Flashback Friday: The 1996 Blue Jays Sing “This Land Is Your Land”

Have you ever wanted to see Carlos Delgado dressed up as a lumberjack? How about Mike Timlin as a farmer … or even Joe Carter as a fur trapper? Believe it or not, such a thing exists in the Blue Jays video vault.

For this week’s Flashback Friday, we take a look back at the 1996 Blue Jays rendition of “This Land Is Your Land”.

1996 was the very first year the Blue Jays decided to wear their famous red jerseys on Canada Day, and to accompany this momentous occasion, the roster also put out this video inspired by this classic by The Travellers.

At the time, the only two Canadians on the Blue Jays roster were Paul Quantrill and Paul Spoljaric. I couldn’t find Quantrill anywhere in this video, but if you look closely, you’ll catch sporadic glimpses of Spoljaric.

Here is a look at some of the guest spots:

Gord Ash: Maritimer 1
Alfredo Griffin: Maritimer 2

I realize the likelihood of Alfredo Griffin actually singing in this song is next to nil, but he does a pretty good job of belting out his lines … even if it is just lip syncing. Former Blue Jays General Manager Gord Ash is not too shabby either.

Pat Hentgen: Lumberjack 1
Carlos Delgado: Lumberjack 2
Charlie O’Brien: Lumberjack 3

In the lumberjack scene, Pat Hentgen looks like he’s going to burst out laughing at any given moment. Carlos Delgado is dancing up a storm, and Charlie O’Brien looks like he could legitimately pass for a lumberjack.

Just to reiterate how much Carlos Delgado loves to dance, check out the very end of the video at the 2:45 minute mark where he’s swaying back and forth like a lighter at a Red Hot Chili Peppers concert.

Mike Timlin: Farmer
Otis Nixon: War of 1812 General

Although they were once adversaries in the playoffs, Mike Timlin and Otis Nixon’s relationship really came full circle during this video.

In 1992, they were both involved in the final play of the World Series. Then four years later, they were singing a song together in costume for the Blue Jays. It’s truly amazing how music can really bring folks closer together.

Joe Carter: Fur Trapper/Davey Crockett

Lastly, Joe Carter dressed up as a fur trapper … or is it Davey Crockett? It’s hard to tell, but he seemed to really enjoy singing the last verse of the song, even if there’s a dead raccoon sitting on his head.

With Brett Lawrie leading the charge as a new crop of canucks don the Blue Jays uniform, I’m sure it won’t be long until the entire roster re-records this track in a new rendition for a future Canada Day celebration.