Hopping on the Toronto Blue Jays bandwagon for the first time in a long time? Cheer loud and cheer proud.
That was the message longtime supporters of the baseball club wanted to send to the surge of people new to cheering on the boys in blue.
“To see these guys crawl their way to to the top has been pretty special,” Hamilton’s Jennifer Monaco told the Toronto Sun outside Rogers Centre ahead of Game 1 between the Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers Friday night.
“We were doubted at the start of the year that we weren’t going to do well, but we overcame all of that,” Kingston’s Caelen Hunt said outside Gate 5. “That’s what makes this team great.”
But it’s been 32 years since Toronto booked a trip to World Series. So, casual Blue Jays fan, here’s what you need to know to jump on the bandwagon.
Who’s who in the Blue Jays zoo?
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is undoubtably the Blue Jays’ biggest bat and biggest star. During the regular season, Guerrero belted in 23 home runs and 84 runs.
But playoff Guerrero has been something to behold. He was named the ALCS MVP after hitting three doubles and three home runs against the Seattle Mariners.
“He’s our main guy,” Ottawa native Liz McGuire said . “But he has a good narrative for fans. His father played for the Montreal Expos. He was born in Montreal. He was was a little kid on the Expos field. His father never won a World Series, so he’s also playing to get his father a ring, which is a really lovely story.”
But any one of Toronto’s batters pose a danger in the lineup.
George Springer hit the three-run homer that gave the Blue Jays a late-inning lead against the Mariners Monday night that helped them win Game 7.
“If there’s a personification for never-give-up, it’s George Springer,” Newmarket’s Dave Draper said. “But their whole offence is unpredictable.”
“We need the world to know, a ‘Springer Dinger’ is when George Springer hits a home run,” McGuire added .
McGuire, who became an internet celebrity after getting hit in the face by a scorching foul ball off the bat of Bo Bichette last year , also namechecked Ernie Clement (“He’s a guy that can get it going”) and Bichette as names newcomers should know.
“Bo hasn’t been playing so far in the postseason, but he’s our second biggest bat and he’s back for the World Series,” she said.
“They’re all difference makers and they all make contributions,” Monaco added. “You can tell these guys love each other … the clubhouse seems like a super special place.”
“Everyone up and down this lineup gets to have their moment,” Buffalo’s Suzanne Taylor said. “Ernie Clement is going to come up with a hit when we need it. Isiah Kiner-Falefa is going to come up with a home run when we need it.”
They all really love each other
Throughout the season, the players spoke about their camaraderie on and off the field.
As they celebrated their Game 7 victory on the Rogers Centre field, Guerrero referred to his teammates as “family” as he held his ALCS MVP trophy.
“There’s a lack of ego … everybody’s working together. It’s for the name on the front, not the name on the back,” Taylor said. “Vladdy’s been a big leader in that. Once he signed his long-term contract and said, ‘I’m always going to be a Blue Jay,’ I think that gave the team an aura of specialness.”
It’s bringing Canadians together
The Blue Jays are Canada’s lone Major League Baseball team. So, while you might be new to cheering them on, there’s a whole group of fans that have been rooting them on their whole life.
“I’ve been coming to the games since I was a teenager myself, so being here and a part of this with my boys means a lot to me,” Cindy Gerard said, flanked by her two sons, Alex and Jacob. “This is bringing together families, everyone in Toronto … it brings us all together.”
Wearing a Montreal Expos hat and sweatshirt, Montreal native Mark Winkler said even he’s finally come around to cheering for the Blue Jays.
“It’s been a few years and Expos fans have turned the corner a bit and can proudly admit that we are becoming Blue Jays fans,” he said. “I’m still hoping we get a team back in Montreal eventually, but for the moment, this is Canada’s team.”
Who should you boo?
In December 2023, the Blue Jays tried – and failed – to sign Shohei Ohtani, a generational talent who both pitches and bats. Ohtani visited the Blue Jays’ complex in Dunedin, Florida, before ultimately choosing to sign with Los Angeles. But he’s one of the game’s best players of all-time.
During Game 4 against the Milwaukee Brewers, Ohtani hit three homers and struck out 10 batters. Should you jeer greatness?
“We’re for sure going to boo Ohtani,” McGuire said. “Why? Because he didn’t want us … We boo anyone who didn’t want us.”
