Blue Jays president and CEO Mark Shapiro is stepping into a role where he must straddle the line between business and baseball. In many situations, such as MLB payroll decisions and the ever-distant dream of grass in the ‘Dome, that line will blur. The most prominent case of this in the current agenda appears to be Toronto’s need for an improved, or even relocated, spring training facility.
The Blue Jays have kicked off their season in Dunedin, Florida every spring since 1977. While the club has become deeply engrained in the community, which is one of the smaller to host a Major League spring training complex, it’s becoming evident that the Jays facilities have fallen well behind the league-wide standard.