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How did you first become a fan of the Blue Jays?

Give us your story.

Dave Sandford

I need something to remind me why I'm a baseball fan and beyond that a Blue Jay fan, so I'm looking to you guys. Give us your story of how you became a fan of the Blue Jays.

Me?

Well, I'm old enough to remember baseball before the Jays. I became a baseball fan when the Expos started becoming pretty good team, with a lot of young and exciting players: Gary Carter, Andre Dawson, Steve Rogers, Warren Cromartie. Bill Lee came to the team and gave them some personality. Tim Raines gave them the best leadoff hitter in the National League.

Through the 80's the Expos never really reached their potential, and then they started breaking up the team. The Blue Jays became the team that was gathering young exciting players. It was easy to like an outfield of George Bell, Lloyd Moesby and Jesse Barfield. I loved watching Ernie Whitt bat. Tony Fernandez was just great to watch, both with the glove and the bat. Dave Stieb was the pitcher of the 80's, I loved the guy, I even loved how he showed irritation with his fielders. By the end of the decade they were either making the playoffs or in contention each year.

The 90's came and though the Expos started putting together a good team again, the Jays won two World Series. The lock out years pretty much killed the Expos and then idiot Jeffrey Loria was brought in to finish the job. He took them off TV and radio and since I was a long way from Montreal, it was like they didn't exist anymore. And soon they did. If you wanted a lesson in how to kill a sports franchise, all you have to do is look at the Expos of the 90's.

So I became a Blue Jay fan full time.

Of course, finding BBB didn't hurt. It has helped get me over the rough times, of which there has been way too many, in the past half dozen years.

Tell us your story, how did you become a fan of the Blue Jays?