Toronto Maple Leafs make waves on social media with new jerseys and reaching out to Joey Votto

For the City of Toronto, the Maple Leafs have been an integral part of the sporting community since 1917, the year the hockey club was founded. While Auston Matthews and the decades-long Stanley Cup drought ravage the headlines during the winter, many might not realize that a Maple Leafs franchise has also been suiting up on the diamond since 1969.

Founded by Jack and Lynne Dominico, the Maple Leafs have called Christie Pits home since their inaugural campaign, now suiting up on Dominico Field. The club has eight Intercounty Baseball League championships under their belt, their last coming back in 2007, and has boasted numerous big leaguers on their squad including Pete Orr, Rich Butler, Paul Spoljaric, Chris Leroux, and Rob Butler, who is now the manager of the Maple Leafs.

Yesterday, the Maple Leafs made headlines after they announced their uniforms for the 2024 season, featuring three jerseys: white, dark blue, and a light powder blue similar to the Toronto Blue Jays alternate jerseys fans have known for years. Featuring a bold “Leafs” across the chest and a smaller maple leaf with a “T” in the middle, numerous people across social media were looking to get their hands on one of the jerseys but they didn’t appear for sale in the team’s online store. The organization released a statement later in the day stating that the jerseys were not available for purchase yet but did appear to hint that they would be available shortly.

On top of the jerseys, the Maple Leafs’ social media team also made headlines when they reached out to Etobicoke, Ontario product Joey Votto, a 17-year veteran of the big leagues still looking for an opportunity this year.

For those who do not follow Votto on social media, the former Cincinnati Reds All-Star has been posting photos and short clips online about his desire to continue playing with a humorous twist throughout the offseason as he continues to search for an opportunity to continue playing. The Maple Leafs saw the latest post and attempted to persuade the 2010 NL MVP to join their organization, a homecoming of sorts, with fans chiming in that they would love to see Votto suit up at the Christie Pits.

While it might be a long shot that Votto will be donning a Maple Leafs jersey anytime soon, the club took their best shot and ultimately gained quite a few fans yesterday with their jersey announcement and social media postings.