What editors say about CP’s team of the year

The Toronto Blue Jays put baseball back on the map in the playoff-starved city this year and the rest of the country took notice. Canada’s lone Major League Baseball team was voted the landslide winner of The Canadian Press team of the year award in an online survey of broadcasters and editors across the country. Here are some of their quotes:

“The Jays’ first playoff run since 1993 made people across the country stop and take notice. Even non-baseball fans were caught up in the memorable run. The team’s second-half surge, bolstering of the roster prior to the trade deadline and the bat flip few will forget, the season brought baseball interest back to a level not seen since the early ’90s.” — Jason Malloy, Sports Editor, Charlottetown Guardian.

“Although most of the players are not Canadian, the Blue Jays’ year brought baseball back to a prominent position on the Canadian sports radar. Also in the U.S.A., most telling for me was being stopped on the street in Houston this month by someone wanting to talk Blue Jays!” — Mark Shoemaker, Program Director, CKMH FM in Medicine Hat.

“It seems funny, on some levels, to elect a team that didn’t even get to its league final. But for the first time in a long, long time, the Blue Jays had a good chunk of Canada captivated by baseball again. And I mean captivated. People were talking about the Jays seven days a week for about three months. That’s an accomplishment in itself.” — Jonathan McDonald, Sports Editor, Vancouver Province.

”The Blue Jays became Canada’s team in 2015. They no longer belong to one city. They brought together baseball fans all across the country, including those who are nostalgic for the Montreal Expos.” Michel Lorrain, Vice-President, Cogeco.

”The Blue Jays got the entire country excited about baseball again, notably with the help of catcher Russell Martin.” Marc Brassard, Sports Editor, Le Droit.