Jays Journaling: Arizona? Sure, whatever

The madness continues.

Friday, April 10 was supposed to be my first attended game of the season.

It was supposed to be against the Royals. I was supposed to watch Vladdy, Bo and – likely – Chase Anderson. I was also supposed to eat a matzah sandwich, while wishing I could visit my favourite hot dog vendor at Front and John.

But it didn’t happen. Instead, my baseball fix currently comes from “classic” and “rewind” matches on Sportsnet. It fills the void, but only temporarily.

Again, COVID-19 can go fuck itself.

A family member recently brought up an important point: Even when this is all over, it will be a while before life fully returns to normal. We have to remember that.

It would be foolish to think that we could go from physical distancing and isolation one day and then pack Skydome the next. There’s no way the province and city would allow that.

So, we have to make peace with the possibility that even when/if baseball returns, fans won’t be allowed inside ballparks for the entire season.

And I’m okay with that.

I’d rather have baseball played in empty stadiums than nothing at all.

The Jays might not even play any games in Toronto. They might be in Arizona for the entire modified 2020 season.

And I’m okay with that too.

I’d rather see big leaguers play in empty minor league facilities (and Chase Field) than nothing at all.

This Arizona plan is certainly unique. But it’s also problematic, not to mention the ambitious mid-May start.

But we are living in unprecedented times; so, it’s worth a shot.

However – and I can’t stress this enough – I don’t want this to happen if it compromises player and personnel health.

Safety is paramount and if the curve is not flattened in Arizona, then no one should step on the field.

I badly need baseball, but not at the expense of anyone’s well-being. It is my hope that the state’s health department will work with MLB and not be afraid to stand up to the league if there’s any kind of threat.

It’s been over a month since baseball and everything else stopped. It stings and the pain feels worse every day. Eventually, this will pass. The problem is we don’t know when.

Therefore, I have to be patient, even though it’s messing with my sanity.

ER

Striking Out on Front Street: A Baseball Microstory

“Honestly, I’m not a huge baseball fan,” she told him. “I just go for the experience.”

He tried to respond, but his mind was blank. A bountiful vocabulary evaporated. This was a symptom of his awkwardness. Instead, he looked ahead, praying his silence won’t deny a second date.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

The pressure to say something, ANYTHING, intensified.

“I go because art and science come together on the field,” he blurted out. “It’s better than sex!”

The regret on her face was painfully obvious. He struck out before the first pitch. There wasn’t going to be a second date.

ER