Blue Jays baseball — Let’s play ball

Gotta love our Toronto Blue Jays. Their 2025 season story continues to unfold and delight fans everywhere. This year, fans smile rather than grimace. Blue shirts, caps, hoodies, scarves, and socks are on full display  everywhere right now. Eight months ago the season looked like a sorry repeat of the 2024 season’s last-place finish in the American League East division. This year they have grown in strength, resilience, confidence, and grit. They, and we, are having fun. It’s a great time to be a Blue Jays fan.

Now in the World Series for the first time since 1993 they are true contenders, not in a David-facing-Goliath contest with the Los Angeles Dodgers as some commenters have suggested, but a contest of worthy opponents, a match-up of mature, strong, and talented teams.

I think this is what I like about baseball so much. It showcases the abilities of individual performance-athletes who play as a team. Sure, the Jays have their superstars, notably Vladimir Guererro Jr. (Vladdy) and the rookie pitcher Trey Yesavage who at 22 is the youngest player on the team who competed this season through all levels of the Jays network including a stint with the Vancouver Canadians. He has now pitched his seventh MLB game. His unique delivery, strength, endurance, and calm demeanor mark him as one of the emerging superstars. He joins an impressive roster of pitchers including Kevin Gausman, Max Scherzer, Chris Bassitt, and Shane Bieber who along with those in the Bullpen who relieve the starting pitcher as relievers or closers.

In the batters’ box, contributions have come from all members of the lineup. The (George) “Springer dinger” in the final game against the Seattle Mariners lifted the Jays to Victory in the American League Championship Series. At age 36, and despite numerous injuries (opposing pitchers try to jam him up inside which means he gets hit a lot) he keeps coming back, typically at the top of the order. All other members of the lineup contribute, especially those in positions 7-9. Names like Kirk, Clement,  Lukes, Schneider, France, and Loperfido play every day or as required.

So much of the game involves match-ups, whether the batter hits left, right or either way. So much of the game involves the front office which contracts with players at different times of the season, looking for specific strengths at different times of the season and post-season. Baseball is chess writ large; you need to think of the present game, and the next, and the next. “Stay healthy everyone” is the manager’s cry, but if people are throwing balls at you; if you are standing on base and in the next second running as if you life depends on it; if you slide into home but end your run abruptly, all these are recipes for the dreaded IL (injured list). Physical demands on the body cannot be overestimated.

So what about fielding and defense:  whether watching Guererro at first flying through the air to clutch a fly ball, tag, or get an out; whether we marvel as the ball flies out to the warning track only to be grabbed by an outfielder who jumps the height of the wall; whether it’s an amazing throw from third to second, then first for a 2-out. Toronto’s defense is amongst the best in the leagues.

And the catchers, two people who (I didn’t know this) actually direct the game. The catcher tells the pitcher what to throw and where; he can foll the umpire as he drags the ball towards the plate. And what about those great plays where Kirk knocks out a runner at second with an amazingly accurate and fast throw.

Then there’s the fans. Right now, while at home at the Toronto Rogers Centre (while I don’t like Rogers telecom I remain with them given their support of our team) the experience of 44,000 shrieking fans can only inspire a beleaguered pitcher or frustrated runner.

My comments above may hint at why I love baseball so much. No athlete myself, I have never followed sports until now. Retirement offers time and opportunity to watch most games daily. I can’t see football or hockey well enough to enjoy it. But I can sure see baseball in action. Combined with the brilliant call and colour commentary by Dan and Buck, through the technical capability of PVR recording (I am always a few minutes behind live action so I can zip through the commercials — no spoilers please) I see the strike zone; I watch replays (looking forward to the introduction of the Automated Ball and Strike Challenge System next year); I listen to interviews, and with almost everyone swim in the ocean of statistics. I am a “big-picture guy” so bore easily as acronyms as OPS, ERA, and RBI slide across my screen. I can handle a 2-out double (that’s a Tim Horton’s coffee, right?) and that’s about it.

When we lived in Sooke our neighbour, John Yates, would travel each year down to Florida to watch spring training. He would often be heard in his garden calling out “Blue Jays baseball; let’s play ball.” I had no inkling why he enjoyed baseball. Now . . . I get it.

Go Jays.

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