More Confidence: Despite Weather, the Blue Jays are Flying High.
This and that about this week.
The Jays came back against the Cleveland baseball team last Friday with eight unanswered runs.
Andrew Miller pretty much single-handedly killed the Blue Jays in the 2016 ALCS. Rallies were snuffed out. Miller nearly did the same thing to the Chicago Cubs. Cleveland lost the World Series in 2016 the second Andrew Miller was no longer effective.
I nearly cried when this happened:
This team has something going on.
The two rainouts were no fun, as was a weekend without baseball. Missing Corey Kluber was fine, though.
The Blue Jays had a rare home game postponed due to weather.
This never ending winter claimed another victim: the roof smugness of the Toronto Blue Jays.
However, the Jays did deliver a shit-kicking to the Kansas City Royals.
Luke Maile has suddenly emerged as an offensive threat.
“He has played great. When we got him, he was basically known for his defense. He struggled last year, but when he came back from a knee injury, I thought he was swinging the bat much better. I think what’s helped him is a little bit more playing time.”
And his walk-off celebration is already legendary:
I didn't watch the first Facebook live broadcast of the series finale as I was out watching this:
I did watch the condensed game on Youtube.
From the outset of this whole concept, my stance on this is that Facebook could produce the greatest baseball broadcast around, but I’m going to have an issue with it because Facebook is such a problematic platform.
Curtis Granderson hit a grand slam off of some sad Royals' bullpen pitcher and was his happy/humble self in the post-game:
“The biggest thing is don’t think about it. Just come into the ballpark day in and day out, being ready to play. Understand that, obviously, certain things happen that are out of your control, that may not be the things that you like. But regardless where it happens to be, up here, starting or not starting, or happen to be in the Minor Leagues, you have to come in ready to play and find a way to get better each day. The biggest thing is, don’t even think about it, because a lot of it is out of your control anyway.”
Teoscar Hernandez has been hitting like a man possessed since being called up a week ago. He was a double short of the cycle.
I got a little bit more experience last year, I got more confidence in Spring Training, and I just tried to stay focused and do the best that I can. When I got the call, I put in my mind that I got another chance to do what I know and to do my best. Keep getting better and try to get that chance to help the team.
He's been so good that it might make things difficult when players start coming off the DL.
Gibby is a fan:
Heading to Yankee Stadium for the first time this season means two things:
And trolling huffy Yankee fans on Twitter:
Frank Thomas has some nice things to say about the Blue Jays on Fox Sports, as did Nick Swisher (well, basically, he didn't disagree.)
Solid starting pitching, bolstered by a quality bullpen, plus timely hits and good defense. That equation wins a hell of a lot of baseball games.