It’s the end of an era for my dad.
asserted
It → ’ → dad
At the age of 95, going to baseball games has become too challenging, so it’s time to say goodbye to Rogers Centre (but not to the team).
asserted
it → go → team
My dad’s from a generation when men don’t tend to talk about or show their emotions, so I’m not sure how he’s feeling about this.
asserted
he → ’ → this
I, on the other hand, cry during commercials, so I am already bracing myself for the sadness.
asserted
I → cry → sadness
The initial pangs will probably hit in December when our rituals for the next-season typically begin.
asserted
rituals → hit → season
We’ll no longer sit around his dining table, printouts of the schedule in hand, divvying up the games among our ticket-sharing group.
asserted
We → sit → group
The next ache will hit as April 2, 2027 nears — no more Home Openers at the ballpark together.
asserted
April → hit → ballpark
But it’s about much more than the Home Opener.
asserted
it → ’ → Opener
It’s the loss of the foundation of our bond built over all of these decades that I mourn.
asserted
I → ’ → that
I sat beside Marty for most of those games.
asserted
I → sit → games
We’ve experienced a ton of baseball together.
asserted
We → experience → baseball
There were the highest of highs as the Jays won their first American League (AL) East Division and played in their first American League Championship Series (ALCS) in 1985; the back-to-back World Series Championships in 1992 and 1993 and the years of near-misses that built toward them; the excitement in 2015 — 2016, and then last year’s incredible run, watching a team that played with such infectious joy as it exceeded all expectations.
asserted
it → be → expectations
We were at Game 6 jumping up and down when Joe Carter touched them all.
asserted
Carter → jump → them
We saw Roy Halladay’s one-hitter on the final day of the 1989 season that sparked such excitement for his future.
asserted
that → see → future
We watched Jose Bautista’s bat flip, Dave Stewart’s no hitter (as an Athletic), the Springer Dinger and so much more.
asserted
We → watch → Athletic
We also endured the cold and rain delays at Exhibition Stadium; Jim Sundberg’s windblown triple in Game 7 of the 1985 ALCS, the team’s collapse in the last week of 1987, and too many “rebuilding” years at the Dome when the stadium was mostly empty or filled with Yankees or Red Sox fans.
asserted
stadium → endure → fans
But even in the lean years, when there was never a glimpse of a winning season, let alone a championship, we kept going because there was always baseball and our time together spent dissecting the game and kibitzing with the baseball community, who sat in or worked by our section.
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who → be → section
My dad loved his seats.
asserted
dad → love → seats
Sitting in Section 116L, Marty made friends with the TV cameramen, photographers, game staff, Ace, returning anthem singers and a few concession sellers.
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Marty → sit → cameramen
He brought wine gums to the games, and he’d slip the little packages to his favourite ballpark friends.
asserted
he → bring → friends
In return, some gave him lineups and game stat sheets from the Jays media.
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some → give → media
He used his connections to get baseballs from the visitor’s dugout to give to unsuspecting kids sitting near us.
asserted
He → use → us
People don’t often see that quiet, generous side of my dad but I got to see it every season.
asserted
I → see → it
Last year, the Jays gave my dad the thrill of a lifetime when they invited him to throw out the ceremonial first pitch before their last regular season game.
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they → give → game
The Jays clinched the American League East that day, leading to the most exciting month of playoff baseball.
asserted
Jays → clinch → baseball
Like everyone else, we had hoped for another World Series Championship; instead, we savoured a magical season, one of the best we ever saw.
asserted
we → hop → best
As I wrote this, the Jays were in the hunt for the last AL Wild Card spot — an unexpected occurrence given how the first four months of the season played out.
asserted
months → write → season
It’s been an exciting September, which is really all baseball fans can ask for.
asserted
fans → ask → all
However, my dad won’t get the storybook ending to his tenure as a season-ticket holder.
asserted
dad → get → holder
Yet, reflecting on all of the years and all that baseball, I can’t help but feel how lucky we’ve been — to witness great, mediocre and even not-so-great baseball, and to share it with a community of like-minded fans.
asserted
we → reflect → fans
Mostly, I’m grateful to share a common passion with my dad that has bonded us over so many experiences, some just between us, and others shared with a ballpark full of strangers who felt like friends.
asserted
who → ’m → friends
The Aporia
