Phillies have 84 home games this year

[RhodyYanksFan]

The Phillies are scheduled for an interleague series in Toronto the weekend of June 25th. That same weekend the G20 summit will be in Toronto too. Fears of protests and riots caused MLB to move those games to Citizens Bank Park where Toronto will be the "home" team. AL rules will be in effect, but this still amounts to 3 extra home games for Philly.

Thoughts?

Jeff Francouer isn't too pleased.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/201...olt/index.html

Jeff Francoeur heard about it, and he was none too pleased with the prospect of the Phillies inheriting three more home games. "That's just bull----," Francoeur said. "That's not really fair. That's just not fair."

[Yankeeah]

I posted this in the news thread, but this is pretty messed up. The Blue Jays must be getting a really sweet deal to agree to this.

No clue why they don't use a neutral site.

[teknetic]

Fenway would have been an ideal location, the Sox are also on the road during that period.

Can't really blame he schedule since it was already made up in December before they chose the summit location.

[NYYDragoon]

They really should have found a neutral spot.

Man, first the binoculars in the bullpen and now this.

[sprucemoose]

Fenway would have been an ideal location, the Sox are also on the road during that period.

Can't really blame he schedule since it was already made up in December before they chose the summit location.

True, but it's shocking how long they waited to make this decision. There are quite a few people who bought tickets and planned trips to Toronto for Halladay's return. Toronto fans aren't happy.

[JDPNYY]

Fenway would have been an ideal location, the Sox are also on the road during that period.

Fenway?


Gross.

[Yankeeah]

True, but it's shocking how long they waited to make this decision. There are quite a few people who bought tickets and planned trips to Toronto for Halladay's return. Toronto fans aren't happy.

I know the team is refunding their money and giving them a free ticket to a future game, but this is terrible. It's a shame there isn't much uproar over this.

Why not play in Pittsburgh or Minnesota or Detroit (if they're away)?

[BronxYanks45]

I posted this in the news thread, but this is pretty messed up. The Blue Jays must be getting a really sweet deal to agree to this.

No clue why they don't use a neutral site.

exactly, no idea why they didnt use AAA Buffalo's stadium or somewhere else. How about a ballpark in Montreal?

[RhodyYanksFan]

There has to be another baseball park in Canada. If not then go to Buffalo. Toronto gets a Bills game every year, let Buffalo get some Blue Jays games.

[sprucemoose]

I know the team is refunding their money and giving them a free ticket to a future game, but this is terrible. It's a shame there isn't much uproar over this.

Why not play in Pittsburgh or Minnesota or Detroit (if they're away)?

Minnesota would be quite the trek - most stadiums in the AL and NL East and Central would be closer (except KC, Atlanta, Houston, Florida and Milwaukee). But, yeah, your point stands: it shouldn't have been too difficult to find a neutral venue close enough to Toronto.

I was hoping they'd work in a day-night doubleheader on an off-day, and then find a spot for the third game sometime near the end of the season. I'm assuming, though, that the teams and MLB probably wouldn't want three off-days in the middle of the season, which would happen if they tried to reschedule for different dates.

[sprucemoose]

There has to be another baseball park in Canada. If not then go to Buffalo. Toronto gets a Bills game every year, let Buffalo get some Blue Jays games.

Nothing really suitable. Olympic Stadium in Montreal isn't equipped for a ball-game anymore, and the old AAA stadium in Ottawa is too small. All the other minor league stadiums are out west, I believe.

Buffalo probably could have worked. I wonder if they looked into it?

[NyQuil]

There has to be another baseball park in Canada. If not then go to Buffalo. Toronto gets a Bills game every year, let Buffalo get some Blue Jays games.

All 18k seats.

[Steve Dalkowski]

This would have been a perfect opportunity for MLB to do one of it's novelty series in Puerto Rico, Mexico or some such place.

Overall not a huge deal IMO, but it does look bad. I also think reporters should get Francouer's opinion on any MLB related issue - would make for better journalism.

[justtxyank]

This would have been a perfect opportunity for MLB to do one of it's novelty series in Puerto Rico, Mexico or some such place.

Overall not a huge deal IMO, but it does look bad. I also think reporters should get Francouer's opinion on any MLB related issue - would make for better journalism.

It will be a big deal if Philly makes the playoffs by 1 or 2 wins (and they win those home games)

[NyQuil]

You mean away games.

[CoyoteYankee]

It will be a big deal if Philly makes the playoffs by 1 or 2 wins (and they win those home games)

Yes. I think in the end that it isn't going to make a big difference because I think the Phillies are going to run away with the division. However, this is wrong and it COULD affect standings. I'm guessing the monetary things were worked out between the two teams but there is a big difference in playing at home and on the road.

[wexy]

They should have gone to Buffalo but its the Met AAA team and maybe the Phillies objected.

[S2]

This whole deal sounds like they had 23 seconds to put it together.

Oh crap, Toronto's stadium is going to be in use. What do we do??

Uh, uh, I don't know, I don't know... playthegamesinPhilly.

[effdamets]

It will be a big deal if Philly makes the playoffs by 1 or 2 wins (and they win those home games)

Think of it this way...
Supposed the Yankees win the wild card by one game.... over the Blue Jays who lose two out of three in that series in Philly....

[Yankeeah]

It will be a big deal if Philly makes the playoffs by 1 or 2 wins (and they win those home games)

It's not just that, if they win by 3-4 or games, they can rest their starters (Halladay) so they are ready for game 1.

[2PhonesMaccabee]

There has to be another baseball park in Canada. If not then go to Buffalo. Toronto gets a Bills game every year, let Buffalo get some Blue Jays games.

Buffalo has 18k seats Citizens bank has 43k, Toronto fans don't go to Toronto for Jays games why would they go to Buffalo or somewhere else in Canada? The Phils will sweep anyway.

[NelsonMuntz]

I was bothered by this until I read Francour's comment. Now I think it's great.

[bigjf]

Dumb move by Selig. They should both go play in Puerto Rico or something like that. Maybe even break out a few more games in the Metrodome.

[Ram Man]

They wouldn't draw significant crowds playing in Cleveland or some other neutral major league city. They might fill up the stadium in Buffalo, but it isn't very big. They will fill up the stadium in Philly so that's the bottom line. The "unfairness" of it isn't an issue since no team plays the same schedule as other teams in its division anyway. In other words, all of the schedules are unfair.

[Peanut]

I posted this in the news thread, but this is pretty messed up. The Blue Jays must be getting a really sweet deal to agree to this.

No clue why they don't use a neutral site.

They should, but its all about the $$$. Toronto gets the money from the ticket sales/gates, so playing the games in Philly nets them more money than just playing it at some random site woulkd.

[Huktonfonix]

The Pirates managed to play a home series here during the G-20 last fall, despite the entire city being on lockdown. I don't understand why the series has to move at all.

[Ram Man]

What I can't figure out is why any city wants to host a G-20 and the hooligans that come along with it.

[Huktonfonix]

What I can't figure out is why any city wants to host a G-20 and the evil, moneygrubbing pigs that come along with it.

Fixed it for you.