Sunday, April 11, 2010
Jays' Home Opener Etiquette
That’s how you open a season. Sweeping Texas (my TV conked out in the ninth inning of game one, but I’m sure everything worked out), and showing the O’s that they’re going to have to work for fourth place. I know it’s a bit premature, but I sure do prefer Alex Anthopolous’ failure to follow a timeline over JP Ricciardi’s. A long rebuilding process taking one offseason, is a lot easier to deal with than a five year plan from 2001 that’s still going. Who could argue with AA’s technique of ridding the team of clubhouse malcontents Marco Scutaro and Roy Halladay?
The fact is that the Jays have been a great team. They’re getting solid starting pitching, great work from the relief corps, and timely and balanced hitting. What I’m most pleased with after the first week is the team defence. Molina and Buck really understand pitching and their pitchers, and are calling great games, Overstache has managed to scoop bad throws out of Edwin Encarnacion’s repertoire, Vernon has roamed centre field with an intensity and confidence that had sorely been missing over the last two years, and Alex Gonzalez has looked outstanding. We all enjoyed Scutaro’s wise positional play, and we love watching John McDonald slide and dive all over the field, but in the first week, Alex Gonzalez has looked incredibly smooth. I’m not saying Devo smooth, but it’s the same kind of idea, he makes all the plays and seems to do so with such ease that I know I’ll start taking his work for granted.
The Jays know what they need to do in order to maintain their momentum, but as they come home after six games on the road, it is incumbent on us Toronto Baseball People to do our part…Here are some recommendations that should help the Jays along:
Don’t show up to games at SkyDome: The team has played well with no expectations. If we show up 50, 000 strong, cheering, and sign waving we’ll just make them nervous. So please don’t buy a ticket, if you’ve already bought your ticket, don’t go to the game. If you insist on going to the game, please be very quiet, wear a White Sox hat, or keep expectations low by holding up a sign like “It’s OK if you strike out Travis, that was a nice diving catch in Texas, keep up the effort”
Don’t Boo Alex Rios: He’s a physically gifted player who couldn’t manage to find a game day equipment bag big enough to fit more than one of his five tools. Obviously you should be angry at him, but that staph infection is bound to wear off now that he’s played his way out of Toronto. While we may not have his five tools anymore, we do have his apathy going for us. Booing Rios might provide enough incentive for him to show some intensity, and make us look bad. Vince what’s his name relishes the opportunity to pick up his game when Raptors fans are at their nastiest. Let’s avoid this.
At the game, limit your alcohol intake: Last years’ home opener was almost forfeited by the Jays after the drunk and belligerent spectators began fighting and littering the field with trash. I realize that these were most likely Leafs and Raptors fans that didn’t know how to respond to a home team leading a game, but it is the responsibility of all true Jays fans to keep their idiot neighbors under control. The playoffs hang in the balance here people! ¶ posted by Mark at 11:42 PM
The fact is that the Jays have been a great team. They’re getting solid starting pitching, great work from the relief corps, and timely and balanced hitting. What I’m most pleased with after the first week is the team defence. Molina and Buck really understand pitching and their pitchers, and are calling great games, Overstache has managed to scoop bad throws out of Edwin Encarnacion’s repertoire, Vernon has roamed centre field with an intensity and confidence that had sorely been missing over the last two years, and Alex Gonzalez has looked outstanding. We all enjoyed Scutaro’s wise positional play, and we love watching John McDonald slide and dive all over the field, but in the first week, Alex Gonzalez has looked incredibly smooth. I’m not saying Devo smooth, but it’s the same kind of idea, he makes all the plays and seems to do so with such ease that I know I’ll start taking his work for granted.
The Jays know what they need to do in order to maintain their momentum, but as they come home after six games on the road, it is incumbent on us Toronto Baseball People to do our part…Here are some recommendations that should help the Jays along:
Don’t show up to games at SkyDome: The team has played well with no expectations. If we show up 50, 000 strong, cheering, and sign waving we’ll just make them nervous. So please don’t buy a ticket, if you’ve already bought your ticket, don’t go to the game. If you insist on going to the game, please be very quiet, wear a White Sox hat, or keep expectations low by holding up a sign like “It’s OK if you strike out Travis, that was a nice diving catch in Texas, keep up the effort”
Don’t Boo Alex Rios: He’s a physically gifted player who couldn’t manage to find a game day equipment bag big enough to fit more than one of his five tools. Obviously you should be angry at him, but that staph infection is bound to wear off now that he’s played his way out of Toronto. While we may not have his five tools anymore, we do have his apathy going for us. Booing Rios might provide enough incentive for him to show some intensity, and make us look bad. Vince what’s his name relishes the opportunity to pick up his game when Raptors fans are at their nastiest. Let’s avoid this.
At the game, limit your alcohol intake: Last years’ home opener was almost forfeited by the Jays after the drunk and belligerent spectators began fighting and littering the field with trash. I realize that these were most likely Leafs and Raptors fans that didn’t know how to respond to a home team leading a game, but it is the responsibility of all true Jays fans to keep their idiot neighbors under control. The playoffs hang in the balance here people! ¶ posted by Mark at 11:42 PM
