Former Toronto Blue Jays infielder Munenori Kawasaki may be back in Japan, but his heart will be in the Great White North as he celebrates Canada Day this Saturday.
In an awesome Canada-themed video interview on Fukuoka Now earlier this week, Kawasaki reminisced about his time in Toronto and sent a heartfelt message to Blue Jays fans:
“Hi. How are you? I miss Toronto — my favourite place. I don’t forget Toronto,” he said, hands to his heart.
“Don’t forget. See you soon, OK? Take care — your body, your mental [health], your [happiness],” he said, “I hope you enjoy your life.”
He also misses his former Blue Jays teammates.
“Ryan Goins, Kevin Pillar, Jose Bautista, Donaldson, Tulo, all the guys I miss,” he said, before breaking into the Jose! chant.
“Kevin Pillar, you’re the best, you’re Superman,” he added. “I’m a good player, however, you’re the best.”
Kawasaki spent three years in Toronto and quickly became a fan favourite thanks in part to his always-animated demeanour and hilarious interviews — much like this one.
He played 14 games with the Chicago Cubs in 2016 (he didn’t play during their World Series run, but did accompany the team) and is currently playing for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in the Nippon Professional Baseball League in his home country of Japan.
Another thing he’ll miss about Canada? Poutine.
“Canadian beer. Poutine. The best combination.” He said before pointing to his bicep and calling it “poutine power.”
Other highlights of the short video include a Fukuoka-Toronto comparison, a series of “eh’s”, and a pretty spectacular impression of Blue Jays manager John Gibbons (paired with a message for Gibbons to give him a call).
It’s definitely worth a watch:
He ends the interview with a call-out for fans to join Fukuoka’s Canada Day party this Saturday:
“July 1. In Fukuoka, Canada Day,” he said, holding a beer and waving a Canadian flag. “Have fun, guys!”
(No word on whether or not there will a bush party, though.)
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