The Builders
Paul Godfrey and Don McDougall are frequently credited as the champions of Major League Baseball in Toronto. McDougall, the president of Labatt Brewing Co. was determined to secure a Major League Baseball team in Toronto, and worked tirelessly toward this end throughout the 1970s.
Toronto politician Paul Godfrey first pleaded his case for Major League expansion to MLB Commissioner, Bowie Kuhn in 1969, who informed him that in order to even consider Toronto the city had to have a suitable stadium first. When Godfrey assumed the post of Chairman of Metropolitan Toronto in 1973, he promised the people of Toronto that they would have a big league team, and eventually a state-of-the-art domed stadium built under his supervision.
This daunting task of building a domed stadium was the grand final idea, but in the meantime, the city needed an alternative fast if they were going to host a Major League team. Godfrey proposed a renovation of Exhibition Stadium (already in use by the Canadian Football League’s Toronto Argonauts) into a multi-use football and baseball stadium. By November of 1973, he had convinced Ontario Premier Bill Davis to contribute half the estimated $15-million to renovate the venue, and Exhibition Stadium was set to become an available home for a new Major League Baseball team in Toronto.
The Toronto Giants
In 1976, a new opportunity for a Toronto MLB team arose in the possible acquisition of the San Francisco Giants. The Giants were struggling against poor finances and even worse attendance rates, and potential buyers began circling. Soon it was announced that the Giants were going to be sold to a Canadian consortium that was largely backed by Labatt Brewing Co. for approximately $13.5 million, and plans for the move began. Excitement grew rapidly in the city: a new team logo was drawn up, and merchandise was created for Toronto’s new team… The Toronto Giants.
Unfortunately, the move never occurred due to an emergency order rushed through by San Francisco’s Mayor, which restricted the sale of The Giants franchise to local buyers only. Within months, plans for what had seemed like such a sure thing were dashed… but Toronto baseball fans didn’t have long to be disappointed. Can you imagine what Toronto baseball would have been like being led by Giants instead of Blue Jays?
The Creation "Blues"
Mere months after the loss of the Giants, Major League Baseball announced its two new homes for expansion teams that would join the league in 1977: Toronto and Seattle. Now the second Canadian franchise was officially on its way, it just needed an identity.
The organization launched a “Name the Team” contest and over 30,000 people submitted team names for the future baseball club. The most popular name submitted was the “Toronto Blues” which drew associations to Labatt Blue (a drink sold by the baseball club’s part-owner), but also could be conflated with the University of Toronto’s Varsity Blues. Only 154 of 30,000 submissions suggested the name “Toronto Blue Jays”, but it won over the Board of Directors who selected it to become the official team name. The “Blue Jays” name was subject to much scrutiny upon its unveiling, including from Paul Godfrey himself, who openly preferred the “Toronto Blues” instead, but the feisty winter bird stuck, and now we can’t imagine it any other way!
Game 1
The first game was played on April 7th, 1977 against the White Sox at Exhibition Stadium. In what felt like a purposeful joke from mother nature, the day of the game arrived at the same time as a snowstorm. Spectators and players alike were covered in snow before the game even began, and snow had to be shoveled from the lines so the umpires could see what was happening. It was a memorable, and truly Canadian welcome for this new team.
A Questionable New Home
Image 1: Advance Tickets sign that once hung at the entrance of Exhibition Stadium, collected by staff
Image 2: A ticket to the SkyDome Opening Celebration on June 3, 1989, donated by Fred MacLennan
Exhibition Stadium came with its share of faults. This multi-use stadium left many fans dissatisfied with the baseball experience in Toronto. Its extended seating for football games left spectators in the outfield having to turn in their seats (almost 90 degrees in some cases) just to watch the game. The proximity to Lake Ontario made the weather unpredictable; often incredibly muggy or cold and windy in the summer, with fans entirely exposed to the elements. The field also greatly annoyed the players, who complained the ground was uneven, and the outfield was sloped. Every complaint with Exhibition Stadium’s guest and player experience would only drive the passion to make the incoming domed stadium a perfect experience for everyone.
Ground broke on the new domed stadium on October 3, 1986. Less than three years later on May 28, 1989, the Blue Jays played their last home game at Exhibition Stadium. The new “SkyDome” opened to the world on June 3, 1989 with ceremonies, fireworks, and a demonstration of the retractable roof. Two days later, the Blue Jays played their first game in their new home. Stationed next to the CN Tower, SkyDome was the world’s first fully retractable motorized roof stadium. Skydome has since been renamed as the Rogers Centre after being acquired by Rogers Communications in 2004.