Buy me some loonie hot dogs and whateversa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ on tap, I don’t care if I never get back from a Toronto Blue Jays game.
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I got to enjoy the game this month in Toronto. The SkyDomesa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ new name may never catch on, but the corporate sponsor threw tons of cash into renovations over the past two years, so the inside is looking modern. Now itsa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ full of lounges and activity centres.
My four-year-old loved running around and playing games of corn hole with her cousins. There were video games of the Jays versus Red Sox, and at one point my 11-year-old nephew preferred playing that instead of watching the actual game.
Baseballsa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ a great game – so much is at stake as these millionaire batters and pitchers try to outflank one another. So much precision goes into every swing and throw. But from the nosebleeds, also known as the 500-section, itsa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ not as easy to follow along as it is on television. Itsa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ always easy to keep an eye on the score, and you can see how many runners are on base. But from the upper bowl itsa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ tough to tell whosa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ who.
Starting pitcher Bowden Francis played great but itsa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ tough to appreciate his talent from that far away.
Itsa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ not about the actual game though. Especially this season – the Jays performed well below expectation, blowing their chance at making the playoffs a long time ago. They almost snapped a four-game losing streak during the game I was at, before giving up a three run lead and losing in extra innings.
Typical.
You can’t expect Toronto to win or else you’re probably not going to have a good time. But fortunately I was enjoying time with my family in Ontario, and it was a Tuesday night home game which meant $1 hot dogs. So I got to add to the SkyDomesa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ tally of 727,819 over the course of the season -- a new record for the stadium.
Sure the hotdogs were barely even three inches long, served on untoasted white buns, with only the most basic condiments to choose from (I assume prisoners are getting better food) -- but they only cost a buck each.
However I wasn’t so wise with my money when I bought drinks for the first time -- two king cans of pop cost $40. I could have bought an entire 24-case from the BC Liquor Store for that much money. But before it was time for the next round, I found a concession stand selling 355 ml cans for $6 each. Do the math -- those $6 pops are a major bargain compared to king cans.
No matter how many $6 beers or loonie hotdogs you can stuff down your gullet, itsa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ not a cheap night out. Admission went up after the renos, I lost my 50-50 tickets before the draw, and those beers can really add up.
But the Blue Jays are a huge part of our Canadian identity. You gotta go next chance you get, even if you don’t like baseball.
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