"Another sweep at the hands of the Tampa Bay Rays underscored one of the worst-kept secrets in the American League: the Blue Jays are not a good team overall when they play at Tropicana Field. Are the Rays a total juggernaut at home? Is it the muggy Florida air? Or is it a Danhausen curse?"
"In their 29 years of playing the Rays, the Blue Jays have had a few winning records at Tropicana Field, but for the most part, it's been a lacklustre showing from the bluebirds under the roof that looks like one guy's eye from A Clockwork Orange. Having seen his fair share of squirrelly Blue Jays-Rays games during his time as a coach and then the bench boss, former manager John Gibbons once told the Toronto Sun: "House of Horrors man, weird things happen down here, I'll tell you that.""
"After the sweep yesterday afternoon, the Blue Jays are 92-142 lifetime at Tropicana Field since 1998. Their .393 winning percentage is the second-worst overall record against an AL East opponent. The Blue Jays' .389 lifetime winning percentage at Yankee Stadium is the worst."
"For a span of seven years - from 2007 to 2014 - the Blue Jays didn't win a single series in 22 attempts at Tropicana Field. Not that "winning" a series really means anything, but if that were a short postseason like an ALDS, the Blue Jays would've been ousted 22 consecutive times."
Blue Jays fans often react with frustration when Tampa Bay appears next on the road schedule. A sweep by the Rays reinforced a long-running pattern: Toronto performs poorly at Tropicana Field. The reasons are debated, ranging from home dominance and Florida conditions to superstition. Former manager John Gibbons described the venue as a place where unusual things happen. Since 1998, the Blue Jays hold a 92-142 lifetime record at Tropicana Field, with a .393 winning percentage, one of the worst marks versus an AL East opponent. Toronto has managed winning seasons against Tampa Bay only three times in 29 years, and from 2007 to 2014 it failed to win a single series in 22 tries.
Read at BlueJaysNation
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