While he was taking his regular spot at third base for the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday, a little part of Brett Lawrie was lamenting the fact he wasn’t at the Olympic Summer Games.

Lawrie was a utility player for Team Canada in 2008 in at the Beijing Games, but baseball lost its Olympic status prior to the London 2012 Games.

“That was my first big opportunity,” said Lawrie. “Now that’s gone. And it disappeared for every other baseball player. It’s one of those things.”

Blue Jays manager John Farrell — whose uncle, Tom Price, was a gold medallist rower for the U.S. in 1952 — believes baseball ought to be an Olympic sport.

“It’s a worldwide sport,” said Farrell. “It’s a very strong draw. We have players from six or seven different countries, maybe more. It’s a sport that should be represented.”

In fact, players from 20 countries have been in the majors this season, according to baseball-almanac.com. Baseball had been a medal sport since 1992, with Cuba winning three of the five gold medals awarded. Canada appeared twice, finishing fourth in 2004, and sixth in ’08.

Part of the reason baseball was dropped from the Olympics is because it doesn’t send its top stars, since the Olympics are held late in the Major League Baseball season. The United States even failed to qualify once. Canada and the U.S. tended to send top prospects and minor leaguers to the Olympic event.

That’s how Lawrie, just 18 in 2008, got his break.

He’d just been selected 16th overall by the Milwaukee Brewers. He’d represented Canada at world junior baseball events, but the Olympics, well, that was something entirely different.

“It’s a lot of fun,” said Lawrie. “You’re in front of the best athletes in the whole entire world. You get to experience the Olympic village, you get to experience the opening ceremonies.

“You learn to appreciate how many other athletes there are out there, everywhere you walk around, every person you see in the village is really good at something,” Lawrie added. “You really respect that. You realize people are coming from all over the world to try and win their event and it’s a pretty cool thing to experience.

“And just how big people are. The average size I saw was like 6-3 in the Olympic village. Everyone is just huge.”

Both baseball and softball — also eliminated from Olympic competition starting in London — have tried and failed for reinstatement for the 2016 games in Brazil. Their international bodies have merged into a single federation in an attempt to increase their chances.

“You get to do stuff not a lot of people get to do in their lives, that gets taken away from you, it’s kind of disappointing,” said Lawrie.

For those with a thirst for international baseball, it won’t be quenched until the 2013 World Baseball Classic. Canada is in a qualifying group with Britain, Germany and the Czech Republic.

It was hard to find anyone at the Rogers Centre who didn’t want baseball back at the Olympics and who wouldn’t love to see Lawrie represent Canada again.

“Baseball is awesome, it’s a great past-time, it’s safe,” said Canadian Forces corporal Scott Simmons of Newfoundland. “And Brett Lawrie’s awesome.”

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“It’s great sport. It’s becoming more worldwide,” said Chris Morris of Mississauga. “If soccer’s in there, hockey’s in there, why shouldn’t baseball be?”

Louis and Kristen Roy came from North Bay for the weekend series against Detroit. Louis Roy came wearing his Brett Lawrie Blue Jays shirt.

“I have a Brett Lawrie autographed Team Canada photograph from the last Olympics,” said Roy. “It’s very disappointing not to have baseball in the Olympics. I watch baseball all the time. If there was a Team Canada, I’d be watching.”

WHAT THE BLUE JAYS WILL BE WATCHING AT THE OLYMPICS:

BRETT LAWRIE: “I love watching track and field. I want to watch Michael Phelps do his thing. I love watching Usain Bolt run track and field. Obviously, if Canada is within striking distance of a medal, I’m going to watch. I like watching ping pong.”

JOHN FARRELL: “I was watching boxing this morning while I was running. And a little rowing. I’m doing my own decathlon.”

JP ARENCIBIA: “I’m more a Winter Olympics guy, now that baseball’s not in it. But I’ll watch basketball and swimming and support as much U.S. sports and Canadian sports as possible. I like watching good athletes perform. I like competition.”

OMAR VIZQUEL: “My favourite is track and field. There are a lot of weird sports we don’t know too much about. It is good for people to learn about what’s going on in other countries. It’s an exciting time. I’m looking forward to seeing Usain Bolt. He seems so natural in what he does. He doesn’t look like he’s trying, but he’s amazing, his speed.”

KELLY JOHNSON: “I will watch if I can, the good events. Sprinting, some of the gymnastics. Swimming if (Michael) Phelps is doing well. (Usain) Bolt. And if anybody pops up. There’s almost always a surprise, a name you start watching.”

BASEBALL PLAYERS BY BIRTHPLACE