It’s been a long time–21 years to be exact–since baseball fans have had contending major league baseball team to root for.
That all changed in late July.
The Toronto Blue Jays, specifically, the team’s owner, Rogers Communications, decided it was time for a change.
General Manager Alex Anthopoulos finally won the right to wheel and deal, to trade for some top-of-the-line players, specifically pitching ace David Price from Detroit, all-star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki from Colorado, and top-of-the order speedster and defensive whiz Ben Revere from Philadelphia.
Anthopoulos also solidified the bullpen with veteran LaTroy Hawkins and fireballer Mark Lowe.
Presto!
From a team going nowhere, the Jays have become a juggernaut.
Since July 29, Toronto has gone 32-10 to overtake the mightly but aging New York Yankees.
Over this past weekend, the Jays took three of four from the Yankees–in New York yet–to open a three-and-a-half-game lead in the American League East with 19 games left in the regular schedule.
Fans are coming out, there’s magic in the air, and all of a sudden, Canada may be looking at a World Series in October, something that hasn’t occurred since 1993, when the Jays won their second straight Major League Baseball title.
Will it last?
It likely will this season.
Next season is another matter.
For some perspective on this season’s pennant race and its repercussions, RCI spoke with Richard Griffin, baseball columnist for the Toronto Star.
Griffin spoke by phone from his home in Toronto.
Listen
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