I tuned out of Blue Jays baseball when the Olympics started, and never tuned back in. It was a lousy team then, and at the trade deadline shed expiring contracts in more for a gaggle of prospects. But yesterday, I saw a tweet from FOTM BNS that Blue Jays pitcher Bowden Francis was pitching a no-hitter through six innings. That got my attention.
When Francis finished the seventh inning with his no-no in tact, I tuned in. There has only ever been one no-hitter thrown by a Blue Jays pitcher and that was Dave Stieb on September 2, 1990. I was told Dave Stieb had thrown a no-hitter in Cleveland by my boss at the CNE so I didn't tune in to a minute of that game. I wanted to watch the Blue Jays' second no-hitter happen in real-time.
A ninth inning home run from LA Angels third baseman Taylor Ward ended the drama, meaning Stieb still stands alone, but my day of baseball wasn't over. My and my two youngest kids jumped on a bus and headed to an amazing evening of Toronto Maple Leafs baseball at Christie Pits.
The weather was perfect, the beer was flowing, and the hot dogs were grilled to perfection beyond the outfield fence. The crowd was also large and boisterous, as the team dropped a tight one 4-3 to the Barrie Baycats.
There's no guarantee there will be another Maple Leafs playoff game at Christie Pits in 2024, but if there is, I plan to be there. It's the best value in the city.
