Introduction
A sports industry is popular now involving thousands of athletes and millions of fans worldwide. In addition to that, it deals with considerable sums of money that come from numerous sponsors, advertising, and different economic activities. That is why it is much more than just a competition in a particular kind of sport; it is a full-fledged business sector. Thus, some teams irrespective of their specialty manage to be high yielding projects. Among them, the Toronto Blue Jays baseball club deserves specific attention. This sports team has a rich history, decent management, and skillful players, while its economic performance seems to be perfect.
Team Explained
Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian baseball team that was established in the late 20th century. It was named after the bird, blue jay, that is famous in Canada. The team competes in Major League Baseball (MLB) and represents the American League East division, and it is the only club in MLB that is not from the United States. Blue, red, and white are the team’s official colors, which is depicted at its logo.
History and Performance
Toronto Blue Jays were created in Toronto in 1977, and they immediately became popular among fans. Over its 42-year history, the club has witnessed many successes and failures, while different people and organizations have run it. At present, however, the team is owned by Rogers Communications Inc. that purchased 80% of the club interests in 2000 (Tait para. 69). It happened in 2004 when the company managed to buy the remaining 20%. Rogers Communications is a famous Canadian company providing people with various communication and media services. Now, the company has many young employees, which influences the company’s performance. It is possible to identify a clear sporting focus of the firm because alongside owning Toronto Blue Jays it launched a specialty TV programming and a sports radio station.
As has been stated, the team’s history has been full of both winning and losing moments. The late 1970s-early 80s were the time of struggles for Toronto Blue Jays because it was difficult for a newly created team to compete against more experienced opponents. As a result, the team finished in the last place in its division several times. However, it took a while for them to win the first East Division title, which happened in 1985. That event marked the beginning “an era of success” for the team (para. 53). During 1985 and 1993, Toronto Blue Jays won a total of nine titles, including the World Series in 1992 and 1993. It could not but result in significant economic benefits for the team, and in 1991, it became the first baseball team “draw four million attendances in a season” (para. 58). Since then, the club performed poorly, because it managed to appear among the top-3 teams of its division for the next time only in 2006.
Furthermore, one more outstanding moment in the team’s history happened in 2015 when Jays won another East Division title. As for the last-year standings, the team did not manage to achieve some significant results or win a trophy. Since the team lost in more than a half of the season games, it finished fourth in its division. However, the absence of regular titles does not prevent Toronto Blue Jays from attracting more fans and obtaining significant financial benefits.
Top Five Players
At present, the team is a set of skillful players, but five of them stand out against the others. Firstly, it refers to Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who is one of the youngest in Toronto Blue Jays. Despite his youth, Vladito is a decent batsman frequently hitting home runs. What is more, he is said to be the youngest player of Jays to hit a home run. Secondly, it is reasonable to pay attention to another infielder, Bo Bichette. This player is only a year older than Vladito but also impresses with significant performance. He is a power hitter, and his first hit happened on his second major league pitch. Danny Jansen, a pitcher, is the third player under discussion. His skills and abilities make him a decent defensive player, while his excellent performance in 2018 allows concluding that the player will have a successful major league career.
In addition to that, Cavan Biggio, a second baseman, is worth mentioning. This player debuted in MLB in 2019, and it took only two days for him to get the first major league hit and show the first home run. Finally, it is reasonable to pay attention to Lourdes Gurriel. This player is worth consideration because he set a record to have 11 consecutive multi-hit games. However, Gurriel fails to become one of the best players in MLB because of frequent injuries. Thus, the players above are responsible for stable performance of Toronto Blue Jays, but it does not mean that the others make lower or less significant contributions.
The Stadium
At present, the Rogers Center is the home stadium for Toronto Blue Jays. Initially, it was called the SkyDome, and the team moved to it during its era of success ((para. 53). However, its name was changed in 2004 shortly after Rogers Communications became a legitimate owner of the club. The stadium is big enough because it can accommodate a slightly more than 49,000 spectators. Toronto Blue Jays have never complained of poor popularity and attendance (para. 58). The team is popular among broadcasters, while many fans regularly attend their home games. As for ticket prices, they start at $15.00, while the most expensive ticket will cost $257.00.
Marketing Activity
It is not a surprise that such high popularity of the team is explained by both its performance and various marketing activities. As it has been said, Rogers Communications is represented by many young employees, and it influences the marketing strategy. Thus, they try to attract more people in their early 20s to attend matches of Toronto Blue Jays. That is why the club organizes various incremental activities, including tailgate parties, Sunday salutes, and others. As a result, the team seems to be a well-developed business and sports project that is free from any significant problems.
Conclusion
Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian baseball team and a member of Major League Baseball. Over its more than 40-year history, the club has had both losing seasons and significant success with two World Series titles being among them. Now, the team is owned by Rogers Communications that pays great attention to the sport. The firm employs a young team, and this fact helps them target their activity at baseball fans who are in their early 20s. The team plays its home matches at the beautiful Rogers Center, while various marketing activities allow telling that Toronto Blue Jays do not have severe problems.
Work Cited
Tait, Allen. “Toronto Blue Jays Team Ownership History”Society for American Baseball Research. Web.