Blue Jays' Jeff Hoffman reacts to World Series heartbreak with brutally honest quote after Game 7

Hunter Cookston

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Blue Jays' Jeff Hoffman reacts to World Series heartbreak with brutally honest quote after Game 7 image

The Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers delivered a World Series for the ages over the past week. The 2025 Fall Classic will be remembered and talked about for years to come. Every game lived up to the hype, but the final two matchups were especially unforgettable. Game 6 sparked controversy after a questionable late-inning call.

“The fact this is ruled a ‘lodged ball’ but then the CF has no problem picking it up and throwing it in is dumb. He didn’t even make an effort to grab it right away. Blue Jays might have gotten screwed,” Andress posted.

In a winner-take-all Game 7, the Blue Jays appeared to be in control from the start, but disaster struck in the ninth inning. Up by one run, Toronto’s Jeff Hoffman watched helplessly as the ball sailed over the outfield fence to tie the game. Afterward, Hoffman didn’t hold back his emotions.

“I cost everybody in here a World Series ring, so it's pretty sh***y,” Hoffman said.

A deep sadness is felt throughout Toronto. Hoffman faces the entire offseason confronting the fact that his error extended the game. Yoshinobu Yamamoto made history for The Dodgers, becoming only the second Japanese player to ever be named World Series MVP.

Yamamoto is the second player born in Japan to achieve World Series MVP honors, following Hideki Matsui's accomplishment with the 2009 Yankees. Japanese pitchers used to come to MLB with concerns that they wouldn’t be able to adjust to the schedule in which starters would go every fifth day, rather than once per week in NPB. However, the MLB game has started to more closely mirror NPB, with five days of rest now being the standard, MLB.com’s Anthony Castrovince wrote.

Many supporters sympathize with Hoffman, who had performed reliably during the entire series. In baseball, however, a single errant pitch possesses the power to alter the entire game. The Blue Jays will now focus on retaining key players this offseason.

There’s a lot ahead for Toronto over the winter, but the 2025 Blue Jays were a joy to watch. One pitch shouldn’t define what was otherwise a remarkable season.

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Hunter Cookston

Hunter Cookston began his career as a sportswriter for the Marion Tribune, where he covered local high school football, basketball and baseball. His passion for sports started at the age of four when he played his first year of tee ball. Growing up in Tennessee, he developed a deep love for the Tennessee Volunteers and Atlanta Braves. Hunter is currently attending Tennessee Wesleyan University, where he is pursuing a BA in Sports Communications/Management.