Earlier this year sports news broke word that Roberto Alomar would be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. I was really happy for him because I had watched him play for the Blue Jays growing up. During his stay in Toronto he was responsible for Toronto winning 2 back to back World Series. From 1989-1994 my whole world revolved around baseball and the Jays. The team was simply amazing, and played with so much heart. I remember I would watch every single game religiously, collect baseball cards, and go to the SkyDome once in a while to watch a live game. What made that team so special to me was that they never let me down. Even when you thought they were going to lose they would end up winning (specifically the 92-93 team). Those wins felt so genuinely satisfying especially after having lost the American League series to the Twins in 1991.
As the 1992 season began everything started to fall into place and the Jays had reached a new level of excellence led by Alomar and Carter. Alomar would play second base like a machine, diving and reaching for balls in what seemed like backbreaking jumps and then throwing them to first base to make the out. Then he would also go up to bat and make a hit, RBI, sacrifice or homerun when it was most needed by the team. One such homerun came in the 1992 playoffs against the Oakland Athletics when Alomar homered against Eckersley. This homerun was significant because the Jays had been losing and he had tied the game. As the ball left the outfield, Alomar threw his hands up with his fingers pointing to the sky as a moment of tense anxiety was lifted and replaced by joy and euphoria. This moment was then chosen as the stance Alomar’s bobblehead would get for his free giveaway.
Alomar’s bobblehead was given away at Rogers Centre on Sunday, July 31, 2011. Only 20,000 were given away to fans, and I was lucky enough to get one. It celebrates and honours Roberto Alomar for being inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame as a Toronto Blue Jay. The organization also decided to retire his #12 number as well. The bobblehead comes in a nice box that commemorates and highlights his many accomplishments. The paint job is also nice, as far as bobbleheads are concerned (don’t expect neat and clean lines). While the face doesn’t really look like him, the stance is really indicative of Alomar. The bobblehead is also a little heavy and is made out of ceramic. Overall this is a very nice collectable and I am happy that we are able to recognize and thank Alomar for what he did for Toronto, and Canada.
