It's hard not to get excited this time of year if you are a baseball fan; the weather is stunning, the days are longer and the regular season is on the horizon. But if you are a Jays fan, this spring has become the great beacon of hope. Probably never before has a Jays team looked so strong during their stint in Duneadin, as all the pieces seem to be coming along. Starting pitching is giving you those few hard worked innings, your fielders look strong and the bats are swinging away. I would say the mirage is holding together nicely.....and don't be fooled, that is exactly what this is.
Is there a reason for optimism if you are a Jays fan? Of course! Statiscally and on paper, this team looks far improved from last year's squad. No one expects the bullpen to crumble, and many of the players should have better seasons at bat. But to be honest, the expected win total for this team is still 85-87, and if my calculations are correct, that still leaves them 7th in the A.L; fighting for now that coveted second wild card birth.
There is no need to plan the parade route just yet (see Toronto Maple Leafs pre season history). Shining in the spring means literally nothing. Sure a few assests are graded, and teams are shaped, but even Travis Snider has had great springs.....we all know where that goes come May! Are the Jays going to be exciting? Yes. Do I expect them to compete on a game to game basis? Sure. Is this team good enough yet? No.....so be careful before you spend the farm on your favourite Snider or Rasmus jerseys!
Please I beg of you, wear the caps, come out to the park and buy a hot dog! Enjoy everything that makes the game fun. But don't get too hung up on wins and loses just yet....they will only break your heart. So, what does this great spring training record mean?......Nothing! Let's bring on April, and then, I may join in the Be-Leaf if you will.
Monday, March 19, 2012
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Time to Tank in T.O!
Two things have suprised me this season as a Leaf fan; one is the fact that we were playing crucial games of any sort in Febuary, let alone March. But recently, it has been the overwhelming sentiments of certain fans to not bottom out the rest of the year. Are you kidding me?
I know what many fans are thinking..."well two years too late". But let's be completely honest, even if Burke has failed, and is gone next year, do you think the next GM has anything to work with in this bunch? Weak draft class or not, it's a number 4 pick at the least, with a chance at 3 or 2 thanks to the lottery. In my opinion, if it takes another 3 years, but with proven assest and young talent, so be it.
Look, this team is going nowhere fast. The playoffs have swiftly flown by the Leafs, and finishing in 22nd or 21st is going to cause an uproar. So my view, simply put is to suck out loud! Fail miserably and draft; then, just like with your favourite shampoo, repeat the process. These days with the cap era, quick fixes don't work and the mistakes of Burke, with creating handcuffing contracts have paralyzed the trade market. So, quite simply put, just be bad. No fan is giving up their ticket, and they are lying if they tell you otherwise. You have the freedom, you have the fans by the scruff of the neck, take advantage.....at least this way, you can finally reward them with a few names that may make a contribution to the NHL of the Future
I know what many fans are thinking..."well two years too late". But let's be completely honest, even if Burke has failed, and is gone next year, do you think the next GM has anything to work with in this bunch? Weak draft class or not, it's a number 4 pick at the least, with a chance at 3 or 2 thanks to the lottery. In my opinion, if it takes another 3 years, but with proven assest and young talent, so be it.
Look, this team is going nowhere fast. The playoffs have swiftly flown by the Leafs, and finishing in 22nd or 21st is going to cause an uproar. So my view, simply put is to suck out loud! Fail miserably and draft; then, just like with your favourite shampoo, repeat the process. These days with the cap era, quick fixes don't work and the mistakes of Burke, with creating handcuffing contracts have paralyzed the trade market. So, quite simply put, just be bad. No fan is giving up their ticket, and they are lying if they tell you otherwise. You have the freedom, you have the fans by the scruff of the neck, take advantage.....at least this way, you can finally reward them with a few names that may make a contribution to the NHL of the Future
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Magic in.....Buffalo?
It seems like every season, one team puts together a run that baffles the critics, but who didn't really see this coming? The Sabres were a team that is much better than the record shows, and it seems as though they are finally putting it together at the right time. Is it too late for the Sabres to make a push for the 8th spot? I'm not so sure it is....I'm also not certain that this run is necessarily about the 2012 season.
There is no denying that sometimes all it takes is a hot goaltender to carry you into a playoff run, (Halak, Ward and of course Patrick Roy)....unquestionably, Ryan Miller is that goalie. Past performances and vezinas aside, he has now gone on an 8-1-1 tear, posting a .946 sv%, in which he has basically put Buffalo on his back. Piece that together with the likes of a healthy Myers and Ennis, and sprinkle in struggling squads like Caps and Jets, there is no reason why this Buffalo team couldn't lock up that final playoff spot. However, the real question is once there, can they take down a Rangers or Bruins team? Honestly, this year, it doesn't really matter.
No one is thick enough to believe this Sabres team is winning a cup, but a good playoff round will only make those young assets stronger. Myers and Ennis, both crucial to this franchise and both incredibly young. They are the cornerstones of this squad, and you know it is only a matter of time before they develop into those big time players like a Karlsson or Seguin. Still a very young goaltender in Miller, and an established, beloved coach in Ruff. The chemistry is there, the experience will be there and the pieces will come when they are ready to make a push.
So is this just a flash in the pan or a fluke.......I think this is the next Stanley Cup contending team....just a few years away.
There is no denying that sometimes all it takes is a hot goaltender to carry you into a playoff run, (Halak, Ward and of course Patrick Roy)....unquestionably, Ryan Miller is that goalie. Past performances and vezinas aside, he has now gone on an 8-1-1 tear, posting a .946 sv%, in which he has basically put Buffalo on his back. Piece that together with the likes of a healthy Myers and Ennis, and sprinkle in struggling squads like Caps and Jets, there is no reason why this Buffalo team couldn't lock up that final playoff spot. However, the real question is once there, can they take down a Rangers or Bruins team? Honestly, this year, it doesn't really matter.
No one is thick enough to believe this Sabres team is winning a cup, but a good playoff round will only make those young assets stronger. Myers and Ennis, both crucial to this franchise and both incredibly young. They are the cornerstones of this squad, and you know it is only a matter of time before they develop into those big time players like a Karlsson or Seguin. Still a very young goaltender in Miller, and an established, beloved coach in Ruff. The chemistry is there, the experience will be there and the pieces will come when they are ready to make a push.
So is this just a flash in the pan or a fluke.......I think this is the next Stanley Cup contending team....just a few years away.
Monday, March 12, 2012
It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Spring
Not sure if anyone else out there can feel it, but it's that time of year again. This day can be poetic, as we discuss the smell of the grass, or the sunshine touching down in left field; but to me, it's about tradition. The winter is at its end, the days are longer, and sight of children dragging their parents by the hand, heading to the park, to cheer on their heroes, blooms like a flower.
To me baseball has always been about more than wins and loses; runs and hits. It may sound cliche, but to me, it has always been about hope. You hope every to see a no hitter, or that one big home run. You hope the rain holds off, and that the hot dogs are as delicious as ever. But most importantly, you hope that one of those kids, tugging at their parent's hand, leaves that day, falling in love with something more than a game, but a way of life.
My relationship with the game, and that with my father, went hand in hand to shaping my childhood. As a kid, it's a chance to be with your pops, and as you grow, it becomes a devotion. Soon, it will be a chance for me to share a passion with my children, and on and on, it continues. Joy, and heartbreak....and hope; passed on, through generations.
When asked what he did throughout the winter, Rogers Hornsby once said, "I sit at the window and wait for the spring". Well spring is upon us. Another season is upon us......more memories, wait in the wind.
So, as with the beginning of every season, put on the cap, pound back some franks, and get ready to stretch...and to start us off, in the words of the ump. Let's play ball!
To me baseball has always been about more than wins and loses; runs and hits. It may sound cliche, but to me, it has always been about hope. You hope every to see a no hitter, or that one big home run. You hope the rain holds off, and that the hot dogs are as delicious as ever. But most importantly, you hope that one of those kids, tugging at their parent's hand, leaves that day, falling in love with something more than a game, but a way of life.
My relationship with the game, and that with my father, went hand in hand to shaping my childhood. As a kid, it's a chance to be with your pops, and as you grow, it becomes a devotion. Soon, it will be a chance for me to share a passion with my children, and on and on, it continues. Joy, and heartbreak....and hope; passed on, through generations.
When asked what he did throughout the winter, Rogers Hornsby once said, "I sit at the window and wait for the spring". Well spring is upon us. Another season is upon us......more memories, wait in the wind.
So, as with the beginning of every season, put on the cap, pound back some franks, and get ready to stretch...and to start us off, in the words of the ump. Let's play ball!
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