Going, Going, Gone…Out of the AL East Race?

Written by: Kirk Verner on 9th July 2010

Going, Going, Gone...Out of the AL East Race? | read this item

If consistency is the crutch of any winning baseball team, the Toronto Blue Jays must be limping around on an antique set of faded, wooden crutches; they would have been better off spending the few extra bucks to get a pair of light-weight, shiny, aluminum ones. But, consistency, or lack thereof, has put the Jays in the position they currently sit, fourth in the American League East and 11.5 games back of the juggernaut Yankees. The Blue Jays have slowly transformed into what most expected, a .500 team with glimmers of excellence, but also hints of horrendousness.

With a three-game set still remaining against the Boston Red Sox before the All-Star Game in Anaheim, California, the Blue Jays can at best head into the Summer Classic three games above .500; a forgettable record for disappointed Jays’ fans who bet the farm a little too early after the Jays hurled themselves out of the gate like a captured weasel escaping a live-trap. The AL East has been, and will likely remain for some time, a division for winners and a division where losers must ice their lumps after being treated like a piñata for the 162-game carnival. Winners win and losers, well…lose.

It would truly be unfair to count the Jays out of any race this early in July, but the blue birds will be facing strong frontal winds if they want to tear into the second half of the season like a tattered bandage coming off of Teen Wolf’s arm. It is the time of year when potential playoff teams bolster talent for October runs as the league’s cellar dwellers will only be holstering young, up-and-coming talent; it is tough to dream of the future when the present is so haunted.

But, there is an upside. The blue crew is sending three men to Anaheim to participate in the All-Star Game. Vernon Wells, John Buck, and Jose “The Beast” Bautista will all be donning American League colors for their excelled play on the field so far this season. “The Beast” continues to lead the majors in home runs currently with 23; one of those was an inside-the-park variety that nearly sent Bautista gasping to an oxygen booth. Vernon Wells has come into his own over the first half and is among league leaders with 45 extra-base hits. John Buck has really been a pleasant surprise this season after coming over from Kansas City. Buck is currently tied for the most RBI at the catcher position with 40, and is also amongst the leaders of most offensive categories with regards to players who spend most of their time squatting.

For the three, they will be representing more than simply the Toronto Blue Jays baseball organization. They will also be representing Canada as a whole. So, go prove the power of the Maple Leaf boys!

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Topics: all star game, Anaheim California, Baseball Team, Blue Birds, Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox, Cellar Dwellers, Crutch, Crutches, Glimmers, John Buck, Juggernaut, Live Trap, Lumps, Playoff Teams, Shiny Aluminum, Teen Wolf, Three Games, Toronto Blue Jays, Vernon Wells