Do The Toronto Blue Jays Really Need To Move Out of the Rogers Centre?

After another disappointing turn out to the Rogers Centre, the question many writers are asking, do the Jays really need to move? The answer is plain and simple, no . There are many reasons why the Jays are lacking attendance, and that is a problem, but there are also many reasons affecting this. Three main reasons come to mind when speaking of this topic. Recent failures, including the Roy Halladay trade and the J.P. Ricciardi era. Next up , the Toronto sports scene and how it is lacking a winner, or even a playoff contender for argument sake. The Blue Jays ticket prices increased again this year, and without the Jays having a marquee superstar, many fans are hesitant to buy tickets. In the next few paragraphs, I will explain  what the Jays need to do in order to get their fan base back on track, and factors that have put it off track.

 

 When Roy Halladay was traded, the season then became a re-build year. The Jays unloaded the best pitcher in baseball, and picked up some quality minor league prospects. The problem though, is that they are only prospects for an affiliate team and cannot sell tickets, until they reach the big leagues. Before the trade, when J.P Ricciardi was in office, the Jays made some very controversial moves. This included the Alex Rios waiving, as well as the Frank Thomas, and BJ Ryan signings. None of these trades worked out, and this ultimately cost Ricciardi's job.

The Toronto area has not seen a major sports team in the playoffs in 3 years. I believe this has had a major role in how fans are not going to watch games. To make matters worse, the Blue Jays have not had a team in the playoffs in 17 years; the year they won the world series. Also the Blue Jays ticket prices increased, and I believe fans are not willing to pay a premium price, until they know what to expect out of the team.

There are many ways the Jays can boost their attendance, with the first being: slash ticket prices. If they can do this, more fans will be willing to go watch some baseball games, but the Jays need to lower their concession stand prices as well, since no one is willing to pay five dollars for a hot dog. Another way, is to promote their players better. This could happen after a Jays win, and people are allowed to get autographs and photos with their favourite players. They could also have more promotional give aways, or bundle the tickets with food from the concession stands. In conclusion, I believe the Jays do not need to move, but many steps can be taken to help the Blue Birds attendance.

Braden

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Sources: mlb.com