As Blue Jays tickets sell out in record time and “blue flu” infects seasoned fans and bandwagoners alike, two in particular are gaining attention for their extraordinary acts of superfandom.
Andre Chapman of Cambridge, Ont., successfully lobbied a judge for dismissal from jury duty, while Jon Shell – a born-and-raised Torontonian who lives in Australia – flew around the globe to attend the first two games of the playoffs.
Both men say the Jays advancing to the post-season for the first time in 22 years is all it took to inspire them.
Chapman had already been plucked for jury duty when he says he was presented with the option to write a note seeking dismissal, a choice typically reserved for those with previous commitments or any issues that could prevent them from being a juror.
“And I thought, I’ve got the Blue Jays ticket, I’ve been waiting over 20 years to see them live for the playoffs, so I wrote a note as well,” he told CTV News Channel on Friday.
In his pitch, Chapman wrote that he understood that it “might not really be considered a hardship” if he missed the game, but that he’d be “extremely disappointed” if he did.
As the trial got underway, Chapman says the judge addressed his proposal.
“They discussed it with the lawyers and decided they’d excuse me and put an alternate juror instead in my place,” he said.
And despite the Jays’ 5-3 loss on Thursday to the Texas Rangers, Chapman said the atmosphere in the Rogers Centre blew him away.
“I don’t think I’ve been to a game where the fans were that invested in the outcome,” he said.
For Jon Shell, a lifelong Jays fan who now lives in Australia, news that the Jays were playoff-bound had him quickly booking the cheapest tickets he could: flying over the Atlantic in one leg, and flying over the Pacific in the other, each with several layovers.
“So I’ll be going fully around the world for these couple games,” Shell said.
He compared Thursday’s kickoff game to the electric atmosphere he felt back in 1989 when the Jays clinched the AL East division against the Angels.
“There were entire innings where the Jays were hitting where the crowd was standing, which never happens,” he said.
Looking ahead, Shell says the team’s chances against the Rangers likely lies with pitcher David Price.
“You got to hope Price in game four and five can bring it, cause it’s probably going to come down to him,” Shell said. “So he’s got to get that playoff monkey off his back.”
