Toronto Blue Jays
Baseball Team The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto, Ontario. The Blue Jays are a member of the East Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and play their home games at Rogers Centre. Founded: 1977 Arena/Stadium: Rogers Centre Manager: John Gibbons Location: Toronto World Series championships: 1993, 1992 Mascots: Diamond, BJ Birdy, Ace |
The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto, Ontario. The Blue Jays are a member of the East Division of Major League Baseball (MLB)'s American League (AL), and play their home games at the Rogers Center.
The "Blue Jays" name originates from the bird of the same name, and blue is also the traditional color of Toronto's other professional sports teams: the Maple Leafs (ice hockey) and the Argonauts (Canadian football). In addition, the team was originally owned by the Labatt Brewing Company, makers of the popular beer Labatt's Blue. Nicknamed "the Jays", the team's official colors are royal blue, navy blue, white, and red. An expansion franchise, the club was founded in Toronto in 1977. |
The Blue Jays played their first game on April 7, 1977 against the Chicago White Sox before a home crowd of 44,649. The game is now perhaps best remembered for the minor snowstorm which began just before the game started. Toronto won the snowy affair 9–5, led by Doug Ault's two home runs. That win would be one of only 54 of the 1977 season, as the Blue Jays finished last in the AL East, with a record of 54–107. After the season, assistant general manager Pat Gillick succeeded Peter Bavasi as general manager of the team, a position he would hold until 1994.
In 1978, the team improved their record by five games, but remained last, with a record of 59–102. In 1979, after a 53–109 last place finish, shortstop Alfredo Griffin was named American League co-Rookie of the Year. In addition, the Blue Jays' first mascot, BJ Birdy, made its debut in 1979.
In 1980, Bobby Mattick became manager, succeeding Roy Hartsfield, the Blue Jays' original manager. In Mattick's first season as manager, although they remained at the bottom, Toronto almost reached the 70-win mark, finishing with a record of 67–95, a 14-win improvement on 1979. Jim Clancy led with 13 wins and John Mayberry became the first Jay to hit 30 home runs in a season. In the strike-divided season of 1981, the Blue Jays finished in last place in the AL East in both halves of the season. They were a dismal 16–42 in the first half, but improved dramatically, finishing the 48-game second half at 21–27, for a combined record of 37–69. |
Eight Blue Jays banners (previously six, as shown) hang above the Rogers Centre videoboard. The four white banners mark the Blue Jays' 1985, 1989, and 1991 division championships, as well as Toronto's hosting of the 1991 All-Star Game. The two blue banners are for the 1992 and 1993 World Series teams. (Two other banners, in light blue, exist to represent the team's two American League championships, but do not hang.)
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