Hop on the bandwagon: Everything you need to know since becoming a Blue Jays superfan seven days ago
In an effort to avoid any distractions for regular fans who may be inundated with questions from all the new fans during tonight’s watch parties, here are some answers to the ones we hear popping up a lot:
What is the National League/American League?
Established in 1876, Major League Baseball (MLB) was originally called the National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs (NL) and was created to replace the less stable and chaotic National Association of Professional Base Ball Players (NA).
Almost a decade later, the Western League was founded in 1885 and was later rebranded in 1899 as the American League (AL). In 1901, AL President Ban Johnson officially declared the league as a major league in direct competition with the established NL.
The intense rivalry and legal disputes between the two leagues eventually led to a truce two years later, when in 1903, the NL and AL signed the ‘National Agreement’ that formalized their relationship as equal partners in the MLB.
Why is it called the World Series?
The iconic name of the championship series for the MLB stems from that same National Agreement of 1903 during the league finals.
The NL Champion Pittsburgh Pirates squared off with the AL Champion Boston Red Sox, where Pirates owner Barney Dreyfuss challenged Red Sox owner Henry Killilea to a “World Championship Series”. Over the next few decades, the World Championship Series was shortened to “World’s Series”, and then to “World Series” by the 1930s.
The World Series is also known as the Fall Classic because the series is played during the fall or autumn season. The trophy handed to the winner of the World Series is called the Commissioner’s Trophy.
Who are the players to watch?
Many of the world’s best baseball players are competing in the 2025 World Series.
For Toronto, some of the players to watch include a few future Hall of Famers, including first basemen Vladimir Guerrero Jr., outfielder George Springer, and legendary pitcher Max Scherzer.
Many other notable players are strung throughout the Blue Jays lineup, like catcher Alejandro Kirk, infielder Andrés Giménez, outfielder Daulton Varsho, along with pitchers Trey Yesavage, Jeff Hoffman, Kevin Gausman, Shane Bieber, and Louis Varland.
For LA, they are star-studded throughout their lineup, although a little more on the older side.
The Dodgers are led by the best player in the world right now, and future Hall of Famer, Shohei Ohtani, an exceptional two-way player (pitcher and batter) from Japan. LA has other Japanese stars too, like pitchers Yoshinobu Yamamoto and rookie Rōki Sasaki.
Other guaranteed Hall of Famers suiting up for the Dodgers include infielder Mookie Betts, Canadian first baseman Freddie Freeman, catcher Will Smith, and legendary LA pitcher Clayton Kershaw, who is set to retire after this season.
Has Toronto ever won before?
Yes, twice.
The Blue Jays won their first World Series in 1992 against the Atlanta Braves, winning the best-of-seven set 4-2. Toronto repeated as champs the following year in 1993, when they took down the Philadelphia Phillies by the same 4-2 score.
The final game of the 1993 World Series produced one of the Blue Jays most historic moments, when Joe Carter mashed a three-run walkoff home run to left field to win the game, and the World Series.
Los Angeles, on the other hand, has won eight World Series titles, with their most recent coming last year.
What are some common sayings in baseball?
Some common terms in baseball include:
- Walk: When a pitcher throws four balls to a batter, the batter is awarded first base
- Strikeout (K): An at-bat where a batter gets three strikes and is out. “K” is the standard abbreviation for strikeout
- Double Play (DP): A defensive play in which two players on the offense are put out
- RBI (Runs Batted In): A statistic for a batter who causes a run to be scored, whether by hitting the ball, being walked, or by other means
- On Deck: The player who is scheduled to bat next
- Count: The number of balls and strikes against a batter during an at-bat
- Walk-off: An offensive play that gives the home team the lead in the bottom of the final inning
- Pinch hit: To bat in place of another player, typically at a critical point in the game
What is the designated hitter (DH) rule?
The rule allows teams to use another player to bat in place of the pitcher. Because the pitcher is still part of the team’s nine defensive players, the designated hitter, or DH, does not take the field on defence.
In 2022, the MLB implemented a new rule that made it so the DH would be present in both the AL and the NL. Before this, the DH was only used in the American League, and pitchers batted in National League games.
Why do the players spit so much?
There can be several reasons for this, but it can mostly be attributed to chewing tobacco or sunflower seeds, or a dry mouth.
Historically, chewing tobacco was a common staple in MLB dugouts, used to help keep mouths moist and its stimulant effects, where the resulting increased saliva production needed to be spit out.
Today, sunflower seeds and gum have largely replaced tobacco, but they still create a need to spit out shells or excess liquid. In 2016, the MLB banned all smokeless tobacco for all new players entering the league, resulting in more players now using nicotine pouches.
When do they pee?
Most MLB stadiums have a restroom in a tunnel behind the dugout for quick and easy access. If not, players will need to either head back to the clubhouse (locker room) or use a restroom located behind the dugout.
For pitchers in the bullpen, like the dugout, most stadiums have a restroom in, or very near, the bullpen.
Other facts about the 2025 World Series
- This is the first time the Blue Jays and Dodgers have met in the playoffs. In the regular season, L.A. leads the series 19-11
- Addison Barger’s (TOR) pinch-hit grand slam in Game 1 was the first grand slam in World Series history
- Los Angeles has one of the highest payrolls in all of baseball, spending about $509.5 million on players this season, more than double the Blue Jays’ $252.7 million payroll
- Dodgers Stadium (LA) and Rogers Centre (TOR) are the third and sixth-oldest stadiums in Major League Baseball, respectively
- All-time, this is the Dodgers’ 23rd World Series appearance and their fifth in nine seasons (2017, 2018, 2020, 2024, 2025). This is Toronto’s third
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panews@pattisonmedia.com
