Acid Flashback Friday: 1977’s Home Opener at Exhibition Stadium

It’s hard to believe that just over 33 years ago, the Blue Jays played their very first game in the city of Toronto.

Some of us were just kids when it happened, and some of us weren’t even born yet. Despite that, most can recognize those iconic images like the one above of the snow-covered field at Exhibition Stadium on April 7th, 1977.

For this week’s Acid Flashback Friday, we take a look back at the Home Opener that started it all – the very first Blue Jays home game at Exhibition Stadium.


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Some interesting facts about the game: the 1977 Blue Jays Home Opener was the only major league game to ever be played with the field entirely covered in snow. Also, Exhibition Stadium was the only ballpark not to serve beer. I wonder if the crowd subsequently got rowdy and started throwing paper airplanes onto the field?

The snow was not only a giant headache for the players and the grounds crew, but also for the thousands of fans en route to the game.

For anyone who remembers the huge snow storm the day of last year’s Home Opener, you can attest to the fact that it was like hell on wheels trying to drive to the ballpark that day. I’m sure it was the exact same way back in 1977.

Doug Ault was the hero of the day, hitting two home runs and helping the Blue Jays win their very first game on home soil 9-5 over the visiting Chicago White Sox.

The success was short-lived though as the team would only win 55 games that season, beginning a streak of three consecutive 100 loss seasons.

For me, the sheer unpredictability of the weather in April adds to the lure of the Blue Jays Home Opener and makes it even more special.

Any other day of the year, that snow on the ground would be just another headache. Yet there’s something about snow on the day of the Blue Jays Home Opener that will always make me think back to that very first game at Exhibition Stadium.

Ian Hunter

Ian has been writing about the Toronto Blue Jays since 2007. He enjoyed the tail-end of the Roy Halladay era and vividly remembers the Alex Rodriguez "mine" incident. He'll also retell the story of Game 5 of the 2015 ALDS to his kids for the next 20 years.

4 thoughts on “Acid Flashback Friday: 1977’s Home Opener at Exhibition Stadium

  • April 10, 2010 at 5:50 pm
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    You're 100% right man, I wasn't even born yet and I recognize the snowy Ex image anytime.

    But that might be because I grew up in a house with a ridiculous painting of Ernie Whitt standing in front of the snowstorm hanging in the living room.

  • April 10, 2010 at 7:19 pm
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    Matty, you had an Ernie Whitt painting in your living room? I have GOT to see that.

  • April 12, 2010 at 5:05 pm
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    I just saw that – it's pretty amazing. I especially like the bagpiper in the Exhibition Stadium side.

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