Toronto Blue Jays fan Joanne Stuart’s ticket to a game from June 27, 1980.Joanne Stuart/Supplied
The Toronto Blue Jays are heading to the World Series for the first time since they last won it all in 1993, on the back of a huge home run from George Springer in a nail-biting Game 7. Canada is buzzing with baseball fever again, and the renewed excitement has fans reminiscing about their favourite moments cheering on the Blue Jays.
We asked Globe readers to share their most treasured Jays memorabilia they’ve collected over the decades. You told us about your perfectly preserved 1992-1993 World Series merch, home run and foul balls caught at stadiums old and new, and the strange collectibles and cherished memories that can only be gathered by living an entire life as a fan.
Here are some highlights of what you shared with us.
A foul ball from Exhibition StadiumOpen this photo in gallery:
The scene: Exhibition Stadium – Sept. 19, 1988: Jays 5, Red Sox 4
It’s the ninth inning, with Tom Henke pitching to Spike Owen.
Bang! Foul off the roof covering the small press box and the few boxes behind home plate.
We all turn toward the roof, eagerly waiting for the ball to roll off. It seems to take forever.
Yes! As it turns out, the ball comes off the roof right into my hands.
It was another era – the stadium was so simple, but it started so many great Blue Jays memories. It was not a typical baseball stadium as it lacked the intimate feeling that the existing stadium has. It could be windy and cool by the lake. But we loved it because we had our own MLB team to cheer for. The ball is displayed in a bookcase near my pool table, but for 37 years now it has always made its way next to the TV for good luck during baseball season. – Mark Groleau, Guelph, Ont.
Hand-written scoresheet of the 1993 World Series Game 6Open this photo in gallery:
My father taught me how to score games back in Exhibition Stadium in the ’70s where I watched hundreds of games. One thing I kept track of was the number of pitches the starters had thrown, as well as how many were strikes and balls. Countless times during a game, a fan close to me would inquire about either our pitcher’s or the opposing pitcher’s pitch count – an important piece of information on how long the pitcher will last in the game. For my father and me, scoring became the next level of involvement and felt like we were participating in the game. When my father stopped scoring, I took over when the two of us attended together. My rite of passage.
Later at the SkyDome, I would teach my children how to score games. They were curious and wanted to participate too. So the tradition was handed down generation to generation. It warms my heart these days when the television cameras zoom in on someone still scoring the games. I’ll confess that it has been several years since I’ve scored a game. Now that the pitch clock is right there, the importance has dwindled a bit.
I should point out that I never did finish that score card of Game 6. I was with one of my older brothers in section 139, row 4 out in left field and I can still remember watching the ball sail past me and that joyous feeling when I knew with absolute certainty it was going to clear the fence. Pandemonium ensued and I tried to get some more notes down. But soon Joe Carter was high-fiving all the fans lined up in both fields and I made sure my hand was in there too. – Chris Johnston, Ucluelet, B.C.
A 1989 BJ Birdy capOpen this photo in gallery:
It was 1989 – the first summer the Jays played at the SkyDome. I went to a game with my mom, dad and brother. My brother and I were each allowed to choose one item of Jays merchandise, and I, being six years old at the time, chose this incredible BJ Birdy hat (yes, the beak squeaks). It sat on top of my head during many important games over the years, including while sitting in my living room watching the ’92 and ’93 World Series.
I most recently got to wear it while attending Game 6 of the ALCS where it caught the attention of many Jays fans – some too young to remember or even know who BJ Birdy was. Most importantly, it caught the attention of ACE, who had a tender moment with my beloved hat. I sat in my living room watching Game 7 of the ALCS and gave the beak of my hat many squeaks when Springer hit that amazing home run. My husband thinks I am crazy. My kids now ask when they can have my hat. I tell them they can fight over it when I am dead. – Gillian Cousin, Oakville, Ont.
A memorable meet-and-greetOpen this photo in gallery:Open this photo in gallery:
My favourite memory is on behalf of my granddaughter Orla Drysdale.
In May of 2023, Chris Bassitt and Kevin Gausman visited and met with children recovering at Holland Bloorview Children’s Rehabilitation Hospital and toured the wards.
Nine-year old Orla was an inpatient recovering from surgery at Sick Kids.
Chris Bassitt visited her bedside and signed a baseball for her.
She has made a remarkable recovery and has a cherished memory of their visit. – Greg Mulligan, Orillia, Ont.
Spider-Man swings into the SkyDomeOpen this photo in gallery:
The Jays mania of 1993 was inescapable even in the Marvel universe.
In this Spider-Man PSA comic – part of a series to teach Canadians about bike-riding safety and being respectful of police – Peter Parker visits Toronto to cover a Jays-Yankees game, only to get into a dust-up with Ghost Rider over a misunderstanding.
The Jays mascot, then named BJ Birdy, is a big supporting character.
I remember the comic being given out in schools, though this copy is not the one I read as a child (I bought another years later). – Evan Annett, Toronto.
A piece of the “Super Straw”Open this photo in gallery:
Linda Bedrossian/Supplied
It’s not your typical piece of Blue Jays memorabilia – no signed ball, no ticket stub, no jersey. Mine is a yellow plastic McDonald’s straw.
In 1993, the SkyDome opened its doors for fans to watch the out-of-town World Series games on the JumboTron. I was in high school at the time, and a group of friends and I went down to be part of the excitement. I can’t even remember which game it was, but I’ll never forget what happened that night.
We found seats in the 100 level, and the Dome was buzzing with excitement. Back then, there was a McDonald’s inside the SkyDome, complete with those unmistakable yellow plastic straws. Somewhere way up in the 500 level, someone started linking together those iconic yellow straws. One straw turned into two, then 20, then hundreds – as more and more fans joined in. Before long, this growing “Super Straw” made its way down through the stands, uniting fans in a moment of pure, shared excitement.
When it finally reached us, we added our straws and cheered as it stretched from the top of the Dome all the way down to the field. We proudly named it the World Series Super Straw ’93.
When the game ended, everyone tore off a piece to keep – a tiny token of a big shared moment. I’ve held onto mine for 32 years, waiting for the Jays to return to the World Series.
It might not be valuable, but to me, it’s priceless – a simple yellow straw that captures the spirit, excitement, and community of that unforgettable 1993 run. – Linda Bedrossian, Mississauga
A collection curated over a lifetimeOpen this photo in gallery:
I started my collection with baseball cards featuring the Blue Jays. Before baseball cards cost a silly amount of money per pack, that was the entry point to collecting as a kid. My most prized possessions are linked to the same player: Roy Halladay. I have a signed Halladay baseball and jersey.
“Doc” was my favourite Blue Jay. I met him briefly at a Jays event in 2016. I think he exemplified perseverance. He had great initial success, nearly pitching a no-hitter in his second start in 1998. He struggled in the early stages, landing all the way in single ‘A’ ball.
I think a lot of people would have lost their way at that point, but he figured it out. He rebuilt a career that eventually led to the Baseball Hall of Fame. The last thing I added was a game-used base from the series against the SF Giants in July of this year. I have family near San Francisco, so the Giants are my NL team. To have an item used by both teams is pretty cool. It was more expensive than a pack of cards, but worth it! – Steve Tracy, Mississauga
A gift from aboveOpen this photo in gallery:
I grew up on baseball. I went to elementary school in Truro, N.S., in the ’50s, where the Bearcats played in the Halifax and District league. My mother boarded ball players, usually young American college students playing summer ball and hoping for the big leagues. Later I went to high school in Stellarton, where I sold programs at Albions games.
Fast forward to Aug. 5, 2021. I’m 79 years old, sitting in row 12 up from first base at Rogers Centre. I’m wearing my old weathered Jays shirt and a COVID mask made from Blue Jays fabric. On the way into Toronto on the GO train, I told my companions I was going to catch a baseball that day, just joking.
At the end of the fourth inning or so, Vladdy made the last out at first and lobbed the ball up over the netting into the stands. That ball came straight toward me and landed in my lap, between my purse and my personal space, if you get what I mean, like it had a destiny.
The baseball I “caught” isn’t signed, it will never be worth much, with its tiny trace of Vladdy’s DNA and some vestiges of soil from where it bounced twice on its way toward his catch. But it brings back more than memories of a ball game; it recalls a childhood spent cheering for players I knew personally, of learning to play ragtime on the piano with one of them, of the games we played in the street in those innocent twilit evenings. – Carolyn Murray, Fredericton
A pair of World Series troll dollsOpen this photo in gallery:
I have two 1992 World Series limited edition troll dolls with their tags still attached. On the back of the card it lists the scores of the 1992 games. The dolls are in uniform and on the pants it says #29, the number Joe Carter wore, and #47, for pitcher Jack Morris. I purchased them in December 1992 as stocking stuffers for my husband George and our two daughters. They would have been 11 and nine years old at the time, and very much into troll dolls and watching baseball games with their dad. – Vivien Kastris, Ajax, Ont.
A ticket to the first-ever Blue Jays gameOpen this photo in gallery:
My ticket to the Blue Jays’ first-ever game from April 7, 1977, as well as the program, given to me by my grandfather around 2008.
I plan on giving it to my son as a family heirloom as he is a huge Blue Jays fan, and was also a rep baseball player whom I coached for eight years until he went off to Queen’s this fall. – Joshua Platz, Toronto
Throwing the first pitch
I will never forget the warm Friday evening of June 27, 1980. Over 30 of my friends and family members were in the stands of Exhibition Stadium to watch me throw out the first pitch.
I won an auction for $150 for the privilege – a lot of money for the time, but I just knew the experience would prove to be priceless. I practised for months beforehand so I could throw the ball overhand just like Dave Stieb. I was given the chance to warm up with the other pitchers and that is where the photo was taken.
When the time came, it did go over the plate, just not quite at his speed. The ticket from that night is kept safe. And so is the autographed ball. The picture hangs on the wall in my bedroom.
I decided to have a party afterwards to celebrate with my family and friends and brought invitations to the game to give to the players. Everyone laughed at me and said, they are not going to come. But I distributed them with enthusiasm to all the players I met.
At about 10:30, I turned around and there was Dave Stieb and Jim Clancy ducking to get into the doorway of our house. Then came several other players and a few grounds crew. I was very happily surprised. Every one of the players and also the crew were so naturally pleasant and down to earth. – Joanne Stuart, Ajijic, Mexico
A living mementoOpen this photo in gallery:
My favourite piece of Blue Jays memorabilia is my son. He was born two weeks after the Jays won their first World Series and his middle name is Jay. I almost lost him in a bad accident this past August which put him in a coma for 12 days. Luckily he has fully recovered and I got to share these special moments with him. Every Christmas, Santa brings him special Blue Jays memorabilia such as cards, balls, bats, pins, etc. but nothing comes close to the memories we now share. – Tom Hogan, Oakville, Ont.
The good-luck jacketOpen this photo in gallery:
Seanna-Lin Brodie-Keys/Supplied
My favourite piece of Blue Jays memorabilia isn’t even mine, though I am its guardian. It belonged to my brother who, through the Make-a-Wish Foundation and the Jays organization, went to see his beloved Blue Jays play with a tour of the old stadium in 1988. A fan since 1977, he came home with a team jacket, autographed ball, and lots of once-in-a-lifetime memories of meeting players. The jacket seemed to be put on for every game after, no matter how awful he felt. Diagnosed with cancer in 1986 and then diagnosed with irreversible lung damage from the treatment, my brother’s life slowly collapsed to his room and watching sports on television.
But he had the jacket, and his “traditions.” I can still picture him sitting in his chair, jacket on, Jays cap backwards, and ordering me downstairs, in case I said the wrong thing and jinxed the game. He wore it during the World Series run in 1992, and saw his beloved Jays win. He died the following month. I saw his team win the next year, wearing the jacket myself.
I wish I could share this year’s triumphs with him. On Thanksgiving weekend, I did wear the jacket to a Thanksgiving/Jays party. The Jays lost that game; I won’t be wearing the jacket until after this next series. It is hanging up, pride of place, while I cheer on our team in the next round (no jinxes). – Seanna-Lin Brodie-Keys, Waterdown, Ont.