Keep in mind that the Rogers Stadium in Toronto was the first retractable roof in the world. So it does look plain when compared to the others, but the others did not have to deal with the first-time engineering issues in their design.
At least the first retractable roof on a stadium. When they built the Pittsburgh Civic arena (the old “Igloo”), it had a roof that could open. The primary tenant at the time it was built was the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera, so the idea was to have performances under the stars. In later years, the weight of the larger center-hung scoreboards made opening the roof impossible.
@@SylviusTheMad nah the roof is super nice to have in April May, late September and October. Maybe it’s not absolutely necessary but it’s a massive plus
One of my favorite things about going to M's games is when they occasionally close the roof midgame. Watching it close is such a marvel and the visual atmosphere feels different.
@@scotttild The Mariners will both open and close the roof mid-game. But they'll only close it once per game. So if it starts open and they close it mid-game, it stays closed. If it starts closed and they open it mid-game but have to close it again, then it'll stay closed after that.
The low humidity is what allows Chase Field's roof to be open as much as it is. Most games at Chase Field are played at night, and when the humidity is low, 100 degrees really isn't that uncomfortable (and the A/C helps circulate the air and lower the ambient temperature). It's the sun that's the killer for most afternoon games. It's really intense. Sometimes during early season day games, the roof is closed, and the outfield panels are open. That' creates a really nice atmosphere. Arizona has a monsoon season that begins in mid June and extends through September. The humidity goes up, and there are often violent thunderstorms during the late afternoon and into the night. That's why the roof tends to be closed from late June through most of September. Humidity is a major factor behind why the roofs in Florida and Houston are closed virtually all the time. It's not only the heat.
The roof at Chase Field is half for the heat, the other half is the VIOLENT thunderstorms that rock Arizona from June to September. 60 mph gusts, an inch of rain in about 10 min, etc.
my favorite part about the T-Mobile Park roof is that they close it during games, sometimes even during innings! they actually paused the closing process during a game yesterday because they didn’t want the shadows to cross in between the pitcher and the batter. also growing up in seattle i never realized just how unique it is until i visited ohio and watched the Reds’ broadcast of a mariners game. the announcers were so impressed by the roof, and i had never even thought about how cool it was! the other really interesting thing is just how little it rains in the summer in seattle. they get more rain than just about anywhere else in the country during the fall and winter months, but during baseball season they get among the least amount of rain of any team!
As you said, at night maybe. Because I'm sorry, but Toronto has some of the worst architecture I think I've ever seen. What a glassy nightmare. Not hating on Canada, as Quebec City has some beautiful buildings... and yes it's smaller, but still. Toronto's skyline is barf.
One thing to keep in mind with all of this though, is that most of these retractable roof stadiums, don’t just open for the pleasure of fans. Some have artificial turf, but a bunch have real grass. So when games aren’t being played the roofs will be either fully or partially open, allowing sun in and keeping the grass growing. So it’s not all about just how many actual games that are played with the roof open.
Yeah. Rogers centre is never open in April either because Canada and usually still too cold lol. So taking April/ early May out, the rate is much higher
Considering my Milwaukee stadium is a stones throw from your house I can concur n back up your facts Also it tends to rain ALOT in April may or have weird mixes of storms n snow And in October the roof tends to close due to the cold weather
@nautgaming nautgaming The October bit is the reason why almost all Jays home playoff games are closed-roof; I think it has to do with consistency throughout a series. Only time I remember the roof being open in October was the 2016 AL Wild Card Game
That stadium is an absolute gem. Left field was the only unbearably hot section I remember but it cooled off once the sun dropped below the light standards.
In the Houston area we also have the pop up shower issue. Its the reason there is always a 20 to 30 percent chance of rain all summer. Plus when you have 95 plus temperature and humidity at the same time, you really want the roof closed.
I’d say July-august. It tends to get really smoky in august and September, then in mid September we start getting our fall storm systems with wind and rain. May is a very underrated month too. It gets nice and warm and you think summer is here until junuary hits and lasts until the 4th of July
In fairness to Marlins Park, the high chances of rain aside during baseball season, it's also freaking hot and humid in Miami during the Summer, which is pretty much from May through the end of baseball season (August is pretty much the hottest month). We like our air conditioning down here. 🙂
Don’t defend this. As a Marlins fan, it’s pathetic we have it closed 70 games out of the year. It’s certainly not 100 degrees every time. It’s summer and it’s baseball weather, open the roof. We have an owner who couldn’t care less and fans (like you) who couldn’t care less. That is the problem with this franchise.
The Astros open the roof often when there is no game going on to put sunshine on the field. I was at an August game at Minute Maid back in 2014 which was the first time they had played with an open roof in the month of August since 2004. The Rangers might open the roof in April but forget September. High temps are still in the 90s into October in Texas.
yep, anytime you drive by MMP at any time of the year, the roof will be open about 8/10 times. Only closed for rain or the actual games. I assume some of the other stadiums do the same thing
Also the Astros play a lot more in October than the Rangers, so probably a higher percentage of their playoff games have the roof open. Another thing, Globe Life Field is artificial turf whereas Minute Maid is natural grass.
I live here, man idk what bro talkin about with 8% being bad for us, the summer is way too hot for that roof to be open plus even during august & September the temperatures still be 80s+ so unless it’s a night game I never anticipate the roof being open, you think Dallas heat is bad you’ll be miserable out here
I went to loanDepot park in Miami over the weekend. It was sunny and 78 degrees with no rain in the forecast yet the roof was closed. I am not sure if the front office there has given up or they just don't care but I can see why almost no one goes to that park (except fans of the opposing team like me). Also, nothing was done to hype up the crowd. They don't even sound enthusiastic when they are announcing the Marlin's lineup before the game. The last thing I want to do when the weather is nice is sit inside on a Sunday afternoon and since the Marlins do not put much effort into putting a competitive team on the field, it would be a hard pass from me if I lived in the area.
The Rogers Centre/Skydome roof waterproofling and control system has been completely replaced recently. There won't be a translucent membrane for at least another 15-20 years. Another thing about the dome is that it is purposely designed to be an indoor building with a roof that happens to open, not an outdoor ball field that has a roof that happens to cover it. Unless there is an event happening, the roof stays closed.
@@vojtechnovacek7776 Snow and ice. Toronto doesn't get that cold, not like most of Canada, but it can suffer terrible ice storms when rain falls just at the freezing point and freezes onto cold buildings, wires, etc.
@@Ea-Nasir_Copper_Co exactly, doesn’t get that cold however with the lake effect we can randomly get -40 degree weather and ice storm that goes away the next day.
@@vojtechnovacek7776 Largest problem we'd have in Toronto is ice falling off the CN Tower - they had to make repairs to Rogers Centre a few years ago where ice had penetrated the panels on the Rogers Centre. Translucent won't ever happen.
The only way they'd add a translucent stadium is if they built a new stadium somewhere else other than where the Dome is currently (I dislike calling it Rogers Centre). Perhaps that's what you meant by 15-20 years.
As a Mets fan i believe only 2 games since 2012 where we played the Marlins that the roof was open at LoanDepot Park, our announcers say that it’s a nice 78 degrees nice breeze not humid and clear skies and the roof is closed 🤦🏻♂️
If I was in charge of any new Tampa Bay Rays stadiums and looked at the data of the roof in Miami being open/closed, I would propose a fix roof, maybe more towards the translucent side of things because there is no reason to spend money on a retractable roof and never open it.
@@GarbageLegs IF/when a new stadium gets built for the Rays in the current market it would be a necessity for it to have a fixed roof. Not just because of the possible rain outs. Our hockey team isn't named the Lightning for nothing. Lightning is more of a threat than the rain.You get wet no big deal really. Lightning strike, while survivable, they ain't fun. As far as grass field if a new building is going in I would advise they get all the design info they can from the Vikings(Heavy use of glass would brighten up the place on games where there is natural light) and the Raiders Allegiant Stadium/Cardinals with their roll out grass. There has to be a way to roll part or all of the field when the team is on the road to get full sun, with the glass giving it a boost on home stands. I hope they can get a deal set to at least keep the team local. I get to about 40 to 50 games a year, but it'd be a hell of a lot easier to get to games in Tampa when I'm working essentially in Clermont. I don't see MLB or Sternberg going anywhere else in FL. It's either going to stay in the TB Metro or Nashville & Montreal will be fighting it out in 2027 to see who gets them.
The retractable roof at Minute Maid is more to have live grass instead of artificial turf. Roof is opened frequently and regularly, but majority of the time for fan comfort, roof is closed and air conditioning pumped in.
11:02 I know there’s this impression among our American friends that Canada is a frozen wasteland year-round, but summers in Toronto can easily push 100 of your Freedom Degrees; it’s often as hot or hotter than Los Angeles in summer. But certainly it’s not as hot as a Texas summer. And as you say, unless it rains (or snows), SkyDome remains open to the sky.
Fun fact... Milwaukee's two-part roof can be opened at different angles. Prince Fielder liked to play in the shade, so they would leave the right field roof sort of covering the field at his request.
I used to live in Miami. We get tons of rain inn baseball season. The weather is hot and humid as well. I've been there for both open and closed. The open is good you still get covered from the sun but it's done in mostly early season
The people here in the Tampa Bat area (politicians, developers, and Sternberg) for some reason have an infatuation with having a retractable roof or a covering over certain parts of the stadium to cut down on the heat & humidity and the threat of weather. After the first talk about a new stadium in Ybor City I started cross-referencing the home schedules from 2010 to 2020 with a weather almanac. With as much lightning the area gets doing anything resembling an open air stadium even if the fans were covered from the weather they'd be looking at 25 to 35 games that would be impacted by some type of rain and lightning with at least 10 complete washouts. A retractable roof sounds great, but it would be a hell of a lot cheaper to go with a fixed roof taking as much from the Vikings new digs with a glass roof and glass along the perimeter of the stadium to let as much natural light in as possible and avoid it looking like they wedged a baseball field into a Sam's Club or Costco with all the concrete everywhere. I almost forgot DG, Sarasota is 240 miles/4hr drive depending on traffic
I've been to Minute Maid park a couple of times but all those times were in the summer so the roof was closed. If I was the owner of that stadium, I would open the roof as much as I can, if it's 70 degrees or below and of course if it's not raining. It seems like they only open the roof once a year and that's it. The Texas Rangers open their roof even more and it's also hot there in Arlington. Of course the Milwaukee Brewers and the Toronto Blue Jays open their roofs a lot because it's a lot colder up there, which makes sense. Atlanta Braves don't have a roof and it's hot there in the summer. The worst venue is Tropicana Field, second worst is the Oakland A's Coliseum.
The hilarity is I worked @ MM Park 2012-2020. In the Diamond Club. Those sets were leather. Insperity Club a deck above dictates will the roof be open/close. The roof will change position during practice. Open before a game + open when team is traveling. This is all due to real South African grass in there that is meticulously watered and mowed. A "butt LOAD" of A/C is used with chilled water being purchased from and of site plant. If it's gonna be cooler temps in eve. The roof MAY open in 7th inning. That's a weird feeling as the panels move @ different rates. Also the roof "leaks" Actually It's a tall roof. Wind may blow water past the bladder seals + "rain in the Diamond Club! The floor drains get overwhelmed & geysers shoot from the floor on the main concourse. All in all, a FUN place to work esp. playoffs/World Series.
Love to know a five-year trend of this. IIRC there was a point where TSFNAMP had issues early on with the bogies on the roof that prevented them from opening it, which might have contributed to more times having the roof closed.
I found this interesting regarding playoffs - While the decision on whether or not to retract the roof is up to the home team during regular season games, it's actually the league's call to make during the postseason, with the MLB adhering to strict guidelines for stadiums featuring retractable roofs to ensure that playing conditions don’t give the home team an unfair advantage.
Toronto should never get rid of the rogers centre. It is such a cool looking futuristic building .... gives a very Tokyo feel to it in that first shot in this video and makes it very unique in MLB. It's like a cooler version of the Tokyo Dome.
@cfjcfvnbm65 it's an issue with drainage as the stadium is built on a concrete foundation. Apparently, the cost would be exorbitant to dig it all up. The turf they have now is very good for what it is.
The Houston Astros of the ASTRODOME had issue with find fly balls with it's translucent roof. . . . The Astrodome once grew grass inside a fixed roof stadium, but once they wanted the outfielders to find the fly balls in the sky, the roof was painted green and the grass died... Leading to that astroturf carpeting. I wouldn't imagine MLB ballparks trying this type of roof again
Globe Life Field looks incredible on the inside! I think it's beautiful inside! Outside, it's a bit gawdy, but who cares? I prefer avoiding heat stroke over looking at a lovely exterior.
I loved Minute Maid Park when the roof is open. In 2001 I was there watching Richard Hidalgo walk off my Dodgers, and it started raining part way through the game, so the roof closed. The rain stopped, and the roof opened up again and it was awesome. This was a night game too, so the clouds went away and the night sky looked beautiful.
I think a translucent roof would have a similar issue to the first season at the Astrodome. When fielders kept losing sight of flyballs. Famously had to paint the ceiling, killed the grass, and invented the astroturf. Unsure if they can make it work even today, at least without having the roof lighting be a really weird color.
They could do what the Arizona cardinals do.. grow the grass outside, however, I’m not sure how much work it would be to put the grass out side every day/ every road trip.
@Elijah Flint they don't even have to that. The Mariners have huge UV lights that they move from one section of grass to another to keep the grass in good shape through the off season.
Look up Marvel Stadium in Melbourne Australia. Their main tenants are Aussie Rules football teams who play in the winter mostly at night (similar climate to San Francisco Bay Area), and they close the roof for them. The cricket teams play in the summer and the roof is often open, barring rain.
I saw a game in Safeco Field the first year it was open. When I arrived, well before the game, the roof was open. But a brief shower happened, and they decided to close the roof, which was rather silly since the rain had stopped by the time the closing began, and it didn't rain again. So I got to sit in my seat and watch the roof close over my head as music played! I think it took nearly 20 minutes. But the temperature was comfortable and with the open-air design, it felt great.
I'd argue that T-Mobile Park has been the most successful Retractable Roof stadium ever built the park is 25 years old, the roof has never had a problem working, and the Mariners keep it in convertible mode 83% of the time.
I haven't been to Houston, but if it is anything like Mobile, then it is miserable after an afternoon thunderstorm when the sun comes back out. If you even think about going outside, you get drenched in sweat.
I think the reason Minute Maid seems like it's open more often is because during the playoffs, MLB takes control and can decide on the roof being open or closed instead of the team. So when the eyes of the world are on them, the roof is usually open.
I've been to Marlins Park several times and each time the roof was closed. Each time I went, there was one of those strong Florida thunder storms moving through the area when the gates opened, hence why the roof stayed closed. Very interesting watching batting practice with a raging thunder storm happening outside. They did open the roof after each game and it felt like a completely different ballpark with it open.
They should have built glass roofs like Sofi Stadium has. That way you're inside with all natural lighting. I'm not a fan of retractable roofs. Baseball wasn't meant to be played in a dark indoor facility. It's a summer sport.
As a Texan it is unfortunate that those stadium aren’t open all the time but it’s Just too damn humid 99% of the time and the mix of humidity and heat makes it miserable
Rogers Centre was built in 1989, so yeah the roof is a bit dated. It was the first retractable dome ever built. No Reno schedule for the roof right now, it’s all being done on the inside. Phase 1 was done this year and phase 2 (entire lower bowl getting done) is planned for next off season. Not a lot of real estate down there so I’m glad they are doing the Reno’s. Unfortunately I have heard that season ticket prices have gone up 120% because of these Reno’s. That’s NOT cool.
I remember going to a brewers game and heard a storm was possible. So they closed the roof mid game. Then opened back up an inning later because the storm missed the city
I'd like to see all ballparks have a covering over them. Certainly for the purpose of allowing the players to not be hampered by the sun and shadows, but also for the comfort and convenience of the fans. If all the fans were rugged outdoorsmen, it wouldn't actually matter. But since there are children, elderly, disabled, and wimpy women like me who love the game, much consideration should be given to our comfort and accessibility. There's not a chance in hell I'm going to pay for a ticket, fight traffic to haul my behind to the park, spend next week's grocery budget on hotdogs and other snacks if I'm going to have to contend with the discomfort of the heat/cold/rain/snow, etc. There's also the inconvenience of the postponed and cancelled games. Some people fly into town to catch their team playing against another team on their turf. It's beyond exasperating and expensive to have to change travel plans or abandon getting to see the game altogether. I have felt so sorry for fans who had taken time off work, only to have to return home without getting to see the game. Cover ALL the ballparks!!
The skydome was built 34 years ago and is still the neatest opening design and is still to this day the only stadium that has a fully retractable roof. As far as being ugly, you look at all the other stadium roof designs and that comment make no sense.
Arizona is very dry, so they might be able to cool off the stadium with cool water vapor, and that's perfectly fine with leaving the roof open. When you are in Southeast Texas and Florida, it's a lot more humid and your AC won't work unless you've sealed the stadium.
I remember thinking it seemed a stupid idea to build Marlins Park as a retractable roof stadium in Florida when they have the extreme heat, humidity and the storms. Tropicana Field got it right. At least in the building design. The location is the bad part there really. Maybe now you would do something fixed but transparent like SoFi Stadium in Tampa Bay and Miami. But definitely not a retractable roof.
Side note: My understanding is that since open air PetCo Park in San Diego opened in 2006, there have ONLY been THREE rainouts. THREE! Crazy consistent weather there, though this year (before the season started), there has be a ton of unusual rain.
85 degrees in Arizona? Maybe in the first few weeks of baseball season. A majority of the season, it’s going to average over 110 in Phoenix area. It’s really surprising they have it open that often, that A/C got to be REAL good.
I’ve been to those retractable roof stadiums and the heat in those cities are no joke. However I experienced Arizona ballpark roof being open while the air conditioning was on, it actually still cools things down.
I love Marlins Park, but if it's a little humid (ie every day in Miami during baseball season) the roof will be closed. The retractable roof is just for the grass between games😂
I used to work on field at T-mobile Field and you wouldn't believe how often, without anyone saying a word on tv or radio, that the roof is closed in a middle of a game more than you think. I've been to many games and the dome would close right between innings and stay closed till the end of the game. But on tv, radio you'd never know that. And even if you go to one or two games, you wouldn't know over a full season of home games. Source: Used to run the on field adverts in the outfield and behind home plate.for 2 years
Dude the roof does not cover rogers centre roof outfield, it's the infield if anything which it doesn't, get some Canadian info right if you gonna mention us
I'd bet the reason it feels like Minute Maid is open more is because Houston is constantly in the Playoffs and they have it open in the Playoffs a decent amount
Toronto's numbers would be higher but the league doesn't even allow the roof to be open during certain portions of the year. It also takes roughly 20 minutes to open or close so they have to really look ahead and guess the forecast which means they're often on the conservative side of having it open if weather is iffy. A new roof with a better closing speed would probably see this number go up.
Milwaukee,Seattle and Toronto arent dealing with the miserable heat,humidity and rain a city like Miami gets,it starts in mid May and stays horrible until mid October,basically all season!Whenever the Rays get a new stadium it better be another dome or retractable,I've seen rain for an entire month every single day and heat indexes of 110+
The first couple of times I went to night games at Minute Maid park (then Enron Field), they would open the roof at around the 7th inning, when the temperature had eased somewhat.
Loandepot park, is a dome, is such a surprise when the roof is open. I believe one game it was open it opened late into the game just to see fireworks lol
The Brewers, Mariners, and Astros play on real grass so even if they had the roof closed 100% of the time for games that doesn't mean they don't open it to keep the grass healthy.
They are closed a lot. Milwaukee is closed all winter and they can use greenhouse lighting to keep the grass in shape. They also close it after every game.
When Rogers Centre/Skydome was designed the goal was the have as much of the seats and field exposed to sunlight, all the other stadiums that came after was about having the field exposed to help grow grass and let fresh air in, the Miami stadium is stupid and over prices, Miller Park is probably the best, from my understanding expect for Rogers Centre and the stadium in Arizona the other stadiums leave the roof open over night even in the winter to help the grass
Minute Maid feels like it’s open more because it lets in way more sunlight than globe life or Chase field. Also having lived in DFW and Houston, Houston is much hotter due to humidity
Well, last year the Seattle area had record rainfall Apr-Jun, so that number will go down some for sure. That field is designed to be an outdoor stadium, and the roof is only there for spring and a few thunderstorms. They don't close it for mist or light rain that passes through either (been there many times for that myself). Honestly, it kinda sucks going to that stadium this time of year, the cold wind whips off the water and through the opening in left field, you have to dress really warm.
Yeah, I've been there in April and it felt like going to Twins games at Target field in April. Both parks are awesome in the summer though! Safeco is my favorite retractable roof stadium.
In July/August I'd be pressed to find a better park to be at. The views with the sea air are incredible, and that same sea air keeps the hot days down there much milder, and enjoyable. Never been to Target field unfortunately.
Retractable roofs in warm and wet climates do not make much sense when you can have a fixed roof with plenty of windows to take in light and see the city. Also looks a lot better without all the rails, tracks, and odd shaped roofs.
sure the roger's centre is ugly but it's the first retractible roof satudium (that works properly - the olympic stadium of montreal and the pittsburgh igloo came first but they didn't work) Call me crazy but that roof is iconic, I'd hate for them to change it
