Jays off to a quick start - but has Toronto noticed?
Jul 28, 2018 11:23:23 GMT -5
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Post by dougiejays on Jul 28, 2018 11:23:23 GMT -5
The Toronto Blue Jays may be off to the best start in their brief history, but are the fans on board?
When staff ace Bob Reynolds walked off the field in the top of the ninth inning of yesterday afternoon’s one-run game against the Minnesota Twins, only a smattering of applause could be heard. Reynolds was an out away from completing a gem, having surrendered just a single third-inning hit, but after a two-out walk to Gary Matthews he gave way to closer Frank Dipino. Fans of a more popular team might have met such an outing with a rousing ovation, but the crowd at Exhibition Stadium seemed mostly bored by the proceedings – perhaps lending credence to the oft-repeated truism that Toronto will never be a baseball town.
After Dipino quickly disposed of Minnesota superstar Mas Kafeku, Reynolds had his third win of the season – Toronto’s fifth victory in as many starts by the right-hander this season. The brilliant outing pushed Reynolds’ American League-leading ERA to a miniscule 1.38, but it wasn’t his numbers he wanted to talk about after the game.
“Yeah, I pitched well. In general, I feel like we’ve all been playing great,” he said, before delivering his message for Toronto. “I just hope that the city can get into what we’re building over here. I want to see this place filled to the rafters at some point.”
It was an uncharacteristic call-out from the star pitcher the Jays swooped in to acquire from San Francisco after extension talks broke down between the two sides last season, but if there’s anyone qualified to deliver it, it’s the five-time All-Star.
“Attendance is a real concern,” inaugural GM Skip Peters admitted in the wake of Reynolds’ comments. “When I came over here from Atlanta, we viewed this city as a mid-major market, but we’ve been quite disappointed with the turnout over the past few seasons. At the same time, we understand that we have yet to put a true contender on the field. We hope that this is the year that changes.”
Despite a 16-5 record that ranks them second in the majors, less than 30,000 fans showed up to Sunday's contest between two potential wild-card contenders. To this point, Toronto ranks 13th in the league – right in the middle of the pack – in total attendance, though those numbers are cloudy because not all teams have played the same number of home games. Compared to last year, average game attendance has seen a slight uptick, but this early in the year much of that noise is attributable to an Opening Day sellout.
The Jays hope their hot start can lead to playoff glory, but it’s worth remembering that last season’s version of the team got off to a dreadful start before turning it around and finishing with the first winning team in franchise history. It’s always risky to put too much stock in April returns, especially considering that 11 of Toronto wins have come against the perceived weak sisters in the AL East – Baltimore, Boston and Cleveland. But Peters maintains that this is the best roster he’s put forward in his six years at the helm.
“We believe in this group,” he said. “But if the fans don’t share that belief, then we may have to face some harsh financial realities when it comes to keeping this team together over the long term.”
When staff ace Bob Reynolds walked off the field in the top of the ninth inning of yesterday afternoon’s one-run game against the Minnesota Twins, only a smattering of applause could be heard. Reynolds was an out away from completing a gem, having surrendered just a single third-inning hit, but after a two-out walk to Gary Matthews he gave way to closer Frank Dipino. Fans of a more popular team might have met such an outing with a rousing ovation, but the crowd at Exhibition Stadium seemed mostly bored by the proceedings – perhaps lending credence to the oft-repeated truism that Toronto will never be a baseball town.
After Dipino quickly disposed of Minnesota superstar Mas Kafeku, Reynolds had his third win of the season – Toronto’s fifth victory in as many starts by the right-hander this season. The brilliant outing pushed Reynolds’ American League-leading ERA to a miniscule 1.38, but it wasn’t his numbers he wanted to talk about after the game.
“Yeah, I pitched well. In general, I feel like we’ve all been playing great,” he said, before delivering his message for Toronto. “I just hope that the city can get into what we’re building over here. I want to see this place filled to the rafters at some point.”
It was an uncharacteristic call-out from the star pitcher the Jays swooped in to acquire from San Francisco after extension talks broke down between the two sides last season, but if there’s anyone qualified to deliver it, it’s the five-time All-Star.
“Attendance is a real concern,” inaugural GM Skip Peters admitted in the wake of Reynolds’ comments. “When I came over here from Atlanta, we viewed this city as a mid-major market, but we’ve been quite disappointed with the turnout over the past few seasons. At the same time, we understand that we have yet to put a true contender on the field. We hope that this is the year that changes.”
Despite a 16-5 record that ranks them second in the majors, less than 30,000 fans showed up to Sunday's contest between two potential wild-card contenders. To this point, Toronto ranks 13th in the league – right in the middle of the pack – in total attendance, though those numbers are cloudy because not all teams have played the same number of home games. Compared to last year, average game attendance has seen a slight uptick, but this early in the year much of that noise is attributable to an Opening Day sellout.
The Jays hope their hot start can lead to playoff glory, but it’s worth remembering that last season’s version of the team got off to a dreadful start before turning it around and finishing with the first winning team in franchise history. It’s always risky to put too much stock in April returns, especially considering that 11 of Toronto wins have come against the perceived weak sisters in the AL East – Baltimore, Boston and Cleveland. But Peters maintains that this is the best roster he’s put forward in his six years at the helm.
“We believe in this group,” he said. “But if the fans don’t share that belief, then we may have to face some harsh financial realities when it comes to keeping this team together over the long term.”
