Toronto Blue Jays mascots

Lore & Background

Kevin Shanahan, a University of Toronto student and Ontario Place employee, designed and performed in a moose costume before creating a bird costume for the Blue Jays. Not a baseball fan, he saw the need for a distraction. BJ Birdy debuted in 1979 and was described in 1985 as 'lovable, irascible, curious, impudent, mischievous.' Shanahan retained ownership of the character despite attempts by the team to buy the rights. The relationship between Shanahan and the team was strained; the front office would reportedly reply 'B.J. Who?' to complaints. In 1993, BJ Birdy was ejected from a game for trying to influence an umpire's call. Shanahan was replaced in 2000 after a meeting with senior vice-president Terry Zuk, but his contract ran until December 31, 1999. The team told him not to appear at the final two home games.

Reader's Guide

The Toronto Blue Jays mascots reflect the evolving role of team entertainment in baseball. BJ Birdy, created by Kevin Shanahan, was a pioneering character who improvised routines and even had a comic strip in the Toronto Star from 1985 to 1988. The character's contentious relationship with management and fans highlighted the tension between creative control and corporate branding. The introduction of Ace and Diamond in 2000 marked a shift toward a more controlled mascot program, though Diamond was dropped after 2003. The 2026 return of BJ Birdy and Diamond for the team's fiftieth season, without Shanahan's permission, underscores ongoing copyright issues. The mascots serve as both crowd-pleasers and symbols of the team's history, with BJ Birdy's legacy as an 'underbird' who often criticized management.

Did You Know?

• BJ Birdy was ejected from a game on May 22, 1993, for trying to influence an umpire's call.
• Kevin Shanahan retained full ownership of the BJ Birdy character during and after its run.
• The team's 2026 revival of BJ Birdy used a new costume created without Shanahan's permission.