Deep Left Field

As they do at the end of every season, Blue Jays president and CEO Mark Shapiro and general manager Ross Atkins meet the media to discuss the year just passed and to hint at their plans for the year to come. This year, for the first time in a long time, it wasn't a disaster. We take you through Shapiro and Atkins' availabilities and go through heir comments as they discuss, among other things, the impact that this World Series run had on the people they encountered, the unique toughness and cohesion of the 2025 Blue Jays, John Schneider's future and what might happen as Bo Bichette enters free agency for the first time. Plus, we open up the mailbag at deepleftfield@thestar.ca!

Guest: Former Blue Jay Kevin Kiermaier       The off-season is upon us but the sad ending to the Blue Jays' season still lingers.   We wanted to know what one of the greatest baserunners in baseball history thought about the bottom of the ninth of Game 7, so we reached out to Kevin Kiermaier and he joins us to answer some questions.   Kiermaier discusses whether he thinks Isiah Kiner-Falefa should have scored on Daulton Varsho's one-out grounder in that inning, and what he would have done had he been on the bases. He also talks about the unique closeness of the Jays' clubhouse, Shane Bieber's return and what the next move might be for Bo Bichette and others.   Plus, a quick dip into the mailbag at deepleftfied@thestar.ca!

Guest: Shane Bieber It only took three days for the most shocking move of the off-season to happen.  Against all odds, Shane Bieber exercised his $16 million (US) player option and is staying with the Blue Jays for the 2026 season.  The 30-year-old, a two-time all-star who won the Cy Young award in 2020, loved his two months as a Blue Jay and has unfinished business here, so he's sticking around to try to run it back.  We spoke to Bieber after the Jays clinched the American League pennant, beating Seattle in Game 7 of the ALCS. You'll hear that conversation, in which he talks about how much he loves the Blue Jays, plus analysis of the move on this bonus episode of Deep Left Field!

It's the day after the day after and the Blue Jays' loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 7 of the World Series is still a heartbreaking gut punch. We throw open the Monday Mailbag at deepleftfield@thestar.ca to share your thoughts, feelings and questions about the game, the series and the season as a whole and hear from a wide range of listeners, from the zen-like appreciation of the Jays' magical year to the anger and frustration over opportunities missed by a team that had a championship within its grasp. And why did IKF slide? Plus, my thoughts on the grave injustice of Gold Gloves denied to Ernie Clement and Alejandro Kirk. Listen here or subscribe at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts. If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can at thestar.com/subscribe.

Guests: Chris Bassitt, Ernie Clement, Myles Straw, Daulton Varsho   The baseball season is over and the Blue Jays fell short by two outs or one run, however you want to slice it. The Los Angeles Dodgers beat them 5-4 in 11 innings to finish one of the greatest World Series ever played with one of the greatest Game 7s.   We went through the saddest clubhouse I have ever seen to bring you the post-game reactions of Ernie Clement and Chris Bassitt, who were in tears throughout their media scrum, Daulton Varsho, whose one-out grounder in the bottom of the ninth with the bases loaded couldn't plate the winning run, and Myles Straw, one of the "glue guys" on an extraordinarily close team.   Also, we open the mailbag at deepleftfield@thestar.ca. It was a sad finish to a phenomenal season, and we still want to hear from you!

Guests: Ernie Clement, Trey Yesavage   The final day of the 2025 baseball season is upon us and for the first time in franchise history, the Blue Jays will be playing in Game 7 of the World Series.   Even though they never had the lead at any point, Game 6 was a tough loss, ending with Addison Barger getting doubled off second base, representing the tying run. We talk to Ernie Clement, who came up in the bottom of the ninth with runners at second and third, to talk about his one-pitch at-bat and his feelings going into Game 7.   Also, Trey Yesavage joins us and tells us he's ready to go in the finale if necessary, even though he threw more than 100 pitches on Wednesday night.   Plus, we open the mailbag at deepleftfield@thestar.ca - keep 'em coming!

No scary stuff on this Hallowe'en edition of Deep Left Field, just a trip into the mailbag at deepleftfield@thestar.ca as we get you set for Game 6 of the World Series a game that, if the Blue Jays should win, would get them their first championship since 1993 and only their third overall. We hear from Jays fans from Toronto and all across Canada from BC to PEI, as well as all the way in Ireland and Belgium on topics ranging from who might throw out the first pitch in Game 6 to should the Jays try to lock up Trey Yesavage now to just plenty of appreciation and admiration for this group. The Blue Jays could win the World Series tonight. Check out Deep Left Field to get you set.

Guests: Max Scherzer, Jeff Hoffman, Braydon Fisher, Joey Loperfido     Trey Yesavage made history with his performance in Game 5 of the World Series, sending the Blue Jays home to Toronto with a chance to win the whole shebang on Friday night. The 22-year-old broke his own Jays post-season record with 12 strikeouts and set or tied at least four other post-season or World Series records. We discuss it all with a quartet of Jays who all watched Yesavage with different perspectives. Max Scherzer is the Hall of Famer-to-be with 18 years in the bigs, seeing a kid with a month and a half in the majors do things he's never done. Jeff Hoffman, a Jays' first-round pick exactly a decade before Yesavage, watched from the bullpen. Braydon Fisher, voted the Jays' rookie of the year this season, was a big-leaguer four months before Yesavage and talks about their shared rookiedom in the Jays' clubhouse. And Joey Loperfido saw this coming. And as always, a dip into the mailbag at deepleftfield@thestar.ca!

The baseball season is going to end in Toronto this year. The Blue Jays assured that there will be at least a Game 6 of the World Series, to be played at Rogers Centre Friday night, with their come-from-behind 6-2 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 4, a game that started barely 17 hours after the 18-inning marathon Game 3 finished. In this episode of Deep Left Field, we'll hear from winning pitcher Shane Bieber, who held the Dodgers to one run into the sixth, striking out Shohei Ohtani twice, and we'll open up the mailbag at deepleftfield@thestar.ca!

Guests: Eric Lauer, Kevin Gausman     The Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers played 18 innings of World Series baseball over more than six and a half hours Monday night (and Tuesday morning!), tying the longest game in Fall Classic history, and the Dodgers came out on top thanks to a Freddie Freeman home run. We talk to Eric Lauer, who provided 4 2/3 innings of shutout relief - part of 10 straight shutout innings by the Jays' bullpen - and to Kevin Gausman, one of only three players on the Jays' roster who didn't participate in the game. Also, the mailbag returns at deepleftfield@thestar.ca!

Guest: Nathan Lukes   The Blue Jays were utterly dominated by Los Angeles Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Game 2 of the World Series, losing 5-1 and having the last 20 hitters in a row retired.   Not only did Yamamoto take out the Jays' bats, he apparently took my voice, too, but Deep Left Field will always be here for you.   Nathan Lukes, one of the four Jays to actually manage a hit on Saturday, joins me to talk about how sometimes the other guy is just better. Also, we open the mailbag at deepleftfield@thestar.ca so that you can have your voices heard, even if you can't really hear mine.

Guests: Addison Barger, Bo Bichette, Ernie Clement The Blue Jays not only won the opener of the MLB Fall Classic on Friday, they sent a firm message to the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers that Toronto is not going to be just another pit stop on their road to a repeat. The fans also sent a firm message to Shohei Ohtani when he came to bat in the ninth inning, chanting, "We don't need you!" The Jays exploded for the biggest single inning in a World Series game since 1968, scoring nine runs in the sixth. Bo Bichette, playing for the first time in seven weeks, started that inning with a walk. Ernie Clement gave the Jays the lead with an RBI single three batters later and later still, Addison Barger clubbed the first-ever pinch-hit grand slam in World Series history. All three Blue Jays join us in Deep Left Field to talk about the big game. Plus, we open the mailbag at deepleftfield@thestar.ca!!

Guests: Blue Jays Shane Bieber, Ernie Clement, Kevin Gausman, Daulton Varsho and Mike Cieslinski of Dynasty League Baseball With the Blue Jays about to begin their first World Series since 1993, we look back to their thrilling Game 7 of the American League championship series against the Seattle Mariners and ahead to the opener of the Fall Classic. We hear from Shane Bieber, who started Game 7 and Kevin Gausman, who got the win in relief, as they celebrated that great night, and then talk to Ernie Clement about the Jays' quiet confidence and Daulton Varsho about his memories of playing at Dodger Stadium when he was with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Also, Mike Cieslinski of Dynasty League Baseball Powered by Pursue The Pennant joins us to discuss a Jays-Dodgers World Series simulation. All that and we dip into the mailbag at deepleftfield@thestar.ca.

Guests: Clare Blackwood, Nick Dika, Paul Sun-Hyung Lee       With the start of the World Series only one day away, we gather a panel of Canadian stars of stage and screen to look back at the Blue Jays win over the Seattle Mariners in the American League and look ahead at the Fall Classic against the heavily-favoured Los Angeles Dodgers.   Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, star of Kim's Convenience, the Mandalorian, Avatar: The Last Airbender and more, Nick Dika of Arkells and Clare Blackwood of The Beaverton join me to discuss all the tension and excitement of the playoff chase, the biggest moments of the hard-fought series with Seattle and what they hope for from the Jays in their first World Series appearance in 32 years.   It's a fantastic conversation with Jays fans from the entertainment world and, as always, we open up the mailbag!

Guests: Max Scherzer, John Schneider, Jose Bautista      As we await Friday night's opener of the World Series, the first in Toronto in over three decades, we look back at the post-game party after the Blue Jays thrilling win in Game 7 of the American League championship series Monday night.   Max Scherzer, never at a loss for energy, nearly blows the decibel meter on our system as he raves about the team he chose because, as he said in January, he wanted to win the World Series, and about his fellow elder statesmen, George Springer, Chris Bassitt and Kevin Gausman (each one at least five years his junior).   John Schneider, in his third full season as Jays' manager but his 24th year in the organization, wells up as he talks about coaches Don Mattingly, Pete Walker and DeMarlo Hale, and wishes the Seattle Mariners a good winter vacation. And a raspy-voiced Jose Bautista joins us to talk about witnessing Springer's magical home run, as so many of us witnessed his a decade ago. All that plus the mailbag at deepleftfield@thestar.ca!

Guests: Game 7 hero George Springer, Game 7 closer Jeff Hoffman   For the first time in 32 years, the World Series is coming to Toronto.   The Blue Jays won the pennant, dropping the Seattle Mariners 4-3 in a winner-take-all Game 7 of the American League championship series on a dramatic three-run home run by George Springer, bringing them back from a 3-1 deficit.   After Springer went deep, Chris Bassitt pitched a perfect eighth and Jeff Hoffman struck out the side in order in the ninth to secure the victory, sending the Jays to the Fall Classic for the first time since 1993.   Both Springer and Hoffman join us from the post-game celebrations to talk about the historic win and this incredible Jays team, one that picked up its 101st win of the season on Monday night and will now take on the reigning champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers, in a World Series that begins at Rogers Centre on Friday night.   The mailbag will be back tomorrow, so send your thoughts to deepleftfield@thestar.ca.

We come to you live from the turf, deep in feft field, following the celebrations after the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Seattle Mariners 4-3 in dramatic fashion to advance to the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. 

We are on the field during BP prior to the start of Game 7. We all know the stakes. Keep your eyes and ears out for more episodes coming tonight and tomorrow morning. 

Guests: Blue Jays infielders Andres Gimenez and Isiah Kiner-Falefa       The Blue Jays are the closest they've been to the World Series since 1993 thanks to their 6-2 win over the Seattle Mariners that evened up the American League championship series at three wins apiece.   In this playoff bonus episode of Deep Left Field, we take you through Sunday's big win with two of the key cogs – Andres Gimenez, who was involved in all three consecutive inning-ending double plays (two with the bases loaded) that the Jays turned in the third, fourth and fifth innings, and Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who had a hand in two of them and also drove in a run with an infield single.   As well, we open the mailbag at deepleftfield@thestar.ca to hear your thoughts on all things Blue Jays as they move toward their first post-season Game 7 in 40 years.    A trip to the World Series for the first time in over three decades is on the line Monday night, and Deep Left Field is here with you every step of the way.

We are bringing you a quick post-Game 6 reaction from the Rogers Centre in the wee hours of Monday, October 20. A full reaction episode will be available before you start your day.

Before Game 6 of the ALCS in Toronto, where the Blue Jays look to stave off elimination and force Game 7 Monday night, Mike Wilner was on the field during Blue Jays batting practice to break down the stakes of this game (spoiler: the Jays need to win). 

Guest: Blue Jays closer Jeff Hoffman   For the first time this year, the Blue Jays will take the field knowing that if they lose, their season is over.   The Jays dug themselves a huge hole by losing the first two games of the American League championship series at home against the Seattle Mariners, but they went up to the Pacific Northwest and evened up the series before their gut-wrenching loss in Game 5.   In today's playoff bonus episode of Deep Left Field, Jays' closer Jeff Hoffman joins us to describe watching Friday's eighth-inning meltdown from the bullpen, and what he had to say to Brendon Little and Seranthony Dominguez after the fact. We also open the mailbag at deepleftfield@the star.ca to answer your Jays' questions and read your comments. Make sure you keep sending them in after Game 6!

Guest: Ernie Clement That was a tough loss. The Jays did what they needed to do in Seattle by winning two out of three to ensure they come back to Toronto with a chance to advance to the World Series (where the winner of the ALCS will face the Dodgers, who beat the Brewers Friday night). But the Jays will have to win both Game 6 on Sunday and Game 7 on Monday. It felt like the Blue Jays were on the cusp of winning this one but in the bottom of the 8th inning, up 2-1, John Schneider went to Brendon Little, who gave up a home run to Cal Raleigh to tie it 2-2, before the wheels came completely off.  We hear from Ernie Clement in the clubhouse after the game.  As always, we'll open up the mailbag at deepleftfield@thestar.ca.

Guest: Blue Jays outfielder Myles Straw   Game Four of the American League championship series is going to go down in Blue Jays history because of one singular moment – John Schneider's mound visit in the fifth inning in which Max Scherzer basically barked his manager off the mound.   In this playoff bonus episode of Deep Left Field, we'll break down that "conversation" for you, and hear from both Scherzer and Schneider, as well as a couple of innocent bystanders.   Outside of that moment, the win for the Jays was massive. Scherzer's unexpected performance on the mound, another huge hit from Andres Gimenez, Addison Barger's incredible performance in right field in a game he expected to start at third base, and the Jays are back on even footing in a series that looked lost when they hopped on the plane to Seattle.   Myles Straw joins us to talk about that mound moment as well as the resilience of this team that we've seen all season long and, as always, we'll open up the mailbag at deepleftfield@thestar.ca.

Guest: Blue Jays Offensive Player George Springer   SEATTLE - The Blue Jays pulled themselves back from the brink and Deep Left Field is here at T-Mobile Park in Seattle to tell you all about it.   After looking sluggish, to put it mildly, in the first two games of this American League Championship Series, the Jays flew north and west and found their offence somewhere along the way. They managed just one hit from the third inning on over Games 1 and 2 and had 17 after the second inning in Game 3.   George Springer had three of those - including a fourth-inning solo home run that moved him into a tie for fourth place overall on the all-time post-season home run list - and he joins us to talk about other things, such as Shane Bieber's performance, and the moment the right-hander sent chills through the dugout, the Jays' return to form and their five gold glove finalists that were announced Wednesday.   Also, as always throughout the playoffs, we open up the mailbag at deepleftfield@thestar.ca. This time, it's a much happier mailbag than it was after Game 2.

Guests: Blue Jays third baseman Addison Barger, left fielder Davis Schneider, associate manager DeMarlo Hale       Deep Left Field is on the road in Seattle with your Toronto Blue Jays as they try to get back in their best-of-seven American League Championship Series with the Seattle Mariners, having lost the first two games.   We assess the mood around the clubhouse with Addison Barger and Davis Schneider, the latter of whom may have thrown a little shade on Jose Bautista's famous Bat Flip home run as we spoke on the 10th anniversary of the big swing.   DeMarlo Hale was the Jays' bench coach when Bautista hit the homer that shook the baseball world but, more importantly, he was on the staff when that Jays team overcame a two-games-to-none playoff deficit, having lost both games at home. We talk to him about that accomplishment, now that the Jays are trying to do it again.   And, as always, we take your comments and questions in the mailbag at deepleftfield@thestar.ca.

Guest: Blue Jays outfielder Nathan Lukes       All appears to be pretty bleak in Blue Jays land as they head north and west to Seattle trailing the best-of-seven American League Championship Series two games to none.   The complete offensive collapse against the Mariners was wholly unexpected, especially given that the Jays had scored 34 runs over their four-game ALDS win against the New York Yankees and Seattle seemed ripe for the picking, coming off an exhausting and emotional 15-inning winner-take-all Game 5 in their ALDS against the Detroit Tigers. That game finished less than 72 hours before the M's put the finishing touches on their 10-3 Thanksgiving blowout of the Blue Jays.   But as bleak as it is, the Jays seem to have overcome the odds time and time again this year and Deep Left Field will continue to be with them every step of the way.   In today's playoff bonus episode, we speak to Nathan Lukes, who had 50% of the Jays' hits in Monday's loss, including RBI singles in both the first and second innings. The Jays only had one hit after the second inning - a Lukes single, his third hit of the game.   Lukes was playing with a badly bruised right knee after fouling a ball off himself in Game 1.   And, of course, we open the mailbag at deepleftfield@thestar.ca to hear your thoughts on the loss, some clinging to optimism, some resigned to defeat, some utterly off the wall.

Guest: Blue Jays reliever Mason Fluharty The first ALCS to open up in Toronto since 1992 began the same way the last one did - with a Blue Jays loss. The Jays got a leadoff home run from George Springer and then just one more hit the rest of the night and fell to the travel- and extra-inning-weary Seattle Mariners 3-1. Mason Fluharty got two huge outs in the top of the eighth, striking out Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suarez to escape Seranthony Dominguez' jam and give the bats a chance to come back. They didn't. The rookie lefty joins us from a very quiet Jays' clubhouse to talk about his playoff experience so far. And, of course, we dip into the mailbag at deepleftfield@thestar.ca to hear what you have to say!

Guests: Chris Bassitt and Davis Schneider   The American League Championship Series begins tonight and for the first time since 1993, it's opening up in Toronto.   The Blue Jays are getting set to take on their expansion cousins, the Seattle Mariners, with the well-rested Kevin Gausman facing off against Bryce Miller, who will be pitching on three days' rest.   We're joined by Chris Bassitt, who talks about the sacrifices he made during the season that wound up costing him in September and October, but how missing playoff series doesn't matter to him as long as the Jays keep winning. Davis Schneider stops by as well, to tell us about getting a hit in his first playoff at-bat ever, at Rogers Centre in Game 2 of the ALDS, and in his first playoff at-bat at Yankee Stadium two days later.   Plus, as always, we open up the mailbag at deepleftfield@thestar.ca - keep those cards and letters coming!

Guests: Toronto Star baseball columnist Gregor Chisholm, Kim's Convenience/The Mandalorian's Paul Sun-Hyung Lee      It took a while, but the Toronto Blue Jays have an opponent in the American League Championship Series that begins Sunday night at Rogers Centre.   The Seattle Mariners beat the Detroit Tigers 3-2 in the decisive Game 5 of their American League Division Series, but it took them an all-time record (for a winner-take-all game) 15 innings to do it, which is certainly good news for the Jays, who were home and likely in bed watching things finish up just after 1:00 a.m. Eastern time.   We discuss the Jays-Mariners ALCS match-up with Gregor Chisholm and Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, looking at how the short rest – and using three starting pitchers Friday night – might affect the M's as they try to get to the World Series for the first time in franchise history. For the Jays, it would be their first trip to the Fall Classic since 1993.   Will Cal Raleigh be Seattle's version of Aaron Judge? Will the Mariners have anything left after an exhausting, emotional series with the Detroit Tigers, especially after having to win 17 of 18 down the stretch just to win their division? What did the Jays prove to the baseball world with their win over the New York Yankees in their ALDS?   These questions and more will be answered, or at least will attempt to be answered, on this playoff bonus episode of Deep Left Field!   You can be part of the next episode by sending your questions and comments to the mailbag at deepleftfield@thestar.ca.

The Blue Jays are going to the American League Championship Series!   The Jays shrugged off their ugly loss to the New York Yankees in Tuesday's Game 3 and did all the things that got them to this point on Wednesday - great defence, timely hitting, making their opponents pay for mistakes - and combined that with an outstanding performance from eight relievers to knock the Yankees out of the post-season, guaranteeing that they won't defend their American League pennant.   Of the four teams that went into their games Wednesday with a chance to advance to the next round, the Jays are the only one that managed to do it.   They're in the League Championship Series - one of the last four teams standing - for the first time since 2016 and only the third time since 1993. They'll face either the Detroit Tigers in the first-ever 401 series or the Seattle Mariners in the first-ever ALCS battle between 1977 expansion cousins.   On this latest playoff bonus episode of Deep Left Field, we go over the Game 4 win, what went right and what could have gone wrong, and we open up the mailbag at deepleftfield@thestar.ca  for your comments and questions!   Audio sources: Fox and Sportsnet

The Blue Jays quite literally kicked away their chance to sweep the Yankees in the American League division series, uncharacteristic errors and shoddy fielding giving New York the opportunity to overcome a five-run deficit and roar back to win the game and keep their playoff hopes alive for at least one more day.   We'll go through the gory details for you on this special playoff bonus episode of Deep Left Field: -Did Shane Bieber get taken out of the game too soon? -What happened on that pop-up that Addison Barger missed to open the floodgates? -Should Anthony Santander be in the lineup and, if so, should he be playing the outfield?   As well, and as always during the post-season, we open the mailbag at deepleftfield@thestar.ca to go through your questions and comments, including whether it would be wise for the Jays to use Kevin Gausman in Game 4, how they'll work a bullpen game, when will Bo Bichette come back and what's up with Chris Bassitt and Max Scherzer?

Guests: Blue Jays pitcher Kevin Gausman, infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa Two games into their post-season, the Blue Jays are doing things that have never been done before – not just by them, but by anyone. No team had ever scored 23 runs in the first two games of a post-season until the Jays did it in taking a two games to none stranglehold on their best-of-five American League Division Series with the New York Yankees. No pitcher had ever struck out 11 batters while allowing no hits over the first five innings of a playoff game until Trey Yesavage did it on Sunday – less than three weeks after making his major-league debut! We hear from Yesavage and Jays manager John Schneider from the post-game podium, then talk to Kevin Gausman and Isiah Kiner-Falefa about what they saw from the 22-year-old on Sunday. And we open up the deepleftfield@thestar.ca mailbag, as well!

On this playoff bonus episode of Deep Left Field, we go over the Blue Jays' blowout of the New York Yankees in Game 1 of their ALDS on Saturday, the Jays' first post-season win in nine years and one that snapped a seven-game playoff losing streak. Many demons were slayed, especially by Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who doubled his career playoff hit total and tripled his career playoff RBI total in a game that also included his first-ever post-season home run. Also, we open up the mailbag to talk playoff roster, pitching rotation, the crowd, the vibes, the white-panel hats and more!

Guest: RUSH frontman and Blue Jays fanatic Geddy Lee The Blue Jays are on the eve of their American League division series against the New York Yankees, which begins Saturday afternoon. We talk to the Jays' most famous fan, the lead singer, bassist and keyboardist from the legendary Canadian rock band Rush, who also happens to be a massive baseball geek. Geddy Lee shares his thoughts on the Blue Jays' worst-to-first season, how much fun he's had watching the team and how large a part of their success all the unsung heroes have been. We also look at the ALDS match-up with the Yankees and open up the mailbag at deepleftfield@thestar.ca!

Guests: 2025 Blue Jays MVP, Rookie of the Year and Unsung Hero We don't want to spoil the surprise for you, so as the Jays' American League division series draws ever closer, check out this episode of Deep Left Field to find out who the players, coaches and other uniformed personnel voted as their end-of-season award winners. We're joined by the MVP, who got 45 of 53 votes cast, Rookie of the Year, who got 48, and Unsung Hero, who ran away with an award for which 14 different players received votes, truly symbolizing this year's Blue Jays, for which there seemed to be a different hero every night. As we continue with our far-more-frequent-than-usual episodes through the post-season, remember that the Deep Left Field mailbag is always open. If you want to get your comment or question onto the show, send an email to deepleftfield@thestar.ca!

Guests: Blue Jays infielder Ernie Clement, pitchers Jeff Hoffman and Eric Lauer As the Blue Jays prepare to play in the American League Division Series for the first time since 2016, we take you back onto the field in the wake of their division-clinching win Sunday. Ernie Clement is the poster boy for the Jays' cast of unsung heroes and versatile contributors, and he joins us to talk about his multiple roles over the course of the season and how his flexibility was once again put on display by playing three different positions in Sunday's season finale. Eric Lauer may have saved the season by stabilizing the pitching staff when he was called up at the end of April, and he had the ball in his glove when the season ended, stepping on first to retire Tampa Bay's Jonathan Aranda for the final out. He talks about bouncing back from a 2024 in which he got released by two major-league organizations and wound up pitching in South Korea, and what he's doing with the ball from the 27th out. Closer Jeff Hoffman was on the National League East champion Philadelphia Phillies last season, who also got a first-round bye, and we talk to him about what the Jays will do with five days off and how the break could affect them in the next round. All that, plus we open up the mailbag at deepleftfield@thestar.ca for your questions and comments!

Guests: Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette, Toronto Star baseball columnist Gregor Chisholm The Blue Jays are American League East champions. They clinched the division with a 13-4 mauling of the Tampa Bay Rays at Rogers Centre Sunday, giving them the AL East crown for the first time in ten years. It was the first time they'd clinched at home since 1993. We talk to injured shortstop Bo Bichette about his season, the comeback from last year's last-place finish and what his status is as the Jays enter a five-day break before taking on either the Boston Red Sox or New York Yankees in the American League Division Series. Gregor Chisholm stops by as well, to discuss Game 162 and how it felt like a microcosm of the season as a whole, as well as the odd path the Jays took to the division title, having to win their final four games of the season following an ugly run of six losses in seven games

Guest: Blue Jays pitcher Tommy Nance With 161 games done and the American League East still in question, we present a bonus episode of Deep Left Field. The final game of the regular season goes Sunday, and a Blue Jays home win over the Tampa Bay Rays gives them their first division title since 2015. So does a Yankees home loss against Baltimore. We talk to Tommy Nance, whose scoreless eighth inning in Saturday's Jays win whittled his ERA down to a sparkling 1.99, about how we got here, how the team is feeling going into the biggest game of the year (so far) and what he thinks of the decision to start Kevin Gausman in the season finale. As well, the mailbag at deepleftfield@thestar.ca will be open and we'll take your comments and answer your Blue Jays questions!

Guest: Blue Jays Associate Manager DeMarlo Hale The Blue Jays are going into the season's final weekend having clinched a playoff spot but not knowing whether they'll be the first, second or fourth seed in the American League. The only thing that's assured is that they will open the playoffs at home, whether that's in the wild card round or with a first-round bye. We talk to Jays' associate manager DeMarlo Hale about a wild week in which the Jays won just twice in eight tries and were almost swept by both Kansas City and Boston. Hale, who was John Gibbons' bench coach with the Jays in their 2015 and '16 playoff runs, and also coached in post-seasons under Terry Francona and Buck Showalter, weighs in on the playoffs to come, on the Jays sputtering to the finish line and on all the recent controversies with umpires and replay reviews. Also, we open the mailbag and take about a dozen of your questions, most of which have to do with the playoff roster and starting rotation. And thoughts on DFAing Alek Manoah.

Guests: Children Ruin Everything star Aaron Abrams, Clare Blackwood of The Beaverton and Second City After finishing in last place just a year ago, the Blue Jays clinched a post-season berth with their 8-5 win over the Kansas City Royals Sunday, becoming the first American League team to do so. In honour of the return of playoff baseball to Toronto for the first time (actual Toronto, as in a home game) since 2022, we have gathered a panel of some of the city's best, brightest and professionally funniest Blue Jays fans to talk about the clinch, the awful week leading up to it, the replay debacles in Tampa and KC and so much more. Aaron Abrams, the star of Children Ruin Everything on CTV and Netflix, joins the roundtable discussion along with distinguished Second City alumna Clare Blackwood of The Beaverton podcast. You're gonna love it!