No Room For Haters: Time To Jump On Blue Jays’ Bandwagon
“Hollywood is crazy… ‘The Last Samurai’ starring…Tom Cruise? He’s the last samurai? Give me a break … First they had ‘The Mexican’ with Brad Pitt and now they have ‘The Last Samurai’ with Tom Cruise. Well I’ve written a film, maybe they’ll produce my film: ‘The Last N****r On Earth’ starring Tom Hanks… how about that?” – Comedian Paul Mooney from a 2004 episode of Chappelle’s Show
Things don’t always have to make sense in order for us to enjoy them. The fact that the Toronto Blue Jays hold down the best record in Major League Baseball makes about as much sense as Paul Mooney’s casting choice for his prospective movie. The Jays starring as front-runners in the AL East? That role is supposed to be filled by the Red Sox or Yankees every year. But baseball can be crazy too. Who could have predicted the Tampa Bay Rays winning the American League pennant after finishing dead last nearly every season prior to last? Herein lies the beauty of sports, and this is why Jays’ fans should not be embarrassed to showcase their optimism going forward.
Baseball experts like to point to the “bigger picture” as if they have a good sense of what will unfold over the course of 162 games. In that respect, I’m glad I’m not a baseball expert, because as a fan, all I can do is look at the evidence through the first 20 games of the season:
- #1 in the entire league in runs scored with 124 (9 more than 2nd place St. Louis).
- #1 in hits with 218 (26 more than 2nd place St. Louis)
- #2 in home runs with 29 (behind only Texas).
- 3rd best ERA in the American League.
- Best mustache in the entire league (Brian Tallet, pictured below).
The realists (or haters, as I like to call them) will start running their mouths about why this can’t continue for the Jays, but right now, they’re just being annoying. Here are some arguments for why the early-season success could continue:
- A full season of Aaron Hill will continue to make a huge difference from last season. Until now, I never realized how good the guy is and how valuable he is to the team.
- Travis Snider and Adam Lind aren’t just blue-chip prospects anymore; they appear to be potential all-stars.
- The 14-6 start was accomplished without significant contributions from Alex Rios. Wait until he gets going…
- The Jays are 65-43 since Cito Gaston took over last June (a .602 winning percentage). Consider that the Rays won the AL East last year with a .599 mark.
There are plenty of reasons to suggest that the Jays’ great start is purely a mirage and that they’ll fall back down to earth once the usual balance of power in the American League takes its shape. I’m choosing to ignore them and simply enjoy the ride. We’re all used to seeing our Toronto teams suck the bag anyway, so setting ourselves up for more disappointment shouldn’t scare us too much. I like to think we’ve been beaten down so many times before that we’ve developed really thick skin no matter what happens. From that perspective, there is nothing left to lose. Go Jays – this is the year! Who’s with me?
Written by: Sin City