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Canada's relationship with the U.S. has been tense, given President Trump's tariffs on Canadian imports and his calls to make the country America's 51st state. And that tension is being felt in many places, including the ballpark. Casey Martin from KUOW in Seattle reports.
CASEY MARTIN, BYLINE: Usually, when the Toronto Blue Jays come to Seattle, a lot of mariners fans skip the games. The ballpark is almost completely taken over by Canadian baseball fans who have come from Vancouver, B.C., just a few hours north across the border.
ADAM MENIKEFS: I come down here the last three summers, and I'm like, It doesn't even feel like being on the road here, which I love because it's all Canadians here.
MARTIN: Adam Menikefs is originally from Toronto and now lives in Vancouver. He and his girlfriend rode the train from downtown Seattle to the ballpark.
MENIKEFS: This time we get on, not a single Jays fan was on the train. That was the start of where I was like, OK, things feel different.
MARTIN: He thought, surely, when he gets to the game, there'd be the typical sea of royal blue Toronto jerseys. But...
MENIKEFS: It is the bleakest, most little amount of Jays fans that I've seen in the three years that we've been coming down.
MARTIN: Menikefs' girlfriend, Lilah, who was born in the U.S., says she was not surprised to see fewer Canadians than normal.
LILAH: One-hundred percent - I told him that before coming down. I was like, there's gonna be way less Jays fans here. Like, people are boycotting.
MARTIN: Since the election of Donald Trump and his talk about taking over Canada, she says, people don't want to spend their money here. That hurts Seattle hotels, restaurants and tourist spots. Many places in town are offering specials and discounts for visiting Canadians to remind them that they and their dollars are welcome here. Red Canadian maple leafs with hearts were hung up near the popular Pike Place Market, and a lot of Toronto fans did show up, even if it felt less than before, like Kelly Greir, who came from the nearby Vancouver Island.
KELLY GREIR: I've been a Bluejay fan pretty much my whole life, and it's been on my bucket list to make it down here. We're here for all three games.
MARTIN: Attendance was down by about 3,000 people compared to the last time Toronto visited. Greir said she did have President Donald Trump on her mind when she headed south.
GREIR: It's almost enough to not come, but I'm such a big Blue Jays fan, and they only come here a couple of times a year, and for me to go to Toronto would be pretty much impossible, so Seattle was it. And we just - I just kind of put that behind and said, we're going to come and have a good time.
MARTIN: One Toronto fan waved a sign during the game that said, better a Carney than a clown. He didn't want to share his name as he's trying to renew his green card.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: My parents were supposed to visit this month, actually, but they canceled the trip. They're just not sure about, like, what might go on at the border, at the crossing.
MARTIN: U.S. Customs and Border Patrol says the number of Canadians coming into America has dropped about a quarter since the start of the year. Troy Lamar says he definitely sees the difference. He drives a peddy cab around the ballpark and counts on a Blue Jays series to mean good business. Friday night was slow, he said.
TROY LAMAR: There's usually Blue Jays fans everywhere. You feel the vibe. But today, the vibe was, like, minimal.
MARTIN: Adam Menikefs says he understands why many Canadians are boycotting and hopes in the future baseball fans can feel comfortable visiting the U.S.
MENIKEFS: We're all kind of suffering. We're all feeling it. Everything's worse. Like, this game is going to be not as fun. The game is going to be less exciting.
MARTIN: It was exciting for the Toronto fans who did show up. The Blue Jays beat the Mariners in that first game.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
UNIDENTIFIED MUSICAL ARTIST: (Singing) We stand on guard for thee.
MARTIN: For NPR News, I'm Casey Martin in Seattle. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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