Ace's Place




Say hello to the Toronto Blue Jays mascot. Ace came out to entertain our section behind the 3rd base dugout during yesterday's Blue Jays/Pirates exhibition game in Dunedin.

This was my favorite shot -- a display of "attitude," the kind of toughness Toronto hopes to see in its ballclub. But no sign of the dancing and comedic miming that make the Phillie Phanatic so great.

Florida Auto Exchange Stadium is a throwback, a smaller, no-frills facility similar in size and design to the typical 1970s or '80s Florida ballpark. Its design is from the same school as (the now unused) Fort Lauderdale Stadium.

Fans are close to the field -- so close that screening has been erected on top of the dugouts to shield fans from foul balls and thrown bats (sorry I didn't capture the Louisville Slugger that flew towards us, but was deflected away). You'll notice the netting more clearly in the photo below.

In a time when many Spring Training parks feature tiki bars, picnic-like seating beyond the outfield fences, cup-holders in the seats and impressive video boards, don't look for them here. Unlike the newer campus-like complexes, Florida Auto Exchange Stadium isn't surrounded by a group of practice fields and training areas. That's probably a bigger factor as the Blue Jays consider leaving their longtime pre-season home.

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