Finally got to go to my first Jays game and even got to cheer on my favourite player, Ernie Clement!
He said
This weekend – Saturday to be specific – was something we were all looking forward to for about a year in the making. Last baseball season we all got a little more connected with how the Toronto Blue Jays were doing as they made a run that took them all the way to game seven of the World Series. While they unfortunately lost that game we were hooked (again) as a family. They have always been Canada’s team, and we have always kept tabs on them, but the current roster and organization has really reignited us as fans over the last year—Danielle especially!
You see in University the Jays had their back-to-back World Series Championships and Danielle & I (and all of our university friends) were captivated by those two amazing runs then. When they won the first World Series, we all spilled out of our residence on the streets of Windsor with all of our neighbours to celebrate the victory. The next year when it went to game seven in Toronto, while we couldn’t get tickets for the game, we did go down to Toronto and watched the entire game just outside the then Sky Dome in a bar and watched them pull off a stunning come from behind home run win to clinch their second World Series. We spilled out onto the streets this time with the entire contents of the Sky Dome too to again celebrate the Jays victory. It was a moment we will never forget being part of!
We have been to games a couple of times, the most notably being with our old company we worked for who had a corporate box and we got to go see and game and be properly spoiled by the Sky Box experience. But, the last game we ever went to was that one and it was well more than twenty five years ago. So last year amidst the excitement of their run, with Emelia interested to0 we decided that at some point this season we would try and go catch a game. With their fortunes not going as well it was a little bit easier to get some tickets and as part pf a birthday gift to all of us Danielle managed to find us resale tickets for Saturday’s game against the Orioles. The good news is they were still in contention for a wild card spot, but it would take a lot of things going right for them to get that locked down. Basically they are in a win pretty much every game scenario out.
The game was an afternoon one and the weather was perfect so the roof at the (now) Rogers Centre would be open so we could enjoy the late summer day. We took the Jeep to Aldershot and then took the GO Train from there to downtown Toronto and the game. They had lost a stinker the day before so we were hopeful we could get a better and more resounding effort and that is just what they did. The seats Danielle got us were in the outfield right down the third base line. It was the perfect vantage point to take in all the excitement. We even got to see a home run go over the fence and land just about twenty five feet away from us–even if it was for the wrong team. In the end the Jays put on a much better effort than the day before, complete with 2 home runs— 1 of them a 3 run shot! The Jays ended up winning a very exciting and entertaining 7-3 ball game.
We got home and were in comfy clothes, relaxing as a family by 10pm. It was the perfect day and we were all wearing smiles right until bed time. We were also all wearing our new Blue Jays jerseys that we picked up at the game as that is what you do when you’re bandwagon fans!
She said
Yesterday was a family day we have been looking forward to all season! As John has shared, we have been moderate fans of the Jays over the years but honestly hadn’t really gotten into baseball other than the occasional game here and there. Last year with the Jays making a deep run in the playoffs and the entire country behind them it really sparked our love of the game. This season we had been following the Jays all season watching every game. It has been a rough rollercoaster year but the team has not given up. The top players have struggled at times, the team has been hit by the injury bug hitting the bullpen hard.
So with all three of us really following the team the season it was a natural wish to do a family day in Toronto. For those who do not live in the area or have never been to a Jays game, those tickets are not always easy to get, every game sells out – 40,000 fans every game cheering them on. One of our close friends Dawn had purchased tickets earlier in the summer to go to the Canada Day game, she used a website called SeatGeek and was able to secure the tickets. So for Father’s Day we bought tickets to yesterday’s game and the tickets I got were amazing ones in the lower bowl at the 3rd base line.
The entire day was incredible, the weather was perfect. We arrived early enough to explore and go to the shops so John could pick out a jersey as his birthday present. We got to our seats and the game was on. We could not have asked for a better game, it was all Jays for the most part, we saw two home runs including Brett Bateman’s second big league home run! We were able to see all our favourite players up close and personal! Emelia had an absolute blast and cannot wait to to back again next season. And I am sure her parents would be happy to take her back!!