The Current - These Blue Jays fans are all in for the win

Episode Date: October 3, 2025

Maddie Cholette, from Oakville, Ont. and Debbie Rafuse, from Chester, N.S, tell us how they're preparing to watch their team go for baseball glory this weekend, why this year's edition of the Jays was so darn lovable — and why both of them have a special soft spot for George Springer.

Why do bad mothers make for such compelling stories? According to the writer Emma Knight, the messiness of motherhood is exactly what makes it interesting. And we talked all about that on my podcast bookends. Every week on the show, I sit down for honest conversations with today's literary stars. We cover a lot of different ground about their lives, their inspirations, their writing, and of course, also we talk about their mothers. If you have a mom good or bad, you should check out bookends with their writing. Matea Roach, wherever you get your podcasts.

This is a CBC podcast. Hello, I'm Matt Galloway, and this is the current podcast. First pitch to Aranda, hooked on the ground to first. Vladdy has it. Throws to Lauer. He steps on the back, and they've won the division. From last to first, the Blue Jays are the... From last to first, with that call from Sportsnet Radio,

the Toronto Blue Jays did something they hadn't done in a decade, winning the American League East Division Championship. This, after a season that started out slow, as you heard, from last to first, a team that a lot of baseball pundits did not expect to do particularly well at all. The manager of the Jays, John Schneider, says that the selfless work ethic of this year's group of players has led to that success.

Fans across the country are now gearing up to see how this team can perform in the playoffs. Game one of the American League Division series is set for tomorrow against the hated New York. Yankees. Debbie Raffuse is a longtime Jays fan. She is in Chester, Nova Scotia. Maddie Shollett is a super fan from Oakville, Ontario with me in our Toronto studio. Good morning to you both. Good morning. How are you doing, Debbie? It's the eve of the American League Division series for your Toronto Blue Jays. It certainly is, and I'm very excited. Maddie, you're excited?

Can't wait. Nervous or excited? Both. Definitely both. Hi, Maddie. Hi. Jay's fans stick together. I like that. Maddie, this is, what is it about this team? As I said, last to first, this is a team that a lot of people wrote off and suddenly, I mean, people maybe were writing them off a little bit at the end of the season because they were kind of sliding a bit. But here they are. They're in a big series against a big team. What do you love about this team? They're playing for each other. I mean, they talk about it all the time. And it's just a group of guys that you can tell they really love each other and care about each other. And they want to win for each other. And I think that's what's got. them here, and that's what will take them further. Debbie, what do you like about this team? It's exactly. I feel the same way.

Whenever I'm watching a ball game, you can tell they do love each other. How do you see that? I mean, for people who think, well, that sounds good, but how do you see that, Debbie? You can see it in the dugout, you know, when they're playing. They're so excited. And, you know, especially like if there's a home run and they put that jacket on, I love that jacket. and you can tell and they're all like hugging one another

and bumping fists and it's like awesome and they're just a wonderful team I just love them I've loved the Js for 47 years Okay so take us back 47 years how did this team become your team Debbie?

My mom God love sorry she's not here anymore she's passed but she was she got me staring with the boo

Jay's in 1977 and right now I'm holding the pin she gave me and it says April the 7th Chicago White Sox was the very first game that they played and we watched the Toronto Blue Jays play all the time and I remember in 1993 my mother and I and her and my aunt and her daughter we went to Maine and we were staying at a motel I'll never forget it and it was the evening that the Toronto Blue Jays were playing for the World Series. And we screamed so loud in that hotel room that we had the manager come banging on the door. What's going on? What's going on?

And I said, listen, I'm sorry. The Blue Jays just won the World Series. So don't bother us anymore. Debbie, you're going to get me choked up here. It's a great story. Oh, my goodness. I know. I know.

And it was so wonderful. It was awesome. It was. And I'll never forget it as long as I lived. And, you know, my mom, she just loved them. She just loved them. And I'm exactly the same way. And I feel so proud that you asked me on this phone today

because I just want to let all of the Blue Jays know, all the fans that I love them so much. And, you know, there are nothing better. There are no better fans in the world like the Blue J fans. Nothing. The Blue J fans are the best. There's another one of them here in the studio. Maddie, how did you end up falling into this team?

Um, my parents for sure, like growing up, always going to games, not 47 years, but as long as I've been here, um, I've been a Jay's fan and basically living at Rogers Center. And, you know, it's kind of just evolved over the years into becoming everything to me. This team, like summer is not summer without being at Rogers Center and watching this team. It's everything. Tell me about, you both share this, your favorite player. kind of hinted at this before. Debbie, do you want to go first, tell me about who has your heart on this team? Do you have a week? I can tell you. Oh, my

goodness. I have my almost 20-inch Springer doll standing right here. This is a doll of George Springer. Yes, it is. And, oh, every stitch was made from my heart, because I just love George Springer.

but he's just so happy and you know the team look to his leadership and I love it too that he's an advocate for you know the S-A-Y the Stutter

Association for the youth I think that's fabulous and he had he absolutely he just rises to bring the team up you know when they're down and he meant a lot to you when you were going through

something too, right? Yes. He did mean a lot. Yes. I was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2020. And then I had surgery in 2021, right when George Springer joined the team. And just watching him, it was like, because I went through quite a few treatments and radiation and whatever, but just watching the Blue Jays and watching Springer, especially him, it was like, wow. You know, he just made me happy, just watching him. Just the last point on this doll, you brought the doll to, I mean, I call it Skydome, to Toronto to see the Jays, right? I did. I did. I didn't have much room left once I laid him in my suitcase because he's quite large. But yeah, I brought him to Toronto with us and with my friend Rita, we came on a bus tour and we did the three game series.

but we tried everything to get the team or for the George to look up and then see his doll that I made from my heart. But we did get on the big screen twice. And that was wonderful. And anyway, it didn't work out that way. So I ended up bringing him back home. Wow, there's always the future.

Maybe he'll get it. You mean you still have it, which is good. You can use it as a good luck charm for these games. I do. What do you love about Springer, Maddie? He's been like my favorite player for like a better. almost a decade. I grew up watching him playing the playoffs with the Houston Astros and with my grandma every year. And, you know, I became an Astros fan kind of as well because of him. And so when

he signed here, it was like kind of worlds colliding. And I also was going through a pretty rough time when he signed here. I suffered a really bad concussion, had to move back home from college. And him signing here was something that kind of helped me find, you know, my spark again. And my love for this team just became even more, but he's like the heart and soul of this team, I feel like they can't say it enough. You hear it all the time when this team goes, it's because of him

and he's the ultimate playoff performer, that's why. I love that idea. Absolutely, absolutely. You watching baseball with your grandma, too. It's such a family thing, right? Like, I fell into the Jays with my uncle who taught me that, you know, you turn the television on, but you turn the sound off and you listen

to it on the radio. Like, it's, so many people have those kind of stories, right? What do you remember about that. It's like a community. It's like it's something that kind of brings people together. It's like an easy thing to always have on. And, you know, it's something that even if, you know, I'm hanging out with my friends who don't necessarily are obsessed with the sport, I feel like it's an easy thing to just kind of have on. And, you know, it's a topic of discussion and easy way to reel people in. Yeah. Debbie. It is. And we, and we are four generation Blue Jay fans here. It's like my mom, myself, my daughter, Amanda, and now our eight-year-old

granddaughter. She's she's, when whenever she's watching, the game and Ernie Clement comes to the plate, she goes, there's a little Ernie Nanny or Kirk is up to catch. She goes, there's Kirkie. So it's like four generations

for us and it will always be and Toronto, the Blue Jays will be my heart and soul until my last breath. You're part of creating this new community now, Maddie. I mean, you do a lot on TikTok, posting on X as well. Tell me a little bit about that. and what you're trying to do in posting so much about the team there?

Yeah, I mean, I kind of started posting, I think, around, like, the pandemic years, like, really? Because, you know, we lost so much community during that. It was an easy way to kind of find that. And, you know, growing up in high school, there weren't a lot of, like, female sports fans also that I had to bond over this. And throughout the years, I've been able to find such a good community of people to talk about, to go through the highs and the lows of the season. and I just hope to kind of, you know, make everyone feel like it's okay to be dramatic. It's okay to love your team to be mad one inning.

And the next inning, you're like screaming from the rooftops. And, you know, I love just finding those little moments at the game when I'm there and, you know, posting a little video to help everyone feel like we're all there. So the team noticed this, right? Yeah, this summer, yeah. So what happened? They, they messaged me and they invited me into the ballpark to come on this VIP experience, which was like.

Come on. Awesome. Mind-blowing. And then I had a special meet and greet with Ernie Clement and Deva Schneider, who are just like the sweetest guys ever. And then they gave me these two tickets from Thank You WestJet to pick an away game destination to go next year anywhere. So I still can't believe that happened. That is awesome.

So those are tickets for next year. But what about like now? Are you going to be able to go to any games? Are you going to try to go to any games in this playoff run? I already have tickets for tomorrow. on Sunday. So I'll be there. Congratulations, Maddie. That's wonderful. Thank you. Debbie, what about for you? I mean, what are your plans for tomorrow? Do you have, people have rituals, right? And superstitions and certain things they'll do little voodoo here or there. Are the things that you're going to do tomorrow to watch this game?

I have no idea. All I know is I'm going to be watching and no one, not one person should be talking because I'll make them stop. Don't speak. Just leave me. Just leave me. Just leave me. me into this game. But I do want to say one thing if you don't mind. Because it makes me laugh every time I see it. I just want to say, I'm sorry, Vladdy, but I'm with Springer. I like the PB and J, not the JB and P&P. Look at you.

Take insides. Do you have any rituals, Maddie? Are the things that you'll do or not do to give the team good luck? God, I don't know, but I will be wearing George Springer jersey to probably every playoff game because that's our playoff performer and I have the most of confidence in who. Okay, I'm going to let you both go, but in your heart of hearts,

what do you think is going to happen? What do you have? We're winning. We're doing it. Got to have that mindset. Oh, my goodness. Oh, for sure. There wasn't even hesitation.

I'm glad to talk to you both. Good luck and thank you. Thank you. You're very welcome. Thank you very much. Yeah, thank you so much. Debbie Rayfuse is a Blue Jays fan from Chester, Nova Scotia.

Maddie Shillette is from Oakville, Ontario. This has been the current podcast. You can hear our show Monday to Friday on CBC Radio 1 at 8.30 a.m. at all time zones. You can also listen online at cbc.ca.ca slash the current or on the CBC Listen app or wherever you get your podcasts. My name is Matt Galloway. Thanks for listening.

For more CBC podcasts, go to cBC.ca slash podcasts.