Jose Bautista gives Canada emotional embrace at Hall of Fame Induction weekend
- Spencer Seymour
- Jun 11
- 3 min read

By Spencer Seymour
Much of the speech given by the headliner of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame’s 2025 class could be classified as a love letter to Canada, with Jose Bautista delivering a heartfelt speech. But, not before getting a laugh out of what was the largest Hall of Fame Induction crowd in recent memory.
“By the way, we got great weather today; maybe a little too hot for some of you, but that’s what you get,” Bautista joked. “Quit complaining about the long winter this year.”
As the Toronto Blue Jays’ legend began his speech, he acknowledged many of the all-time greats he now stands shoulder-to-shoulder with as a Canadian Baseball Hall of Famer.
As the Toronto Blue Jays’ legend began his speech, he acknowledged many of the all-time greats he now stands shoulder-to-shoulder with as a Canadian Baseball Hall of Famer.
“I’m humbled to take my place amongst so many great figures in Canadian baseball history. To be in the same Hall as Vladimir Guerrero, Pedro Martinez, Tony Fernandez, George Bell, Carlos Delgado, Roy Halladay, and my friend Russell Martin is an honour that I sincerely cherish and appreciate.”
Bautista recounted a 2008 meeting with Pittsburgh Pirates’ brass during which he was informed he had been traded to the Toronto Blue Jays. Bautista, who had struggled to find consistent playing time in the major leagues up to that point, was like many baseball players who get dealt north of the border in that he wasn’t overly familiar with Toronto and Canada in general.
“I’ll admit that, at the time, I didn’t know a whole lot about Canada, or Canadian baseball culture,” Bautista began. “Of course, I was familiar with the Montreal Expos and their connection to my home country, the Dominican Republic, including names like the iconic father-son manager-player duo, Felipe and Moisés Alou, Vladimir Guerrero, and Pedro Martinez. I also knew about the Toronto organization and their long record of developing and showcasing players from the Dominican, like Alfredo Griffin, George Bell, and Tony Fernandez.
“But what I didn’t understand until I arrived in Toronto was that I was coming into a city and country that had its own long baseball history, and that was home to so many passionate fans of the game. What an amazing experience that was.”
According to the 44-year-old native of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Bautista found a second home in a city and a country made beautiful by the diversity of its people and filled with people trying to do the same thing he was.
“To arrive in such a vibrant, cosmopolitan place, where it seemed like everybody was from a different part of the world – the Caribbean, or India, or Africa, or China – and they were all speaking their own languages, and at the same time, everybody was so welcoming. Everybody was so respectful. As someone who came to Canada hoping for a fresh start and a clean slate and an opportunity to succeed, it felt like I had something in common with all those people also trying to find their footing in a new land.”
Bautista, not hiding his emotions, explained how it didn’t take long for him to find nationwide affirmation after joining the Blue Jays.
“Toronto immediately embraced me. The way our team was treated was an extension of that welcoming, accepting Canadian attitude. The minute you became a Blue Jay, you could sense the warmth. It felt like Toronto was home, and the Canadian people treated us as one of them, whether you were a superstar or the last one on the bench. What I didn’t know then but would certainly learn over my time with the Blue Jays was that it wasn’t just the city that supported our team. It was an entire country.
“In the offseason, when the Blue Jays sent us on our winter tour to different parts of Canada, I got a sense of how big and beautiful that support was, and how huge this country is,” Bautista said as appreciative tears began welling in his eyes. “Every place was very different, but at the same time, every place was distinctly Canadian. As I began to have more success in my career and as our team became a contender, it was wonderful knowing that 40 million people from coast to coast to coast had our backs, and also had my back.”
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