114-482: The Eastern League Most Valuable Player Award ( MVP ) is an annual award given to the best player in Minor League Baseball 's Eastern League based on their regular-season performance as voted on by league managers . League broadcasters, Minor League Baseball executives, and members of the media have previously voted as well. Though the league was established in 1938, the award was not created until 1962. After
228-514: A "pitch blue" (dark blue) uniform that features an illustration of the Toronto skyline in royal blue, centred by the "Toronto" wordmark in red. The "pitch blue" colour is a reference to Lake Ontario 's reflection at night. The traditional Blue Jays logo patch on the sleeve is recoloured to match the uniform. The cap is also "pitch blue" and features a red maple leaf at the centre of a stylized red and blue "T" in split letters. The Montreal Expos were
342-659: A championship pennant. The first true minor league is traditionally considered to be the Northwestern League of 1883 to 1884. Unlike the earlier minor associations, it was conceived as a permanent organization. It also, along with the NL and the American Association (AA), was a party to the National Agreement of 1883 . Included in this was the agreement to respect the reserve lists of clubs in each league. Teams in
456-482: A flat-fee purchase amount of $ 5,000 for the contract of any player from an NA member league team. This measure was leveled primarily at the Baltimore Orioles , then a Triple-A team that had dominated the minors by keeping players longer than many competitors, allowing the players to more fully develop, driving up their sale value to major-league teams and giving Baltimore a talent advantage. Deprived of this option by
570-837: A giant Canadian flag is carried by members of the Canadian Armed Forces while "O Canada" is sung in English and French by a member of the Royal Canadian Air Force Band . The game was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, the game was held in Buffalo, New York due to Canada–U.S. travel restrictions. The Blue Jays operate a store called the Jays Shop that sells primarily Blue Jays merchandise. This store has two locations at Rogers Centre, though, until January 2023, there
684-559: A giant Canadian flag was carried by members of the Canadian Armed Forces. Sportsnet only airs the national anthems during the home opener, Canada Day, and playoff games. On June 29, 2019, "O Canada" was sung in Cree and English. On September 30, 2021, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation , "O Canada" was sung in English, French, and Anishinaabemowin . On the following National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, September 30, 2022, "O Canada"
798-647: A higher level of play. These leagues are intended almost exclusively to allow players to hone their skills; no admission is charged and no concessions are sold. As of the 2024 season, the Arizona Complex League and Florida Complex League seasons commence in early May and conclude in late July in order to provide players with previous experience in the Dominican Summer League with a full season in stateside professional baseball without having to compete for playing time with newly drafted players selected in
912-568: A limited membership which excluded less competitive and financially weaker teams. Professional clubs outside the NL responded by forming regional associations of their own. There was a series of ad hoc groupings, such as the New England Association of 1877 and the Eastern Championship Association of 1881. These were loose groups of independent clubs which agreed to play a series of games over the course of one season for
1026-588: A member club of the American League (AL) East Division . Since 1989, the team has played its home games primarily at Rogers Centre in downtown Toronto. The name "Blue Jays" originates from the bird of the same name , and blue is also the traditional colour of Toronto's collegiate and professional sports teams including the Maple Leafs ( ice hockey ) and the Argonauts ( Canadian football ). In 1976, out of
1140-535: A member of the Canadian Armed Forces . During the third inning, the team presents the honoured member with a personalized jersey. Since 2005, " The Star-Spangled Banner " has been sung before " O Canada " at every home game. In some home games (including Canada Day home games and playoffs), "O Canada" is sung in English and French. When "O Canada" was sung during the Home Opener, Canada Day, and playoff games,
1254-663: A place in the Blue Jays' "Level of Excellence" in the upper level of the Rogers Centre; the number 4,306 is depicted beside his name. In 2008, Cheek received the third most votes from fans to be nominated for the Ford C. Frick Award for broadcasting excellence. Cheek finally received the Frick Award posthumously in 2013 after nine years on the ballot. Radio broadcasts of Blue Jays games originate from Sportsnet 590 CJCL in Toronto, which, like
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#17328694592051368-477: A second or third promotion for a minor league player, although some high first-round draftees, particularly those with experience playing college baseball , begin at this level. Below the High-A level is Single-A, named "Class A" before 2021, when it was also known as Single-A or Full-Season A, and "Low-A" for the 2021 season. This classification has three leagues: the 8-team California League , known as Low-A West for
1482-516: A statement, asserting that it is "unnecessary and unacceptable to wipe out one-quarter of minor league teams" and characterized the proposal as a way "to improve the profitability of MLB". Manfred rebuked Minor League Baseball for releasing the negotiations to the public and threatened to cut ties with MiLB altogether. The following changes, which represent the first significant overhaul of minor league classifications since 1963, have since been implemented: When MLB teams announced their affiliates for
1596-514: A steady supply of players, as many NA and independent teams could not afford to keep their doors open without the patronage of Major League Baseball. The leagues of the NA became subordinate to the major leagues, creating the first minor leagues in the current sense of the term. Other than the Pacific Coast League (PCL), which under its president Pants Rowland tried to become a third major league in
1710-506: A temporary replacement. There are currently three leagues in this classification: the 12-team Eastern League , known as Double-A Northeast for the 2021 season, with teams in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions of the U.S., the eight-team Southern League (known as Double-A South for the 2021 season) with teams in the Deep South, and the 10-team Texas League (known as Double-A Central for
1824-506: A three-year deal signed in 2023. Jacques Doucet , former Montreal Expos radio announcer, broadcast the Blue Jays on TVA Sports from 2011 until his retirement in 2022. The Sports Network (TSN), which (like the Jays) was owned by Labatt from 1984 to 1995, served as the primary cable television outlet for the Blue Jays prior to the launch of Sportsnet. TSN (and later, its sister channel TSN2 ) continued to carry approximately ten Jays games through
1938-486: Is a professional baseball organization below Major League Baseball (MLB), including teams affiliated with MLB clubs. Entering the 2021 season, the number of full-season MLB-affiliated minor leagues with teams in the United States and Canada was reduced to 11, with a total of 120 teams (four per each of the 30 MLB franchises). There are also two affiliated rookie leagues based in the United States, with teams based at
2052-530: Is about a four-hour drive from Toronto. According to The Detroit News , a July 2017 three-game series at Comerica Park against the Blue Jays drew a season-best-to-date total attendance of 115,088. Although the Seattle Mariners are not a divisional rival, many Blue Jays fans from Western Canada travel to Seattle when the Blue Jays play there as Seattle is geographically closer to Western Canada than Toronto is. Depending on traffic and border delays, Seattle
2166-457: Is about a three-hour drive from Vancouver . The Seattle Times estimated that Blue Jays fans represented around 70 percent of the crowd in Safeco Field for a June 2017 weekend series. The Blue Jays' former radio play-by-play announcer, Tom Cheek , called every Toronto Blue Jays game from the team's inaugural contest on April 7, 1977, until June 3, 2004, when he took two games off following
2280-451: Is actually quite small. Only 18 radio stations across the country aired at least some Blue Jays games during the 2021 season, which is fewer affiliates than most MLB teams, which have more stations covering smaller geographic areas. All Blue Jays games are carried nationally on Sportsnet (which, like the Blue Jays, is owned by Rogers Communications). As of 2023, Dan Shulman serves as the lead play-by-play announcer, with Buck Martinez as
2394-457: Is played four times followed by Charge being played thrice. From 1979 to 1999, BJ Birdy served as the Blue Jays' sole mascot, played by Kevin Shanahan. In 2000, he was replaced by a duo named Ace and Diamond. After the 2003 season, Diamond was removed by the team, leaving Ace as the team's sole mascot. Since the 2010s, Ace has been accompanied by his younger brother, Junior. This usually happens on
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#17328694592052508-481: Is usually that these veteran players will be in the majors by the end of the season, as their salaries tend to be higher than those of most prospects. One level below Double-A is the High-A level, named "Class A-Advanced" before 2021. This classification has three leagues: the 12-team Midwest League , known as High-A Central for the 2021 season, covering the Midwest, the six-team Northwest League , known as High-A West for
2622-446: The 2015 American League Division Series involving the Blue Jays were among the highest-rated telecasts in network history, with Game 4 drawing an audience of 4.38 million viewers. In September 2012, AMI-tv simulcast three Blue Jays games with described video provided by CJCL correspondent Sam Cosentino , which included explanations of on-screen graphics. Paul Beeston praised AMI's involvement, stating that "to our knowledge, we are
2736-645: The Arizona Complex League and Florida Complex League , known as the Arizona League and Gulf Coast League, respectively, before 2021, and one Caribbean-based league, the Dominican Summer League . The U.S.-based Rookie leagues play a schedule of approximately 60 games and are named "complex leagues" because games are played at their parent clubs' spring training complexes. Rosters consist primarily of newly drafted players who are not yet ready for
2850-563: The Arizona Complex League or Florida Complex League , and international summer baseball teams in the Dominican Summer League . While major league teams play a 162-game schedule, minor league seasons are shorter. As of 2022 , a complete season in Triple-A is 150 games, Double-A is 138 games, and High-A and Single-A are each 132 games. In addition to the below organized leagues, the off-season Arizona Fall League has six teams that play approximately 30 games apiece in autumn, with rosters comprising
2964-643: The Atlanta Braves are the only two MLB teams under corporate ownership; the Blue Jays are the only American League team to be under such ownership. Due to border restrictions brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic , the Blue Jays played home games at TD Ballpark in Dunedin, Florida for April and May of the 2021 season , and Sahlen Field in Buffalo, New York for the 2020 season as well as June and July 2021, returning home to Toronto as of July 30 of that year. In
3078-541: The Chicago Cubs , Chicago White Sox , Cincinnati Reds , and Milwaukee Brewers organizations (2); and the Miami Marlins , Oakland Athletics , San Francisco Giants , and Texas Rangers organizations (1). Active Eastern League teams appear in bold . Active Eastern League–Major League Baseball affiliations appear in bold . Specific General Minor League Baseball Minor League Baseball ( MiLB )
3192-717: The Elmira Pioneers , Erie SeaWolves , Pittsfield Cubs , Pittsfield Red Sox , Portland Sea Dogs , Trenton Thunder , Trois-Rivières Aigles , and West Haven A's (2); and the Albany-Colonie Yankees , Altoona Curve , Berkshire Brewers , Buffalo Bisons , Charleston Indians , Holyoke Millers , New Britain Red Sox , New Haven Ravens , Pittsfield Rangers , Sherbrooke Pirates , Somerset Patriots , Springfield Giants , Thetford Mines Pirates , Waterbury Indians , Williamsport Mets , and York Pirates (1). Eight players from
3306-585: The National Association of Professional Base Ball Players of 1871 to 1875, commonly referred to as the National Association, comprised all fully professional teams. This system proved unworkable, however, as there was no way to ensure competitive balance, and financially unsound clubs often failed in midseason. This problem was solved in 1876 with the formation of the National League (NL), with
3420-639: The National League 's Miami Marlins . After 1993, the Blue Jays failed to qualify for the playoffs for 21 consecutive seasons until clinching a playoff berth and division championship in 2015 . The team clinched a second consecutive playoff berth in 2016 , after securing an AL wild card position. In both years, the Blue Jays beat the Texas Rangers in the AL Division Series , but lost the AL Championship Series . Most recently, they qualified for
3534-684: The Northwest League and Midwest League promoted with 75% of their teams. The Carolina League dropped to Low-A with seven of its ten teams and added five from the old South Atlantic League in trade; the SAL in turn moved to High-A with half of its previous 12-team roster, filling it out with two Carolina League High-A holdovers, one Midwest League returnee, and three formerly short-season New York-Penn League promotees. On February 12, 2021, Major League Baseball announced new league alignments for all 120 affiliated Minor League Baseball clubs effective as of
Eastern League Most Valuable Player Award - Misplaced Pages Continue
3648-663: The Philadelphia Phillies Major League Baseball (MLB) organization have won the award, more than any other, followed by the Baltimore Orioles and Pittsburgh Pirates organizations (6); the Cleveland Guardians , New York Yankees , and Washington Nationals organizations (5); the Boston Red Sox , New York Mets , and Toronto Blue Jays organizations (4); the Detroit Tigers organization (3);
3762-557: The United States Congress signed a letter sent to Commissioner of Baseball Rob Manfred opposing the proposal, noting that it "is not in the best interest of the overall game of baseball" and that it would "devastate our communities, their bond purchasers and other stakeholders affected by the potential loss of these clubs." A response from MLB highlighted that the proposal aims to improve player travel and working conditions. On November 21, 2019, Minor League Baseball released
3876-421: The colour commentator during the 2013 season, after which he was replaced by former Montreal Expos catcher Joe Siddall since the 2014 season. Former Blue Jays pitcher Dirk Hayhurst filled in for Morris for some games during the 2013 season. Another former catcher for the Blue Jays, Gregg Zaun , has served as the occasional colour commentator from the 2011 season until the end of the 2017 season when he
3990-429: The pandemic ", all radio broadcasts for the 2021 season will be a simulcast of the television broadcast. Wagner will assume an alternative role. However, once the Blue Jays returned to Rogers Centre in late July 2021, dedicated radio broadcasts resumed. The Blue Jays have the largest geographical home market in all of baseball, encompassing all of Canada. Despite this, the number of radio stations that broadcast games
4104-686: The 1880s and been home to the Toronto Maple Leafs baseball team of the International League , from 1896 to 1967. In January 1976, the San Francisco Giants nearly relocated to Toronto after owner Horace Stoneham agreed to sell the team to a Canadian consortium. The group, which included Labatt Breweries of Canada , The Globe and Mail 's Howard Webster, and the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC), planned to rebrand
4218-595: The 1950s and early 1960s. In 1949, the peak of the postwar minor league baseball boom, 448 teams in 59 leagues were members of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues, with the number of teams falling to 324 in 1952, and 243 in 1955. By the end of 1963, only 15 leagues above Rookie-level survived in the United States and Canada. After the 1962 season, the Triple-A American Association—which had lost key markets such as Milwaukee , Kansas City , Minneapolis–Saint Paul and Houston to
4332-718: The 1984 and 1985 seasons (the Vancouver Canadians were the AAA farm team of the Brewers at the time ), as well as single games against the Detroit Tigers and Brewers in 1993 and against the Montreal Expos and Seattle Mariners in 1994 in a series billed as the "Baseball Classic". The Jays also played the Cleveland Indians in an exhibition game at War Memorial Stadium in nearby Buffalo, New York in 1987. More recently,
4446-510: The 2009 season until May 2010; most recently, Rod Black handled play-by-play while Tabler served as colour commentator on these telecasts. CBC has carried Blue Jays games intermittently throughout the team's history, most recently in 2007 and 2008; those broadcasts featured Jim Hughson as the play-by-play announcer, and former Blue Jays Rance Mulliniks and Jesse Barfield on colour commentary. Games also aired on CTV (except in Montreal) from
4560-407: The 2020 season, the Blue Jays unveiled a modernized version of the powder blue uniforms, featuring navy/white/navy serifed split letters and numerals. These uniforms are paired with a powder-brimmed navy cap and an all-navy helmet. Since 1996, the Blue Jays wore predominantly red or red-accented uniforms every July 1, Canada Day . The uniforms were based on the team's alternate uniforms they wore at
4674-515: The 2021 season on December 9, 2020, each of the 30 MLB teams had one affiliate at four levels—Triple-A, Double-A, High-A, and Low-A—for a total of 120 affiliated teams. Approximately 40 teams lost their MLB affiliations; the Fresno Grizzlies were demoted from Triple-A to Low-A; and the majority of surviving clubs at High-A and Low-A swapped levels, with the former Florida State League and California League dropped down nearly as intact units and
Eastern League Most Valuable Player Award - Misplaced Pages Continue
4788-461: The 2021 season) with teams in the Southwest and Great Plains. Some players jump to the majors from this level, as many of the top prospects are put here to play against each other rather than against minor and major league veterans in Triple-A. A small handful of players might be placed here to start, usually veterans from foreign leagues with more experience in professional baseball. The expectation
4902-480: The 2021 season, located entirely in California , the 12-team Carolina League , known as Low-A East for the 2021 season, and the 10-team Florida State League , known as Low-A Southeast for the 2021 season. All three leagues were demoted from High-A to Single-A effective with the 2021 season. These leagues are a mix of players moving up from Rookie leagues, as well as the occasional experienced first-year player. Most of
5016-641: The 2021 season, with teams in the Pacific Northwest, and the 12-team South Atlantic League , known as High-A East for the 2021 season, with teams in the eastern states. All three leagues were reclassified prior to the 2021 season, with the Midwest League and the South Atlantic League promoted from Single-A and the Northwest League promoted from Class A Short Season. This level of play is often
5130-604: The 2021 season. Contrary to previously published reports indicating that realignment would retain the names of the existing minor leagues, Major League Baseball elected to abandon the names of existing minor leagues in favor of a new, class- and region-based naming system. Triple-A was divided into two leagues: Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto . The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as
5244-427: The Blue Jays became the first MLB team to attract over four million fans , with an attendance of 4,001,526, followed by 4,028,318 in 1992. Each of those records were broken in 1993 by the expansion Colorado Rockies , although the Blue Jays' 1993 attendance of 4,057,947 stood as an AL record for 12 years until it was broken by the 2005 New York Yankees . Several Blue Jays became very popular in Toronto and throughout
5358-574: The Blue Jays in 2015, Josh Donaldson set a new major league record by receiving 14,090,188 All-Star votes. The team is popular throughout Canada, as the only MLB team based in the country following the relocation of the Montreal Expos to Washington. The team has played a number of exhibition games at BC Place in Vancouver including three-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers prior to both
5472-411: The Blue Jays logo on a white panel in front. In 2008, the Blue Jays' powder blue road uniform from this era was restored as an alternate home uniform worn every Friday until 2010. The Blue Jays adopted buttoned uniforms upon moving to Rogers Centre (then SkyDome) in 1989. Aside from the additions of buttons and belts, the only change affecting the home uniforms was the relocation of the team logo to
5586-547: The Blue Jays traded away Yimi Garcia, Nate Pearson, Danny Jansen, Justin Turner, Yusei Kikuchi, Trevor Richards, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, and Kevin Kiermaier. In 1977, after just 50 home games, the Blue Jays set an MLB record for a first-year expansion team, with an overall attendance of 1,219,551 during those games. By the end of the season, 1,701,152 fans had attended. After setting an attendance record in 1990, with 3,885,284 fans, in 1991,
5700-411: The Blue Jays unveiled an alternate sleeveless white uniform, featuring the same lettering style as the regular home uniform. However, the chest numerals were replaced with the primary logo. Blue undershirts were worn with this uniform. Before the 2001 season, slight modifications were made to the uniforms, eliminating the tricolour stripes and adding a single colour piping along the chest and neck. While
5814-522: The Blue Jays winning multiple division titles and back-to-back World Series championships in 1992 and 1993, making them the first team outside the US to achieve this feat. Key players during this golden era included Roberto Alomar , Joe Carter , and Dave Stieb . After the mid-1990s strike and subsequent downturn, the Blue Jays faced challenges but also saw the rise of talents like Roy Halladay and Carlos Delgado . The late 1990s brought brief revitalization with
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#17328694592055928-457: The Blue Jays' geographic National League rival, being the other Canadian MLB team before it was relocated. From 1978 to 1986, the teams played an annual mid-season exhibition game known as the Pearson Cup , named after former Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson . The teams began facing each other in the regular season in 1997 with the advent of interleague play . During the 2003 and 2004 seasons,
6042-404: The Blue Jays, is owned by Rogers Communications. After Cheek's retirement in 2005, Jerry Howarth , who had been Cheek's broadcasting partner since 1982, took over as lead play-by-play announcer, with Mike Wilner as the secondary play-by-play announcer. During the 2007 to 2012 seasons, former Blue Jays catcher Alan Ashby was the colour commentator. Former Blue Jays pitcher Jack Morris served as
6156-522: The Dominican Summer League who have not yet been assigned to a domestic affiliate, as well as players placed on the minor league 60-day and full-season injured lists—during the minor league season, with a limit of 175 domestic players during the offseason. During the minor league season, the following roster limits for each classification are used: Triple-A Double-A High-A Single-A Rookie Off-season leagues Showcase league Partner leagues The earliest professional baseball league,
6270-710: The Expos' last two seasons before relocating to Washington, D.C., as the Nationals , the Pearson Cup was awarded after a pair of three-game sets. The Detroit Tigers are the Blue Jays' geographic and traditional rival, dating back to the 1980s, when the teams were AL East contenders. The Tigers moved to the AL Central in 1998, and the rivalry has died down as a result, with the teams facing each other only six to seven times per year since 2011. Depending on traffic and border delays, Detroit
6384-447: The Jr. Jay Saturday promotions until the end of the 2017 season . The promotions were moved to select Sundays since the 2018 season since the Blue Jays can no longer hold early Saturday afternoon games to accommodate American national broadcasts on Fox , though Fox did occasionally broadcast Blue Jays games at the Rogers Centre. Since 2012, every Sunday home game, the Blue Jays pay tribute to
6498-592: The July Major League Baseball draft . This adjusted schedule also allows the top Rookie-level prospects in each organization to be promoted to class Single-A for the final two months of the professional baseball season upon the conclusion of the complex league seasons. As of the 2024 season, each major league club may have no more than 165 players assigned to the rosters of their domestic affiliates (i.e., Triple-A, Double-A, High-A, Single-A, and complex-league Rookie)—excluding international players assigned to
6612-840: The MVP Award as no award was designated for pitchers. In 1985, the Eastern League established a Pitcher of the Year Award . Eight players from the Reading Fightin Phils have been selected for the MVP Award, more than any other team in the league, followed by the Harrisburg Senators (6); the Chesapeake Baysox (4); the Akron RubberDucks , Binghamton Rumble Ponies , Glens Falls Tigers , and New Hampshire Fisher Cats (3);
6726-434: The Major Leagues since 1953—disbanded. The surviving International and Pacific Coast leagues absorbed the four remaining American Association franchises. Meanwhile, at the Double-A level and below there were even more significant changes: Designations below Class A disappeared because the lower levels could not sustain operation during a large downturn in the financial fortunes of minor league baseball, due to factors including
6840-445: The NL and the AA could only reserve players who had been paid at least $ 1,000. Northwestern League teams could reserve players paid $ 750, implicitly establishing the division into major and minor leagues. Over the next two decades, more minor leagues signed various versions of the National Agreement. Eventually, the minor leagues allied to negotiate jointly. In the late 1890s, the Western League run by Ban Johnson decided to challenge
6954-453: The NL's position. In 1900, he changed the name of the league to the American League (AL) and vowed to make deals to sign contracts with players who were dissatisfied with the pay and terms of their deals with the NL. This led to a turf war that heated up in 1901 enough to concern Patrick T. Powers , president of the Eastern League, and many other minor league owners about the conflict potentially affecting their organizations. Representatives of
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#17328694592057068-415: The Pilots. The new Toronto franchise, purchased for $ 7 million, was named the Toronto Blue Jays following a contest that attracted over 4,000 suggestions. The name reflected Toronto's tradition of using blue in team colors and was influenced by majority owner Labatt Breweries' flagship beer, Labatt Blue. The franchise's first employee, Paul Beeston , began as vice president of business operations, and before
7182-416: The Texas League, which had last operated in 1942, and the Southern Association) became Class AA. Class A remained the third-highest classification, with lower levels still ranked Class B through Class D in descending order, with Class D being the equivalent of later Rookie leagues. The impact of the Korean War in 1950 caused a player shortage in many cities below Class B. In 1952, the "Open" classification
7296-460: The Triple-A Inter–American League (1979). None lasted more than a full season. In October 2019, Baseball America reported that Major League Baseball had proposed dramatic changes to MiLB that would take effect after expiration of the Professional Baseball Agreement, which governed the MLB–MiLB relationship, at the end of the 2020 season. This included the elimination of many minor league teams. In mid-November 2019, more than 100 members of
7410-474: The Triple-A level. Such players are eligible to be added to a team's active major league roster. For teams in contention for a playoff spot late in a season, it gives them fresh players, while for teams not in contention, it gives them an opportunity to evaluate their second-tier players against major league competition. Some Triple-A players are "career minor leaguers", former prospects whose skill growth has halted and who are not likely to advance to MLB, unless as
7524-508: The Western states, the other leagues maintained autonomy in name only, being totally economically dependent upon the AL and NL. In 1922, the United States Supreme Court decision Federal Baseball Club v. National League (259 U.S. 200), which grants baseball a special immunity from antitrust laws , had a major effect on the minor leagues. The special immunity meant that the AL and NL could dictate terms under which every independent league did business. By 1925, major league baseball established
7638-450: The acquisition of Roger Clemens . In the early 2000s, general manager J.P. Ricciardi led a rebuilding phase, culminating in a competitive roster by the mid-2000s. The team's resurgence in the 2010s featured playoff appearances in 2015 and 2016, driven by stars like José Bautista and Josh Donaldson . The Blue Jays continue to build for future success, with young talents like Vladimir Guerrero Jr. , Bo Bichette , and Cavan Biggio leading
7752-416: The alternate blue uniforms, split letters and numerals became red/blue/red. Red also appeared on the pant and sleeve stripes, while the new logo occupied the left sleeve. Player names also took on the new block split-letter style. An updated all-blue cap was paired with the home and road uniforms, while a red-brimmed blue cap (with a modified logo without a baseball) was used with the blue alternates. In 1999
7866-505: The alternate white uniforms brought back chest numerals. The "T-bird" logo depicts a blue jay flexing its biceps and is nicknamed "Muscle Jay." Before the 2004 season, the Blue Jays adopted a new visual identity, going with a black, silver and graphite motif. The home and black alternates simply read "Jays" in front and in a 3D-oriented diagonal arrangement, with the bird connected to the letter "J." Letters and numerals were in graphite with light blue and silver trim. The road uniforms featured
7980-485: The award. Eleven players who have won the MVP Award have also won the Eastern League Top MLB Prospect Award (formerly the Rookie of the Year Award) in the same season: Cliff Floyd (1993), Mark Grudzielanek (1994), Jay Payton (1995), Vladimir Guerrero (1996), Calvin Pickering (1998), Marlon Byrd (2001), Ryan Howard (2004), Jordan Brown (2007), Brandon Laird (2010), Darin Ruf (2012), and Cavan Biggio (2018). From 1964 to 1984, pitchers were eligible to win
8094-426: The cancellation of the 2020 season, the league was known as the Double-A Northeast in 2021 before reverting to the Eastern League name in 2022. Twenty-two outfielders have won the MVP Award, the most of any position. First basemen , with 18 winners, have won the most among infielders , followed by third basemen (9), second basemen (3), and shortstops (2). Five catchers and three pitchers have also won
8208-411: The charge. During the off-season, the Blue Jays re-signed Kiermaier and signed utility player Isiah Kiner-Falefa , designated hitter Justin Turner , and pitcher Yariel Rodríguez . The Blue Jays also traded Santiago Espinal for a pitching prospect. During the regular season, the Blue Jays designated Cavan Biggio for assignment and traded him for a prospect afterwards. Before the 2024 trade deadline,
8322-418: The city name in a similar letter style as the logo, with graphite letters and numerals trimmed in light blue and silver. In 2008, however, amid complaints of illegibility, the Blue Jays tweaked their road uniforms to include 3D-style block letters and numerals in light blue trimmed in black and white, along with chest numerals. The "J-bird" alternate was added to the left sleeve. A red maple leaf would be added on
8436-434: The city name was rendered in bold blue letters before gaining a white outline the following season. By 1979, it was replaced by the team name in a split-lettered white/blue/white style. Player numerals also used the split-letter style, except on the road uniform during its first two seasons. Player names in blue were added to both uniforms for the 1980 season but were dropped from the road uniform in 1981. The caps were blue with
8550-640: The club has hosted a pair of exhibition games at Olympic Stadium in Montreal prior to the start of the season against the New York Mets (2014), Cincinnati Reds (2015), Boston Red Sox (2016), Pittsburgh Pirates (2017), St. Louis Cardinals (2018), Milwaukee Brewers (2019). A series against the New York Yankees was scheduled for 2020, but was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic . The club also has discussed playing more games at BC Place with
8664-402: The death of his father—a streak of 4,306 consecutive regular-season games and 41 postseason games. Cheek later died on October 9, 2005, and the team commemorated him during their 2006 season by wearing a circular patch on the left sleeve of their home and road game jerseys. The patch was adorned with the letters 'TC', Cheek's initials, as well as a stylized microphone . Cheek is also honoured with
8778-600: The different minor leagues met at the Leland Hotel in Chicago on September 5, 1901. In response to the NL–AL battle, they agreed to form the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues (NAPBL), sometimes shortened to National Association (NA), which would later adopt the trade name "Minor League Baseball". The purpose of the NAPBL at the time was to maintain the independence of
8892-480: The first sports organization to have our games provided through this revolutionary approach to accommodating the needs of the blind and low-vision community." On June 27, 2013, Rogers' over-the-air Toronto multicultural Omni Television station CJMT-DT simulcast a Blue Jays game, scheduled to be started by Taiwanese player Chien-Ming Wang , with commentary in Mandarin , marking the first ever Canadian MLB broadcast in
9006-496: The flat-fee policy, minor league teams had little choice but to sell players as soon as they drew major-league interest. The earliest classifications used in the minor leagues began circa 1890, for teams that were party to the National Agreement of 1883. The different levels represented different levels of protection for player contracts and reserve clauses : After the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues
9120-446: The following assignments entering the 1902 season: Additional classifications added prior to World War II included: In 1946, with the minor leagues poised for unprecedented growth, the higher-level classifications were changed. Class AAA ("Triple-A") was created and the three Double-A circuits (the Pacific Coast League , International League , and the American Association ) were reclassified into Triple-A. Class A1 (comprising
9234-404: The home uniforms remained mostly intact, the road uniforms gained blue sleeves in a faux-vest design. On the alternate white uniform (now a faux vest instead of a straight sleeveless design), the new "T-bird" logo replaced the primary "jay leaf" logo, which moved to the left sleeve. In 2003, the "T-bird" logo became the primary, taking over the previous logo's placement on the caps and sleeves, while
9348-728: The inaugural 1977 season, Peter Bavasi and Pat Gillick were appointed as president and assistant general manager, respectively. The Blue Jays debuted on April 7, 1977, with a win against the Chicago White Sox amid a snowstorm, marking the beginning of a journey from early struggles to eventual success. Throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s, the Blue Jays showed gradual improvement, highlighted by their first winning season in 1983. The team's fortunes rose significantly under manager Bobby Cox in 1985 when they won their first American League East title. The late 1980s and early 1990s, under manager Cito Gaston , were particularly successful, with
9462-698: The language. In June 2018, Omni announced that it would air Sunday afternoon games in Tagalog , the most spoken language of the Philippines , through the remainder of the season. Sportsnet and Omni announced a regular season of Sunday broadcasts in Tagalog for the 2019 season. TVA Sports has aired games in French since 2011, with Denis Casavant and François Paquet on play-by-play and Rodger Brulotte on colour. The channel currently has rights to 81 Blue Jay games per season in
9576-422: The late 1970s and early 1980s, the Blue Jays went through struggles typical of an expansion team, frequently finishing last in their division. In 1983, they had their first winning season and two years later, became division champions . From 1985 to 1993, the Blue Jays were an AL East powerhouse, winning five division championships in nine seasons, including three consecutive from 1991 to 1993 . During that run,
9690-496: The later stages of the negotiations to develop rules for the acquisition of players from their leagues by the NL and the AL. The 1903 agreement ensured that teams would be compensated for the players that they had taken the time and effort to scout and develop, and no NA team was required to sell their players, although most did because the cash was an important source of revenue for most teams. The NA leagues were still fiercely independent, and
9804-523: The leagues involved. Several did not sign the agreement and continued to work independently. Powers was made the first president of the NAPBL, whose offices were established in Auburn, New York . In 1903, the conflict between the AL and NL ended in the National Agreement of 1903 , which created the National Baseball Commission to oversee the major and minor leagues. The NAPBL became involved in
9918-424: The left chest. The road uniforms changed from powder blue to grey, while the city name and numerals in blue/white/blue split letters were emblazoned, and the logo moved to the left chest. Player names were also added to the road uniform. All-blue caps were worn with their road uniform while keeping the white-panelled blue caps at home. By 1993, the all-blue caps were worn universally, supplanting and eventually retiring
10032-405: The major leagues, starting with Dave Stieb , whose seven All-Star selections is a franchise record. He is closely followed by Roy Halladay and José Bautista , who were selected six times each, and by Roberto Alomar and Joe Carter , who were selected five times each. Bautista set a major league record in 2011 (which only stood for a year), with 7,454,753 All-Star votes. In his first season with
10146-572: The minor leagues, such as Buzz Arlett , Jigger Statz , Ike Boone , Buddy Ryan , Earl Rapp , and Frank Shellenback , as comparable to major league players. Leagues in the NA would not be truly called minor until Branch Rickey developed the first modern farm system in the 1930s. The Commissioner of Baseball , Kenesaw Mountain Landis fought Rickey's scheme, but, ultimately, the Great Depression drove teams to establish systems like Rickey's to ensure
10260-530: The original cap design. In 1994 the Blue Jays began wearing blue alternate uniforms with the team name and numerals in white/blue/white split letters. The Blue Jays updated their logo prior to the 1997 season with a new bird design and an enlarged red maple leaf at the back. The usage of red was greatly increased on the team's new uniforms. On the home uniforms, the letters and numerals were changed to blue/teal/blue split letters, while road uniform letters and numerals were changed to blue/red/blue split letters. On
10374-408: The original logo used from 1977 to 1996. The bird's head was also made sleeker than its 1977–1996 predecessor. The uniforms are similar to the ones used from 1989 to 1996, the team's most successful era. New serifed split letters were also released. In 2015, the Blue Jays began wearing a modernized version of the white-panelled blue caps they originally wore from 1977 to 1993 as an alternate. Before
10488-578: The other two leagues, as part of a reorganization of the Triple-A level in 1997. The International League features teams from the Atlantic coast and midwestern U.S., while the Pacific Coast League features teams from the Pacific coast and the southwest. Both young players and veterans play for Triple-A teams. Parent clubs often hold players who are on the 40-man roster , but not on the active MLB roster, at
10602-472: The over 4,000 suggestions, 154 people selected the name "Blue Jays." In addition, the team was originally owned by the Labatt Brewing Company , makers of the popular beer Labatt Blue. Colloquially nicknamed the " Jays ," the team's official colours are royal blue, navy blue, red, and white. An expansion franchise , the club was founded in Toronto in 1977. Originally based at Exhibition Stadium ,
10716-578: The parent clubs' spring training complexes in Arizona and Florida , an off-season autumn league, and one affiliated rookie league in the Dominican Republic . Additionally, four independent leagues are in association with MiLB. As of the 2022 season, the minor league system is divided into four classes: Triple-A (AAA), Double-A (AA), High-A (A+), and Single-A (A). Major League Baseball franchises may also maintain one or two complex-based rookie teams in
10830-412: The playoffs as a wild card team in 2020 , 2022 , and 2023 . From 1977 to 2024, the Blue Jays' overall win-loss record is 3,761–3,788–3 (.498). The Toronto Blue Jays came into existence in 1976, as one of two teams slated to join the American League for the following season, via the 1977 Major League Baseball expansion . Toronto had been mentioned as a potential major league city as early as
10944-541: The president of the Vancouver Canadians. During the seventh-inning stretch of home games, before singing " Take Me Out to the Ball Game ," Blue Jay fans sing and clap to the pop song " OK Blue Jays " by Keith Hampshire and The Bat Boys, which was released in 1983. The song was remixed in 2003, and since then, the new, shortened version has been played at home games. At home games, the "Let's Go Blue Jays" chant
11058-585: The primary colour commentator; on select series, Toronto Raptors play-by-play announcer Matt Devlin calls the game in place of Shulman, and Joe Siddall works colour commentary in place of Martinez. Prior to that, Martinez had been the primary play-by-play announcer alongside colour commentator Pat Tabler , with Shulman only calling games sporadically since 2016. In previous years, the colour analyst role rotated between Pat Tabler, Rance Mulliniks , Darrin Fletcher , and from 2011 to 2017, Gregg Zaun . Sportsnet became
11172-421: The right sleeve starting in 2009. The Blue Jays wore all-black caps with the "J-bird" logo for much of the uniforms' existence, save for the 2004 and 2005 seasons when they wore all-graphite caps at home, and in 2007 when an alternate all-black cap with the "T" from the previous road uniform was used. Prior to the 2012 season, the Blue Jays unveiled new uniforms and a new logo. The logo is a modernized version of
11286-608: The rise of television broadcasts of major league sports across broad regions of the country. As part of the 1963 reorganization, Major League clubs increased their commitments to affiliate with minor league teams through Player Development Contracts, outright ownerships, or shared affiliations and co-op arrangements. The minor league system that evolved following the 1963 reorganization remained in place through 2020, categorizing leagues into one of six classes: Triple-A (AAA), Double-A (AA), Class A-Advanced (High A or A+), Class A (Low A), Class A Short Season, and Rookie. Furthermore, Rookie
11400-539: The team also became back-to-back World Series champions in 1992 and 1993 , led by a core group of award -winning All-Star players, including Hall of Famer Roberto Alomar , Joe Carter , John Olerud , and Devon White . The Blue Jays became the first (and, to date, only) team outside the U.S. to appear in and win a World Series and the fastest AL expansion team to do so, winning in its 16th year. As of 2019 , they are one of only two MLB franchises that are undefeated through multiple World Series appearances, along with
11514-564: The team as the Toronto Giants and play at Exhibition Stadium . However, a court ruling halted the move, and the Giants remained in San Francisco. Despite this setback, Toronto's ambition for an MLB team persisted, leading to their successful bid in the 1976 American League expansion, driven by a need to balance the league after Seattle was granted a team as a result of a lawsuit over their loss of
11628-532: The team began playing its home games at SkyDome upon its opening in 1989. They are the second MLB franchise to be based outside the United States, and currently the only team based outside the U.S. after the first Canadian franchise, the Montreal Expos , became the Washington Nationals in 2005. Since 2000, the Blue Jays have been owned by Rogers Communications and in 2004, SkyDome was purchased by that company, which renamed it Rogers Centre. The Blue Jays and
11742-472: The team's primary carrier soon after it launched in the late 1990s and became the team's exclusive broadcaster in 2010. As of August 2010, Sportsnet One also broadcasts Blue Jays games (often in case of scheduling conflicts with the main Sportsnet channels). Rogers was, however, criticized by fans and critics due to Sportsnet One only being carried by Rogers Cable systems on launch. Sportsnet's broadcasts of
11856-521: The teams in the Florida State League are owned by major league parent clubs and use their spring training complexes. In 2022, the official name of the class became Single-A. Minor leagues with the Rookie classification play a shortened season that traditionally began in mid-June and ended in late August or early September. This lowest level of minor league baseball consists of two US-based leagues,
11970-404: The term minor was seldom used in reference to them, save by the major-market sportswriters. Sports news, like most news generally, often did not travel far in the days before radio and television, so, while the leagues often bristled at the major market writers' descriptions, they viewed themselves as independent sports businesses. Many baseball writers of that time regarded the greatest players of
12084-399: The time but with red as the primary colour. On a few occasions, the Blue Jays added red trim to an existing white uniform (or, in the case of the 2006 uniforms, their black alternates) and sometimes added the flag of Canada or a red maple leaf on the uniform. In 2024, the Blue Jays unveiled a City Connect uniform inspired by Toronto's nightlife. The jersey is nicknamed "Night Mode" and is
12198-505: The time it seemed like the PCL would eventually become a third major league. The PCL would revert to Triple-A in 1958, due to increasing television coverage of major league games and in light of the Dodgers and Giants moving to Los Angeles and San Francisco , respectively. A significant reorganization of the minor leagues took place in 1963, caused by the contraction of clubs and leagues during
12312-439: The top prospects associated with each of the six MLB divisions. This classification currently includes two affiliated leagues: the 20-team International League and the 10-team Pacific Coast League , known as Triple-A East and Triple-A West, respectively, for the 2021 season. For most of the 20th century, Triple-A also included the American Association , based in the Midwest, but that league disbanded with its clubs absorbed by
12426-463: Was an additional location in the Toronto Eaton Centre shopping mall. The Blue Jays wore pullover uniforms during their first decade of existence. The front of the home white uniforms contained the team name in a unique blue/white/blue split-letter style, with the team logo centred below. The road uniforms were powder blue, with the city name in front and the team logo centred below. Initially,
12540-410: Was created. The Pacific Coast League (PCL), which had been rated Triple-A since 1946, was the only minor league to obtain this classification, which it held through 1957. At this time, the major leagues only extended as far west as St. Louis, Missouri , and as far south as Washington, D.C. This classification severely restricted the rights of the major leagues to draft players out of the PCL, and at
12654-422: Was founded in 1901, classifications were redefined: † Draft fee set an amount for a team in a higher class to select a player; n/a for Class A as it would be up to each team to negotiate with an interested major league club. ‡ Protection fee reserved a player to a team, even after a contract expired, preventing the player for seeking employment with any other team. All minor leagues were classified, and had
12768-515: Was further informally subdivided into Rookie Advanced, complex-based Rookie, and international summer baseball. There have also been some failed start-up leagues. During the 1970s, three official minor leagues (members of NAPBL) attempted unsuccessfully to revive unaffiliated baseball (teams not associated with specific MLB franchises) within the organized baseball structure. These were the Class A Gulf States League (1976) and Lone Star League (1977), and
12882-455: Was sung in French, English, and Blackfoot . For Blue Jays road games, "O Canada" is sung before the "Star Spangled Banner" as all road games (since the Expos moved to Washington, DC) for the Blue Jays are in the United States. The Blue Jays traditionally host an afternoon home game during Canada Day . During the game, the team wears red jerseys instead of blue jerseys. During the pre-game ceremony,
12996-466: Was terminated amid accusations of improper conduct from several female employees. Following Howarth's retirement in the 2017 season, Ben Wagner was hired as the primary radio play-by-play announcer, splitting said duties with Dan Shulman and Mike Wilner. In November 2020, Mike Wilner was laid off by the team. In February 2021, it was announced that "in an effort to minimize travel and closely adhere to team, league, and government protocols related to
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