For the first time in 22 years, playoff baseball heads North of the border as the Texas Rangers travel to the Rogers Center to take on the Toronto Bluejays for the opening game of the ALDS Thursday afternoon. Blue Jays fans from coast to coast have longed for this day since Joe Carter’s epic walk-off homerun off Phillies closer Mitch Williams to win the 1993 World Series. It’s safe to say that the building formerly known as “Skydome” will be in an absolute frenzy today.
This series will feature a pair of teams who were left for dead in the first half of the season. Both clubs stumbled toward the All-Star Break. The Blue Jays were facing their third consecutive disappointing season under GM Alex Anthopolous’ attempt to rebuild the franchise. Despite a very powerful lineup, the Jays couldn’t seem to find any consistency in the win column. The Rangers, on the other hand, came into the season with minimal expectations. Most of the “experts” pegged the Rangers to finish in the basement of the AL West. As we approached the mid-way point of the season, those predictions appeared to be coming to fruition.
Ultimately what may have saved both of these teams was the fact that despite their lackluster starts they were not completely out of their respective division races as the Trade Deadline neared. This is where the front office for both teams stepped up to the plate in a big way. Rather than deciding to sell at the deadline, both Anthopolous and Rangers GM Jon Daniels went on the offensive in an attempt to improve their teams. Obviously these decisions sparked their clubhouses in a major way. The Blue Jays would go on to become the hottest team in baseball throughout the second half and were followed closely by their first round opponents.
The shrewd offseason acquisition of MVP candidate Josh Donaldson from the Oakland A’s was the first feather (Blue Jay perhaps) in Anthopolous’ cap. Donaldson came to the Blue Jays in exchange for Brett Lawrie in a deal which legendary rock group Supertramp might refer to as the “Crime of the Century”. Donaldson became an immediate star in Toronto adding to an already potent lineup while providing gold glove caliber defense at the hot corner. However, despite Donaldson’s heroic efforts, this team was still hovering around .500 at the mid-point of the season.
Anthopolous then raised some eyebrows, including slugger Jose Bautista’s, when he opted to add more offense by acquiring Troy Tulowitzki from the Colorado Rockies. Bautista wondered aloud if the Jays might not have been better served by acquiring some help on the mound. Apparently the GM was listening because just a few days later he would stun the baseball world by going “all-in” with the trade for ace left-handed pitcher David Price from the Detroit Tigers.
This move was certainly a gamble considering the Jays gave up a hefty package in the deal including their top-pitching prospect Daniel Norris. Price is also an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, so it is possible that this could be his only shot at a ring in Toronto. Safe to say that the gamble has paid off in spades for the Jays so far. Price’s arrival instantly captivated the entire city as well as the entire nation. The Rogers Center has been electric for the past two months as the Jays sky-rocketed to the top of the AL East standings. The crowds have been amazing and it has translated to some awfully impressive ball being played by the home team on a nightly basis.
In Texas, Daniels can also be credited for reviving his team. It would have been awfully easy to justify a fire sale at the deadline but the GM opted to instead add veteran left-handed pitcher Cole Hamels to the mix. After losing Yu Darvish to Tommy John surgery in April, most people wrote off the Rangers for this season. The sluggish first half was expected, but Daniels must have seen something in his team, which led to his decision to deal for Hamels. Of course, this is a Rangers team that made back-to-back World Series appearances in 2010 and 2011. Some of the stars from those teams have moved on, notably Nelson Cruz, but the Rangers, like the Jays, remained a strong team offensively. Acquiring Hamels unexpectedly provided a real shot in the arm to the entire team.
The Blue Jays continued to ride their red-hot bats throughout the second half of the season. Donaldson, Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion combined for a ridiculous 120 Home Runs. But this is a lineup that boasts power from top to bottom. The addition of Price provides the Jays with the ace they needed at the top of the rotation and he has been lights out since he arrived. Price will be followed by Marcus Stroman in Game 2. Stroman, who tore his ACL in March, has made a remarkable return to the Blue Jays and gives the Jays a nice one-two punch. Defensively, the Jays have been outstanding lead by the outfield heroics of Kevin Pillar in centerfield along with deadline pickups Tulowitzki at shortstop and Ben Revere in leftfield.
The Rangers also boast an immense amount of power in the heart of their lineup. Adrian Beltre continues to get better with age and is coming off a tremendous second half. He will be supported by veterans, Prince Fielder and Josh Hamilton. The Rangers are similar to the Jays in many ways offensively. They certainly dig the long ball but they receive contributions from their entire lineup consistently. That is what makes this such an interesting series.
On paper, it would appear that the Blue Jays have the slight edge but in a tight five game series anything can happen. The pressure will be on from the opening pitch. Price will be countered by Yovanni Gallardo in Game 1. Gallardo has twice beaten the Blue Jays this season without allowing a single earned run. Of course, the opposing pitcher on either of those occasions was not named David Price.
Will the playoff experience of the Rangers come to the forefront or will the new look Blue Jays continue to soar? We will start to find out the answer to these and many other questions beginning at 3:45 EST today! One thing is for sure. If the sun is shining Thursday in Toronto you can expect the roof to be open at Rogers Center. Otherwise, ownership might be fearful that the raucous crowd will blow it completely off. Playoff baseball is back in Canada! Who needs Hockey?