MLB 2011, Part II: My Teams

I'll start with how my Chicago Cubs did this season. They were a mess.

Moving on ...

This year's number was 85. When spring training wound down, I thought that the Blue Jays would win 85 games this season, even though many baseball analysts had them finishing dead last in the AL East. At times, the season looked bleak, but in the end, 85 was a pretty good guess.

The big question mark this season was pitching, specifically the bullpen. With many of the Blue Jays mainstays opting for free agency, they were forced to bring in a number of veterans who had enjoyed various levels of success over the course of their careers along with a few young arms. It was intriguing following the team through spring training to see who would end up where in the bullpen, but as opening night drew near we weren't really sure. Today, now that the season is over, we're still not sure.

I didn't get to see a lot of the games, but I checked in on the team almost every day and even though there were sources of constant frustration with this team, I was impressed with what I saw. The Jays were playing a style that I enjoyed built on defence, pitching, and small ball. It didn't always work, but when it did, it was fun to watch.

Alex Anthopoulos continued in his quest to build the team, pulling the trigger on a deal that brought in Colby Rasmus from the Cardinals. Whether that deal pays off remains to be seen, but watching that deal unfold was .. refreshing. It's been a long time since the Jays made a move like that during the course of the season, and much like when the Maple Leafs acquired Dion Phaneuf a few years ago, it injected some buzz around a team that looked well on its way to finishing .500 and out of the playoffs.

There were three stories that really stuck with me over the course of the season, one very obvious, and two that I think flew a bit under the radar.

I'll start with the obvious, Brett Lawrie. While I was wary of jumping on the bandwagon when Lawrie first came up to the majors, I can't deny that this kid from BC is going to be one hell of a ball player. The raw talent is something we Jays fans haven't seen in a while. The hustle, reckless abandon, speed, power .. he has a lot of potential. If that's not enough, he's got a flair for the dramatic as well. The walk-off homer he hit in his first few weeks and the clutch grand slam he hit shortly thereafter show that he isn't afraid of being in the spotlight. It's a good thing, because he will be standing in it for many years to come.

Casey Janssen has always been one of my favourites since he came up back in 2006. Something about the high socks, the way he pitched, and the number on his back. He is my kind of pitcher. Janssen very quietly became one of the most reliable middle relievers in the American League this season. In a bullpen that blew countless saves, Janssen was the guy to go to in the 7th or 8th inning of a tight ball game. It seemed every time John Farrell gave him the ball, he got the job done, especially during a 16 2/3 inning scoreless streak during the month of August. It was much like 2007 when Janssen was the setup man and it seemed if the Blue Jays managed to have a lead going into the 8th inning, the game was over. Atta boy Casey.

By the way, does anyone know what happened to Jeremy Accardo?

Finally, the return of Dustin McGowan to a major league mound was a story that you couldn't help but feel good about, love or hate the Blue Jays. A string of injuries kept McGowan from pitching in the big leagues for over three years. It was nothing short of miraculous when he made his first big league appearance in September out of the bullpen, and started a few days later. It still remains to be seen if he will return to his 2007 form that saw him win 12 games, but the very fact that he is in the majors again is a great story. Here's hoping he is able to stick around for a while.

I'm very curious to see what the Jays will do in the off-season, because we all know something will happen. I sense that a window is opening in the AL East with the Red Sox in a bit of a re-tool mode and the Yankees core getting older and older. Sometime in the next few years, the Jays are gonna have a shot at the post-season. And I think AA is way to smart to miss it.

-matt