Have a laugh at Blue Jays' funniest moments

TORONTO -- The past 43 seasons of Blue Jays baseball have brought highs, lows and everything in between. Along the way, baseball has brought fans north of the border plenty of comical moments.

Here’s a look back at some of the best.

The Munenori Kawasaki Era
2013-15

Never has a .627 OPS across three Major League seasons created so much joy. Munenori Kawasaki’s time with the Blue Jays was a three-year sketch comedy that involved dancing, champagne showers, standup routines and advice on combatting cramps with bananas -- because “monkeys never cramp.”

One of Kawasaki’s first viral moments came on May 26, 2013, when teammate Mark DeRosa handed his interview over to Kawasaki, who had just walked off against the Orioles, 6-5, with a double.

“My name is Munenori Kawasaki,” he said. “I am from Japan. I am Japaneeese!”

Kawasaki then grabbed a notebook from his pocket and continued. Kawasaki was still learning English at the time, but his genuine dedication to embracing the language, the country and everything that came along with it is part of what made him so appealing to Blue Jays fans.

“My teammates gave me an opportunity, so I wanted to do something about it,” Kawasaki said before his teammates covered him in shaving cream and doused him with Gatorade.

Glenallen Hill’s run-in (?) with spiders
July 7, 1990

Professional sports are no stranger to oddball injuries, from sneezes gone wrong to kitchen blunders, but Glenallen Hill’s trip to the injured list in 1990 stands above the rest.

Hill, then in his second MLB season with the Blue Jays before going on to a strong 13-year career in the bigs, had a nightmare about spiders one night in July. The spiders weren’t real, but Hill’s bumps and cuts were after he’d fell during the incident.

''I have a phobia about spiders,'' Hill told The New York Times, adding that he bounced off a wall and climbed 10 stairs in his apartment. ''In the nightmare, I was trying to get away from spiders.''

Gibby’s gone
Aug. 16, 2017

John Gibbons was ejected 52 times as the Blue Jays’ manager, spanning 11 seasons from 2004-08 and '13-18. Few days went by without a laugh courtesy of Gibbons behind closed doors, but his performances on the field made him one of the more beloved figures in Toronto sports.

The Blue Jays went on to beat the Rays, 3-2, that day, but Gibbons made sure he got his money’s worth. After being tossed on his walk out to the mound by the home plate umpire, Gibbons didn’t break stride.

First-time caller
May 1, 2017

After most games, Sportsnet 590 THE FAN airs Blue Jays Talk, where a brave host takes calls from fans. After a game early in 2017, Mike Wilner, the show’s host at the time and current play-by-play announcer, got a call from “John in Toronto.”

“Hey, Mike, first-time caller,” Gibbons said, before blowing his cover with some classic Gibby lines.

Fan shows Stieb her … appreciation
Oct. 8, 1985

Game 1 of the 1985 American League Championship Series saw the Blue Jays jump out in front of the Royals with a 6-1 win. The Royals eventually took the series in seven games, but the home fans didn’t hold back in their love for starter Dave Stieb in the opener.

Prior to the second inning, a 19-year-old woman ran from the bleachers to the mound to offer “some loving encouragement” to Stieb with a kiss. She was quickly removed, but perhaps her continued support from home helped Stieb pitch eight shutout innings.

“I’m going home to watch the game on TV,” the woman told the Los Angeles Times after her ejection. “And you can tell him [Stieb] I’m blowing kisses to him.”

Car salesman
Oct. 4, 1992

During a Fan Appreciation Day just prior to the 1992 playoff run, Derek Bell saw a familiar sight coming down the third-base line -- his Jeep.

This was no standard Jeep, either. The kelly green SUV came with unmistakable matching rims, and left Bell looking on from the dugout, confused in a way that begged to become a .gif one day.

“And the winning ticket is, section 123, row seven, seat one,” the PA announcer called out. “Congratulations.”