On a special day reserved for celebrating mothers, nurturers, and pioneers, the Toronto Maple Leafs are handing the ball to one of baseball’s boldest trailblazers.
When Torontonians think of the “Toronto Maple Leafs,” hockey immediately comes to mind. They picture their beloved blue and white team, led by Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander, with the entire city rallying behind them as they take on the formidable Florida Panthers in the second round of the 2025 National Hockey League playoffs. Fans are filled with hope that this will be the season the team finally ends its 57-year Stanley Cup drought – the longest active streak in the league.
But this Mother’s Day, it’s the city’s storied baseball club that’s stealing the spotlight – and making history.
On Sunday, May 11, the Intercounty Baseball League’s Toronto Maple Leafs will open their season with Japanese sensation Ayami Sato – a world-renowned ace and the league’s first-ever female player – starting on the mound. In a game and league where tradition and talent run deep, Sato’s debut marks a quiet revolution in women’s sports, fittingly unfolding on a day that honours strength and resilience of all kinds.
“[Signing Sato] is one of the most consequential things this team has ever done in its 100-year history. It’s one of the most significant events in this league – being a historic first. Whenever something happens for the first time, it’s important,” said Keith Stein, the Maple Leafs’ CEO, whose ownership group acquired the club for an estimated $1 million in 2023.
“It’s the first time something like this has happened in Canada and one of the few instances in North America. In fact, you could count on one hand how many times this has occurred globally.”
The history of the Maple Leafs dates back to the late 1800s when they originally began as the Toronto Baseball Club, playing as a minor league team in the Canadian League. Their first home games were played at William Cawthra’s Jarvis Street Lacrosse Grounds, also known as the Old Lacrosse Grounds. This venue was located at the northwest corner of Jarvis and Wellesley Street.
In 1914, they hosted a 19-year-old Babe Ruth. While playing for the Providence Grays, he not only pitched a shutout but also hit the first professional home run of his illustrious career at Hanlan’s Point Stadium on the Toronto Islands. The Maple Leafs were the first professional baseball organization in Toronto and were the sole bearers of this name for more than 30 years until the NHL hockey team adopted it in 1927.
In 1969, the Maple Leafs began competing in the IBL as an amateur team, making Christie Pits Park their home since then. The team has won the Jack and Lynne Dominico Trophy, awarded to the IBL champions, a total of eight times. This championship trophy is named in honour of Jack and Lynne Dominico, who owned and operated the Maple Leafs for 40 years until Lynne’s passing in 2008. After her death, Jack continued to own the team exclusively until he passed away in 2022.
As Sato steps onto the pitcher’s rubber at Christie Pits this Sunday against the Kitchener Panthers and shatters the glass ceiling with a blistering 80-mile-per-hour fastball, it will mark a historic breakthrough for the league and women’s sports – made even more meaningful by the fact that admission is free, part of a bold business strategy that has helped the Maple Leafs stand out in the IBL and across Toronto’s crowded sports landscape.
“By doing good, good things often come back to you. Offering free admission makes us unique in Toronto – no other pro sports team does this. It’s a distinctive value proposition that pays off,” said Stein.
“I believe we all have a duty to improve our communities and cities. It bothers me that taking a family to a [Toronto] Blue Jays or [Toronto Raptors] game can cost $500 or more – it’s out of reach for many. What I love about our team is that it’s free.
“Any family, any kid, anyone who wants to watch top-level baseball – some of the best in the country – can just wander over to Christie. We’re the only team in the league offering that.”
Stein claims that providing free admission to games has increased support from the corporate sector.
“We’re not making money from selling $15 tickets, but corporate Canada and key businesses in Toronto and beyond see the value we’re providing to the community and are getting on board. We saw it in year one with TD Bank, and it’s grown since. This year, for example, Mazda has joined as a sponsor. Sponsorship has become a major driver for this team.”
Merchandise represents another key revenue stream for the club, and Stein believes the strength of the Maple Leafs’ iconic trademark can significantly boost their bottom line.
“Merchandise has become a major part of our business. We already sell a lot and expect to sell even more – we believe we’ll become one of the top-selling merch brands among Canadian sports teams ... I can see us, in the not-too-distant future, generating a million dollars in annual sales,” said Stein.
That ambition has also led to creative brand extensions beyond apparel.
“We even created our own beer, Leafs Lager, which is now sold at the LCBO and other locations. We’ve always seen strong value in our brand and are working to grow and build on that … We believe it’s one of the most important brands in the country. We might share the name with the hockey team, but we owned it first.”
In Toronto’s competitive sports market, the Maple Leafs often struggle to stand out and attract large crowds compared to other IBL teams due to the abundance of sporting options available within the city. But Stein believes that attracting just “one or two percent” of the city’s population to each game is an attainable goal thanks to the team’s unique value proposition.
“Our engagement isn’t where it should be, partly due to the nature of the market we play in. Toronto is the biggest market in the league by far, but with that comes more competition and more entertainment options,” said Stein. “In smaller communities, [the local IBL game] might be the only sporting event in town, so they naturally draw more attention. It’s different here, but there’s no reason we can’t consistently draw [10,000 or more fans] to Christie Pits – especially since it’s free.
“We should be the league’s top franchise in terms of attendance. It would be a missed opportunity if we’re not, given the level of entertainment we offer for free.”
Drawing Toronto baseball fans away from a Vladimir Guerrero Jr. home run just a few kilometres down the road at Rogers Centre is no easy task. But when the greatest female pitcher of all time takes the mound, it suddenly feels less like a challenge and more like an invitation the city can’t afford to ignore.
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