Monday, October 01, 2012
Don't Poke The Bear!
The Toronto
Blue Jays completed a four game series against the New York
It has been a
frustrating season for all concerned in the Blue Jay organization. They have
been plagued by injuries. As a result, they have used more players this season
than ever before. Several players have not lived up to their potential. Then
again, that is always the case when you just don’t win. There has been a spot
of controversy, here and there. The end result? No World Series rings this
year.
The game on Sunday
had all the earmarks of a fine outing for thousands of fans. The first 20 000
fans who entered the Rogers
I was also greeted by
half a dozen musicians playing “Take me out to the ballgame” in the rotunda
inside the stadium. Nice homey feeling, enhancing the experience.
The game itself?
Mostly forgettable for Blue Jay fans. They built up a 5-1 lead, then watched it
vanish as the Yankees woke up and scored at will, winning the game 9-6. The Bronx Bombers
scratched and clawed their way to victory. They did get one home run
from Eric Chavez in the third inning, but that was their lone run until the
floodgates opened in the late innings.
They won with singles
and doubles, sacrifice hits, and good defensive play. In the third inning,
Ichiro Suzuki chased a ball hit by Edwin Encarnacion far into the corner of the
right field. Ichiro will be thirty-nine years old this month. He shows no sign
of ageing, as he again demonstrated that he is one of the greatest baseball
players of all time. He snagged that ball, and was pounded by his team mates
when he got to the dugout.
Last year, for the
first time in his major league career, he was not an all star, nor did he win a
Gold Glove as a premier fielder. But for the ten previous seasons, that is what
he did. No other player in the history of the game has ever achieved that
success, from his rookie season onward. He accomplished this after nine seasons
with Orix in the Japanese league. The Yankees picked him up in July. Talk about
the rich getting richer!
Derek Jeter ended the
game with three hits, adding to his impressive lifetime totals. It is a joy to
watch him play. Sure, he has lost a step or two chasing down ground balls. But
he is still a premier ball player, and I am certain he will enjoy yet another
season of post-season play.
The Blue Jays’
shortstop, Yunel Escobar, is winding down his sixth season at the Major League
level. I am continuously impressed with his skills in the field. At second
base, a fellow Cuban, Adeiny Hechavarria, is also brilliant. The Jays would be
wise to lock up both of those players with extensive contracts. Strength up the
middle has always been critical to the success of any baseball team.
In his post game
session with the media, Manager John Farrell tried to put a positive spin on a
difficult season. He said that his starting pitcher, Henderson Alvarez, will go
into the off season with plenty of confidence. He started the season well,
struggled in the middle, and finished strongly.
Before you know it,
they will be stretching in Dunedin
# posted by James Hurst @ 8:57 AM 
