Meet the U of T dentistry grad who helped name the Toronto Blue Jays

As the Toronto Blue Jays prepare to face the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2025 World Series, one University of Toronto alumnus is celebrating his special connection to the team.

He helped name them.

William Mills, 84, who graduated from U of T’s Faculty of Dentistry with a doctor of dental surgery degree in 1964 and a diploma in periodontics in 1967, entered a public naming contest in 1976 when Major League Baseball added a Toronto team. The contest received more than 30,000 submissions, including 4,000 unique names. A panel of 14 judges shortlisted the top 10 for the new club’s board of directors, who landed on the now-iconic “Blue Jays.”

“My two elder daughters and I decided to enter the contest, but I was completely surprised to win,” says Mills, who recalls submitting other names such as “Toronto Blues" – actually the top choice among fans, but nixed due to U of T already using the "Toronto Varsity Blues."

“We felt that Toronto team colours were usually blue, and Labatt were involved, so blue would be our colour choice. A few other teams were named after birds, such as the Baltimore Orioles and the St. Louis Cardinals, so we agreed that the Blue Jays would fit the bill.”

A total of 153 other baseball lovers submitted the same name, so the club held a draw to select the grand prize winner. That was Mills, who received a trip to Florida for the inaugural Jays spring training and two season tickets for all the 1977 home games.

He also enjoyed some VIP treatment. “We got into the clubhouse, met the coaches and players and even got to speak with Pat Gillick, who became the general manager the next year,” says Mills. “He talked to us about strategy and the player attributes – it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

"As part of the promotion for the new team, I even got to meet Mickey Mantle from the New York Yankees. I was absolutely on cloud nine.”

A lifelong baseball fan, Mills played in high school and made annual trips to Montreal with his kids to watch the Expos before Toronto got its team – often braving rain and snow.

But the new Toronto team and its fans also coped with all sorts of weather, as the Jays played in the open-air Canadian National Exhibition Stadium (the SkyDome, now called the Rogers Centre – with its retractable roof – opened in 1989).

“I vividly remember that first game – it was Thursday, April 7, 1977, the Jays beat the White Sox 9-5, and it snowed,” he says. “As I recall, we lost twice as many games as we won that first year. There were many rain-outs where you’d wait at least an hour before they called the game off.”

In the team’s early years, Mills marvelled at talented young players like pitchers Dave Stieb and James Clancy and first baseman Doug Ault.

In the 1980s, Mills and a group of friends bought season tickets in the second level. Since then, Mills has attended a few games a year and often tunes in on television. He fondly recalls being in the stands for some of the 1992 and 1993 World Series games – usually in the nosebleed section.

Nearly 50 years after he and his family wracked their brains for the best possible Toronto baseball team name, he remains a devoted fan and says he won’t miss any of the World Series games, watching either at home or in Ottawa with some of his daughters.

“This year’s Blue Jays aren’t just playing well – they’re playing together,” Mills says. "They’ve brought the city and the country together as our national team: united, determined and ready to give it everything they’ve got. Go Jays Go!"

The University of Toronto is hosting a giant watch party for every World Series game on its St. George campus. See details about where to go and what to bring