Windsor man scatters friend's ashes at Rogers Centre, heckled online
A Windsor man is being heckled online after his good intention was being viewed as foul by some Blue Jays baseball fans.
Rob Ouellette never imagined that scattering some of his friend's ashes on the Rogers Centre field during Friday's game would get such a reaction.
"I was sitting there, had a couple of beers, saw an opening in the seventh inning and just walked and dropped them," said Ouellette.
Since Friday, he's been accused on social media of putting a curse on a team that's been trying to earn a spot in the playoffs this year.
"[If they lose] I don't want them to come to my house and beat me up," he said.
Ouellette said he came up with the idea after his good friend and fellow Jays fan Joseph Pazner died in Feb., 2013.
The two men had loved the Blue Jays since they were young kids and Ouellette thought spreading his friend Joe's ashes on the former SkyDome field would be a fitting way of honouring his memory — especially at a game against the Detroit Tigers.
"We hate the Tigers," said Ouellette.
So, during the seventh inning stretch, Ouellette said he took a small, plastic bag he had sneaked past security into the Rogers Centre, walked down from his seat to the edge of the field and poured the ashes in dirt next to the dugout.
After he got back to his seat he said he saw some commotion on the field and police officers on the concourse.
In no time Ouellette was removed from his seat by security and surrounded by police. He said he was hesitant at first to tell them the story because he was afraid he'd be fined.
"The fine could have been massive," he said. "I was trying to avoid having to mortgage my house to pay the fine."
Eventually he came out with the truth after he realized police just wanted to determine if he had dropped a dangerous substance on the field.
When they realized it wasn't dangerous, Ouellette was allowed to go back to watch the game.
"Toronto police were really cool about the whole things; the Jays staff was really good about it," he said.
"Some things are more important than the consequences," Ouellette said when he was asked if he'd do it again.
That doesn't mean he's still not fearing the repercussions.
"Every time I hear knock at the door, I think it's a Purolator truck with my fine," he said.
