Blue Jays: A Look at the MiLB Stadiums in the system

The Blue Jays have an extensive minor league system and boast some of baseball’s best prospects. While the product on the field is exceptional, that’s not what I will focus on today.

This article won’t be about the on-field product, but more the field itself and the stadiums that house them.

We’ll start from the bottom in Bluefield, and work our way up to the top of the minors with Buffalo throughout this article.

Bluefield Blue Jays (Rookie)- Bowen Field

The Bluefield Blue Jays are the lowest ballclub in the Blue Jays’ farm system, and most draft picks actually skip this level. Despite many players never playing here, it is still home to one of the most successful minor league franchises. The Bluefield Blue Jays have won the Appalachian league title a whopping fourteen times, and have done so in a charming little municipal stadium.

At a capacity of 3,000 fans, Bowen field is one of the smaller venues in the Appalachian League. However, what it lacks in size it makes up for in personality. The ballpark is the epitome of minor league baseball in small-town America. First constructed in 1939, it had to be rebuilt in the 70’s due to a fire.  Today, a trip to Bowen Park will bring you back in time to old school baseball; and is one of the cosiest fields in the minor league. Fans who have visited the stadium describe it as “small, cheerful and family friendly.”

Overall, it is a true minor league stadium, but it almost too small for professional baseball.

Vancouver Canadians (A Short-Season)- Nat Bailey Stadium

The oldest club in Canada, and they play in the oldest stadium in the country as well. Although the Vancouver Canadians have only played in the Northwest League for the past 20 seasons, the Canuck club has hopped around the baseball pyramid throughout their history.

The Nat Bailey Stadium, Originally built as Capilano Stadium in 1951 is one of Vancouver’s hidden treasures. Vancouver in the grand scheme of things is a big league city, although all of that is forgotten when one steps into the friendly confines of “The Nat.” before renovations, “The Nat” had a capacity of less than 4,000, although the capacity has been increased to 6,479 thanks to new ownership in 2009.

The stadium has all of the features one would look for in a charming minor league park. The game day experience pitches a “vintage” theme. Everything from a single concourse, to outdoor barbecues, to the lineups written in chalk on the wall. Everything was renovated in 2009, and it has become one of the premier destinations for minor league fanatics.

A single grandstand features wooden bleachers, and there are fancier seats that dot the baselines. The concessions feature some of the craziest offerings in baseball, including freshly made sushi and three-foot long hot dogs.  The pitchers warm up in foul territory rather than in a bullpen, and the backdrop is the astoundingly picturesque Queen Elizabeth Park.

Blue Jays prospects love the stadium, especially being able to live in Vancouver while playing minor league ball. Although the stadium is far off many of their expectations. Prospect Griffin Conine said,

“It’s not what I was expecting it to be like where I started, Everyone says it’s a really long road and when you start out, not many people come out for the games and you don’t always play at the nicest venues. But I think we’ve got the nicest field in the league, which is it’s pretty great.”

And his words pretty well sum up everybody’s experience when they visit the old stadium in east Vancouver. I wrote an in depth piece on The Nat, feel free to check it out if you’re interested.

Lansing Lugnuts: (A)- Cooley Law School Stadium

Home of many of the Blue Jays’ top prospects once they are drafted, Cooley Law School Stadium is an important part of the Lansing community. The stadium is one of the only ones in the Blue Jays’ system which is in the downtown core, meaning there are many pre and post-game options for fans to enjoy. It is also the only multi-use stadium in the organization as the Lansing Ignite soccer club play their home games there.

While the location and uses of the stadium make it unique, they are not the only things that do. When fans enter the stadium, they go down; rather than up like in most parks. The playing field is actually below ground level, meaning fans walk down to their seats rather than up.

The listed capacity of the stadium is 7,500, although many more fans tend to pack the stadium on warm summer nights. The hull behind the stadium has been left empty, and is a welcome site for picnics and families. It is not known how many can fit on the hill, however, it has been seen packed on many occasions.

Cooley Law school Stadium is one of the most unique downtown ballparks in the minor leagues and offers a taste of the major leagues while only in Single-A.

Dunedin Blue Jays (Advanced A) – Dunedin Stadium

The Dunedin Blue Jays have by far the most extensive facilities of any minor league team in the Jays’ system, as they play in the home of Blue Jays’ spring training. However, this season has not treated the Dunedin boys nicely; as they have not been able to play in their own stadium due to renovations.

The stadium, originally built in the 1930s has been home to Florida baseball for over 90 years. It has gone under multiple renovations, although the 2019 one is by far the biggest. It is set to open in 2020, equipped with extensive facilities, and a new stadium. Jays president Mark Shapiro said    “it will be the best complex in baseball” when the plans were unveiled in late 2017.

As for the old stadium, it was described as boring and bland; much like many spring training stadiums. It got the job done, but without any of the charm that comes with the other minor league stadiums. The food is nothing special, and the stadium boasted the smallest capacity of any spring training facility.

Overall, it was time for the Blue Jays organization to revamp their single a and spring training facilities in Dunedin.

Buffalo Bison (AAA)- Sahlen Field

The Bisons play in a hustling, bustling stadium right in the heart of downtown Buffalo. Being a Triple-A club, it is probably as close as Buffalo will ever get to their dream of major league ball. The fans have seen many major league stars spend time with their beloved Bisons team. The capacity of the stadium sits at a hair over 18,000, which is the perfect size for a small-ish baseball market like Buffalo.

Over the years the stadium has been known for its vast selection of food and beverage. Gourmet sandwiches, craft beers and even poutine are the go-to ballpark eats of Sahlen Field, with the poutine only being added when they adopted the Blue Jays as their major league affiliate.

More from Jays Journal

• Matt Chapman has been exactly what the Blue Jays needed
• Blue Jays: The goalposts are moving in the right direction
• Single-A Dunedin Blue Jays advance to the Championship Series
• Blue Jays: Comparisons for Alek Manoah’s Second Season
• Blue Jays: Adam Cimber, the unlikely decision King

Sahlen field reminds many fans about the Baltimore Oriole’s Camden Yards, as its vibe is very similar. However, Sahlen field opened a full year before the stadium in Maryland.

With the capacity at 18,000, it can sometimes be a challenge to fill the stadium, especially early in the year with the spotty weather in the northeastern states. When the temperature warms up and becomes more welcoming, the Bisons do their best to promote their product. Over the dog days of summer, the club organizes many special nights which regularly sell out. These nights include but are not limited to “Star Wars” night, and “bring your dog to the ballpark” day. All of these initiatives draw fans out on a regular basis.

The park is certainly a hitters park, with the ultra-low outfield wall, and that is part of the reason why so many sluggers numbers have inflated when playing in Bisons uniform.

Sahlen field has become known as one of the gems of the minor leagues, especially in Triple-A where some of the stadiums are bland, big, and not very special.

The Blue Jays minor league stadiums offer some of the best experiences in small-town baseball. From the tiny confines of rural Bluefield, to the large metropolises of Vancouver and Buffalo. Blue Jays baseball sprawls across the continent, and captures the hearts of many baseball fans across the United States and Canada.