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Michael Saunders grew up in Victoria, British Columbia, which is less than 100 miles from Seattle, home of the Mariners. Naturally, he rooted for the Blue Jays, who were 2,700 miles and three time zones away in Toronto.For me and my family, it was all Blue Jays, and for the friends I grew up with going to school, it was all Blue Jays too, the Toronto outfielder said. And obviously, the excitement during those two World Series was through the roof.Those two World Series were in 1992 and 1993, and the Blue Jays won each -- the first against Atlanta on Dave Winfields Game 6 11th-inning double, and the second against Philadelphia on Joe Carters Game 6 walk-off/dance-off home run. Their popularity went not only through the roof but also through the stratosphere. The Blue Jays led the league in attendance six years in a row, including 1993, when they averaged 50,000 fans per game.And then the team went into a sudden and surprising decline. After 11 consecutive winning seasons and almost constant contention, the Blue Jays began piling up losing seasons in 1994 and went 21 years without reaching a single postseason. Average attendance plummeted to as low as 19,173 by 2010. From 2008 to 13, they finished no higher than fourth in their division.Ive been here four years, and winning wasnt something that was synonymous with the Blue Jays, Toronto center fielder Kevin Pillar said. We were kind of the doormat of the AL East.And then things changed. After finishing last in 2013 and third in 2014, the Blue Jays won the division last year. This year, after beating Baltimore in the wild-card game and Texas in an AL Division Series, they will be playing for the AL pennant against Cleveland.Theyre also massively popular again, leading the league in attendance with an average of close to 42,000 per game. And that isnt counting the many fans who filled the stadium in Seattle for a series against the Mariners in September. Its almost like a West Coast Canadian holiday, Saunders said of the Blue Jays crowds in Seattle.As when Hall of Fame general manager Pat Gillicks Blue Jays added Roberto Alomar in 1991, Jack Morris in 1992 and Paul Molitor in 1993, acquiring new players has been a big factor in Torontos resurgence. As Pillar said, We went out and got some really, really good players and ultracompetitive guys, and that kind of changed the culture.One of those really, really good players was third baseman Josh Donaldson, whom the Blue Jays acquired via an offseason trade after the 2014 season. He was a significant boost for Toronto and immediately won the 2015 AL MVP. Signing catcher and Canada native Russell Martin that same offseason was also important.For one thing, they brought some toughness to us, manager John Gibbons said. The previous couple of years, I didnt think we had enough of that. Id seen Josh from afar playing in Oakland, and I knew what he was about. We got him and it rubbed off on our guys. ... And Id seen Russ a little bit, but his reputation was the same way, a hard-nosed guy. And Russ is the backbone of this team.The two played key roles in completing the Jays division series sweep of the Rangers on Sunday, with Donaldson scoring the winning run from second base on Martins grounder. Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, whom Toronto acquired in 2015, played a huge role as well, driving in five runs in the series.Tulowitzki is the same type of guy, Gibbons said. They made a big difference because you can have a ton of talent, but if you dont have some toughness, some gamers and some guys who are really motivated every day to win, you come up empty.Obviously, veterans Edwin Encarnacion and Jose Bautista have been crucial, with Encarnacion hitting 42 home runs in the regular season and three this postseason, including his wild card-winning three-run blast.Torontos pitching also has been very good all season -- the Blue Jays had the leagues lowest ERA at 3.78 -- and the offense has been powerful, with 221 home runs. There was a slump in September, though, when the Jays averaged the fewest runs per game in the majors and nearly missed the playoffs.We rely on that home run ball. And when you run into a little drought, you come up empty a lot of nights, Gibbons said. It was a tough September. We battled. We really picked it up at the end just to get in, and since the month has turned over into October, it kind of looks like the old team.Indeed. The Jays homered eight times and scored 22 runs in the division series. They have hit 10 home runs in their four postseason games.Were pitching well, and were playing good defense, and right now, weve been able to hit the homer. And thats big, a big positive for our offense, Donaldson said. Because there are times when we rely on that, because we dont have a lot of guys in our lineup who are speed-oriented and that are going to take advantage of extra bases. Thats not how were built. Were built to hit the long ball.We definitely feel good where we are at right now.And their fans are feeling good as well, in Victoria and beyond. Wholesale Baseball Jerseys Free Shipping . Speaking to the Chicago Tribune at baseballs Winter Meetings in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, Boras called the former home of the Expos a "tremendous environment" for baseball. MLB Jerseys For Sale . They were putting most of their energy into a record-setting offensive display. http://www.chinajerseysmlb.com/ .C. United of Major League Soccer. United chose the defender in the second round of the 2013 MLS re-entry draft. Authentic MLB Jerseys Cheap . The All-Pro lineman got the leg bent under him while trying to make a tackle during the first half of a 22-20 overtime loss at Miami on Thursday night. The medical staff initially thought hed torn the ligament, and the test a day later in Cincinnati confirmed it. Cheap Nike Baseball Jerseys . According to a report from the Winnipeg Free Press, the Bombers will name Acting GM Kyle Walters to the post full time. Seahawks coach Pete Carroll was asked Monday to describe the environment at Gillette Stadium during Seattles?31-24 victory over the New England Patriots.It appears that he came away unimpressed.OK, Carroll said during the Brock and Salk show on 710 ESPN Seattle. Its not a great place. They werent nuts. Its because theyre so used to winning. There was a time when they kicked their last field goal to go ahead, and it was like a round of applause for the nice effort. Gosh, our guys would be going berserk. Were so hungry for it. Its a gorgeous setting, beautiful arena and the fans, just the whole thing. Its really classy.Carroll coached the Patriots from 1997 to 1999 before getting fired.He was asked if Sunday nights victory had any special meaning to him personally.It was pretty fun. Ive gotta admit, I havent had more fun just enjoying a win, really, Carroll said. So theres some stuff in there somewhere..dddddddddddd. But it was a freakin blast. The game was, the way that people were yelling at me walking on and off the field.Carroll said most of the heckling had to do with the way Super Bowl XLIX ended, with Patriots cornerback?Malcolm Butlers?interception of Seahawks quarterback?Russell Wilson.There was a lot of, Thanks for throwing it. That kind of stuff, all that kind of garbage, Carroll said. They were just being themselves. It was great. It was classic.Meanwhile, on the injury front, Carroll said running back Thomas Rawls is ready to go and will practice to play on Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles. Rawls has been sidelined since Week 2 with a fibula injury.Defensive end Michael Bennett (knee) is likely still a couple of weeks away from returning, Carroll said. ' ' '