‘It’s going to be a hell of a series’: Jays fan Geddy Lee stoked for World Series

TORONTO — Geddy Lee is holding onto cautious optimism as the Toronto Blue Jays head into the World Series as underdogs.

The Rush bassist, keyboardist and loyal Jays fan says it’s hard to shake the “woe is me … Eeyore mentality” that comes with loving a team that’s ended every season in “disappointment since 1993.”

That’s the last year the Jays reached the World Series, ultimately winning against the Philadelphia Phillies.

The team flirted with a World Series berth in 2016 before falling to Cleveland in the American League Championship Series.

Despite their many setbacks, the rock star’s loyalty to the Jays has never wavered. He’s kept his seats behind home plate, lent his music to some of the team’s promotional videos, and voiced introductions for telecasts.

Lee spoke with The Canadian Press about all things Jays as he looked toward a historic moment for the team on Friday as the Jays opened the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers at the Rogers Centre.

CP: Well, Geddy, it seems like things are looking pretty good for you right now. Besides the Jays, you’ve announced plans for a Rush reunion tour next year, and many of the dates are already sold out.

Lee: Yeah, it’s been a good month, I would say, in my world. (I’m a) pretty happy guy right now.

CP: What was going through your mind earlier this week as the Jays inched towards the possibility of being in the World Series?

Lee: I was at that last game with my grandson, who’s 11. And the last (time) we’d gone to together, they had lost and he had gotten very downhearted. So I was very much watching the game through his eyes. I kept trying to keep the atmosphere optimistic, but when we were coming out of the sixth inning, it was getting hard. We were thinking, can they mount a comeback? So I was trying to keep his spirits up, and I did that by talking about how unpredictable baseball is and what a great comeback team they’ve been all year. Then, I remember talking about the 1993 World Series to him and saying, “Look, you know, we thought all was lost in the eighth, but they came back and won the championship. So, anything can happen.” Thankfully, the Blue Jays made me look like a wizard. The comeback happened, and he just exploded. Well, the whole place exploded. I was just so happy for him to have been there for that moment.

CP: Tell me a bit more about being a Jays fan. It hasn’t always been easy, considering their track record.

Lee: You can’t help but fall into that, “Oh, woe is me … Eeyore mentality.” They’re never going to make it, but maybe they will. Toronto fans, and I’m sure hockey fans, will bear this out. You get to that stage where you’re excited, but you have guardrails on your excitement because you’re not quite sure it’s worth the emotional investment to be disappointed all over again. So I’m happy to say that we shook those chains free in this one.

CP: Looking back on 1993, a lot has changed in the game of baseball. The league has worked to make the game move faster, while stadiums seem to be pushing to keep that energy high at every moment. How do you feel about it all?

Lee: A lot of things that have shifted since ’93. There’s a very aggressive attitude … a constant barrage of funky clips, heavy metal clips. They really are trying to manipulate our emotions. It’s decidedly louder in there than I’ve ever experienced. Certainly, back in the 90s, it did not have the same volume. So I don’t know what to attribute it to, but when (George) Springer hit that home run, that’s the loudest I have ever heard it in that building. Somebody told me it was like standing three feet away from a chainsaw.

CP: How do you feel about it? Does it feel more exciting to you?

Lee: It’s a bit too much for me, I’ll be honest. I don’t like my emotions to be manipulated in that regard. I understand that they’re trying to keep fans that are younger (engaged), but I find the whole repetitive, bombastic use of clips shatters a bit of the authentic emotion that comes out of watching one pitcher throw to a batter — that cat and mouse game — and the natural tension that exists without external stimulation.

CP: It’s exciting to see the whole “Toronto vs. Los Angeles” storyline get a new chapter, especially considering that the feud between hometown rapper Drake and Compton, Calif. rapper Kendrick Lamar seems to be cooling off.

Lee: Oh, yeah. Well, I don’t really have much opinion about that, but I know we really wanted to sign Shohei Otani here. And that, of course, was a bitter result in the end (when he went to the Dodgers). It turned into a bit of a sideshow. So it’ll be pretty intense when he faces Toronto. He is just the greatest player of our time. I think, regardless of what happens, it’s a privilege to get to watch a player of that calibre.

CP: What about the viral sensation Dean Angelo, better known as the “jacked Jays fan.” He got a lot of attention on TikTok during the ALDS, but have you ever met?

Lee: Oh, I’ve known him since he was a young boy. He’s the son of a very good friend of mine. I’ve known him since kindergarten. He was a cute little boy, and now he’s a very large bodybuilder. So yes, I know them really well. For all of us who have known him his whole life, (his newfound popularity) is kind of funny and sweet.

CP: Do you plan to travel to Los Angeles to see the Jays face the Dodgers on their home turf?

Lee: I have a project that I’m working on in Los Angeles, and I had scheduled to go next week. Coincidentally, there’s a World Series going on there. I’ve heard from my friends in L.A. (who say) I’ve been invited to a game if I want to go. So I’m hoping … I can watch the Jays in the enemy territory, so to speak. I’ve gotten so many emails and texts from my friends all around the U.S.A., and they’re all saying, “Yeah, we’re rooting for your Jays.” So that’ll be interesting to see. I’m sure it’s going to be a hell of a series.

— This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 24, 2025.