For years, now, it’s felt like the fortunes of the Twins and Jays were oddly intertwined. This May series will be a way for them each to check in on each other.
Toronto Blue Jays – May 10-12
Rogers Centre: Capacity 45,517
2023 Attendance: 3,021,904, up from 2,653,837 in 2022 (Averaged 37.307, ranked 3rd out of 15 AL teams, 8th overall MLB)
When Toronto got their MLB franchise in 1977, they started out in a retrofitted football field called Exhibition Stadium. The SkyDome (renamed Rogers Centre in 2005) opened to great fanfare in 1989, and soon gained classic replay status as the setting of Joe Carter’s World Series winner and the Jays’ back-to-back championships. In the 2010s, the Blue Jays boasted the highest attendance in the American League.
Rogers Centre was the first stadium in the world with a fully retractable motorized roof. It hosts a hotel with rooms that look out onto the field, and rests within the Old Downtown neighborhood of the fourth-largest city in North America. The field itself is a bit cookie-cutter in form, but the recent renovations and new outfield dimensions provide variety, and they offer excellent food and tourist vibes throughout the concourses.
The Twins’ history with Rogers Centre includes the American League Championship Series–three road game victories that propelled them to the 1991 World Series. They’ve had 50-50 success over the past four seasons, and there’s been a small dose of COVID vaccine controversy. With travel restrictions lifted, and a Blue Jays squad with World Series aspirations, this should make for a fun mid-season matchup.
The sounds, tastes, and sights of Toronto are pretty epic. The CN Tower observation deck, Lake Ontario beaches and waterfront, the Hockey Hall of Fame, and an actual “distillery district” all exist within a few blocks of the ballpark. With the increased attendance in 2023, and the Blue Jays being a young team on the rise, finding a seat at the games should still be easy enough, but be prepared for increased “anti-Twins” vibes after last season.
The Blue Jays have been busy this winter, though more in terms of quantity of transactions than in terms of obvious impact. Will Austin Martin be called up in time to return to Toronto to face the team that dealt him away, and even face his trade counterpart José Berríos? The potential storylines make this a one-stop series worth paying attention to.
The Twins will be traveling 2,960 miles for 3 games, 0 off days, and ____ wins?
The highlight of the past two decades of Twins fandom comes back into focus in this playoff rematch. Will the Blue Jays get revenge, or will the Twins continue their winning ways?
How do you think the Twins will fare north of the border (though south of home)? Anyone planning to go to Toronto? Any favorite watering holes or tourist traps? Baseball is almost here Twins Territory…let’s get talking!
Let’s Road Trip is a series of stories exploring the Twins’ 13 road trips during the 2024 season. I will focus on stadium highlights, attributes, Twins history, and community amenities. Potential pitfalls and roadblocks get considered, and travel considerations get mentioned. My handy-dandy Baseball Road Trips by Timothy Malcolm and Moon travel guides will be a go-to for this conversation.