Mail Bag

On Tuesday, Brett Cecil became the ninth starting pitcher to toe the rubber for the Jays – and yet they are in first place overall in the AL. That is even more amazing because at spring training they only had three starters considered ready-for-prime-time. And of those, two are not even here right now – Jesse Litsch (disabled) and David Purcey (optioned). It’s ironic that even though Doc is the only one with the same nickname as one of Snow White’s little pals, Halladay is also the starter standing the tallest. The nine Jays’ starters have been Halladay, Litsch, Purcey, Brian Burres, Robert Ray, Scott Richmond, Ricky Romero, Brian Tallet and Cecil. On to the mailbag.

Q: Hey Richard,

In looking at the schedule, it appears as though Doc and AJ might be squaring-off next Tuesday. Could this be the best pitching match-up storyline of the year thus far? Which deity can we thank for this occurrence?

Cheers,

Brian Smiley, Toronto

A: The Jays/Yankees schedule certainly has it set up for a classic early season Roy Halladay-A.J. Burnett pitching match-up. It would feature the understated mentor, Halladay facing his flashy, well paid, sometimes over the top protégé, Burnett. I have done a little research and apparently a silent prayer of thanks should be offered to Our Lady of What Goes Around Comes Around.

Jays fans, to prepare for this beautiful game (and it would be a major upset if it doesn’t happen), some suggestions would be to purchase your tickets right now, practice some clever ad-libs to yell in A.J.’s direction while he warms up, draw up some clever signage to hold up and get yourself on TV (e.g. bunches of $$$ signs, but watch the accompanying language).

Finally, on the off-night when the Jays travel back from the West Coast, rent the movie The Color of Money, starring Paul Newman and Tom Cruise. Check it out. This Doc-AJ matchup is virtually a remake of that 1986 pool room classic with Newman (Doc) as Fast Eddie Felson and Cruise (A.J.) as Vince Lauria. It’s the veteran hustler teaching lessons in life to the young cocky, insecure pool hustler. There’s one review of that movie that says it all: “despite their flaws we don’t end up hating any of these people, because the intentions (even the selfish ones) aren’t really that bad. It’s a real, ‘I do for you; you do for me (but I want more)’ kind of message.”

The Rogers Centre should be rockin’. Only a miracle of weather, scheduling or nerves could prevent this matchup from occurring. Stay tuned.

Q: Jason Frasor seems to be in the doghouse for a couple of years. He started the season 4-0 and had an ERA of 0.00. Did the Jays coaching staff misjudge him? Would they also be misjudging Jeremy Accardo?

Alex Lee, Hong Kong

A: Frasor has emerged as a fairly reliable sixth-seventh-inning option. With the injury to B.J. Ryan, Downs has moved into the closer’s role and Frasor and Jesse Carlson are the co-setup men with Brandon League in the mix. Frasor’s emergence has more to do with his new split-circle change that he perfected in the off-season in sessions with former major-leaguer Doug Bochtler. The former doghouse dweller had a lot to do with Jason’s shaky body language which almost made it seem like he was not happy to be out on the mound in some situations. He’s been much better about that this year, but increased confidence and success will do that for you.

Q: Hello,

I was wondering if the Rogers Centre has a policy about opening the roof in the spring? There have been a few games already, where it has been gorgeous weather, yet the roof remains closed. The fan experience is much better, and could attract more fans to the games.

Mike A., Toronto

AND

Hi Richard,

I have a huge pet peeve and I wonder if you have the answer. I am not a big fan of the SkyDome in general – refuse to call it by the new name. Anyway, it is at least a tolerable ballpark when the roof is open but when the roof is closed it is like watching baseball in your basement – dank, dark and ZERO atmosphere. Why are the Blue Jays so loathe to open the damn roof? A beautiful sunny day like yesterday and the roof was closed! I refuse to go to a game if I know the roof will be shut and at some point I know I am going to have a huge argument with the staff about getting my ticket price returned because I do not want to watch baseball in a basement when it is sunny and relatively warm outside. Why do they not just state if it is not raining the roof will be open? Are Toronto fans such wimps that they can’t stand a little cool weather? Is the climate that much different in Detroit? Or Cleveland? You dress for the situation. I thought the idea of a dome was to keep the game on even in inclement weather. I did not think it would be used on a 15 degree day sunny day in May. Okay so it is cooler down by the lake – agreed. Wear a sweater and or jacket. For God’s sake we are Canadians! This is not the first time I have seen this happen. Baseball is a beautiful game – partly due to it being played outdoors and to it’s signaling a new beginning to the year (spring etc.etc.). With the dome closed it is hard to tell what season it is outside.

Rob Carson

A: The theme of the two questions above has been repeated over and over this spring. There have even been some rumours that the roof is broken and will remain closed all summer. That was shot down by Jays vice-president Jay Stenhouse. He insists that it is a matter of “new software and operating drives” and that the testing has not been completed. Normally I would press the B.S. buzzer on that one, but Jay said that it should be ready by the next homestand. Hopefully the next retraction will be the roof and not that statement.

The question remains, why could the testing not have been done in March between the WBC and Opening Day? It even smells better at the park when the roof is open, with a little spring breeze and some real weather. Someone else suggested there were union issues to opening the roof. I thought there was just a button to be pushed. I remember at Olympic Stadium there were other unique issues during the late spring to opening the roof, especially on weekends. Since the Expos were tenants to La Regie des Installations Olympiques, they were the only ones with les clefs pour le toit. And the catch vingt-deux was that on weekends when the weather was nice in April and May the only guys with the keys for the roof were in the Eastern Townships at their brand new cottages that had been built on the payola from Roger Taillebert’s original over-inflated construction contracts.

But maybe Doc and A.J. will be an outdoor classic.

Q: I was thinking about BJ Ryan's season to this point, and reading and hearing about how he's done, his career is over, his velocity is down and the Blue Jays should get rid of him for whatever they can get, etc. But isn't he still recovering from Tommy John surgery? Isn't it possible that his velocity may still come back? The recovery time for this type of surgery is typically 18-24 months, and although I can't remember exactly when he had the surgery, I know it hasn't been two years yet. Perhaps he was just brought back to the team too soon.

Patrick Lannon, Richmond Hill

A: The accepted recovery time for Tommy John elbow surgery is 10-12 months. Ryan’s surgery was on May 10, 2007. He did regain several miles per hour from the start of spring training until mid-April, but he is still not fast enough (89-91 m.p.h.) to be effective in the closer’s role. It is possible his velocity may come back if it turns out it was mechanical or he was squeezing the ball a little tight.

The Jays are paying him $10 million for the next two years. They owe him nothing when it comes to the closer’s role. If Downs is doing the job, they are not obligated to change. He could earn it again by being effective in the setup role and if Downs was unavailable.

Q: Mr. Griff,

Love the mailbag. Thanks for the insight. I am thrilled to have Cito back, and do believe he has made a difference simply by providing the guys with a leader who commands respect. Having said that, I have 2 major problems with his handling of the lineup.

Firstly, his avoidance of using pinch hitters has me reaching for the Prozac. The fact that he let Chavez hit in the 8th inning of that last game in KC representing the tying run, while Lyle or even Barajas and Rolen were sitting on the bench is inexcusable. Is he worried about damaging Raul's psyche as a hitter? Please don't tell me it is because he had scratched out a couple of hits.

Next, I cannot be the only person who thinks that Alex Rios does not belong in the 3-hole. With Hill and Scutaro getting on ahead of him, Alex is seeing the toughest pitches in every at bat, and he just does not have the discipline or skill set to succeed in that role. He still may be the stud we hope, but maybe he is better suited to batting 6th, or dare I say leading off. He did just steal 32 bases last year!

Here's hoping that he proves me wrong just in time for next week's mailbag.

Cheers,

Darren A., Toronto

A: Cito is not the master of in-game strategy, but there is no manager in history that has ever been great at everything. The Jays needed a psychologist that could get into the heads of the hitters and bring out the best and that’s what Cito brought. Part of that is to reinforce that positive feeling by not pinch-hitting for some guys whenever a pitcher comes in with the opposite hand. It’s impossible to quantify, but Gaston says that he would rather lose a game now and win several down the road. Who can say if that’s true. I agree with you on the pinch-hitting thing in Minny with Bautista and in K.C. with Chavez. He sees Rios as his No. 3 hitter and as long as Scutaro is doing the job at leadoff, there is no need in his mind to juggle the lineup. I see Rios as an eventual leadoff man.

Q: Hi Richard.

I know the Jays are knocking the ball around but what do you think about their stealing bases ability and moving runners along with bunts. The hot hitting will hit a cold front eventually.

Terry Fallat, Espanola, Ont.

A: It’s funny. Gaston at spring training talked about stealing more bases and about Hill bunting more to move runners along. But I have asked him several times about Hill and he said that the way he’s swinging the bat that he doesn’t want to take the bat out of his hands for even one at-bat. Who can argue? He was asked the other day by Mike Rutsey of the Sun about the team’s lack of steals and Cito’s response was quizzical, like he was so caught up in the roll that his hitters have been on that he didn’t even realize that the steal totals were that low. Once again, who can blame him? They are capable of both but have not yet seen the need. Once the bats cool off (if they do) you’ll see more of that.

Q: I know it’s difficult for the Blue Jays to admit because of the huge (probably too huge) contract they gave Vernon Wells, but when will the Blue Jays admit and/or realize that Vernon is a great number 2 or number 6 hitter, but not a number 4? He just doesn't seem to hit with runners on base and especially not with runners on base and 1 or 2 out.

Rob Landau, Toronto

A: I think he’s a 5-6 guy in this lineup. Like with Ryan, the Jays are compensating him well and don’t owe him being the cleanup guy, but Cito doesn’t want to play with his mind at this point.

Q: Hi Richard,

A couple of questions. From time to time I hear on the Jays' broadcasts that the Jays have doubts about Dustin McGowan being able to return as soon as they thought he would. But no medical evidence is ever offered in support of this. So on what basis are the Jays making their assessments of McGowan's readiness to return? Pain? Weakness? What?

Second question. Rios has been struggling at the plate. Okay, that's not good but he's still learning. But what has bothered me lately is that he seems to be regressing defensively. Fumbling catches, not throwing accurately to a base. What do you think is going on?

Arthur Menu, Sidney, B.C.

A: There is no need for medical evidence with McGowan. There is always residue from surgery even in a completely healthy shoulder that comes in the form of soreness, weakness and perhaps a little discomfort the morning after throwing. It does not mean the surgery was unsuccessful. It means that this particular patient is taking longer than another particular patient. The Jays are not making the assessments. McGowan’s shoulder is making the assessments.

As for Rios, I have seen signs of the same thing you’re talking about. It started when he took a rebound off the fence off the face on opening day. The next time a ball hit the fence, he ducked out of the way. But there are other incidents when a ball leaves the bat or you see him tracking the ball, knowing what he has done in the past, you think a play is going to be made a certain way and it’s not. Perhaps, subconsciously, he has been carrying some of his hitting woes into the field.

Q: Hey Richard,

I miss the Expos. Having grown up in Montreal with a passion for the 'spos I have had a chance to see a few great teams and/or players pass through Olympic Stadium. With such a bad reputation the Big Owe had/has in Montreal, was it really all that bad a place to play for the players? I mean, the city itself must have taken away from any of the negatives of the stadium. I even heard BJ Ryan reference Chez Paree just the other day at "Meet the Jays" so you know the famous city night-life must have been a plus to playing in Montreal. What do you think?

Chris Gauvin, Whitby

A: Those stars that played in Montreal still remember the experience fondly. They loved the city. They loved the fans. They loved the stadium access. But the field itself, the surface was always hard and fast. Its amazing Andre Dawson’s knees lasted as long as they did roaming that parking lot of an outfield. It was one of the big reasons he went to Wrigley Field as a free agent.

Like the Jays, the Expos always felt they had to go the extra kilometre in treating families and players well in order to overcome the “foreign country” aspect. I remember one of our team trainers having his wife in town for a couple of weeks in the summer. As he was walking up Stanley St. with his wife on his arm and the baby in a stroller, the regular doorman at the Chez Paree called out a greeting, calling him by name. She glared. That didn’t go over too well at home, of course, but it shows the small town feel Montreal always had for its Expos

Q: Hi Richard, I'm a Blue Jays fan and a regular at the Rogers Centre. In recent years I have made a point of visiting other MLB ballparks when I get the chance. However, since a trip last summer (Wrigley, Fenway, Citizens Bank, PNC, Milwaukee and Toledo), I find the Rogers Centre depressing. It’s not any one thing that bothers me, but it’s a lot of little things that boil down to this: baseball is not the central focus of the Rogers Centre experience. From keeping fans away from players, to charging $5 for an endlessly recycled magazine when all I want is the scorecard, the Rogers Centre sometimes feels like a mini-mall instead of a ballpark. Based on your experience, what your impressions of the Toronto in-game experience compared to other cities?

Michael Paris, Toronto

A: I agree that the Jays in-stadium experience is lacking compared to other MLB parks. I have heard complaints from fans that have been “shushed” by ushers for yelling at the other team’s players or umpires, with no profanity involved. This is not a damn library.

Being able to purchase a scorecard by itself should be an option. There is nothing that builds fan interest and attention more than scoring a ballgame. You’re into the action and understand the nuances, but if you have three people in a family group and you have to buy three magazines to score the game, that sucks.

On Monday, the Jays were rallying in the late innings, the Tribe was making a pitching change and the scoreboard had a 45-second bit with that stupid Ace in a tree, with complete silence except for the annoying occasional tweeting of a bird. Then Ace takes a birdhouse and sucks the birdseed out of it. That’s just plain ignorance of where the game is and what the crowd needs. The place should have been rocking as the pitcher warmed up and the Jays rallied. Instead they were looking around for where that stupid bird noise was coming from. Other parks give their fans some credit for knowing what to do at any given time. The Rogers Centre gives their fans no credit for being baseball fans. It’s insulting.

Click here to send Richard a question, and he'll answer a selection in his mailbag Wednesdays in this space. **Note: please follow the link above to send a question to Richard. Questions posted in the comments section may not make it to the mailbag. Thanks.**

Comments

[Dan K]

I work out in the Liberty Village where there's a great view of the Toronto skyline and the Rogers Center in particular. During one of my workouts last week, I noticed that the Dome was half open, so that dispels the rumors of it being broken. Maybe it is just a union thing.

[Aneil G]

Hi Richard, regarding Michael Paris' question about the Rogers Centre in game experience and your thoughtful response...

I agree with you completely and now wonder how we (as Jays fans) can actually change this. Folks like yourself and Dave Perkins or other guys from other Media outlets have some more say and access to folks like J.P. or other people who affect change at the Rogers Centre.

- How can we get them to sell just the scorecard?
- How can we get them to have better things on the Jumbotron at correct times?
- How can we give baseball fans more credit?

I want to use your insight and thoughtfulness to actually create change. Identifying it is one thing but now, let's do something about it.

Thanks!

[doug]

I was at a game at teh rogers center last year in 4 teens, just having fun, stood up and lifted there shirts and they had J-A-Y-S a letter on each one of their chests....a security guy came and was going to escort them from the stadium, we all complained and told him to get lost, so upon consult with his boss via walkie-talkie he relented...but come on, that was ridiculous, he makes these policies???..I haven't been back to a game since the only thing we are allowed to do it seems is do the wave or sit there and drink are $10 beers...that stadium has zero atmosphere,and whoever is in charge of the in-game scoreboard etc. are out to lunch...

[Jeff]

Griff you nailed it. I feel like most of the staff at the Rogers Centre have at best a lukewarm feeling towards baseball and none seem to actually understand the nuances of the baseball experience: things like going by the dugout for BP, scoring games, cheering, heckling. It's hard for one president to control so many aspects of what happens in the stadium, but it's tough being a fan sometimes when it feels like your home stadium is out to get you.

These are the same people who played "New York, New York" after a Yankees win in 2005. They just don't get the idea of home field advantage.

[Winfield Wants Noise]

Was at the extra innings loss on Monday sitting 5 rows from the Jays dugout in the heart of season ticket holder land and granted it's April, and the roof was closed, but if this team doesn't get folks excited, what will?

During the 9th inning comeback I had to ask people to clap. When Wells was up to bat with runners on the corners in the 11th with one out? Nothing - I asked people if maybe they were saving their cheers for the 12th.

You can give Toronto fans all the credit you want for knowing the game, but the long time fans are some of the worst offenders for not getting into the game audibly.

As much as I hate the people who currently run the in-game entertainment, I do think the team/stadium does needs get involved to encourage real cheering (not just when the Jays Force throws out t-shirts). Start at the beginning - let the fans sing the anthem once in a while. Remind people that they can clap when a Jays pitcher notches two strikes on a batter. When the Jays get out of the top of the inning with runners in scoring position and no one ends up scoring, encourage fans to stand up and clap as the players return to the dug out.

Nothing too invasive, just a little encouragement. This has been going on way too long for it to just start getting better on its own. Just don't bring back those breaking glass foul ball sound effects...

[James]

Maybe if other owners came in, they could hire an arquitecture firm and see what they can improve. maybre put in real grass and make it a baseball stadium, the argos can find their own home, their looking for one anyways aren't they. Maybe they can change the covered seats in the outfield and put in tables. If there's no more football, they can change the field level seating. They can make some improvements to the roof, perhaps putting in see through panelling would help improve things when the it's closed. In the end, there's a lot they can do, they just have to want to do it.

[R-Griff]

Maybe if you guys have some other comments, suggestions and complaints about the Dome I could compile them and either do a column or at least show them to President Beeston. Kepp 'em coming.
R-Griff.

[Zack]

Great column--had been wondering about the Dome roof. I went down to the Dome in April on a Friday night against Oakland and decided against buying tickets because the dome was closed (and it was about 20 degrees C outside). I caught a Tigers game in Detroit last year and loved the lack of gimmicks; people cheered their players and seemed much more into the game. The Rogers Centre experience seems much more like minor league hockey than major league baseball.

Also, some good local food would be great. Imagine if Ed's Real Scoop, Burrito Boyz, Dangerous Dan, La Paloma Gelato or the like were allowed to set up a kiosk or two. The Sportsco/Aramark options are abysmal especially in the 500 level. Quaker Steak and Lube is not exactly a Canadian icon.

[Tabber]

It should be noted that the Jays are not the only ones with irrelevant "entertainment" at game breaks - Leafs, Raptors, Rock to my knowledge. Do Toronto sporting entrepreneurs really have such a poor opinion of fans interest in the games, or is it an attitude among the fans that is the problem? I have no interest in going back to a Rock game with music blasting virtually the whole time, and it seems as if the Raptors are constantly being complained about for the time-out nonsense that takes away from the crowd's enthusiasm. From what I see on TV, the Leafs also seem to want to fill every gap in the action with give-aways that also take away from the crowd interest. Is it just Toronto where this happens, and if so, why?

[Hari Balasingham]

I remember one game last year, where I went with 2 buddies and paid to sit in the 200 outfield seats. We were cheering the Blue Jays and heckling Josh Hamilton a bit during the game. To Hamilton's credit, he played along with the fans, and actually got cheered by us for being a goodsport.

The game went on for a while, till the 14th inning if I do remember. We started heckling the Texas Bullpen in the 9th. We had not been swearing or even making fun of them for sensitive topics (ie Hamilton's drug use), as there were kids near us and we wanted to be respectful to other fans. The stadium was virtually empty by the end so we could be heard really clearly and the bullpen coach asked security to have us removed in the 13th inning. Security came and asked us whether we had been drinking, which we hadn't as we all had to work the next day and get home safely. Even still they said that we were being disruptive and had to leave. We asked the security guy whether if we were in New York and heckling the Red Sox or the another team, whether we'd be treated like this and he told us that we weren't in New York.

In retrospect, he probably saved us from watching A.J. screw up the game with the wildpitch run that scored but we were really disappointed that the Blue Jays don't want their fans to be loud. This year, I won't bother trying to loudly support my team, since we'll just be asked to leave.

[John M]

The dome is closed way too often. The constant ads that are overwhelmingly louder than anything the fans can generate. The dank hallways. The terrible, terrible food that still cost an arm and a leg. Too many of my experiences with the Blue Jays are bad to mediocre not due to the team but to the stadium and the experience there. And to think if it had been planned and built only a few years later we could have had a stadium from the Camden Yard generation.

[TorontoRed]

The tickets don't have any value. They have been giving away tickets for next to nothing for so many years, why would anyone pay to go to a stadium where majority of the fans sit on their hands and need to be marketed-to over and over again for 3.5 hours? Save your money and get on the waiting list for Toronto FC tickets. There are demographics at work in this city that do not favour baseball. When a first place baseball team can't outdraw the local soccer team despite having 30,000 more seats, they aren't in friendly waters. Oh, and another baseball superstar (Manny Ramirez) just got suspended for steroid use. Who really cares about this anymore?

[TMF]

A couple years ago, I was at a game with a fairly large group of pretty savvy hecklers, sitting in the 100 level above the visitors' bullpen. We were quite loud throughout the game, but not offensive.

At one point, the usher came over to talk to us. He (politely) asked if we could maybe just tone it down a little. We got to chatting with him, and he eventually confessed (and I paraphrase), "You know, I should kick you guys out, because I've received about 15 complaints from people in your section. But the reason I haven't kicked you out is that I've also had about 20 people tell me you guys are awesome."

I like to think he exercised sound judgment.

[TMF]

Say what you will about the Rogers Centre itself, but the atmosphere is always electric when the place is sold out.

I'm not sure what's more to blame - overpriced tickets, or fairweather fans - but when the place is packed, there is very little to complain about.

[MP]

Wow - I didn't expect my question would turn into this!

Thanks Richard for your response and for drawing attention to the issue. I'm not optimistic that we will find an ear, but it's nice to know that you will ensure a voice.

If I could sum up my thoughts in one word, I think this is really about "access" to the game.

Access is the hallmark of the major league ballpark experience. It's the one thing that separates the romance of the "ballpark" from the spectator experience at an arena or stadium. The Rogers Centre has some obvious physical limitations that limits what access is available elswhere but I think the Jays can overcome them in a couple of ways:

- Bring the players closer by loosening restrictions about when and where fans can mill about prior to game time. Dugouts and batting cages are miles away with ushers and seats in the way. To the extent possible, it would be nice to remove those obstructions at key times. You shouldn't need a front row seat to get an autograph or a good look at BP.

- Make sure the gates are open early enough so fans can always watch BP. My folks and I used to show up to weekend games at 11:30am to watch This Week in Baseball and catch BP (from the 500s). I'm not sure if they still do this.

- Bring the game closer by selling the scorecard separately. They do this in every other MLB park I've been to.

- On the topic of scoring, some adjustments to the in-game scoreboard would be helpful. The tiny messages on the ribbon board often get missed. It might be useful to incorporate scoring tips on the JumboTron as plays happen.

- This will never happen but the Jays could play less commercials and provide more game-relevant features. There is a plethora of in-game information and stats available that folks might like to know. Again, perhaps by using the giant television.

- The ACC has a transmitter in the arena where fans can get FM reception of the radio play-by-play. The Jays have great radio voices and if the same could be done at the Dome I think fans would love it. You could probably sell cheap radios too.

- If there is a way we can hear less from the voice(s) of god, that would be great. This isn't a slight to the announcer(s), but I do roll my eyes every time I hear "Right now Blue Jays fans...". In fact, they might just scrap the whole idea of an in-game host for being unnecessary. Let the game present itself.

- Please eliminate the Turtle Island Recycling "find the ball" commercial. Not only is it stupid because I have no idea why I care about Turtle Island (the spot doesn't say), but there's no prize for the "find the ball" aspect of the display and this makes the whole exercise pointless for all involved.

- This may be pie in the sky, but a full firt infield would make the ballpark seem like less of an "indoor stadium."

Those are just a few off the top of my head.

[Allan Murphy]

The ads, the noise (from the ads and unfortunately not the fans), the concession prices, the dome being shut at the sight of a single cloud; these are all reasons why I'm rerluctant to spend money to see a game I can appreciate just as well from home. I'm glad to see such a passionate discussion about the matter and hope Richard can help get this to snowball into some changes being made at the Rogers Centre.

[shiftoperations]

As an architect who loves baseball, it's nice to see people care about changing the abysmal state of the SkyDome. On the field, the dirt infield is a great idea, while architecturally, improvements to the concourse would drastically improve the stadium's interior. Finishing some of the concrete/concrete block surfaces would make a big difference, as would better lighting (it is so dark in there). The suggestion of making the roof transparent/translucent is also interesting, and I'm sure it is entirely possible (doesn't Miller Park have something like that? Or is it that new park in Seattle...).
Another thing, other parks are called 'parks' because there is a sense of recreation and play there. Opening up the concourses (maybe spilling over into the outfield bleachers or connecting to dismal Windows Restaurant) would let the space breathe a little bit better, and you could put food vendors, those see-how-fast-you-throw booths, a playground, that sort of thing out there.

[bc]

i go to probably 15-20 jays games per year at the skydome. i also went to all of the WBC games.

my biggest beef for sure are the lame buzz-killing "fans" that complain when someone heckles the opposition. clean language is certainly favourable, but there is absolutely zero reason someone should be kicked out of the skydome for heckling derek jeter.

i wish they'd actually play replays on the jumbotron. i don't care if you think it will incite unruly fans. if the play was close, and the call was controversial, i don't want to have to watch it on the highlights when i get home.

and finally, to the fair-weather fans, i've been going to games at the dome since i was pretty young back in '91, and if you think your child will never experience naughty language at a professional sporting event then you are being incredibly unrealistic.

[JFan]

Hey Rogers if you want to sell out the place put in REAL GRASS so that Jays fans don't have to feel embarrassed watching their team play on that fake, zippered, patchwork stuff. Ive heard all the excuses for having the fake stuff and NONE of them cannot be overcome.
REAL FANS FOR REAL BASEBALL.

[One of them Atmosphere Killers]

As a Jays usher I'd just like to say to all the people complaining about lack of access during BP that everyone is permitted on the 100 level until the end of BP. If any usher tells you otherwise they misunderstand the policy. You can be anywhere on the 100 level except for the action seats. After BP we send people up to their seats for the convenience of the folks coming into the sections with tickets for those seats.

A few other points:
- Gates are open at 11 on weekends, giving fans about a half hour of Jays BP and all of the visitors swings.
- We will never eject someone simply for being noisy. We don't generally ask people being noisy to quiet down. If they're sober and clean (and I mean without suggestive comments, not just the 7 dirty words), we'll maybe let the fan know about the complaints around them but if the complainants don't want to be around these people we'll offer to move the complainants.
- Real grass isn't remotely possible in a multi-purpose stadium where the roof is usually closed like the Rogers Centre.

At the end of the day, Jays policies are based around customer feedback. For all the vocal minority complaining about how staff is oppressive (and by the way, being called a Nazi for asking you to stop calling Josh Hamilton a "faggot" never gets old), there must be an equal audience wanting us to keep a lid on these things. Only they write letters to Jays Guest Services, not group together like angry huddled masses in the comments section of blogs.