SASKATOON — The Toronto Blue Jays are on the brink of ending a three-decade-long title drought in the World Series, and with the infamous 1993 riot in mind, the Saskatoon Police Service is prepared for any incident that might take place after Game 6 on Friday night, Oct. 31, or if necessary, on a winner-take-all match on Saturday, Nov. 1.
The SPS, in a statement sent to SaskToday, confirmed they have an operational plan in place, whether the Blue Jays win the championship series on Friday, which also coincides with Halloween, or play again on Saturday evening.
“We can confirm that we do have an operational plan in place and are assessing activity in correlation to game outcomes, but we wouldn’t be able to provide further detail. In combination with Halloween on Friday evening, a check stop focused on impaired driving has also been arranged,” said SPS.
The Blue Jays return to Rogers Centre on Friday, enjoying a 3-2 lead over the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers, after a 6-1 victory on Wednesday, Oct. 29, at Dodger Stadium. A Toronto win will give the franchise its first World Series title since winning back-to-back in 1992 and 1993.
Joe Carter etched his name in Canada’s baseball history after his Game 6 heroics in the 1993 World Series, where he blasted a walk-off three-run homer over the left field wall in the bottom of the ninth, to seal the Blue Jays’ 6-5 win against the Philadelphia Phillies.
The Blue Jays’ victory prompted Saskatoon fans to pour into the streets at the corner of Preston Avenue and 8th Street, where their celebration later turned into a riot as they vandalized cars and businesses and threw bottles onto the road.
Police, who found themselves outnumbered by the crowd, used tear gas and pepper spray on the crowd, but it took them two hours to take control of the situation and disperse the rioters.
