2016: 20 Blue Jays Games @ Rogers Centre

Follow along here for updates, pictures & reviews from the games attended:

Game #1 - NY Yankees 3, Toronto 2
April 12th, 2016
Attendance:  28,019

The Ticket
Secured a single $30 USD ($37 CAD) ticket in Section 113A, Row 27, well below the $60 CAD single-game face value.

The Menu Item Tried
Went with the Jerk Chicken Nachos, for $11.50.  Overall, certainly tasty although they were a little light on the chicken.  Would have again.

The Seat
I was set up in Row 27, right next to a family with a couple of young children.  As a result, I hopped back a couple of rows (everything from 28 and up was essentially empty).  As with some of the Rogers Centre seats, the multi-purpose design of the stadium means that the seats do not directly face home plate, which some may find annoying.  Overall, certainly good value for a lower-level seat against a division rival.

The Game
It was a pitching duel for the most part, with the Blue Jays managing just three hits in the game.

Jose Bautista had one of them, a 2-run double in the third inning which gave the Jays a 2-1 lead.  However, Brian McCann hit a 2-out solo home run in the 6th inning before Jacoby Ellsbury gave the Yanks the lead in the 7th on a single.

The "lights out" Yankee bullpen combo of Betances & Miller was just that, striking out 5 of the final 7 batters.

Game #2 - Toronto 9, Oakland 3
April 23, 2016
Attendance:  46,334

The Ticket
Saw a $50 USD (plus fees = $60 USD, $75 CAD) ticket on Stubhub a couple of days before, so I snatched it up as there weren't too many deals for this Saturday game.  Still, the ticket was a savings of about $25-30 off of face value for the section (127, Row 20).

The Menu Item Tried
Buffalo Cauliflower Poutine.  Don't laugh -- it was actually exceptional.  Fried cauliflower (battered) and smeared with cheese curds and buffalo sauce.  Pretty good eats for $10.50, and extremely filling; dinner was a little later for me on Saturday and I don't think I would have wanted it any earlier!

The Seat
Certainly great views, as you'd expect (will upload photos below) -- although I'm not sure if I'd sit in this section at face value.

The Game
Oakland's Mark Canha, the second batter of the game, homered to get the visitors off to a solid start.  However, Toronto used a bit of "small ball" to take the lead in the bottom of the first, scoring runs off of a ground out and an infield single.

Reigning MVP Josh Donaldson opened things up for the Jays in the bottom of the second, belting a 413-foot three-run HR to right-centre.

Troy Tulowitzki hit lead-off homers in the 5th and 7th innings, and the Jays ended up cruising to victory.

As you'd expect with a game that had many offensive fireworks, there were some players that joined my single-game leaders (rank in brackets):

Troy Tulowitzki - 2 HR (T1)
Ezequiel Carrera - 4 Hits (T2)
Ezequiel Carrera - 3 Runs (T3)
Josh Donaldson - 3 Hits (T5)
Josh Donaldson - 4 RBI (T5)
Troy Tulowitzki - 3 Hits (T5)

Game #3 - Chicago White Sox 10, Toronto 1
April 26th, 2016
Attendance:

The Ticket
Saw a Stubhub option in Section 220, Row 5 (200 Level Infield).  At $28 USD including fees ($35 CAD), it was about half of face value ($71.50).

The Menu Item Tried
There aren't as many "unique" options in the 200 Level, so it might be worth grabbing something in the lower level of the Rogers Centre before heading up.  As it was, I went with the foot-long hot dog, which is served with sauteed peppers and your choice of a wide variety of add-them-yourself toppings ($10.75).

The Seat
Excellent views from Section 220, which is just to the right of the TD Comfort Zone.  I actually was the only one sitting in the first 8-10 seats of the row, so I had plenty of space!  The crowd in and around me was a little bit older, and quite knowledgeable.  There were two guys in front of me who were streaming the Raptors playoff game, which I appreciated!

The Game
With Chris Sale pitching for Chicago, I knew going in that runs would be at a premium for the Blue Jays.  It was a slow start offensively for both teams, before Avisail Garcia hit a home run off of RA Dickey in the third inning.

Austin Jackson's two-run double in the 5th inning would provide all of the necessary runs for the Sox, who later received home runs from former Jay Dioner Navarro and Adam Eaton in their 10-run outburst.

All 9 White Sox starters recorded at least one hit, while Sale held the Jays to just 4 hits and 1 runs while striking out six over 8 IP.

Game #4 - Toronto 5, LA Dodgers 2
May 6th, 2016
Attendance:

The Ticket
I went for an outfield ticket in the 200 level on this evening (second row, on the aisle), which cost about $1 on Stubhub after I used a fan gift code that I had earned.  Even had I not had that to use, still would have been well below face value of $52.50.

The Menu Item Tried
After a filling pre-game dinner, I wasn't much in the mood for food on this evening.  However, I did try a "Bacardi Oakheart and Ginger" cocktail from the Bacardi Bar in the 200 Level ($11.50).  Quite good and served in an insulating glass.

The Seat
I hadn't sat out in the 200 level outfield for a while, and was pleasantly surprised with the sight line.  An added bonus (and arguably one of the best features of Rogers Centre these days) is the fact that they have opened up the area that used to house the "Windows Restaurant" within the past couple of years --- nowadays, this area is the "WestJet Flight Deck".  With a couple of beer serving stations nearby, it's one of the few places in the stadium where you can be in a concourse line waiting for a beer and view the action at the same time (perhaps the only one, as the 100 level serving stations face away from the action).

The Game
It was a pitcher's duel early on between Marcus Stroman (TOR) and Kenta Maeda (LA) --- scoreless through 5 innings.  Jose Bautista hit a two-run home run to break the scoreless tie, before the Dodgers rallied in the 7th to tie things up.  Kevin Pillar would hit a clutch three-run home-run in the bottom of the 8th inning to provide the winning runs and account for the final margin of victory.

Game #5 - Tampa Bay 6, Toronto 3 (May 18th)

Game #6 - Toronto 7, NY Yankees 0 (June 1st)

Game #7 - Toronto 11, Philadelphia 3 (June 14th)

Game #8 -  Toronto 5, Arizona 2 (June 22nd)

Game #9 - Cleveland 4, Toronto 1 (June 30th) 

Game #10 - Toronto 5, Detroit 4 (July 7th)

Game #11 - Detroit 3, Toronto 2 (July 9th)

Game #12 - Seattle 2, Toronto 1 (July 22nd)

Game #13 - San Diego 8, Toronto 4 (July 27th)

Game #14 - LA Angels 6, Toronto 3 (August 25th)

UP (Union-Pearson) Express: Cheaper than the GO To Get To The Toronto Blue Jays Game?

Last week, I attended my first (of hopefully many) Blue Jays games this season.  Being near the airport that day (and without the car), I made my way on transit to try out the UP Express as an option for getting to the game.

I had heard a friend mention how he had used the service to check out the Ripley's Aquarium one weekend with his wife and kid, and how he was impressed.

Having recently moved to Brampton, I figured it may be worth a shot.  I wasn't disappointed.

The service runs every 15 minutes, and a one-way trip to Union Station is about 25 minutes.  The station there is in the "Skywalk" at Union, which is a short walk over to Rogers Centre.

It is a relaxing ride, with some decent views along the way, particularly for plane enthusiasts in the area of the airport:

The ride itself is comfortable, with the train's features resembling an aircraft (fold-down trays, overhead compartments, etc.).  Here's a look at the interior:

Aside from its convenient location, there's one other interesting factoid --- it's actually cheaper than GO Transit for those within "transit distance" of Pearson Airport.

Here's a quick break-down of the cost in comparison to GO Transit.  I'm assuming in these instances that the individual would take transit to either the GO stop or the Airport (or driving to the airport, which would be cheaper for a family than cash transit fares):

GO Cost - Single

Day Pass (from Brampton):  $17

Transit Cash Fare:  $3.75 x 2 ways = $7.50

GO Cost - Family of Four

Day Passes (from Brampton):  $51

Transit Cash Fares:  $15 x 2 ways = $30
(Value Park Lot at Pearson Daily Max: $18)

UP Express Cost - Single

Long Layover (7 Hours Round-Trip):  $12

Transit Cash Fare:  $3.75 x 2 ways = $7.50

UP Express Cost - Family

Long Layover Family Pass:  $25

Transit Cash Fares:  $15 x 2 ways = $30
(FYI - Value Park Lot at Pearson Daily Max:  $18)

The key note is that you need to purchase a paper ticket (don't scan your Presto Card!) "long layover" fare, which expires 7 hours from your trip's start time.

Also of note - this ticket is not available at the vending machine.  It needs to be purchased (via credit card) from an attendant.

You can also buy this ticket online in advance, or through the UP Express smartphone app.

It seems like it has been catching on a bit for Jays (and Raptors fans) -- the game I attended was also the day of the Raps last regular season game, and the train was "fairly full"on the way back to Pearson.

A quick Twitterverse scan from the game a couple days later concurred:

Good to see a respectable lineup for @UPexpress after the @BlueJays game tn. perhaps a niche market has been found?

— Ron Pearson (@ronacpearson) April 15, 2016

So, it's a valid option and, if you're taking transit, allows you to imbibe with a couple of beers at the game without having to worry.

Naturally, there's probably a ways to go before this is a preferred mode of transport, especially for families, who could argue that the cost (including parking) would still be a bit too high.

Perhaps some of the Airport area bars and restaurants could take a page out of what happens in Milwaukee, where many bars and restaurants run "shuttles" to the stadium (in this case, the Aiport-area bars/restaurants could run their shuttle to the UP Express, and allow those to park in their lot).

Anyways, I'll surely update this post with more information, especially if/when I take it next.  In the meantime, feel free to connect with me on Twitter (@markyolkowski) or comment below if you would like to add any details that I've missed.

2016 = 20 Blue Jays Games @ Rogers Centre

Having recently moved to the GTA, I have a much better opportunity to get to Toronto Blue Jays' home games this coming year.  Usually, I get to about 6-10 per season, but my goal this year is 20.

For those 20 games, I'm looking to sit in 20 different seats and occupy all seating "price points" (save for the In-The-Game seats) during the process.

Of the 5 teams I haven't yet seen in person, I can cross three off of that list this year -- Arizona, LA Dodgers, and Seattle (Cincinnati & Milwaukee are the other two).

My current schedule is posted below.  Feel free to follow along here, or my Twitter/Instagram feeds (@markyolkowski) for updates.

Bold = Teams I have not yet seen in person

Currently Scheduled Games
Tuesday, April 12th - NY Yankees 3, Toronto 2
Saturday, April 23rd - Toronto 9, Oakland 3
Tuesday, April 26th - Chicago White Sox 10, Toronto 1
Friday, May 6th - Toronto 5, LA Dodgers 2
Wednesday, May 18th - Tampa Bay 6, Toronto 3
Wednesday, June 1st - Toronto 7, NY Yankees 0
Tuesday, June 14th - Toronto 11, Philadelphia 3
Wednesday, June 22nd - Toronto 5, Arizona 2
Thursday, June 30th - Cleveland 4, Toronto 1
Thursday, July 7th - Toronto 5, Detroit 4
Saturday, July 9th - Detroit 3, Toronto 2
July 22nd-24th - vs. Seattle Mariners (Game TBD)
Monday, July 25th - vs. San Diego Padres
Wednesday, July 27th - vs. San Diego Padres
Monday, August 8th - vs. Tampa Bay Rays
Sunday, August 14th - vs. Houston Astros
Friday, September 9th - vs. Boston Red Sox
Friday, August 26th - vs. Minnesota Twins
Tuesday, September 13th - vs. Tampa Bay Rays
Wednesday, September 28th - vs. Baltimore Orioles