Collector profile: Paul Bychko, owner of the ultimate Toronto Blue Jays mancave

May 1, 2025

By Kevin Glew  

Cooperstowners in Canada 

You want a ball signed by reclusive, original Blue Jays part-owner R. Howard Webster?  

Bychko has one. 

How about a copy of the first letter the club sent to Bradford Ross, the first player the Blue Jays ever drafted in January 1977?  

Bychko has one of those, too. 

Or perhaps you’re a more recent fan and you’re looking for a ticket from the first game (Apr. 28, 2012) that Edwin Encarnacion walked the parrot after a home run?  

Yes, that’s in Bychko’s collection as well. 

Clearly, this isn’t your typical collection of baseball cards or bobbleheads – though Bychko has them, too. No, Bychko, a teacher by trade, has put immense thought into what he wants in his Blue Jays shrine. 

“I like to have one-of-a-kind items. That’s what drives me,” said Bychko. “I would like these items to document Blue Jays history.” 

Exhibition Stadium years

His collection focuses primarily on the Blue Jays’ Exhibition Stadium years from 1977 to 1989, which is ironic when you consider that Bychko, who was born in 1980, never saw a game there. 

“My dad (Paul Sr.) was always working when I was a kid. He worked at the steel plant,” said Bychko, who grew up in Sault Ste Marie. “My mom (Sharon) was a teacher, but she retired early to take care of me and my sisters. We just never really got a chance to go.” 

As a kid, Bychko learned about the Blue Jays through shows like Blue Jays Banter on CTV. He also listened to games on the radio when they weren’t on TV.  

He can remember his mom bringing him home Blue Jays Shoppers Drug Mart calendars each year. 

“One of the first things I did every year after I got that calendar was write the games that were going to be on TV on it,” said Bychko. “I was glued to the TV every time they came on.” 

1987

In the first season he can recall watching them, the Blue Jays broke his seven-year-old heart. In 1987, the Blue Jays carried a three-and-a-half game lead in the American League East into the last week of the season only to lose their final seven games and the division title to the Detroit Tigers. 

That same year, Bychko started his collection after visiting the local fire station on a school field trip with his mom as a chaperone. 

“She got me the Blue Jays fire safety cards they were handing out and I can remember looking at the pictures on those cards and I was just mesmerized,” recalled Bychko. 

He also started collecting Topps Blue Jays cards and his passion for the club reached a fever pitch when they won back-to-back World Series in 1992 and 1993.  

“Right after the Blue Jays won their first World Series – and I’m talking within seconds – I turned the channel to The Shopping Network,” said Bychko, “because they went live and, of course, they were selling Blue Jays merch.” 

His mother bought a World Series silver coin and a Blue Jays sweater for him. 

“I wore the hell out of that sweater,” said Bychko.  

Blue Jays 25th anniversary

His interest in collecting waned somewhat during his late high school and early university years, but his passion was reignited in 2001. 

“I remember when the 25^th anniversary hit in 2001 and I was like ‘Well this is cool,” recalled Bychko. “I regret that I never went to any of those games because there was a big reunion of a bunch of guys that came back to commemorate the anniversary. Shortly after that, I started getting back into it.” 

Six years later, he bought a house and formed his Blue Jays shrine in his basement. 

In 2012, Bychko got married to his wife Celia. As a wedding gift, Celia convinced longtime Blue Jays president Paul Beeston to write a congratulatory letter to Bychko. 

“My wife called his secretary and spoke to him directly. She requested it from him as a special present for me for our wedding day,” said Bychko. “Mr. Beeston somewhat knew me through the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame induction days. Him and Don McDougall know me as ‘Paul from the Soo.’”   

Rather than sign a guestbook, Bychko had his wedding guests sign a Blue Jays jersey, which is still in his collection. 

His Blue Jays shrine, which has grown steadily over the years, also includes balls, banners, pennants, pins, programs, newspapers, media guides and glasses.  

Big Stieb fan

Dave Stieb is his favourite Blue Jay and he has a large display honouring the club’s longtime ace that includes a signed jersey, a signed copy of his autobiography “Tomorrow I’ll be Perfect,” a ticket stub from his major league debut, a signed photo of him at the 1983 All-Star Game and a Toronto Star newspaper from the date of his no-hitter.   

Bychko has similar displays for 80s Blue Jays stars like Jesse Barfield, George Bell, Lloyd Moseby, Jimmy Key, Tom Henke, Mark Eichhorn and Ernie Whitt.  

On top of his individual player tributes, his collection includes rare Toronto Giants items. Prior to the formation of the Blue Jays, a Toronto group headed by Labatt’s had an agreement to purchase the San Francisco Giants in January 1976 before the deal was quashed. Bychko owns a piece of Toronto Giants letterhead and a button. 

Expansion draft autographs

Bychko also has a ball signed by each player selected by the Blue Jays in the 1976 expansion draft. This was not an easy task to complete. Some of the players suited up only briefly in the big leagues. For example, Bychko tracked down right-hander Mike Darr, who pitched just an inning and a third for the Blue Jays in 1977. 

“I actually reached out to his brother and his brother put me in touch with him,” said Bychko. 

Balls with unique inscriptions

The Sault Ste. Marie native’s collection also includes dozens of balls with one-of-a-kind inscriptions.  

“When I started with this [the signed balls], I thought, ‘who can I send a ball to in the mail and how can I get them to sign it with a specific inscription of what they have done?’” said Bychko. “I think of all the things in my collection, the inscribed balls are what I love the most.” 

Some of the unique signed balls in his collection include one with the Blue Jays players with “Candy” in their name (John Candelaria, Tom Candiotti, Candy Maldonado). He has another signed by the four Canadians that played for both the Blue Jays and Montreal Expos (Denis Boucher, Rob Ducey, Matt Stairs and Shawn Hill) and yet another autographed by the only two players – Phil Roof and Rico Carty – that played for the International League’s Toronto Maple Leafs and the Blue Jays. 

Also in his collection is a ball autographed by right-hander Chuck Hartenstein with an inscription indicating that he was the only person to be in uniform for the Blue Jays first game at Exhibition Stadium (April 7, 1977 as a pitcher) and their first game at SkyDome (June 5, 1989, as the Milwaukee Brewers pitching coach). 

And Bychko’s collection isn’t restricted to Blue Jays’ signatures. For example, he has tracked down all of the Baltimore Orioles pitchers who surrendered home runs when the Blue Jays clubbed a major league record 10 homers in a game on September 14, 1987 and had them sign a ball.  

In total, he has more than 300 balls with inscriptions on them. 

Tickets

Another fascinating part of his collection are his more than 1,000 milestone, accomplishment or event tickets. He has amassed a ticket from every game in which the Blue Jays have turned a triple play or hit for the cycle. He also has a ticket from the first game (September 3, 1981) that Bell, Barfield and Moseby played in the outfield together and from the game (July 7, 1990) Glenallen Hill missed after his nightmare about spiders. 

“I learned a lot of Canadian baseball history when I was researching and collecting these tickets,” said Bychko.  

Still looking

There are, however, a few items that have eluded him over the years. He’d love to own a ticket from the Blue Jays’ first spring training game played on March 11, 1977 in Dunedin. 

“I’ve never seen one,” said Bychko.  

He’d also like to have a signed Doug Ault ball with the “Original Blue Jay” inscription or an inscription about him hitting the first two home runs in Blue Jays’ history. Sadly, Ault passed away in 2004. 

But that hasn’t stopped Bychko from searching and he will continue to look for these items on eBay and at sports card and memorabilia shows.  

To showcase his collection, Bychko has created a YouTube video (see below) and a TikTok account. 

He wishes more Blue Jays fans could see his collection in person, but that’s difficult when he lives so far from Toronto. 

“That’s the disappointing thing about it, because not a lot of people appreciate it,” said Bychko. “Sault Ste. Marie is a hockey town and there are not really that many diehard Blue Jays fans. I feel like I have all of this, but I just can’t share it with anybody.” 

He would love to see part of his collection displayed at the Rogers Centre one day, but ultimately, he plans to hand it down to his sons JP and Noah. 

“This stuff is probably going to go to my kids after I’m gone,” said Bychko. “I’m not in this to sell anything. I do it for the love of having a collection that highlights Toronto Blue Jays and Canadian baseball history.”