A trip down Islanders’ memory lanes to past Jays triumphs
MANITOULIN—While Toronto Blue Jays fans attending, or watching the 2025 World Series games are garnering their own memories of what the Blue Jays are doing, a group of friends, who attended the clinching game in 1993, when Joe Carter hit a walk-off homerun, can still recall the events of October 23, 1993.
“We were blessed. The whole experience was something else. It was a memory that I will never forget. It was the ultimate for Blue Jays fans,” stated Al Tribinevicius, who along with seven friends, who all lived on Manitoulin at the time, attended the sixth and final game of the 1993 World Series between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Philadelphia Phillies.
“Mark Olacke, Bruce Wiggins, Al Tribinevicius and I, Wayne Murdock, four teachers at Central Manitoulin Public School (in Mindemoya) had got a call from Steve Shaffer asking if we wanted to attend the World Series Game six on Saturday, October 23, 1993,” said Mr. Murdock. “We jumped at the chance. The eight of us, which also included Tom Sasvari, the late Werner Dittmar and Matt Whalen (who now lives off-Island) headed out to Toronto Friday afternoon for the Saturday evening game.”
“One thing I can remember is how the other staff at the school were so good to us,” stated Mr. Tribinevicius. “Fern Patterson, the school principal and the rest of the teaching staff let us out of school a few hours early to travel to Toronto. Other teachers filled in for us.”
The whole crew got into a van and headed to Toronto. Tickets had been arranged by Mr. Shaffer, who had a contact at a bus travel agency in Sudbury. Each member of the crew, had paid $150 in total for the bus trip (which they didn’t take), the ticket to the game and accommodations at a hotel.
“Before the game, six of us went down to the field level as the Phillies were warming up,” said Mr. Wiggins. “I remember Al was like a little kid when they see something new and exciting. His eyes were as big as saucers. We were watching the Phillies warmup and one of their relief pitchers, (Mitch) ‘Wild Thing’ (Williams) was close by and Al started yelling and calling him over to sign an autograph, and he (Williams) did.”
“I don’t remember all of that, but I’m pretty sure I got his (Wild Thing) autograph,” said Mr. Tribinevicius. “But I don’t know where I put the program he signed. I still have it somewhere, and I also have a pennant too from the game. They are probably in one of the boxes in my basement along with some other souvenirs from a game my daughter took me to on Father’s Day about 15 years ago.”
As for the game, the Blue Jays scored three runs in the first inning, and when Paul Molitor hit a solo home run in the bottom of the fifth inning the Blue Jays had a four-run lead, 5-1, and the 52,195 fans in a delirious SkyDome (now the Rogers Centre) were certain the Jays would coast to a win and their second straight World Series championship.
However, the Phillies had other ideas, scoring five runs in the seventh inning. Lenny ‘Nails’ Dykstra hit a three-run homerun to cut the Jays lead to one, and Philadelphia scored two more runs to take the lead 6-5.
The Blue Jays couldn’t score in the seventh or the eighth inning, although they had the bases loaded at one point in the eighth inning.
“It wasn’t looking good,” said Mr. Shaffer. “I remember we were all sitting there talking about if, and how, we were going to get tickets for game seven (which would have taken place the next evening).”
“The four of us teachers were telling Mark he would have to call Fern (Patterson) and tell her we may be late for school on Monday, because it looked like we might have to find tickets and go to the game Sunday night,” said Mr. Wiggins.
“Everyone in the stadium went from being despondent when the Jays got behind… then Joe Carter’s homerun and it was all over,” stated Mr. Tribinevicius.
Rickey Henderson led off the ninth inning with a walk by ‘Wild Thing’ Williams. Paul Molitor (who would go on to win the World Series Most Valuable Player award) singled, moving Henderson to second. The tying run was now in scoring position and the World Series winning run was at first as Joe Carter came to the plate.
Williams fell behind in the count 2-and-0, only to even the count at 2-and-2. It was at that point that Joe Carter took the next pitch down and in and hit it over the left field fence, a walk-off homerun and World Series win for the Blue Jays.
“It looked like Williams tried to throw the pitch so hard, he threw himself onto the ground,” said Mr. Wiggins.
“I remember not knowing at first if it cleared the fence,” said Mr. Shaffer. “It was a line drive, it got out quickly, and from where we were sitting (section 533 seats) I didn’t see it go out at first.”
“The noise in the stadium was unreal when Carter hit the homer,” said Mr. Sasvari, who had also attended the first game of the series with Mr. Shaffer and Grant Cory. “I have never heard anything that loud, it was like two people screaming in your ears at the same time. And the celebration seemed to go on forever inside and outside the stadium. It was awesome.”
“We all stayed in the stadium for quite awhile afterward,” said Mr. Wiggins. “When we got outside the stadium there was a guy on drums, playing the song ‘Wild Thing.’ People were throwing five- and 10 dollar bills at him hand over fist.”
All eight Islanders started out making the long walk back to the hotel which was several blocks away, even walking past one street, where the Toronto Star reported the next day there may have been one million people in that one area, said Mr. Wiggins.
“People were hanging from streetlights, and there were cops on horses all over the place,” said Mr. Wiggins.
“I remember the crowd on Yonge Street—it was packed and everyone was so happy,” said Mr. Shaffer.
Mr. Wiggins pointed out along with people on lamps and streetlights, all the streetcars were stopped on streets and people could even be seen on top of them. “It was just an amazing scene.”
“Before I sat down to write this story, I watched a video of Joe hitting that homer,” said Mr. Sasvari. “I get goosebumps every time I see it. It was something that I’m sure none of us will ever forget. It was unbelievable.”
“The 1993 team seemed very similar to the 2025 Blue Jays in that they all made contributions at the right time to make essential plays: and the players really supported each other,” said Mr. Murdock. “Along with most fans, I remember how the crowd erupted when Joe Carter hit his home run to win the series.”
“Looking at the ticket I have, I can’t believe the price for attending game six of the World Series was only 58 bucks Canadian,” said Mr. Murdock. “We were lucky tickets were affordable back then for once in a lifetime events. Times have changed.”
