Baseball is sometimes considered an escape from politics, but this summer, baseball will have to escape from politics.
The Blue Jays' June 25-27 series against the Philadelphia Phillies will be relocated from Toronto’s Rogers Centre to Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park because of the G20 Summit. The games will still be considered home games for the Blue Jays, and the DH rule will be enforced.
Commissioner Bud Selig made the announcement Tuesday.
"After reviewing all of the options with the parties and taking all of the security considerations into account, it was determined that the best course of action is to play the series in Philadelphia," Selig said in a statement. "I appreciate the cooperation of the Blue Jays, Phillies, and all of the parties who have helped resolve this challenging situation."
The rescheduling cancels out any chance of longtime Jays pitcher Roy Halladay making a return trip to Toronto. The matchup is the only one between the two teams this season, unless the two meet in the World Series.
"By moving our games to Philadelphia, we are acting in the best interests of our fans, our employees, the players, and the game of baseball," Blue Jays president Paul Beeston explained. "We did not want to move the games, but in looking at the realities of this situation, we felt relocation was the most prudent case of action."
Fans who bought tickets to the games will receive a full refund and a voucher to any upcoming Blue Jays home game this season.
The G20 summit will be in Toronto on June 26-27 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre and will bring with it a near army of police and security officials. The heightened security would have forced fans to take a detour to the park around secured areas.
The last G20 Summit was held in September in Pittsburgh and brought large protests to the area that could endanger fans in Toronto.
