In the first of a two-part series, Grapes says he supports manager John Schneider's decision to use pitcher Brandon Little and praises the team's “sloppy” style of play.
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If you're famous for having a dog named Blue, it's no surprise what your favorite baseball team would be.
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“Go Blue Jays,” Don Cherry said from his home in Mississauga on Monday as he prepared, like the rest of the country, for the biggest baseball game in Canada since Joe Carter's World Series-winning home run in 1993.
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“I’m ready,” Cherry said with a smile before the game. “Let's play ball.”
Not only that Trainer in the corner of the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series, he liked their chances and in the big dance against the Los Angeles Dodgers if that matchup was in the cards.
However, Cherry knew that a difficult matchup with the Seattle Mariners at the Rogers Center stood in the way.
“I also like the Seattle players (especially Mississauga's Josh Naylor), but I really think the Blue Jays are going to win this game,” Grapes predicted Monday before the first pitch. The Blue Jays are a tough team, they play a blue collar game and that will help them. Plus, the fans doing it so loud is amazing.”
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Now, if you're wondering why we asked a hockey legend about a baseball playoff game, keep in mind that Cherry is one of the Blue Jays' biggest fans.
DON CHERRY'S FATHER WAS ALL ABOUT BASEBALL
“I’ve always been since they came to Major League Baseball in 1977,” Cherry said. “And my dad, Del Cherry, was one of the best baseball players in Kingston when I was a kid. He played center field, and later I played center field.”
Although he and his brother Richard both played in the NHL, their father Del, who could hit home runs outside the stadium, never actually played hockey.
“Baseball was my dad’s game,” Don said.
As a result, baseball always came second to Grapes after hockey. Cherry is also one of the few broadcasters who specializes in two sports: When Canada Day rolled around, he traded his puck knowledge, went into the Sportsnet broadcast booth with Gregg Zaun and talked about the “Boys of the Summer” who always wear red and white on July 1st.
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“I’ve always loved baseball,” Grapes said.
BASEBALL WAS THE REASON DON CHERRY WAS ON THE COACH'S CORNER
Oddly enough, if it weren't for baseball, Coach's Corner and him almost 40 years later Hockey Night in Canada It might not have happened.
After making his NHL debut in March 1955 for the Boston Bruins in the playoffs against the Montreal Canadiens, Cherry returned to his hometown of Kingston to play semi-professional baseball to stay in shape for the upcoming training camp in which he was signed up to make the team.
“I broke my ankle first,” Grapes laughs. “And then I separated the shoulder.”
Needless to say, he went into training camp injured, and the Bruins weren't amused.
“They sent me back to juvenile detention and that’s where I stayed,” teased Don, who joked, “I think it worked out well in the end.”
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He later coached the American Hockey League team in Rochester and then became the American Hockey League Coach of the Year. Boston Bruins, and, if not for Guy Lafleur's famous goal in Game 7, he would have likely won the Stanley Cup in 1979.
“In sports, you win some and you lose some,” Don said.
THE BLUE JAYS SHOULD BE PROUD OF THE SEASON
Win or lose Monday night is not a disaster for the Blue Jays.
“They’re proud of themselves,” Don said. “I really like Jace’s team this year because it’s a team that everyone is a part of.”
While Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and George Springer are the biggest stars, “every player on this team plays a role in the success they have had this year.” Cherry loves Alejandro Kirk, Ernie Clement, Mad Max Scherzer and rookie Trey Yesavage, but most of all he loves the entire team as a unit.
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“I like that Canadian Vladdy. I think he could be a hockey player. As for his teammates, it's a ragtag team that plays hard every night, and I give a lot of credit to coach John Schneider,” Grapes said. “He loves his players and trusts his players.”
That's exactly how Cherry coached.
CHERRY DOESN'T BLAME SCHNEIDER FOR A SMALL TURN
As for Seattle's Game 5 decision to bring in pitcher Brandon Little for the eighth inning instead of Ceranthony Dominguez or Jeff Hoffman to try to cut into a 2-1 lead, Cherry is also in the captain's corner.
“I’m not mad at John one bit,” Grapes said. “As a coach, you make a decision that you think is right, and if it's not, you don't question it. You'll get them next time. That decision didn't work, but a lot of the decisions he made as a coach did. I'm with John Schneider.”
And it was just one World Series win, so Grapes thinks the manager did a good job.
As for the game, Cherry said he can't wait. And, of course, he supports the team whose name includes the name of his favorite dog.
– This is the first part of an interview with Don Cherry. Part two will look at some exciting new developments in Cherry's life leading up to the 2025-26 hockey season.
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