Why Is the White Sox-Blue Jays Game Delayed Today? When Will it Start?

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Why is the White Sox-Blue Jays game delayed today? Get the latest weather updates, delay status, expected first pitch and official MLB announcements.

Chicago White Sox and Toronto Blue Jays fans got a later-than-advertised first pitch Saturday, as Rogers Centre put the scheduled 3:07 p.m. ET start on hold for a Joe Carter statue unveiling.

The pregame ceremony honoring the Blue Jays’ back-to-back World Series champions in 1992 and 1993 pushed the traditional start time back by a time period that was not announced as of 3:15 p.m. ET, setting up a loaded Rogers Centre afternoon before Chicago attempted to extend its four-game winning streak.

But the White Sox broadcaster, CHSN, reported that the game would start at 3:47 p.m. ET, 2:47 p.m. CT. But as of 3:30 p.m. the Blue Jays’ official social media account has not announced any specific start time for Saturday’s game. Neither had the White Sox’ official accounts.

Blue Jays pitcher Shane Bieber threw the first pitch at 3:48 p.m. and the game got underway after a delay of 41 minutes for the ceremony.

“First pitch will obviously be a bit delayed from 3:07 as the Joe Carter statue unveiling begins and the 1992-’93 celebration follows,” reported Blue Jays beat writer Keegan Matheson of MLB.com. “The team broadcast and team socials will have the statue unveiling covered pre-game.”

Rogers Centre was sold out for the tribute to Carter, as part of a 50th anniversary commemoration for the Toronto MLB franchise, according to NBC broadcaster John Fanta. Several other members of the World Series champion Blue Jays were also on hand Saturday, including pitcher Dave Stieb, first baseman John Olerud and manager Cito Gaston.

Joe Carter Statue Unveiling Pushes Start Time

The Blue Jays unveiled their first-ever player statue outside the ballpark Saturday, commemorating Carter’s Game 6 walk-off home run that clinched the 1993 World Series, part of the franchise’s 50th anniversary celebration, according to CBC Sports. The bronze now sits between Gates 5 and 6, and the first 15,000 fans through the turnstiles received replica 1992 and 1993 championship rings before the ceremony honoring alumni from both title teams.

Carter, whose homer off Mitch Williams remains one of baseball’s signature moments, downplayed how many times he’s re-lived the moment publicly, joking that fans always ask “which one?” when they bring up the blast, MLB.com reported. Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro and president emeritus Paul Beeston surprised Carter with the announcement earlier this year before Saturday’s unveiling made it official in front of fans.

The Blue Jays are marking 50 years in the American League this season, and the alumni gathering doubled as a reunion for players from both the 1992 and 1993 championship runs, several of whom appeared on the field before the delayed first pitch. The statue itself became the franchise’s first monument to an individual player outside Rogers Centre, a landmark the organization had held off building for more than three decades.

White Sox Winning Streak Meets Blue Jays Ceremony

Once the ceremony is wrapped and the White Sox and Blue Jays gets underway, Chicago takes a hot streak into the delayed start. The White Sox took Friday’s series opener 12-4, their fourth straight win, and sit atop the American League Central at 50-45 while Toronto has dropped three in a row and sits last in the AL East at 45-51, per ESPN’s game recap.

Outfielder Randal Grichuk, a former Blue Jay now playing for Chicago, brushed off the pressure of the streak. “We joke about being just dumb enough to not know, and just being dumb enough to just go play hard, and let it take care of itself,” Grichuk said, as quoted by the Chicago Sun-Times.

Saturday’s pitching matchup pit Chicago right-hander Davis Martin, 9-4 with a 3.41 ERA, against Toronto’s Shane Bieber, who entered at 0-1 with a 7.64 ERA in his first season with the Blue Jays. Martin owns a career win over Toronto that included six scoreless innings in an April start, while Bieber has historically dominated the White Sox at 8-5 with a 2.93 ERA.