Alexander Colle | Sports Editor
Featured Image: The 2017 Jays have failed to improve on almost every major offensive and pitching stat when compared to 2015 & 2016. Can they bounce back in 2018? | Courtesy of Keith Allison via Flickr
I’m sitting in Shopsy’s on a Saturday night at York. There’s a decent crowd in the restaurant, and almost nobody came alone to sit at the bar and enjoy the Blue Jays game displayed on the many flat-screen televisions. In fact, no one’s paying attention to the televisions at all. This lack of attention might be because of the focus they are putting on their food, or on their friends across from them. Although both of these can reasonably explain the lack of care towards the game being displayed around them, there’s something different about this lack of attention.
This is a common theme on my visits to the bars on campus. Whether I’m at the Underground, The Absinthe Pub, or Shopsy’s, people seem to tune out the televisions altogether, with the exception of a half-hearted glance every now and then.
Looking back to the past two years, there is a noticeable difference in enthusiasm towards the Jays. The 2015 and 2016 seasons saw the first real playoff runs the team has had in over 20 years. York students flocked to these games in September, hoping to catch a win by a completely revitalized team. The suspense as to whether Toronto’s team would actually make the playoffs or not was an absolute must-see on campus. Crowds reached their capacity for some games, as lineups would start forming outside of the restaurants just to watch. October saw even bigger crowds, the playoffs creating an enthralling experience not been seen by most York students in their lifetimes. Students would yell at the screen in response to a bad call, cheer when the Jays hit a home run, and leave the bar a little happier than when they entered.
Now, the Blue Jays’ season has seen a very different route. They sit last in their division, nine games back of the nearest Wild Card spot. Compared to the last two seasons, they have seen fewer runs scored per game, fewer home runs, a lower batting average, higher earned runs allowed, and more disgruntled fans on social media.
Reflecting on the perceived apathy in York’s many bars, one can look to the hot mess that is the 2017 Toronto Blue Jays as the answer—although I’m sure the food is a reasonable distraction as well.
Going into the nationwide numbers, this lack of attention can be seen all across the country. From April to July of last year, Toronto’s team had averaged approximately 895,400 viewers, according to Sportsnet. This year, the national viewership average has dropped to a number of around 706,300 during the same time period—a decline of over 21 per cent.
Going into the stadium, we have seen a similar decrease in attendance. Last year’s team saw an average of 41,880 fans flock to the Rogers Centre throughout the entire regular season, one that was good for third in the entire league. This year, the team has seen a drop of over 16 per cent—about 39,456 attendants. This number also includes the mountains of fans that flocked together in the first month when they believed the Jays were still a promising team capable of making it to the playoffs.
One cannot fault fans for losing interest in a struggling team; if a team is not producing a quality product day in and day out, fans have valid reason not to cheer.
However—as the season winds down and the Jays play their final few meaningless games—it’s paramount to not lose hope when it comes to the 2018 campaign. There’s plenty to look forward to in a season that isn’t likely to be as bad as 2017.
For pitching: The resurgence of the Blue Jays pitching staff is inevitable when looking to the 2018 season. Injuries have plagued the Jays pitchers with an almost laughable amount of Man Games Lost, is a statistic that tracks the total amount of games lost by each individual injured played. Aaron Sanchez had been sidelined throughout most of the season with a blister on his throwing hand; J.A. Happ missed over a month due to an elbow injury; and Marco Estrada has almost certainly pitched with a bad back, which has plagued him since the 2016 season. Countless relievers have come in and out of the revolving door that is the Disabled List. Considering all of these factors, the team’s staff will be sure to put more of a focus on player health going into the next season.
Looking at the rookies: Move over, Jose Bautista. One of the small bright spots in the late 2017 season has been the impressive play of rookies Teoscar Hernández and Richard Ureña. These young guns, as well as the imminent addition of powerful prospects like Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., should add some much needed youth and energy to a team that is third-last in the league in average player age, at 29.7 years.
Finally, the Bringer of Rain: In a dark and gloomy season filled with injuries and disappointing play, fans seem to forget that the 2015 MVP still remains on this team. Yes, that’s right—we still have Josh Donaldson. He’s been tearing it up over the last two months, hitting 19 home runs and averaging .262—there’s no reason why he couldn’t continue this onto next season during a contract year.
In all: don’t lose faith when it comes to the Jays. There’s nothing more damaging to a team than when they start to lose fans on television and in the stands—fewer fans equals less money. In the MLB, less money means a lesser product.
With that, I hope to see you at the game next year. Whether it be at the Rogers Centre or at Shopsy’s, the Jays will be putting on a much better show than they did this year.
