Hall of Famer Jack Morris, who was the Blue Jays’ first 20-game winner

October 21, 2025

By Bob Elliott

Canadian Baseball Network

There was a captive audience of 44,770 at Rogers Centre.

TVs in man caves, living rooms and sports bars had a coast-to-coast captive audience as the 2025 Blue Jays attempted to reach the World Series for the first time since 1993.

Yet who would be a more captive audience than players with the 1992-93 Jays watching across North America?

We contacted a few:

LHP Al Leiter, pre-game, watching from Summit NJ:

Leiter: “I can’t tell you how hard I’m rooting for the Blue Jays tonight. Can’t believe it’s been 32 years since Tom Cheek’s ‘Touch’em All Joe. You’ll never hit a bigger home run.’ call. I turned 28 that day. And if Cito Gaston had kept me in for the ninth inning, I would’ve gotten the W.”

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World Series MVP Pat Borders gets a champagne shower from CF Devon White in 1992

C Pat Borders, World Series, MVP, pre-game, watching from Lake Wales, Fla.

It all started for Borders in a Jays uniform April 6, 1988 when he hit a bases-loaded triple off Charlie Leibrandt in his first major-league at-bat in Kansas City. And in 2013, when Levi Borders had his first college at-bat for South Florida, Levi tripled off Brandon Leibrandt, Charlie’s son, of the Florida State Seminoles.

“I chuckled watching that,” Borders said.

For most people, a conversation starter like “how’s the family,” usually ends with “fine, all good.” Borders ran down the roster:

“Lindsay went to South Florida and is now a nurse, Levi, drafted in the 11th round by the Atlanta Braves, went to South Florida, now has 200 head of USDA beef and ships across the land, Luke played ball at South Florida and now he’s in med school, Laura Beth attended Florida Southern played soccer and softball as well as running track which was exciting, Lance received a scholarship (“and I didn’t think he was that good but it was to play Esports ... you know video games,”) Lilly played soccer at Florida Gulf Coast ... and we have 10 grandchildren.”

“I think that the Blue Jays have a real shot, I hope to get up there for a game if they make the World Series ... maybe with Todd Stottlemyre. I hope they win tonight.”

OF Rob Butler (East York, Ont.), only Canuck player with 1993 World Series champs.

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OF Rob Butler (East York, Ont.), top of the first, Josh Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) singled to right, bringing home Julio Rodriguez for a 1-0 lead:

Butler: “Naylor’s on fire and the pitch was hanging in the middle of the plate. It’s tough to pitch around guys, but later in the game, they’ll walk him intentionally.”

Jorge Polanco bounced to Ernie Clement who stepped on the bag and tried to complete the double play, an incoming Naylor didn’t slide. Instead, he jumped and was hit with the throw. It looked like a variation of the Rivergrove roll.

Butler: “I’ve never seen that before, but he jumped four feet off the ground. It was so obvious I was surprised the umpires even talked before ruling interference. I saw Josh at the Team-12 Showcase three times. But that was in the days where the hitters started off with a 1-1 count. It was tough on hitters. And I was helping coach the Canadian Junior Team when his brother Myles was there. Myles might have more power than any of the three brothers. Myles hit a ball over the centre field batting eye at the Houston Astros spring stadium. I mean it was 100 feet over, I couldn’t believe it.”

Daulton Varsho singles home George Springer in the bottom of the first. Tie score at 1-1.

Butler: “There you go. Score with the bottom of the lineup, like we did in 1993. Remember all those hits Tony Fernandez had for us?”

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Leiter: “What a start to this game.”

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After his pinch hit homer against Jeff Reardon in Atlanta Ed Sprague chest bumps Derek Bell.

3B Ed Sprague, watching from Lodi, Caif., fourth inning:

Sprague: “My son Jed asked me who I was rooting for since I played for both (Blue Jays 1991-98, Mariners in 2001 under Lou Piniella). I told him I was cheering for the Blue Jays, but I am a real big fan of Dan Wilson (former teammate, now M’s manager). Right now, through four, it’s tight, the Mariners are having a little better at-bats, but both starters look good. The game will probably be decided by the bullpens. I’ll be shocked if Vlad Guerrero sees a strike.”

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Hall of Famer Jack Morris, the Detroit Tigers broadcaster, watching from Minnesota, as Cal Raleigh homered to lead off the fifth facing Louie Varland.

Morris: “You phone me after that? (Varland, like Morris, is a St. Paul, Minn. native. Me: “I looked up your number before the ball was hit.”) I’ll tell you Varland’s manager must love him -- he pitches almost every game. (Varland) coached my son Miles (now pitching at Reinhardt University Eagles) at a winter camp. Shane Bieber hasn’t been real sharp but God bless him he’s out there in Game 7 coming back after Tommy John. If they had seven runs on the board, it wouldn’t matter. But they haven’t -- yet.

“I’m pulling for the Blue Jays. I find it is ironic that they are both expansion teams from the same year and it has taken this long for them to match up. I followed the Jays, I didn’t know much about Seattle, but they have a decent pen and their starting pitchers are way better than I thought they were. Vlady is something special, Springer is a scrapper, plus I like Varsho and Addison Barger.

“Everyone tells me Bo Bichette would make be a factor if he was in the lineup. But everyone is missing someone. Like Brian Woo was injured and came out of nowhere ... he looked great the other night ... He throws an easy 96.”

* * *

Tom Henke, watching in Taos, Mo. (with about a 15-to-20 second advantage over my Mississauga TV), bottom of the seventh ...

Henke: “Well, we need a few runs but there is a lot of baseball left. There’s a walk.”

(Me: Wait a second my TV shows it only 3-1 on Barger.)

Henke: “There’s a hit.”

(Me: You sound like Jerry Howarth.)

Henke “I haven’t said “Yesssssss sir yet.” We got the bunt down, Right man. Right time Springer is up. Yesssssss sir. Home run Springer!

(Me: You ruined it for me.)

Henke: “We’re ahead now. You need high-speed internet up there. Once again Taos (Population: 1,150, 2020 census) leads the way in technology. I just heard the whole country of Canada breathe a huge sign of relief. We beat a strong Braves’ pitching staff in 1992. Our 12-year-old grandson Cain was here the other day and asked if he could see some tapes. I showed him one against the Yankees and I gave up a home run to Don Mattingly. I pitched 2 2/3 innings and we had a three-run lead, so I still got the save.

“There are still lot of Jays fans -- even if they play Kansas City Royals. My sister just texted Kathy ‘How about those Blue Jays.’”

* * *

RHP Todd Stottlemyre, watching in Phoenix, Az., Jeff Hoffman on the mound, bottom of the ninth.

“This is cool, watching the fans has been a blast. Seeing the excitement and remembering how lit the fans were in 1992-93 it brings back so many memories of the good times. It’s crazy the Hall of Famers we had on our teams -- Dave Winfield, Rickey Henderson, Paul Molitor and Jack Morris.

(Unlike Henke my TV is ahead a second ahead of Stottlemyre’s feed.)

Stottlemyre: “Here we are one pitch away.”

(Me: “Strike three ... it’s over.”)

Stottlemyre: “You ruined it for me. Boom baby. Now they have to go up against a beast (Los Angeles Dodgers). The one thing the Dodgers have is a great pitching staff so if you compare staffs you lean towards the LA staff, but the way this Blue Jays team grinds it out at the plate. They grind against starters, they grind against relievers. They don’t give up an out. There are no freebies. Every man top to bottom battles. Facing a lineup like that is extremely difficult on pitchers, that will make it difficult but we’ll see this all the way through.

Stottlemyre: “The thing about the Blue Jays is that they hit the ball everywhere ... the other team can’t say ‘hey, this guy is dead pull hitter. Look at Guerrero and where he hits the ball, At one point, Bichette -- before he was injured -- had more base hits to right field than anyone in the game. How will one of the better pitching staffs face against that approach?”

* * *

RHP Pat Hentgen, watching in Michigan:

Hentgen: “The Springer bomb was unreal, as were the starters plus Hoffman. I’m happy for all the people involved from the top to the bottom, a lot of good people. I’m really happy for (pitching coach) Pete Walker and (manager) John Schneider. I’ve known them both for so long and they’re good baseball people. I’m especially happy for the fans. Is this Don Mattingly’s first World Series. I’m so happy for him.”

* * *

Our final message of the night was from Leiter.

It was three emojis of two hands clapping.

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What’s that old saying “once a Toronto Blue Jay always a ...”

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