They don’t call it the Fall Classic for nothing – and was Friday night’s Game 1 of the World Series ever a classic.
Not just on the diamond but for the whole city of Toronto.
Pure electricity. Pure joy.
It was a night when we witnessed the best of the city instead of being bogged down by the worst. There’s no question that the Blue Jays’ victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers was one the greatest nights in Toronto sports history. But it was just one win. It’s a best of seven series and there’s a long way to go.
The celebrations in Toronto continued on into Saturday with fans pouring out from the Rogers Centre into the street chanting, “Let’s Go Blue Jays!”
The city is now bracing itself for Game 2 hoping this would-be team of destiny continues to find ways to win with different heroes emerging each night.
The fans were not just in and around the Rogers Centre, there was also lots of Blue Jays fever in Nathan Phillips Square where Mayor Olivia Chow led fans in what was a pretty cool night of tailgate cheering at City Hall.
It seems like everybody is getting in on the action.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford has a friendly wager with California Governor Gavin Newsom while Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw has a “friendly” jersey bet with Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell.
— Joe Warmington (@joe_warmington) October 25, 2025
It was a night the city needed where the mood was good and people were getting along. A lot of the good vibes were sent by Toronto Police Mounted Unit horse Blue Jay and his partner on board Const. Hazel who had many people taking pictures thanks to his Blue Jays cap and his special baseball glove on his saddle.
Everybody is stoked about going on this ride. No protests. No meanness or dissing each other. Toronto was in unison. As it should be every day. It’s the greatest city in the world and it’s nice to see it being showcased that way thanks to the game of baseball and the Blue Jays.
“I am just so thrilled,” said Paul Godfrey, founder of Postmedia and the man who brought baseball to Canada as Toronto’s then-Metro Chair and later served as the Blue Jays president.
A night like this, support like this, a stadium like this, was all in his dreams when he set out to bring Major League baseball to Toronto.
This was a night of big dreams coming true. Everybody is fond of the Lucky 7 that was the game to put the Jays in this position by beating the Seattle Mariners in the American League Championship. But this will go down as a Lucky 6 – as in the nine-run sixth inning.
Like Joe Carter’s walk-off home run to win the World Series in 1993, Kawhi Leonard’s buzzer-beater basket to beat the 76ers in 2019, Bill Barilko’s Stanley Cup-winning overtime goal in 1951 and Jose Bautista’s bat flip in 2015 – this game will be talked about for generations.
On this night it was Addison Barger who not only broke the game open with his four-run long ball shot to right field in the sixth inning but also made history by being the only player to hit a grand slam by coming off the bench to pinch hit.
And to think the night before, he was sleeping on the pull-out couch of his teammate Davis Schneider.
That’s the thing about this team, there are no $700-milllon players – just players who give you $700-million in effort. Barger earns $750,000 but hit a ball that sent millions of fans into a frenzy.
#GoJaysGo
— Toronto Police (@TorontoPolice) October 24, 2025
Chief @TPSMyronDemkiw is challenging @LAPDPoliceChief Chief Jim McDonnell to a friendly wager. #WEWANTITALL @BlueJays @Dodgers @LAPDHQ pic.twitter.com/nKCnFAtWz7
This was not lost on the fans still smarting about Shohei Ohtani not coming to Toronto a couple of years back and saying the Blue Jays hat the team gave him was of such low priority for him that he has it in his garage.
Although he did hit a home run in this game, the fans let him know they don’t forget.
“We don’t need you,” they chanted.
Not so far at least. – but it promises to be a long series and big Number 17 showed he still has a powerful swing that the Jays may see in games to come.
That said, there’s nothing wrong with enjoying the moment – and Jays fans are doing just that.
“The Rogers Centre might actually be my favorite place on earth,” George Springer’s sister Lena posted to X .
It really is a special place. The renovations Jays President Mark Shapiro spearheaded have turned it into a magical ballpark but the new, way more spirited than in 1992-93 Blue Jay fans help make it even more special.
@BlueJays win — game one of World Series pic.twitter.com/abuRCaMfSE
— Joe Warmington (@joe_warmington) October 25, 2025
You can’t hear yourself think in there.
Everybody was cheering – from hip hop icon Drake, who was rocking a Don Bosco football jacket in tribute to late great Toronto mayor Rob Ford, to Vladimer Guerrero Sr., who was wearing a Monreal Expos sweater – this was Canada’s night and Toronto’s night.
It was truly one for the books.
Whether it’s fans like Rush’s Geddy Lee, or Schitt’s Creek and SCTV legend Eugene Levy, or a dad and his one-year son like Joseph and Maximus Khargie, there is no place they would rather be.
“I want to be able to share this with Maximus when he’s older,” Joseph told the Toronto Sun .
History. First pinch hit grand slam in World Series history. @AddisonBarger pic.twitter.com/vuUpTJcQgo
— Joe Warmington (@joe_warmington) October 25, 2025
What a story he will be able to tell him and what a memory they will share.
That was a night for the ages. And the excitement is just getting started.
“Wow. That was fun!” Lena Springer said. “Let’s do it again.”
How about at 8:08 p.m. on Saturday night?
