Joy from Down Under

[SydneyJay]

An avid sports fan from Sydney, Australia, I grew up on rugby league and cricket. For almost forty years, these two sports dominated my ‘fanship’. At 41, it’s too late to change your sporting ways, isn’t it?

 

Last year I took a month off work and enjoyed some channel surfing during October. I stumbled onto the baseball playoffs and got hooked. Suddenly, this baseball game seemed alright.

 

So, me being me, I decided to spend an entire week researching all the teams. I had to take ownership of a group of players and invest more time into baseball. I wanted to be a fan.

 

After a full week of research - scrubbing out the big names (NYY etc), crossing out the successful teams, investigating logos, stadiums, playing groups, expectations etc, I settled on the Jays as my team. A young group of underdogs. Loyal fans. Brilliant logo. And boy did I quickly fall in love.

 

I started reading about their history, I watched YouTube videos galore, watched the winter trading, read up on the players, and prepped for 2020. I was a Jay and I couldn’t wait.

 

Delayed season. But we start. We get on a roll and win a bunch of close games. I wake up every morning and tune in to the games. I start becoming familiar with the players’ styles. I know them by name. I order my Bichette jersey online. My wife is sick of hearing Dan and Buck. I get my kids into it. I cop a baseball to the face at the local park and I love it. I’m broken in.

 

So today, I share my joy as a new fan. I screamed in delight when Vladdy went long. I roared when Kirk put in two. We are in the playoffs and I couldn’t be prouder of my team.

 

SydneyJay

 

Please pardon my questions in future blogs. This is a complex sport and it’s so different to what I’ve grown up with. Still lots to learn. GO JAYS!

 

 

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[rookiefuzz]

Welcome to Jays. Baseball is such a great sport. The nuances and details that are occurring on every pitch are amazing. Like Leo Durocher said, “Baseball is like church. Many attend but few understand.”

 

I’m proud to hear that someone did research on all the teams and settled on Toronto. I’m in western Canada and was barely old enough to remember Joe Carter’s ‘93 walkoff homer. That’s what made me a fan from a young age but the older I got the more I enjoy just watching the sport.

 

Again, welcome!

[SydneyJay]

Welcome to Jays. Baseball is such a great sport. The nuances and details that are occurring on every pitch are amazing. Like Leo Durocher said, “Baseball is like church. Many attend but few understand.”

 

I’m proud to hear that someone did research on all the teams and settled on Toronto. I’m in western Canada and was barely old enough to remember Joe Carter’s ‘93 walkoff homer. That’s what made me a fan from a young age but the older I got the more I enjoy just watching the sport.

 

Again, welcome!

 

Thanks so much, Rookiefuzz. I think those nuances and details are what’s made learning the game so much more enjoyable. Like cricket, there are so many layers to be peeled back and understood.

 

I’ve watched the Carter home run about five times. Brilliant!

 

 

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[Virgil_Hiltz]

An avid sports fan from Sydney, Australia, I grew up on rugby league and cricket. For almost forty years, these two sports dominated my ‘fanship’. At 41, it’s too late to change your sporting ways, isn’t it?

 

Last year I took a month off work and enjoyed some channel surfing during October. I stumbled onto the baseball playoffs and got hooked. Suddenly, this baseball game seemed alright.

 

So, me being me, I decided to spend an entire week researching all the teams. I had to take ownership of a group of players and invest more time into baseball. I wanted to be a fan.

 

After a full week of research - scrubbing out the big names (NYY etc), crossing out the successful teams, investigating logos, stadiums, playing groups, expectations etc, I settled on the Jays as my team. A young group of underdogs. Loyal fans. Brilliant logo. And boy did I quickly fall in love.

 

I started reading about their history, I watched YouTube videos galore, watched the winter trading, read up on the players, and prepped for 2020. I was a Jay and I couldn’t wait.

 

Delayed season. But we start. We get on a roll and win a bunch of close games. I wake up every morning and tune in to the games. I start becoming familiar with the players’ styles. I know them by name. I order my Bichette jersey online. My wife is sick of hearing Dan and Buck. I get my kids into it. I cop a baseball to the face at the local park and I love it. I’m broken in.

 

So today, I share my joy as a new fan. I screamed in delight when Vladdy went long. I roared when Kirk put in two. We are in the playoffs and I couldn’t be prouder of my team.

 

SydneyJay

 

Please pardon my questions in future blogs. This is a complex sport and it’s so different to what I’ve grown up with. Still lots to learn. GO JAYS!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Welcome aboard....don't be shy in asking questions!

Edited September 25, 2020 by Virgil_Hiltz
typo

[Spanky99]

Awesome mate, Welcome! Cool breakdown on becoming a fan, lol.

[connorp]

Awesome mate, Welcome! Cool breakdown on becoming a fan, lol.

 

Chances it’s a sincere newb is like 15%

[Spanky99]

Chances it’s a sincere newb is like 15%

 

K..................

[connorp]

K..................

 

Listen, if you want to go through life thinking it’s all lollipops and gumdrops, I don’t begrudge you that

[BlueRocky]

Welcome

[wilko]

[Deadpool]

I think I have my vote for post of the year now...

[Deadpool]

Chances it’s a sincere newb is like 15%

 

I can confirm the user is from Oz, based on IP and Email address used for sign up.

 

I suppose they could have gone through enough effort to VPN their IP and sign up for a .com.au Email address, but that seems like a lot of work for fake internet cred...

[SydneyJay]

Chances it’s a sincere newb is like 15%

 

Genuine newb. Been looking for a forum to join and this one seems good. Looking forward to learning the finer details from more seasoned fans. 85% chance most of you are decent people. [emoji6]

 

 

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[SydneyJay]

Awesome mate, Welcome! Cool breakdown on becoming a fan, lol.

 

Thanks a bunch. [emoji1303]

 

 

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[SydneyJay]

Welcome aboard....don't be shy in asking questions!

 

Thanks for that.

 

One thing I’m trying I get my head around is the whole trading thing. With our young team, is it likely that we will hold onto the core for as long as we can? (Bichette, Vladdy, Biggio, Lourdes etc)

 

 

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[Deadpool]

Genuine newb. Been looking for a forum to join and this one seems good. Looking forward to learning the finer details from more seasoned fans. 85% chance most of you are decent people. [emoji6]

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Prepare to be amazed...

[Olerud363]

Thanks for that.

 

One thing I’m trying I get my head around is the whole trading thing. With our young team, is it likely that we will hold onto the core for as long as we can? (Bichette, Vladdy, Biggio, Lourdes etc)

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Good question. We have them under control for essentially 5 more years.

 

Basically the first 3 years of a players career they are paid minimum or close to it, next three years salary is decides by arbitration. However if a team plays their cards right they can get almost 4 years at minimum. Which is why teams often call up guys around May instead of right out of spring training.

 

So give or take we have these guys for 5 more years. For most of them 2 or 3 cheap, then they get more expensive arbitration salaries. Except Lourdes who signed 7 years out of Cuba at a good price... we may have him cheap for 4 more years I think.

 

So will they be traded?? You never know for sure but probably not.

 

Perhaps the most likely to be traded is Vladdy. There have been a couple of recent trades of great hitting prospects, a guy called Jesus Montero, and another guy Delmon Young... both struggled like Vladdy then the team decided they didn't believe in them and traded them before their value was nothing.

 

Another guy we had a few years ago, Travis Snider, was one of the best hitting prospects we had, he struggled for a couple of years and was traded for a reliever. Team just decided he wasn't going to hit and looking back they were right.

 

So will Vladdy be traded?? Doubt it and I hope not. Even though I've been critical of him he has such a high ceiling that I would never want them to risk it. Just saying that in baseball, one of the scenarios in which a young player is traded, is when they struggle just a bit, and the team wants to trade them before the value gets even lower.

 

In general I think they hold on to these guys for a while. Maybe in 3 years if they come close a couple of times, but don't win they could make a big trade.

 

That happened just before our first World Series. Jays traded two starts, McGriff and the late Tony Fernandez for two other stars, and it worked out well obviously. At the time it was just done to shake things up really, team came close but didn't win.

 

I'm rambling as I tend to... others will have more intelligent and more concise observations for you.

[Laika]

Thanks for that.

 

One thing I’m trying I get my head around is the whole trading thing. With our young team, is it likely that we will hold onto the core for as long as we can? (Bichette, Vladdy, Biggio, Lourdes etc)

 

In baseball a team controls a new player for their first six full MLB seasons. Players also make only the league minimum salary for the first three years, and then get gradual increases in salary for the next three. Because of this good young players are extremely valuable... an okay rookie is often "worth" more than a very, very good veteran.

 

Yes, it is likely Toronto does not trade a piece from their young core for a while. They would only really do it if they are getting back another young, controllable player OR an elite player in a playoff push.

[Spanky99]

Prepare to be amazed...

 

lol...

[SydneyJay]

Good question. We have them under control for essentially 5 more years.

 

Basically the first 3 years of a players career they are paid minimum or close to it, next three years salary is decides by arbitration. However if a team plays their cards right they can get almost 4 years at minimum. Which is why teams often call up guys around May instead of right out of spring training.

 

So give or take we have these guys for 5 more years. For most of them 2 or 3 cheap, then they get more expensive arbitration salaries. Except Lourdes who signed 7 years out of Cuba at a good price... we may have him cheap for 4 more years I think.

 

So will they be traded?? You never know for sure but probably not.

 

Perhaps the most likely to be traded is Vladdy. There have been a couple of recent trades of great hitting prospects, a guy called Jesus Montero, and another guy Delmon Young... both struggled like Vladdy then the team decided they didn't believe in them and traded them before their value was nothing.

 

Another guy we had a few years ago, Travis Snider, was one of the best hitting prospects we had, he struggled for a couple of years and was traded for a reliever. Team just decided he wasn't going to hit and looking back they were right.

 

So will Vladdy be traded?? Doubt it and I hope not. Even though I've been critical of him he has such a high ceiling that I would never want them to risk it. Just saying that in baseball, one of the scenarios in which a young player is traded, is when they struggle just a bit, and the team wants to trade them before the value gets even lower.

 

In general I think they hold on to these guys for a while. Maybe in 3 years if they come close a couple of times, but don't win they could make a big trade.

 

That happened just before our first World Series. Jays traded two starts, McGriff and the late Tony Fernandez for two other stars, and it worked out well obviously. At the time it was just done to shake things up really, team came close but didn't win.

 

I'm rambling as I tend to... others will have more intelligent and more concise observations for you.

 

This is so, so helpful. Really appreciate the explanation. I might just invest in a signed Vladdy ball now. #eBay

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[SydneyJay]

In baseball a team controls a new player for their first six full MLB seasons. Players also make only the league minimum salary for the first three years, and then get gradual increases in salary for the next three. Because of this good young players are extremely valuable... an okay rookie is often "worth" more than a very, very good veteran.

 

Yes, it is likely Toronto does not trade a piece from their young core for a while. They would only really do it if they are getting back another young, controllable player OR an elite player in a playoff push.

 

Super explanation. Really appreciate you taking the time. [emoji1303]

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[43211234]

Welcome to the board. This place isn't quite as active as it once was so it's always good to have new members.

 

Feel free to ask any questions.

[jaysguy44]

Welcome dude!