Blue Jays' Shapiro: 'I want to play the Indians'

Mark Shapiro and the Toronto Blue Jays are prepared for things to get very personal.

Moments after Josh Donaldson's dramatic series-clinching run booked the Blue Jays a ticket in the ALCS, Toronto's president was asked whether he cared about facing his former team, the Cleveland Indians, who enter Monday's Game 3 with the Boston Red Sox holding a commanding 2-0 series lead.

"No, I care. I care. I want to play the Indians," Shapiro told Sportsnet's Barry Davis. "To be the last two teams standing in the American League would be the single greatest thing. I love those guys. I'm pulling for those guys right up until the minute we play them, and to be able to square off against someone you respect so much and like, would be incredible."

Shapiro, a two-time Executive of the Year in Cleveland, officially joined the Blue Jays last winter after spending 25 years in the Indians organization. Shortly after he was introduced as the Blue Jays' new president, Shapiro hired former Cleveland executive Ross Atkins to assume general manager duties in Toronto.

Atkins and Shapiro won a division title and earned two playoff appearances during 15 years together in the Indians front office, and it appears as though the latter is eager to get reacquainted with his former colleagues.

"It's something I've tried not to think about," Shapiro said, "but I texted (Indians president) Chris Antonetti a two-word text about 10 minutes ago: Your turn." Shapiro said after Toronto's 7-6 win.

Led by president Antonetti and manager Terry Francona, the Indians won 94 games and the AL Central in their first season without Shapiro. Cleveland can book a date with Toronto in the ALCS on Monday, when the Indians try to sweep Boston out of the playoffs.