Source: The Guardian Sport
The Blue Jays came within one win of securing their first World Series since 1993.Photograph: Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesView image in fullscreenThe Blue Jays came within one win of securing their first World Series since 1993.Photograph: Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesToronto Blue JaysAt the World Series the Blue Jays belonged to Canada – and large parts of the US tooOne baseball win was never going to bind Canada – and sympathetic fans south of the border – together for ever. But it was sweet while it lastedColin HorganMon 3 Nov 2025 05.00 ESTLast modified on Mon 3 Nov 2025 05.02 ESTShareThe first time the Blue Jays won aWorld Series, in 1992, the team’s victory parade was held on the same day as a contentious national referendum. At play that day was a suite of potential constitutional changes that had Canadians, living through a period of economic strain, regional tension, and a growing distrust of political elites, questioning what kind of country they were living in. The referendum failed and paved the way for another, three years later, in 1995, that almost saw Quebec leave Canada altogether. Following the win, Prime Minister Brian Mulroney congratulated the Jays noting that, beyond it being a “historic victory” the team’s playoff run “united a nation behind you, capturing the imagination of Canadians from coast to coast.” It was something Canada needed.This time there was no parade. The Jays lost 5-4 to the LA Dodgers in the early hours of Sunday ina heartbreaking Game 7, missing out on their first World Series title in 32 years.It would be too much to suggest that Canada needed the Jays to win in exactly the same way the country did in 1992. For one thing, there has since been another World Series win – the following year, capped by Joe Carter’s historic walk-off home run. And it’s only been six years sincethe Toronto Raptors won the NBA championship– another surprise Canadian franchise victory in a US-dominated sport. In other words, it wouldn’t have been the first time ‘Canada’s Team’ has pulled off a win.But some things never change. Canada’s national mood is perpetually fragile, after all, and its regional issues and economic tendencies are built-in. Sure, the country is not on the verge of splitting up, as it was in 1992, but there is a weird, and weirdly strong,separatist movement roiling in Alberta, pushing the province into unknown territory. Inflation is much lower, but other economic indicators are so-so. The national unemployment rate is lower now than it was in the early 90s – 7% now versus 11% then. But that depends on how old you are – youth unemployment in Canada is currently around 15%. Still, these are familiar, manageable issues.Tensions with the USare not.If the Dodgers are bad for baseball, why was the World Series so much fun?Read moreBack in 1992, Canada had just signed the first Nafta with the US and Mexico. At least at a political level, there was a sense of cross-continental camaraderie. After a US Marine unwittingly…
Published: 2025-11-03T10:00:28
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