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Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Anthony Bass said Thursday he doesn't believe an anti-LGBTQIA+ social media post he shared last month was hateful. The right-handed reliever also said he is "working hard" to educate himself, including meeting with the executive director of group Pride Toronto. Bass is scheduled to catch the ceremonial first pitch from Toronto LGBTQIA+ activist leZlie Lee Kam before Friday's game against Minnesota as the Blue Jays begin their fourth annual Pride Weekend celebration.

VIDEO AT LINK....................... Andrés Muñoz of the Seattle Mariners threw a nasty 103-mile-per-hour fastball during a playoff game Friday against the Toronto Blue Jays. The opposing batter was Toronto’s Vlad Guerrero, Jr., and even he was blown away by how fast the pitch was thrown. Guerrero could be seen shaking his head in awe at it. Muñoz’ throw was the fastest pitch heaved during the MLB playoffs in five years, Codify reported. The 103 mph heater was indicative of how the first game of the American League Wild Card series would wind up going. The Seattle pitching duo of Luis...

TORONTO -- Justin Verlander took the mound for the ninth inning, fully aware of the no-hitters he had finished -- and his near misses, too. Zeroed in, he wouldn't be denied this time. Verlander pitched his third career no-hitter, punctuating a dominant season by striking out 14 to lead the Houston Astros past the Toronto Blue Jays 2-0 on Sunday.

TORONTO — The Cleveland Indians have removed the Chief Wahoo logo from the sleeve of their uniforms for a four-game series in Toronto. The decision to nix the logo was partially driven by a failed legal challenge against the team when it played in Toronto during the 2016 AL Championship Series. While Cleveland played the Blue Jays, a lawsuit was filed to have the logo and team name banned from Canadian TV. A judge dismissed the case.

Relishing in his hometown Kansas City Royals’ playoff victory against the Houston Astros, White House press secretary Josh Earnest took a jab at Texas Sen. Ted Cruz (R). Earnest challenged the Canadian-born Cruz to a bet: His Royals against “Ted Cruz’s other hometown team, the Toronto Blue Jays.”

An agreement by federal party leaders to steer clear of Blue Jays games until Canadians vote on Oct. 19 drew giggles and guffaws from baseball fans after Sunday’s game. “I guess they’re bad luck,” Taylor Marr, 25, said with a laugh. The Grimsby man was surprised to hear the Jays had lost recently in games when Tom Mulcair, Stephen Harper, and Justin Trudeau were in the stands. “That’s crazy, they always win now; they never lose,” he said, shaking his head. But if keeping the Jays winning means Harper, Mulcair, and Trudeau have to avoid the stadium, so be it....

The Toronto Blue Jays suspended Yunel Escobar for three games on Tuesday after he wore eye-black tape inscribed with an anti-gay slur during Saturday’s game at the Rogers Centre. The salary forfeited by Escobar during his suspension will go to You Can Play and the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. “Honestly it’s been a terrible experience in my life and career,” Escobar said through a translator. “It’s something I’m sorry for and something I won’t do again.” The player said he was embarrassed by his actions. “It was just a joke,” Escobar said through the translator. “It was my...

TORONTO (AP) -- Major League Baseball is checking reports that Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Yunel Escobar played Saturday's game against Boston wearing eye-black displaying a homophobic slur written in Spanish. Pictures posted online show Escobar with the message written in his eye-black, a sticker players wear under their eyes to reduce glare from the sun. The slur did not appear to be directed at any person in particular. MLB spokesman Pat Courtney confirmed the...

gay chorus will sing the national anthems. The host of a same-sex wedding television show will throw the first pitch. And as rainbow flags flutter, fruit mascots will entertain the crowd during the seventh-inning stretch. When the Blue Jays play host to the Baltimore Orioles tonight, the Toronto team will hold Pride Night, a themed game designed to attract gays and lesbians during the city's Pride Week. "We have a responsibility to be representative of our community and to reach out to segments of our community and overall just be an inclusive organization," said Rob Godfrey, the Blue Jays senior...