Hope Springs Eternal, But Do The Blue Jays Have A Chance?
Posted March 25, 2009 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Every March, as baseball teams soak up rays and work out the kinks in Grapefruit and Cactus League action, the same cliché rings at least partially true: hope springs eternal.
And while it’s true every club starts the season tied for first place, every club also starts the season tied for last and depending on which Blue Jays fan you ask, it may not take the club long to wind up in sole possession of the latter.
“If they have unbelievable pitching, which is not likely, and unbelievable hitting, I’m sure they’ll make it to third place again,” one fan lamented while out in the sun at a Toronto pre-season tilt against the defending World Series champion Phillies Tuesday.
But others get more easily swept up in the promise of a new year under the helm of Cito Gaston, despite a young Toronto team’s residency in baseball’s toughest division.
“It’s all going to come down to pitching and if they stay healthy … I’m optimistic,” countered another. “The key for them is going to be the month of April, getting off to a good start.”
Of course, like most educated fans will tell you, none of that prognostication matters. As the old saying goes, “that’s why they play the games.”
Toronto opens the season at home against the Detroit Tigers April 6.
