B.C. Blue Jays fans planning to skip out on Seattle series

Toronto Blue Jays fans in B.C. will watch their team take on the Seattle Mariners this weekend from home, as continued trade tensions deter travel to the U.S.

From long lines at the border to a sea of blue at T-Mobile Park, there’s always been something special about the Blue Jays playing in Seattle.

But Canada-U.S. trade tensions and barbs about annexation have many local baseball fans planning to stay at home for this weekend’s series between the two teams.

“Normally I would go down for multiple Mariners games throughout the season, but with the dollar where it’s at, the overall political climate, I’m a little bit more content this year to spend my money in Canada as opposed to going down there,” baseball coach Mark Pottie told CTV News on Thursday, during a one-on-one session with a young player at Carnarvon Park.

Those sentiments are echoed by local sports broadcaster and passionate Jays fan Matt Sekeres, co-host of the Sekeres & Price podcast.

“I’ve been there when there was 25,000 Blue Jays fans in the ballpark. I would be awfully surprised if they get 25,000 for any of the three games.”

Earlier this week Washington’s Lieutenant Governor gave a grim outlook of how many Canadians will head down.

“The initial indication was that reservations have been cut in half as a consequence of what is going on,” Denny Heck said on Tuesday at the legislature, while visiting B.C.’s Victoria.

But some Americans are sympathetic to the decision to stay home.

Seattle resident David McBride posted on social media: “Tomorrow begins one of the funnest weekends of the year for me …. [but] …word on the street is that most Canadians who were planning on coming have cancelled their plans.”

“We just don’t deserve you,” McBride told CTV News during an interview on Thursday.

“And so, I’m hoping on a larger scale than just Seattle and the Blue Jays and the Mariners, that people in America feel what it’s like to not have Canada.”

Ultimately, for baseball fans like Pottie, it is disappointing things have come to this.

“It’s supposed to be about the baseball and because of what’s going on, you’re taking away from the baseball,” Pottie said.

“Even for some kids who would normally go down and enjoy this experience, if the parents aren’t going to take them down, the kids aren’t going to see it, and maybe they’re getting one less Major League Baseball experience because of what’s going on.”

While anecdotally many Jays have said they will be staying home, it won’t be until the games kick off that the true turn out and the full scale of the drop off will be seen.