Dunedin Blue Jays

History

The Dunedin Blue Jays first appeared in 1978 as a Class A minor league team for the newly formed Toronto Blue Jays. They spent two seasons in the Florida State League, one of four Class A clubs in Toronto’s system, before being dissolved after 1979 when Toronto moved its farm system into higher levels. Local efforts to partner with other major league teams to keep minor league baseball in Dunedin failed, though Toronto continued to hold spring training there.

In 1987, Toronto decided to create a new Florida State League team in Dunedin. The team initially played at Grant Field until Dunedin Stadium opened in 1990. In 1995, when Major League Baseball owners considered a lockout and using replacement players, Dunedin was set to become the Toronto Blue Jays’ home field because Ontario laws barred replacement workers. The labor dispute ended before this plan took effect.

The Blue Jays reached the Florida State League Championship Series in 2006 but lost to the St. Lucie Mets in three straight games. In 2007, the team was nominated for the Corporate Support Award from the Florida Recreation & Park Association, which honors organizations that go beyond expectations to fund and support recreational programs. On September 6, 2017, Dunedin won its first Florida State League championship by defeating the Tampa Yankees two games to one.

The championship was shared with the Palm Beach Cardinals because Hurricane Irma forced the series to be cancelled. For the 2019 season, the team played at Jack Russell Memorial Stadium while TD Ballpark was being renovated. The 2020 Minor League Baseball season was first postponed and then cancelled on June 30 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Travel restrictions between the United States and Canada led to plans for the Toronto Blue Jays to relocate to Dunedin for the 2020 MLB season, but the team ultimately played most of its home games at its Triple-A affiliate’s stadium in Buffalo, New York.