If you’ve ever walked by the Rogers Centre during a Toronto Blue Jays home game, chances are you’ve seen — or at least heard — Rick Donaldson.
Sporting a Blue Jays jersey and always tapping out a tune on his drum set, ‘Rockin’ Rick’ has been a fixture outside the ballpark since he first started busking in 1989. Now, after 36 years, he’s announced that he’s hanging up his sticks and retiring from busking after this season.
“I remember kids coming to games, who are now bringing their kids to games,” he told CBC News in an interview. “It’s overwhelming sometimes.”
Donaldson said his own family factored into his decision, too.
“I also really want to spend more time with my grandkids, taking them to games and such,” he said.
For some fans, Donaldson’s drum beats are as quintessential to the Blue Jays experience as hotdogs and traffic while trying to get home from a game.
“I’ve been a fan of Rick my whole life, I first saw him when I was 15,” said Laurie Wulfand. “My son is 21 now and Rick has watched him grow up … we definitely teared up when we heard he was retiring.”
WATCH | CBC News speaks to Rockin’ Rick outside Rogers Centre:
Blue Jays fan Michelle Beer said Donaldson has become a “beloved staple” for the baseball community.
“He’s part of the experience of going to a ball game,” she said, adding that she thinks the city should consider a statue or photo to commemorate his work.
“They could use some really nice historical pictures with a little plaque. He needs to be acknowledged permanently at that stadium, around the spot where he played for all those years.”
Despite his notoriety in 2025, Donaldson’s presence at Blue Jays home games was almost cut short before it could even start. He told CBC News the first time he tried performing outside of what was then known as Skydome decades ago, he and saxaphonist Dougie Richardson got kicked off the property.
Thankfully for Jays fans, on their second attempt, George Holm, the Jays’ ticketing manager at the time, spotted the musical duo and let them stay.
“The right person saw us … he saw what we were doing meant something to the Skydome and the baseball atmosphere,” said Donaldson.
That chance encounter not only allowed Donaldson to continue playing for fans, but also gave him the opportunity to meet some baseball legends.
He met Hank Aaron and Ferguson “Fergie” Jenkins, two Major League Baseball record holders, which he chalks up to their kids being fans of his after seeing him perform. He was also gifted cymbals from a representative from Zildjian, a musical equipment company.
Excitement levels for the Blue Jays are surging after the team defeated the Seattle Mariners 8-2 in Game 4 of the American League Championship (ALCS) Thursday, tying the series at two games each.
That means after Friday’s Game 5 in Seattle there will be at least one home game back in Toronto, so fans have one more chance to see Donaldson perform, at minimum.
Game 6 of the ALCS will take place at Rogers Centre on Sunday at 8:03 p.m., with a possible Game 7 scheduled for Monday at 8:08 p.m.
And though his tenure outside Rogers Centre is coming to a close, Donaldson says he has no plans to stop drumming professionally anytime soon — he’s currently playing with Juno-award-winning blues musician Jack de Keyzer.
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