Some seasons simply cannot end quickly enough

We were talking the other day about the Blue Jays and it was deadly quiet in the world of basketball yesterday so this is what we’ve got:

Worst.

Season.

Ever.

Yes, I know they’ve won two in a row and the Laffey dude looked good last night and Romero finally won a game the night before but, still …

Worst.

Season.

Ever.

Even worse than the early years because there was no expectations and less talent

Even worse than 1985 when they blew that series to Kansas City and I can still see Jim Sundberg’s triple hitting the top of the wall in right

Even worse than 1987 when they dropped those final seven games of the year to break everyone’s heart.

Worse than them all for a variety of reasons:

Expectations unmet.

Yes, maybe they knew it would take a confluence of unlikely events to make to the playoffs this year but remember the optimism coming out of spring training? Now they’re dead last in the division? Yeah, that’s a huge part of it.

Regression.

I think they have issues in left field and first base and second base and I’m not entirely sold on the centre fielder and they took some steps back that few saw coming. Costly steps because it’s added to Alex Anthopoulos’s to-do list this summer.

Injuries.

Sure, they happen and what can you do? Missing Bautista and Lawrie and Arencibia and a bajillion pitchers was part of it.

Pitching

Yeah, the big one. Nice to see Brandon Morrow emerge, as I figured he would, into a stud and it’s nice to see Casey Janssen get a bunch of stress-inducing saves but if anyone even thinks for a second they don’t need major reconstructive surgery to the staff is kidding themselves. As they say, you can never have enough pitching; this team doesn’t have nearly that much.

Anyway, I like Alex and I like Paul Beeston and I know they feel crappy about the way the season unfolded and the proof of their crappy feeling will be in what major steps they take to improve things this winter.

Is it fixable quickly? Sure it is; it takes good management and better luck but if you hold up the Oakland A’s and Baltimore Orioles as examples, and you should, it can be done. It’s not easy, nothing ever is, but it can be done.

But to these eyes, and I will leave the heavy analytical thinking to Messrs. Griffin, Kennedy and Zwolinski, there is only one way to describe this year:

Worst.

Season.

Ever.

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So Super Son and I are big NCIS fans as it turns out; at least that must be the case since we were anxious for the season debuts last night of both the original and NCIS Los Angeles.

(Now, I’m not usually a big spinoff fan but NCIS Los Angeles and CSI New York might eclipse their originals, don’t you think? But I will go to my grave arguing nothing will beat the original Law and Order.

-

Raptors news?

Wish I had something fresh for you, I really do.

But was an off-day pour moi yesterday and while we’ll get some time with Landry Fields and, perhaps, Kyle Lowry this afternoon, there was a dearth of “new.”

So here’s a day-old Dwane comment that kind of confirms what we’ve been saying here for weeks:

“We’re going to have competition at every position. There’s not going to be one position where a guy is going to come in and say, ‘hey, I’ve got my spot, my minutes.’

“That’s kind of the way you want it, it’s going to be a competitive camp from that standpoint. But at some point, we’re going to have to have a first unit and a second unit … I like that competition because it’s just going to raise everyone’s intensity.”

And I will say this again: The one guy I want to see react to true competition, and to raise his game to expected levels, is DeMar DeRozan. He’s never been in this situation before but there are legit contenders for his minutes and his job for the first time in his career and it’ll be interesting to see how he handles it.

The other guy?

Ed Davis.

He’s never had a training camp, he’s never had a full pre-season and if Dwane’s honest in his assessment that everything is up for grabs – and I know that he is because he is an honest and forthright man – it will be fun to watch how Davis competes for a significant role in a crowded front court.

They did a total reconstruction of his flawed shot over the summer – it’s still a work in progress he told us the other day – but this year presents his best chance ever to cement a regular, and significant, role.

-

I’m looking at the generic in-basket and Jays and Leaves questions are out-numbering Raptors about 3-1.

We can’t have that, can we?

Click. Write. Send.

-

I heard the pucks talks are back on starting Friday so you basketball people need to try this trick.

When Bettman and Fehr come out to talk, close your eyes and I swear you will hear David Stern and Billy Hunter.

Yawn.

-

 

 

 

Comments

[David]

That Happ dude? He's been on the IR for weeks. Like the rest of the pitchers.

Blogger's note: Right. Meant Laffey; can't keep 'em apart

[Peter]

Now Doug, you do realize that this is all your fault, right? Team Of Destiny? You had the opportunity to leave that as a one year name, and you told us that's all it was... until this year started. You stuck with the name, you jinxed the team. Simple as that. :)

Blogger's note: Reverse jinx

[Bo4]

Doug, when's th last time you had an Argos question?

Blogger's note: Think a couple after I wrote about 'em a week or so ago

[Michael Torres]

Doug, here are some other bad Blue Jays seasons:

2009: Started 27-14, but finished 75-85.
2004: Won only 67 and lost 95.
1994, 1995, 1996 and 1997: all sub .500 teams.

Which one of those would you consider 2nd worst in your opinion?

Blogger's note: Quick thought, probably 2009

[Eric-in-NS]

A's as a model, yes. Baltimore, no, at least not yet. The O's have given up more runs this year than they've scored. Hard to believe a team can sustain a winning record beyond one season with that stat.

[sam]

If there has been one feel good story this season for the JAYS it's been EE emerging as a solid power hitter. I listened top a lot of bad baseball early in my broadcast career plugging in the local commercials to the broadcasts at the radio station I worked at. (I still shudder when I hear the names Roy Lee Jackson and Joey Mclaughlin.) Back then - I had no expectations - This year I think we all had in our minds a competitive winning season.

[David in Oakville]

Good Morning Doug,

With respect to the 85 and 87 series I think the saying "it is better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all" applies. Sure those were devastating, heartbreaking endings.... but boy they were fun while they lasted and they provided validation that we were getting closer to finding the "one".

This season arrived with the hope of a teenager attending their first high school dance after getting their driver's license. Our father's car, cleaned and shiny awaits, with the hope of having more than one passenger by night's end. Freshly groomed and wearing our finest we proceed out the door anticipating the dances we have been promised by the girls we are sweet on. And then, on the way to the gym the car breaks down and there isn't a garage in sight. Arriving at the dance two hours late, wearing the dirt from the road and the sweat of having walked for miles, we find the girls with other partners and plans that don't include us.
That was this season!
Major disappointment and a feeling of "what the heck" just happened! Not even dad waiting at home with a Lifesaver is going to make this seem any better.

[Warren]

Doug, please stop trolling Jays fans.

[doug]

I hope AA has learned and tones down his media circuit before the beginning and at the start of next season...he over sold this team and far too many bought in, i never ever drank his kool-aid as I felt he had to get involved in the FA market last winter as teams are built to me in 3 ways, from within, trades and FA's AA has never engaged in the FA market and it has been costly....also another disappointment has been Lawrie yes he was hurt for a bit but he is not driving the ball, not even filling the gaps with line drives, with that bat speed, power etc he should be a much more effective power/line drive hitter...I think the move to leadoff has made him into a spray hitter a punch and judy type hitter as leadoff men are for the most part, he needs to go into a slot in the order that demands of him to hit with power...also this team from top to bottom (excluding EE) has such poor command of the strike zone, a bunch of free swingers, if I were a opposing pitcher I wouldn't throw them strikes as there is no need to...oh well interesting off-season is brewing or one has to be one hopes...cheers.

[Manny.Lee]

I'm with Warren, i heard sentiments like those in this blog post on the FAN 590 on friday and i couldn't disagree more strongly.

Doug, did you somehow completely miss the entire front office of the Blue Jays saying this was not a playoff year all offseason last year? This was the year where they let the "kids" play and see what pieces should be kept.

It is completely disingenuous to suggest that the Jays should have been challenging for the playoffs this year. And your post proves you have the memory of a goldfish.

How was 1994, not more disappointing? the allegedly still stacked roster had a losing record before the season was cut short.

Do legitimate Blue Jays fans a favour and keep your uninformed ranting reserved to other sports you apparently don't pay attention to.

Your post wouldn't look out of place on DrunkJaysFans.

Blogger's note: Another satisfied customer!!!!
A wee tip: You can make a valid point without, you know, resorting to childish name-calling. We're done; thanks, as always, for reading

[Tim H.]

Hey Doug:

I was just wondering if you get paid twice when the Star on-line uses part of your blog as an article, as they did today with your TOD portion? ;>)

[james]

With the benefit of hindsight, one large red flag was the Jays' astonishing spring training record.

[Matt]

Manny Lee nailed it. Doug, you are clearly out of your league covering baseball

Blogger's note: Yet you still read. I'm flattered. Not sure having an opinion is being "out of your league" and that it doesn't validate what you think probably shouldn't enter into it. But, again, thanks for reading such tripe

[Canadian George]

"They get paid how much again", to lose? If players (in all sports) were paid on a win-ratio basis many of their incomes would approach the 'reality level'.

[Bob Wesley]

Hey Doug,No video tribute to Andy Williams?Didn't you and Super Wife walz to Moon River back in the Day?

Blogger's note: Shockingly, we didn't; maybe more on him in the morning

[doug]

finally some real b-ball news, let the season begin;)..

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gameon/post/2012/09/25/brooklyn-nets-cheerleader-uniforms/70001148/1#.UGM8T65LGCk

[Garfield Hodgins]

One thing has been consistent since the fall of the jays glory days, look no further than the front office. They SUCK!!! Lets trade them all...

[doug]

I love how some people like @manny lee and @Matt are quick to dump on you and trash your opinion when they offer none of their own aside from the crap they speak...says it all about them ...just like with comedians the easiest humour to do is to cut someone up or disparage them .....same with comments like those above, what are their solutions and opinions??...obviously takes too much thought which they don't have to formulate one....cheers...

[DD]

The worst Blue Jay season was 1995. Coming off the two World Series wins and the strike that shut down the World Series, the Jays posted a pathetic 56-88 record (strike shortened). Interest in the Jays has never recovered.

[Brian]

@doug (not you, Doug, the other one) - I think you may be way off the mark here. AA and the front office in no way oversold the Jays this year, not a fluid ounce of Kool-aid for you to drink, or not to in your case, this was a year (as manny-lee so poorly and rudely stated) to check out the pieces.

While a lot of us wished that AA had gone after Darvish, or Fielder, or 'whoever' harder than he did we put it behind us, knew the Jays weren't playing to be a contender, and asked that they play a hard and exciting brand of ball. Until the injuries started piling up that's exactly what they did.

No Kool-aid, just fun ball.

Have to agree with most the rest of the post though. Tough to see good pitches when the entire ball park is your strike zone. You think that may be everyone trying to hard now, or just poor coaching? (oops another topic of contention).

[J]

1995 was the worst season for me, but that could be because I haven't really followed the Jays since halfway through JPR's reign. It was especially tough watching two of my favorite pitchers struggle (Hentgen and Guzman), and then the Alomar drama at the end of the season. To cap it all off, that was the last season Alomar spent as a Blue Jay (he was my favorite player at the time).

Just wondering, but is this where I add some unneeded cheap shots? I need pointers.