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Exhibition Stadium was built for football in 1959 and was modified for the expansion Blue Jays. Home plate lay near the corner of one end zone, and the main seating areas, along each sideline of the football field, extended down the first-base line and behind the left-field fence. The best seats, both because they were the only roofed section and because they offered the best view of the game, were the left-field general admission seats, paradoxically the cheapest tickets. Originally there were no seats at all along what is now the third-base line (behind the end zone), and a number of seats in deep centerfield and down the right-field line were rarely sold due to poor sight lines. The artificial-turf playing field was contained by a temporary blue fence inside the permanent seating, and home runs to right field bounced across the unused portion of the football field. The Blue Jays' April 30, 1984 game was postponed due to heavy winds. The open end of the field faced Lake Ontario, and metal seats compounded the problems with cold weather. The discomfort led the team to move to the indoor Skydome in 1989. (SCL)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » April 24, 1977: Fergie Jenkins fires the first shutout ever in Toronto's Exhibition Stadium, as the Red Sox defeat the Blue Jays, 9–0. » May 4, 1980: Toronto's Otto Velez ties an American League record with four home runs in a doubleheader sweep of Cleveland at Exhibition Park. The Jays win 9–8 and 7–2. Velez homers three times in the opener, including a grand slam in the first inning and a game winner in the bottom of the 10th, and finishes the day with 10 RBI. Otto's clouts come with the bases empty, one on, two on and the slam. » August 25, 1980: At Toronto's Exhibition Stadium, Rangers P Ferguson Jenkins is arrested for possession of illegal drugs after customs officials discover an estimated $500 worth of cocaine, marijuana, and hashish in his suitcase. The arrest stuns the entire country, where Jenkins, a Canadian citizen, is considered a national hero. » August 4, 1983: While warming up before the 5th inning of the Yankees 3–1 win over the Blue Jays game at Toronto's Exhibition Stadium, New York OF Dave Winfield accidentally kills a seagull with a thrown ball. After the game, Winfield is brought to the Ontario Provincial Police station on charges of cruelty to animals and is forced to post a $500 bond before being released. The charges will be dropped the following day. » May 28, 1989: A 2-run homer by George Bell in the 10th inning gives the Blue Jays a 7–5 win over the White Sox in their final game at Toronto's Exhibition Stadium. Bobby Thigpen takes the loss, with Tom Henke notching the win.