Ahead of crucial Game 7, Blue Jays fans ‘happy’ with season

Contents of the article

Hours before future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer took the mound to start Game 7 for the Toronto Blue Jays, fans at Rogers Center had already declared the 2025 season a success.

Contents of the article

Josh Carlson, who traveled from Rochester, New York, with his friend Jared Roth, said he had low expectations when the team opened its campaign in March.

Contents of the article

Contents of the article

“There were virtually no expectations,” Carlson told the magazine Sun in the 100th level lobby. “And here we are in Game 7 of the World Series.”

Roth, who played on the same American Legion team as Blue Jays third baseman Ernie Clement “about 15 years apart,” said this year's Blue Jays, who lead the league with 49 comeback wins, constantly gave him something to root for from their home across Lake Ontario.

“Just to see them rally all year…Then to see them beat the New York Yankees in the ALDS and then come back from being down 2-0 against Seattle was unbelievable,” Roth said.

Contents of the article

Contents of the article

“This team has proven that there is nothing they can't overcome,” Carlson added. “They just came together at the right time. You look at the lineup at the beginning of the season and it didn't jump out and scream about the World Series, but here we are. It's been a great story.”

“No matter how it ends, I’m so glad to be here.”

Cambridge, Ont., resident Leah Hardy said the camaraderie she saw between players on the field this year was unique.

“It's unlike anything we've seen in years and it's been fun to watch. They really get along and it shows on the field. Regardless, I'm so glad to be here,” she said.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

Play video

Her husband Eamonn said the past month of postseason baseball has been “a lot of fun” to watch.

“I was five and six years old when they won in '92-93. I have vague memories of it,” he said. “But that's what got me into baseball. It's always been a big part of our family.”

Contents of the article

Before the first pitch, Blue Jays manager John Schneider also reflected on what made the 2025 Blue Jays so special.

“I think before you get stuck in the day, you need to take a step back and look at what we did,” Schneider said. “Not just because of the win-loss record… but because of the way we did it. We raised the hell out of the standards and expectations of this organization this year.”

Thirty-two years ago, when Joe Carter hit a one-run, three-run homer against the Philadelphia Phillies to bring Mitch Williams closer to giving the Blue Jays a second straight World Series title, Paul Butler was above home plate in the 200-level seats with his then-nine-year-old son.

He didn't visit the stadium last summer but decided to come to the deciding seventh game of the fall classic after falling in love with the 2025 club.

Contents of the article

“Any sports team is a team. From my perspective, these guys epitomize that. You can see that every night. They all support each other, and there's a lot to be said for any sports team that can operate that way,” Butler said. Sun. “They put their big egos aside and just try to win ball games.”

“I've been watching them for years, fucking years. This year was one of the first years I didn't watch them at the beginning,” said his son Rick. “But they turned it around and turned it into something pretty amazing. It was really cool to watch. It was just really cool to see them come together. I don't know what changed, but something changed.”

“And here we are at Game 7 of the World Series—how cool is that?” said his father, beaming. “Any team can win on any night.”

[email protected]

Contents of the article