TORONTO - Call it the DryDome.

The beer taps were shut and the wine carts locked up for Tuesday's game between the host Toronto Blue Jays and Detroit Tigers, as the Rogers Centre began serving a three-date penalty for violations of its liquor licence.

Even the clubhouses were cleared of all alcohol, the result of five broken rules at baseball games, football contests and concerts dating back to the Grey Cup in 2007.

"I don't think too many Canadians are going to be happy about that," quipped Blue Jays starter Scott Richmond, a native of North Vancouver, B.C.

The Blue Jays' April 21 meeting with Texas, and an Aug. 1 CFL game between the Toronto Argonauts and Winnipeg Blue Bombers will also go dry, the price all fans will have to pay for the unruly behaviour of a few louts.

"Responsibility is the key," said Mario Coutinho, vice-president of stadium operations and security. "You can have all the controls in place but ultimately that individual has to take responsibility for his actions, and in some cases the group that he's with, realizing the actions of one affect other people's enjoyment is crucial."

The penalty was handed down by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, which treated the Rogers Centre as it would any small restaurant or bar serving alcohol. The two parties traded various dates before settling on the punishment.

Big signs posted at the entrances to the stadium said the ban resulted from the following violations: 1. Permit drunkenness; 2. Permit use of narcotics; 3. Sell or serve to an apparent minor; 4. Fail to request approved ID; 5. Permit illegal liquor on premises.

There were a handful of fights in the crowd of 48,027 during Monday's home opener and play was delayed for nine minutes after fans threw two baseballs toward Detroit outfielders Josh Anderson and Curtis Granderson.

"That's good," Anderson said of the ban. "These people can't handle it."

Fights in the upper deck were a staple of the team's $2 Tuesday promotion last year, prompting then team president Paul Godfrey to ban alcohol sales in the cheap seats for three games in May and June. Stricter bag checks at the gates were also put in place to prevent fans from bringing in their own booze.

Apparently, that wasn't enough.

Gregarious Blue Jays utilityman Kevin Millar believes rowdy fans add to the experience of playing, provided they don't cross the line.

"As a visiting player, they're probably excited they're not serving alcohol. As the home team, you want people to come here and have fun," he said. "Having fun doesn't consist of throwing stuff on the field. Fans come here to have beer, eat hot dogs and yell at the other team.

"I enjoy that guy yelling at me on deck because I yell back. Most of the stuff is high-school stuff, about your mom, about this, about that. I yell back at them and it's funny, most time you yell back and they're not used to that and they just sink to the ground.

"We have fun with it."