Penton: Divisional alignment major obstacle for Jays
By Bruce Penton
Luck usually plays a major role in sports, but the bad luck Toronto Blue Jays are experiencing this year has little to do with their on-field performance.
While Canada’s only Major League Baseball team hardly reminds anyone of a powerhouse, it’s a decent squad that manager John Schneider trots out every day. Through 54 games on May 28, the Jays were 28-26, with only seven American League teams owning better records.
Aye, but here’s the rub. The bad luck for the Jay is that four of those seven were A.L. East Division rivals, which meant Toronto stood dead last in its division. Dead last.
Luck? Yes, bad luck to be part of such a strong division. Tampa Bay got off to an historic 13-0 start and appears to be running away with the division title; the rebuilding Baltimore Orioles this season are getting rewarded for patience after five or six years of second-division status; the Yankees are always in the mix, because they’ve got unlimited money to buy talent; and Boston Red Sox are rebounding this year after a last-place finish (78-84) in 2022.
That leaves the Blue Jays in the cellar. Their 28-26 record at precisely the one-third mark of the season would have put them in first place, a half-game ahead of Minnesota, had they been lucky enough to be included in the A.L. Central Division. A 28-26 record in the A.L. West would have the Jays in the middle of the pack, only six games out of first place.
The drop into last place in the A.L. East came on the heels of a 1-7 stretch for the Jays, who combined weak hitting with so-so pitching and a few defensive lapses. Because more than 100 games remain to be played, no one in Blue Jays country is hitting the panic button.
“It’s going to turn,” Schneider told Keegan Matheson of MLB.com. According to centrefielder Kevin Kiermaier, “hitting can be very contagious, but on the other end, when you’re not hitting, that can be contagious as well.”
Still, being above .500 in the most competitive division in baseball means things haven’t been all bad. The Jays posted a three-game sweep of National League powerhouse Atlanta Braves in mid May; the starting pitching has been decent, with Chris Bassitt limiting opposing hitters to a .186 average, and acceptable performances from fellow pitchers Kevin Gausman, Jose Berrios and Yusei Kikuchi. If Alek Manoah (16-7, 2.24 ERA last year) rebounds after a 1-5, 5.53 start to this season, much of the Jays’ troubles could be in the past.
Meanwhile, winning the A.L. East might be out of range for Toronto, but earning an A.L. wildcard spot certainly isn’t. Strong play in the heat of July, the dog days of August and the stretch run of September could make Jays’ fans forget all about the woes of April and May.
Comedy writer Alex Kaseberg: “I’m not sure Brooks Robinson could compete against some of today’s great third baseman. But that’s only because he is 86.”
Golf instructor Michael Breed, on Twitter, after a wayward drive by Jordan Spieth at the PGA Championship landed among a fenced-off area of portable bathrooms: “So is this the definition of taking relief?”
Bob Molinaro of pilotonline.com (Hampton, Va.): “Victor Wembanyama, the Eiffel Tower of hoops, could be held back at first by his spindly frame. The NBA’s presumptive No. 1 draft pick from France is built like a baguette. He’ll be better served when he’s closer to a loaf of rye.”
Another one from Alex Kaseberg: “‘Man, these NBA playoffs take forever to move along,’ said a glacier.”
Canadian parody website the Beaverton, on the potential sale of the Ottawa Senators: “Several bidders had dropped out after realizing that the Tkachuk who plays for Ottawa isn’t the one everyone has been talking about for the last few weeks.”
RJ Currie of sportsdeke.com: “Contrary to what some believe, the 2023 Blue Moon will occur on Aug. 30. It wasn’t on May 23, when the Blue Jays won a game, scored more than three runs and beat the Rays 20-1.”
Headline at the onion.com: “Dad’s Entire Parenting Strategy Just Ensuring Son Doesn’t Become Yankees Fan”
From fark.com: “If you were tempted to place any bets about the Saints making the post-season, just remember they have Derek Carr as their quarterback and they just brought in Jon Gruden to install their offence.”
fark.com again: “Tom Brady to continue ownership of Raiders even in retirement.”
Comedy guy Torben Rolfsen of Vancouver: “Longest-running soap operas: General Hospital, Days of Our Lives, Toronto Maple Leafs”
Care to comment? Email brucepenton2003@yahoo.ca