After starting the 2020 season on the road, the Toronto Blue Jays are now preparing to play their “home” opener. Now, the team has played a number of games so far where they were the home team, but none of them were in the confines of a friendly park.  

Tuesday night, the Blue Jays will play their first of 27 games at Buffalo’s Sahlen Field, where their AAA affiliate, the Buffalo Bisons, normally play out their season. The move came about after the Canadian government denied a request for an exemption to quarantine rules for baseball teams coming in and out of Toronto to play games at Rogers Centre in Toronto.  

To get ready to host the major league team, crews have been hard at work preparing the stadium. This has included millions of dollars in upgrades to the facility to conform to standards you would find at most MLB diamonds.  

One of the major upgrades needed for the park was the installation of new lighting. The lighting in place in Buffalo wasn’t up to the standards for the big leagues, so the changes were made to have brighter lighting for evening games.  

The dugouts at the diamond were also extended, to allow for the physical distancing of the players during the game. Similar arrangements have been made at a number of ballparks already this season. 

The field itself also saw extensive upgrades since late July. These include new grass in the infield, new grass behind home plate, and new grass 20 feet out from the shale in the infield.  

With the absence of fans for the home games for the Blue Jays, a number of changes were made to accommodate the players. Hallways and concourses are now being used as workout spaces for the players, both home and away. The coaching staff have also had specific setups done for them at the ballpark. This included reconstructing manager Charlie Montoyo’s office, complete with his drum set like he has set up back in Toronto.  

One change that Major League Baseball would have liked to see, but just wasn’t feasible, was the location of the bullpens. At Sahlen Field the bullpens are along the foul lines in the outfield. Generally, the bullpens are enclosed, and off the field of play itself. 

The Blue Jays will be showing off their digs for the 2020 season Tuesday night. They host the Florida Marlins. You will be able to catch all the action on Saskatchewan’s home of Blue Jays baseball, AM1190. It all starts with the pregame show at 4:30 p.m.