My Jays ... Our Jays ...

Coach Cito with a pair of World Series Trophies for cufflinks

Can't imagine being beaten by Minnie?

If you happened to watch the Blue Jay game last Sunday, the cameras moved to the BJ clubhouse post-game celebration. Players hooped and hollered and sprayed each other with dozens of bottles of champagne. 

The "skipper", with ski goggle protection was in the middle of the nonsense. 

The interviewers insisted on asking the celebrants about "the tough battle to reach the playoffs" while families of the players had their luggage sitting in the Rogers Center loading dock ... Hey! we are all going on the road to watch our boys!

Nonsense.

I wondered why ... the champagne ... the celebration ... the family road trip? As any TV tough guy would say ... "it's not personal ... it's just business". 

When do our Jays get down to business? They hadn't won anything and actually backed into the playoffs. They didn't earn their spot. 

Their champagne celebration was embarrassing.

Baseball is a beautiful game ... it's always, always about arithmetic.

For baseball (and hockey) all you have to do is look at the standings. When you do, there are no surprises ... the math doesn't lie.

My Jay 2023 team is about to crash and burn (3 - 1  in game 1 today). Do you have a different feeling?

How's your memory?

My World Champion 1992/93 Jays had Olerud and Robbie and Molly and Winfield and Borders and Cone and Stewart and Joe and Key and Alfredo and Jeff Kent and Tony Fernandez and Alfredo Griffin and Shaun Green. 

Who do we have on this year's team that compares to the likes of this group?

(note: when Green joined the team, skipper Cito Gaston told me he'd have trouble stealing a base because he had size 13 shoes -- "he'll trip over himself" said Cito. Actually, he's the only Jay with 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases). 

But, don't forget the impact of Cito. He brought a championship to our city that hadn't been seen for decades and then, just to prove it wasn't a fluke did it again the following year ... and 11 of his 1992 stars didn't return for the 1993 battle.

Where's the clutch with this 2023 Blue Jay team?

Wouldn't you love to see Carter or Robbie step in at a crucial time in the game today when we had "ducks on the pond"?

Are you surprised when you watch the Jays on TV in any MLB market and there are always lots of Blue Jay fans in the stands?

Mid-summer, 2023, a front page in the Toronto Star newspaper featured a story that the seats behind home plate for 2024 games will cost $130,000 a pair. They are apparently going to provide a more comfortable seat and give you free popcorn. How's that for a number, $130,000! 

Ownership is consumed by the devotion of the fans to the club ... are fans really going to pay that?

I predict the Jays get bounced in 3 straight this week - they don't have the quality of players they had in 1992/93, the coach or the numbers.

And baseball is always about the numbers.