Toronto Blue Jays mascots - wikipedia Toronto Blue Jays mascots Ace at the Rogers Centre during the 2013 season. Over the years, the Toronto Blue Jays have created three full - time mascots, all of which portray the bird for which the team was named. BJ Birdy was the team mascot from 1979 to 1999. For the 2000 season, BJ was replaced by Ace and Diamond, two new characters. Diamond was dropped at the end of the 2003 season, leaving Ace the sole mascot. In recent years, Ace has been joined on an occasional basis by Junior. This happens on `` Junior Jays Sundays '', formerly `` Junior Jays Saturdays ''. Contents 1 Eras 1.1 BJ Birdy ( 1979 -- 1999 ) 1.2 Ace ( 2000 -- present ) and Diamond ( 2000 -- 2003 ) 2 Notes 3 See also 4 References 5 External links Eras BJ Birdy ( 1979 -- 1999 ) Kevin Shanahan was an employee of Ontario Place, a theme park attraction run by the provincial government of Ontario, located on Toronto 's lakeshore across from municipally - run Exhibition Place, site of Exhibition Stadium, the team 's home field at the time. As a University of Toronto student, Shanahan designed and performed in a moose costume at the park, to replace the more `` motley - looking thing '' they already had. The second moose costume was uncomfortable, so he designed a more comfortable bird costume. A friend suggested to him the Blue Jays might want a mascot. Not a baseball fan, he had never seen a live game. He commented `` it did n't take me long to see why a mascot was needed. The game needs a distraction. Otherwise your mind wanders. '' Shanahan was a part - time science student, before he later dropped out. Previously he had attended Michael Power High school, where he drew comics for the school newspaper. The team was working on a deal with CHUM Limited to develop a mascot character, after the Montreal Expos had added the character of Youppi ! earlier in the year. Mascots are fuzzy animals hired to keep people happy -- young people especially -- who are n't fascinated by all the statistics we pour at them, or who just get distracted by the time they reach the sixth or seventh innings. Kevin Shanahan, 1998 In 1985, the BJ Birdy character was described as `` lovable, irascible, curious, impudent, mischievous, and often the victim of his own impulsiveness. '' Much of the routines were improvised. `` B.J. is a reaction character. He 's a fan. He wants to know what 's going on. He 'll duck behind a dugout and then pop up again. He does what a lot of fans would do if they were n't so reserved. '' The costume had `` perfect vision '', and was said to be quite agile. During the 1981 Major League Baseball strike, 22 - year - old Shanahan told the Star that he would lose $7000 if the whole season was cancelled. He suggested he might return to Ontario Place, but worried the strike might permanently kill the character. During the strike, he rebuilt his Basil Beaver and Mickey Moose costume heads for Ontario Place, and received a contract to build six more animals in the autumn. By the end of the strike, he estimated a loss of $3600. The Globe and Mail reported a rumour that Shanahan would not be offered a new contract for 1986. The character and its actor had a continuously strained relationship with the team and some fans. When receiving complaints from the fans or media on his behavior at a game, the team front office would apparently reply `` B.J. Who ? '' In 1985, he commented : `` I 'm always walking a fine wire. I found out early that Blue Jays wo n't back me up, that I 'm on my own. So I 'm on a balancing act. '' On the move to SkyDome, `` BJ Birdy '' told the Star that the team should keep prices as is. On April 1, 1985, the first BJ Birdy comic ran in the Toronto Star, created by Shanahan. In a preview article, he commented on the character : `` I see him as an underbird but he 'll definitely be his own bird. He 'll get the odd quip in his favor, he 'll second - guess like fans do but, most of the time, everything will fall back on him. Of course, he might develop into something totally different. I have ideas but that is n't to say they and B.J. wo n't change. Situations that B.J. got into at the stadium were limited but this way the sky 's the limit. He can fall off stadiums, go through walls, do silly, little things. There 's total freedom. '' The character often criticized Jays management. The Globe noted that fans `` had grown abusive. Broadcasters question the reason for his existence. The team 's front office offers only middling support. '' The newspaper noted a negative bent to the comic, with many strips taking shots at those groups. When Paul Beeston was asked about his opinion on a strip centering on him, vice president he commented `` What comic strip ? I did n't know he had one. '' In another strip, BJ Birdy 's mother is about to hit mascot - hating broadcaster Tony Kubek on the head. He commented that the strip was based on real situations, `` when I distort something, I only tone it down. '' Despite -- or perhaps because of -- its controversial nature, the comic was not successful, and was soon cancelled. BJ Birdy gained wider notoriety on May 22, 1993, when he was ejected from a Blue Jays game against the Minnesota Twins for trying to influence an umpire 's call on a caught line drive. In the bottom of the first inning, umpire Jim McKean ruled that Twins infielder David McCarty did n't catch a line drive hit by Roberto Alomar, ruling the play a hit. Although the ruling favoured his team, BJ Birdy was caught up in the excitement of the play and attempted to get the crowd to make the `` hit '' ruling just as McKean was actually making the ruling. McKean still took exception to the antic, ejecting BJ Birdy from the game, which the Jays still won 7 - 0. Over the character 's final seasons, Shanahan suggested that Jays management turned down multiple appearance requests for BJ Birdy. The Raptor, mascot of the Toronto Raptors basketball team, was meanwhile gaining acclaim for his acrobatic routines. The Jays noted the admiration for the NBA team 's `` total entertainment package ''. The team had its second lowest opening day attendance in 1999, desperately trying to attract audiences. The Star commented that the team 's desperation was evident, suggesting that `` the nadir probably reached when a van circled the field pulling a flatbed which bore B.J. Birdy, a massive plastic rodent, two dancing bears and a man firing T - shirts into the stands with a bazooka. '' Shanahan retained ownership of the character, despite initial attempts to sell the rights and costume to the club. Shanahan was called into a meeting with the senior vice-president of marketing for the Toronto Blue Jays, Terry Zuk ; the two apparently had not met before. He was told he was being replaced by two new mascots. Shanahan again offered to sell the costume and copyrights, but the club declined. The team suggested, if it were too hard to hold onto the costume, the Jays Care Foundation would gladly accept a donation ; he flatly refused. It was also suggested Shanahan might be interested in training the new performers. Seeking legal advice, he informed the club the new mascots could not debut before his contract expired on December 31, well after the season 's end. In response, the club called him at his home in Mississauga, telling him not to appear at the final two regular season home games ; he would quip to the media that they were the first `` two paid days off after 20 years. '' In early December, the story about BJ Birdy 's two replacements made the news. Shanahan commented that `` there 's not a great deal of pain in this. I had a good run. But it bothers me that the Jays talked about it before my contract was up. They gave their word they 'd wait until December 31. '' General Manager Gord Ash contested that `` there was no intent to reveal that. We were confronted with the story, it was out from another source and there was no sense having a bunker mentality and denying it. '' Ace ( 2000 -- present ) and Diamond ( 2000 -- 2003 ) Ace appears at Rogers Centre in 2006. Quickly, some in the sports media asked `` Double the pleasure ? Or, double the pain ? '' News of a naming contest led to suggestions like Swing and A Miss, More and Annoying, and Bird and Brain. For their part, the Globe issued an editorial calling the situation `` a baseball civics lesson '', suggesting that no one asked the public, `` and when you do n't ask citizens of a democracy if they want an icon to be changed you must expect them to rise up in revolution... or at least cry out : Give us back our bird. '' As of early December 1999, four people expressed interest in applying, three of them from the United States. By the first round of auditions on January 10, 2000, the club had received about 70 applications. The characters themselves were conceived and designed by Kelly Giannopoulos and Diane Semark. `` We looked for the most interesting personality traits and then actually gave the mascots a past, a sort of legend that went with their story. '' The duo were designed with distinct plummage and faces, to reflect their gender. Sugar 's Costume Studio built the outfits based on their designs. Their personality traits were modelled after Jim Carrey and Goldie Hawn, because `` both of them have a wild and zany side. '' Their original names were Slider and Curveball. On March 4, 2000, two new names were unveiled through the Toronto Blue Jays `` Name the Mascots Contest '' ACE and DIAMOND. Winner of contest : Toronto High School Student A. McConnell The costumes were built by Sugar 's Mascot Costumes in Toronto. An early article suggested they would wear varied clothes ; `` tuxedos for formal events and surgical garb for hospital visits. '' The new costumes were lightweight and featured athletic pants to allow for stunts. Brennan Anderson played Ace for five years, bringing his competitive gymnastics and media background. He later became a sales manager at Sugar 's. Diamond performers included then - Ryerson University student Angelina Milanovic, University of Toronto musical theatre student Larissa Bathgate, and Amanda Barker. Ace became sole mascot of the Blue Jays in 2004, after the team removed Diamond before the season opened. Ace wears the number zero. A second blue jay mascot, named Junior, is present on `` Junior Jays days '', usually Saturdays home games, when children are invited to run the bases after the games. Junior 's number is 1 / 2 ( half ). Affiliate team the Dunedin Blue Jays are represented by DJay the Blue Jay ; he was named BJ in 1998. Ace 's official website jokingly mentioned that his father invented bird stickers commonly found on windows and his mother was a goose feather supplier. In 2012, Ace underwent some changes when the team changed their logo and uniforms. Ace was given more fur and his beak was changed from gray to blue and the bottom of his legs were switched from black to gray. This also happened to Junior. Notes Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ace. Jump up ^ The new moose cost $700 to make, whereas the Jay cost $250 to $300, `` because this time I knew what I was doing. '' ( Patton, `` Big Jay flaps for win ''. ) Jump up ^ The Expos ' final season in Montreal was 2004. The team moved to Washington, D.C., and the rights to Youppi ! were sold to the Montreal Canadiens. ( Rubin, Mike ( September 1996 ). `` The Round and the Fury ''. SPIN. Palm Coast, FL : Camouflage Associates : 142. Retrieved 14 January 2012. ) Jump up ^ This was listed as being $110 a home game, plus licensing fees and outside appearances. Jump up ^ In the book Yes, It 's Hot in Here : Adventures in the Weird, Woolly World of Sports Mascots ( 2014 ), former Mr. Met A.J. Mass noted that Shanahan would regularly verbally answer the questions of the public, contrary to standard procedure for mascots. As it set precedent, it would make other performers look inaccurately standoffish in comparison. ( Mass, A.J. ( 15 April 2014 ). Yes, It 's Hot in Here : Adventures in the Weird, Woolly World of Sports Mascots. Rodale. pp. 60 -- 61. ISBN 1623360048. ) Jump up ^ Ironically, in a 1996 article, the Raptors performer listed Carrey and Charlie Chaplin as his inspirations. See also Baseball portal Toronto portal List of Major League Baseball mascots References ^ Jump up to : MacLeod, Rex ( 30 March 1985 ). `` B.J. Birdy feathers his nest in new career with The Star ''. The Toronto Star. p. C3. access - date = requires url = ( help ) ^ Jump up to : Patton, Paul ( 13 September 1979 ). `` Big Jay flaps for win ''. The Globe and Mail. Toronto. p. 45. access - date = requires url = ( help ) ^ Jump up to : Littler, William ( 18 April 1998 ). `` A symphony of sports ''. The Toronto Star. p. M1, M16. access - date = requires url = ( help ) Jump up ^ Orwen, Patricia ( 12 June 1981 ). `` Blue Jays ' mascot says strike is for the birds ''. The Toronto Star. p. A01. access - date = requires url = ( help ) Jump up ^ Gray, James ( 28 June 1981 ). `` The Jays are n't losing too badly -- for a change ''. The Toronto Star. p. C01. access - date = requires url = ( help ) ^ Jump up to : Parrish, Wayne ( 1 August 1981 ). `` Old club waiting for gang ''. The Toronto Star. p. D01. access - date = requires url = ( help ) Jump up ^ York, Marty ( 19 October 1985 ). `` Carlton 's like a Fisk out of water ''. The Globe and Mail. Toronto. p. C06. access - date = requires url = ( help ) Jump up ^ Perkins, Dave ( 5 November 1988 ). `` How much is a Jays game worth ? ''. The Toronto Star. p. B4. access - date = requires url = ( help ) ^ Jump up to : Brunt, Stephen ( 28 June 1985 ). `` Mascot in flap ''. The Globe and Mail. p. E12. access - date = requires url = ( help ) Jump up ^ Clarke, Steve. `` 70. BJ Birdy Gets Tossed ''. 100 Things Blue Jays Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die ( `` revised '' ed. ). Triumph Books. ISBN 1633197700. Jump up ^ Graham, Bryan Armen ( 25 April 2013 ). `` Ripped Tongues, Ejected Birds and Assassin Penguins : 13 Surprising Mascot Facts ''. Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on 27 June 2013. Retrieved 27 June 2013. ^ Jump up to : Jaffe, Chris ( 22 May 2013 ). `` Wednesday, May 22, 2013 20th anniversary : Blue Jays mascot ejected ''. The Hardball Times. Retrieved 27 June 2013. ^ Jump up to : Christie, James ( 8 December 1999 ). `` By the bye, Birdy, train replacements ''. The Globe and Mail. Toronto. p. S01. access - date = requires url = ( help ) Jump up ^ Ryan, Allan ( 20 January 1996 ). `` Raptor mascot is dino might ''. The Toronto Star. p. F01, F07. access - date = requires url = ( help ) ^ Jump up to : Ormsby, Mary ( 8 December 1999 ). `` Bye - bye Birdy : Jays kick mascot out of nest ''. Toronto. p. B8. access - date = requires url = ( help ) Jump up ^ Coyle, Jim ( 13 April 1999 ). `` A whole new ball game, Jays no longer hot ticket ''. The Toronto Star. p. A01, A16. access - date = requires url = ( help ) Jump up ^ Woolsey, Garth ( 9 December 1999 ). `` ' Twas the night before Christmas, à la Ken ''. The Toronto Star. p. D6. access - date = requires url = ( help ) Jump up ^ Woolsey, Garth ( 13 December 1999 ). `` Domi - McCarthy : more fightin ' words ''. The Toronto Star. p. C2. access - date = requires url = ( help ) Jump up ^ Addis, Richard ( 8 December 1999 ). `` Watch the Birdy ''. The Toronto Star. p. A20. access - date = requires url = ( help ) ^ Jump up to : Baker, Baker ( 9 December 1999 ). `` Jays going for ' wild and zany ' mascots ''. The Toronto Star. p. D6. access - date = requires url = ( help ) ^ Jump up to : Baker, Geoff ( 11 January 2000 ). `` Jays looking for a couple of new birds ''. The Toronto Star. access - date = requires url = ( help ) ^ Jump up to : Clayton, Liz ( 12 May 2005 ). `` Mascot designers ' products ' labour of love ' ''. BusinessEdge. Calgary. Retrieved 13 January 2012. Jump up ^ Clayton, Liz ( 12 May 2005 ). `` Talent inside mascot suit and planning are crucial to success ''. BusinessEdge. Calgary. Retrieved 13 January 2012. Jump up ^ http://www.cab-acr.ca/english/media/news/03/nr_oct2903.pdf Jump up ^ Power Ranking all of the MLB Mascots, BleacherReport.com, retrieved 31 January 2012 Jump up ^ http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3627398 Jump up ^ https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/tampabay/access/30409561.html?dids=30409561:30409561&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jun+23%252C+1998&author=DEBORAH+O%2527NEIL&pub=St.+Petersburg+Times&desc=Mascot+nameless+no+more%253A+Bird+is+now+B.J.&pqatl=google Jump up ^ http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/tor/fan_forum/ace.jsp External links Official website BJ Birdy Appearance in Wendy 's Great Canadian Hot Dog, 1985 commercial, on YouTube Major League Baseball mascots by team American League East The Bird ( Baltimore Orioles ) Wally the Green Monster ( Boston Red Sox ) No mascot ( New York Yankees ) Raymond ( Tampa Bay Rays ) Ace ( Toronto Blue Jays ) Central Southpaw ( Chicago White Sox ) Slider ( Cleveland Indians ) Paws ( Detroit Tigers ) Sluggerrr ( Kansas City Royals ) T.C. Bear ( Minnesota Twins ) West Orbit ( Houston Astros ) No mascot ( Los Angeles Angels ) Stomper ( Oakland Athletics ) Mariner Moose ( Seattle Mariners ) Captain ( Texas Rangers ) National League East Homer ( Atlanta Braves ) Billy the Marlin ( Miami Marlins ) Mr. Met ( New York Mets ) Phillie Phanatic ( Philadelphia Phillies ) Screech ( Washington Nationals ) Central Clark ( Chicago Cubs ) Mr. Redlegs ( Cincinnati Reds ) Bernie Brewer ( Milwaukee Brewers ) Pirate Parrot ( Pittsburgh Pirates ) Fredbird ( St. Louis Cardinals ) West D. Baxter the Bobcat ( Arizona Diamondbacks ) Dinger ( Colorado Rockies ) No mascot ( Los Angeles Dodgers ) Swinging Friar ( San Diego Padres ) Lou Seal ( San Francisco Giants ) Secondary mascots Lefty and Righty ( Boston Red Sox ) Gapper ( Cincinnati Reds ) Rosie Red ( Cincinnati Reds ) Barrelman ( Milwaukee Brewers ) Hank ( Milwaukee Brewers ) The Sausages ( Milwaukee Brewers ) Mrs. Met ( New York Mets ) The Pierogis ( Pittsburgh Pirates ) Rally Squirrel ( St. Louis Cardinals ) DJ Kitty ( Tampa Bay Rays ) Ace Jr. ( Toronto Blue Jays ) The Presidents ( Washington Nationals ) Former mascots Chief Noc - A-Homa ( Atlanta Braves ) Rally ( Atlanta Braves ) Ribbie and Roobarb ( Chicago White Sox ) Mr. Red ( Cincinnati Reds ) Astrojack and Astrodillo ( Houston Astros ) Chester Charge ( Houston Astros ) General Admission ( Houston Astros ) Junction Jack ( Houston Astros ) Charlie - O ( Kansas City - Oakland Athletics ) Rally Monkey ( Los Angeles Angels ) Bonnie Brewer ( Milwaukee Brewers ) Twinkie the Loon ( Minnesota Twins ) Souki ( Montreal Expos ) Youppi ! ( Montreal Expos ) Mettle the Mule ( New York Mets ) Dandy ( New York Yankees ) Philadelphia Phil and Phillis ( Philadelphia Phillies ) San Diego Chicken ( San Diego Padres ) Crazy Crab ( San Francisco Giants ) Rootin ' Tootin ' Ranger ( Texas Rangers ) BJ Birdy ( Toronto Blue Jays ) Diamond ( Toronto Blue Jays ) Toronto Blue Jays Established in 1977 Based in Toronto, Ontario Franchise History Expansion Expansion draft Seasons Records First - round picks Award winners and league leaders Home run leaders Roster Players Minor league players Managers Owners and executives Broadcasters Radio network Opening Day starting pitchers Ballparks Exhibition Stadium Rogers Centre Spring training : Grant Field Dunedin Stadium Cecil P. Englebert Complex Culture Continental League Mascots ( BJ Birdy Ace ) `` OK Blue Jays '' Major League Baseball on TSN Toronto Blue Jays on Sportsnet Lore 1991 All - Star Game Touch ' em all Joe The Bat Flip ( reactions ) Rivalries Montreal Expos ( defunct ) Retired numbers 12 32 42 Key personnel Owner : Rogers Communications President & CEO : Mark Shapiro General manager : Ross Atkins Manager : John Gibbons World Series championships ( 2 ) 1992 1993 American League pennants ( 2 ) 1992 1993 Division titles ( 6 ) 1985 1989 1991 1992 1993 2015 Wild Card berths ( 1 ) 2016 Minor league affiliates AAA Buffalo Bisons AA New Hampshire Fisher Cats A Adv. Dunedin Blue Jays Lansing Lugnuts Short A Vancouver Canadians Rookie Adv. Bluefield Blue Jays Rookie GCL Blue Jays DSL Blue Jays Seasons ( 42 ) 1970s 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980s 1980 1981 1982 1984 1985 1986 1989 1990s 1991 1992 1993 2000s 2010s 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Toronto_Blue_Jays_mascots&oldid=854334370 '' Categories : Major League Baseball team mascots Toronto Blue Jays Bird mascots Canadian mascots Hidden categories : Pages using citations with accessdate and no URL All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from October 2016 Talk Contents About Wikipedia 日本 語 Edit links This page was last edited on 10 August 2018, at 15 : 31 ( UTC ). Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. 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Question: what is the toronto blue jays mascot name
Answer: Ace