The Toronto Blue Jays just can’t seem to reach their 2015 potential this season. They currently stand dead last in the American League, and in 29th out of all 30 teams in the MLB. Maybe it’s been all the injuries, or their age, or perhaps it was the discouragement of the hideous 2-10 record at the very start of their season that had everyone in a panic.  

The Jays haven’t always had a season this blue. With the entire country cheering them on, they’ve often been the centre of some of Canada’s proud, patriotic memories. Below are a few fun facts that highlight some of the Blue Jays’ better or more interesting moments. 

1. The Blue Jays played their first ever game on April 7, 1977 against the Chicago White Sox at Exhibition Stadium in Toronto. They won the game 9-5 in front of a crowd of 44,649 fans.  
2. Their playoff debut happened in 1985 when they won the American League East pennant. With homeruns from Ernie Whitt, Lloyd Moseby and Willie Upshaw, the Jays beat their rivals, the New York Yankees, 5-1. 
3. In 1988, George Bell became the first player in big league history to hit at least three home runs in the first game of the season.  
4. On September 2, 1990 against Cleveland, Dave Stieb became the first and only pitcher in Blue Jays history to pitch a perfect game.  
5. The team was back-to-back World Series champions in 1992 and 1993. 
6. The Blue Jays are the youngest expansion team in the American League to win a World Series.  
7. In 2003, Carlos Delgado hit a four-homer game against Tampa Bay, his first home run being the 300th of his career. During that game he also became the first player in MLB history to hit four for four. 
8. Roberto Alomar was the first Blue Jay inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. His number, 12, was the first number to be retired by the Blue Jays.  
9. Bautista’s bat flip! Nobody can forget the day in 2015 when Texas almost knocked the Blue Jays out of the first playoff round, only to have Jose Bautista save the day with a three-run home run . . . followed by his historic bat flip. 
10. When the team first became a franchise, they held a “Name the Team” contest and received over 30,000 entries. The most popular choice was the “Blues,” but the Board of directors ended up picking Blue Jays (submitted by Dr. Mills of Etobicoke, ON) in the end since Toronto already had a team called the Blues.