’s and finally asked where to find it. Unfortunately, their baseball stadium presence did not survive the pandemic. I opted for a Pressed Smoked Meat Sandwich, and Ryan and Brad had brisket nachos. Both were tasty.
Non-Alcoholic Beer Review: Rogers Centre is another Bud Zero stadium.
The Game Recap: 5 Home Runs for Housing!
This was a fabulous game for employees experiencing homelessness! We matched our record at 5 Home Runs for Housing! Thanks to our generous donors, this game between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Cleveland Guardians netted Wellspring Family Services an additional $1,205!
In addition to the home runs, this game had a lot of action. The Blue Jays were the first to get runners to home, with a 2-run home run by first baseman Vladimir Guerrero in the bottom of the first. They kept the Guardians at bay in the second with a double play. However, the Guardians got on the scoreboard in the top of the 3rd with the game’s second home run. Cleveland’s third baseman, Jose Ramirez, tied up the game with his two-run hit.
The Guardians picked up two more singles in the top of the fourth, pulling them into the lead. The Blue Jays right fielder George Springer hit a single home run in the bottom of the fourth to narrow the gap. In the bottom of the 6th, another home run puts Toronto in the lead. Left Fielder Davis Schneider hit a two-run home run to make the score 5 to 4.
In the 8th inning, Cleveland pulled ahead again with a pair of doubles that brought in two runs. In the bottom, Toronto evened it up with a single to make the score 6 – 6 going into the ninth. No runs were scored in the ninth, which moved the game into extra innings.
Both teams held their scores through the 10th, but a strong double and a home run by Guardians right fielder Ramon Laureano brought in a total of four runs. The Blue Jays brought in one final run in the bottom of the 11th and lost the game.
The Cleveland Guardians beat the Toronto Blue Jays 10 to 7.
Up Next:
Tomorrow, we’ll cross back into the United States, park our trailer at the Harbortown RV Resort, and double back to the game in Detroit!
