PLAYER #84 - PAUL MARKLE (1968-70)

Almost universally in the sports world, the words used to describe the Toronto Blue Jays organization have been "class", "first-rate", "successful", and others to that effect. As their director of marketing, Paul Markle likes hearing the compliments, and it verifies the fact that he must be doing a good job.

"It's exciting to work for an organization that is such a quality one," said Markle, who has been with the club full-time since 1984. During that time, he has seen two World Series championships, record attendance levels and a host of quality people pass by.

However, the first professional sports team that Markle worked for is now situated down the hall from his office. From 1968-70, Markle was a tight end on some strong Argonaut teams.

"The Argos and the Ottawa Rough Riders were the two top teams," said Markle, who faced the 'Riders in back-to-back Eastern finals in 1968 and '69, with the Double Blue losing both times in the home-and-home series. "We'd win the first game, and they'd kick our ass in the second one."

While Markle felt the highlight of his football career was originally making the Argos out of Waterloo Lutheran (now Wilfrid Laurier) University in 1968, his stay in Double Blue did not go as smoothly as he would have liked.

"I liked (head coach) Leo Cahill as a person, he was really colourful, but I had better coaches," said Markle, who teamed up with Mel Profit in the double tight-end formation, but rarely saw any balls through the air. "You'd go out there afraid to make a mistake, and you can't play that way."

Feeling his confidence eroding, Markle got a reprieve on his career when he was traded to Winnipeg in 1971, where he spent the next three seasons playing on an offence with fellow ex-Argos Don Jonas at quarterback and Jim Thorpe at receiver. It was here that he increased his receptions to about 35-40 a season, up from the single digits of his Argo years. Markle finished his career with Edmonton in 1974, where the team lost in the Grey Cup to Montreal.

Away from football and before the Blue Jays ever existed, Markle was first a high school supply teacher in Etobicoke, and when he was traded to Winnipeg, he sold retail sporting goods and then advertising for radio station CFRW. In Edmonton, Markle joined Labatt's Breweries, and after one year, quit playing there and went back to Manitoba, where he was involved in marketing and sales for the company. From 1977-80, he held a similar position in Nova Scotia, and moved back to Toronto at the turn of the decade.

"The Jays were one of our promotions with Labatt's," said Markle, who started out working on schedules and player-of-the- month awards, before taking on the bigger responsibility of overseeing the entire marketing operation. In recent years, there has been a slide for the Jays, but Markle sees a rebirth.

"It's been a real challenge, but I think we've bottomed out," said Markle, who has two children, son Blake and daughter Lisa.


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