Now is a great time to be a fan of the Toronto Blue Jays, and it seems, a Blue Jays player

Our Jays are on an amazing run right now. Few predicted such success six months ago. Our boys just swept the Baltimore Orioles; they lead the American league East four games ahead of their heel-nipping rival, the New York Yankees. Manager John Schneider has strengthened a fragile bullpen and continues to finesse the starting pitching rotation — Bieber; Scherzer, and now Yesavage — and don’t forget Gausman’s terrific complete game win last week.

 Then there’s the batters — who last year seemed out to lunch if not on permanent vacation — all up and down the lineup they contribute: homer; get on-base; steal; two-out double; bunt; walk; sack fly; some even take a hit for the team. And there’s more. The Jays defense has always been strong. Now, wow, over the top. Catches on the warning track; reach for the top of the wall; dive and slide with upraised glove, anywhere and everywhere. Vladdy dazzles on first; let’s get Bo off the IL and back at short, but Clemment does just fine for the time being.

It’s all great entertainment watching this amazing team, a group of high performance athletes, who last year it seemed no player wanted to join. Soto? Nope. Ohtani? Nope. Guerrero Jr. Yep, for a half billion dollars, supposedly a bargain for our home grown Montreal boy.

It seems things have changed this year. Now, there’s a lot of interest in being part of the Blue Jays Organization. Contending team; definitely post season; AL East pennant, likely; series contender? A definite possibility. Two more weeks of the regular season, then, see what happens. Even my Yankees fan carpet cleaner today agrees that “if the Jays continue to improve they could do really well this time.” Note to self: hire this guy again.

Batting Coach, Don Mattingly, has remarked on how much Blue Jays players appear to be enjoying this run. “It’s like the sandlot,” Mattingly told Schneider. “These guys are just out playing baseball and having fun.” Wouldn’t any player want to join this party? Watch the dugout when someone homers; they bump up and down like kids at a candy store.

As reported by Matthew Sookram at Jays Journal it does feel like the tide is turning, and the Blue Jays are becoming more of a reputable organization for veteran players. Take for instance, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who didn’t have a baseball home about two weeks ago when the Pirates waived him, so it only makes sense to sing the praises of the team that rescued him from baseball purgatory.

After his game-tying hit in the ninth inning of Tuesday’s win over the Astros, Kiner-Falefa told reporters, “This is why I signed in Toronto the first time. To get that opportunity to get the big hit, I’m just so happy to be back … I’m thankful for this organization for being my biggest believer.”

He also won over fans immediately after the game with an on-field interview following the Blue Jays walk-off win by stating, “I’m so happy to be back in Canada.”

Reflecting on the Jay’s recent success, I am reminded of the famous 19^th century poem Casey at the Bat. It’s a come-from-behind saga, which should be familiar to Jays fans as our boys  have done this forty-five times this season. It’s almost formulaic now. So substitute your favourite batter in the text below: Vladdy; Springer; Kirk; Schneider:

There was ease in Casey’s manner
as he stepped into his place;
there was pride in Casey’s bearing
and a smile on Casey’s face.
And when, responding to the cheers,
he lightly doffed his hat,
no stranger in the crowd could doubt
’twas Casey at the bat.

Bats break; crowds roar (all 42,000 in Rogers Centre); the umpire calls, confirmed at first; and as Jogi Berra said, it all ends . . . when it ends.

The sneer is gone from Casey’s lip,
his teeth are clenched in hate;
he pounds with cruel violence
his bat upon the plate.
And now the pitcher holds the ball,
and now he lets it go,
and now the air is shattered
by the force of Casey’s blow.

What a poem. What a game. What a team. What a great time to be a Blue Jays fan, and a player.

Let’s play ball.

Visit the takenote.ca HOME page for a colourful display of hundreds of other blogs which may interest or inspire you