By Matt Antaya / @selfcynic
For those doing the number crunching, the Jays are 3.5 games back of a wild card spot – but there’s more to it than meets the eye.
The Jays need to continue winning, obviously. But in addition, at least two of three teams ahead of them need to turn-in dreadful performances for the final two weeks of the season—namely the Tigers, Royals and Mariners.
On an Edwing and a prayer, you could say.
Jose Bautista has surely answered those who last season questioned his leadership and determination. The face of the Jays’ franchise has all but carried the team on his back these past few weeks. Leading by example, Bautista has embodied those famous words by Yogi Berra: “It’s not over ‘til it’s over.”
We’d imagine the many critics who cried foul at the trade deadline are now thankful that General Manger Alex Anthopoulos didn’t trade away the future. Marcus Stroman, who threw a complete-game shutout on Monday, and Aaron Sanchez, who’s been lights-out from the bullpen, would surely have been part of any trade package. Add to it 24-year old Drew Hutchison and young call-up Daniel Norris, and it would appear the Jays have the makings of a powerhouse rotation for years to come. A solid pitching rotation… here in Toronto? What?
Finally, with Mom and Dad looking on, Dalton Pompey got his first big-league at-bat on Wednesday. The 21-year old from Mississauga (yes, THAT Mississauga) managed to collect his first Major League RBI, driving in a run with a groundball to first base. Part of the September call-ups, we expect Pompey will require another season of grooming in the minors before we see him everyday. But as a glimpse of the future, we’ve enjoyed what we’ve seen. The youngster is said to combine speed with a power bat—a potent combo.
The Jays will host the Tampa Bay Rays this weekend at the Rogers Centre for a 3-game series sending J.A. Happ, R.A. Dickey, and Marcus Stroman to the mound, respectively. In case there was any doubt, the theme is “must win”.
The first 20,000 through the gates on Sunday get a free Jays’ messenger bag – perfect for carrying those number crunchers’ crunched numbers.
Insider Stuff
It would be unfair for Toronto fans to demonize Colby Rasmus. The center fielder will become a free agent this winter and is expected to fetch a bigger price tag than Toronto is willing to pay, especially with youngsters Anthony Gose and Kevin Pillar waiting in the wings. Told that he would no longer be starting, Rasmus has handled the situation like a pro—providing some clutch hits off the bench this past week.
With the season nearing an end and his role increasingly unclear, Colby apparently told Sportsnet’s Jamie Campbell, “I just want to go home”. Rasmus is no different than anyone of us who is on the cusp of changing jobs. He wants to close this chapter so that a new one can begin. His destination is yet unknown, but the Jays have made it clear it’s not here in Toronto next season.
When there’s a break-up, it’s natural to want to point out the other’s faults. He was never “the one”, we’ll say. But let’s not forget the good times—because there were many.
Farewell, Colby. We hope you find a place to call home.
Buzzword of the Week: Texas Leaguer
What we call a “Texas Leaguer” is a weak fly ball that drops between the infield and outfield for a base hit. Other common terms are a ‘bloop single’, a ‘flare’, or a ‘gork shot’. It’s a soft hit that’s said to fall in no man’s land.
Use of the term “Texas Leaguer” is found in newspapers dating back to the late 1800s, though its true origins are lost to history. As such, many theories and anecdotes have been suggested. Some claim that the heavy winds coming off the Gulf blow ordinary fly balls down before they reach the outfielders, and that this is where the term originates—though this seems far-fetched to us.
Another story suggests the term originated with the Major League debut of a player named Ollie Picketing, who grew up playing in the amateur Texas Leagues. Upon his arrival, Ollie hit safely in his first seven straight at-bats by knocking soft fly balls just over the infield. One newspaper reported, “There’s another one of those Texas leaguer hits” – and the term was born…perhaps.
It’s interesting to note that during the Civil War, Union soldiers played a form of baseball that encouraged batters to hit bloop singles. This followed an incident in which an outfielder was shot while retrieving a ball hit over his head. The modified rule stated that any ball hit over the outfielders was an out.
So what have you learned?
The Jays are battling for a wild card spot. Winning is not enough; other teams must also lose. But based on Jose Bautista’s recent play, the team still stands a chance. Though it’ll take a combined effort—including veterans and prospects and soon-to-be-departed Rasmuses to weave this dream. The next two weeks should be…relevant, anyway.
We suggest you get yourself to one last game before the season ends and we’ll bloop another flare next Friday, just over the infield of the best damn (and only) ball club north of the border.
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