March 26, 1976 was a big day in Canadian history. Thirty-nine years ago today, the American League awarded an expansion franchise in Toronto to the Labatt Brewing Company and other investors for $7 million. The Toronto Blue Jays -- now owned by Rogers Communications -- were recently valued by Forbes magazine at $870 million.

The story behind how Toronto got a team is an interesting one. In January 1976, San Francisco Giants owner Horace Stoneham -- who had owned his team since 1936, when he inherited it from his father -- agreed to sell the Giants for $13.25 million to a group that included Labatt, which intended to move the franchise to Toronto. The Giants had been struggling for years in San Francisco, averaging just 6,456 fans per game in 1975. Stoneham was 72 years old and wanted out.

The city blocked the sale in court and Stoneham ended up selling to Bob Lurie, who kept the team in San Francisco. And the American League swooped in to claim Toronto, also awarding a new team to Seattle (which had sued the league after losing the Pilots after one season).

So Toronto got a team and the Blue Jays were born. Their seasons were punctuated by a lot of losing, but GM Pat Gillick slowly built up the farm system. By the mid-'80s, the Jays were a consistent playoff threat, capped by back-to-back World Series titles in 1992 and 1993. But they haven’t been back to the postseason since and now have the longest playoff drought in the majors.

In honor of the team’s 39th “birthday,” here are my top 10 Blue Jays memories (not necessarily the 10 greatest moments in Blue Jays history, just ones that resonate) …

10. Fights in the Kingdome.

When the Mariners were bad in the '80s, they would draw almost as many Blue Jays fans down from Vancouver as Mariners fans when Toronto was in town. Invariably, there would be a fight in the stands between Canadian Blue Jays fans and Mariners fans, whose team was inevitably losing.

9. The first game in Blue Jays history.

If you don’t remember old Exhibition Stadium, that’s probably a good thing. I’m sure many Blue Jays fans remember it with a certain fondness, much as I pretend to remember the Kingdome with fondness. The temperature at game time on Opening Day in 1977 was 32 degrees, and the Blue Jays and White Sox basically played in a snowstorm. Doug Ault hit two home runs to become an instant legend as the Jays beat Chicago 9-5.

8. Jesse Barfield’s arm.

I never saw Roberto Clemente but I did see Barfield.

7. Carlos Delgado’s four-homer game.

Loved watching that guy hit. That four-homer game came in 2003, when he led the AL in RBIs and OPS.

6. Devon White’s catch in the 1992 World Series.

5. That crazy 15-14 game in the 1993 World Series.

4. The final out of the 1992 World Series.

Braves fans still can’t believe that Otis Nixon bunted.

3. Dave Stieb’s no-hitter.

Maybe the most underrated pitcher of the 1980s -- he led the AL in pitching WAR in 1982, ’83 and ’84 -- Stieb had several near no-hitters, including bids in back-to-back starts in 1988 that he lost with two outs in the ninth inning and then a perfect game he lost with two outs in the ninth in 1989. Finally, in 1990, he pitched a no-hitter -- still the only one in Blue Jays history.

2. Joe Carter’s home run, of course.

1. When Blue Jays catcher Buck Martinez broke his leg while making two outs at home plate.

I was there, and it’s the greatest play I’ve ever seen. The video doesn’t quite do the play justice -- after Phil Bradley ran over Martinez, the camera missed his wild throw to third base that George Bell was somehow backing up. Martinez, unable to get up, caught Bell’s throw and tagged out Gorman Thomas, who tried to dance around the tag.

And, yes, this post was mostly the perfect excuse to run that highlight.