The Blue Jays are "reviewing the sale of beer cans at the Rogers Centre after angry fans threw them onto the field" during the team's ALDS-clinching victory over the Rangers on Wednesday, according to Jillian Kestler-D'Amours of the TORONTO STAR. Blue Jays VP/Stadium Operations & Security Mario Coutinho said, "You look back to 81 home games this season and we haven’t had those situations before. ... It was more of an emotional reaction, not something that was a result of the sale of alcohol at the stadium." He added that approximately 30 fans "were ejected for throwing things onto the field during the game." Kestler-D'Amours notes many of the cans "landed short of the field, spraying some people in the lower decks with beer and hitting others." About two dozen police officers "stood guard around the perimeter of the field." Coutinho said that no injuries "were reported as a result of the incident." He added that the Blue Jays are planning to meet with Toronto police on Friday and over the weekend "to review security protocols." Coutinho: "We had a very sound plan in terms of our resources. We’re going to review it either way and see what we can adjust and what we learned from [Wednesday's] experience" (TORONTO STAR, 10/16). MLB also "will review security" in an effort to "prevent a repeat of the fan disturbance." The league in a statement said, "We will discuss comprehensive security plans for upcoming postseason games in Toronto and reiterate the importance of fans observing the appropriate code of conduct" (AP, 10/15).
THE PERFECT STORM? In Toronto, Sunny Freeman notes Ontario’s Ticket Speculation Act amendment "allows the for-profit resale of tickets if sellers can provide authentication or offer a money-back guarantee," and the Blue Jays' first playoff run in 22 years "could prove to be a test case of how well the compromise worked." Mirvish Productions Communications Dir John Karastamatis said that the province's move "essentially condones scalping and the Jays’ playoffs create 'the perfect storm to gouge people for as much as you can get'" (TORONTO STAR, 10/16). StubHub early Thursday said that approximately 3% of its sales for Games 1 and 2 of the Blue Jays-Royals ALCS at Kauffman Stadium "are going to Canadians, despite the fact the game is nearly 1,000 miles away from Toronto. Prices start at US$115 "for the first game" (FINANCIAL POST, 10/16).
WATCH ME NAE NATHAN: City of Toronto Media Relations Manager Wynna Brown said that public viewing parties during games "will continue" at Nathan Phillips Square, except for a potential Game 5 on Oct. 21 "due to a prior booking." The screen showing the games "has increased in size too." Rogers Centre "won’t host viewings for Games 1 and 2," but the ballpark "will likely open to fans in the event of a Game 6 or 7" (TORONTO SUN, 10/16).
