As the Toronto Blue Jays fell short in a heart-wrenching defeat to the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 7 of the 2025 World Series on November 1st, amidst the weight of their loss, there was a shining beacon of camaraderie that transcended victory or defeat. The Canadian team's display of solidarity with Alex Vesia, who was absent from the Fall Classic due to a "deeply personal family matter," will forever be etched in the annals of sports history.
During the tense Game 3 of the high-stakes series, several Blue Jays players had a subtle yet powerful gesture—they inscribed Vesia's jersey number 51 on the side of their hats. This act of kindness resonated deeply with Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who expressed his awe at the aftermath of the game.
"I didn't learn about it until after the game last night," he shared, according to Newsweek. "And I think it truly speaks to the brotherhood of athletes. The depth of respect and love they have for one another is humbling."
The support for the Dodgers' relief pitcher, whose wife Kayla announced in April that they are expecting their first baby, was especially impactful on Roberts given the gravity of the situation. "For these guys to recognize Alex and what he and Kayla have been through, heartbreaking is not even a good enough descriptor," he continued. "But for them to acknowledge that, it just speaks to how much respect and love they have for one another. It's a huge, huge tribute to Alex."
Even Kiké Hernández, a utility player for the Dodgers, commended his rivals for what he called an "incredible" act of goodwill. "For those guys to do that, it's incredible," he told reporters during a press conference ahead of Game 7. "They're trying to win a World Series, but they understand that life is bigger than baseball, and baseball's just a game. For them to do that, with the stakes we were at, hats off to them. And I want them to know that we appreciate them."
Vesia's absence was also felt by his teammates, who inscribed his number on their own hats throughout the series as well. "I'm new to the bullpen, but Vesia means a lot to all of us," Clayton Kershaw shared following Game 3. "And he was a huge part of this team, a huge part of that bullpen. So, we just wanted to do something to honor him."
In this instance, baseball transcended its traditional boundaries to become a platform for expressing the deepest human emotions—a testament to the power of sport as a unifying force in our lives.
