“Didn’t know it was a thing” – Jays’ Game 1 starter Gausman will keep playoff beard

TORONTO — Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Kevin Gausman said Friday he has no plans to shave his brown beard that has grown thicker by the day.

Gausman was tabbed to start Game 1 of the American League Division Series against the New York Yankees on Saturday.

He admitted that he wasn’t aware of the athlete tradition – perhaps most common in NHL circles – of players growing facial hair while their team is active in the post-season.

“Now that I’m here, everybody keeps telling me you’ve got to let it go,” Gausman said at a media availability at Rogers Centre. “I didn’t know that was a thing.”

FOLLOW YOUR HEART

Call it a sports encore for Canadian rock band Triumph.

The power trio from Mississauga, Ont., gained a new wave of attention last spring when the group’s hit “Lay it on the Line” was given heavy rotation in NHL playoff promos on Sportsnet.

Another earworm is on deck for the Blue Jays’ run in the post-season.

The latest commercial spot features the band’s mid-’80s classic rock track “Follow Your Heart” as the music bed under a package of highlight snippets from Canada’s lone big-league team.

“All these years after the fact, the song is having a new lease on life,” said vocalist and guitarist Rik Emmett. “It’s a pretty cool thing.”

Rogers Communications owns Sportsnet and the Toronto Blue Jays.

ROAD RADIO

During the playoffs, the Blue Jays’ radio broadcasting crew will be on site at both home and road venues to call the action in person, a Sportsnet spokesperson confirmed.

In the regular season, the crew calls home games from the radio booth at Rogers Centre. Road games are called remotely from Toronto.

Ben Shulman handles the play-by-play call and Chris Leroux serves as the analyst.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 3, 2025.