Touch ’em all Joe!

Last week I watched Edwin Encarnación destroy Rogers Centre on loop for a good five minutes. But that isn't even the greatest walk off in Jays history. You know where…

In Our House It’s All About The Blue Jays #OurMoment

blue jays family

Dad did the Jays win last night?

Did Joshie hit a home run?

Did Pillar make a crazy catch??

Can we go to another game?

These are all daily questions in our house. From April until October, the Toronto Blue Jays take over the chatter in our family and it was a perfect storm of events that got us to that point.

First, our boys are of the age where baseball becomes fun and interesting. Harry (6) went to his first game two years ago and has been hooked ever since.

Charlie (3) just wants to do and like what his big brother likes, so it was easy for him to become a Junior Jay.

They play in the backyard. Harry has entered the world of organized teeball and baseball. Their Nana has been doing her best to promote her Jays fandom for years. It was bound to stick at some point.

Second, we moved back to Toronto in 2014. That meant hearing about the Jays in the news more. That meant actually being able to go to the games. That meant getting caught up in the hype very easily.

Third, that hype. The Jays are good. They are really good. That makes everyone excited to the point where we watch almost every game on TV now. I certainly did not do that a few years ago. Forget House of Cards, my wife and I end up watching Buck and Pat.

So you combine seeing the game through the eyes of your kids, being close to the action and the team challenging for a World Series and that is how it all went down.

How I Got My Baseball Groove Back

Baseball. It has been my best friend, my worst enemy and everything in between. I used to love it. I used to hate it. But thanks to being a dad and those dang Toronto Blue Jays, as Jay Z would say, I think I got my swagger back.

Baseball has once again become a big part of my life. I even have my first glove since I was a teen.

For those who knew me as a kid, you would remember my sticker collections, building mini stadiums in my room and of course knowing every single
baseball stat there was (BEFORE THE INTERNET).

I grew up as a Detroit Tigers fan and that meant despising the Toronto Blue Jays. Yes I f’in hated George Bell, Dave Stieb and every dude associated with them.

I never played organized baseball, but I played and played often with neighbourhood buddies. I saw myself as the Canadian Mark McGwire before there was a Mark McGwire.

I dug the long ball before I even knew about the chicks.

Just sitting here now, if I really try hard, my first memory of watching MLB was the World Series when the Cardinals and Brewers squared off in 1982. I remember Robin Yount, Cecil Cooper and just have friggen fast those Cardinals were.

Have I proved to you how much I loved baseball yet?

My Son’s First Toronto Blue Jays Game

toronto blue jays

Well, that’s another experience checked off my dad bucket list.

On July 23rd, I took Harrison to his first Major League Baseball game and it was at the Rogers Centre to see the Toronto Blue Jays.

Seemed fitting since Harrison has been wearing a Blue Jays hat almost every day since he was two.

Ever since we moved back to Toronto in May, a baseball game was on the list of things we would do over the summer. Then it worked out that the Boston Red Sox would be in town. That meant a lively crowd and a fun atmosphere to watch a game.

As a sport to sit and watch, baseball might not be as exciting for a four-year old to watch. We have been to hockey and basketball games before and the action is always moving. Baseball has its own pace that can be a little slow at times.

But this was Harrison’s first professional sporting event, so that was much more to see and experience than what was happening on the field.

There was the size of the stadium, the big screen, the ballpark food and just watching all of the other fans.

I am not sure who was more excited to go to be honest.