Feels like '93: Blue Jays stir up the championship echoes with first pitch choice

If Toronto Blue Jays fans weren't believers in their team at the start of this World Series, they certainly are now. Toronto didn't just go toe-to-toe with the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 1 on Friday night; they flat-out embarrassed the defending champions, wearing out Blake Snell and then pouring it on as soon as his departure exposed L.A.'s bullpen. The result? A whopping nine-run sixth inning, and an 11-4 win that sent the raucous Rogers Centre crowd home happy.

With a victory like that, what can the Jays possibly do for an encore? They'll have their work cut out for them on the field, as the Dodgers send another ace in Yoshinobu Yamamoto to the mound. But one thing's for sure: The atmosphere will once again be electric, as Toronto is stirring up some championship echoes before the game begins.

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Who's throwing out the first pitch ahead of World Series Game 2?

It's only fitting that, in their first World Series appearance in over 30 years, the Jays hand ceremonial first-pitch honors to two of the key figures behind the last time they were on baseball's biggest stage. After former manager Cito Gaston did the honors in Game 1, it'll be former All-Star outfielder Joe Carter doing the honors ahead of Game 2.

Acquired along with Robert Alomar in one of the most significant trades in Blue Jays history back in 1991, Carter instantly became a fan favorite, earning All-Star honors (and two Silver Slugger awards) in each of the next four seasons. He helped Toronto capture its first-ever World Series title in 1992, but he became a national icon a year later, when his walk-off homer against the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 6 sealed a repeat — and inspired one of the most legendary calls in the sport's history.

Just days after another instantly iconic homer in a clinching game, it's poetic that Carter will be the one firing up the Rogers Centre crowd on Saturday night. But what about the rest of the pregame festivities?

Who's singing the American national anthem ahead of World Series Game 2?

Pop star Bebe Rexha will be performing the Star-Spangled Banner at Rogers Centre on Saturday night.

Rexha was born and raised in New York City. Her debut solo album, Expectations, went platinum back in 2018 and also earned her a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist. She's released two LPs since then, with hit singles like "I'm Good (Blue)".

But of course, we'll be in Canada on Saturday night. And that means we won't just be getting one national anthem ahead of Game 2.

Who's singing the Canadian national anthem ahead of World Series Game 2?

The Blue Jays have tapped Canadian pop star Alessia Cara to sing O Canada before Game 2.

Raised in Brampton, Ontario, outside of Toronto, Cara first achieved stardom with her debut single, "Here", back in 2014, and her debut album peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard 200 chart. She's released three albums since, and her latest, Love & Hyperbole, came out earlier this year. She's previously sang the Canadian anthem at both Toronto Raptors game and the 2021 NBA All-Star Game, and now she'll join a select list of Canadians to sing the song ahead of a World Series game on home soil.

Michael Burgess, the famed Canadian tenor, became the first person to sing O Canada in the World Series in 1992, and he reprised the role for the first game of the Series in '93. Singing the U.S. anthems those games were Billy Ray Cyrus and Aretha Franklin, respectively. Other Canadian anthem performers in the '90s included Anne Murray, Tom Cochrane and Rita MacNeil.