A pullout couch where Toronto Blue Jays player Addison Barger slept during the World Series on display in the lobby of the Toronto Marriott City Centre, on Friday.Sarah Espedido/The Globe and Mail
Ahead of the first game in the World Series, Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Addison Barger bunked with teammate Davis Schneider, sleeping on the pullout couch of his hotel room at the Toronto Marriott City Centre.
This week, the hotel – which overlooks Rogers Centre – has put the pullout couch on display. Adorned with Jays pillows and a blue blanket, fans are encouraged to stop by the Marriott lobby for a photo. It’s a chance to show their support despite the team coming up short in their storied playoff run.
Blue Jays fan Ronald Tse poses for a picture on the viral pullout couch.Sarah Espedido/The Globe and Mail
Barger staying on the pullout couch was one of many Blue Jays stories that blew up on social media in the past few months. The story gained traction in part because it spoke to the real-life friendships between the Jays squad. And because sleeping on a pullout couch is a funny thing for a 25-year-old professional baseball player to do before one of the biggest games of their life, especially because Schneider’s girlfriend was also staying in the room.
Reading about the couch being put on display, I had mixed emotions. Since the World Series loss, I’ve found myself zoning out at work, staring into the distance and fantasizing about what could have been. Lamentations about bad refs and wedged balls. Replaying moments where the Jays failed to capitalize on big moments.
Sometimes I even get superstitious, falling into bouts of magical thinking to take personal responsibility for the defeat. If only I had worn my Jays jersey the day of (or touched my doorknob exactly three times), none of us would be in this mess. One day I’m sure I’ll look back on the World Series with fond memories. At the moment it felt too soon. Still, out of curiosity, I made my way to the Marriott on a rainy Friday morning.
Nodding at the concierge, I went over to the display. There is a tiny red carpet leading up to the couch. A Blue Jays backdrop and red velvet ropes along with a big sign suggesting patrons tag the hotel on social media if they decide to take photos.
The pull-out sofa that Blue Jays hero Addison Barger slept on ahead of Game 1 of the World Series is on display for a week at a Toronto hotel. Barger went on to hit the first pinch-hit grand slam in World Series history.
Over the course of half an hour, a dozen or so fans – almost all clad in Blue Jays merch – stopped by for a couch photo op.
Linda McIvor and Julie Parsons had booked the day off before the Jays’ series loss, hoping for a victory parade. They instead decided to take in the sights around downtown Toronto. Parsons let me know she hates the Yankees. Ronald Tse, a student at U of T, remarked on how great a season it had been even though we hadn’t quite pulled off the big victory.
I had expected the couch to be a lonely symbol of what could have been. Instead, it was a place where people were sharing conversations, riffing on their favorite team and talking about the real friendship between the Jays. It was a nice spot to hold onto the sense of community that made the playoff run feel so special in the first place.
Linda McIvor and Julia Parsons on the pullout couch.Sarah Espedido/The Globe and Mail