A Toronto Blue Jays fan was kicked out of the season opener against the Baltimore Orioles at the Rogers Centre on Thursday for wearing a hat with a stern message to President Donald Trump.
Speaking to CP24 on Thursday , 70-year-old Toronto Blue Jays fan Dan Begley said security removed him from the Blue Jays’ season opener for wearing a red hat that read, “Canada is not for sale.”
According to Begley, who was inside the Rogers Centre for about 90 minutes and received a compliment from a bartender who gave him a drink. Begley claims he was asked to either take off the hat or turn it around, with an usher telling him the hat violated their policy “against political statements.”
Begley said he refused to do so and was escorted out of the venue by security:
“I like the saying and I feel like more people should stand up for Canada and be more aware. All it says is Canada is not for sale and it has a Canadian flag on it…
I have a suspicion they didn’t want that on TV or maybe on the Jumbotron. I was yelling on the way out. I let people know that I was being kicked out because I was wearing this hat. … They kept repeating that they were just following the rules…
I felt like a criminal for supporting my country. This (incident) ruined the whole activity.”
Our Team.
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) March 27, 2025
Our City.
Our Country 🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/SglIxIPdNy
However, a Blue Jays spokesperson told CP24 that they contacted Begley and apologized to him. The spokesperson said their staff members “made a mistake,” and that they’ll ensure it doesn’t recur.
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral MLB stories via Google! Follow Us
Begley confirmed to CP24 that he received an apology and was offered free tickets to a future game. The organization also clarified to him that it’s within the rules to wear the hat at games.
Since returning to office on Jan. 20, Donald Trump has pushed for Canada to become the 51st state. He subsequently began trade wars with Canada and Mexico, causing tension with some of the USA’s biggest allies.
Toronto Blue Jays Were Booed By Fans In Ugly 12-2 Loss
The Blue Jays were humiliated 12-2 by the Orioles in front of a sellout crowd on Thursday, making for an all-around ugly afternoon at the ballpark.
Boos broke out as the frustrated fanbase watched the Orioles make easy work of a team that had another lackluster offseason. With Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette still unsigned beyond 2025, losses like this will just infuriate an impatient fanbase even more.
We’ll see how the Jays respond over these next three games in the series.
Also Read: President Donald Trump Reveals His Honest Feelings About Patrick Mahomes And His Family
