TORONTO – Encircling visiting relievers with home fans is a sure way to create a hostile environment and it didn’t take long for someone to cross the line at the renovated Rogers Centre.
A beer can landed near the mound in the Detroit Tigers’ bullpen between the seventh and eighth innings of the Toronto Blue Jays’ 9-3, home-opening victory Tuesday.
No one was warming at the time as the relievers were all seated along the railing watching the field, well away from where the can dropped.
Once the Tigers noticed, right-hander Jason Foley pointed to the stands and made an ejection motion with his hand as an officer walked over to pick up the can before scanning the crowd.
On Wednesday, there appeared to be additional security posted around the visitors bullpen, including a police officer by the bleachers overlooking the mounds. Officers are stationed throughout the ballpark at all games.
“One of our main goals with the renovation was to bring fans closer to the action and our raised bullpens achieve that, creating much more of a ballpark feel and improving the outfield fan experience,” Marnie Starkman, the Blue Jays’ executive vice-president of business operations, said in a statement.
“We understand the risks and have taken every precaution to ensure the safety of the players and fans, including detailed operations plans and increased staffing to ensure a positive experience for everyone. Fans who display inappropriate behaviour that goes against our code of conduct, depending on the level of severity will be either given one warning, asked to relocate to another area, or will be removed from the ballpark.”
Before Wednesday’s game, Tigers manager A.J. Hinch praised the amenities of the new bullpens and described the visitor’s facilities as “one of the best” in the majors.
And while he didn’t mention the beer can, he did hint at the potential for trouble down the road.
“The interaction with the fans is going to be really interesting to follow as the summer gets warmer and rivals come in,” he said. “I can imagine there are going to be quite a few interactions between the opposing teams and the patrons that come to the game. Heads up on that one. …
“Our players had fun with the fans,” he added later. “But they’re pretty close.”
At last week’s unveiling ceremony for the renovation, Blue Jays president and CEO Mark Shapiro said, “we’re going to get our fans closer to our players” and joked “probably closer to the visiting players than they want, but that’s OK.”
Uncomfortable surroundings could help create a home-field advantage for the Blue Jays, but in games with high stakes or when emotions run hot, that could be a double-edge sword.
Back during the 2016 wild-card game between the Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles, for instance, a fan tossed a beer can from the stands as Orioles outfielder Hyun Soo Kim reeled in a fly ball in the seventh inning. The fan was later charged with mischief and eventually given 12 months probation.
Risks of rowdiness aside, Hinch said the feedback from his relievers was otherwise positive.
“The bullpen vantage point, they said, was awesome,” said Hinch. “They loved the ‘pen. This is one of the best ‘pens in baseball when it comes to where the players can see, or they can be below. The training facility that’s underneath (the elevated mounds) is rare to have on the visiting side.”
