Blue Jays enjoys Canada Day return for three years

Toronto – Charlie Montoyo paused and soaked in all the noise as the Rogers Center grew bigger and bigger in the second half of the inning against the Boston Red Sox earlier this week.

During the fanless summer of 2020 and the days of evacuation in Dunedin and Buffalo last year, the Toronto Blue Jays could only hope for such a noisy and encouraging crowd. The lack of this kind of support has led managers to renew their appreciation for the support that the home audience can provide.

“Yes, more than ever,” Montoyo said. “(Tampa Bay) Rays appreciated Dunedin.”

Almost a year after their emotional return to Toronto, their whimsical year turmoil remains in the Blue Jays. This is the first Canadian Day game at the Dome since 2019, winning the Tampa Bay Rays 9-2. Emotional Friday.

A few hours before the gate opened, a large number of people gathered around the stadium, and once opened, the building quickly filled up. The 300 x 150-foot flag covered the outfield after José Bautista evoked a pre-match tribute to the recently retired Russell Martin narrated. John Gibbons, Devon Travis, Jason Grilli, Kevin Pillar and Ryan Goins have delivered video messages. Baseball Canada has renamed it the MVP Award for the Junior National Team after the All-Star Catcher. The soundtrack was a hit from iconic Canadian acts like Rush and The Tragically Hip.

I felt a lot was right, emphasizing how far the past few years were.

“Whenever the fans are loud and there are a lot of emotions here, I think about it,” Montoyo said. “I’m thinking about the difference between playing in Buffalo and Dunedin.”

Recall that on Canada Day 2020, the Blue Jays were still trying to get permission from the federal government to hold a summer camp at the Rogers Center. Last year, they lost 7-2 to the Seattle Mariners on July 1st at Yusei Kikuchi and Sahlen Field in Buffalo, making it a strange introduction to George Springer’s holiday.

“Oh, celebrating something that is supposed to be celebrated here in America was very strange. I don’t think it has the same meaning for many,” he said. “Obviously, it’s still special. But now we’re in front of our native fans. It’s fun.“

Like Montoyo, Springer looked back on last year’s turmoil and discussed with his wife all the moves they made with their newborns in the new organization they were still acclimatizing to.

“And there’s a playful side to it,” he said. “You’re not at your home stadium. You’re in a place you’re not used to playing. It was definitely a strange time. Obviously, it was all out of our control. I I try not to stick to it, but like humans, it was wild.“

Wild is that Bo Bichette, called at the end of July 2019, played in his first Canadian Day game in Toronto, or Trent Thornton vividly remembers the 2019 game, but most of last year’s Buffalo games. I can’t remember.

Wild is also the proper term for Martin’s most memorable Canadian Day experience. Cleveland was the Blue Jays’ second fielder, with Carlos Santana winning a 2-1 home run in Darwin Barney in 19 innings in 2016.

But it’s not noticeable.

“Why was I kicked out? Perhaps I yelled at the referee because he was so terrible,” said Martin, who was sent off that day after joining Edwin Encarnación. “And the crowd had my back and yelled at him with me. Yeah, it was a crazy game. It was a very good experience.”

The same was applied on July 1st each year.

“You feel the energy of the crowd, then the crowd is hyped for Canada Day,” Martin said. “Getting a red jersey is special, but it makes the audience feel like they’re in the playoffs. You know it’s not a playoff, but it’s a feeling of energy that you wouldn’t get in a regular regular season game. You can see that you have.“

It was a Friday atmosphere, with the roof closing and ending with a partially cloudy sky. The Blue Jays returned to their hometown and hometown, with 44,445 spectators at the Rogers Center.

From the fans in the 4th jersey of the present to his place as an all-star voting finalist with five teammates, among the red pops on the blue stand, it’s all national behind them. It reminded me of a fan-based springer.

“You are very accustomed to playing for the city, for the market. Well, you are playing for a country larger than the United States in terms of the whole country and land,” Springer said. rice field. “It extends from the east coast to the west coast, and as far north as possible, with only one team. You remember one kind, but you go to Detroit and Windsor across the river. You don’t really understand it until the whole town joins the game. We know what to expect in Seattle. You are playing for the country, not just the market. Learn, and it’s pretty special.“

Just like the Canadian Day game in Toronto’s hometown to which it belongs.