Blue Jay Way

Screen grab credit: TSN

The MLB postseason is one of my favorite times of the year. This time around, I was glued to the showdown between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Minnesota Twins in the American League East Wild Card Series. This is the third time in four years that the Jays have made the WCS. Each time the Jays were swept by the opposing team. In Game 2 of this WCS, the Blue Birds pitcher, José Berrios, was tossing a great game with no runs given up against his former team, the Twins. Then he was yanked for no apparent reason and departed the mound with little visible emotion. Why take him out? The Jays ended up losing the game, 0-2, and the series. Déjà vu.

Screen grab credit: TSN

They say numbers don’t lie but what about the intangible qualities of players? Moneyball-type performance analytics deep dive into statistics for players’ strengths and weaknesses. But can you rely solely on mathematical models designed for a 162-game season when the pressure is on, and it is do-or-die? Computer models can’t measure courage, emotion, gut checks, or a person’s character. A manager’s instinct, intuition and experience still matter when it’s crunch time.

Credit: Blue Jays Today

The postgame controversy got me thinking. Sure, José Berrios should have stayed in. He was pitching very well, and no runs scored against him. Why pull a pitcher who is clearly dealing bullets against his former team and who knows their strengths and weaknesses? What was the psychological impact on the Blue Jays players...likely bewilderment and surprise which no doubt impacted their focus. Pulling Berrios also might have emboldened the Twins because they know how skilled and competitive he is. How do you measure that?

Out of the blue, I had a random thought: what would Bob Ross think of this situation? The frustration from fans and commentators is understandable. Blue Jays management and supporters want to see the team advance and win, right? But then it hit me: some perspective. Do I see this WCS as a glass half-full or half-empty? Am I an optimist or a pessimist? In this case, I was neither. I channeled my inner Bob Ross and thought of his “happy little accidents” that happen while painting. For him, the process of creating art was just as important as the outcome. He encouraged his viewers to find joy in the creative process and derive happiness from the entire experience rather than only the outcome.

I’m not a philosopher, and baseball is just a game. I decided to filter my reaction not by the Blue Jays’ loss in the WCS, but by how much I have enjoyed the baseball season so far in 2023. I saw four very good Japanese pro baseball games this year at ballparks with friends, family and co-workers in Saitama, Hiroshima, and Yokohama. I viewed a few Jays games on MLB.TV. I am happy.

Photo credit: The Japan Times

What’s more, the Hiroshima Carp are still in the playoffs.
For the Jays, there’s always a new season to look forward to.
In this moment in time that’s enough for me.

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