So I was on #BlueJays Twitter and read Shi Davidi’s latest piece:
"It’s not a game for weak players or weak people. It tests your toughness all the time." #BlueJays fall to 1-9: https://t.co/J2xdnABHSv
— Shi Davidi (@ShiDavidi) April 15, 2017
Mr. Davidi interviewed Mark Shapiro, the President of our Toronto Blue Jays. He shared his thoughts on the Blue Jays so far this season.
That’s interesting, I thought to myself. Let’s see what he has to say … should be fun.
Shapiro’s assessments of the Blue Jays (1-9):
“When it comes to evaluation, you fight not to evaluate because everything gets accentuated at the start of a season, as well as emotions and desires, some of the things that make our players special, or how much they care and how competitive they are,” Shapiro said before a 6-4 loss to the Baltimore Orioles on Friday night pushed the worst opening in franchise history to 1-9.
When it goes collectively as badly as it does right now with our offence, a lot of what we’re dealing with is we need to get to a point where guys stop trying to do too much and stop trying to take responsibility for it individually. It’s going to have to be a collective approach where as a team we start having better at-bats, getting on-base and finding ways to score.”
Let’s break it down line-by-line:
Shapiro: When it comes to evaluation, you fight not to evaluate because everything gets accentuated at the start of a season, as well as emotions and desires, some of the things that make our players special, or how much they care and how competitive they are.
Me: mhm. I understand.
Shapiro: When it goes collectively as badly as it does right now with our offence, a lot of what we’re dealing with is we need to get to a point where guys stop trying to do too much and stop trying to take responsibility for it individually.
Me: Okay, so now he’s (indirectly) talking to the players. That’s what it sounds like.
Shapiro: It’s going to have to be a collective approach where as a team we start having better at-bats, getting on-base and finding ways to score.
Me: Okay, sounds like he’s (indirectly) talking to the coaching staff.
His overall point: he’s reluctant to evaluate the team right now. Okay, I understand.
Shapiro on starting pitching:
“Not everything is wrong,” said Shapiro. “We’re pitching well, dominant at times, there are a lot of good things going on both in the rotation and in our bullpen and we’re playing good defence. We’re not looking at overhauling the entire team – it’s getting the offence going. … If we’re patient, and we really don’t have any choice but right now, I feel like we’ll be rewarded.”
Let’s break it down line-by-line:
Shaprio: “Not everything is wrong”
Me: 😖 eh it’s a half truth. He’s really talking to Shi right now.
Shapiro: We’re pitching well, dominant at times
Me: mhm … 😐 no real comment.
Shapiro: there are a lot of good things going on both in the rotation and in our bullpen and we’re playing good defence.
Me: 😐 shrug. I guess.
Shapiro: We’re not looking at overhauling the entire team – it’s getting the offence going.
Me: 🤔 Okay. Okay. So you’re saying not everything is wrong, and so you’re not going to break up the current roster.
Shapiro: … If we’re patient, and we really don’t have any choice but right now, I feel like we’ll be rewarded.”
Me: 😫 sounds like wishful thinking.
His overall point: Basically, Shapiro’s saying he’s not going to break up the team right now despite its record at 1-9. Yeah, makes sense. I mean, he hasn’t discussed trading players with other teams yet.
I mean, why would he? With 10 games into the season, why would he think about breaking up the team?
That’s foolish.
Shapiro on getting help from the farm system:
“It’s not a time you get external help,” said Shapiro. “Less than 10 games in, this is not the time to start looking at external help. There may be a time and a place when you start to think about that, but you’re not going to replace five hitters.
We need to remember why we believe in these guys, remember their track records, recognize that they are extremely competitive and that they are high-character guys. They care, they’re working hard and continue to believe that it will turn, as much as it doesn’t feel like that at any given moment, that’s the cruelty of baseball. It’s not a game for weak players or weak people. It tests your toughness all the time.”
Let’s break it down line-by-line:
Shapiro: It’s not a time you get external help.
Me: he sounds very blunt.
Shapiro: Less than 10 games in, this is not the time to start looking at external help.
Me: okay … he’s reinforcing his point above.
Shapiro: There may be a time and a place when you start to think about that, but you’re not going to replace five hitters.
Me: now he’s emphatically saying he’s not going to change the lineup. Okay. Sounds like Shi Davidi asked a loaded question.
Shapiro: We need to remember why we believe in these guys, remember their track records, recognize that they are extremely competitive and that they are high-character guys.
Me: Okay … OK. I’m starting to tune out. Of course they’re high character guys. Otherwise they wouldn’t be on the team. Just a talking point.
Shapiro: They care, they’re working hard and continue to believe that it will turn, as much as it doesn’t feel like that at any given moment, that’s the cruelty of baseball. It’s not a game for weak players or weak people. It tests your toughness all the time.”
Me: okay. okay….I tuned out. Shapiro’s finishing his talking point.
His overall point: Shapiro doesn’t need help from the farm system. Went off script in the beginning, so he wasn’t anticipating this question.
Gif from MLB.TV.
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