Toronto Blue Jays Official Program, Issue 2, 2023

PRESIDENT: Ritch Bremner

VICE PRESIDENT, SALES: Matthew Barron

PRODUCTION/ACCOUNTING: Carson Bremner DESIGN: Scott Barkley WRITERS: Mitch Bannon, Ethan Diamandas, John Iaboni, Julia Kreuz

PHOTOGRAPHY:

PREPRESS

VENDING MANAGER: Darrell Winch

FOUNDING PARTNER: Jim Reed

COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST: Simon Wells

SENIOR MANAGER, BUSINESS PLANNING: Michael Lunder

“Other than trying to win baseball games, my sole focus in life is being a good husband and father ... ”

BLUEJAYSMANAGER

BYJULIAKREUZ

Afteraparticularlybadlosingstreak,the2016Lansing

Lugnutsarrivedattheirmodestclubhousetofindtheir couchesandping-pongtableweregone.

TheBlueJays’Single-Aaffiliateatthetime,theLugnuts didn ’thavethemostconsistentstarttotheirseasonAfter adelayedopeningdayandamidthegrindoftheMinor Leagueseason,thesquadfoundflashesofdominance earlyon,butthosemomentswerepepperedintoacouple ofextendedskids.Thetalentwasthere,buttheyoung team–headlinedbynow-MajorLeaguers

JordanRomanoandCavanBiggio–looked afewtruncatedstepsawayfromunlocking itstruepotential.

AllmanagerJohnSchneiderdidwas speedupthatprocess

ThentheLugnuts ’ manager,Schneider wasbehindthedisappearingfurniture.His

messagewasclear,andtailor-madefora bunchof20-something-year-oldballplayers:focusandeffortarearesponsibility

Leisureisaprivilege

“Itworked,”RomanosaidfromRogers Centresevenyearslater,staringattheBlue

leaguedebutsin2019,Schneiderwas

there,too,firstasaplayer-developmentcoach

andlaterasabenchcoach

SchneiderbecametheBlueJays’interim

managerinJulyof2022,andhewasofficially hiredforthejobthatOctober,ensuringatleast

threemoreyearsofworkwiththecorehehelped

bringup

TherarityofbeingreunitedintheMajorsisn ’t

lostonanyone. “It’ sreallyunique, ”

Romanosaid“There ’ s yearsoftrustthatyou

buildoffNow,he ’sabig-

leaguemanager.So,Irespectmyrelationshipwith

himasafriendandIrespectmyrelationshipwith

THESCHNEIDERFAMILY

Jays’bullpenwithalongingsmile RomanoisoneofseveralToronto playerswhocameupthroughtheMinor

LeaguesystemwithSchneiderastheir manager.

AsguyslikeVladimirGuerreroJr,

BoBichette,DannyJansen,Alejandro

Kirk,SantiagoEspinal,TimMayzaand

Biggiorosethroughtherankings,sodidtheir skipper.Whenseveralofthemmadetheirbig-

himasamanager ” Schneiderhasn ’tsimplyledthisgroupbefore, thoughHe ’ swonwithit Ayearbeforejoiningthe

big-leaguecoachingstaff,Schneiderledthe

Double-ANewHampshireFisherCatstoan

EasternLeaguechampionshiptitle,inaseason highlightedbythebrimmingpotentialofyoungsterslikeGuerreroJrandBichette

Becomingabig-leaguemanagerwasalong-

awaitedobjective,butgettingtodoitwiththese

guysmadeitevenmoremeaningful.

“Toseethemcomeinasyoungplayersinthe

Minorsandthemtobeherein2019whenthey

transitionedtothebigleagues,thatwasreallycool,”Schneider saidfromthemanager ’ sofficeatRogersCentreinApril. “Tocon-

tinuetogrowwiththemasacoachatthislevel,andthentobethe manager,it'sunique ”

Individualandcollectivegrowthhavealwaysbeenhisimpetus

Now43yearsold,Schneidertransitionedfromplayertocoach in2008,joiningtheRookieLevelGCLBlueJaysasacatchinginstructorTwoyearslater,hebecametheyoungestmanagerinthe historyoftheVancouverCanadians(Toronto ’sSingle-Aaffiliateat thetime)at30

Theroadfromthenonwasaslongandwindingasa12-hour busrideinthemiddleoftheMinorLeagueseason,butSchneider neverlostsightofthefinishline

“Iremembertellingmywife[Jessy], ’IthinkthatIamgoingto beoneof30oneday, ’”herecalled“’Iamgoingtocontinuetowork my[butt]offinsomanydifferentwaysuntilthateitherbecomesa reality,orIrealizethatit'snotgoingtobeareality. ’”

Hehadtimeandopportunitytodoso

ANewJerseynative,SchneiderreturnedtotheGCLBlueJays in2013,thenhemanagedtheCanadiansin2014-15beforejoining theLugnutsthefollowingyearandboldlytakingawayhisplayers ’ ping-pongtable.The2017seasonwasmarkedbythethen-Class-

Acoupleofweeksafterthat,Schneiderwas officiallyhiredasskipper.

“[Mywife]wasthefirstoneIcalled,”Schneider saidofwhenhegottheoffer “Wekindofshared amoment

“She'sbeenwithmesinceIwasaRookieBall manager.She ’ sseenmeatmybestandseenme atmyworst,andthefactthatshewastherewhen

IhitthathighpointofwhatIwantedtodo,itwas really,reallyspecial”

It’ scommonduringthesummertosee Schneider ’ swife,Jessy,andtheirsons,sevenyear-oldGunnerandfive-year-oldGrayson, aroundtheballparkThefamily ’shomeinToronto isfiveminutesawayfromRogersCentre,andas soonastheschoolyearisdone,thefourofthem convergenorthofthebordertospendtheirfree timetogether AndthoughtheconceptoffreetimehasgottenmoreelusivesinceSchneiderbecamemanager,he ’ sputtinghispassionforlearningto gooduse.

ADunedinBlueJays’first-everFloridaStateLeaguechampionship, withSchneideratthehelmAquickstopinNewHampshireandanotherchampionshiplater,heofficiallyjoinedtheMajorLeaguestaff in2019.

“IjustremembertryingtoevolveasmuchasIcould,”Schneider said. “Meetingpeoplealongthewayandbeingopen-mindedtotry

todothingsdifferentlyasthegamewentmoretowardsanalytics andnumbers,andbeingabletounderstandthosewithoutlosing sightofthefactthathumanbeingsstillplaythegame. ”

Thatbalancebetweenstrategyandhumanityisn ’teasyorlinear,butit’ sgivenSchneideradistinctivevoiceasacoach.

“Iwasastartingpitcheratthetime,andhekindofknewwhat mademeclick, ” saidRomanoofhisMinorLeaguedays “He ’dcome outthereandsometimesreallygetintome.Heknewthat'swhat wasbestforme.Ididn'treallylikeitatthetime,butlookingback, heknewhowtogetmetobetheplayerthatIshouldbe. ” Schneider ’ sgroundworkwiththeBlueJays ’ youngcorehad beenlaidoutforyears,butsincemakingthebig-leaguecoaching staff,hemadeitamissiontolearnthehabitsandmentalityofveteranplayersaswell.ObservingJustinSmoak,FreddyGalvisand

MarcusStromanultimatelymadeiteasiertomanageplayerslike

GeorgeSpringer,MattChapmanandKevinGausman

So,whenSchneiderwasaskedtoleadthe2022BlueJaysto theirpostseasongoalasinterimmanager,he ’dlongsecuredthe trustoftheclubhouse,deliveringa46-22recordenroutetoanAL

WildCardSeriesberth.

“Otherthantryingtowinbaseballgames,my solefocusinlifeisbeingagoodhusbandandfather,andthat’shardtodosometimes,”hesaid “ButIthinkthemoreyoudoit,youkindoflearn theinsandouts,youlearnthecadenceofeach dayAndyou ’ vegottojustbeconsistentwith whatyou'redoingIt'sfuntogothroughitI'mextremelyluckythatIhaveanunderstandingwife

That balance between strategy and humanity isn’t easy or linear

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andtwoboysthatlovethegame ”

Schneidertriesnottogooveramonthwithoutsee-

inghiswifeandkidsThefamilysplitsitstimebetween

TorontoandClearwater,Fla,andthatgoalproveseasier

insomepointsoftheyearthanothers.

Howtomanagehistime–andthedemandsforit–

emergedasanunexpectedchallengewhenSchneider

tookthehelm.

“Idrivemyselfcrazysometimestryingtomakesure

thatI'mthereforeverybody,staffincluded,”said

Schneider. “Ittakessomegettingusedto,butunderstandingthatwhateverIhavegoingon,whetherit'spersonalorprofessionalstress,there'salwayssomeone

thatneedsme.AndIthinkyouhavetokeepaverylevel head,youhavetotofindbalanceawayfromthefield Andyouhavetobereally,reallyprepared”

Theskipperprideshimselfonthatlastpart,making itapointtolistentothebaseballmindsaroundhim,but alsoshowingahumaninterestineveryonewithwhom he ’sincontact–playersinparticular.

“Playersareattheforefrontofeverythingthatwe're doing,Ilearnedthatveryearlyinmyminorleaguecareer asacoachandmanager, ” saidSchneider. “Ifyoukeep

theplayerintheforefront,itusuallyworksoutinthelong run–notonlyforhim,butfortheteam.Itrytoneverever losesightofthat. ” Schneiderisn ’ttakingawayclubhousecouchesat theMajorLeaguelevel–callit“evolving,”ifyouwill.But asatalentedBlueJaysgroupworkstowardloftiergoals, hisdecisionsasamanagerbecomemoredifficult Keepingtheplayersatthecenteriscertainlyabenefit,buthavingastrongvoicemeanshewon’tplease everyoneallthetime.Andthisiswherethework Schneiderhasputinfor15yearstrulyshinesthrough.

“Atthispoint,it'slike,Iknowhowbadhewantsto win, ” saidRomano “Soanydecisionhe'smaking,Iknow, it'satleastcomingfromagoodplace,andIcanrespect thatdecision. ” Sofar,sogood Schneidermanagedhis100thMajorLeaguegame onApril28,a3-2homewinovertheMarinersthatwas partofasix-gamewinstreakTherearesti

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NOWINHIS second season as the Blue Jays’ third baseman, Matt Chapman has unlocked a new level to his offense – and the results have been electric.

The 30-year-old Chapman has posted career numbers so far this year, leading MLB’s leaderboards in batting average, OPS and RBIs for long stretches early on Those efforts earned Chapman the title of American League Player of the Month in April, as he recorded a 384 average and 1 152 OPS during that stretch – both stats led the league in the period

That type of production showed itself in flashes last season, but Chapman has cemented it as the norm in 2023. Those numbers have paired nicely with his defence, too, as the three-time Gold Glover and two-time Platinum Glover continues to dazzle at the hot corner

After seven years in the Majors, Chapman knows what works for him – and how to get the best out of himself

The Victorville, Calif , native was selected 25th overall in the 2014 MLB Draft by the Athletics out of Cal State Fullerton, debuting in 2017 and posting solid numbers as a rookie in the Majors Chapman won a Gold Glove his sophomore year and added AL MVP votes to his accolades He was named an All-Star in 2019, again garnering MVP consideration as well as his second Gold Glove Award Chapman’s COVID-shortened 2020 season ended early, as he dealt with hip tendinitis. But he returned to form the following year, adding a third Gold Glove before joining Toronto via trade in the 2021-22 offseason

He certainly made Rogers Centre a home. Of Chapman’s 27 home runs last year, 19 of them came at home, and he

posted a 826 OPS with 46 RBIs over 78 games in Toronto

The streaks of dominance from last season became more consistent as Chapman made some adjustments over the winter, particularly aiming for more opposite-field hits and using the whole field to his advantage.

“I'm really just trying to get back to what I feel like made me successful," Chapman told MLB com in April "I feel like I drove the ball the other way a lot, if you look back to previous years. It's something I might have gotten away from over the last couple of years, and I'm just trying to get back to what made me a successful hitter in the past "

Above-average speed and a natural pop to his bat have meshed well with this tweak The sum of it has been leaguewide recognition early on.l

FEWPITCHERS inbaseballhavebeenmoredependablethanKevinGausmanoverthepastcoupleofseasons.TheBlueJays ’ right-handerentered2023with

10yearsofbig-leagueexperienceandatrackrecord thatinspiresconfidenceinToronto ’ srotation

GausmandazzledinhisfirstseasonwiththeBlue Jayslastyear,finishingninthinALCyYoungvotingas hepitchedtoa3.35ERAwith205strikeoutsover174

2/3inningsThatsuccesscamethanksinlargepart duetohissplitter,whichhasbecomeoneofthebest inthegame.The32-year-old’ srepertoireis roundedoutbyafour-seamfastball,aslider andtheoccasionalchangeup.

Alongwiththatprofilecomesaperennial steadinessthatisinherenttoGausman ’ s personality,andthat’sbecomeavaluable veteranpresencetoarotationthatisdiverse inpersonalitiesandagerangeaswellas pitchingprofiles

AnLSUproduct,Gausmanwasselected fourth-overallbytheOriolesin2012andmade hisbig-leaguedebutthefollowingseason.He remainedinBaltimoreuntilJulyof2018,when theclubtradedhimtotheBraves,kickingoff abusyperiodinthestarter ’ scareerInAugust of2019,Gausmanwasclaimedoffwaiversby theReds,withwhomhefinishedouttheyear, pitchingtoa403ERAHethenjoinedthe Giantsaheadofthe2020season,regaininghis formintheCOVID-shortenedcampaignanddefinitivelybreakingoutin2021.

Gausmanposteda2.81ERAwith227strikeoutsover192inningsthatyearenroutetohisfirst

All-Starselectionandasixth-placeNLCyYoungfinish, alongwithNLMVPvotesHiscooldemeanourhadalwaysbeenthere,andonceGausmanstartedseeing theresultsofaperfectedpitchingrepertoire,everythingelsefellintoplace

TheCentennial,Col,nativeturnedthatcareeryearintoa

five-yeardealwiththeBlueJays,joiningayoungclubin searchofplayoffsuccess.Gausman ’ spresenceimmediately addedvalueonthatfront,aswell.

Afterappearinginsevenpostseasongamesbetween

Baltimore,Atlanta,SanFranciscoandToronto,Gausmanhas

beenonthebigstageenoughtimestounderstandhowitdif-

fersfromthegrindoftheregularseason.Hepitched52/3 inningsoffour-runballwithsevenstrikeoutsintheALWild

CardSerieslastyear,andhisdependabilityhascarriedinto thenewyear

GausmanfinishedthemonthofAprilatopMLB’ sstrikeout rankings,allowingnoearnedrunsinfourofhisfirstsixstarts in2023.l

BYJULIAKREUZ

BLUEJAYSFANS don ’tfearthesightofKevin KiermaierintheRogersCentrecenterfieldanymore. Thesedays,theycherishit. After10seasonsofrobbinghitsfromTorontobattersasamemberoftheALEast-rivalRays,Kiermaier joinedtheBlueJaysonaone-yeardealintheoffseason,addingexperienceandhighlight-reelstufftothe club’ soutfield.The33-year-oldKiermaierisathreetimeGoldGloverandaPlatinumGlovewinner,andhe figurestoberememberedasoneofthisgeneration ’ s elitedefensiveplayers. Fieldingishiscallingcard,butdon ’tsleepon Kiermaier ’ soffenceSincejoiningTorontoandembracinghisroleastheclub’sNo9hitter,theleft-handed hitterhaspostednumberswayabovehiscareeraverages,countingonakeeneyeandexcellentbat-to-ball skillstogetonbaseatanimpressiveclip.He ’ snottryingtohitforpower,andhedoesn ’thavetoManager JohnSchneiderismoreinterestedinthaton-baseability,andturningthelineupoverforguyslikeGeorge Springer,BoBichetteandVladimirGuerreroJr.

Kiermaierismorethanhappytodoso. “IultimatelyendedupwhereIwantedto[be],with theteamthatwantedmethemost,”Kiermaiersaid aftersigninginDecember “Iwilldoeverythinginmy powertogooutthere,playGoldGlove-calibredefence anddowhatIcanoffensivelytobeanicecomplement toanalreadygreatoffensiveteamI’ vegotalotmore leftinthetank”

Kiermaiermissedmorethanhalfofthe2022regularseason,eventuallyundergoingsurgeryduetoa hipimpingementandatornlabrum.Limitedto63 games,hebatted228witha649OPSlastseason, buttheBlueJayswerelookingbeyondadownyear whentheyapproachedKiermaier.

A31st-roundpickwiththeRaysoutofParkland Collegein2010,Kiermaiermadehisdebutin 2013–appearinginonegameasalate-inning

defensivereplacementincenterforTampaBayHisMLBcareertrulykickedoffin2014,andtheoutfielderreceivedhis firstGoldGlovetheverynextyear,alsotallyingMVPvotesfor hisefforts.Inadditiontohisglove,Kiermaier ’sbatshowed somepopthroughtheyears,too,ashetoppedoutat15 homersinaseason Overthefirstmonthofthe2023season,Kiermaier–whosegoalinfreeagencywastobeaneverydayplayerwhereverheendedup–deliveredfivemulti-hitgames,including afive-RBIoutingagainsttheAngelsonApril9.

Toronto ’ scenterfieldishistohold l

BYJULIAKREUZ

ITWASABUSY Christmas for Daulton Varsho and the Blue Jays.

Determined to improve on outfield defence and add versatility to the lineup, Toronto general manager Ross Atkins took no days off, striking a deal with the Diamondbacks on Dec. 23 to land the 26-year-old Varsho.

The left-handed hitter, who’s played as outfielder and catcher during his career, fit in well with the Blue Jays’ new directive His fielding metrics are what jumps off the page, but there’s a lot of power in his bat, too, and he’s served as a bridge between the top and the bottom of Toronto’s lineup.

Now in his fourth Major League career, Varsho is still getting better

He was selected by the Dbacks in the second round of the 2017 MLB Draft out of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, about three hours away from his hometown of Marshfield, Wisc Varsho made his debut in the COVID-shortened 2020 season, and he truly hit his stride in 2022, posting 27 home runs, 16 stolen bases and a whopping 19 Defensive Runs Saved for Arizona.

The son of Gary Varsho, an MLB outfielder from 1988 to 1995, Daulton didn’t just grow up around the game, he got his name from it. Gary, who currently works as a scout for the Pirates, named his son after former teammate Darren Daulton

But the now-Blue Jays’ outfielder didn’t go all-in on baseball right away. Varsho also played football in high school, a background he believes has an influence in how he navigates the Majors today

“My mindset is fast and physical,” Varsho said during his Christmas Eve media availability following the trade. “That comes from my football background, playing football growing up I don’t like to play things

slow If I’m going after a baseball, I’m going with a full head of steam I’m going to do anything I can to help this team ”

The Blue Jays have witnessed that a few times already in Varsho’s young tenure with the club.

Varsho drove in two runs in his very first game donning a Toronto uniform, a wild 10-9 win over the Cardinals on Opening Day Roughly a month later, he delivered his first walk-off hit with the team, a 10th-inning RBI single for a 1-0 home victory against the Mariners.

On the other side of the ball, Varsho came just as advertised, posting above-average numbers in defensive stats such as Outs Above Average and Defensive Runs Saved, while also displaying good speed on the basepaths.l

BYJULIAKREUZ

SEVENTHINNING

BY JOHN IABONI

LOTS TO NOTE WITH ZACH POP

Zach Pop is the 29th – and most recent – Canadian-born player for the Blue Jays. The Brampton, ON, native was acquired from the Miami Marlins on August 2, 2022 and made his Blue Jays debut three days later in Minnesota.

On September 20, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pop became the eighth Canadian-born pitcher to earn a win for the Blue Jays. The others (with date and opponent in their first Blue Jays win) were London’s Paul Quantrill, May 9, 1996 at Texas; Kelowna’s Paul Spoljaric, July 21, 1996 versus Detroit; Vancouver’s Scott Richmond, September 26, 2008 at Baltimore; Mississauga’s Shawn Hill, September 23, 2010 versus Seattle; Vancouver’s Jeff Francis, April 30, 2015 at Cleveland; Simcoe’s John Axford, June 9, 2018 versus Baltimore; and Markham’s Jordan Romano, July 24, 2020 at Tampa Bay.

Pop and Romano became the first Canadian-born Blue Jays to combine for the win and the save in the same game –6-3 over the Boston Red Sox on October 2, 2022.

Pop gained another significant distinction when he became the first Canadianborn Blue Jay to earn a win in a season Home Opener, against the Detroit Tigers on April 11, 2023.

Opening Day 2023 marked the first time in franchise history that the Blue Jays roster included three Canadian-born players with Pop, Romano and Montreal’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Pop’s arrival made the provincial breakdown of the first 29 Canadian-born Blue Jays as follows: Ontario 12, B.C. 10, Quebec 3, Nova Scotia 1, New Brunswick 1, Manitoba 1 and Saskatchewan 1.

STRETCH

BLUE JAYS REMEMBER WHEN – JUNE & JULY

JOINING SELECT COMPANY, JUNE 13, 2022: ALEKMANOAHearned hiseighthwinof2022afterhetossedsixscorelessinningsagainst

theBaltimoreOriolesatRogersCentreWiththat“W”hiscareer recordroseto17-3andmadehimtheseventhplayerinbaseball’ s modernera(since1901)towinatleast17ofhisfirst20gamesas astarterVidaBlueoftheOaklandA’ swasthelasttodoit,going 17-3from1969to ’71

LEADOFF AND EXTRA-INNING HEROICS, JUNE 15, 2003: REED

JOHNSON,ahustlingoutfielderwiththeBlueJaysfrom20032007,wasthestaroftheshowagainsttheChicagoCubsbeforea homecrowdof34,221.TherookieputtheBlueJaysaheadwitha leadoffhomeruninthebottomofthefirstthenprovidedtheelectrifying5-4winwhenheledoffthe10thwithanotherround-tripper. Thatmarkedonlythefourthtimethataccomplishmentoccurred inMLBhistory.

TOTALLY FINDING THE MARK, JULY 12, 2022: JOSEBERRIOSstruck outacareer-high13battersinonegametwicelastseason–versus theMinnesotaTwinsonJune4andagainstthePhiladelphiaPhillies onJuly12.Hislatterperformancecamewithzerowalks,making himonlythethirdBlueJayspitchertostrikeoutatleast13batters withoutissuingawalkinonegameTheotherswereRogerClemens (fourtimes)andRobbieRay(twice)

YOUNGEST ALL-STAR GAME MVP, JULY 13, 2021: VLADIMIRGUER-

REROJRhitthelongestMLBAll-StarGamehomer(468feet)since theStatcasterabeganin2015andthenknockedinanotherrun withagroundoutastheAmericanLeaguebeattheNationalLeague 5-2atCoorsFieldinDenverGuerreroJrearnedMLBAll-StarGame

MVPattheageof22years,119daysandsurpassedKenGriffeyJr

(22years,236daysin1992)astheyoungesttocapturethataward

EDWIN DINGS TWO IN ONE INNING, JULY 26, 2013: EDWINENCAR-

NACIONbecamethesecondBlueJaywithtworound-trippersin oneinning.ItcamewhentheBlueJaysexplodedforeightrunsin theseventhinningofthe12-6winagainsttheHoustonAstros. EncarnacionledtheinningoffwithahomeroffPaulClemensthen blastedagrandslamoffHectorAmbriz.JoeCarterwasthefirst BlueJaywithtwohomerunsinoneinningatBaltimoreonOctober 3,1993.

EDWIN ENCARNACION

July26,2013

BRANDON BELT

RECORD-SETTING AT-BAT FOR BELT

MajorLeagueBaseballbegantrackingpitchcountasanofficialstatin1988.Headinginto thisseason,noonehadfacedasmanypitches inoneat-batsinceSanFranciscoGiants(now

BlueJays)firstbasemanBrandonBeltfaced LosAngelesAngelsstarterJaimeBarriaat

AngelStadiumonApril22,2018.

Thefirst-inningmano-a-manoat-batcovered21pitchesandlasted12minutesand45 seconds!

Beltfouledoffatotalof16pitchesHeput somanyballsintofanplaythatoneannouncer calleditSouvenirGiveawayDayatAngel

Stadium

Withthebasesloadedandtwooutthe Barria-Beltsequencewent:Foul,ball,swinging strike,foul,foul,ball,foul,foul,ball,then11 consecutivefoulsfrompitches10through20 beforeBeltfliedoutonaflaretoright-fielder KoleCalhoun Barriathrew49pitchesinthatfirstinning and77beforeleavingafterloadingthebases withnooutsinthethirdinning.Thatincluded anotherat-batwithBeltwhosingledonthe eighthpitchhesawfromBarriainthethirdinning.Beltnexthomeredleadingoffthefifthinninginanine-pitchat-batagainstBlakeParker.

Intheseventh,Beltsingledonthefirst pitchhefacedthenfliedoutonthefirstpitch hetookintheeighthinningHisdaytotaled40 pitchesoverhisfiveat-bats,highlightedby thatimprobable21-pitchmarathon.Itwasnot thekindofrecordBelthadinmind “WhenI’ monthefield,Ihateitwhenabatterkeepsfoulingpitchesoff,”Belttold MLB.comandothermediathatday. “I’mlike, ‘dude,justputitinplay…it’ snotthathard… let’ sgo ’So,Ibasicallyhadtoapologizeto everybodyafterthat”

Bytheway,therecordBarria-Beltsur-

passedwasthe20-pitcheighth-inningfaceoff atJacobsFieldonJune26,1998between ClevelandstarterBartoloColonandHouston AstrosoutfielderRickyGutierrezThatbattle endedwithapunchoutbyColon.

1 9 9 3 T O RO N T O B L U E JAYS

FOREVER TOUCHING OUR HEARTS

Three decades later recalling the celebration that erupted in downtown Toronto – and right across the country – is as warm and memorable as ever. If you were fortunate to be among the 52,195 roaring fans at SkyDome, how special is that now? But whether in person, or via television and radio, everyone was united for one of Canada’s greatest-ever sporting moments.

18

The1992TorontoBlueJaysbecamethefirstteamfrom

outsidetheU.S.towintheWorldSeries,climbingthatpeak

inAtlanta.Thefollowingyear,theybecamethefirsttocapturetheWorldSeriesoutsidetheUSbydoingsoin

Toronto

JoeCarterwasthecommondenominatoratthecon-

clusionofthedecidingsixthgamesinboth’92and’93. PlayingfirstbaseinAtlanta,Cartertookthefeedfrom MikeTimlininthebottomofthe11thtothwartOtisNixon ’ s buntattemptandtheBlueJayswerechampions OnOctober23,1993athome,Carter ’ selectrifying walk-offjoltoffPhiladelphia ’sMitch(WildThing)Williams madetheBlueJaysthefirstMLBback-to-backchampionssincetheNewYorkYankeesin1977and’78

Joe Carter gets mobbed by his teammates

TheradiovoiceoftheBlueJays,TomCheek,provided oneoftheall-timeunforgettablecalls:

“ … two balls and two strikes on him … here’s a pitch on the way … a swing and a belt … left field, way back … Blue Jays win it … the Blue Jays are World Series champions as Joe Carter hits a three-run home run in the ninth inning and the Blue Jays have repeated as World Series champions … touch ’em all Joe, you’ll never hit a bigger home run in your life … ”

InthedeliriousBlueJaysclubhouse,CarterandTim

McCarverofCBSSportsconstantlywipedawaythesting intheireyesfromthesprayingofchampagne

“Thisisastorybookending,”theever-beamingCarter toldMcCarver. “Itoldmywife(Diana)beforeIwenttothe

ballparkthatsomethingspecial’ sgoingtohappentoday whatcanyousay?Thisisawesome,thisisunbelievable

“Lookatlastyear,Imadethelastoutand,thisyear, it’sthegame-winninghomerunIcan ’texplainit”

Also,hardtofigureoutamonghisteammates,was howCarteractuallyconnectedontheout-of-the-strikezoneoffering

“JoegotthehitbutIcan ’tbelieveheactuallyhitthat pitch,”DuaneWardrecalledmanyyearslaterAfterestablishingtheBlueJaysrecordwith45savesin1993,itwas Wardwhogotthe “W”inthedecisivegameofthe ’93World Seriesbypitchingathree-up,three-downninth

“Iguarantee,ifhedoesn ’thitit,itwasgoingtobounce onthegroundItwasalmostlikeitwasgoingtohithimon

hisbackfoot.Andhejustgoeswhackandeverybody goes ‘ you ’ vegottobekiddingme!’You ’ resittingthere watchingandyou ’ resaying ‘isitfairorfoul?Andthen

‘ ohmygoshthat’ sgotachance ’Nextthingyouknow you ’ reoutthereathomeplatebecausethegame ’ sover andwewereback-to-backworldchampions. ”

ThePhillieswereTHATclosetoforcingGame7after theyeraseda5-1deficitwithafive-runseventhinning

PeskyRickeyHendersonstartedthingsoffbywalking

DevonWhitefliedoutThen,Paul

Molitor,whowent12-for-24toearn

WorldSeriesMVP,singledtocentre.

TherestwasuptoCarter

The1993BlueJayspostedaregular-seasonrecordof95-67after going96-66in ’92.Whatmadethe repeatsuccessesallthemoreremarkablewasthe starkcontrastinrostersGMPatGillickwasastutein securingplayerswhogotthejobdoneunderthesteady directionofmanagerCitoGastonandhiscoaches

Guzman(Games1and5)andStewart(Games2and6)each wontwogamesintheseries.Guzmanwasobtainedviaa tradewiththeLosAngelesDodgersin1987.Withhistwowins, Stewart,anoffseasonfree-agentsigning,improvedhiscareer recordintheALCSto8-0HewasMVPofthe1989World

The 1993 Blue Jays posted a regularseason record of 95-67

SerieswithOaklandandthe1993ALCSwiththeBlueJays. The1993WorldSeriesbeganinTorontowithLeiterearningthewinoverCurtSchillinginGame1(8-5)whileTerry MulhollandtookthedecisionforthePhilliesoverStewartin Game2(6-4) Whentheseriesmovedto PhiladelphiaandtheNLballpark eliminatedtheDH,Gastonfaceda difficultdecisionregardingDH Molitor,firstbasemanOlerudand thirdbasemanEdSprague.Gaston chosetoretainthesizzlingMolitorinthelineupatthirdbase andfirstbasewhileALbattingchampionOlerudandSprague eachsatoutonegameCanyoubelievethat?

“Gettingonthebusandgoingtoanotherparadewas almostlikeyouweredreaming,”Gastonsaidofthe ’92 and’93championships “Howcouldthathappenafter weswitched14guysfromoneseasontoanother?”

Gastonaddedthatseeingpicturesofthosetwospecialsquadsasyearswentbyonlyre-affirmedhisassessmentofeachplayer: “Allofthemarewinners. ”

HentgenprevailedoverDannyJacksoninGame3(103).Thesix-runeighthinningsawtheBlueJaysturna14-9 deficitintothe15-14crazywininGame4asLuisCastillo ’ s stellarworkoutofthebullpensurfacedasaturningpoint ThePhilliesstayedalivewhenSchillingwontheduelinGame 5overGuzman(2-0)

Amongthoseexitingfrom1992wereTom(The Terminator)Henke,KellyGruber,JimmyKey,David

Cone,DaveWinfield,DaveStieb,ManuelLee,David

Wells,CandyMaldonado,DerekBellandPatTabler.

The1993arrivalsfeaturedMolitor,TheManofSteal

Henderson(atradedeadlineacquisition),DaveStewart, DarnellColes,DickSchofield,TonyCastillo,DannyCox andthereturnofTonyFernandez.

There-shuffledlineupdidrequiresometimetoget goingasitsat16-17atthe33-gamemark.Byseason ’ s end,theBlueJaysreignedasALEastleadersforathird consecutiveseason,thistimebyaseven-gamemargin overtheYankees.

PatHentgenwas19-9inhisfirstseasonintherotationwhileJuanGuzmanwas14-3,Stewart12-8,Todd Stottlemyre11-12,AlLeiter9-6andJackMorris7-12

Forthefirsttimein100years,teammatesfinished

1-2-3inthebattingrace:Smooth-swingingJohn Olerud,.363,Molitor.332andRobertoAlomar.326.

Carterhit33homersanddrovein121runs;Molitorhad

111RBIandOlerudadded107Alomardrovein93runs andstole55bases;DevonWhitehadaclub-high116 runsscoredalongwith34steals. ThepathtoanothermarchtotheWorldSeriesfirst wentthroughtheChicagoWhiteSoxintheALCS

PAULMOLITOR:SeriesMVP

.

ThencameCarter ’ sconnectiontotheWorldSeriesheroicsbyPittsburghPiratessecondbasemanBillMazeroski.On October13,1960,Mazeroskihitahomerunleadingoffthe ninthinningatForbesFieldinPittsburghtobreakthe9-9 20

tieinGame7againsttheYankeesCarterbecame thesecondplayerinWorldSerieshistorytohita walk-offhomeruntowinthechampionshipbutthe firstwithhisteamtrailing.

Threedecadeslater,Carterconstantlybasksin thatgloryReturningtoTorontoin2022toaccept

aLifetimeAchievementAwardattheConnSmythe SportsCelebrities,CarterwasintroducedbyBlue

JayspresidentemeritusPaulBeeston.

“WhenIcomebackhere,everybodytalksabout thehomerun, ” saidCarter “Firstofall,Paul–and youcanattesttothis–Ididhitmorethanone homerun,right?Buteverybodytellsmewhere theywere,whattheyweredoingandsay ‘Iwasat

thegame.’Ididn ’trealizetheSkyDomeatthattime held395,000people!”

OverhiscareerwiththeBlueJaysfrom1991to

1997inwhichhewasafive-timeAll-Star,Carterhit

203regular-seasonandsixpostseasonhomeruns,

includingfou

SPOT THE DIFFERNCES

There are five differences between the original top pic and altered bottom pic of Bo Bichette scoring against Pittsburgh’s Austin Hedges. Can you spot them?

ANSWERS:

1. EASIEST: Where did the ball go?

2. EASY: The ‘H’ is missing from Austin Hedges name on his jersey back.

3. HARD: The pad on Bo’s left elbow is now mauve.

4. HARDER: The logo on the back of Hedges’ chest protector is flipped.

5. EAGLE EYE: Bo has lost his necklace.

B LU E JAYS

BY THE NUMBER5

BY JOHN IABONI

April 14, 2023

5&4

March 30, 2023

GEORGE SPRINGER

charged into

500 & 407

BO BICHETTE became the fastest in Blue Jays history to reach the 500-hit plateau in his game No. 407 with a second-inning RBI ground-rule double at home in the 6-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on April 14, 2023. It was part of a 5-for-5 night for Bichette as he and the Blue Jays snapped Tampa Bay’s 13-game winning streak to start the season. Vernon Wells and Shannon Stewart had each recorded their 500th hits in their 432nd career games for the previous fastest to that level by Blue Jays.

2023 at St. Louis on March 30 with a Blue Jays Opening Day record five hits plus an American League Opening Day first with five hits and four runs scored. His 5-and-4 output is the third in MLB history and first since Chicago Cubs star Billy Herman pulled it off on April 14, 1936, coincidentally also at St. Louis.

1&2

First walkoff hit as a Blue Jay by Daulton Varsho when his bases-loaded single in the 10th inning on April 29 scored Bo Bichette for the only run in the home win over the Seattle Mariners. It was his second career walk-off hit, the other being a leadoff home run in the bottom of the ninth for Arizona’s 3-2 win over the San Diego Padres on August 13, 2021.

18-14

& 29-18

2023 National Baseball Hall of Famer

FRED MCGRIFF fired a perfect strike to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. for the ceremonial first pitch on April 11 at this year’s Blue Jays Home Opener. And the Blue Jays didn’t disappoint as they blasted a franchise Home Opener record five home runs in the 9-3 win over Detroit. That lifted the Home Opener record for the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre (initially SkyDome) to 18-14 as their overall Home Opener record climbed to 29-18.

BO BICHETTE

FRED McGRIFF

GEORGE SPRINGER

Blue Jays individual record for doubles hit before the month of May when sizzling MATT CHAPMAN drilled a two-run, two-bagger down the left-field line in the bottom of the first along with another double in the ninth inning against Seattle on April 30. Chapman, the AL Player for the Month of April, broke the long-standing club record of 13 doubles before the month of May tallied by a couple of other third basemen – Ed Sprague in 1997 and Eric Hinske in 2003.

3, 5 & 9

KEVIN KIERMAIER has brought more than his dazzling glove to the Blue Jays. He has also provided speed and offensive spark. In the dramatic 1211 win at Anaheim on April 9, he became the third Blue Jay with a three-hit (single, double, triple), five-RBI game while batting in the No. 9 spot. J.P. Arencibia (against the Minnesota Twins on April 1, 2011) and Danny Jansen (at Boston on July 22, 2022) are the other No. 9 hitters for the Blue Jays with three-hit, fiveRBI performances.

Blue Jays franchise mark for innings pitched (15.1) to start a season without surrendering an earned run achieved in 2023 by KEVIN GAUSMAN. He yielded zero earned runs in six innings at St. Louis on April 1, six innings at Kansas City on April 6 and 3.1 innings at Rogers Centre on April 12 versus Detroit. Gausman’s streak ended with a home run by Tigers second baseman Nick Maton. Matt Shoemaker held the previous Blue Jays record with no earned runs over 14.0 innings at the start of the 2019 season.

Winning percentage put up by TIM MAYZA when he went 8-1 last season. That ranks second-best season-winning percentage all-time (minimum four decisions) among Blue Jays relievers. The highest winning percentage (1.000) out of the bullpen for the Blue Jays belongs to Dennis Lamp who was 11-0 in 1985.

THE CLASS OF 2023:

JESSE BARFIELD, DENIS BOUCHER, RICH HARDEN & JOE WIWCHAR

BY JOHN IABONI

The fledgling Toronto Blue Jays selected Jesse Barfield from Joliet Central High School in the ninth round of the 1977 MLB June Amateur Draft. Now he humbly enters the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame as a proud member of this year’s class.

Jesse Barfield knew it was only a matter of time before he’d gain his place alongside George Bell and Lloyd (Shaker) Moseby in the Canadian Baseball of Fame

Together they formed one of the best and most exciting outfields in Major League Baseball during their days with the Toronto Blue Jays. Bell was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2013; Moseby made it in 2018 After yet another five-year gap, the much-deserved call to Barfield completes the reunion

“I don’t worry about how I got there and how

long it took,” Barfield said when The Class of 2023 was unveiled “We’re there, that’s the main thing.”

Barfield, Denis Boucher and Rich Harden receive the honour for their achievements in the Majors

Meanwhile, executive and coach Joe Wiwchar is recognized for his seven decades in the game not only for his home province of Manitoba but for Baseball Canada. The induction for The Class of 2023 is June 17 at the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in St Marys, Ontario

In addition to welcoming Barfield, Boucher, Harden and Wiwchar, this year ’ s event also officially recognizes two members from The Class of 2020: John Olerud, a big part of the two World Series titles for the Toronto Blue Jays, along with French-language broadcaster Jacques Doucet whose voice has long been synonymous with first the Montreal Expos and then the Blue Jays Montreal-born sportswriter Richard Milo is recipient of the Jack Graney Award for his significant contribution to the game of baseball in Canada

Barfield’s induction further emphasizes that special coming-of-age

period for the 1980s Blue Jays They shed their “expansion team” tag, eclipsing the .500 level for the first in their seventh season (1983) and winning the AL East title in 1985

From 1984 through ’89, the Opening Day roster for the Blue Jays featured Barfield in right, Moseby in centre and Bell in left They offered as comprehensive a package as one

Barfield left 54 tickets for family and friends and despite Toronto’s 4-3 loss it was quite a momentous day for him It also provided the Blue Jays a glimpse of his enormous potential His first MLB hit came off Steve Trout in the fifth inning – a single to right-centre that scored Bell from second Barfield even pulled off his first MLB steal (off Trout and Hall of Fame catcher Carlton Fisk)

His time with the Blue Jays from 1981 to ’89 spanned 1,032 regularseason in which he hit 179 home runs with 527 runs batted in along with an OPS of 817 He had career highs with 40 home runs and 108 RBI in 1986 when he gained his only All-Star and Silver Slugger honours Barfield also garnered Gold Glove awards in 1986 and ’87

Reflecting on his career highlight Barfield quickly pointed to that 1985 squad that still has a franchise-best 99-62 before losing the seven-game heart-breaking ALCS to the Kansas City Royals.

would want in power, defence, speed –and determined spirit Aside from his potent bat, Barfield possessed a cannon arm

“I didn’t know what a Jay was, ” Barfield once told me about being drafted by Toronto when he was four months shy of his 18th birthday “It worked out to be great for me because they didn’t have a whole lot of players that I had to leap-frog over. ”

Born in Joliet, Illinois, Barfield’s heart was more for the Cubs than the White Sox largely because he idolized “Mr Cub” Ernie Banks Barfield did go to many White Sox games in his youth with the Joliet Boys Club and even predicted one day he’d be playing right field in Comiskey Park As fate had it, his MLB debut on September 3, 1981 came at Comiskey Park.

“The first pennant in ’85 was a culmination of all the hard work we put into it,” Barfield said of the club’s first AL East title “A lot of people didn’t think we had a chance with the Yankees breathing down our necks

Jesse Barfield

place alongside George Bell and Lloyd (Shaker) Moseby in the Canadian Baseball of Fame

We held them off (by two games) and the rest is history ”

Barfield batted 280 with a homer and four RBI in the series which turned out to be the only playoffs he would taste in his MLB career He was traded to the Yankees for Al Leiter on April 30, 1989 and played for the Pinstripes until 1992.

knew it was only a matter of time before he’d gain his

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Boucher hails from Montreal and he was signed as an amateur free agent by the Blue Jays in 1987 He was on the mound at SkyDome on April 12, 1991 for his MLB debut, making the start against the talent-laden Milwaukee Brewers In his ‘Welcome to The Show’ moment, the 23-year-old Boucher retired the first three batters he faced: Future Hall of Famers Paul Molitor on a pop up and Robin Yount on a groundout along with nine-time AllStar Gary Sheffield on a flyout!

After going 0-3 in seven starts with the Blue Jays, Boucher was part of a package traded to Cleveland for pitcher Tom Candiotti and outfielder Turner Ward In two seasons with Cleveland, Boucher went 3-6 then was picked up by the expansion Colorado Rockies and traded to the San Diego

Padres His path back to the Majors came when the Padres traded him to the Montreal Expos on July 10, 1993

His strong play with the Triple-A Ottawa Lynx finally gained him a promotion with the Expos Olympic Stadium was rocking with a crowd of 40,066 on Labour Day 1993 when Boucher took to the hill for the first time with Montreal. And what a moment it was for many reasons

Firstly, he became the first Canadian-born player to suit up for the Blue Jays and the Expos Secondly, for the first time in the modern MLB era, three Canadians were in the starting lineup for the same team – Boucher, catcher Joe Siddall from Windsor and right-fielder Larry Walker from Maple Ridge, B.C. Siddall and Walker each went 1-

for-3 with an RBI (Walker’s came on a home run) while Boucher was brilliant in a no-decision, allowing one earned run over six innings as the Expos won 4-3. He finished 3-2 in his two seasons with the Expos After retirement, he turned his attention to development and coaching with Baseball Canada including Olympics, World Baseball Classics and Pan Am Games.

Victoria-born Harden broke in with the Oakland A’s in 2003 and compiled a record of 59-38 over nine seasons He was 40-23 with Oakland, 14-10 with the Cubs and 5-5 with Texas There is little doubt with his nasty stuff, his career was destined for even more save for numerous injuries throughout

Still, he managed to strike out 949 over 928.1 innings pitched including incredible totals in 2008 with Oakland and the Cubs when he had 181 strikeouts in 148 innings pitched and 2009 with the Cubs (171 strikeouts in 141 innings pitched). He even notched an immaculate inning with Oakland using nine pitches for three strikeouts swinging in the top of the first against the Los Angeles Angels on June 8, 2008.

Congratulations the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame’s Class of 2023 l

Boucher was signed as an amateur free agent by the Blue Jays

JOEWIWCHAR

PROMOTIONS & EVENTS SCHEDULE 2023

APRIL

TUE APR 11 HOME OPENER PRESENTED BY TD

BLUEJAYS LIGHT-UP WRISTBAND GIVEAWAY PRESENTED BY TD (45,000 FANS ON ENTRANCE)

BLUE JAYS MAGNET SCHEDULE GIVEAWAY PRESENTED BY TD (45,000 FANS ON EXIT)

FIRST OPPORTUNITY TO EXPERIENCE THE NEW BLUE JAYS OUTFIELD DISTRICT

WED APR 12 VLADIMIR GUERRERO JR. GOLD GLOVE BOBBLEHEAD GIVEAWAY NIGHT

PRESENTED BY TD

VLADIMIR GUERRERO JR. GOLD GLOVE BOBBLEHEAD GIVEAWAY PRESENTED BY TD (FIRST 15,000 FANS)

MON APR 24 ROMANO & JANSEN HANDSHAKE BOBBLEHEAD GIVEAWAY NIGHT

ROMANO & JANSEN HANDSHAKE BOBBLEHEAD GIVEAWAY (FIRST 15,000 FANS)

TUE APR 25 LOONIE DOGS NIGHT PRESENTED BY SCHNEIDERS

$1 HOT DOG NIGHT AT THE BALLPARK - VISIT THE NEW SCHNEIDERS PORCH

FRI APR 28

GEORGE SPRINGER NEW BLUE REPLICA JERSEY GIVEAWAY NIGHT

GEORGE SPRINGER NEW BLUE REPLICA JERSEY GIVEAWAY (FIRST 15,000 FANS)

SUN APR 30 JR. JAYS OPENING DAY

JR. JAYS SUNDAYS KIDS 14 & UNDER RUN THE BASES POSTGAME

MAY

SUN MAY 14 MOTHER’S DAY

ALEK MANOAH BOBBLEHEAD GIVEAWAY (FIRST 15,000 FANS)

MOTHER’S DAY FESTIVITIES THROUGHOUT THE OUTFIELD DISTRICT

TUE MAY 16 LOONIE DOGS NIGHT PRESENTED BY SCHNEIDERS

$1 HOT DOG NIGHT AT THE BALLPARK - VISIT THE NEW SCHNEIDERS PORCH

FRI MAY 19

BLUE JAYS MAY 2-4 WEEKEND PRESENTED BY RYOBI

BLUE JAYS MESH HAT GIVEAWAY PRESENTED BY RYOBI (FIRST 15,000 FANS)

LONG WEEKEND ATMOSPHERE IN THE OUTFIELD DISTRICT

SAT MAY 20 BLUE JAYS MAY 2-4 WEEKEND PRESENTED BY RYOBI

BLUE JAYS PICKLEBALL PADDLE GIVEAWAY PRESENTED BY RYOBI (FIRST 15,000 FANS)

LONG WEEKEND ATMOSPHERE IN THE OUTFIELD DISTRICT

SUN MAY 21 JR. JAYS SUNDAYS

JR. JAYS SUNDAYS. KIDS 14 & UNDER RUN THE BASES POSTGAME

TUE MAY 30 LOONIE DOGS NIGHT PRESENTED BY SCHNEIDERS

$1 HOT DOG NIGHT AT THE BALLPARK - VISIT THE NEW SCHNEIDERS PORCH

WED MAY 31 “BO BUNDLE” GIVEAWAY NIGHT

BO BICHETTE WHITE REPLICA JERSEY & REPLICA HEADBAND GIVEAWAY (FIRST 15,000 FANS)

JUNE

TUE JUN 6 LOONIE DOGS NIGHT PRESENTED BY SCHNEIDERS

$1 HOT DOG NIGHT AT THE BALLPARK - VISIT THE NEW SCHNEIDERS PORCH

WED JUN 7 MLB NETWORK HAT GIVEAWAY NIGHT

MLB NETWORK HAT GIVEAWAY (FIRST 15,000 FANS)

FRI JUN 9 PRIDE WEEKEND PRESENTED BY TD

BLUE JAYS RAINBOW FLAG JERSEY GIVEAWAY PRESENTED BY TD (FIRST 15,000 FANS)

PRIDE WEEKEND FESTIVITIES THROUGHOUT THE OUTFIELD DISTRICT

SAT JUN 10 PRIDE WEEKEND PRESENTED BY TD

PRIDE WEEKEND FESTIVITIES THROUGHOUT THE OUTFIELD DISTRICT

SUN JUN 11 JR. JAYS SUNDAYS

JR. JAYS SUNDAYS. FIRST OUTDOOR PROGRAM OF THE SEASON.

KIDS 14 & UNDER RUN THE BASES POSTGAME

SAT JUN 24 CRICKET DAY AT THE PARK

BLUE JAYS REPLICA CRICKET JERSEY GIVEAWAY (FIRST 15,000 FANS)

SUN JUN 25 JR. JAYS SUNDAYS

JR. JAYS SUNDAYS. KIDS 14 & UNDER RUN THE BASES POSTGAME

TUE JUN 27 LOONIE DOGS NIGHT PRESENTED BY SCHNEIDERS

$1 HOT DOG NIGHT AT THE BALLPARK - VISIT THE NEW SCHNEIDERS PORCH

WED JUN 28 KEVIN GAUSMAN REPLICA SPLITTER JERSEY GIVEAWAY NIGHT

KEVIN GAUSMAN REPLICA SPLITTER JERSEY GIVEAWAY (FIRST 15,000 FANS)

JULY

SAT JUL 1 CANADA DAY

BLUE JAYS LAKESIDE STRAW HAT GIVEAWAY (FIRST 15,000 FANS)

CANADA DAY FESTIVITIES THROUGHOUT THE OUTFIELD DISTRICT

SUN JUL 2 JR. JAYS SUNDAYS

JR. JAYS SUNDAYS. KIDS 14 & UNDER RUN THE BASES POSTGAME

SAT JUL 15 THE CHAPPY COUTURE SHIRT GIVEAWAY DAY

THE CHAPPY COUTURE SHIRT GIVEAWAY (FIRST 15,000 FANS)

SUN JUL 16 JR. JAYS SUNDAYS

JR. JAYS SUNDAYS. KIDS 14 & UNDER RUN THE BASES POSTGAME

TUE JUL 18 LOONIE DOGS NIGHT PRESENTED BY SCHNEIDERS

$1 HOT DOG NIGHT AT THE BALLPARK - VISIT THE NEW SCHNEIDERS PORCH

WED JUL 19 “WE’RE HERE” WELCOME MAT GIVEAWAY NIGHT

“WE’RE HERE” WELCOME MAT GIVEAWAY (FIRST 15,000 FANS)

FRI JUL 28 BLUE JAYS CARIBBEAN CARNIVAL

BLUE JAYS TERRYCLOTH BUCKET HAT GIVEAWAY (FIRST 15,000 FANS)

CARIBBEAN CARNIVAL FESTIVITIES THROUGHOUT THE OUTFIELD DISTRICT

SUN JUL 30 JR. JAYS SUNDAYS

JR. JAYS SUNDAYS. KIDS 14 & UNDER RUN THE BASES POSTGAME

AUGUST

TUE AUG 1 LOONIE DOGS NIGHT PRESENTED BY SCHNEIDERS

$1 HOT DOG NIGHT AT THE BALLPARK - VISIT THE NEW SCHNEIDERS PORCH

WED AUG 2 CHRIS BASSITT CAMO JERSEY T-SHIRT GIVEAWAY NIGHT

CHRIS BASSITT CAMO JERSEY T-SHIRT GIVEAWAY (FIRST 15,000 FANS)

SAT AUG 12 JOSÉ BAUTISTA LEVEL OF EXCELLENCE

JOSÉ BAUTISTA BAT FLIP BOBBLEHEAD GIVEAWAY (FIRST 15,000 FANS)

SUN AUG 13 JR. JAYS SUNDAYS

JR. JAYS SUNDAYS. KIDS 14 & UNDER RUN THE BASES POSTGAME

TUE AUG 15 LOONIE DOGS NIGHT PRESENTED BY SCHNEIDERS

$1 HOT DOG NIGHT AT THE BALLPARK - VISIT THE NEW SCHNEIDERS PORCH

WED AUG 16 VLADIMIR GUERRERO JR. BLUE REPLICA JERSEY GIVEAWAY NIGHT

VLADIMIR GUERRERO JR. BLUE REPLICA JERSEY GIVEAWAY (FIRST 15,000 FANS)

SUN AUG 27 JR. JAYS SUNDAYS

JR. JAYS SUNDAYS. FINAL OUTDOOR PROGRAM OF THE SEASON.

KIDS 14 & UNDER RUN THE BASES POSTGAME

TUE AUG 29 LOONIE DOGS NIGHT PRESENTED BY SCHNEIDERS

$1 HOT DOG NIGHT AT THE BALLPARK - VISIT THE NEW SCHNEIDERS PORCH

SEPTEMBER

SAT SEP 9 BLUE JAYS HARRY POTTERTM DAY AT THE BALLPARK HARRYPOTTER™THEMEDBLUEJAYSSCARFGIVEAWAY(FIRST15,000FANS)

HARRY POTTER ACTIVITIES THROUGHOUT THE OUTFIELD DISTRICT

SUN SEP 10 JR. JAYS SUNDAYS

JR. JAYS SUNDAYS. KIDS 14 & UNDER RUN THE BASES POSTGAME

TUE SEP 12 LOONIE DOGS NIGHT PRESENTED BY SCHNEIDERS

$1 HOT DOG NIGHT AT THE BALLPARK - VISIT THE NEW SCHNEIDERS PORCH

FRI SEP 15 JOSÉ BERRÍOS BOBBLEHEAD GIVEAWAY NIGHT

JOSÉ BERRÍOS BOBBLEHEAD GIVEAWAY (FIRST 15,000 FANS)

SUN SEP 17 JR. JAYS SUNDAYS

JR. JAYS SUNDAYS. KIDS 14 & UNDER RUN THE BASES POSTGAME

TUE SEP 26 LOONIE DOGS NIGHT PRESENTED BY SCHNEIDERS

$1 HOT DOG NIGHT AT THE BALLPARK - VISIT THE NEW SCHNEIDERS PORCH

FRI SEP 29 FAN APPRECIATION WEEKEND PRESENTED BY TD

BLUE JAYS HOODIE GIVEAWAY PRESENTED BY TD (FIRST 15,000 FANS)

FAN APPRECIATION WEEKEND ACTIVITIES THROUGHOUT THE OUTFIELD DISTRICT

SAT SEP 30 FAN APPRECIATION WEEKEND PRESENTED BY TD

FAN APPRECIATION WEEKEND ACTIVITIES THROUGHOUT THE OUTFIELD DISTRICT

OCTOBER

SUN OCT 1 FAN APPRECIATION WEEKEND PRESENTED BY TD FAN APPRECIATION WEEKEND ACTIVITIES THROUGHOUT THE OUTFIELD DISTRICT

SPECIALTY TICKETS

VISIT THE OFFICIAL TEAM SHOP OF THE TORONTO BLUE JAYS

BLUE JAYS VS. TWINS

JUNE 9, 10, 11, 2023

#PITCHERSB-THTWTBORNBIRTHPLACE

52Bass,AnthonyR-R6-220511/01/1987Dearborn,MI

17Berríos,JoséR-R6-020505/27/1994Bayamon,PR

90Cimber,AdamR-R6-319508/15/1990Portland,OR

93García,YimiR-R6-123008/18/1990Moca,DOM

34Gausman,KevinL-R6-220501/06/1991Centennial,CO 35Jackson,JayR-R6-119510/27/1987Greenville,SC

16Kikuchi,YuseiL-L6-021006/17/1991Iwate,JPN

6Manoah,AlekR-R6-628501/09/1998Homestead,FL

58Mayza,TimL-L6-321501/15/1992Allentown,PA

24Pearson,NateR-R6-625508/20/1996Odessa,FL

33Richards,TrevorR-R6-220505/15/1993Aviston,IL

68Romano,JordanR-R6-521004/21/1993Markham,ON

50Swanson,ErikR-R6-322509/04/1993Fargo,ND

#CATCHERSB-THTWTBORNBIRTHPLACE

55Heineman,TylerS-R5-1019006/19/1991PacificPalisades,CA

30Kirk,AlejandroR-R5-824511/06/1998Tijuana,MEX

#INFIELDERSB-THTWTBORNBIRTHPLACE

13Belt,BrandonL-L6-323004/20/1988Nacogdoches,TX

11Bichette,BoR-R6-019003/05/1998Orlando,FL

8Biggio,CavanL-R6-220004/11/1995Houston,TX

26Chapman,MattR-R6-021504/28/1993Victorville,CA

28Clement,ErnieR-R6-017003/22/1996Rochester,NY

27GuerreroJr.,VladimirR-R6-224503/16/1999Montreal,QC 15Merrifield,WhitR-R6-119501/24/1989Florence,SC

#OUTFIELDERSB-THTWTBORNBIRTHPLACE

39Kiermaier,KevinL-R6-121004/22/1990FortWayne,IN

38Lukes,NathanL-R5-1118007/12/1994Sacramento,CA

4Springer,GeorgeR-R6-322009/19/1989NewBritain,CT

25Varsho,DaultonL-R5-1020707/02/1996Marshfield,WI

Veteran Sluggers Adding New Layers To Blue Jays’ Lineup

Brandon Belt, Kevin Kiermaier and Whit Merrifield have played like they have something to prove and a lot more to give

BY JULIA KREUZ

Of the many identities the Blue Jays’ lineup can embody in any given game, the most fascinating may be the clutch contributions from its veterans.

That was on display in early June, when Toronto swept the Mets in three electric road games that were part of a strong run to begin the month As Vladimir Guerrero Jr found his old form and Bo Bichette carried his consistency through another set, the Blue Jays also counted on the familiar sight of guys like Brandon Belt and Whit Merrifield stepping up when called upon Belt, who’s looked like his old self after b e g i n n i n g t h e y e a r i n a b i t o f a s l u m p , d e livered the sweeping swing for the Blue Jays. His two-run go-ahead homer in Sunday’s finale was no cheap shot, either. It travelled a Statcast-projected 427 feet with an exit velocity of 106 2 mph

It came after Guerrero hit a solo homer with similarly impressive stats –the numbers of players in their prime

“We’ve got the superstar in Vlad and the salty vet in Brandon, who’s kind of ‘been there and done that,’” manager John Schneider told reporters after Sunday’s win in New York “It’s nice to see those guys come through.”

That outing was indicative of all the layers this lineup possesses, and in how many ways it can hurt opposing teams

BLUE JAYS VS TWINS

JUNE 9, 10, 11, 2023

This is no coincidence, either

One of Toronto’s offseason goals was to add some veteran bats to its squad – even better if those hitters were left-handed The club found what it was looking for in Belt and Kevin Kiermaier, who have shown solid production and flashes of greatness since joining the Blue Jays on one-year deals.

Add to the equation Merrifield, who arrived last season via a trade with the Royals, and the team rounds out an enviable group of vets with something to prove and a lot more to give

that rivalled any other point in his 11year career

Hitting mostly from the No 9 spot, Kiermaier finished May with a 319 average and an 886 OPS, along with four homers and 16 RBIs The 33-year-old also stole five bases on five attempts, proving that there’s plenty of speed in the tank On the other side of the ball, Kiermaier has been exactly as advertised by his three Gold Glove Awards. He’s posted seven outs above average at center field as of June 5 – tied for the best mark among all MLB outfielders and ranking top five in all positions

Belt, meanwhile, was brought in as a bench option at first base But he’s made himself into a lot more than that After that admittedly slow start, the 35year-old batted 333 with a 940 OPS in May, driving in seven runs in 23 games It was good enough to move him from the bottom of the lineup to the clean-up spot in certain occasions. That’s where Belt was hitting when he homered against the Mets.

“One thing I’ve learned is that if I try to force some things, it doesn’t work out,” Belt said of what helped him get back into form “For the most part, I’ve got to get back to simplifying my approach It’s see ball, hit ball Don’t make it more complicated than that ”

“We have so much trust in our veteran guys to step up when we need them to step up, ” said Blue Jays starter Chris Bassitt in early May “They can go two weeks without getting a hit, and I don’t think there’s much thought about it It’s just like, ‘OK, when is George [Springer] going to carry us? When is Belt going to carry us?’”

Belt is a two-time World Series champion

With Kiermaier at the bottom and Belt moving around in the lineup, Merrifield rounds out the Blue Jays’ group of veterans with his knack for finding himself “in the middle of everything,” as Schneider put it earlier this season. The 34-year-old Merrifield – who also came through with a pair of hits and two RBIs in the finale against the Mets – has shown the type of versatility that has fuelled modern-day baseball

They’ve all taken their turn with that

As the two-time World Series champion Belt worked to adjust to a new team and a new league for the first time in his career, Kiermaier opened the season with sky-high offensive numbers

Merrifield was hitting 299 with 16 stolen bases as of June 5, mostly appearing smack in the middle of the Blue Jays’ lineup as a nice bridge between the big names at the top and the small-ball contributors below

With the Blue Jays vying to gain ground in an uber-competitive division, this trio may have become just as indispensable as those big names l

No mortgage needed for all these homers.

HOWTOSCORE

Take home a record of today’s Blue Jays action by marking the scorecard found in the centrespread. Here’s one method of scoring a game:

1 Every defensive position on the field has a number, as seen above - the shortstop is number 6, the catcher number 2, first baseman number 3, etc

2 When a batter grounds out to shortstop, he is retired “63”, i.e. the shortstop throws to first base for the out. A batter grounding into a double play - hitting a ground ball to the second baseman, who throws to the shortstop to retire the runner at second, the shortstop then throws back to first to retire the batter - is said to have grounded into a “4-6-3” double play.

3 Using these play codes below, coupled with the defensive position numbers at right, will allow you to record the results of each batter’s at-bat, every inning throughout the game A line drive out to right field, would be L9; a pop up to the third baseman would be scored P5, and so on.

4 The bottom of the diamond shape should be considered home plate Progress is counterclockwise with advance to first base indicated in the lower right corner, to second base in the upper right corner, to third base in the upper left corner, and to home in the lower left corner

In the example shown at right, the batter reached first on an error by the second baseman, stole second and went to third on a wild pitch. If the run scores the diamond is filled in

P

Single Double Triple Home Run

HB Hit Batsman

SAC Sacrifice Bunt

BB Base on Balls

IBB Intentional Walk

PB Passed Ball

KS Struck Out Swinging

KL Struck Out Looking

F Fly Ball

SF Sacrifice Fly

WP Wild Pitch

L Line Drive

P Pop Fly

FO Foul Out

U Unassisted

E Error

SB Stolen Base

CS Caught Stealing

DP Double Play

In the example shown below, the players are listed in the order in which they take their turn at bat The number after their name is their defensive position when they’re in the field, except for Danny Jansen, the designated hitter (DH).l

SAMPLE INNING

Springer leads off and flies out to centre Bichette singles to right Guerrero Jr. walks. Kirk hits a home run to left Chapman is hit by a pitch, then advances on a wild pitch with Varsho at bat Varsho gets an infield hit to third (Chapman holding at second).

Jansen grounds to the shortstop and reaches first base on an error Bases loaded. Espinal strikes out.

SPRINGER 9

BICHETTE 6

GUERRERO JR. 3

KIRK 2

CHAPMAN 5

JANSEN DH

ESPINAL 4

KIERMAIER 8

LOB

F8 BB BB HB E6 E6 E6 KS 3 3 3 6 – 3 WP 9 7 5

PITCHERS IP H R ER SO BB

MULTI-SPORT GPS + HEART RATE MONITOR

The Minnesota Twins Maintain Leadership In AL Central

Arecordof5-5fromMay26throughJune4was stillgoodenoughtokeeptheMinnesotaTwins atoptheALCentral.TheClevelandGuardians were6-4overthesame10-gamestretch.But Minnesota ’sleadoverthemstoodat3.5games headingintoactionthisweek.TheTwinscompletetheirsix-gameseasonseriesagainstthe

BlueJayswiththisthree-gamesetatRogers

CentreAtTargetFieldfromMay26through28, theBlueJayswontwice–3-1whenKevin

GausmangottheupperhandonLouieVarland and3-0asJoseBerriesbestedBailey

OberPabloLopezprevailedagainstChris

Bassittinthemiddlegame,9-7 B

Minnesota Twins manager Rocco Baldelli just can’t seem to get many breaks in terms of playing with a full deck of players. The club’s pitching depth was challenged when starters Tyler Mahle and Kenta Maeda along with reliever Caleb Thielbar hit the Injured List

Mahle was the pitcher of record in the 11-1 win at Miami on May 3 but that fifth start of 2023 for him was his last of the season He immediately headed to the IL for Tommy John surgery Maeda making a comeback (albeit rocky) this season from his own Tommy John surgery that kept him out for all of 2022. He was 0-4 in four starts with an ERA of 9.00 when a triceps injury sent him to the IL on April 29.

The rotation replacements came from Triple-A St Paul with Bailey Ober (for Maeda) and Louie Varland (for Mahle) Thielbar, meanwhile, missed 29 games with an oblique strain before returning to

BLUE JAYS VS. TWINS

JUNE 9. 10. 11, 2023

action on June 4 His numbers through his first 12 games of 2023 (ERA of 1.74 and WHIP of 0.97) indicated his importance in the bullpen.

Since the series at home against the Blue Jays, the Twins have seen other positive injury news with the return of outfielder Max Kepler along with infielders Jorge Polanco and Royce Lewis But then slugger Joey Gallo, who led the club with 11 home runs, headed to the IL on June 3 with a sore hamstring It should be noted that despite batting 188 with a club-high 62 strikeouts, Gallo and DH Byron Buxton were tied for second on the club with 23 runs batted in, one less than shortstop Carlos Correa

Gallo is also a two-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove winner so he will be missed for more than his power.

The Twins split their four-game home series against Cleveland last week despite winning the first two games. Baldelli was unable to use neither Correa (plantar fasciitis) nor

Buxton (sore ribs after exiting the series’ opener against the Guardians when he was hit by a pitch) over the final three games of the series

Correa and Buxton each possess a Platinum Glove and a Gold Glove However, this season in an effort to keep the oft-injured Buxton in the lineup, he became the full-time DH Without doubt when they’re on their games, Correa and Buxton are dynamic hitters. Buxton continues as a base-stealing threat and was 6-for-6 in steals through June 4 He was third on the Twins in that category behind outfielders Willi Castro (with a career-high 11) and Michael A Taylor (eight)

Lewis provided two absolutely uplifting stories last week The first overall selection in the 2017 MLB Draft sustained back-to-back ACL injuries to his right knee in 2021 and 2022 He finally made it to the Majors in 2022 and even became the second Twins batter to hit a grand slam on his first MLB home run. But his season ended on May 29 when he underwent ACL surgery for a second time in as many years

Activated on May 29, 2023 at Houston – the

anniversary of his surgery from the previous year

Lewis was at third base for the Twins, feeling he was in for a big game. And it turned out that he was right. He went 2-for-5 with four runs batted in He had a three-run home run in the third inning plus a gametying single in the eighth The Twins won that game 75 when hot-hitting catcher Ryan Jeffers belted a two-run shot in the top of the 10th inning

Three nights later in his first game of the season at Target Field, Lewis tied it (6-6) against the Guardians with a two-run homer in the eighth Castro’s basesloaded sacrifice fly provided the walk-off 7-6 victory in the ninth

While the offence has had its moments with contributions from many due to injuries, the pitching has indeed been a strength despite facing its own adversity Through June 4, the Twins ranked second in the Majors to Houston in terms of fewest runs allowed (222) and in ERA (3 42) However, Minnesota pitchers were first in the Majors in strikeouts (575), WHIP (1 17) and opponents’ batting average (2 25)

The Blue Jays didn’t see Minnesota’s most consistent pitchers to this point in 2023 (Joe Ryan, 7-3, and Sonny Gray, 4-1) when they met at Target Field But, barring injuries or changes in schedule, the probable pitchers for this series will be Gray, Ryan and Varland (3-1)

Among qualified pitchers, Gray was the last pitcher to surrender a home run this season. It occurred last Saturday against Cleveland in his 12th start of the season. The following afternoon, Ryan pitched well in taking the 2-1 loss against the Guardians Ryan, who turned 26 last Monday, entered that game as the Twins all-time leader in strikeouts (257) and second-most wins (22) through his first 43 games

The role of closer belongs to Jhoan Duran who had eight saves in nine opportunities through June 4 He is a hard-throwing righty with plenty of evidence to back that up On May 24 against San Francisco, he threw pitches of 104 0, 104 4 and 104 6 miles per hour, all personal and Twins records Then on June 2 against Cleveland, he hit 104.5 and 104.6 on the radar gun. Through June 4, he was the only MLB pitcher this season to have hit 104-or-more miles per hour

The Twins headed for Tampa Bay and their three-game series against the Rays with a record of 31-29 They were the only team in the AL Central with a plus differential in runs scored (+45) There’s still a long way to go but with a healthy roster and a few breaks they believe they can win their first AL Central title since 2020 l

STADIUMRULES &CODEOFCONDUCT

Guest Code of Conduct

RogersCentreiscommittedtocreatinga safe,comfortableandenjoyable experienceforallguests.Thestadiumis committedtoensuringthat:

•GuestswillenjoytheirRogersCentre experiencefreefromfoul/abusive/ derogatorylanguageorobscene gestures,includingbetting-related speechandbehaviour,directedatother guests/players/officialsorstaff.

•Theprogressofthegame/eventwill notbedisruptedbyguests ’ actionsorby unauthourizedpersonsenteringthe playingfield/eventareaorrestricted

areas.

•Guestswillconsumealcoholic beveragesinaresponsiblemanner Interventionwithanimpairedor intoxicatedguestwillbehandledina promptandsafemanner.

•Guestswillrefrainfromdisplaysof affectioninappropriateinapublicfamily setting.

•Inappropriateorindecentclothingwill notdetractfromtheguestexperience

Failureofgueststoadheretothese policiesmayresultinthedenialof admissiontoorimmediateremovalfrom thestadiumwithoutrefund.

Fan Assist

GuestsareinvitedtomakeuseoftheRogers CentreFanAssistProgramiftheyhavean issueintheirseatingsectionoraquestion relatedtotheirexperience. Simplysendusatextto(647)503-4131using yourmobilephone-pleaseincludeyourissue orquestionandseatingsection,rowandseat Theprocessisquickandsimpleandbyusing theFanAssistProgram,guestsareableto reportissuesandconcerns,askforinformation andcallforassistanceinadiscreetand convenientmanner.

Operatorsarestandingbyandparticipationin ourserviceisfreeofcharge;however,standard carriertextmessaging&datachargeswill applyPleasenotecellphonenumbersthat repeatedlysendmessageswhicharedeemed fraudulentorirrelevantmaybepreventedfrom communicatinginthefuture.

BLUE JAYS VS. TWINS

JUNE 9, 10, 11, 2023

#PITCHERSB-THTWTBORNBIRTHPLACE

87DeLeón,JoséR-R6-022008/07/1992Isabela,PR

59Duran,JhoanR-R6-523001/08/1998Esperanza,DOM

54Gray,SonnyR-R5-1019511/07/1989Smyrna,TN

22Jax,GriffinR-R6-219511/22/1994Phoenix,AZ

48López,JorgeR-R6-320002/10/1993Caguas,PR

49López,PabloL-R6-422503/07/1996Cabimas,VEN

71Moran,JovaniL-L6-116704/24/1997Mayaguez,PR

17Ober,BaileyR-R6-926007/12/1995Huntersville,NC

15Pagán,EmilioL-R6-220805/07/1991Simpsonville,SC

41Ryan,JoeR-R6-220506/05/1996SanFrancisco,CA

61Stewart,BrockL-R6-322010/03/1991Normal,IL

56Thielbar,CalebR-L6-020501/31/1987Northfield,MN

37Varland,LouieL-R6-120512/09/1997SaintPaul,MN

#CATCHERSB-THTWTBORNBIRTHPLACE

27Jeffers,RyanR-R6-423506/03/1997Raleigh,NC

8Vázquez,ChristianR-R5-920508/21/1990Bayamon,PR

#INFIELDERSB-THTWTBORNBIRTHPLACE

4Correa,CarlosR-R6-422009/22/1994Ponce,PR

12Farmer,KyleR-R6-020508/17/1990Atlanta,GA

19Kirilloff,AlexL-L6-219511/09/1997Pittsburgh,PA

23Lewis,RoyceR-R6-220006/05/1999AlisoViejo,CA

11Polanco,JorgeS-R5-1120807/05/1993SanPedrodeMacoris,DOM

39Solano,DonovanR-R5-821012/17/1987Barranquilla,COL

#OUTFIELDERSB-THTWTBORNBIRTHPLACE

25Buxton,ByronR-R6-219012/18/1993Baxley,GA

50Castro,WilliS-R6-120604/24/1997RioPiedras,PR

30Garlick,KyleR-R6-121001/26/1992LaHabra,CA

26Kepler,MaxL-L6-422502/10/1993Berlin,DEU

2Taylor,MichaelA.R-R6-421503/26/1991FortLauderdale,FL

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JOSÉBAUTISTA’S accolade-filled10-yearcareerwith theBlueJaysprovidedcountlesshighlight-reelmoments,butnonewasmoresignificantthanthatseventh-inninghomerunagainsttheRangers.

Thisteam ’sfansrememberitwell,butit’ salways worthittoreminisce

Withthe2015AmericanLeagueDivisionSeriesbetweenTorontoandTexastiedattwo gamesapiece,thedecisiveGame5 carriedasmuchtensionasyou ’ll everseeinapostseasoncontest Therewerecontroversialcalls,hit batters,flarednervesandawhole lotofnoise.

“Aseventhinningyou ’llnever forget,”TVanalystHaroldReynolds saidatthetime,whentheRangers stillledthegame,3-2.

Thatwastrueenoughinthemomenthestatedit.TheBlueJayshad justmanufacturedacoupleofbaserunnersbyinducingtwoerrorsfrom Texasinfieldersintheseventh,and theprospectoftyingthingsuploomedonallcorners oftheballpark.

Threebatterslater,though,Reynolds ’ swordswould soundmorelikeaprophecy

Torontodidtieitup,onaJoshDonaldsonbloopthat wentoverthegloveofsecondbasemanRougnedOdor.

BythetimeBautistasteppedup,withtwooutandrunnerson firstandthird,theBlueJaysfaithfulwerebringingthedecibel levelsindowntownTorontotodangerouslyhighpoints

"

52

I'veneverseenanythinglikethatin19yearsinbaseball, "

R.A.Dickey,whostartedGame5forToronto,toldreportersafter thegame"Itwaslikeanovelthatyoudon'twanttoputdown" Bautistafouledoffthefirstoffering,a98mphfastballfrom SamDyson,andhewatchedanother onelandbelowthestrikezone.Then, cametheswing.

ThesluggerhammeredDyson ’ s thirdfastballtoleft-centerfield,and withequalforcehetossedhisbatinthe airbeforeroundingthebases,allwhile fanstestedtheintegrityoftheRogers Centrestructureandthescoremoved to6-3Toronto,earningtheteamaspot intheALChampionshipSeriesaftera 53-minuteseventhframe.

“Iputagreatswingonit,”Bautista toldreportersatthetime “Itfeltgreat"

Itbecamethestuffofvisualart, musicandre-enactment.Now,italso becomesthecentrepieceofBautista ’ senshrinementintothe BlueJaysLevelofExcellence.

TheformeroutfielderjoinsGeorgeBell,CarlosDelgado,Joe Carter,RoyHalladay,TonyFernandezandDaveStieb,aswellas managerCitoGaston,broadcasterTomCheekandexecutives PaulBeestonandPatGillickontheRogersCentreraftersas

In this city, the words “JOSÉ BAUTISTA” rarely ever come at the end of a sentence. They tend to precede two other words that have become synonymous with greatness and euphoria, a staple of Toronto sports history and one of the most iconic “where were you when” moments of this generation.

BATFLIP

the11thpersontocementthemselvesasanintegralpartofBlueJayshistory.

Itwasneveramatterofif,butwhenBautista wouldgetthehonour “JoséBautistacapturedheartsandigniteda fanbaseaspartoftheteamthatbroughtToronto backtothepostseasonforthefirsttimein22 yearsHison-fieldachievementspropelledtheteamtogreatness,andheundoubtedlybelongsontheBlueJaysLevel ofExcellence, ” saidBlueJaysPresident &CEOMarkShapiroinastatement. “On behalfoftheorganization,weareproud tohonorJoséandhisremarkablecareer withBlueJaysfansinAugust”

Theceremony–setforAug.12–isa fittingachievementthatgoeswaybeyondthatunforgettableseventhinningin2015

DuringhistimeinToronto,from2008to2017, Bautistawasasix-timeAll-Starandathree-time SilverSlugger.Heledtheleagueinhomersin back-to-backseasons–launchingafranchiserecord54in2010and43ayearlater–andhegarneredALMVPvotesinfourcampaigns

Returningtothemainstageofthatillustrious careerwillnodoubtcomewithmyriademotions.

Bautista,now42,isreadytoembracethem.

“Iamdeeplyhumbledandexcitedtojoin theB l u eJ a y sL e v e lo fE x c e l l e n c ea n db e r e c ognizedamongthedistinguished namesthatcircleRogersCentre, ”

B a u t i s t as a i dv i aap r e s s

release. “Canadaholdsaspecialplaceinmyheartandwillalwaysbehomeformyfamilyandme,andwecan ’twaittocelebratethishonorwithmybelovedBlueJaysfans–thebestfans inbaseball!Seeyouallthissummer ” IttookBautistaafewyearsintheleaguetofindhishome BorninSantoDomingo,DominicanRepublic,theyoungaspiringinfielderearnedaspotatChipolaCollege,inMarianna,Fla., whereheplayedfortwoyears,becomingeligiblefortheMLBDraft At19yearsold,Bautistawas selectedbythePiratesinthe20th roundofthe2000Draft.Heposted strongnumbersintheMinorsfor thefollowingthreeyears,butcuriouslyhenevermadeitpastClassAwithPittsburgh.Leftoffthe 40-manrosterin2003,Bautista wasselectedbytheOriolesintheRule5Draft,makinghisMajor Leaguedebutwithhisneworganizationthefollowingyearasa thirdbaseman Thatkickedoffahistoricallyeventfulperiodinhiscareer. Then24yearsold,BautistabecamethefirstplayerinMLBhistorytoappearonfivedifferentteams ’ rostersinasingleseason HewasclaimedoffwaiversbytheDevilRaysfollowinghisstint withtheOrioles,thenhewasdealttoKansasCity,whereheappearedin13gamesbeforebeingtradedagain–thistimetothe Mets.ButBautistaneversuitedupforNewYork–atleastnotin 2004Instead,theclubpromptlyflippedhimtoPittsburgh,bringingBautistabacktowhereitallbeganinabizarrefull-circle HisfirstfullMLBseasondidn ’tcomeuntil2006.Thenathird baseman,Bautistapostedsolidnumbersoverthenexttwocampaigns,buthewasneverastarwiththePirates.Thatfabledchapterhadyettobegin,anditwouldtakeplacenorthoftheborder TheBucstradedBautistatotheBlueJaysinAugustof2008 foraplayertobenamedlater–thatplayerturnedouttobe RobinzonDíaz,whoappearedin44gamesovertwoseasonsin theMajors. Bautista,ontheotherhand,flourishedwithhisnewteamIn Toronto,thesluggerdevelopedhisplatedisciplineaswellasa signaturehighlegkick,whichhelpedtapintothepowerthat wouldeventuallyleadtoa54-homerseason.Thatwasalso whereheconvertedintoacorneroutfielderandprovedtobean effectiveleadoffhitterearlyoninhisBlueJaystenure

Allsaid,Bautistahada253averagewith288homerunsand 766RBIsin1,235gameswiththeBlueJays.He ’stheclub’ s leaderinposition-playerwinsabovereplacement(WAR)with

38.3,accordingtoBaseballReference,andhe ’ samongtheTop

10inmostofToronto ’ soffensivecategories–includingsecond placeinhomersandfourthinOPS

Theloreofthebatflipisstillthefirstthingthatcomesto mindatthementionofBautista ’ sname.Butit’ sreallyjustan entrypointintooneofthemostaccomplishedcareersinBlue Jayshistory l

FLAVOURSOFTHECITY: New Tasty Treats at the Ballpark

WHAT’SATRIPTOTHEBALLPARK withoutsomethingdelicioustoeat?

Butterypopcornandice-coldbeershavebeenstaplesat RogersCentreforyears,butthisseason,thefoodandbeverageexperienceshavesoaredtonewheights.

TheBlueJayscompletedthefirstphaseofa$300-million renooverthewinterthatlivensupthedome ’ sambianceby introducingdistinctsocialspaceswithdistinctfoodforeach.

Everybrand-newOutfieldDistrictneighbourhoodcastsa spotlightonadifferentaspectofToronto,fromthesubway stationstothecity ’sfloweryparksItwasonlynaturaltheselectionoftastygrubshouldreflectthe6ix ’sdazzlingdiversity andtheunmistakabledetailsofeachuniquesite.

Nothingcomparestowatchingaballgamefromthe CoronaRooftopPatio locatedintheright-field500levelsectionThisglowingoasisistheidealplacetounwindandsiponauniqueCoronaSunshinecocktail,a frozenmargarita,oracoolFoulPoleFroséasthe weatherwarmsupandtheroofopensThislivelyarea alsoservesrevampedversionsoftraditionalballpark farelikepeamealonabunorplant-basedwurst Ifyoumoseyacrossthe500-levelconcourse,you ’ll hitthe TDParkSocial sectioninleftfield.Lushwith colourfuldecorandaplethoraofgames,thispark withintheparkcaterstoallageswithfood-truck-inspiredeatsYoucanplayafewroundsofcornholewhile youindulgeinrefreshingshavedice,asouvenirmilkshake,oracrispychurro.Ormaybeyou ’llloadupatthe candywallandgrabaseatinaMuskokachairasyou takeinthefreshairAndifyoursweettoothisalready satisfied,don ’tbeafraidtotryoneofthesavoury bacon-peppergrilledcheeses. Aquicktripdowntheelevatorwill takeyoutothe200level,wherethe WestJetFlightDeck awaitsincentre fieldAhavenfordiehardBlueJayssupporters,thisfan-favouritespacehasbeen refreshedwithretroarcadegamesanda widerselectionofdomestic,international, premium,andcraftbeerThescorching newApplewoodSmokedBrisketNachos, the12-hourSmokedBrisketSandwich, andthefieryJerkChickenNachosareall beautifullycomplementedbysignature DugOutSangriaandOKBlueJaysRum Punchbeverages.

SchneidersPorch isyournext stopoverforsomecan ’t-missculinary creationsNestledinthe200-level right-fieldcorner,thisopen-airestablishmentfeaturesplentyoffootlong fodder,includingtheSignaturePoutine HotDogandtheCanadianCaesarHot DogThere ’ salsodirectbaraccess,so youwon ’tmissalickofaction.

TheStop,whichissituatedbehind the100-levelbatter'seye,isoneofthe moreinventivegatheringplaceswhere fanscangrabaquickbiteanddrink Thiseleganturbanhangout,designed asatributetoToronto'snumerous transitstations,givespatronsachancetochowdown oncityspecialtieslikeJamaicanbeefpattiesandbánh mìsandwicheswithinthecomfortofvibrantlypainted muralwalls.Butbeforeyouleave,askthebartenders towhipyouupaBloodOrangeMuleoraColdBrew Martinitocarrytoyournextdestination.

Lastbutcertainlynotleast,the CatchBar intherightf i e l d1 0 0l e v e li sah o p p i n gs p o tt ot a k ei naB l u eJ a y s g a m eK e e nf a n sc a nc a t c ht h en e x tt o w e r i n gh o m er u n whilealsospoilingthemselveswithawildcocktailspread O n eo ft h eg r e a t e s tv i s t a si nb a s e b a l li ss p i c e du pw i t h b r a m b l e s ,m a r g a r i t a s ,a n dt h r e et r a d e m a r kd r i n k sf r o m T h eK e g :t h eK e gC a e s a r,G i nB a s i l L e m o n a d e ,a n dt h eM o j i t oA n df o r thehungriestfans,aCubanoPanini, ap r e s s e ds m o k e dm e a ts a n d w i c h , oradeliciousmacandcheesedish areallexcellentchoices.

RogersCentreprioritizesreduced waittimes,whichiswhyaTapNGo automatedmarkethasbeeninstalled outsidesection104.Fanscanenter withatapoftheirpaymentmethod, quicklyselecttheirfoodanddrink, andexitwithanautomaticcharge

Thesedramaticoverhaulsdon ’t meanfanscan ’tstillgettheirvalue favourites.Theever-popularLoonie Dognightsareback,offeringfansunlimitedhotdogsforjust$1every Tuesday.Thefranticdiscountsatthe DugoutDealsaren ’tgoinganywhere either,asthesectionwillcontinueto offerfooditemsforlessthan$5and 12ozbeersforjust$6apop

Thisseason,there ’ sawidervarietyofmenuoptionsandcountless waystosoakinabaseballgamewith friendsandfamilyQuitesimply, there ’ ssomethingforeveryoneat RogersCentre,andwhereveryou choosetodineordrink,theflavours ofthecitywillfollowyou l

WESTJETFLIGHTDECK

THESTOP

2023 TORONTO BLU E JAYS COACHES

BASS, Anthony

BASSITT, Chris

BELT, Brandon

GARCÍA, Yimi

GREEN, Chad

HATCH, Thomas

KIRK, Alejandro

MARTINEZ, Orelvis

POP, Zach

COURAGE. COMPASSION. COMMITMENT. CUPE.

CUPE’S 715,000 MEMBERS ARE ON THE FRONT LINES KEEPING YOUR COMMUNITY STRONG.

CUPE.CA

SPRINGER, George

THOMPSON, Zach

2023 TORONTO BLU E JAYS PLAYER BIOS

WHITE, Mitch

Toronto’s MLB roster features splashy free agent signings, key trade acquisitions, and top draft picks But, more than any other pipeline, the current Blue Jays are built on player development and homegrown talent

Since 2013, the Triple-A Buffalo

Bisons have been the final stop on that development journey for many top prospects Much of Toronto’s current core graduated from Buffalo to the big leagues in recent seasons, and the Bisons currently house the next wave of Blue Jays talent, too

FORMER BISONS

The Blue Jays entered the 2023 season with 10 former Bisons on the Opening Day roster, including some of the lineup’s most dangerous hitters Vladimir Guerrero Jr. first joined the Bisons in the final month of the 2018 season Then a 19-year-old and 7 5 years younger than the average Triple-A player, Guerrero Jr hit 336 with six homers and 16 RBI in his first 30 games at the level The slugger briefly returned to Buffalo’s Sahlen Field in 2019, but quickly proved too

talented for the minors In April 2019, Guerrero Jr. earned his MLB promotion and Triple-A pitchers breathed a collective sigh of relief

Guerrero Jr wasn’t the only future Blue Jay on that 2019 Bisons squad, though, joined by Bo Bichette, Cavan Biggio, Santiago Espinal, and Jordan Romano Four of those future Jays stopped in Buffalo before graduating to the big leagues that summer, with Espinal’s MLB debut coming the following season Bichette blasted 16 doubles and stole 15 bases during his

In 2021, former first-round pick Alek Manoah became the latest top prospect to draw attention with the Bisons. It was a short but impactful Triple-A stay for Manoah, as he struck out 27 batters in just three starts After allowing just one run in his 18 innings with the Bisons, Manoah earned an MLB promotion in May 2021, and has been a key member of Toronto's rotation since

Other 2023 Blue Jays who spent time with the Bisons include outfielder Nathan Lukes and reliever

Nate Pearson The Buffalo connections in Toronto run beyond the 26man roster, with Assistant Pitching Coach Jeff Ware and Bullpen Catcher Luis Hurtado spending time on the Bisons coaching staff in recent years

FUTURE BLUE JAYS

The Buffalo Bisons’ impact on Toronto’s current MLB roster is obvious, but there’s still more talent on the way to the big leagues

Bisons midway through 2022

On the other side of the ball, reliever HaydenJuenger and starting pitcher YosverZulueta represent the next wave of young pitching talent on the brink of the big leagues After injuries sidelined him for most of 2019, 2020, and 2021, Zulueta blazed through Toronto's minors last season on his way to Triple-A The 25-year-

56 Triple-A games in 2019 while Biggio flashed his elite command of the strike zone, walking 34 times in 43 games for the Bisons

When Toronto’s young core joined the big leagues in 2019, they weren’t the first wave of Bisons graduates Selected four rounds apart in the 2013 MLB Draft, catcher Danny Jansen and relief pitcher Tim Mayza climbed the minors together and anchored Bisons teams in 2017 and 2018 that combined for 126 wins.

Mayza took his game to another level with the Bisons in those 2017 & 2018 campaigns, posting a 3 00 ERA while striking out 52 batters in 45 innings out of the Buffalo bullpen.

Jansen found success in Western New York, too, hitting 275 while smashing 12 homers for the Bisons in 2018 The future Blue Jays catcher earned Buffalo's Stan Barron Most Valuable Player award that year

OttoLopez returns to Buffalo this season to anchor one of the International League's best infields Lopez hit 297 with the Bisons last year and earned a brief stint with Toronto at the end of the season, notching his first MLB hit and RBI.

He’s joined on the infield dirt by AddisonBarger, who earned a lateseason promotion to Buffalo in 2022 after a breakout campaign with HighA Vancouver and Double-A New Hampshire The 23-year-old flashed some of the biggest power in Toronto’s system last year, smashing 26 homers across three minor league levels.

The 2023 Bisons also feature first baseman and outfielder Spencer Horwitz, who returned to Buffalo for a second stint at Triple-A With some of the best plate discipline in the minor leagues, Horwitz walked 30 times in 44 games after joining the

old Cuban struck out 84 batters in 55.2 innings last year, finishing his season with a brief Buffalo stint

As the Blue Jays continue to call up top prospects and future stars from the Bisons, new ballplayers will take their place in Triple-A. The Bisons have prepared future Blue Jays for the big leagues for the last 10 years, ensuring there’s always a next wave of talent on the way l

ADDISON BARGER

YOSVER ZULUETA

We believe in the potential of every child.

We believe the power of baseball and community can unlock it.

B LU E JAYS TRIVIA

BYJOHNIABONI

1 Who hit the first home run for the Blue Jays in 2023?

A Danny Jansen B Bo Bichette

C Cavan Biggio D Brandon Belt

2 How many MLB inside-the-park home runs did Kevin Kiermaier have entering this season?

A One B Three

C Four D Two

3 Who picked up the first win for the Blue Jays in 2023?

A Yimi Garcia B Yusei Kikuchi

C Tim Mayza D Trevor Richards

4 Name the pitcher who surrendered Whit Merrifield’s first Major League hit

A Marco Estrada B Kyle Drabek

C Mark Buehrle D David Price

5 Ernie Whitt (May 25, 1985 at Cleveland) and John Buck (August 20, 2010 at Boston) were the first two Blue Jays catchers to score four runs in one game. Who was the third?

A Josh Thole B Alejandro Kirk

C Dioner Navarro D J.P. Arencibia

6 Who did the Toronto Blue Jays trade to the Boston Red Sox for infielder Santiago Espinal?

A Steve Pearce B Raimel Tapia

C Reese McGuire D Kevin Pillar

7 How many Blue Jays have won the Hank Aaron Award as the best overall offensive performer in the American League?

A Three B Two C Four D One

8 Where was Daulton Varsho positioned when rookie left-hander Tyler Gilbert pitched a no-hitter in his first Major League start for the Arizona Diamondbacks?

A Left field B Centre field

C Right filed D Catcher

9 What Blue Jays legend did Alek Manoah join in 2022 when he struck out at least three batters in one MLB All-Star Game?

A Roy Halladay B Pat Hentgen

C Dave Stieb D Roger Clemens

ANSWERS

1B Bo Bichette was the first Blue Jay to go yard this season in the ninth inning at Kansas City on April 3.

2C During his career with the Tampa Bay Rays from 2013 to ’22, Kevin Kiermaier set a franchise record with four inside-thepark home runs

3A The first “W” of 2023 for the Blue Jays went to Yimi Garcia at St. Louis on March 30.

4D In his Major League debut with the Kansas City Royals on May 18, 2016, second baseman Whit Merrifield singled off Boston’s David Price in the bottom of the fifth inning for his first Big-League hit

5B Alejandro Kirk (May 29, 2022 at Anaheim) became the third catcher in Blue Jays history to score four runs in one game

6A The Blue Jays obtained Santiago Espinal from Boston in exchange for infielder-outfielder-DH Steve Pearce and cash considerations on June 28, 2018

7C Four Blue Jays (for a total of five times) have captured the Hank Aaron Award since its inception in 1999 – Carlos Delgado in 2000, Jose Bautista in 2010 and 2011, Josh Donaldson in 2015 and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in 2021.

8D Daulton Varsho was the catcher for Tyler Gilbert when he recorded the third nohitter in Diamondbacks history as Arizona beat the visiting San Diego Padres 7-0 on August 14, 2021.

9C Alek Manoah (three strikeouts last summer at Dodger Stadium) joined Dave Stieb (four strikeouts in 1983 at Chicago’s Comiskey Park) as Blue Jays pitchers with at least three strikeouts in one MLB All-Star Game l

BATTING TUNNEL CLUB

HOME PLATE LOUNGE

FANSERVICES GUIDE

ACE

ACE is the Toronto Blue Jays official mascot and loves spending his time meeting fans! You can always find him dancing on the dugouts and entertaining fans throughout the stadium. ACE is always walking around the concourse taking photos with fans ACE often makes appearances throughout the community when the Blue Jays are out of town, pending availability Whether it’s a private party, corporate function, charitable event or birthday party, booking ACE can ruffle the feathers of any event! Inquire about ACE bookings please email acethemascot@bluejays com

AccessibleSupportEntrance

Although fans with accessible needs may enter Rogers Centre through any open gate, our designated accessible entrance is Gate 7, located on the south side of the building, close to Bremner Boulevard Fans requiring accessible support are encouraged to enter through Gate 7 Elevators are also available at Rogers Centre Gates 3, 9 and 13

Entrance points may vary from event to event Fans requiring assistance or information regarding accessibility should contact our Fan Services Team by phone at 416-341-1000 or by email at fanfeedback@bluejays com at least one (1) business day prior to their planned visit

AdvanceInsideTicketWindow

During any Toronto Blue Jays home game, fans can make upgrade purchase inquires for their day-of-game seat by visiting this location on the 100-Level behind Section 127 (Gate 9A) The Inside Ticket Window is available when gates open until the end of the 5th inning

Aisles&AislesEtiquette

For the safety and enjoyment of other fans, Rogers Centre and the Toronto Blue Jays ask that you please do not sit or stand in the aisles Aisle must be kept clear at all times

While the game is on and ball is in play, fans are asked to wait at the top/entrance to the seating area until there is a break in play This is not only for the safety of our fans due to the possibility of foul balls entering the stands, but also a courtesy to those fans who are already seated

CashlessPayment Rogers Centre is accepting cashless payment only Reverse ATMs (cash input to receive a pre-loaded debit card) are available inside Jays Shop (Section 112, Section 134, and Section 508)

CellPhoneChargingStations

For your convenience, we have Rogers Cell Phone charging stations located at all Fan Services locations Locations on the Level 100 at Sections 120 & 136; Level 200 at Section 236; Level 500 at Sections 508 & 532 They will accommodate iPhone and Android devices

FanAssist

Fans are invited to make use of the Rogers Centre Fan Assist Program if they have an issue in their seating section or a question related to their experience The process is quick and simple and by using the Fan Assist Program, fans are able to report issues in a discreet and convenient manner Simply send us a text to (647) 559-0060 using your mobile phoneplease include your issue or question and seating section, row and seat number Operators are standing by and participation in our service is free of charge; however, standard carrier text messaging & data charges will apply Please note: Cell phone numbers that repeatedly send messages which are deemed fraudulent or irrelevant may be prevented from communicating in the future

FanServices

Fan Services booths are located on the 100-Level near Sections 120 and 136, on the 200-Level near Sections 212 and 236 and on the 500-Level near Sections 508 and 532 Fans can check strollers or wheelchairs, obtain Misplaced ACE Wristbands for their children and receive assistance related to lost persons or items, pass along feedback and make other general inquiries

50/50Draw

Out popular 50/50 draws offer fans the chance to support kids in communities across Ontario and win big! In 2022, Blue Jays fans raised $10 million to support Jays Care programs to level the playing field for children and youth Fans 18 years

of age or older can buy tickets online by visiting bluejays com/5050 or by finding our friendly sellers in bright red t-shirts located throughout the stadium The Jays Care 50/50 draw is regulated by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario For more information, please visit bluejays com/5050 Thank you for your support!

FirstAid

First Aid rooms are located on each level near Sections 134, 238 and 539 Fans requiring first aid assistance are urged to contact any member of the Rogers Centre staff or report to one of our Fan Services or First Aid locations A certified physician and registered nurses are available during all Blue Jays games Ascent EMS will also provide paramedics throughout the facility Please note the opening and staffing of First Aid locations can sometimes depend on ticket sales on different levels of the stadium

FoulBalls,HomerunBalls&Bats

All fans are asked to stay alert throughout the game for foul balls or bats that might leave the playing area Fans are permitted to keep any foul and home run balls that are hit into the seats but are asked to be cautious and courteous to others when collecting a ball Bats entering the stands must be returned if requested by the Blue Jays or visiting team Fans are prohibited from throwing balls back onto the field Violators are subject to ejection and possible arrest Any fan that interferes with a ball in play or the game in any way is subject to ejection from the ballpark and or criminal prosecution

In/OutPrivileges

Security reasons preclude Rogers Centre from allowing in/out privileges to individuals who choose to leave the building

Exceptions can be made in special circumstances through our Fan Services locations In these situations, a Security supervisor will be called in to assist with your need.

JaysShop

Fans are invited to shop at Jays Shop, the Official Team Shop of the Toronto Blue Jays Located beside Gate 5, Jays Shop is the largest team store in all of Canada. Fans can enter from street level between 10:00am to 5:00pm, seven days a week

(note: hours subject to change on Toronto Blue Jays home game days) Fans attending Blue Jays games can enter the store at Section 112 upon entering Rogers Centre For more information, please call (416) 341-2904

Please note: During Toronto Blue Jays games, Jays Shop at Gate 5 will not be ac-

cessible to the public and is only accessible to ticketed fans attending the game

BlueJaysAuthentics

Blue Jays Authentics offers one-of-a-kind authenticated Toronto Blue Jays merchandise directly from the field Items are certified under Major League Baseball’s Authentication Program Authenticated products available for sale include baseballs, jerseys, bats, bases and much more Add to your collection or get a unique keepsake from your Rogers Centre experience by visiting the Jays Shop location at Section 121

JerseyCustomization Jays Shop is pleased to provide jersey cresting on location for fans purchasing jerseys at all Jays Shop locations For more information, please call 416-341-2904

Jr.JaysClub

Jr Jays Club is a membership program for kids 14 and under built to create memorable experiences for young fans to build a lasting connection to the team There are two Jr Jays Club Membership options; Jr Jays Club Memberships (Free) and Jr Jays Club All-Star Memberships (Paid). Fans can register to be a Jr Jays Club Member (Free Membership) through bluejays com/jrjaysclub Jr Jays Club All-Star Memberships will be available for purchase at Jays Shop or through bluejays com/jrjaysclub

For both membership types, fans must register using their Ticketmaster login credentials If a fan does not have Ticketmaster login credentials, they will be able to create an account at the time of registration Membership benefits include 50% off Jr Jays Tickets, Digital games in Ballpark App and Day of In-Game Experiences In addition, Jr, Jays Club AllStar Members will also receive Membership Merchandise, Access to Exclusive Events and more! If you have any questions, please email our Jr Jays Club Member Representatives at jrjaysclub@ bluejays.com.

Jr.JaysSundays

Kids 14 & under are invited to join us at the ballpark for Jr Jays Sundays on every Sunday home game throughout the 2022 Regular Season (with the exception of Opening Weekend & Fan Appreciation Weekend) On Jr Jays Sundays, kids can visit our Jr Jays Zones located on the 100, 200 and 500 levels Activation zones run until the end of the game Postgame, Jr Jays can run the bases just like the pros

Beginning on June 11 and running until the end of August, kids can also take part in our Jr Jays Sundays Outdoor Program outside of Gates 5/6, 7/8 and 10/11

Outdoor programming begins at 10:30 a m and runs up until first pitch

Jr Jays also have the opportunity to be randomly selected by the J FORCE to participate in various in-game activations

Please note: there will be no Jr Jays programming or Run the Bases on Opening Weekend or Fan Appreciation Weekend

LostandF

ound

Fans who lose an item during a Blue Jays game should visit any Fan Services location to check if the item has been returned Fans can also contact our Lost & Found department at 416-341-1000 Lost items are held for approximately one month before they are donated to local charities

RoofOpening/Closing

The decision for the roof to be opened or closed during Blue Jays games is dependent upon information obtained from several weather service sources If the game begins with the roof open, the roof can be closed at any time if climatic conditions warrant If the game begins with the roof closed, it may still be opened before the end of the sixth inning if the Umpire Crew Chief and Blue Jays officials agree the weather has turned in a way that will ensure fan comfort and enjoyment The Blue Jays strive to make Rogers Centre an “outdoor” facility by having the roof open as often as possible However, the comfort of our fans is a high priority and is always taken into consideration In Toronto, particularly in June, July, and August high temperatures may result in Heat Warnings issued by the City Unless fluids are appropriately replaced, heat related illness may occur Fans with cardiac, respiratory or gastrointestinal problems are at higher risk for heat related illness Heat related problems can usually be prevented by:

Applying sunscreen 15-30 SPF

Wearing a hat

Wearing light, loose fitting clothes

• Drinking plenty of water or sports drinks

• Limiting alcohol consumption

If you become hot, sweaty, fatigued and thirsty, you should get out of the sun immediately and begin to replenish your fluids If these symptoms continue or you develop dizziness or muscle cramps, you should visit one of our First Aid rooms for further evaluation and treatment

SecurityMeasures

In order to provide our fans with a safe environment, the following security measures may be in effect:

Searches at all entry gates will include the inspection of all items that are carried into the stadium Everyone entering will be subject to full searches of their person, with the use of walk through metal detectors (WTMD); other methods include hand-

held metal detectors or pat downs

Searches may cause delays in entering the stadium and we encourage everyone to arrive early Those patrons who do not carry any items into the stadium will enter more rapidly than those who bring items in with them Fans are encouraged to leave belongings in their vehicles or at home whenever possible

• Law enforcement personnel will be present at all entrances throughout the facility along with our staff to ensure fan safety We thank our fans for their patience and cooperation in making your experience at Rogers Centre safe and enjoyable

• Please report any suspicious activity in or around Rogers Centre - See Something, Say Something Call (416) 341-1200 Safety is everyone's responsibility - if you see suspicious activity please report it to any member of our Event staff or uniformed Police personnel

Multi-purposeandUniversalWashroom

Multi-Purpose Washrooms are available for all fans requiring a little extra room or privacy These washrooms are located near Sections, 134, 238 and 538

A Universal Washroom is located at Section 117. This washroom is equipped with an adult change table

If you have any issues gaining access to either of these areas, please ask a staff member for assistance or visit one of our Fan Services locations to report the inconvenience

Trespassing

Any fan venturing onto the playing field before, during or after a game or event will be subject to criminal prosecution under the criminal code Fans are also prohibited from accessing dugout roofs, bullpens, clubhouses and all other non-ticketed areas within Rogers Centre

VideoDisplayBoardMessages

Celebrate your special occasion at the ballpark with a Videoboard Celebration, Presented by The Keg! With a $135 donation to Jays Care Foundation, you can celebrate your special occasion with your message displayed on the videoboard Visit jayscare com to reserve your Birthday, Anniversary or Special Welcome greeting during your selected Blue Jays home game Your support will help to provide over 50,000 children and youth with access to sport and recreational programming A tax receipt will be provided for every donation made Jays Care Foundation can t wait to celebrate your special occasion at Rogers Centre this season

For more information, please visit bluejays.com

Dive into endless activities in the warm Gulf waters of St. Pete/Clearwater, proud spring training home of the Toronto Blue Jays. Experience Gulf waves gently lapping white sand beaches. Hear wildlife calling as you glide through mangrove tunnels in a kayak. Explore the St. Pete Pier, savor fresh Gulf-to-grill cuisine and discover a world-renowned arts scene. Let’s shine—start your adventure at VisitStPeteClearwater.com

BUFFALO BISONS

INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE, EAST DIVISION

Sahlen Field

One James D Griffin Plaza, Buffalo, NY 14203

Phone(716)846-2000

Fax(716)852-6530

Website.....................................www.bisons.com

Email.......................................info@bisons.com

Owner/SeniorChairman......................RobertE.RichJr.

Chairman/RichProductsCorporationExec.

Chairman,R.E.G.............................MelindaR.Rich

President/RichEntertainmentGroup,SeniorVP,

Finance&FamilyOffice..................JosephW.Segarra

President,RichBaseballOperationsMichaelBuczkowski

VicePresident,Operations&FinanceKevinParkinson VicePresident,FoodServiceOperationsRobertFree GeneralManagerAnthonySprague VicePresident,SecretaryWilliamGGiselJr CorporateCounselJillKBond,WilliamEGrieshoberJr

AssistantGM/Marketing&PRBradBisbing ExecutiveAssistantTinaLesher Director,CorporateSalesJimHarrington Director,SalesGeoffLundquist Director,TicketOfficeOperationsMikePoreda Director,StadiumOperationsBrianPhillips RBORetail,Licensing& EntertainmentManager........TheresaCerabone “VoiceoftheBisons ”/Media, BaseballCommunications......................PatMalacaro Digital&SocialContentCoordinator..........MarissaPackard GraphicDesigner................................AllyMarcano Entertainment&PromotionsCoordinator....AmandaBallestero Video&DigitalProductionsCoordinator............C.J.Gates GeneralManager,FoodServiceOperationsSeanRegan CommissaryManagerEugeneSteele Supervisor,FoodServiceOperationsCurtAnderson

Manager,PubattheParkKaileyGyorffy

KitchenManager,PubattheParkDeanWilliams

CommunityRelations/ReceptionistGailHodges

AccountingManager,RichBaseballOperationsChasFiscella

AccountantAmyDelaney

PayrollAdministratorToriDwyer

TicketOffice&SalesCoordinatorKimMilleville

AccountExecutiveSaraAcker

AccountExecutiveMarkGordon

AccountExecutiveShaunO’Lay

ChiefEngineerGeraldHamilton Engineers...................MarkBecht,JonathanPappagallo

HeadGroundskeeper.............................KellyRensel HomeClubhouse/BaseballOperations............ScottLesher VisitingClubhouseManager..............................TBD Manager ......................................CaseyCandaele PitchingCoach....................................TimNorton HittingCoach...............................MattHague PositionCoachJustinEchevarria DevelopmentCoachJakeMcGuiggan BullpenCoachCarsonPhillips HeadAthleticTrainerCalebDaniel StrengthandConditioningCoachJustinBatcher AsstStrengthandConditioningCoachRoswellDelRosario PhysicalTherapistJoeHallock SeniorDietitianKaraTerry

MentalPerformanceCoachRobDiBernardo StadiumSahlenField

SeatingCapacity1

OutfieldDistancesL

BLUE JAYS MINOR LEAGUE AFFILIATES

NEW HAMPSHIRE FISHER CATS

EASTERN LEAGUE, NORTHEAST DIVISION

Delta Dental Stadium

One Line Drive, Manchester, NH 03101

Phone(

Fax(

)6

)6

Websitewwwnhfishercatscom

Emailinfo@nhfishercatscom

OwnershipOperatedbyDSFSportsandNHFCLLC

MemberArthurPSolomon

ManagingMember/CEORickBrenner

MemberTomSilvia

GeneralManagerMichaelNeis

ExecutiveDirector,Finance ........................RichEngler

SeniorVicePresident,Sales ....................JeffTagliaferro

ExecutiveDirector,Facilities................ShawnGreenough Director,TicketSales&Service..............StephanieO’Quinn Manager,TicketService.......................NateNewcombe Manager,BoxOffice .............................DerekDingley Manager,Broadcasting&MediaRelations....SteveGoldberg RadioBroadcastersSteveGoldberg,BobLipman,GarethKwok Manager,GraphicDesign&ProductionAmyCecil Manager,FacilitiesKevinSweeney HeadGroundskeeperMikeGeorgiadis Manager,MerchandiseJacobMadsen Coordinator,CorporateSales&PromotionsAndrewMarais

TicketSalesAccountExecutiveCalebBaum TicketSalesAccountExecutiveDarrinMessier

AccountExecutiveJaredBrescia

AccountExecutiveNathanWard SpecialAssistant,FrontOfficeManagerAubreySmith

ManagerCesarMartin

PitchingCoachDrewHayes

HittingCoach.................................MitchHuckabay

PositionCoach...............................ChrisSchaeffer

DevelopmentCoach.........................MattvonRoemer

BullpenCoach...............................AnthonyGomez

HeadAthleticTrainer.............................LukeGreene

StrengthandConditioningCoach...............CaseyCallison

Asst.StrengthandConditioningCoach............PhilTomassi

SeniorDietitianKaraTerry

MentalPerformanceCoachRaulPimentel

HomeClubhouseManagerJakeSchettine

,

00

StadiumDeltaDentalStadium

Capacit6,500

OutfieldDistancesLF

26,CF-400,RF

0

VANCOUVER CANADIANS NORTHWEST LEAGUE

Nat Bailey Stadium

4601 Ontario Street, Vancouver, BC V5V 3H4

Phone(604)872-5232

Fax(604)872-1714

Websitewwwcanadiansbasebalcom

Emailstaff@canadiansbaseballcom

OperatedByVancouverProfessionalBaseballLLP

PrincipalOwner&ManagingGeneralPartnerJakeKerr

PartnerJeffMooney

President.......AndyDunn

VicePresidentofSales&Marketing............WalterCosman

GeneralManager.................................AllanBailey

AssistantGeneralManager......................StephaniEllis

FinancialController..........................BrendaChmiliar

Manager,Broadcasting&MediaRelations.........TylerZickelxi

Manager,TicketOperations.....................StevenMaisey Coordinator,AccountingCharleneShamku Coordinator,MarketingKendraChin Manager,BallparkOperationsCharlesO’Neill HeadGroundskeeperLeviWeber ManagerBrentLavallee BenchCoachDannyCanellas PitchingCoachJoelBonnett HittingCoachRyanWright PositionCoachAshleyStephenson BullpenCoachAustinBibens-Dirkx HeadAthleticTrainerRoelvisVargas StrengthandConditioningCoachTommyLaBriola DietitianYukaSanui MentalPerformanceCoachRaulPimentel HomeClubhouseManager......................JesseMendez Stadium...................................NatBaileyStadium

FCL BLUE JAYS

FLORIDA COMPLEX LEAGUE, NORTH DIVISION

Toronto Blue Jays Player Development Complex

3031 Garrison Road, Dunedin, FL 34698

ManagerJoseMayorga

PitchingCoachAntonioCaceres

PitchingCoachBrendanKelly

PitchingCoachAdrianMartin

HittingCoachPaulElliott

HittingCoachCoreyHart

HittingCoachFredLanders

HittingCoach...................................JaimeLever PositionCoach................................DeltaClearyJr

PositionCoach.................................AshleyPonce CoachingAssistant.............................DanielTucker

HeadAthleticTrainer...........................AlainPacheco AthleticTrainer...............................JonWoodworth StrengthandConditioningCoach.................BaileyForst StrengthandConditioningCoachEdwinOrtiz DietitianMichaelClooney MentalPerformanceCoachErikaMonsalve HomeFieldPlayerDevelopmentComplex

DSL BLUE JAYS

DOMINICAN SUMMER LEAGUE

D. R. Academy

Boca Chica, Dominican Republic

i

DUNEDIN BLUE JAYS FLORIDA STATE LEAGUE, WEST DIVISION

TD Ballpark

373 Douglas Ave., Dunedin, FL 34698

,4

3 OutfieldDistances...................L

ManagerAndyFermin

BenchCoachDeifersonBarreto

PitchingCoachRobelinBautista

HittingCoach...............RicardoNanita

PositionCoach....................................JoseMateo

PositionCoach ...................................JairMorelos

PositionCoach......................................LuisSilva

AssistantPitchingCoach......................RafaelMonsion

Coach........................................PepoFortunado

Coach..........................................RamonMarte

Websitewwwdunedinbluejayscom Emaildunedin@bluejayscom

Director,FloridaOperationsShelbyNelson

GeneralManagerDesireeEllison

AccountingManagerGayleGentry

In-GameEntertainment&

CommunityRelationsSpecialistMatthewWoak RetailSalesandOperationsSpecialistZachBare

Coordinator,TicketOperations,Sales&Service...MitchAlbright Coordinator,TDBallparkFacilities&OperationsEvanKaminski

AdministrativeAssistant...........................DeaJones

HeadSuperintendent..........................PatrickSkunda

Manager......................................DonnieMurphy

BenchCoach...................................GeorgeCarroll

PitchingCoach..................................CoryRiordan

HittingCoachMattYoung

DevelopmentCoachPetrStríbrcky

BullpenCoachYoelHernandez

HeadAthleticTrainerBrandonHammerstrom

StrengthandConditioningCoachJosephCardona

DietitianKatarinaMangieri

MentalPerformanceCoachJohnLannan

StadiumTDBallpark

HeadAthleticTrainerFrankEsposito AthleticTrainerYsidroReyes AthleticTrainerRobShifrin StrengthandConditioningCoachImbewerAlvarez AssistantStrengthandConditioningCoachAbimaelLebron DietitianMichaelClooney MentalPerformanceCoachErikaMonsalve HomeFieldPlayerDevelopmentComplex