Game Day: The Blue Jays at SkyDome

Gerald J. Stortz is an assistant professor of history at St. Jerome’s
College, University of Waterloo.

This book’s coverage of the Blue Jays begins in spring training and
ends with Joe Carter’s dramatic home run in the final game of the 1993
season. There are poignant sections on pitcher Jack Morris, who comes
across as a brash, arrogant individual unable to accept the fact that
his career has come to an end; and coach Rich Hacher, who miraculously
recovered from a near-fatal car crash and can remember detailed physical
descriptions of opposing players but not their names. More interesting,
however, is the book’s coverage of the SkyDome and the people involved
in its management, from executives to groundskeepers, from “Bam Bam”
the pyrotechnics expert to an octogenarian usher who cycles to and from
the stadium from Scarborough. Though legendary baseball writer Roger
Angell disliked the stadium, it is a good fit with both the city and the
team.

Despite some sloppy editing and material of questionable relevance
(e.g., O’Malley Senior’s problems with women and his need for
antidepressants), this is a well-written book that will have enduring
appeal for baseball fans.