Historian Jamie Bradburn takes a look back at the pandemonium that followed the Jays’ first World Series victory 33 years ago
Atlanta, Georgia, Oct. 24, 1992. Game 6 of the World Series, pitting the hometown Braves against the Toronto Blue Jays.
It was a nail-biter, with a 2-1 Jays lead going into the bottom of the ninth inning. The Braves then tied it up, sending the match into extra innings.
In the top of the 11th inning, Dave Winfield hit a double, which scored two runs, giving the Jays a 4-2 lead. Though the Braves scored again in the bottom of the 11th, relief pitcher Mike Timlin replaced Jimmy Key on the mound and made the final out.
Final score: 4-3.
For the first time, the Blue Jays could call themselves World Champions.
Back home in Toronto, 45,551 fans had filled the SkyDome to watch the game on the JumboTron, a crowd team officials believed was the largest ever for a closed-circuit television event. People began lining up for free seats around 9 a.m., which were filled 90 minutes before the game began.
Fans who were barred tried anything to enter. Among the most creative was a teenager who claimed he was Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, insisting he was obliged to attend to help fans “in their time of need.” Despite pointing out the similarity of his chin to Mulroney’s, security refused to admit him.
After pre-game entertainment from the Pedigree All-Stars performing dogs, fans rode an emotional roller coaster, cheering the Jays and booing Braves owner Ted Turner and his then-wife Jane Fonda.
Fans who wandered onto the field during the game exited with trespassing fines. One over-excited fan was charged with committing an indecent act after running onto the field mid-game and running circles in centre field with his pants down.
But when the game ended, fans could not be stopped from rushing onto the field. Police formed a circle around home plate to prevent it from becoming a souvenir.
The city explodes in celebration
Across downtown Toronto, around 500,000 people filled the streets to celebrate the victory. Though Yonge Street was officially closed between Queen and Bloor, reports suggested traffic was unable to move between the waterfront and Highway 401. Businesses blared the Queen song We Are The Champions.
Blue Jays pennants and Canadian flags were everywhere.
Police said they were pleased that the public was well-behaved and not causing destruction, even if some officers went home with sore hands after high fiving so many fans.
The celebration touched a deep nerve for some.
“The happiness I feel tonight has washed away so many of the horrific memories from back there,” Howard Richmond, a Canadian Forces member who had just returned from serving in Bosnia, told the Toronto Star.
Crowds returned to the streets the next day
The next day, hundreds of fans intending to welcome the team arriving at Pearson Airport were disappointed when security insisted the players weren’t coming through the arrival gates in Terminal 3. Instead, the players boarded buses which transported them to the SkyDome garage.
Some fans were angry.
“We wanted to come out and support these guys,” a 30-year-old fan from Mississauga told the Toronto Star. “No one would have touched them; we’re just here to see them. It’s very disappointing, especially because we are the people who spend big bucks on these guys.”
Fans returned to the streets that night, once again jamming Yonge Street peacefully.
Local dignitaries praised fan behaviour, feeling the patriotic euphoria would help push people to vote “Yes” during the national referendum on the Charlottetown Accord the next day, which would have amended the Constitution to give provinces more power. Ontario Premier Bob Rae felt the win was “very moving for everybody” and would lead to the Accord succeeding (it didn’t, as Canadians voted “No”).
The victory parade
Many people delayed voting until late in the day to enjoy the victory parade that afternoon. Players made the procession from the Royal York Hotel to the SkyDome via 24 Mustang convertibles.
Despite morning rain, the parade drew around 250,000 people. Barricades were inadequate to hold fans back from attempting to touch the players as they rolled by. The loudest cheers went to Alomar as he mocked the Braves’ infamous “Tomahawk Chop.”
Around 50,000 fans were admitted into the SkyDome to watch the official ceremony. All politicians who attempted to speak — including Rae and Mayor June Rowlands — were booed. Winfield, who experienced the first World Series win in his long career, was given the honour of unveiling the championship banner, urging the crowd to stand up and be noisy.
Some of the speeches were emotional. Veteran pitcher Dave Steib, who had missed the series due to injuries and whose contract was not renewed after 14 seasons with the Jays, thanked the crowd “for supporting me when I was down and out.” He later told reporters that “seeing all those people on the sidewalk, in the streets, hanging from the trees, it was a great feeling to be perched on that car, taking it all in.”
The celebrations and parades were reprised when the Jays won again the next year. It remains to be seen how the city will party if their 32-year World Series drought ends this year, though it’s easy to envision scenes similar to the glory days of the 1990s.
