Local sports teams offer intimate venues, affordable tickets, and unforgettable live action

When people think about pro sports, their minds often wander to Major League Baseball, National Football League, National Hockey League and more. That’s completely understandable. These sports leagues dominate media coverage and our society naturally gravitates to the allure and excitement they provide.

Yet, these same people shouldn’t forget there are other sports—and sports leagues—in their communities. These options may not be top-of-mind for everyone. The parks and stadiums are smaller and more intimate. Nevertheless, some exciting games and moments do happen far from the bright lights and boisterous crowds at the larger venues.

I watched four games in three different sports in one week in Toronto. Two of the teams I’ve discussed before. I haven’t seen the third team play in decades. Each game was interesting in its own way—and for various reasons.

The first game was the Toronto Argonauts against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Aug. 22.

I’ve discussed my successful experiment in making peace with the Canadian Football League and to stop comparing it to the NFL. I’ve also been an Argos season ticket holder with an old high school friend, Chris, for the past three years.

Due to the World Cup games played at BMO Field, this was Toronto’s latest-held home opener on record. It wasn’t clear whether the game was going to materialize, however.

A huge downpouring of rain, combined with lightning, delayed the kick-off for an hour. I was already in the stadium when they told us to leave our seats. Chris was with his son and a friend at the Canadian National Exhibition next door. We stayed in touch by texting on our devices, and I drank my beer and spoke to a few people. There was nothing else we could do.

The weather settled down and became rather pleasant. The game was enjoyable to watch, too. A close first half between the two teams, but the Argos exploded in the second half and won 39-20.

It was the first time that Toronto had beaten Hamilton at home since we became season ticket holders. Some of the 18,842 fans in attendance—which is low in the CFL, but higher than average Argos games—may have been aware of this anomaly. I’d imagine most weren’t.

The second game was Inter Toronto FC versus FC Supra du Québec on Aug. 23.

I’d attended my first Canadian Premier League game last September with a neighbour, Mark. We decided to go again this year. The home team was previously known as York United FC, but had rebranded this season. The visitors are an expansion franchise that indirectly took the spot of Valour FC, a Winnipeg-based team that folded last November. It’s the team we watched at York Lions Stadium the previous season, as it happens.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

This game was also briefly delayed due to the rain from the day before. The weather quickly cleared up and became quite sunny. Mark and I witnessed a decent battle that ended in a 1-1 draw. Inter Toronto had a good first half and led early, but Supra tied it up and had chances to win. Both teams earned a point as they try to qualify for the playoffs.

While I’ve seen many games end in a draw on TV, this is the first draw I’d ever seen live in this sport. There were only 1,681 people in attendance, which wasn’t surprising: Inter Toronto has one of the CPL’s lowest home averages. Nevertheless, most fans were into the game enjoying themselves. I was among them.

The third outing was a doubleheader between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Kitchener Panthers on Aug. 28. I attended this Canadian Baseball League game with Chris, and we sat with two people he knew through ball hockey, family and the like. You can see us in the official video!

It was the first time I’d seen the baseball Leafs in over 25 years. The games at Dominico Field in Christie Pits are free. You can buy food, drinks and official merchandise. Although there are no official attendance numbers, there were likely a couple hundred people watching the games.

The doubleheader was good fun. The Panthers came back from a 3-2 deficit in the first game to win 7-3. The Leafs dominated the second game and won 13-3. There were some fine players on both teams, and memorable plays in each game.

The primary reason that Chris and I headed out was to see Yasiel Puig.

The Cuban-born American played for MLB’s Los Angeles Dodgers, Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Indians between 2013 and 2019. He’s also played baseball in Mexico and South Korea. Puig has unfortunately had some significant issues with the U.S. judicial system. He was found guilty of two federal offences, including obstruction of justice, in February that could lead to a long stint in jail. While his sentencing has been pushed back on several occasions, he signed in April what the Toronto Star described as the “largest contract in league history, though they wouldn’t disclose details beyond that.” We still don’t know the terms and conditions.

We sat behind home plate at the doubleheader. Puig, who had already broken the CBL’s home run record for a single season, was intentionally walked numerous times. He only batted twice, and both led to massive home runs. The crack of the bat and the distance the ball travelled in each instance were extraordinary. It reminded me of early baseball stories where small numbers of fans watched the game’s early greats play at a level that few could ever imagine.

I’d never experienced anything like this before. I doubt I ever will again. But I’ll always remember Puig’s mighty bat and powerful swing—and I didn’t pay a cent to watch it happen in real time!

When you take a short tour of other sports in your communities, that’s what you could potentially see. Now you know what you may be missing out on.

Troy Media columnist and political commentator Michael Taube was a speechwriter for former prime minister Stephen Harper.

Michael Taube is a political commentator, Troy Media syndicated columnist and former speechwriter for Prime Minister Stephen Harper. He holds a master’s degree in comparative politics from the London School of Economics, lending academic rigour to his political insights.