I keep having dreams about Joey Votto wearing a Blue Jays uniform and they WON’T STOP

In front of a fall motif, Joey Votto sat on a red patio chair and reflected on his 17 seasons with the Cincinnati Reds. Sincere gratitude was expressed and reminded everyone why the 40-year-old first baseman is one of MLB’s popular characters.

Posted online, Votto’s visual message came a day after the Reds announced they wouldn’t exercise his club option for 2024, making him a free agent. The team also thanked him for his significant contributions.

It’s said that all good things come to an end and in Votto’s case, things were better than good. Nevertheless, Cincinnati decided it’s better to move forward without him. It’s not crass, but a mere example of evolution.

That doesn’t mean Etobicoke’s favourite son has played his final big league game.

Joey Votto might not be THE Joey Votto anymore, but he’s still Joey FREAKING Votto. There’s some fire left in that soul and on November 4, it was made available to all MLB clubs.

That’s when the visions, dreams and fantasies all started. I haven’t been able to stop them since.

Close my eyes and I see him: Joseph Daniel Votto in blue, white and new blue (aka powder blue). A hometown hero wearing the threads of his hometown’s team.

Damn, he looks good.

I am in awe and envious too. Votto and I are of the same age. Yet he’s physically and genetically gifted, while I’m the sum of parts scraped together.

Anyone can argue for or against signing him. But such a debate is a waste of time. There is only one true destiny: It’s time for Joey to come home. Stats and logic be damned!

Best case: He takes over Brandon Belt’s role. Nobody is expecting Votto to be his 2010 self. He doesn’t have to be The Guy. As long as he’s a productive supporting cast member, I’m happy.

Worst case: He’s a late-inning pinch hitter or gets DFA’d. At least he got to play for the hometown Jays and checked something off a bucket list. Even if it ends up being just a handful of games, we should feel lucky to witness one of Canada’s greatest ball players play for Canada’s team.

Just think of the auxiliary benefits of having Votto in the clubhouse.

Multiple viral interviews and quotable quotes. A veteran presence for younger players. A rise in chess tournaments – “Chess with Joey” would be a great Jays Care event, on par with Russell Martin’s poker tournaments. Votto might even recommend wine pairings. Apparently, his mother is a top sommelier in the city.

And just think of the on-the-field benefits.

Need a clutch hit? Votto can make that happen. Need to get Vladdy off his feet? Joey’s got this!

This needs to happen. It must happen. It might not make total sense to an expert/insider, but it makes sense in my brain.

Now you know why I could never be a General Manager.

So, Joey, if you’re reading this, just promise me you’ll think about it.

You’re a legend and living out a dream that many pine for. Now, you have a chance to play on home soil, wearing the uniform of “Canada’s Team.”

It is kismet, Joey! Your kismet, my kismet, the fan base’s kismet.

Your choice in the end, of course. You have earned that right and then some. I’ll be happy wherever you go, but OVER THE MOON if you choose my favourite team.

It’ll stop all those dreams, visions and fantasies I’ve been having. But I’ll happily sacrifice the figment for the reality.

Think about it, please and thanks.

ER

I don’t blame anyone for losing faith in the 2023 Blue Jays, but it sure is heartbreaking 💔

Much like 2021 and 2022, the 2023 Blue Jays were an up-and-down team. However, the ’23 Jays were extra spicy.

Expectations continued to be high and the team was coming off one of its most embarrassing defeats in their history. If anything, 2023 should have been about redemption. This was the season where the demons were exorcised and the proverbial monkey on their collective back was told to fuck off.

And it didn’t happen.

Way back in the spring, John Schneider chatted about the difference between “being beaten” and “losing.” The former occurred when a team did everything right, but the opponent was better; or, the opponent walloped them. The ladder was the result of not executing when the situation called for it. In other words, giving away a victory.

In 2023, the Jays lost more than they were beaten. In fact, the majority of those 73 defeats were reachable wins.

Again, it didn’t happen.

We all know the culprit: Couldn’t take advantage of offensive opportunities. Had to rely heavily on pitching and other methods that weren’t as sexy as clutch hitting.

They had their moments – a big home run (Cavan Biggio’s two three-run dingers come to mind), a timely double that cashed in multiple runners. But when they failed, it was glaring.

It’s concerning because the Jays are a talented team and the window of opportunity remains wide open. However, they won fewer games than the previous two seasons and stalled in the Wild Card round AGAIN.

That doesn’t necessarily mean the end is nigh. Still, one must consider if this present incarnation has already reached its peak.

So, who do we blame?

Mark Shapiro? He already took responsibility for everything. Ross Atkins? As I stated recently, it’s time for someone else to take the wheel. John Schneider? There’s the “too much blame/too much praise” at play. The coaching staff? Depends on the coach.

Schneider received much criticism this past season. Some of it was justified and constructive. The key word being “some.” It’s also stunning how a collection of fans have turned on him faster than they turned on Charlie Montoyo.

Nevertheless, Schneider should return in 2024. At the very least, have him run things for the first two to three months and then re-evaluate. Let’s see what he can do now that he has a full year of managerial experience under his belt.

While I have confidence in Schneider, the same feelings are not extended to the coaches looking after the offence. One of whom already appears to have been “reassigned.”

The five best hitters on this team – Vladdy, Bo, George, Chappy and Kirk, aka The Guys – struggled. Of course, it’s common for a player or two to have downyears. But when those you rely on malfunction; when they lose games despite having many runners on base, red flags go up.

If additional dismissals or reassignments don’t occur, it’s imperative for the Jays to review their hitting strategies. It’s also vital for the front office to reconsider its emphasis on analytics.

Nothing wrong with analytics. It should be used, but within reason. As we painfully saw with Jose Berrios, these strategic calculations can neglect the human element.

The balance between the eye test and analytics must be improved. Otherwise, fan frustration will continue to grow.

And it is definitely an angry fan base.

Morale amongst supporters is very low. The amount of snark and negativity on Jays Twitter is rampant and with good reason.

The Jays were awful in May and its souring effect never wore off. It seemed pessimism spread throughout the remainder of the regular season. Many were convinced this team was incapable of living up to expectations.

One person – who I follow on various social media channels – called them uninspiring. There were even some who preferred it if they didn’t make the playoffs.

Part of me badly wants to tell everyone who crapped on the Jays to go fuck themselves. But I can’t because they weren’t wrong.

The negative feelings about this team are justified and for various reasons: The on-field performance, the Anthony Bass controversy, the handling of Alek Manoah’s steep and harsh decline, the rising costs of attending a game at SkyDome, being owned by a giant media conglomerate.

All of it breaks my heart.

It shouldn’t be this way. We should’ve been cheering them on in the postseason and instead, we were forced to be neutral observers, possibly eating our guts out watching Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Gabriel Moreno play in the World Series.

It feels like I’m the only one embracing the pain while others are screaming, complaining and condemning. I’m disappointed and upset, but I’m not angry and I’m certainly not going out of my way to direct rude comments and kill shots at the Jays. I’m not NOT caring about this team.

So, what’s wrong with me? Why am I willing to be disappointed while others aren’t? Why am I still optimistic when there are far more reasons to view them with glass half-empty eyes?

Does anyone want to play armchair psychologist?

Maybe it’s my advancing age. I’ve already seen the best and worst of the Jays, which personally dates back to the early 90s. Therefore, in my head, failing to advance past the Wild Card round in three of the last four seasons is better than a 22-year playoff drought.

Not everyone will see things that way. Many will likely feel blase about the Jays or stop investing in them entirely. It hurts, but it is what it is.

As doomy and gloomy things are, there’s always the classic antidote: Winning.

Not just winning, but winning with confidence. The Jays need to do the opposite of what they did this season. Less squeaked-out victories and more without-a-doubt successes.

The front office needs to build a team that can not only make the postseason, but advance significantly. No more getting stuck in the mud at the Wild Card round. It has to happen because fans who aren’t obsessed with the Jays will stop caring.

Their loss, of course. It’s just better when things aren’t bleak.

ER

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End-of-season Awards

Best Hitter: Bo Bichette

Best Starter: Kevin Gausman

Best Reliever: Tim Mayza