Angels’ new owner has big plans that would make Rogers Centre one of MLB’s oldest stadiums

On Jun. 3, 1989, the City of Toronto introduced its newest spectacle to the world: Skydome. The Opening Ceremonies were memorable not only for showcasing its retractable roof, but also for an unexpected thunderstorm that showed how valuable a roof is when performers and spectators were drenched by rain.

The Toronto Blue Jays would play their first game in their new home on Jun. 5, losing 5-3 to the Milwaukee Brewers. Fred McGriff made history by being the first player to hit a home run inside Skydome.

That was 37 years ago, and today it is the sixth-oldest stadium in the ballpark. However, with the recent acquisition of a certain team in the American League West and talks about a new ballpark, Toronto is likely to move up the rankings in the near future.

On Sept. 2, the MLB community was stunned to learn of the sale of the Los Angeles Angels to successful sports owner Stan Kroenke. The sale ended Arte Moreno's 23-year reign as the Angels' owner, drawing criticism after the team had gone without a playoff berth since 2014.

The first step Kroenke is expected to take with the team is to build a new stadium to replace Angel Stadium. Opened in 1966, Angel Stadium is currently the fourth-oldest stadium in MLB, behind Dodger Stadium, Wrigley Field, and Fenway Park. During its time open, Angel Stadium has seen ten postseason appearances, including a World Series title in 2002.

If you're an Angels fan, you're definitely going to get excited for Kroenke's ownership, as he currently also owns the likes of the Colorado Avalanche, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Rams, and Premier League's Arsenal, all of whom have seen championships in the last decade.

If you're a fan of the Blue Jays, that could mean that the park you visit the most often could become one of the very oldest in the game. Rogers Centre would become the fifth-oldest stadium, right behind the Kansas City Royals' Kauffman Stadium, which would move to fourth after opening in 1973. With recent renovations to the Rogers Centre in the last three years and renovations to Kauffman Stadium between 2007 and 2009, those ballparks aren't going anywhere.

It's also unlikely anything changes anytime soon within the top three. Fenway Park, which opened in 1912, is a staple in Boston. It received a makeover in the early 2000's, but before that there were proposals to build a park known as "New Fenway Park." Public push back cancelled those plans.

Same goes for Wrigley Field. The home of the Chicago Cubs has stood at 1060 W. Addison St. in Chicago since 1914. The Cubs threatened to move out of Wrigley back in the mid-2010s but that was mostly just a ploy for ownership to secure some funding for major renovations. Behind those two fields stands Dodger Stadium which opened in 1962.

Although the Rogers Centre is slowly approaching 40 years in MLB, it has become a state-of-the-art facility and a destination for many baseball fans. With the ballpark becoming modernized thanks to the support of Mark Shapiro, the Blue Jays won't have to worry about a new home for decades to come.

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