Tickets to see the Toronto Blue Jays take on the Los Angeles Dodgers in Games 1 and 2 of the World Series weren’t easy to get.
They weren’t cheap, either.
After watching the Blue Jays’ last World Series appearance as an 18-year-old, Kent Mousseau had to see the real-thing in person. He and his wife, Anne, travelled from Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., on Friday, paying $960 each for seats in the 500-level.
They’ve travelled to plenty of regular season games, last watching the Blue Jays play the Kansas City Royals in August. But this year’s team is different, Kent said outside a raucous Rogers Stadium Saturday night in a brand-new jersey emblazoned with a World Series patch.
“They’re special this year because they play as a team,” he said. “Everyone contributes and everyone can make a difference in the game.”
“They look genuinely happy for one another,” Anne added. “It’s all about getting the next guy up and seeing him succeed. You can feel it.”
The Mousseaus said the atmosphere inside Rogers Centre for Game 1 was “electrifying.”
“It was emotional to be feeling the love from all the fans,” Anne said. “You can’t really describe that feeling and we couldn’t sleep afterwards, either.”
“When Barger hit the Grand Slam, everyone was jumping up and down, hugging strangers,” Kent added. “You couldn’t have drawn that up any better.”
Halifax’s Derek Thibault, who donned face paint, a blue wig and a vintage Blue Jays jersey, was 11 when the squad won their first World Series in 1992.
“It’s been a long time … as a fan you want to try to make sure you’re there supporting the team during the good times and the bad,” Thibault said.
Dressed head-to-toe in Blue Jays gear, Corine Tell said she caught Blue Jays fever again because her son, Cameron, showed an interest in the team during the pandemic-shortened season in 2020. The last time the club won the World Series she was with her cousin, Amanda Baker, so she invited her to fly out to Game 2.
“We watch them all the time back home and I’m super excited to be experiencing this again with my cousin,” Baker said.
Going into Game 2, Tell predicted third baseman Ernie Clement was going to have a monster night. Their boys, Lucas and Cameron, both pegged designated hitter George Springer to be a difference-maker Saturday night. Even though he was not in the lineup Saturday night, Baker was still hoping Bo Bichette could pinch hit.
Oakville resident Matt Osborne dug out his 1992 Blue Jays World Series Champions jacket from the closet. “I was dying to bring it out,” he said.
His girlfriend Jennifer Monaco, from Hamilton, said it was a thrill to watch the team get to the Fall Classic this year. “I’ve been a Jays fan for years … it’s been so exciting to see this team get this far, especially when they weren’t favourites at the beginning of the season. To see these guys claw their way to the top has been pretty special.”
Meanwhile, Montreal’s Mark Winkler was decked out in Expos gear. Canada’s other MLB team departed in 2004 and he said it’s time for baseball fans in Quebec to root for the Blue Jays.
“I am cheering for the Blue Jays. It’s been a few years and Expos fans have sort of started to turn the corner a bit and can actually proudly admit that we are becoming Blue Jays fans,” Winkler said.
As Lenny Kravitz’s Are You Gonna Go My Way? blasted outside Gate 5, Toronto’s Andres Arteaga danced while waving a Blue Jays flag. He couldn’t snag a ticket, but he didn’t have to travel far just to “catch the vibes.”
“I’m out here with my flag, the music is pumping … I’m a Toronto sports fan, period,” he said. “I love all my Toronto teams. That’s basically it.”
