Joey Loperfido knew Toronto was special after Canada Day game

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When Joey Loperfido was traded by the Houston Astros to the Toronto Blue Jays — along with Jake Bloss and Will Wagner — for Yusei  Kikuchi in July 2024, he knew he was coming to a special place.

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“I was surprised when I got traded, but I knew at that moment I was going to a good home,” Loperfido told Postmedia last fall prior to Game 1 of the World Series.

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“I heard such great things about Toronto. But I had gotten the chance to play here with Houston on Canada Day, so I remember seeing the Canada Day atmosphere and how packed the stadium was and how crazy the fans were. I was thinking, ‘If I ever played somewhere else, this would be a cool place to play.’”

After becoming a fan favourite in his one-and-a-half seasons in Toronto, Loperfido, 26, was shipped back to Houston by the Blue Jays on Friday in exchange for fellow outfielder Jesus Sanchez.

Last October, Loperfido said he quickly grew to love the Blue Jays’ team-first atmosphere and credited mutual friends he shared with designated hitter George Springer with helping him adjust to life in Toronto.

“I felt like it was an easy clubhouse to get integrated with. I felt like I could be myself the second I walked through the door,” Loperfido said.

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After a disappointing start to his tenure with the Blue Jays, the Philadelphia native said it was a thrill to see many parts of the 2024 team getting a chance to gel and play in what was Toronto’s first trip to the World Series in 32 years last October.

“I know when (the 2024 season) ended, everyone kind of had a bitter taste in their mouth, but I feel like that group knows how much this means to the city and the organization,” he said.

Loperfido split last season between the Blue Jays and Triple-A Buffalo Bisons, batting .333 in 41 games with Toronto.

Meanwhile, Sanchez notched 14 home runs and 48 RBIs with a .237 average with the Astros and Miami Marlins last year.

‘We’re the easiest group of guys to root for’

Loperfido said the 2025 edition of the Blue Jays, which finished atop the American League East, was a special group of players that the city and country could get behind.

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“There’s so many things this lineup can do and the pitching staff can do to beat teams,” he said. “I feel like when we get guys on base, there’s a different person who came through all year with big hits in clutch moments.”

“As a group, there are so many ways we can win. At the same time, you look at all the individual stories of how everyone got to this point in their career in Toronto. Whether it’s Nathan Lukes grinding in the minor leagues. Tyler Heineman grinding in the minor leagues. Ernie (Clement) and everybody else up and down the lineup. There’s so many unique stories and personalities. We’re the easiest group of guys to root for.”

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Loperfido displayed an almost boyish enthusiasm as he recounted George Springer’s three-run shot that powered Toronto to 4-3 win over the Seattle Mariners in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series.

“He hit it and I saw (Mariners outfielder) Randy Arozarena give up on it and I don’t really remember too much after that,” he said smiling. “I’ve watched the video a hundred times … it was unbelievable. In videos, it seemed so loud in Rogers Centre, but I don’t even remember how loud it was. I blacked out and I wasn’t even the one hitting … It was the biggest swing I’ve ever seen and it was the biggest moment I’ve ever been a part of in my sports career.”

As he cleaned out his locker at the Blue Jays Player Development Complex in Dunedin on Friday, Loperfido said he would always be grateful for his time in Toronto.

“I feel like I can leave knowing I’m a better player now than I was when I got here,” Loperfido told The Canadian Press. “I’m so grateful to have gotten to play with this group, to play in Toronto, for the fans, for the whole country.”

mdaniell@postmedia.com

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