Blue Jays fans reflect on an improbable World Series run

Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero flips his bat after hitting a home-run in game 4 of the World Series. (Credit: AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

The Toronto Blue Jays were the underdogs throughout the Major League Baseball (MLB) playoffs. 

Many looked down on Canada’s team, thinking they were not meant to play in the postseason. They were seen as an easy out for their opponents during both the American League Divisional and Championship Series.  

This all changed when the squad made it to the World Series. 

Toronto’s improbable playoff run ended with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the best player in the world, Shohei Ohtani. 

Games one and two took place at the Rogers Centre. Both teams were deadlocked for five innings during the opening match. The game sat at two runs apiece, until Addison Barger blew the roof off the building with a grand slam in the eighth inning. Barger’s blast was a part of a nine-run frame. Toronto won 11-4. 

Game two belonged to Dodger pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Yamamoto pitched his second complete game of the postseason, sitting down eight Blue Jay hitters. LA tied the series with a 5-1 victory. 

The next three games took place in Los Angeles. The team played for 18 innings in game three, tying the record for the longest game in World Series history. In the end, the Dodgers took the win 6-5, thanks to a Freddie Freeman walk-off homer. 

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. continued his impressive postseason success with a home run in the third inning of game four. The hit gave Toronto a one-run lead, which they held for the remainder of the match. The Jays took the 6-2 win.  

Meanwhile, the fifth match was all Toronto. Guerrero and Davis Schneider each homered, which helped lead the team to a 6-1 victory.  

The Blue Jays ended up falling short of winning the World Series. They lost both game six and game seven, thanks to some late-game heroics from the Dodgers. Yamamoto also pitched another gem in game six.  

Bo Bichette’s three-run home opened game seven. The clutch hit gave Toronto the lead until the ninth inning. Miguel Rojas hit one out of the park at the top of the inning to tie the game. Will Smith ended things with an extra innings home run.

Despite falling short of the World Series, Toronto’s postseason run was nothing short of history. Fans from all over the country tuned in to watch Toronto play their games, no matter if they were new to the team or seasoned veterans.

Aidan Lavery, the third-year fullback for the St. Thomas University Men’s Soccer team, caught Blue Jays fever. He said that seeing them succeed in the playoffs made him hop on the bandwagon and described it as “inspiring.”  

“It's nice when everyone comes together and cheers for one team. You don't get that much unless it's the Canadian hockey team. I think it was really cool,” said Lavery. “The whole country, all these different people you know, from [British Columbia] to New Brunswick, all cheering for the same team in Toronto.”  

Lavery’s favourite moment of the World Series was Dalton Varsho’s catch in game seven. The play helped keep the game alive, which he said it made him question if the outfielder would even make the play.  

He hopes the team’s performance will help grow baseball in Canada. This growth may help inspire the next generation of Canadian MLB players. 

“This project is not done. I think we're only going to get stronger and keep the team the exact same,” said Lavery. “I don't see how we [won’t] go all the way next year.” 

Benjamin Ford, a third-year student at the University of Prince Edward Island, is a casual Blue Jays fan and has been since his childhood. However, his fandom increased during the spring and summer months and then during the postseason. 

Ford was impressed with the fight Toronto put up during the World Series and was heartbroken to see them lose after getting so close. 

“After watching it, you can't say that the boys didn't put up a good flight and that they didn't try, because they really did. They did a great job,” said Ford. “At the end of the day, they did lose, but they put up such a great fight. Like, I think in matters of performance, they did a very good job.” 

Ford was impressed by the camaraderie shown by Canadians to support the Jays during the World Series. The way fans came together reminded him of the Four Nations Face-Off hockey tournament last February.  

“It wasn't just Canada for a moment saying, ‘we need to cheer for [the] Blue Jays.’ It was Canada coming together solidly,’ said Ford. “It was Canadians putting forward as much energy as they could, and having their voice heard.” 

Ford is hopeful about the Blue Jays’ chances going forward.  

“Going into next year, a lot of the players that make this team so special are going to be coming back to us,” he said. “Thanks to getting second place, the team should have more money to invest into its players. And I think they can have a real winning chance next year. They were so close to winning this year, and I think with a little bit more building, they should have it next year.”