I became conscious of the Jays during their pennant battles with Detroit and Boston the late '80s, but started to really become a young diehard around around the 1989 season. I remember the first piece of clothing I ever bought myself was a sweet 1989 AL East Champions t-shirt.
The Jays blowing the AL East lead to Boston in 1990 was my first experience with sports heartbreak, and an early baseball memory that really stuck with me. That, along with the 1991 ALCS drubbing to the Twins, prepared me for many more years of sports heartbreak. But those made the WS years that much sweeter.