Yankees have mixed feelings about having to play Blue Jays at TD Ballpark through 2021 season
DUNEDIN, FLA. — Just a few blocks away from here, people flock to the Fenway Hotel to get a seat at the rooftop bar before the sun goes down. Bars up and down the coast celebrate the beautiful sunsets here every night with drums and drink specials.
But don’t count Clint Frazier among those who are looking forward to coming back here and seeing the gorgeous colors at sundown. The Florida sun will only be a headache for the Yankees left fielder when he has to return here next month to play the Blue Jays at TD Ballpark.
“It’s way different,” Frazier said, comparing it to a major league park. “It obviously doesn’t have the third deck. Really high skies, there’s not a lot of clouds out there, the winds blowing like crazy. It’s just, it’s hard out there. It’s hard to see because of the way that seats have all the reflections off of them. It’s a typical spring training place that unfortunately, we’re gonna have to play at a few times probably.”
The Blue Jays will start their season here because of the strict coronavirus travel restrictions set by the Canadian government. Last season, they played the 60-game abbreviated season at their Triple-A park in Buffalo, N.Y. The Blue Jays invested millions in this ballpark to bring it up to major league standards.
Jordan Montgomery was impressed with the mound.
“I liked it. I mean, it was a good mound. Good playing surface,” the left-hander said. “It just felt like a big league ballpark. I’m so glad we’re playing there... But it’s just like pitching anywhere.”
TD Ballpark is half a mile from downtown Dunedin and about a quarter mile from the Gulf of Mexico. With game times at 6:30 and 3 p.m., the sun will be setting behind the first-base and home-plate stands. It will be a unique challenge.
“Just like other stadiums, they all have their things you have to work around whether it’s sometimes the sun sets in left field and the left fielders getting crushed by the sun,” Frazier said. “Unfortunately, it seems like there’s a couple more things piled on top of things you have to deal with.
“Hopefully, it’s different whenever there’s a night game to play so we can go out there and avoid all the reflections and all that the way the sunset sets.”
Just add that to the challenge the Blue Jays present. They split 10 games with the Yankees last season, their talented and young lineup is coming into its prime and they’ve added some talent this offseason with George Springer.
The Blue Jays are making a push to challenge the Yankees again.
“I mean them bringing in Springer and re-signed Robbie Ray and bringing in (Marcus) Semien, they brought some bats, they’ve got a good lineup,” Luke Voit said. “They brought back some pitchers and you know obviously got (pitcher) Kirby Yates too. So it’s good to see them going out, spend some money and bring the competition. Makes it a little bit harder and it’ll be exciting. Hopefully we’ll get a chance to go up to Toronto and play on there too.”
The Yankees have their second series on the road against the Blue Jays in June, when they hope to be out of TD Ballpark. Their final road series against the Blue Jays is in September.
Obviously, Frazier, who would be the player on the field most affected by the sun in this ballpark is hoping they get back to Toronto sooner than later. Until then, the left fielder said he will just have to deal with it.
“I kind of thought I kind of dealt with it pretty well today. I mean, you put the sunglasses on, and you just try to be as focused as you can the entire time,” Frazier said. “Not every stadium has perfect settings. And, I came out alive today, just like the rest of us did. So you know, that’s the goal.”
