By Dylan Marks and Daniel Opasinis

After 32 years, the Toronto Blue Jays are back up to plate in the World Series. Today, we are seeing a new generation of Jays fans coming together, following in the footsteps of those before them. 

In an impressive feat, the Jays clinched their spot in the postseason with a 13-4 blowout against the Tampa Bay Rays, going on to dominate over the New York Yankees and the Seattle Mariners in the American League Division Series and American League Championship Series respectively. 

The nail in the coffin to send them to the World Series: a three-run home run, in game seven against the Mariners, to deep left field by—one of the team’s most experienced players—George Springer. 

Why does this matter? What does an achievement like this mean to anyone? 

We—as university students born in the early 2000s—can only imagine what it was like, seeing Joe Carter’s home run of 1993. The way Toronto rallied behind a team set to bring it home and a national identity that deserved it just as much. 

With this team, at this time, in this city—it’s not too different.

The feeling of this team is sitting on the couch with your dad, watching a close game when your favourite player hits a 96 MPH ball out of the park and, like a survival instinct, you’re out of your seats, jumping around the living room in tears. All because of a ball hit in a stadium you’re not even in.

So, why does this city need this? Because we deserve it. Because Blue Jays fans, not only in Toronto but across Canada, come together—if only for a short while—to support this team as one. 

And when the month ends, the dust settles and Toronto returns to its litter of Leafs hats and Raptors jerseys, we’ll get to keep our memory of what happened here, as we showed the world how we play October baseball. 

Go Jays go!