FRIDAY COMMENTARY – OKAY BLUE JAYS

(Listen daily for the Rod Pedersen Commentary on Cat Country 98 FM & Rock 98.5 FM)

WE DEFINITELY DON’T TALK ENOUGH BASEBALL ON THIS COMMENTARY.

BUT THERE’S NO TIME LIKE THE PRESENT.

THE TORONTO BLUE JAYS KICK OFF THE SECOND HALF OF THEIR SEASON TONIGHT AGAINST THE TEXAS RANGERS AT THE JAYS’ TEMPORARY HOME IN BUFFALO.

THIS WEEK’S PAUSE FOR THE MLB ALL STAR GAME PROVIDED PLENTY OF TIME FOR REFLECTION AND ANALYSIS OF THE JAYS’ FIRST HALF.

IT’S A GOOD NEWS/BAD NEWS SORT OF DEAL. THE GOOD NEWS IS THE JAYS ARE CONSIDERED “CONTENDERS” AND WE ALL KNOW THEY’RE COMING OFF A PLAYOFF APPEARANCE LAST SEASON. (THEY WERE SWEPT BY THE EVENTUAL A-L CHAMPION RAYS IN ROUND 1)

SOME PUNDITS THINK THE JAYS WILL HAVE TO WIN 45 GAMES THE REST OF THE WAY TO WIN THE DIVISION OR AT THE VERY LEAST, CLAIM A WILD CARD SPOT.

THE BAD NEWS IS THEY REMAIN IN THE TOUGHEST DIVISION IN THE MAJORS, THE A-L EAST, AND THEY’RE EIGHT GAMES OUT OF FIRST AS WE SIT HERE TODAY.

THEY’RE A FULL 10 WINS BEHIND THE DIVISION-LEADING BOSTON RED SOX AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE STANDINGS, THE JAYS ARE IN FOURTH LOOKING UP AT THE YANKEES, RAYS AND SOX.

BUT IT IS TIME TO PAY ATTENTION IF YOU’RE NOT. JAYS GM ROSS ATKINS HAS SHOWN THE COURAGE TO PULL THE TRIGGER ON DEALS TO HELP HIS CLUB IN A STRETCH DRIVE, AND HE’S ALREADY MADE A FEW THIS SUMMER.

THE JAYS HAVE HAD A PRETTY SOLID RUN HERE DATING BACK TO 2015 WHEN THEY PUT THE FIRST OF TWO DIVISION PENNANTS UP IN THE ROGERS CENTRE.

DON’T WE ALL REMEMBER THE YEARS WHEN THE JAYS WERE 20-25 GAMES OUT WHEN THEY CAME BACK FROM THE ALL STAR BREAK? THE MIND HAS A WAY OF BLOCKING PAINFUL MEMORIES BUT I HAVEN’T FORGOTTEN THIS TEAM BEING A DOORMAT FOR 20 YEARS AFTER THE MAGICAL WORLD SERIES RUNS.

ON TOP OF IT ALL, THE JAYS REMAIN AN EXCITING TEAM TO WATCH. THEY HAD THREE PLAYERS IN THE STARTING NINE OF THE ALL STAR GAME TUESDAY NIGHT WITH VLADY LEADING THE WAY!

OKAY BLUE JAYS, LET’S PLAY BALL. IT’S TIME FOR ALL OF CANADA TO PAY ATTENTION.

THAT’S TODAY’S ROD PEDERSEN COMMENTARY

(Photo: Toronto Blue Jays)