It's Opening Day in Toronto. All of which is to say that as of around 7 p.m., when 125-million-dollars-worth of terrific talent takes the field for the home side at the Rogers Centre, and knuckleballer R.A. Dickey lets fly (or lets float) that first pitch -- we will be finally able to utter those three beautiful words: Baseball Is Back.
The Toronto Blue Jays pulled off a historic 12-player deal with the Florida Marlins. As last evening wore on, the hype and hoopla on Sports Talk Radio in The Big Smoke was ratcheted. Ah, but Toronto being Toronto, all that giddiness, all that love, all that manic mirth was short-lived. By the time I turned on Sports Talk Radio this morning at 6 a.m., confidence in the trade had turned to caution.
I think the Seattle Sounders -- the super successful soccer club -- is on to something. The Sounders have decided to not only listen to their fans, but to take it one step farther and allow their faithful flock to decide the fate of the club's General Manager, Adrian Hanauer, via a vote. I know what you're thinking: how on Earth did they conjure up this cockamamie scheme?
Earlier I was called out for using the words "retarded" and "handicapped" in a couple of tweets which referenced Yunel Escobar, the Blue Jays shortstop in hot water for writing the words "Tu ere maricon" ("You are a faggot") in his black eye. I offended someone. I apologized, and after an honest, open, and level- headed conversation concluded that I should be more conscientious. I wasn't foolish enough to write the words across my face, but still, for what I did in the first place, I suppose I'm pretty stupid as well.
Imagine walking into your workplace tomorrow morning, grabbing a marker from the supply closet, walking into the boardroom and writing the words "You are a Faggot" on the company white board. How do you think the boss would react? The Blue Jays shortstop Yunel Escoba wrote those words in his black eye and received a three-game suspension. Three games? For offending every homosexual watching at home? For telling every athlete out there that even in 2012 you shouldn't feel comfortable coming out of the closet? The Jays should be ashamed of themselves.
This is a good team with considerable potential that is not being tapped. The management is arguably the best in baseball, the players excel at every position, and they are exciting to watch -- but frustrating. What's puzzling to us fans is when the Jays are three or four games above .500 they go into a dive and lose three or four. Their comfort zone is .500. Maybe they'll come alive July. If not, another .500 season beckons -- if they're lucky.
The only awkward aspect of the Roberto Alomar ceremony was watching the Jays of lore in the original uniforms with the familiar lettering and logo... and then to look at the team currently on the field in its metallic and unfamiliar New Coke uniforms. I seethed. You seethed. Bring back the old logo.