HALLADAY TRAVEL: Globalization has its benefits -- and we're not just talking Tom Friedman-style. (Officially, this blog takes no position on whether David Ricardo was right, but, c'mon.) Anyway, predicted protests and congestion caused by the upcoming G20 summit in Toronto has forced a shift of the scheduled late June Phillies @ Blue Jays three-game series from Skydome to Citizens Bank Park. Yes, for the first time since the 1940s, the Blue Jays are the home team in Philadelphia -- Toronto will bat second, and the designated hitter rule will be employed, so while the Phillies will have 84 games at home this season, only 81 will advantage them with the final at-bat.
[According to MLB.com, "All Blue Jays season-ticket holders are eligible for a full refund on their tickets and one free ticket voucher for each ticket refunded for any upcoming home game during the 2010 regular season. Toronto's season-ticket holders will also have access to purchase tickets in Philadelphia for the relocated series."]
But why stop there? Let's really make the Blue Jays feel at home: we can abide by CanCon requirements for player introduction music; offer Labatt's, Tim Horton's and poutine (yeah, I know, it's more of a Québécois thing) at the game; dress up our security as Mounties; and use Canadian spellings on the scoreboard to introduce everyone's favourite players -- the full A to Zed experience, eh? And, yes, we'd welcome Shane Koyczan.
I will not remember this and it will blow my mind when I watch it on TV.
ReplyDeleteIn honor of this, I think all Philly radio stations should be required to play 75% Canadian music (or whatever percentage Canadian radio stations are required to play).
So is this the first time that CitizensBankPark will see all 9 hitting slots filled in the starting lineups? ;)
ReplyDeleteI remember reading a proposal -- I think by Jayson Stark -- that the middle game of a 3 game inter-league series in NL parks play by AL rules, i.e., include the DH. This was on the theory that fans in NL cities were deprived the chance to see DH's, and/or that AL teams were at a disadvantage if they chose to put inept fielders like David Ortiz in the lineup.
ReplyDeleteA simpler solution would be for the AL to eliminate the designated hitter and play actual baseball.
Or for the NL to stop their 37-year-old boycott of baseball and stop wasting at bats with pitchers flailing at the ball.
ReplyDeleteYeah, it's not like I was planning to go to the series to show my support to ROY or anything.
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