Commissioner Rob Manfred had high praise for Sahlen Field on Thursday when he came to town for the Toronto Blue Jays' doubleheader against Philadelphia to check out the radically modified setup for Major League Baseball that the Jays are using.
Manfred was seen walking the field prior to the opener with Blue Jays president/CEO Mark Shapiro and Marnie Starkman, the team's senior vice president of marketing and business operations. Manfred was not made available to the media but had a brief telephone chat with Sportsnet, the Blue Jays' television network.
"The field looks incredible, the back offices, clubhouse, weight rooms. The work they did here is unbelievable," Manfred said. "I just can’t believe what they’ve done here. Absolutely phenomenal, and no notice. It’s a real accomplishment for the Blue Jays."
"Major League Baseball and Rob have been tremendously helpful and supportive. ... I still can't believe the job that so many people have done," Blue Jays General Manager Ross Atkins said on a Zoom call prior to the games. "I was hopeful and very optimistic our players and staff would be very pleased but now seeing that they are pleased and feeling comfortable and have the things they need, it really speaks to the thoughtfulness of all the people that were involved."
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Thursday's doubleheader was a makeup of games postponed last month when the Phillies were exposed to the Miami Marlins' coronavirus outbreak.
On virus issues, Manfred said: "The vast majority of players have done a phenomenal job in terms of adhering to protocols. We don’t have the advantage of being in the bubble, but. ... We feel good, and are cautiously optimistic we can finish this year off."
Pearson/Bichette updates
Blue Jays pitcher Nate Pearson spent part of his 24th birthday Thursday morning getting an MRI on his tight right elbow.
While results weren't immediately available, Atkins said, "We're not initially overly concerned."
As for shortstop Bo Bichette's knee sprain, Atkins said, "Extremely optimistic that he will be a great piece of this team in 2020. We'll go one day at a time. The swelling has gone down and he'll get another assessment here this weekend."
Familiar faces
Manager Joe Girardi's Philadelphia coaching staff hit town with a pair of former Bisons. Bobby Meacham, the Herd's manager the last three years, is one of Girardi's bench coaches and is in his third stint with the manager, having also worked with him in Florida and New York. Former Bisons catcher Dusty Wathan, a stalwart on the 2004 Governors Cup championship team, is the Phillies' third-base coach.
Long time, no visit
The Phillies were making their first visit to Buffalo since September, 1885, when they won three times in a four-game series when they were still known as the Quakers. The Phillies last played a doubleheader in Buffalo on July 4, 1885, sweeping by scores of 10-5 and 7-2. Thursday's action marked their first neutral-site road games since Sept. 3, 1957 at Roosevelt Stadium in Jersey City, where they were the visiting team against the Brooklyn Dodgers.
