Blue jays planning change

[CC97]

I've been hearing rumblings around the Dome that the Blue Jays are planning a major change around the departure of the Montreal Expos.  

For 2004 the Toronto Blue Jays will be known as either the Canada Blue Jays or the Canadian Blue Jays to fully market their appeal as Canada's only team in Major League Baseball.  Other plans for 2004 include playing several home games in Vancouver, Winnipeg, Ottawa, and Montreal.

It was thought the Expos were as good as gone for the 2003 season, the Jays ad campaign for this season was already set, and it was too late to come up with a new one, hence the "Baseball North" campaign in which they market how 'different' baseball is in Canada with such billboards as "A .300 average is really .450 after the exchange rate", and "Pitches sound much more intimidating when you display it in kilometres per hour".

The Blue Jays would've made the switch to the new logo this season but it was registered too late with MLB Properties.

I'll post more details when I hear them.

[yh]

Wow, this cuts a couple of different ways.  It would be kinda neat to have a "national" team - certainly a first in major league sports (with the exception of the NASL's "Team America" back in the early 80's - but that was planned to be a one year only thing).  However, on the other side of the coin I could see how people in other Canadian cities wouldn't care for a "national" team that plays most of its games in one city, even if there are a sprinkling of games elsewhere in the country (and there aren't bound to be many since the Skydome folks aren't gonig to want to sacrifice the dates).

Also, I would think some City of Toronto officials might not like having the city name removed from the franchise.

[NoHoJoe]

Is this some April Fool's Day rumour?

[Phil]

Ahh... April Fool's Day is starting to get on my nerves. It's like watching Alias or The Agency, you don't know who to trust.

I don't like the idea of calling them the Canada Blue Jays. The are Toronto's team, and as much as I'd love to see them play in Winnipeg, I believe it would be best for the team to stay Toronto's team.

First of all, CanWest Global Park, while a beautiful ballpark (and soon to be expanded), is still a minor league sized park, although we could probably pack the Expos fans into here, and secondly, it'd be a big hassle for the players and management to schedule all those out-of-town "home" games.

Lastly, the name Toronto Blue Jays sounds better than the Canada Blue Jays. They should rename the team if they're gonna make a change already... don't just go halfway to appease Canadians.

Oh yeah, and what if, what if, things really turn around North of the border, and we suddenly become rich enough to have major league franchises again. After we get the Jets back, and if the Goldeyes go major league, what happens, do the Canada Jays go back to being the Toronto Blue Jays? Hopefully they'd go to Chris' modernized old school logo.

A lot of somewhat random thoughts connected to this idea, sorry if I lost you.

[Discrim]

Canadian Blue Jays...doesn't sound right to me.  by this logic, the Expos could have done this way back in 1969.

[CC97]

Canadian Blue Jays...doesn't sound right to me.  by this logic, the Expos could have done this way back in 1969.

Sure they could've but then again they haven't had a maple leaf in their logo for the past 27 seasons.  Nor have they worn red uniforms every July 1st for the past 7 years that say 'CANADA' on the back.

The Jays are looking forward to playing in front of a considerably larger crowd then what they are used to at BC Place, in which over 2 series they could draw at least 35,000 per game whereas the same series' at SkyDome would draw 18,000 per game.

[thegame4219]

not that i don't believe you but i really would like to see the source on that one

[CC97]

not that i don't believe you but i really would like to see the source on that one

I've worked for the toronto blue jays for the past 2 seasons.

[Roger Clemente]

This sounds not only phony, but blue isn't a national color.  (Unless it's Canada Red Jays, which I don't think exist.)

--Roger "Time?" Clemente.

[yh]

This sounds not only phony, but blue isn't a national color.  (Unless it's Canada Red Jays, which I don't think exist.)

--Roger "Time?" Clemente.

FYI - "Red Jays" are better known as Cardinals, and I don't think that name is presently available.

Also, the Eagle is the U.S. national bird, however the national colors are Red, White and Blue.  If the U.S. colors followed those of the eagle (white, yellow and brown), I know of a certain Bay Area logo aficionado and uniform designer extraordinaire who would likely have expatriated by now.

[Lee.]

As far as playing home games in select cities...

This could work, to an extent, providing that their opponents are reasonably close to the hosting cities, ie. playing Seattle in Vancouver, the Twins in Winnipeg, etc.  God knows here, anyway, there are MORE than enough Twins and Jays fans to battle it out at the Can.  HOWEVER...attendance-wise, what's the point?  They can only cram about 7500 into CanWest Global park, so why mention Winnipeg when Burns Stadium in Calgary may be more realistic?  Or are they only interested in the potential hotbeds across the country (knowing full well that Winnipeg is baseball-crazy)?

I dunno....either way, go Twins  

[mr71]

Chris, since you work for the Jays, for Canada Day, is there going to be a red cap with the current logo?  Thanks!

[Puckguy14]

Chris knows what I'm gonna say about this, logo-wise.

Well, the idea is great.  I suggest they put a maple leaf behind a blue jay that would symbolize the Jays existance and show the Canadians backing them...OH WAIT, they DID have that!  Now they have muscular jay with a leaf on his arm and a T that is from a serif font while the typeface is san serif.  Chris, can't you submit your logos?  It's better than that monstrosity they have now.

[Roger Clemente]

Actually, if they were looking for red birds, they could use the red-breasted robin.  They seem so friendly and nice, it'd be cool to honor them.

--Roger "Time?" Clemente.

[CC97]

This was of course an April Fools dingy, I never do em so I thought I would this year.

I'll see if I can find out about Canada Day Uniforms this season, but I am pretty sure they'll do it again, likely on June 30th like last season (MLB Scheduling likes to put both Canadian teams on the road for Canada Day and any other Canadian-only National holiday, I know... nice)

The Jays will be getting a new look next season, I have no idea what it will look like.  My only speculation is that it'll be blue and silver, based on their BP Uniforms, Caps, and the Game Jackets are all blue and silver even though their logo is predominately red (from what I hear the Jays tried to submit the new logo for this year after the T-Bird switch was leaked, but it was too late with MLB).

My logo proposal (i didnt hand it to the Jays or anything) was the 1997-2002 blue jay head merged with the 1977-1996 baseball/leaf, I drew one up in double blue/double grey (which is a colour scheme i'd love some team to use one day); and another in more traditional double blue, red, silver.  It looked very very sharp, and I'll post it when I can.

[yh]

Nice going, man.