Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays (nicknamed the Jays) is a Major League Baseball team in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are part of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. This means that they use the designated hitter rule in most of their games. Its president & CEO is Mark Shapiro, its general manager is Ross Atkins, and its coach and manager is John Schneider. The team plays 162 games every year, which can be seen on television and heard on radio all across Canada.
| Toronto Blue Jays | |
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 2024 Toronto Blue Jays season | |
| Established in 1977 | |
| Major league affiliations | |
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| Retired numbers | 32, 42 |
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| Major league titles | |
| World Series titles (2) | 1992 • 1993 |
| AL Pennants (2) | 1992 • 1993 |
| East Division titles (6) | 1985 • 1989 • 1991 • 1992 • 1993 • 2015 |
| Wild card berths (4) | 2016 • 2020 • 2022 • 2023 |
| Front office | |
| Owner(s) | Rogers Communications |
| Manager | John Schneider |
| General Manager | Ross Atkins |
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The Blue Jays were founded in 1977 and are the only MLB team from Canada or anywhere outside of the United States, but they have not been the only one or even the first. There were also the Montreal Expos, which was formed in 1969, eight years before the Jays. However, the Expos moved to Washington, D.C. in 2004 (becoming the Washington Nationals). As part of the National League, which does not use the designated hitter rule, the Expos became rivals to the Blue Jays. People loved to see the two teams play against each other, since they were the only two MLB teams from Canada. The two teams played in a rivalry called the Pearson Cup, which lasted until the Expos moved.[1]
The first stadium used by the Blue Jays was Exhibition Stadium, part of Exhibition Place, in Downtown Toronto, near the waterfront. The team became popular, and in 1989 they moved to a larger stadium to the east, the "SkyDome". It was the first in the world to have a retractable roof, and is just a few blocks away from the Air Canada Centre and Union Station. The SkyDome hosted the Major League Baseball All-Star Game in 1991. It is now called Rogers Centre, taking its name from Rogers Communications, a telecommunications company who owns the team.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Blue Jays played their home games in the United States because of border restrictions in Canada. They would first play at TD Ballpark in Dunedin, Florida.[2] This is also the spring training park for the Blue Jays. The Jays would also play at Sahlen Field in Buffalo, New York, home of the Jays' Triple-a affiliate Buffalo Bisons.[3] This would last until July 30, 2021 when the Jays returned to Canada and the Rogers Center.[4]
The Blue Jays won the World Series twice, first in 1992 against the Atlanta Braves and again the next year, in 1993. They won their second World Series on Joe Carter's walk-off home run against the Philadelphia Phillies in the last inning of Game 6 on October 23, 1993, for a final score of 7-6.[5] In both of those years, the team won American League East division titles (having the best win-loss record in their division). Others years in which the Jays won division titles were in 1985, 1989, 1991, and most recently in 2015. They also went to the playoffs as a wild card team in 2016, 2020, 2022, and 2023.
References change
- ↑ "Pearson Cup again up for grabs". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
- ↑ "Blue Jays to open home slate in Dunedin". Major League Baseball. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
- ↑ "Blue Jays to play majority of home games at Buffalo's Sahlen Field". Sportsnet. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
- ↑ "Blue Jays announce July 30 return to Toronto after receiving government approval". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
- ↑ "Touch 'em all, Joe! Revisiting Carter's iconic World Series homer". Major League Baseball. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
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