Hazel Mae reflects on sports broadcasting career amid 50th Blue Jays season

As Toronto celebrates the 50th season of the Blue Jays, award-winning Filipino-Canadian journalist Hazel Mae, who has been working alongside the team, is also being recognized for her thriving career in sports broadcasting.

Back in 1977, just a few years after Mae’s family moved to Canada, the Toronto Blue Jays franchise was born.

“It’s exciting on a big scale for the network, for the city. On a personal note, it’s very close to my heart as well,” Mae told OMNI News in a one-on-one interview.

“When we were growing up, unlike today when you have tv in every room, we had one television and my father wanted to watch the Maple Leafs or the Blue Jays, or the Argonauts or the NBA so it was always a passion of the family so I think what dad did is just kind of passed down what he loved about sports to everyone.”

Mae said her upbringing had a significant influence on the career she chose and has been pursuing for over a quarter of a century.

“When it starts feeling like a job, that’s when maybe it’s time for you to hang up. But for me, this job feels like I’m at home, sitting on the couch watching a Blue Jays game. No two games are ever the same, so at the end of the day, it doesn’t feel like work,” she shared.

Despite her deep knowledge and vast experience in the industry, she said it is still normal for her to feel the tension every time she’s about to face over 40,000 Blue Jays fans at the Rogers Centre and wherever the team plays.

“Just before I go live across the country, I do still get butterflies after all these years because if you feel a little nervous, it’s because you care about your job and you care about wanting to do a good job.”

With each game and each win, Hazel Mae has become part of the team’s celebration.

“After the game, when the Blue Jays do win, I try to do my job, but, as you know, in the back of my mind I know that Vladdy is still lurking behind me somewhere … When I need to speak with them, they make time. When there are some challenging topics to talk to them about, they still try to be as open and candid with me.”

Appearing on camera to showcase her live reporting skills, Hazel Mae is an icon of Filipino pride and representation in Canada.

“There is a responsibility when people view you as someone representing a community. My father is from Cebu, my mother is from Bohol,” Mae shared. “Whenever someone comes up to me and says, ‘Hey, I’m Filipino too and I’m so proud of you,’ or anything in that nature, it’s very heartwarming and I feel very proud.”

Under HarperCollins Canada, she is set to publish her memoir in November, with a title inspired by her famous on-field interview line, “Before I Let You Go.”

“After what the Blue Jays did in 2025, baseball is at the height of its popularity in Canada and when I came back and spoke to my agent, I think if I was ever going to do it, this was the right time to do it. “

The Blue Jays and their fans are celebrating the team’s 50th season all season long with milestones and memories from across their storied history. The home opener kicked off in March with a special on-field pregame ceremony to honour the 2025 American League champions.

The Rogers Centre is also displaying Blue Jays memorabilia from across the years at the stadium including Jose Bautista’s bat from his personal archive.