Herm Dyck can easily make the claim as being the Blue Jays’ first fan.
When the 81-year-old Mississauga, Ont. resident heard that a group of businessmen led by beer-industry executive Don McDougall were trying to move the San Francisco Giants to Toronto in the mid 1970s, he wrote a letter to him congratulating them on the effort to bring baseball north.
“In my letter I said I also want this to be the official notification that this is my application for two seats,” said Dyck.
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That deal eventually fell through and Dyck sent another letter expressing his disappointment that they didn’t get a major league team but expressed that if the group was successful in getting a team he was still interested in getting two seats.
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Dyck kept sending the letters and when Major League Baseball announced that an expansion team would be coming to Toronto, his persistence didn’t go unnoticed.
“I suppose they were getting a little fed up with my letters and I received a call one morning in my office and I’m sure it was Don McDougall and he said to me that anyone was that keen about baseball I could have any two seats I wanted for the upcoming Blue Jays (season).”
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Dyck eventually chose a pair of aisle seats behind the catcher at Exhibition Stadium and when the team moved to the Skydome back in 1989, he was offered some seats in the same area.
Over the years he has witnessed a lot great games but says watching the Blue Jays win the World Series in 1992 and 1993 ranks among the best moments.
Dyck has been to all home openers and plans on being there Friday when the Blue Jays face the Boston Red Sox.
“I’m really going to go down and watch every single game with the same intensity no matter what game is being played. In terms of being excited about the team this year yes I’m excited for the team but I really am also excited to watch another season of good baseball.”
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