Father-son duo witnesses historic Blue Jays win, makes up for decades-old ‘snub’

The Toronto Blue Jays are headed to the World Series and a father and son fan duo from Edmonton were on hand to see the decisive game.

For Edmonton’s Jolley family, baseball is more than just a sport.

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Brad Jolley, who plays for the collegiate Edmonton Riverhawks, says the sport has “always been my life, from the start, as long as I can remember.”

So witnessing in person, along with his father Rob, the Toronto Blue Jays’ dramatic Monday win over the Seattle Mariners that propelled the Major League Baseball team into the World Series was something special.

Brad’s love of baseball was passed down by Rob, a Blue Jays season ticket holder for the last three decades.

The Jolleys moved to Edmonton from Toronto 17 years ago, but Rob hung onto season tickets he had been sharing with a friend since 1994.

“I took four pairs this summer, for example. That’s it,” Rob told CTV News Edmonton on Thursday, the day before the Blue Jays open the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Brad wasn’t born the last time the Blue Jays made it to baseball’s Fall Classic.

In 1993, Joe Carter hit the biggest home run in team history, winning the Series in six games over the Philadelphia Phillies.

It was a bittersweet moment for Rob. He had tickets to a Game 7 that never was.

Thirty-two years later, he wasn’t missing another shot at seeing his favourite team play a deciding game.

He and Brad attended the game. They were rewarded with one of the most memorable moments in team history: George Springer’s home-run in the bottom of the seventh inning that ultimately lifted Toronto to a 4-3 victory over the Seattle Mariners.

“It all came together into this one moment where he and I are together at Game 7, and we just won it, and we were there live,” Brad said. ”I don’t know if we’ll ever be able to replicate that again.”

Between work and Brad playing with the collegiate Hawks, the Jolleys will take in the first game of the World Series at home or at Remax Field’s watch party.

But if the Jays-Dodgers World Series series goes long...

“I’ve told my wife that we’re the official good luck charms, so we really need to be there for Game 6 or 7,” Rob said.