Baseball’s post-season schedule was released Monday, and if the Blue Jays make the playoffs, it could spell trouble for a couple of Argos home games at Rogers Centre.
- If the Jays need to play the American League wild card at home Tues. Oct. 6, it conflicts with the Argos game against Ottawa.
- If the Jays make it to Game 2 of the AL Championship Series on Sat. Oct. 17, and they have home-field advantage, it conflicts with the Argos game against Calgary.
- And if the Jays need to play at home for a potential ALCS Game 6 on Fri. Oct. 23, it will conflict with the Argos game against Montreal.
Under the Argos’ lease agreement with the Rogers Centre, the Jays have priority in selecting dates.
In the past, the Argos have talked about simply moving to another date at Rogers Centre, or in a worse-case scenario, move the game to another location. Sites like Varsity Centre, or even Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton, have been the subject of speculation.
If the MLB season were to end now, the Jays would play the Orioles in a winner-take-all game at Rogers Centre.
Of course, there are still 43 games left in the season but Jays fans are desperately dreaming about the playoffs after a 22-year post-season drought.
The Argos season is off to a rocky start at the dome despite their win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders in their lone home game two weekends ago. They were forced to open the season with a five-game road trip, partly because of the Pan Am Games.
And the home opener was plagued with problems for fans. Some complained about an hour-long delay to get into the game because of new security measures, forcing the Argos to write a letter to their fans for the “unacceptable” delay.
The CFL team moves to BMO Field next season.
Game 2 of the World Series would be played at an American League ballpark and it happens on Wed. Oct. 28. If the Jays make it that far, Raptors fans might feel conflicted because the home opener at the Air Canada Centre takes place at the same time.
And if the Jays play Game 7 of the World Series? That too would happen at the Rogers Centre so it might be pretty easy to get a ticket to the Leafs game against the Winnipeg Jets at the ACC.
A lof of what ifs, for sure, but it’s lot more fun to play this game than for Jays fans to watch the team play out the string in the fall like the last two decades.
If a Game 7 of the World Series is needed, the last day of baseball would be Wed. Nov. 4.
The only World Series to reach November were in 2001, ’09 and ’10. The ’01 and ’09 Series both ended Nov. 4, and the Giants won Nov. 1, 2010.
– Toronto Star
