Either way, good chance Encarnacion goes yard.THURSDAY, MAY 29, 2014: MIKE GALLAYS BREAKING POINTIt was a lovely late afternoon in May when I rode by bicycle, short-sleeved, to the Rogers Centre. Numerous situational forces were aligned to create a fantastic night. No rain in the forecast for days, not too hot, just crisp enough to keep you foul ball-ready. The Jays, newly in first place, had won nine in a row, and a battle of aces (R.A. Dickey versus James Shields) was on tap. What commenced would live up to the billing: multiple towering homers, herculean Bautista throws conjuring memories of Jesse Barfield, the consumption of Rolling Rock tallboys, and timeless records being matched and smashed—where even the bitterness of an extra inning defeat could not diminish a fine night at the yard.Instead of basking in the exceptional circumstances, my buddy Shecky and I spent the bulk of the game cursing the teams roof policy, as an enjoyable evening was marred by a closed dome. 17,978 fans sat in a windowless room for three and a half hours wondering if theyd ever see another rainbow. The air was thick with our exhales, the yard more a convention centre with a shaggy plastic floor. Why was the roof closed?This has been a continual angst—and yawn—inducer since the SkyDomes inception, and a blight Ive attempted to expose and exorcise for years. Who is in control? Scouts, team lawyers, operational staff...not one has ever given me a straight answer.The Rogers Centre website responds to the question, "How do you decide whether to open or close the roof for an event?" with the following nebulous answer: "The decision to host an event, baseball game or football game with an open or closed roof, is based upon detailed weather information gathered by our Roof Technicians."Wait, weather-gathering Roof Technicians? According to a 2012 Toronto Star column, once reasonably warm weather has arrived, as long as the temperature is 10 degrees Celsius or above, opening or closing the roof is not a risk. Then and current Blue Jays SVP of Business Operations, Stephen R. Brooks explained that "at around 10 degrees, if we were to open the roof, and the temperature then dropped, we risk not being able to close it" because the metal rails may expand and contract depending on temperature.Fine. But who decides on a day with a high of 19, a game time temperature of 17, a low of 15, and a next day high of 23, that the roof should be closed? A Roof Technician? Pish posh. Who is this Grand Arbiter of the ceiling, and why will he or she not show a face or present a name? Is it a coach or the general manager acting as The Domes Official Roof Keeper (AKA The D.O.R.K.)? Or is there a mysterious cabal, with a velvet hooded helmsman at control, operating as The Master Of Roof Open Ness (AKA The M.O.R.O.N.)?And if so, did this covert M.O.R.O.N. not survive the same winter as the rest of us—the one that ended roughly three weeks ago? Seventeen degrees is bikini season. Seventeen degrees brings non-smokers out to patios. Seventeen degrees brings all the boys to the yard. Seventeen degrees and you keep the roof open.REASONS TO HAVE A ROOF OVER A BASEBALL FIELD1. The weather is truly terrible.2. It is 1989, and for a few more months this novelty will seem like a good idea.In 1989, when the team was legitimately selling out the building with over 50,000 bums in seats and thousands of outlaw bags of peanuts being sold on Blue Jay Way, team brass presented Torontonians with a seemingly paradisal venue: watch the games in the comfort of the great outdoors and, should need arise, never miss a match due to inclement weather. According to RogersCentre.coms own Q&A, "the roof takes just over 20 minutes to open or close." Wow, so our emergency hot dog consumption preparedness plan is not just total, but nimble.Except, the team has abused its privilege. It has become an anxious parent, coddling the child in the playground. Fear not, dear executives. Little B.J. must learn to scrape his knees. People will survive. They may even purchase an eighty-five dollar long sleeve shirt at one of your conveniently-located Jays shops.I know Im not alone in this frustration. There exists a website dedicated to alerting would-be attendees — www.isthedomeopen.com — and a Twitter feed with nearly 2,500 followers — twitter.com/IstheDomeOpen — to the same end (its followers consistently demonstrate understandable bias towards keeping the roof open).Listen, if this whole rigamarole relates to on-field issues, lets address it now, and I will live with the stuffiness and dead air. Trying to boost offence? Okay. Trying to help Dickeys knuckler get even knucklier? Fine. Think the Blue Jays have better juju with the lid closed (which, historically, is technically true)? Okee-do-kee. But if its not because of these reasons, lets get some easy to follow rules going.RULES FOR A CLOSED ROOF1. If it is snowing within three hours of game time.2. If the heavens have been angered, and are creating a three-inch layer of ice around Toronto within three hours of game time.3. Locusts. Maybe frogs.4. If it is raining within 45 minutes of game time or predicted to rain during the game. *caveat: If it is not raining, the roof should be opened to a fractionally open position. Just the slightest breath of wind or the sight of a small window of sky is deeply comforting to the fan who wants to feel alive. Also, a great way to keep fans awake.5. If it is below 10 degrees Celsius at game time (since roof function apparently becomes an issue). *caveat: again, a fractionally open roof would be welcome in these conditions.6. If it was actually shown to help R.A. Dickeys effectiveness which it absolutely has not.Note: If you or a loved one is the M.O.R.O.N. I seek, please get in touch. Baseball is a grand game, often simply because it is played outside during the most pleasant section of our calendar. Please, mystery decision maker, lets hash this out to develop a system fans can anticipate. These life-affirming changes could both increase beer sales and prevent post-game sleepy driving conditions.Time to rally.GALLAYS POLL #12My favourite Blue Jays games are when the dome is:A) openB) OpenC) OPEND) I watch the games on tv. Cheap Vans Shoes Australia . The team announced the defensive coordinator will not be offered a contract extension. Vans Shoes Online Australia Sale . His actions are much louder on the Fenway Park mound. De La Rosa had another strong home start, going seven solid innings to lift the Boston Red Sox to a 2-1 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Saturday night. http://www.vansaustraliawholesale.com/ . But qualifying for her first Scotties Tournament of Hearts after years of falling short in tough Manitoba provincial championships is as good as consolation prizes get for the 29-year-old from Winnipegs Fort Rouge Curling Club. Cheap Vans Shoes Australia Free Shipping . MacArthur scored two goals, and the Senators outlasted Detroit in a testy third period to beat the Red Wings 4-2 on Saturday night. Discount Vans Shoes Australia . James scored 25 points against his former team, leading the energized Heat to a 114-107 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday night. Dwyane Wade added 24 points and Chris Bosh had 22 for the Heat, idle since a 90-84 loss Tuesday at Indiana.The Minnesota Wild will try to get on the board in the Western Conference semifinals when they host the Chicago Blackhawks in Tuesdays Game 3 battle at Xcel Energy Center. Watch the game live on TSN and TSN GO at 8:30pm et/5:30pm pt. The Wild dropped the first two games of this best-of-seven set in Chicago and hope to avoid falling behind 3-0 against the defending Stanley Cup champions. Minnesota was eliminated by the Blackhawks in five games during last seasons conference quarterfinals, with the Wilds lone victory coming in Game 3 on home ice. However, if the Blackhawks can record another win on Tuesday the club will get a chance to sweep the Wild this Friday in Minnesota. Chicago posted a 5-2 win in Fridays Game 1 in the Windy City and grabbed a 2-0 lead in the series with Sundays 4-1 triumph at the United Center. Bryan Bickell supplied a goal and two assists and Brandon Saad scored twice to help the Blackhawks extend their series lead. Saad scored his first of the playoffs in the final minute of the second period to stake Chicago to a 2-0 lead, but Cody McCormick lit the lamp two minutes into the third to slice Minnesotas deficit in half. However, Corey Crawford kept the Wild at bay from there before Bickell buried a wrister with 2:45 remaining to give the Blackhawks some breathing room. Saad added an empty-netter 1:22 later to account for the final margin, while Jonathan Toews opened the scoring in the first for the Blackhawks, who have won six straight games after falling behind 2-0 in their opening-round series against St. Louis. "I thought (we were) much better overall, all three periods for us," said Chicago head coach Joel Quenneville. "I thought we were better overall in all areas and all periods." Marian Hossa added three assists in the victory, while Crawford finished with 18 saves. Toews extended his point streak to six games, while Bickell has at least one point in five straight games. Bickell had 17 points on nine goals and eight assists in the 2013 playoffs to help Chicago win its second Cup in four years.dddddddddddd. He is tied for second in the league with five goals this postseason. "I just love this time of year," Bickell said of his postseason success. "Its a crucial time, its a fun time. I know the city is buzzing and were having a good time. We just need to keep this momentum going to Minnesota." Ilya Bryzgalov allowed three goals on 21 shots for the Wild, who lost Sunday for the 10th time in their last 11 road playoff games. Bryzgalov got his second straight start in place of an injured Darcy Kuemper, who was forced to exit Minnesotas Game 7 win over Colorado in the first round after sustaining an undisclosed injury late in the contest. "I thought that we didnt have the legs tonight," Minnesota head coach Mike Yeo said. "That was a big factor. You could see it in our puck support. We were making a lot of stationary plays." With Kuemper expected to miss another tilt, the situation in net will likely remain unchanged on Tuesday. John Curry, a 30-year-old journeyman, has suited up as Bryzgalovs backup in the first two games of this series and expects to do so again in Game 3. Curry has seen action in six career NHL games and none in the playoffs. Chicago center Andrew Shaw missed the second contest of this series after exiting Game 1 with a lower-body injury and was replaced in the lineup by Jeremy Morin. Forward Kris Versteeg also played in Game 2 after missing the opener due to illness. Wild Game 3 lines Forwards:Parise - Granlund - PominvilleNeiderreiter - Koivu - CoyleMoulson - Huala - FontaineHeatley - Brodziak - McCormick Defence:Suter - SpurgeonScandella - BrodinStoner - Ballard Goalies:Bryzgalov Curry Blackhawks Game 3 lines Forwards:Bickell - Toews - HossaSharp - Smith - KaneSaad - Kruger - ShawBollig - Handzus - Versteeg Defence:Keith - SeabrookOduya - HjalmarssonLeddy - Rozsival Goalies:CrawfordRaanta ' ' '