DUNEDIN, FLORIDA – Workers with neon yellow and Florida orange vests scurry past the dark blue seats before stopping to consult blueprints. Hammers clang off hard metal under the sun of a warm February day, and the beeps from the trucks and construction vehicles is a constant din.
If you walked past the Blue Jays spring training stadium in this Instagram-worthy seaside town west of Tampa, you’d be forgiven if you thought the facility was some time away from completion. Outside the stadium, which has been given a $102 million US renovation/expansion and re-christened as TD Ballpark, a visitor early this week found rows of unplanted palm trees on the ground outside the park, along with long, looping spools of cables or wires, massive mounds of dirt and other construction materials.
CLICK HERE FOR A VIDEO OF THE BALLPARK
Down on the field, however, things appear a lot more complete. The construction noise is still there, but the grass is green and soft under foot and the infield looks ready for the first hot shot at Vlad Guerrero. The new video board, the first time the Jays have had one at their spring training home, flickers in vivid colour. And the new bullpens look ready for their first warm-ups.
Construction work being done at TD Ballpark in Dunedin, Florida. JIM BYERS PHOTO
Team officials gave a visitor from the true north a brief tour earlier this week and said things are shaping up nicely for a debut on Feb. 24, when the Jays are to play their first home Grapefruit League contest of the spring, a game against Atlanta.
“We’ve moved from an older park without many amenities to a new one with tons of amenities,” said Shelby Nelson, a Toronto native who heads up Florida operations for Canada’s only major league team. “This is a truly professional field, and we’re very excited.”
The Jays, who have been doing their spring work in Dunedin since 1977, have been looking for major improvements to their spring training home since the days of Roberto Alomar and Joe Carter.
And now they almost have it. The team, with sizable help from Pinellas County, the city of Dunedin and the state of Florida, has invested at least $102 million USD (about $136 million CAD) to give their spring park the kind of facelift that would make a Hollywood starlet jealous. The Jays chipped in $40 million of that amount.
A construction worker at TD Ballpark. JIM BYERS PHOTO
Among the changes:
– A video board in left-centre field, the first time the stadium will have one;
– Standing room only spots with a drink rail, allowing fans to sip a soft drink or a beer while they watch the game;
– A wrap-around, 360-degree concourse so fans can walk the entire length of the park.
– An elevated “tiki bar” beyond the right-centre field fence;
– New concession stands with wider concourses and better food and drink selection, including fish tacos and several types of local, craft beer;
– New bullpens that fans will be able to see into from the stands, as well as a Blue Jays’ bullpen viewing area in right field;
– A new left-field section of seats with an air-conditioned bar on top and a special “kids’ zone” for young fans; and
– More places for fans to interact with their favourite players.
Nelson said other changes are more subtle, including new suites, new, foldable seats that make access and egress easier for fans, better air flow for hot days, and nicer washrooms. They’ve also sprinkled large, new speakers all around the stadium to improve the sound. Previously, there was only one speaker in the entire place, and it was in the outfield.
Fans almost certainly won’t notice but the players’ dugouts have been enlarged, and the sloping infield re-graded so it’s not at such an angle; a change that the team’s infielders will no doubt appreciate.
The new stadium will have space for roughly 8,500 fans; about 3,000 more than last year. That should make tickets easier to come by.
Shelby Nelson heads up Florida operations for the Toronto Blue Jays. JIM BYERS PHOTO
But Nelson said they’ve preserved the intimacy of the park, “which I think has always been it’s greatest feature.”
In addition to improving the stadium, the Jays have made huge improvements to their workout facilities a few kilometers away (the Bobby Mattick Training Center at Englebert Complex). The facility has almost tripled in size and will, when finished later this year, include three new diamonds, a 10,000 square-foot weight room, classrooms, swimming pools, a sauna and other features that will help players stay in shape and recover from injuries on a year-round basis.
“I think we’re going to have overall the all-around best facility in Major League Baseball when this is done,” team president Mark Shapiro said when details were released some 16 months ago. “It’s a major competitive step for us to go from a bottom facility to a top-tier facility with the opportunity to continue to grow as it goes on
The Jays have agreed to stay in Dunedin for their spring work for another 25 years.
“The town has been great,” Nelson said “They’re very supportive with signs and other promotions.
“We’ve worked really hard over the last 10 years to build our community efforts here,” he said. “They’ve been extremely supportive. They do great domestic events, including Mardi Gras. It’s a great town and we appreciate what they’re doing.”
Even the playing field has been given an upgrade at the Blue Jays spring training stadium in Dunedin. The video board in left-centre field also is new. JIM BYERS PHOTO
Shane Bittaker, owner of Caracara Asian Tapas Tacos and Bar in downtown Dunedin and nearby Taco Baby, said small business folks in town are big supporters of the team, and the fans they bring to the city.
“We all circle the dates on our calendar when the games start.”
“There’s still a lot of clanging and clattering going on a few blocks south at the ballpark, but Nelson doesn’t appear worried.
“We’re feeling very confident that we’ll be ready in time,” he said. “I feel very good about it.”
TICKET INFO
Single game tickets for Blue Jays spring training game prices are listed on the team’s website at $15 (standing room), all the way up to $50 (premium box seats). https://www.mlb.com/bluejays/tickets/spring-training/singlegame-tickets
The team will play 16 home games at TD Ballpark this year, finishing up their spring season with a game against the Detroit Tigers on March 21. The stadium is at 373 Douglas Ave., at the corner of Douglas and Beltrees Street.
HOW TO GET THERE
Dunedin is about a half hour northwest of downtown Tampa, with easy access to Tampa International Airport.
Dunedin has several pretty patios for great dining. JIM BYERS PHOTO
WHAT TO DO AND WHERE TO EAT
Dunedin’s downtown has grown tremendously over the years, with an array of new shops and restaurants, including CaraCara (https://caracaratapas.com/) and the city’s first craft cocktail bar, the Sonder Social Club (https://www.sondersocial.club/). The folks from Caracara also run Taco Baby, a tiny shop around the corner. Of course, you’ll also find Irish pubs and casual spots for a cold beer and a sandwich. I love sitting by the city’s beautiful marina at the Olde Bay Cafe and indulging in a local beer with a grouper sandwich or fish tacos. Casa Tina makes good Mexican food, while The Dunedin Smokehouse does wonderful ribs, brisket and other bbq specialties, and offers a great patio. Blur is a funky nightclub that features regular “Drag Queen Bingo” nights. I walked in once and saw a guy with a big beard and a vivid pink dress shouting out bingo numbers as a group of women visitors laughed uproariously.
Great activities include a visit to Honeymoon Island State Park, where you can swim, walk the beach or take a pontoon boat to Caladesi Island, which has been voted as having one of the best beaches in the United States. https://www.floridastateparks.org/honeymoonisland
Clearwater Beach is maybe 15 minutes away by car and is one of the best in the U.S. It’s also home to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, home of Winter the Dolphin from the movies of the same name. They do a lot of important research on animals and water quality and recently set free a pair of turtles who had been injured and nursed back to health. The facility is undergoing a major expansion.
Art fans will want to wander a few km’s east of Dunedin and check out the concerts, workshops and art displays at the Safety Harbor Arts and Music Center. http://www.safetyharborartandmusiccenter.com/ Safety Harbor also is home to a wildly decorated home called Whimzeyland that you can check out for free. You’ll find everything from hundreds of bowling balls to wine bottles, a rainbow of artificial and real flowers, and colourful mosaics. https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Landmark—Historical-Place/Whimzeyland-1573760972953570/
A stunning Florida sunrise lights up The Fenway Hotel in Dunedin. JIM BYERS PHOTO
WHERE TO STAY
A few blocks south of downtown Dunedin, and a five-minute walk from the Jays’ TD Ballpark, is the boutique Fenway Hotel. It’s a Marriott Autograph Collection property with beautiful rooms, a rooftop bar with killer sunsets, free bikes, great food, a pool out back and regular, live concerts in the lobby. They also greet guests with a refreshing kir royale when they check in. https://www.fenwayhotel.com/. If you’re on a budget, the Best Western Plus Yacht Harbor Inn has nice rooms and is right on the water. There’s also a fine Holiday Inn Express and Suites right downtown. And I enjoyed the small Meranova B & B a few years ago. It’s in the heart of downtown; just across the street from some of the city’s best shops and dining spots.
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ALL PHOTOS FOR THIS STORY WERE TAKEN WITH AN IPHONE 11 PRO MAX. Remarkable camera.
