MLB played in the snow 1977 at Toronto

[@Schmenge888]

My dad took me to this game and I missed a day at school, but at 8 years old it was great, just cold and snowy but a memory for sure. I kept that ticket stub for many years but lost it. Oh well, the memory remains!

[@DaddyTre65]

I was in junior high school when this game was played. As a devout White Sox fan, I was so excited to see baseball history being made that I left school midday and ran home to watch the game. Then I turned on the TV and it was SNOWING in Toronto!

[@johnmongani5223]

what about the White Sox uniforms back then? Most people didn't like them but I did, probably because I'm an A's fan and we had the wild uniforms. Bill Veck did some feaky stuff.

[@ericschminke8233]

The scoreboard the White Sox had at Comiskey Park from the 1960s to 1981 was the greatest I had ever seen.

[@mrgreenelander4952]

I remember this game way back almost fifty years ago. I was fifteen, sitting in the north grandstand with a few guys from my building. I cut class to attend this game. Two dollars for a north grandstand seat, while the others paying more, got rained and snowed on. lol, The top ticket behind the catcher was six dollars and fifty cents. When Doug Ault hit the first home run, I was in the upper right side, watching the ball sail over the fence. This young Indian couple caught the ball, and these guys came down and escorted them out. I actually went the next day, and they lost. lol. Sadly, I haven't been to a game since ninety-one, but great memories

[@johnmongani5223]

wow cool info. 70's were great. Didn't matter what the weather was people just went out and played. These days, everything has to be perfect for the millionaire athletes to get off their butts and play. Especially in the NBA. Now they have "rest days" for players when the fans are spending hundreds of dollars expecting to see them play.

[@mrgreenelander4952]

​@@johnmongani5223 Thanks for the reply. Toronto were supposed to get the San Fransisco Giants in the mid seventies, but the deal never fell through and received an expansion franchise instead. The 77 Jays actually had two excellent catchers in Rick Cerone and Alan Ashby, who were looked at as one of the strongest catching teams in MLB. The crowd would chant, " We Want Beer We Want Beer" as the Jays refused to sell booze at the stadium. I like to remember the personal things that people often forget, as per the young Indian couple who caught the first ball. We would laugh at the people in the four dollar bleacher seats getting rained and snowed on, while we sat covered in the two buck chairs. LOL. It was kinda wild back then. People smoking, sneaking in their booze, some fights in the stands, crowd surfing the wave, more fun. Today its just high prices, get the money, and then get the & out

[@johnmongani5223]

I grew up in the Bay Area and was an A's fan watching them win 3 titles in a row which was a magical time but also followed the Giants across the Bay. Remember well when the Giants were on their way to Toronto and the mayor of S.F George Moscone who was an athlete and big sports fan stepped in and prevented it. I didn't know all of the details back then but just googled it and it was a beer company from Toronto Labatt Brewery, known for producing "the official beer of Ontario" that was given the go ahead by MLB to buy the Giants. Mayor Moscone filed a lawsuit to block the sale and then quickly found buyers to keep the team in S.F. And yep no rough edges in sports anymore. @@mrgreenelander4952

[@stumarston6812]

The pitchers work quick.

[@kathychristie9728]

I was there, and I will never forget it. ... still a Jays fan and watch every game that I can.

[@kingporter67]

This is excellent, a major league baseball game playing in the snow!!!!

[@robmclean4352]

Apparently, when they awarded the Blue Jays franchise, they forgot Toronto was in *Canada* ...!

[@paullindstrom7635]

I swear , I just spotted 2 Blue Jays in my back yard as I was watching this !

[@steveritz2001]

White Sox uniforms awesome.

[@kevinmoore2929]

remember that these were also the unis that came with shorts. I believe they were only worn once at Comiski.

[@kevinmoore2929]

Comiskey. sorry.

[@Jason_Maier]

What about the White Sox unis they wore from 71-75? (Red pinstripes at home, sky blue on the road)

[@cfoster81]

Those 1976 through 1981 White Sox uniforms were terrible, especially the all-Navy blue uniforms, but when the White Sox had their better looking 1982 through 1986 uniforms, they wore shorts once again on few occasions in-between 1982 and 1986

[@cfoster81]

And the very 1970's collar that stayed on both the home and away uniforms until 1981

[@mikefitz6957]

Ken Brett starting for the ChiSox. Brother George was becoming a star as former phenom Ken was struggling to stay in the league.

[@ChildOfThe1970s]

I am almost 50 and never knew this game was played in the snow until I read about it online today in an article about stadiums with retractable roofs. I didn't start watching baseball until a year or two after this game.

[@daniellinehan63]

Ralph Garr walked to lead off the season- he NEVER walked !! Harry said "OMG...we are going to have a great year !! They certainly did- The Southside Hit Men

[@scottdavidson7001]

I remember this game. I watched it on channel 44. Loved some of those old White Sox Uniforms especially when they wore shorts.

[@pmsfar-outgrooviness8025]

Ralph Garr walking, wow

[@deedonnerramone4757]

I remember watching that game on Channel 9 in Windsor. Remember the snow.

[@americangiant1003]

+Dee Donner Ramone Dumb question as I was only 4 years old in 1977. Was this game shown nationally in Canada on either CBC or the only major "private" network at the time CTV? Wow. Whitey Ford as a color commentator interesting.

[@gcbrown1956]

Nice to see this, brings back some nice memories, including the voice of one of Canada's greatest broadcasters, the immortal Don Chevrier. Hard to believe that was almost 40 years ago now. Thanks for sharing this with us.

[@gcbrown1956]

Also nice to see those classic Blue Jay uniforms and that wonderful "bird" logo. The Sox duds from this game look really awful, but the Jays threads are timeless. I was so disappointed when they changed uniforms several times after the 1996 season, but just as happy that in 2011 they returned to them and are still using them today as the 2015 season begins, albeit in a slightly updated version from what they used back then. If the Blue Jays are still playing ball 100 yrs from now, I hope they are still using these uniforms and logo. If anyone from the Blue Jays organization ever reads this comment, please don't ever change this classic look. Thanks not only from me but from millions of Jays fans worldwide.

[@willdrucker4291]

story has it that this game virtually ended Bill Singer's career....he developed severe elbow tendinitis as a result and was out of baseball by the end of June...still a classic broadcast...with Whitey Ford as the color man!!!!

[@jaycompany4886]

When Ralph Garr score on Orta's sacrifice fly he had to grab a team mate to keep from slipping n falling because of the snow........classic!

[@michaelgallarza6869]

They couldn’t wait for that series to end.

[@drewlaredo7220]

If there was ever a sport to NEVER be played in this type of weather it's baseball....gawd...

[@fratzogmopars]

Ralph Garr BEEP BEEP!

[@phill0329]

My wife and I were home in NW Indiana from Connecticut, watched the game at her Dad's house. Couldn't believe they played. Looked stupid.

[@markzenith5562]

oh man i remember those white sox uniforms that year,alot of ppl liked them i thought they were awful.i believe they had shorts that season as well.lol they looked like an adult mens softball team with those shorts..ha ha.....go cubs!

[@toptenguy1]

I can only imagine the first impression that this gave some Americans, they probably thought it would be snowing there every game of the season, even July and August. LOL

[@johnmongani5223]

at 13:05 1st HR in Blue Jays history. And it was a "no doubter". The left fielder doesn't move an inch looking like a frozen statue lol.

[@lefty2149]

I remember Singer mentioning how miserable it was to pitch in those conditions.

[@Maxwell1901]

I'm surprised that Don Chevrier was unfamiliar with the term "hit for the cycle" when describing Richie Zisk. The colour commentator for the first game (and that game only) was Hall of Famer Whitey Ford.

[@isaiahaguilera7710]

Just came from the D-backs game. Commentars mentioned this

[@teddymills1]

Pretty sure Ralph decided not to swing on the first pitch strike. Strike 2 was a bit wild.

[@daniellinehan63]

Remember Ralph Garr walked to lead off and Harry said "He never walks- this is going to be a great year"! .Boy ,was he right !

[@mf7482]

Just 16 season later the Blue Jays would play in their 1st World Series. In 1993 against the Phillies.

[@bulldog81ful]

Marc Freedman Their first WS was against the Braves in 92.

[@alonenjersey]

The ball from that first pitch was on display w/ Dave Stiebs' cap & uniform @ SkyDome when I saw the Blue Jays lose to the Brewers in the summer of '94.

[@aarond23]

Should have used orange baseballs...

[@richardweaver6281]

Bob McCown was the Blue Jays' P.A. announcer that year. Wish he had stayed.

[@The-Red-Pat]

The way Garr slid into second for the steal you know he wasn't a natural base stealer despite the great speed. Not smooth by any means, letting the back foot kind of dig into the dirt and having the leg dragged back is leaving him open for all sorts of injuries to his legs, knee and ankle. Gotta give him credit for daring stealing on the snow though.

[@flyingdutchman8321]

Ah yes, even better! Jays first ever MLB game...Jays 9 Sox 5 Doug Alt Hr...

[@larry930legend]

Amazing video! You should call it MLB winter classic. Game time temp?Two homeruns in the very first inning in Toronto.Jorge Orta played for 1985 Royals

[@jimbo-fk4dq]

I'm kind of amazed the Jays never put some temporary bleachers in right for their games at Exhibition Stadium. I guess leaving it open though gave the games there some charm though, with people chasing down home run balls hit into right field.

[@stevemelendez]

Is this Bob Cole announcing the first game ever in Blue Jay history?

[@ClintScottFischer]

Steve Melendez Sounds like him..but it was Don Chevrier. He would eventually color commentate for Fergie Oliver in the CFTO drive of '85 Era.

[@stevemelendez]

Clinton Fischer thanks! I saw the video and I stand corrected. 👍

[@wrandall445]

Cool, thanks for posting!

[@chrisdunne1000]

An Anne Murray sighting at 12:41 immediately followed by the first tater in Jays history by Doug Ault at 13:07. If that doesn't make your cold, black heart beat maple leaf red, nothing is going to. Ault hit a second one later this game (not shown).

[@johnmongani5223]

and it was a no doubter by Ault.......just look at the left fielder stand and stare...looking as frozen as the field......lol.

[@chrisdunne1000]

I think Ault was done by 1981 but nobody can take this day away. Can you imagine? A rookie getting the job at 1b for a new team and 2 over the fence on opening day. He had to be almost literally numb with excitement.

[@bluebear1985]

When I first heard of Doug Ault, I had no idea he had once played for the Jays. Then again, I was only 10 at the time he managed a team in my hometown, Thunder Bay Whiskey Jacks, a former team in the independent Northern League. He only lasted the 1995 season there.

[@gmaqwert]

6:06 that was one bad slide

[@Milcom34]

THE snow BOWL.........HA!!!!!!

[@Fanik10]

Remember the crack?

[@a10gaming83]

the jays won?

[@johnmongani5223]

yep...........9-5. Won their first game in history but finished a dismal 54-107 in 1977.

[@arrowwolfz]

Doug Ault, rest in peace

[@buffalohawk65]

I thought Don was a decent announcer. Whitey's voice and accent, yuck!