Blue Jays Baseball — Let’s play ball

John Yates was mad about baseball. Having lived much of his working life in Ontario he was one of many loyal fans who would make the trek down to Florida each February for Blue Jays spring training camp. He later moved to Sooke BC where we met in the early 1990s. From our house just up the road I would often hear him call out from his garden “Blue Jays Baseball, let’s play ball.”

At the time I had no interest in baseball whatsoever, that is until recently. Moving further into retirement I now consider myself a sports fan. Unlike Football or Hockey where multiple players circle around a puck or a ball, making it impossible for me to see, baseball, with its gladiatorial display of batter vs. pitcher, I watch with equal amounts of clarity and satisfaction.

With thousands of fans, I hope for a much better year than last. This year, the Jays won the coveted Grapefruit League championship, that is the spring training exhibition game season. They have made some good additions to the roster especially in the top-of-the-order: Bichette, Guerrero Jr., Santander, and Springer. The pitching roster is aided by newcomer Max Scherzer, and the bullpen is greatly improved over last year. There is good talent in the minor league system as well. With others however, I am tired of the Vladdy extension soap opera.

Possibly the most enjoyable aspect of my new found athletic  enthusiasm is the talent and style of the Sportsnet announcer team of Dan Shulman and Buck Martinez. These two not only announce the game; they embody it. Buck is himself a former player and a Blue Jays manager. He would have provided “color commentary” when John followed the team back in the 1990s.

Occasionally I watch games covered by US announcers. Some are OK; others however have not done their Blue Jays homework. Dan and Buck know pretty well everything about every player. In addition to fast paced play by play calls they add interviews, analysis, and tremendous insider stories.

I was delighted a few days ago to stumble across a piece from Jays Journal titled “Who are the Blue Jays’ TV and radio announcers for 2025?”

[Jays Journal] “The Jays’ TV announcers will once again be Dan Shulman and Buck Martinez, who have worked together on Sportsnet’s broadcasts of Blue Jays games since Shulman returned to the network in 2016.

Shulman is one of the best play-by-play men in the business. Along with being one of the industry’s best at articulating the nuances of baseball, he’s also a multi-sport talent, as he headlines one of ESPN’s marquee college basketball broadcast teams in the offseason. This will mark his 10th season being back with the Blue Jays, and every game he’s on is a treat.

He’ll once again be paired with Buck Martinez, who continues to excel as the team’s color commentator. The former Blue Jays manager has a unique understanding of Toronto’s baseball ecosystem, and does a great job of bringing his wealth of knowledge to the booth in a relatable and understandable way.

There’s a reason this duo regularly ranks among baseball’s best broadcasting duos.

Joe Siddall will still serve as an analyst for some games, and will also work on Blue Jays Central with Jamie Campbell.

Hazel Mae and Arden Zwelling will return as the team’s on-the-field reporters. Both Mae and Zwelling do a great job of keeping the pulse of the team, and have a good rapport with Shulman and Martinez in the booth.”

The regular season starts today, Thursday, March 27. Whoo-hoo. Looking beyond 2025, and to the future of baseball itself, also considering Elon Musk’s curiosity about space travel, what do you think about the new Spaceball? Please comment.