Pre-game ramble

Just a few quick thoughts before the pitching showdown of the season so far gets underway tonight...

- It's nice to see Al Leiter back around the Dome, even if he's here broadcasting for the Yankees. Odd fact...he was traded for Burnett (apparently.)

- King Carlos is only 27 homeruns away from 500. With his hip acting up this season, who knows how many chances he's going to get at the plate. I'm pretty sure there's not a player I will want to root for more to reach that # than him, even if he won't be doing in any where near Toronto.

- Isn't it nice to not have to depend on one player to carry the offence, or even the rotation anymore? As much as I loved King Carlos growing up, I'm not sad to see that era go.

And, if you'll excuse me as I step up onto my soap box quickly...

Jays fans aren't stupid. We know it's still only a month and a half in to the season. We realise that the Jays' schedule to this point might not have been the hardest. But who cares? When was the last time that any of the big teams in TO were this much fun to watch?

I get a little scared to wonder sometimes just what it will take for people to think the Jays are the real thing. Making it to the playoffs? Making it to the Series? Winning the whole thing? Because I'm sure even if they did win the whole caboodle, there would be sports fans in the Toronto area that would try to downplay it and equate it to a fluke. I'm sad for those people and I don't know if I can call them sports fans, not really.

In these hard economic times (and even in good ones) I understand wanting to get bang for your buck if you make the trek to see your team play. That's fine and good. So why are the Jays still only averaging in the mid-20,000 in attendance? WAKE UP Toronto fans! If you keep sitting on your asses for the Jays (or any team in Toronto) to prove themselves the real deal to you, you'll miss everything worth watching. And what happens if it does end? You'll say you knew it would and you'll be glad you didn't make the effort to go out and see the Jays play. You'll gloat that the team did exactly as you said they would. Not because you were right, just because you were too lazy to care. (Excuse my sarcasm, but thank you Leafs. Your years of cuplessness have taught those who bleed you how not to give a crap. Congrats. What an accomplishment.)

For those of us who make the effort to be there to enjoy the Jays play, we'll be sad to see this ride end, if it does. Do I think playing the Yanks, Sox and Rays could be very telling if the Jays can keep this up? Yes. Am I optimistic and believe they will play well? Absolutely! Will I be sad if things start going not so well at any point this season? Of course I will, I bleed Jays turquoisy-blue. But if it comes to an end...what a ride it will have been. No true Jays fan or baseball fan for that matter could ever regret watching the emergence of Adam Lind, the glimpse of the Travis Snider's bright future, Doc's yearly awesomeness, Aaron Hill's return and hitting sickness at the plate, and all the other amazing things that have happened so far this season other than the Jays win-loss record.

I'm hangin' my Jays hat on hope this season. Hope that they can keep this up; hope that I'll see my team get the attention it deserves; hope that sports fans around Toronto will actually start to care again before it's too late; hope that by the end of the season I might not be the only die-hard Jays fan I know. Sure, hope might not be the sturdiest hat hook, but I'll take my chances. And if my hat should fall, I'm more than willing to pick it up, dust it off and hang it right back up again.

Enjoy the game ladies and gents. It will be a good one.
JaysGirl5

P.S. GO DOC!

P.P.S. Wouldn't it be awesome if the Jays still had the chilli races, and if tomorrow night AJ ran it in? Yeah I thought so, too.

P.P.P.S. I love my job.