TORONTO —
When the Toronto Blue Jays were in the midst of their deep playoff run last fall, the promotions staff was immersed in plans for the team’s 2026 giveaway schedule.
The idea for a fresh Vladimir Guerrero Jr., bobblehead stemmed from the slugger’s on-field interview after Game 6 of the American League Championship Series against Seattle.
A smiling Guerrero said he was “born ready” for Game 7 and “I want it all for this city.’ The Blue Jays went on to beat the Mariners to advance to the World Series for the first time since 1993.
Jess Wood, the club’s promotions and events director, said that interview led to a few ideas as staff tried to figure out ways to integrate the moment into their plans.
“We saw this little image of him as a kid with his dad at the Montreal Expos stadium and thought, ‘Why not make this into a bobblehead?'” Wood said. “So the journey kind of began there.
“It’s adorable and I’m so excited for our fans.”
Guerrero’s “Born Ready” bobblehead day is May 25 for the first 15,000 fans to arrive at Rogers Centre. It’s one of many giveaways over a home schedule that includes 50th anniversary season promotions and events.
The famous image was snapped in September 2002 by now-retired Canadian Press photojournalist Paul Chiasson. The Montreal Expos defeated the Cincinnati Reds 7-2 that day at Olympic Stadium.
In the shot, a young Guerrero — just three at the time — is standing beside his father, Vladimir Guerrero Sr., on the turf after the game.
“Junior tipping his cap, like he just seemed to know what to do,” Chiasson said from Montreal. “I don’t know where he got it, but he had it, man.”
That charisma has carried over into the slugger’s pro career. Guerrero is the homegrown face of the Blue Jays franchise and one of the more popular figures in Canadian sport.
Team president Mark Shapiro said the team’s fanbase is drawn to Guerrero’s joyful exuberance, energy, and love of the game.
“It’s authentic, it’s genuine, and they feel it,” he said.
Guerrero signed a lucrative long-term extension with the Blue Jays last spring that runs through 2039. The Blue Jays will open the new campaign on Friday night against the visiting Athletics.
“I think the story here is really Vladdy’s upbringing through Canada, being born in Montreal, really having those roots and now being one of our franchise players for many, many years,” Wood said.
“So from his roots to now, helping take us to the World Series last year, and hopefully many more successes in the future. This is really the start, and (it’s) the most adorable little bobblehead.”
Chiasson said photographers at Expos games would often chat with players since the photo bay was by the side of the dugout.
Guerrero Sr. struck out in his last at-bat against the Reds that day in 2002, leaving him one homer shy of the “40-40 club” for players who record 40 homers and 40 stolen bases in the same season.
Sporting a pinstriped white Expos shirt and pants like his dad, the younger Guerrero is seen raising a blue Montreal helmet in the air with an outstretched right arm.
“This one here was a no-brainer. I mean, the kid was just great,” Chiasson said. “I mean look at the expression on his face.”
Guerrero Sr. played with the Expos from 1996 to 2003 and was later inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Guerrero Jr., who made his big-league debut with the Blue Jays in 2019, had the image imprinted on his baseball glove for his first all-star appearance in 2021.
The famous photo went viral last fall as the slugger anchored Toronto’s run through the post-season.
“It’s rewarding. it’s cool, it’s really cool,” said Chiasson, who covered the Expos for about two decades until their last season in Montreal in 2004. “It’s nice to see the legs this picture has had.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 26, 2026.
Gregory Strong, The Canadian Press
