The Big Red Report: “Rona-cation” Will impact Blue Jays Significantly One Way or Another

In a sport like baseball, the “game of life’, everything is very fluid. If your ace pitcher shuts the bathroom door on his throwing hand, your season can get derailed. However, in this instance, the Miami Marlins’ - um, let’s call it misfortune -  has now significantly impacted the Blue Jays’ season. As it has for 5 other ball clubs (Orioles, Yankees, Nationals, White Sox, and Cleveland) .

As a result of this, you have probably heard *insert radio/tv host here* interpret this turn of events as fuel being added to the forest fire that is Major League Baseball in the year 2020. It’s almost as if they WANT the sport to go down in flames. 

However, if you take a step back and view the sport for what it always has been, “the game of life”, you start to realize this whole situation may not be the disaster you and most others probably think it has become. 

In life, S*%$ happens. In baseball, S*%$ happens. Now all that’s left to be done for teams like the Toronto Blue Jays is to try and make the best out of this S8%tty situation. Make lemonade out of lemons, to be ultra-corny. 

Imagine the Jays are on the highway, en route to the MLB postseason, when they stumble upon a 5 team pile-up. From that point on, they have 2(two) options:  Wait in traffic and most certainly miss the playoffs, OR, get off at the nearest exit, take a bathroom break, get some grub, and fuel up for what they hope is a long voyage to the World Series. 

Or at least the 8 seed and a date with the Yankees. 

Either works!

But how do they do that, Mr. Red?

With a 4 day lay-off ahead of the team, which can seem like an eternity in a sport like baseball, initially you would figure the team would want to get as much work in on the field as possible to stay sharp. Especially in a shortened season where you aren’t worried about fatigue setting in. This year (newsflash) you may not have the resources available to do such things.  

So what the hell do they do then, Mister Big? (copyright infringement??) 

It has been a tough 7 game stretch to start the season for the team, falling in extras twice and losing their starting center fielder, their lights out closer and for a brief time their prized young shortstop as well. With all this adversity though, the team has at times looked like a legit contender. With guys like Teoscar Hernandez and Rowdy Tellez beginning to flourish, a nice mix of young arms and steady vets in the rotation/pen, the front office and fanbase have plentiful reasons to be optimistic. 

I say Charlie and the gang should treat these 4 days as if they were a football team. Lock everyone in a (spacious) dark room and play the first 7 games on loop. 

How can we cut down the strikeouts?

How can we improve our positioning and communication in the field? 

In my opinion, asking questions like this, and brainstorming as a collective unit could be the most effective way for the Jays to spend this unexpected “rona-cation” 

In conclusion...

A long-weekend for a baseball team just a week into the season can be seen as a curse.

And it can be...

Unless you treat it like a gift. A time of reflection you wouldn’t have otherwise had that will allow your players to dive back into action on Tuesday head first with a confident and clear plan of attack in every aspect of the game.

Much like in life, it’s all in the eyes of the beholder.