Short, scribbled thoughts about the fugly start to the regular season

Wish I could tell you it will get better. But the truth is I can’t. There are few guarantees in baseball, so I can only hope for the best and be positive.

The Blue Jays will either figure it out or they won’t.

You can push as many panic buttons as possible. You can demand they fire Gibby. You can beg for Rowdy Tellez to be called up. You can curse Mark Shapiro and Russ Atkins for all entirety. You can refuse to purchase tickets. Just understand one thing: We have no control over the fate of the team. Like it or not, we have to let the process work itself out and show some – here’s a word you might not like – patience.

Gregg Zaun sometimes criticizes certain fans for wanting instant gratification. It’s a theory I subscribe to as well. We live in a society that values anything quick and aggressive, while discarding items that are slow and can’t instantly capture attention. Baseball clashes with this kind of society; in the game itself and with the length of the season. The adage of the regular season being a marathon and not a sprint certainly applies to the Jays’ situation.

The consensus couldn’t be clearer: There’s nothing fun about how this season has gone so far, especially after Sunday’s 11-4 dumpster fire loss to Baltimore. Greater concern is Aaron Sanchez’s blister problem and J.A. Happ’s elbow; issues that are incredibly alarming. Can’t forget the nightmarish offensive production either. So as much as it sucks – and it really does suck – there is nothing we can do, but to simply let things breathe. It might be painful, but it’s the right course of action.

If that won’t work for you, consider this: If the worst thing in your life is a 2-10 baseball team, then you have a pretty good life.

ER

Retro Blue Jays – Days of the Telemedia Sports Network

Posted by Catch The Taste.

​It’s scary to think how the majority of mainstream Blue Jays content is from one specific channel, streamlined for various forms of consumption. I could get upset about it, but it isn’t the worst thing in the world.

However, there are times when I yearn for the past when the stadium, the team and the broadcast rights were owned and operated by separate parties.

So it brought a smile to my face when I found this old radio intro on YouTube.

At the time – and up until the end of the 1997 season – the radio rights were owned by Telemedia. CJCL 1430 – known today as Sportsnet 590 –  was the flagship station.

Having listened to more games on the radio than watching them on television, the best part of the clip is the theme song. It’s simple, bubbly and has a strong 80s influence. If you were a young Blue Jay fan of the late 80s and early 90s, the tune should be an instant flashback to a simpler, yet exciting time. In addition, it’s much better than the heavy, “armageddon-ish” anthem Sportsnet has churned out over the last few seasons on the TV and radio broadcasts.

Also enjoyable was hearing the late Tom Cheek reading out the sponsors, followed by Jerry Howarth setting the scene.

ER

Obligatory Opening Day Post

Doesn’t it feel like eons since Tulo fouled out to end the ALCS? 

Opening Day is a nice combination of excitement and uncertainty. All the teams are at the same starting point; and despite all the number crunching and prognosticating, nothing is 100% guaranteed. 

As the Blue Jays begin thier 41st season in Baltimore this afternoon, here are some friendly reminders. Most of them will be ignored, but – what the hell – I feel like wearing rose coloured glasses today. 

• The regular season is a marathon, not a sprint.
• The regular season is full of peaks and valleys.
• “Panic buttons” are useless; so is jumping to conclusions.
• Ryan Goins is the 25th player on the 25-man roster.
• Justin Smaok deserves a fair shot. He’s not trying to go 0-for-4 on purpose. In other words, let things breathe. 
• Everyone is entitled to an opinion, regardless of whether you agree or not.
• Constructive criticism is far greater than villianization. 
• Trolls just want to get a rise out of you; and I don’t mean #LetsRise 😉
• Most importantly, savour every pitch, every at-bat and every moment. Sometimes, we fixate so much on stats/standings and miss the beauty of sitting inside Skydome on a goregous Friday night in July.

Enjoy today’s game and the remaining 161.

ER