The Improbable Dream

[etaoin22]

Toronto Blue Jays version:

(I hate that I am posting about sports (carefully splet), when everyone else is loveably dissecting pop culture, but here goes)

At my last post about the Jays, management had dumped veterans Eckstein and Matt Stairs just before the end of August and playoff eligibility time. Eck had won a spot on the bench as third-string shortstop, so it was not surprising that he should depart for a team in need of an infield helping hand. Stairs was treated shamefully, for a Canadian-born player who may retire after this year, and who wanted to play with Toronto until then.

I half-expected a waiver dump of A J Burnett as well, for a AAA prospect or two. Didn't happen. So....

Since then, and improbably, the inherent quality of this year's Jays as manged by Cito Gaston has re-emerged to the point, now, of a winning streak of nine games, all against teams higher than them in the standings. Now 11 games over .500, and 17 games above .500 since their nadir, two games after Gaston took over. And, in that period, a couple of games better than Tampa Rays.

The NY Yankees have been passed; the Jays record is up there with the Central Div contenders, and no reason to assume they could not finish ahead of one of them.

Which means an outside, but real chance at the Wild Card. Impossible, not so long ago, now only improbable.

8 1/2 behind Boston with 19 to go, if my stats are right. (or close). All that is needed is continued good-to-excellent play and....

A collapse by the Sox or the Rays.

Or, one heck of a performance in the 7 games remaining between Jays and Sox.

Play Ball!

[Ritterskoop]

I will root for them for you.