Braydon Fisher returns to Blue Jays while mourning loss of father: 'Biggest fan'

SAN FRANCISCO – Normand Joseph Fisher loved sports and during his years as an officer in the United States Air Force, he played fastpitch softball in the military, catching and moving all around the diamond. He also was a football player, serving as a punter. 

“He liked to talk about being a good baseball player – we’d always give him (crap) for that,” son Braydon, a good baseball player for the Toronto Blue Jays, recalled Wednesday. “My mom always tells him I got my athletic ability from her. But he played baseball, and he loved baseball. He loved all sports. Growing up, if it had a score, it was on the TV. So he loved watching us. He loves all the guys. I don't think for the last two years you'd see him not in Blue Jays gear, ever, it didn't matter the occasion.”

The elder Fisher’s fandom was the most recent expression of support for his son’s career, and his unexpected death Monday from a stroke at the age of 65 understandably hit the 25-year-old right-hander hard.

With the Blue Jays in San Francisco, Normand went to nearby Fairfield, Calif., to see some old friends and visit his old high school of Vanden. He and a friend were driving in to catch Monday’s game when he died in the car.

“Out of nowhere,” said Fisher, who was placed on the bereavement list Monday but rejoined the Blue Jays on Wednesday, set for activation Friday when they open a series in San Diego. “The last two days have been the hardest days of my life and my family's life. My mom and my sister and my grandpa flew out. Got to be with them and we went and saw Dad. It wasn't fun. 

“I just wanted to come back and be with the guys,” he continued. “Mom wanted to go home and so we're here trying to be as normal as possible, even though that's going to be the hardest thing to do for the rest of my life.”

Rejoining the Blue Jays so quickly was important for him “because this is my normal life and the sooner that things can feel as normal as possible, the easier it will be.” Normand also “loved watching us play.” 

Once the all-star break hits, Braydon will rejoin his family in Huntsville, Texas for the funeral and he expressed gratitude to the team and staff for supporting him and his family. 

“He was just an amazing person … there was never a bad day for Normand. Always happy, cheerful, willing to help anybody. He picked on people. He loved people. He did everything as perfect as you could. And he was very proud of what he had,” said Braydon. 

“Biggest fan, always has been, always supported me in every single way. He did everything he could to make sure I achieved the dream that I had talked about since I was five. There's probably a bunch of behind-the-scenes stuff that he did to make it happen. Everything that I saw was just a man that worked his ass off to give me and my sisters and my mom everything that you could ever want or need.”