Blue Jays denied permission to play in Canada

*Photo from Global News*

   For the first time since 1968, there will be no regular season baseball games in Canada. The Toronto Blue Jays were denied permission to play their regular season games at Rogers Centre in Toronto, according to Rob Gillies of the Associated Press. The Blue Jays were allowed to hold their summer camp at Rogers Centre prior to the season with quarantine laws, but the regular season provided too many obstacles for this to happen.

   Canada's Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Marco Mendicino said that "Unlike preseason training, regular season games would require repeated cross-border travel of Blue Jays players and staff, as well as opponent teams into and out of Canada. Of particular concern, the Toronto Blue Jays would be required to play in locations where the risk of virus transmission remains high, based on the best available public health advice, we have concluded the cross-border travel required for MLB regular-season play would not adequately protect Canadians' health and safety. As a result, Canada will not be issuing a national interest exemption for the MLB's regular season at this time."

   The government also told the Blue Jays that they are open to considering future use of Rogers Centre by the Blue Jays should the risk of virus transmission diminish, which, if the Blue Jays make the playoffs, could turn Rogers Centre into a playoff site. Toronto mayor John Tory respects the government's decision, and the Blue Jays are looking into new homes for this season.

   Blue Jays president and CEO Mark Shapiro said in a statement that "Though our team will not be playing home games at Rogers Centre this summer, our players will take the field for the 2020 season with the same pride and passion representative of an entire nation." 

   The Blue Jays have two sites under serious consideration. Sahlen Field in Buffalo, home of their Triple A affiliate, the Buffalo Bisons, and their spring training complex in Dunedin, FL. Buffalo has emerged as the preferred destination to Dunedin due to Florida becoming the epicenter of the COVID-19 Pandemic, but Sahlen Field doesn't meet MLB's lighting standards, whereas Dunedin does.