I'm at a loss then without Googling it. WG is what I vaguely remember but I had forgotten about the incident until you mentioned it. I remember the Zamboni very well, Doug Ault's 2 home runs and biting winds coming off lake. Wind chill was something else. I was seated on the third base side in the new "baseball seats which changed the look of the stadium by closing off one of the ends. Fans in bleacher section (left field) were chanting "we want beer". Sports events in Toronto were dry in those years.
Vintage Toronto
- Thread starter The Oracle
- Start date
Other than the pitcher - most of these guys were earning upper middle class salaries - not like today... $20,000 to $30,000 in 1977 I believe is approximately equivalent to $100,000 to $150,000 in 2025.
1977 was the first year of the free agency era.
For 1977 only, there was a 'free agent draft'. Teams would select the players with whom they wanted to negotiate, (I think a free agent could be drafted by only 3, 4 or 5 teams), and he could only sign with one of those.
The Montreal Expos wasted the first selection by choosing Reggie Jackson of the Baltimore Orioles. As if he was going to sign with Montreal...
I don't think the new teams, Seattle and Toronto, were allowed to draft anyone. The only free agents they were allowed to sign were non-tendered players.
Back in those days the Blue Jays would play double hitters on Sundays at the old stadium on the Lakeshore, first game started around 2 pm and the second game was a 7 inning game, however, if the second game did not start before 6pm, the game would be cancelled so fans could get home in time to attend church service at night. Also, in those days all pubs closed at 11pm and women weren't allowed to enter on their own as most pubs had a separate entrance called Ladies and Escorts. No wonder this city was called TORONTO THE GOOD.
I think you mean the Toronto Maple Leafs, the AAA team of the Red Sox. They were by the Tip Top Tailors building at the foot of Bathurst. I went to a bunch of DHers there (Maple Leaf Stadium) and the 2nd game was 7 innings.
Maybe I'm wrong but I thought that all Major League games were always scheduled for 9 innings.
Yes, you are right, it was the Toronto triple A baseball team, however, I do recall going to the games with my father as a young boy on Sundays where the second game was 7 innings and if the game started late it would stop mainly to allow people at the game to go home in time to be able to attend late church service.
In Major League baseball 2020-21
For the 2020 COVID season and in 2021, Major League doubleheaders were seven innings per game.
Yes. the back end of a Double Header in AAA was only 7 games unlike the major league where every game was scheduled for 9.
My fave was going to the Fathers' Day double header. For many years the promo for that day was any kid coming down with his dad would get a free bat, and we are talking about a real big heavy bat, None of our fathers would ever want to come down with us. So we would buy a ticket, and then look for some man who did not have a kid with him. We'd ask if he could enter with us so we could get a bat. It always worked. LOL
