MISSISSAUGA, Ont. — When you’re famous for naming your dog Blue, there was never much doubt where your baseball loyalties would land.
On the eve of the biggest baseball game Canada has seen in more than three decades, Don Cherry stood inside his Mississauga home, a Toronto Blue Jays flag raised proudly, voice steady, smile unmistakable.
“Go Blue Jays,” Cherry said, moments before settling in for Game 7 of the American League Championship Series — a night that carried echoes of Joe Carter’s immortal swing in 1993.
At 91 years old, the legendary hockey coach and broadcaster known simply as Grapes was ready.
“I am ready,” he said. “Let’s play ball.”
A Hockey Icon, A Baseball Moment
It might seem unusual to seek insight on a baseball playoff game from one of the most iconic figures in hockey history. But Cherry’s connection to the Blue Jays runs deeper than casual fandom. He has followed the team for decades, embraced their underdog spirit, and sees in them something that mirrors his own philosophy of sport.
Grit. Toughness. Heart.
In Part One of a two-part series, Cherry didn’t hesitate to back manager John Schneider, specifically defending the controversial decision to go with left-hander Brendon Little in a high-leverage moment earlier in the series.
“You have to trust your guys,” Cherry said. “That’s how you win. You don’t coach scared.”
That sentiment could double as a summary of Cherry’s entire career.
“A Blue-Collar Team That Doesn’t Quit”
As the Blue Jays prepared to face the Seattle Mariners at a sold-out Rogers Centre, Cherry made it clear he wasn’t overlooking the challenge ahead. Seattle, he acknowledged, had talent — and he was quick to single out Mississauga native Josh Naylor as a player he admired.
Still, his pick was firm.
“I like Seattle’s players as well,” Cherry said, “but I do think the Blue Jays will win this game.”
Why?
“They’re a gritty team. They play a blue-collar game. That helps you when the pressure is on.”
To Cherry, this wasn’t about analytics or matchup spreadsheets. This was about identity — a team that scraps for every run, every out, every inch. A team that reflects its city and, perhaps, its country.
The Crowd Factor — And Why It Matters
Cherry reserved special praise for Blue Jays fans, calling the atmosphere at Rogers Centre a legitimate weapon.
“The fans making it so loud are amazing,” he said. “That makes a difference. Players feel that.”
In Cherry’s world, emotion isn’t a distraction — it’s fuel. And in a Game 7 setting, with the season hanging by a thread, he believes noise, passion, and belief can tip the scales.
It’s a viewpoint born from decades behind the bench, where momentum wasn’t measured in data points but in body language and belief.
Eyes Already on the Dodgers?
While Seattle stood directly in the way, Cherry wasn’t afraid to look ahead. Asked about a potential World Series matchup against the Los Angeles Dodgers, his response was confident — almost defiant.
He liked Toronto’s chances.
Not because the Dodgers lack talent — far from it — but because playoff series are rarely won on paper.
They’re won in the trenches.
More Than a Celebrity Endorsement
Cherry holding a Blue Jays flag isn’t just a photo op. It’s a cultural crossover moment — Canada’s most polarizing hockey voice throwing his full weight behind a baseball team chasing history.
For a fan base starving for another championship moment, Cherry’s endorsement feels symbolic. A reminder that when a Canadian team reaches this stage, lines between sports blur. Hockey legends become baseball fans. Entire cities lean in together.
And Cherry? He looks right at home.
“People ask why I care so much,” he said with a grin. “Because this matters. This is Canada’s team.”
Why This Moment Feels Different
The Blue Jays haven’t been this close in a long time. One win away from the World Series. One game from rewriting history. One night that could join the pantheon of Canadian sports memories.
And standing in his living room, flag in hand, Don Cherry looked every bit like a fan who understands what’s at stake.
Because when Grapes says he believes, it’s never casual.
It’s loud.
It’s emotional.
And it’s all-in.
Part Two: Why Don Cherry believes this Blue Jays run says something bigger about Canadian sports — and why he thinks it’s only just beginning.
Leave a Reply