TORONTO (AP) — Joe Carter slipped into the Blue Jays’ home run jacket, then touched them all in a parade of dugout high-fives.
The hero of Toronto’s 1993 World Series triumph threw out the ceremonial first pitch before Game 2 of the World Series on Saturday night, bouncing his toss to infielder Bo Bichette.
As Carter walked off the field, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. stepped forward to offer him the blue blazer that Blue Jays players put on to celebrate home
runs, a Toronto tradition since 2021.
Fans roared as Carter jumped around in front of the dugout, mimicking his celebration after his game-ending three-run home run off Philadelphia’s Mitch Williams in Game 6 of the 1993 World Series. He then went into the dugout to high-five Blue Jays players and coaches.
Carter’s historic homer, one of only two to end a World Series, made the Blue Jays back-to-back champions. In the 32 years since, only the 1998-2000 Yankees have been repeat winners.
Toronto’s opponent this year, the Los Angeles Dodgers, are seeking to join that group of repeat winners.
“The reason why it’s tough to repeat is because sometimes you become complacent when you reach the pinnacle,” Carter said before the game. “Then the next year there’s kind of a letdown because all of a sudden you’ve achieved what you wanted to achieve.”
The Blue Jays avoided complacency by making changes between their two championship teams, Carter said, adding Paul Molitor and Dave Stewart while parting with Dave Winfield, among others.
“It was a different team,” Carter said.
Pittsburgh’s Bill Mazeroski is the only other player to hit a World Series-clinching homer. His milestone shot came against New York Yankees pitcher Ralph Terry in the ninth inning of Game 7 in the 1960 Fall Classic.
“It’s what every kid dreams of,” Carter said of hitting such a meaningful homer. “It’s what everyone sits there and thinks about. It’s only happened two times in the history of the game, and the first time it happened was the year I was born, 1960. And then it happens 33 years later.”
Since Carter hit his famous homer, the Blue Jays have added another trio of huge three-run homers, one at every stage of the postseason. José Bautista delivered his memorable bat flip blast against Texas in the 2015 AL Division Series, and Edwin Encarnación hit a game-ending homer to beat Baltimore in the 2016 AL Wild Card game.
Toronto's latest chapter of October home run history was written last Monday with George Springer’s go-ahead homer in Game 7 of the ALCS against Seattle.
Watching alone in his home theatre, Carter said Springer’s homer brought back memories of his 1993 blast.
“I’m jumping up and down, I’m hitting the wall,” Carter said. “It was as if I had relived the whole thing because it was just that big.”
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