Blue Jays spring training: Could talks between fans get spirited after proposed tariffs on Canadian products?

DUNEDIN, Fla. - Dunedin is the spring training home of the Toronto Blue Jays, the only Canadian team in the majors.

With the first game just around the corner, FOX 13's Lloyd Sowers met Richard Edwards, who was buying tickets at TD Ballpark, talking about recent barbs traded over President Donald Trump's proposed 25% tariff on Canadian products.

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"We saw highlights of a hockey game in Canada where they booed the American National Anthem," said Edwards.

The backstory:

In baseball, old style, on the field arguments are rarer these days, but in politics, President Trump has quipped about Canada becoming the 51st U.S. state with its prime minister as the governor.

What they're saying:

Dunedin resident Mike Tajkowski doesn't take it too seriously.

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"Canadians love it here. They got their footprint everywhere here," he said, pointing to a huge Blue Jays logo across the street from his home.

Tajkowski believes they'll negotiate a solution.

"I think they're on board with that," said Tajkowski. "I'm sure they're tired of being run by Communists. Can I say that?" he laughed.

Just like recent holiday dinners with extended families, the ballpark may not be the place for politics right now, said Dunedin resident Shelley Koehl.

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"They've always been so friendly, and I think when we come to a baseball game, we set aside our political differences, at least we should," she said.

By the numbers:

Last year, the Blue Jays chalked up a record attendance for spring training, topping 100,000 for the first time. Many ticket buyers were Canadian.

Local tourism promoters from Visit St. Pete-Clearwater recently bought advertising in Toronto, which is not unusual, but the politics are a bit different now. Some here believe it's all talk.

"Right now, there are no tariffs, so it may not happen that way," said Edwards.

What's next:

We do expect the umpire to say "Play Ball" on February 22 at the Blue Jays' home opener against the New York Yankees. Spring Training may be just what's needed as our neighbors from the north arrive.

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Koehl said she's ready to welcome them.

"The kids are out, and you can see everybody embracing one another," she smiled, as she looked across the street at the big Blue Jay in the ballpark.

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