Rogers Centre strikes out with fans over some of its renovations

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You can’t please everyone!

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Despite the Blue Jays spending more than $300 million over two winters on renovating Rogers Centre to a truly authentic ball park, for many fans, there is still work to be done.

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The No. 1 complaint from Monday night’s home opener appeared to be the area behind home plate.

The green backstop is the same shade of green as the turf, which many claimed made it tough to watch.

The bright digital ads in contrast with the grey, fake brick wall behind the sheer amount of seats, which also boasted one of its big sponsors stamped across it, were for many, not exactly a home run.

“This new setup is so so hard to look at,” one fan wrote on X. “There is nothing visually appealing about this.”

Another agreed, writing, “It looks like an SNL set!”

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Sporting News’ Blue Jays reporter Jenn Smith opined, “I absolutely hate the way it looks behind home plate,” though she admitted in another post that the “ads are still quite distracting but that’s the reality of pro sports.”

It wasn’t all hate.

“Honestly? I LOVE the new backdrop. Clean, modern, vibrant,” another fan argued. “I always thought the previous background look cluttered and clunky.”

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What had many loyal Blue Jays viewers shocked was that two of their favourite fans was no longer visible.

Rush star Geddy Lee appeared to have an obstacle blocking a clear view of the game and his fans ranted on his behalf.

“I hope that really tall guy isn’t in front of Geddy Lee the entire season,” one person wrote. “Looked like he kept looking over the guy’s shoulder.”

Another pointed out, “My God, what have they done? Geddy Lee is now in Row 4.”

Others came out fighting for another fan fave: Home Plate Lady, though some were grateful she was able to get some screen time.

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“Can’t believe Home Plate Lady got shifted so far to the right (her left),” Postmedia’s Rob Wong commented.

Another predicted that moving her so far over will be the Jays’ “curse.”

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A third person wrote, “Unfortunately the universe is not whole….in the newly renovated 100 level, HOME PLATE LADY WAS NOT in her normal seat. NOT IN HER NORMAL SEAT!”

They tagged the Jays and asked the team to “fix this immediately!”

Another fan slammed the Blue Jays’ president and CEO Mark Shapiro: “Nobody puts our home plate lady in a corner!”

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