It's become tradition for West Coast-based fans of the Blue Jays to head down from B.C. and Alberta to Safeco Field for the team's yearly series in Seattle. Watch the broadcast and you'll find it hard to pin down the game's locale. Jays fans take over. Though the Mariners' slogan has been "True to the Blue" as of late, it's not their navy but the Jays' royal blue that permeates the ground on these three days of summer. The scene is set...
“Hey, Steve, who’s ballpark is this anyway?”
“You know what, Tom, at this point I couldn’t even tell ya. Attendance today has got to be 50/50. At least. I’d say more of ’em.”
“And the team shop? — ridiculous.”
“Huh?”
“You haven’t seen?! Man, they’ve got Toronto stuff in there!”
“Jeeeez”
“It’s embarrassing, really.”
“I guess you can’t blame the club, they’re making money. Tickets, merch. That’s what they’re in it for. If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em sorta thing.”
“I guess… I dunno, I just think you’ve got to do a better job getting fans out — make it a thing: ‘protect our home park’.”
“Sure, sure.”
Crowd chanting: “Let’s go Mariners!” “LET’S GO BLUE JAYS!” “Let’s go Mariners!” “LET’S GO BLUE JAYS!”
“See, these damn Canadians are way louder. We’re getting drowned out here.”
“We oughta write the club a letter, give ‘em a piece of our minds. How long have we been coming to games now? 25-30 Years?”
“Kingdome, Steve.”
“Those were the days… Sweet Lou, The Kid, Edgar, Tino. Beatin’ the Yanks in the Division Series. The park stunk…”
“–Brutal.”
“…but it was ours. Then 2001, 116 wins. Good times, my friend, good times. I tell ya, if I had one wish...”
“–Hey gents, sorry to interrupt, but we couldn’t help but overhear ya.”
“Uh oh, here we go.”
“No, no, we actually want to thank you M’s fans, for your hospitality. Living so far from the Jays, we really appreciate gettin’ to come down here once a year.”
“Where you guys from, Vancouver?”
“Yep”
“So what gives, we’re a heck of a lot closer than Toronto. Why don’t we get any love from you folks.”
“Canada’s team, man!”
“Yeah, yeah. Cough, bandwagon, cough”
“Really, though, the whole country gets behind the Jays. Anyway, thanks for havin’ us… we appreciate that it's a friendly rivalry.”
“Don’t even get me started. Listen, you’re welcome and all, but it’s frustrating on our end, giving up the home field so easily. This is our park.”
“I feel that. Just the way it is at this point, I guess.”
“Well, Tom, at least we can agree on one thing with these guys: beer. Am I right?
“Cheers to that, eh!”
“Cheers. Tom…?”
“Fine, cheers, boys.”