The Toronto Blue Jays have not made the MLB postseason in 21 years, the longest playoff drought in major league sports. Right now, however, they are first in the American League East. As a result, their city is re-energized.
Only eight banners hang above the JumboTron at Rogers Centre: two are for World Series wins and four for American League East division titles, all from the 1980s and early 1990s. But the Jays lead the New York Yankees by a game and a half. On Sunday afternoon, they beat the Baltimore Orioles 10-4, with three home runs.
As new and old fans filed into the stadium, a man played electric guitar while singing “Go Blue Jays” over and over. The nearby Loose Moose restaurant played a song that bashed the Yankees through its speakers.
The crowd was a sea of blue and white. One woman held up a sign that read: “Will trade kids 4 a win.” The occasional red shirt highlighted the unique position the Jays find themselves in: as the only MLB team in Canada, they represent a nation.
Robyn Angus and Gord Lyons, longtime fans from Mississauga, agreed that the team has the entire country behind them, citing a recent increase in TV viewership across Canada. According to Marketing Magazine, Blue Jays viewership has risen from 609,000 to an average 1.29 million this year, an increase of 112% on last year.
The number of Google searches for the term “Blue Jays” has also risen dramatically in several provinces since trades were made for shortstop Troy Tulowitzki and pitcher David Price, according to Google Trends.
In a city that is used to losing – Toronto’s baseball, hockey (Maple Leafs), and basketball (Raptors) teams have only made the playoffs five times since 2004 – fans are ready for a win.
Signs scattered throughout the Jays’ stadium boasted about the new and widespread audience the team has gained. “We drove all the way from Manhattan,” one said; another, held by a couple, read: “1st time at a Jays game, Go Jays Go!”
“I usually go to two games a season, but this year this is already my fifth game,” Toronto resident Emily Burns said, citing the “better atmosphere” as a main cause.
“I don’t like the fact that the number of people parking nearby has doubled and it’s a three-inning wait for a hot dog,” Gord Lyons, said with a laugh. “But I love [the atmosphere]. It’s great.”
While most fans said this spike in popularity had led to a more enjoyable experience, one fan from Toronto who did not want to give her name said: “All these people have jumped on the bandwagon now. Where were they when we needed them?”
Victor Kotylak, a longtime fan, replied: “I come out a couple of times a year, win or lose. Bandwagon jumpers or not, I’m in.”
According to the Globe and Mail, ticket sales have quadrupled, with some home-game resale tickets being relisted for more than $11,000. Furthermore, 1,400 Troy Tulowitzki and David Price jerseys and T-shirts were sold in the first four days after their arrival. The Jays’ recent success has even helped local businesses.
Despite numerous competing events on Sunday – including the Canadian National Exhibition, the Canadian International Air Show, and Toronto Comicon – the Orioles game was sold out.
Among the crowd, a young girl held up a sign. It read: “Most Magical Place on Earth. Disney World? Nope. Rogers Centre.”
