Notes from Toronto -- game 1

Observation time upon my first trip to Toronto to see the Sox;

• Trip stuff -- Trip took "only" 8.5 hours not including a hour stop over to see the Falls. Hotel, booked through Priceline in January, is on the longest (or so I was told) "street" in North America. Yonge Street has a section that is like a mini Times Square with the huge neon signs and the like. Time to the Rogers Centre from the hotel is like 10 minutes via the Subway. City is currently on day 26 of its garbage union strike.



• Clay looked good tonight. First pitch strikes showed how much he has matured. He challenged the hitters which was not the case last year. I'm very happy for him. No doubt, unless a trade, he gets sent back to the minors.



• Called for tickets the day of the game at 3:oo PM. Asked for best available and got two seats on the third base side about even with the shortstop. Eleven rows from the field. $52 per ticket before the exchange. Not too shabby.



• Rogers Centre had its dome closed. Chance of rain was about 10%. This made for a "stuffy" atmosphere. I have visited the Metrodome and caught a game there. There was a better feel here in Toronto. I am curious to attend a game with the roof open. BTW -- I was told it takes twenty minutes to open/close the roof and they delay the game when it is being closed. The stadium itself is huge. Best part is the concourse. You can be in line to get food and turn around and watch the game.



• Good to see Lowell's back. Pun intended.



• Jason Bay is either squaring up balls or looking feeble. No in between with this guy.



• Connecticut's own John MacDonald got into the game in left field. One of baseball's best defensive shortstops as a back up outfielder. Hmmmm -- interesting.



• It was odd not to hear the Dropkick Murphy's playing when Papelbon entered the game. My daughter and I hummed "Shipping Out to Boston" anyway. Words are tough.



• Crowd was about 35% Sox fans.



• The Blue Jays have this song they play and these "cheerleaders" that sing, dance and stretch to during the seventh inning stretch. Really weird to see many of the fans singing this song and stretching like Jack Lalanne to it. Actually I found it comical. Thank goodness they also played "Take Me Out To the Ballgame".
  

Today's Canadian Trivia:

We all know about our neighbor's health care system but how about this? There are FIVE hospitals within a city block of each other in downtown Toronto and one of them was the place where insulin was discovered.