.@bluejays messed up firing #CharlieMontoyo. Nothing against #JohnSchneider, the new interim manager. Should learn from @NHL teams too easy on the trigger. Montoyo had amazing rapport and connection. #nothisfault @MLB https://t.co/JHo2lLJa4C
— Chad Rubel (@canadian_xing) July 13, 2022
The Toronto Blue Jays fired Charlie Montoyo with a 46-42 record, a mark that would have earned a playoff spot had the season ended at that point. John Schneider is now in charge on an interim basis for the rest of the season.
The team has gone 4-1 since the move, all of those games at home. Too early to tell.
The Blue Jays played significantly better baseball once back at Rogers Centre in 2021. Many think the team's best baseball is yet to come. Having Hyun Jin Ryu out for the year with elbow surgery has not helped.
Pitching, starting and relieving, needs to be more steady. The offence is not offensive enough so far.
All Blue Jays players making their Opening Day roster are vaccinated, which may give them a real home field advantage. Unvaccinated players by current law r unable to travel to Canada to play immediately. Though vaccination rates r up, many players on other teams remain unvaxxed.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) April 5, 2022
We've seen teams "rest" a few players on the trip to Canada. Some players didn't make the first trip but did make a subsequent trip to Toronto. Teams outside the American League East Division would only make a single trip in 2022. Only a few National League teams are in Toronto, including Joey Votto and the Cincinnati Reds, in 2022.
The New York Yankees have taken a commanding lead. Boston, Tampa Bay, and Toronto are fighting for those wild card spots. Toronto has had so many disadvantages that a break or 2 feels fair. Besides, all the players need to do is get vaccinated.
Any player the Blue Jays would acquire at the trade deadline will have to be vaccinated, something that isn't necessarily true for any other MLB team.
This breakdown shows there isn't really an advantage for the Blue Jays.
The Toronto Blue Jays had 6 players represented at the 2022 All-Star Game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. George Springer was selected but injured. Starters Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Alejandro Kirk each went 0-for 2.
Pitcher Alek Manoah struck out 3 batters and hit another batter in a memorable 2nd inning. Santiago Espinal came in the game in the 4th inning, grounding out once and then taking a walk. Jordan Romano didn't get into the All-Star Game.
Manoah got to pitch to Kirk, as he requested. Very cool. Fox Sports put a microphone on Manoah.
Mic'd up for his first appearance in the All-Star Game, Alek Manoah didn't disappoint. The Blue Jays right-hander stole the show in many ways, showcasing his live arm and engaging personality in an impressive performance. (@ShiDavidi)https://t.co/Kf25Et7J0J
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) July 20, 2022
Rogers Sportsnet runs the international feed for the All-Star Game. While most Canadians didn't have access to the microphone part, there is one feature that Sportsnet always carries that MLB on Fox is always afraid to run on television.
2022 Toronto Blue Jays All-Star Game preview
Canadian Anthem actually televised! And sung by a Canadian actress/singer.
— Bex (@bex_pix) July 20, 2022
If only they didn’t have the organist playing. #ASG2022 pic.twitter.com/Py9RxySq5H
O Canada never seemed like a sinister song to ban from television. This sad little game with MLB on Fox, MLB, and Rob Manfred gets more bizarre. Happens every year for more than a decade. No one with power seems to notice or care. A few scattered people go on Twitter and ask, "Didn't we miss the Canadian anthem?"
Fox runs several commercials and promotion spots that serves as a disgrace and insult to Canada. We used to note that Fox Sports would run O Canada on MLS telecasts. Then again, English and Spanish national outlets in the United States won't carry MLS Canadian teams in the regular season.
Melissa O'Neil did a really nice job with the Canadian anthem. She sang the middle part in French. No reason for the ban.
2022 Victoria Day notebook: Alberta in the spotlight
Rarer than even a Canadian quarterback in the CFL is a Canadian manager in MLB. Rob Thomson, Philadelphia Phillies bench coach, is the interim manager for the rest of the season. Thomson was named to the post following the firing of manager Joe Girardi on June 3.
Thomson is from Corunna, Ontario and was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2019.
George Gibson (London, Ontario) was the last full-time Canadian MLB manager with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1934.
There have been fill-in moments for Thomson in New York and Philadelphia. Canadian catcher Russell Martin managed the Toronto Blue Jays in the team's final game in 2018 as a goodwill gesture from manager John Gibbons.
Ernie Whitt has managed the Canada team in the World Baseball Classic. Stubby Clapp could have been a good MLB manager. Maybe Joey Votto will go that route in his post MLB playing career.
Toronto Blue Jays should get creative in broadcast booth with Buck Martinez's cancer diagnosis
Rogers Sportsnet hasn't been reasonably creative with Buck Martinez being sidelined with cancer treatment. The fill-ins for Dan Shulman have been a combination of radio play-by-play Ben Wagner filling in on TV with a TV/radio simulcast or Matt Devlin, Toronto Raptors play by play person, on the TV side.
Joe Siddall has been helping out on days when Pat Tabler is not available.
Part of the idea of being creative is remembering when the Chicago Cubs had guest announcers fill in for Harry Caray years ago. The Cubs got a bit ridiculous with the replacements. If the Blue Jays had a second radio announcer, Wagner would be the logical go-to fill-in for Shulman.
2022 Toronto Blue Jays preview
2022 Toronto Blue Jays spring training schedule
CanadianCrossing.com MLB coverage
The Toronto Blue Jays start the second half of the season at Fenway Park for a 3-game road trip. The Jays have a 6-game homestand starting on Tuesday with 2 games with St. Louis and 4 games with Detroit.
There may be a MLB Extra Innings preview. Maybe not.
Twitter captures: @canadian_xing; @JonHeyman; @Sportsnet; @bex_pix
photo credit: @BlueJays
Comments