3/17/2001 - Dunedin - A spring time alternative to the SkyDome

Before the first pitch of the season is thrown at Toronto’s Skydome, positions and perhaps careers are won and lost on the grassy fields in Dunedin, Florida, home of the Blue Jays’ spring training facilities.

When Major League Baseball first awarded Toronto a baseball franchise, Blue Jays management went looking for somewhere to host their spring training. Dunedin, Florida quickly became one of their top choices.

Dunedin is located only 20 miles from Tampa, where visitors could take advantage of non-stop flights from Toronto to Tampa. Approximately 10% of the winter and spring tourists to the area came from Ontario, as opposed to the eastern side of Florida, which drew more visitors from Quebec.

Baseball wasn’t exactly new to Dunedin as the Buffalo Bisons of the International League had used the baseball facilities found in Dunedin and the Detroit Tigers had held an instructional league there in years past. In fact, when the Blue Jays first began to arrive in Dunedin, there was still a Tiger’s banner at the ball park.

It is said that Peter Bavasi and vice-mayor Cecil B. Englebert hammered out the details of the deal to bring the Blue Jays to Dunedin on a restaurant napkin. And so, the Toronto Blue Jays would find a spring home in the 3,417 seat Grant Field at the corner of Douglas Avenue and Beltrees Street in Dunedin, Florida.

The Blue Jays made their debut at Grant Field on March 11, 1977, when they beat the New York Mets by a score of 6-3. From 1977-1989, the Blue Jays played all their exhibition home games there. The largest crowd, ironically, would also be for a game pitting the Blue Jays against the Mets, on March 13, 1985.

However, by 1990, the Jays had fallen behind other major league clubs in terms of their spring training facilities. Grant Field was the oldest and smallest of any in the Grapefruit League. However, it was not until the Blue Jays management began to openly explore other options that the city of Dunedin decided to spend approximately $2.4 million to provide the Blue Jays with a new stadium, to be built on the same location as Grant Field.

The facilities were designed by Johnston Dana Associates and built by Case Contracting Company of Plant City, Florida. This new facility, Dunedin Stadium, came down in the first weeks of September 1989 to make way for a new facility, Dunedin Stadium.

In addition to expanding the seating capacity, the new stadium featured two new concession stands, wheel chair accessibility, new restroom facilities, better quality seats and expanded media areas.

Shortly after the new stadium opened, it set its all time attendance record. On March 27, 1990, 6,218 fans came to see the new field and a game between the Kansas City Royals and the Blue Jays.

Since the Blue Jays have come to Dunedin, the city has doubled in size to 35000 in 1992. It is also the home of the Dunedin Blue Jays of the Class A Florida State League. Despite some recent rumours and posturing by both sides, it now appears that the Blue Jays will continue to start their seasons in earnest by coming to Dunedin every spring.

Sources:
Toronto Blue Jays Official Guide 2000
Diamond Dreams: 20 Years of Blue Jays Baseball - Stephen Brunt, Viking 1996
Road To Glory - Tom Cheek, Warwick 1993

John M. Milner firmly believes that Joe Carter's home run in the 1993 World Series was one of the turning points of his life. Discuss this, his columns, baseball or life in general with him at docmilner@yahoo.ca.

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