Blue Jays: José Bautista bobblehead day in August is absolutely going to be sold out

The Toronto Blue Jays recently announced one of the most exciting giveaways in recent memory, a José Bautista bat flip bobblehead.

This promotional item, which captures one of the most memorable moments in team history, will be given to the first 15,000 entrants to the game at Rogers Centre on August 12th against the Chicago Cubs.

Additionally, Bautista will become the seventh player to be added to the esteemed Level of Excellence, joining George Bell, Dave Stieb, Joe Carter, Tony Fernandez, Carlos Delgado, and Roy Halladay. Cito Gaston, Pat Gillick, Tom Cheek, and Paul Beeston have previously been honored as builders.

The hottest ticket in town

I hate being the bearer of bad news, but if you plan on attending this game and haven’t yet secured your tickets, you’re out of luck.

Jays fans are known for their enthusiasm about the team and excitement over giveaway days, but this promo created a mania not usually seen for a regular season game. Tickets sold out in 72 hours with no pairs and only a few dozen singles remaining after that time.

The mad rush for fans to get their hands on this unique piece of merchandise and the opportunity to witness another beloved former player be enshrined forever in team lore is easy to understand. Bautista is the most prominent and deserving player to be recognized and the love the fanbase feels for him is deep and real.  

They appreciate that when “Joey Bats” came to town he was a relatively unknown entity, a 28-year-old who was just starting to get regular playing time. No one thought he’d develop into a player who would lead the American League in home runs twice, capture three Silver Slugger Awards, and be named an All-Star six times.

His dramatic, three-run homer off Sam Dyson in Game 5 of the 2015 ALDS gave the Blue Jays a 6-3 lead and washed away what had been an agonizingly frustrating seventh inning. It’s one of the most famous in MLB history and went a long way to ensuring Toronto’s first playoff series in 22 years would be a winning one. 

The day of celebration is part of a robust set of giveaway games featured at Rogers Centre this season.