liveintheprésent: What the Toronto Blue Jays symbolize (by: Jovin Tardif)
liveintheprésent: What the Toronto Blue Jays symbolize (by: Jovin Tardif)
I was 7 to 8 years old when Papa brought us to the Blue Jays Game at Exhibition Stadium. At the time, I didn’t realize the impact that baseball had on my life. It allowed me to understand the importance of teamwork and friendship. My two brothers and I were big fans of the game. We all had our favourite players on the team. My oldest brother liked George Bell. My other brother was a fan of Fred McGriff. I was a fan of Tony Fernandez. They were the boys in blue and we were there to cheer them on. Papa taught us a lesson though. As we sat at the game, he made us understand statistics, who to watch on all MLB teams and what baseball meant to him. I thought it was the coolest way to bond with one another. Away from the exhibition or SkyDome, my brothers and I collected baseball cards. We would play baseball in the park and emulate our favourite stars until dark when we couldn’t see the ball anymore.
A trade that changed the landscape was when the Toronto Blue Jays traded Fred McGriff and Tony Fernandez to the San Diego Padres for Roberto Alomar and Joe Carter. As a child, I simply couldn’t believe what was happening but Papa explained how trades work and the impact it could have on a team.
In 1992, the season started and things were going great. The Toronto Blue Jays were part of the World Series. I simply couldn’t believe it but I loved it. The best-of-seven series American League (AL) champions Toronto Blue Jays vs the National League (NL) champions Atlanta Braves. Toronto defeated Atlanta four games to two. Toronto was the first team based outside the United States to win the World Series. What a moment.
In 1993, the Blue Jays made it again to the dance. A best-of-seven American League (AL) champion Toronto Blue Jays vs the National League (NL) champions Philadelphia Phillies. The Blue Jays defeated the Phillies, four games to two. We would be screaming at the television as we watched the magic happen once again.
I continue to love the game today and go a few times a year with friends or family to cheer our Toronto team. I have seen the good, the bad and the ugly with the Blue Jays but I look at the bigger picture. It is not just a game. MLB is about moments not just the sport. The next time you are at a game, look around you. Look at the families and friends enjoying time together. You are watching stories unfold in front of you every day. Emotions happening all around you.
In 2020, the team has made a few changes. New players include: Hyun-jin Ryu, Shun Yamaguchi, and Travis Shaw. They will play with fan favorites: Bo Bichette, Randal Grichuk, Cavan Biggio and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. How do you think they will do this year?
![The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto, Ontario. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. The team plays its home games at Rogers Centre. The name "Blue Jays" originates from the bird of the same name, and blue is also the traditional colour of two of Toronto's other professional sports teams: the Maple Leafs (ice hockey) and the Argonauts (Canadian football). In addition, the team was originally owned by the Labatt Brewing Company, makers of the popular beer Labatt's Blue. Colloquially nicknamed the "Jays", the team's official colours are royal blue, navy blue, red, and powder blue.[1] An expansion franchise, the club was founded in Toronto in 1977. Originally based at Exhibition Stadium, the team began playing its home games at SkyDome upon its opening in 1989. Since 2000, the Blue Jays have been owned by Rogers Communications and in 2004, SkyDome was purchased by that company, which renamed it Rogers Centre. They are the second MLB franchise to be based outside the United States, and currently the only team based outside the U.S. after the first Canadian franchise, the Montreal Expos, became the Washington Nationals in 2005. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the Blue Jays went through struggles typical of an expansion team, frequently finishing in last place in its division. In 1983, the team had its first winning season and two years later, they became division champions. From 1985 to 1993, they were an AL East powerhouse, winning five division championships in nine seasons, including three consecutive from 1991 to 1993. During that run, the team also became back-to-back World Series champions in 1992 and 1993, led by a core group of award-winning All-Star players, including Hall of Famer Roberto Alomar, Joe Carter, John Olerud, and Devon White. The Blue Jays became the first (and, to date, only) team outside the US to appear in and win a World Series, and the fastest AL expansion team to do so, winning in its 16th year. As of 2019, they are one of only two MLB franchises that are undefeated through multiple World Series appearances, along with the National League's Miami Marlins. After 1993, the Blue Jays failed to qualify for the playoffs for 21 consecutive seasons, until clinching a playoff berth and division championship in 2015. The team clinched a second consecutive playoff berth in 2016, after securing an AL wild card position. In both years, the Jays won the AL Division Series but lost the AL Championship Series. The Blue Jays and the Atlanta Braves are the only two MLB teams under corporate ownership; the Blue Jays are also the only American League team to be under such ownership.](https://i1.wp.com/whatonwhatsgood.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/20200311_151718.jpg?resize=640%2C341&ssl=1)
About the Author
Jovin Tardif
Press/Media What On What’s Good
Storyteller, Conversation Starter,
Writer, Reviewer, Interviewer
and Social Media
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