A group of Mariners supporters just wanted to annoy some Blue Jays fans when Toronto played at Safeco Field in June. That was the plan.
All of the hoopla that has followed — from accepting a potted maple tree from the Mariners to receiving maple bars from James Paxton on the field prior to Seattle’s game on Tuesday — has simply been the bizarre, but enjoyable, byproduct of what started as a joke.
When Seattle played Toronto last season, two longtime Mariners fans, Daniel Carroll and Megan Shear, brought signs to the game to torment the Canadians who were coming down to watch.