10 Reasons to Put Life on Hold for the Jays

The Go Train doors slide open at the Exhibition stop. Nobody gets on and nobody gets off. A few leaves blow by on the platform, enjoying their temporary freedom. If the two weeks of the CNE marks the end of summer, then surely the windy, vacated Exhibition Go station - crowded and hot just 6 weeks ago - signals the inevitably of fall, and then winter.

For the last two decades, at this time of year, the fall has been the time for Toronto sports fans to turn their attention to hockey and basketball - as painful as that's been for the last two decades. And it's been the time when the non-sports-fans and the non-baseball-fans and the non-Jays-fans have continued to ignore what they've always ignored.

But this year, baseball - the sport of summer - will continue to command attention in this city, for at least another weekend.

Toronto is electric. Jays fans are coming out of the woodwork. And new 'interested-parties' (I won't call them fans, yet) are somewhat reluctantly, or in some cases whole-heartedly, turning their attention to the team.

For those who - like me - live and die with every success and every failure of this team, you already love them as much as I do. But read on if you want to check if we're in sync on the why. For those who find themselves in the uncomfortable position of needing to appear like you're a real fan, read-on to gain some talking points that you can co-opt for your own purposes. And - for those of you who are still stubbornly insisting on not caring - hear me out. Maybe it's time for you to join the rest of the city - and the country - in a love-in that has the potential to give you something you'll remember for a long time.

So, without any further preamble, here are my own personal reasons to put life on hold for the Jays:

1. Baseball is a very relatable sport. (When I say 'sport', I don't mean darts or golf. Sorry.) There are short players and tall players and skinny players and fat players and speedy players and slow players and smart players and not-so-smart players. They aren't hidden behind masks and layers of equipment. They wear stockings, a dumb little hat (which they replace with a dumb hard hat when they bat), and a little glove to prevent blisters when they bat. You could have been a professional baseball player. I could have been a professional baseball player.
2. Baseball is a thinking person's sport. To the casual observer, it may (and does) seem slow. But at every moment in the game there is a showdown between two people...both of whom really, really, really want to succeed. They are trying to out think and outguess each other. They are trying to overpower each other. At any moment either can be a hero or a goat. No lead is ever too big. There isn't a clock that runs out. Just match-up after match-up after match-up - chess played with bats over and over throughout the game. (And, if you're good with a remote, you can watch an entire program on the PVR while watching a baseball game at the same time and not miss a thing on either side).
3. This year's Jays are a team. They went from being a bunch of individuals over the last few years to suddenly and remarkably emerging as a team. If you study team dynamics at work, you can learn a lot from the transition the Jays have gone through. Egos have been checked. Players care about each other. Players support each other. They behave like children. They smile. They laugh. They pick each other up when bad stuff happens. A few individuals joined the Jays this year and seem to have led the transition to a new frame of mind. Not by accident mind you, but through a careful selection process by senior management - chasing great players who are also great people. It seems to have worked, and isn't that good to know?
4. This year's team is a Cinderella story. How can a team be World Series favourites and a Cinderella story, you may ask. Halfway through the season, the team's record was as mediocre as mediocre can be (is it possible to be extremely mediocre?) Then some good stuff happened, some great new pieces were added, and from out of nowhere a comeback worthy of Cinderella was fully underway. The Jays - the downtrodden perennially mediocre team - were suddenly chasing down The Damn Yankees, then overtaking them, then leaving them in their dust.
5. The Jays have it all. They have the best offense in baseball. They have top-5 defenders at almost every single position. They have some of the top pitchers in the league. They've got old grizzled veterans trying to end their careers with a bang. They've got players younger than one or two of my daughters who are trying to start their careers with a bang. 
6. The Jays have Marcus Stroman. He's young. He's a starting pitcher. He's a phenom. He's an underdog - too short to be a professional pitcher. Injured for the season before the season started. He's an optimist. He took the injury in stride and overcame it. And used his rehab time to finish a degree. And if that's not enough, he seems to be the happiest person you'll ever see in your life, with a smile that is infectious. I met Pinball Clemons once in a business meeting. I came away shaking my head about being in the presence of a person who seemed to really understand life and exude pure joy. Marcus Stroman seems to be made of the same stuff. And even if that's not true, why not believe that of him for now?
7. The Jays have Josh Donaldson and Russell Martin and Troy Tulowitzki and Bautista and Encarnacion and, and, and... Top to bottom their players are formidable offensively, great defensively, and yet able to subjugate their own individual games for the overall good of the team. Taking walks when that's the right thing to do. Passing the torch from player to player in the batting order. Tipping each other off on what they learned from their failures in a given at-bat. Sacrificing their own safety to try for an out that will bail out a pitcher. A team of stars and still a team. A team that wears down other teams with a staggering number of clutch performers who could each individually win any given game with a swing of the bat or a defensive gem. There is no weak link in this chain.
8. The Jays Manager is John Gibbons. Talk about the underdog, the downtrodden, the scapegoat, the disrespected... John Gibbons is all of that. Many, MANY people thought/think he's unfit to manage a Major League Team, there because of his friendship with the GM, doing nothing to contribute to wins, and being the reason - every time - for losses. And yet, here he is. Seeming to have a bunch of star players playing as a team, earning their respect, treating them with respect, and getting the most out of everyone. If for no other reason than John Gibbons, you should be cheering for this team's success. Gibbons is an 'every man' who speaks like a character from 'King of the Hill', and is suddenly in the middle of an amazing story.  
9. The Jays defense is absolutely beautiful to watch. If nothing else gets you watching, pay attention to this team's defense. Ballet, gymnastics, athleticism, determination, and sheer grace. In any game you might see a defensive feat that appears superhuman. If you don't believe me, watch the highlight reels from throughout the season. Great offense is exciting. Great defense is beautiful.
10. The Jays have already won. For those of us who have been watching from the start, and over the last few years, all we wanted this year was 'meaningful baseball in September'. We got that and more. The rest is absolute gravy. Even if it's only 3 more games against an equally great team and story (the Texas Rangers) - there's no chance that we can look back at this season and deem it a failure.  AND, the Jays have already beaten out the Yankees and Red Sox and Orioles and Rays. And really, isn't that what matters most?

Looking forward to the upcoming weekend.