Shi Davidi’s Blue Jays checkup

00:00:03
Speaker 1: Shaid Bedi coming in hot from sports Net covering the Toronto Blue Jays and looking like he's got that ballpark right behind him for another matchup going down with the Yankees and the Blue Jays soon, Shy, Great to see you, Yes exactly.

00:00:16
Speaker 2: We actually get to as the roof of it.

00:00:20
Speaker 3: Is opening as we speak.

00:00:21
Speaker 2: Yes, good good, all right, great day here in Toronto.

00:00:25
Speaker 3: Perfect weather for this series.

00:00:27
Speaker 2: And an awesome series. I'm sure it's going to be packed.

00:00:30
Speaker 1: Was it sold out last night and is it expected to be sold out this week for the series?

00:00:35
Speaker 3: Yeah, it's already sold out. I think it's seven or eight in a row for them, so people are definitely getting into it. And the juli Jis are eleven in a row at home as well, so it's a They're on a heater even outside, just facing the Yankees. So it's been a pretty intriguing run and people are definitely hyped for it.

00:00:55
Speaker 2: Shocker.

00:00:56
Speaker 1: If you build a winning roster, they will come what a concept and they've certainly done it right.

00:01:02
Speaker 2: What's different? I mean, just to go big picture and then we'll focus on this series here. What's different in the last couple months with a roster that hasn't changed a ton over the last few years, but they've seemed to find it again.

00:01:16
Speaker 3: Yeah. I think in years past we often talk about how, in a lot of ways the Blue Jays felt like a little bit less than some of their parts, where you'd see the talent on the roster and you think, well, why is in this team completely rolling? You know, certainly the way they were twenty one when they fell a game short of making the postseason but one to ninety one games, but never could kind of be a complete team. And this year it's really the opposite, where they've really become more than the some of their parts. And you know, a couple of weeks ago, Boba Schett said to me that the Blue Jays this year, in his words, are a team unlike any team he's been a part of, and a team in a true sense of the word. And it's really been that because they are getting contributions up and down the roster. They are platooning their way through certain parts of the lineup to maximize matchups. They've got certainly some some key key star players who are helping carry the load in Vladimir Guerrero Junior, George Springer, Bobichet. On the pitching side, Kevin Gosman, Jose Brios, and Chris Bassett are the anchors, but Eric Lower is a minor league deal who's been a really a life raft for this team, especially the early going when the pitching staff was a bit of a mess and their bullpen which was really a black hole last year, a negative war bullpen which was I believe the only one of the majors a year ago, certainly the worst in terms of war in the big leagues. And they've they've become a great positive now led by Jeff Hoffman, Brendan little Yariel Rodriguez's emergence has been really important with you know, surprise contributions from some guys you might not have expected in terms of Brandon Fisher and Mason Fluhrdy. So they've really just drawn on every bit of the forty man roster and they are the embodiment of that cliche where you know, teams every year say we need everybody, and they've really been an organization that's used everybody thus far. Good to see you get to see a KP.

00:03:23
Speaker 4: My question for you two questions. One is you've been there a long time, just kind of explained, does it have that kind of you know, that feel that you know, maybe I had felt in twenty fifteen, when you know, things started getting rolling. You could kind of just feel that buzz in the stadium. You could feel the buzz outside of the stadium, the entire city kind of congregated around the stadium. You know, the support around the team was unlike anything I'd ever felt. Or is it leaning towards that direction right now?

00:03:54
Speaker 3: Yeah, it's really picked up, and it's kind of interesting if you think back to twenty fifteen, Kevin, you for sure remember this well, but it's it felt like everybody was just waiting for the spark, and then the trade deadline happened and that was the spark. And you know, I think back to that first game after that, Troy Tulowitzki played against the Phillies here and just how electric that atmosphere was and Blue Jays fans were so pumped about seeing Troy Tulowitzky in a Blue Jays uniform. Uh, that was to me one of the most memorable games that I'd covered, just because you could feel that shift and then it carried over and I feel like it's been a bit of more of a slow burn to that point, because this team, you know, since May eighth, has been playing pretty well and it just kept on, you know, adding on more wins and another another good run, another good home stand, another good stretch, and all of a sudden they're they're now within striking distance of the best record of the American League with a four game series in Detroit coming up, and people have just sort of picked up the pace a little bit slower, but that but it's getting to the similar levels in twenty fifteen, and so it's definitely been that this team has definitely been embraced. They do it in a different way than maybe any Blue Jays team I can really remember.

00:05:12
Speaker 2: Maybe if you can go.

00:05:13
Speaker 3: Back to like the nineteen eighty five team when they were running some platoons, you know, with Rand Small Nicks, Garth the Orige at third base and Al Oliver and Cliff Johnson a designated hitter. They haven't really had a team like this in a while. But the excitement around the club, the buzz, the energy, it's definitely there right now.

00:05:35
Speaker 1: You know about the best place to buy, sell, trade, or look for that special card in your world, It's called Arena Club and air KRAFTZ just went through a little slab pack experience and.

00:05:45
Speaker 2: You went big. You went for the Ruby pack.

00:05:48
Speaker 1: I love it.

00:05:48
Speaker 5: I love clicking on the Ruby Pack and knowing that I'm going to open something that is going to be epic. I got a cal Ricns junior autographed one of forty two. I'm keeping it right now, but I would love to have it in my hands, so I might even have him send it to me already graded everything, taking care for me.

00:06:06
Speaker 2: That's right.

00:06:06
Speaker 1: You want to hang it up and stare at it all day, go for it. But if you're in there to get something else or to sell it away, you can do that. They've got the buyback program, or you can put it on the marketplace yourself. Tons of options. This is where the best cards live. It's arenaclub dot com. Slash foul and use the code foul for twenty percent off your first slab pack. Or if you'd like to purchase a card, twenty percent off your first card purchase again Arena club dot com slash f.

00:06:31
Speaker 2: O u L use code fo u L.

00:06:35
Speaker 4: And then I want to ask you about George Springer too. I saw a video of him talking to David Schneider after along at bat that too many people, you know, isn't nothing. He made it out, but I think it was like a fourteen pitch at bat and then the Blue Jays scored with the next hitter and he was in there pumping them up. Just how important has his leadership been. And obviously he's playing a lot better this year, but that's a guy who's been there, done it. You know, hard to you know, talk about winning it when you haven't done it, and you have a guy like George Springer who's won it a couple of.

00:07:06
Speaker 3: Times, Yeah, for sure. And obviously the performance has been vital, right like in April when not a lot of guys on this team were hitting. You know, George spring was really the guy who carried this team for a stretch. And you think back to that performance he had against the Yankees doing the four games sweep here in Toronto a few weeks back. And he's had a lot of just big games and big moments this year, but he's doing the behind the scenes stuff too. And whether that's just you know, setting an example by the way that he's working, bringing his energy the positivity, you're right, you know that that moment David Schneider, like everybody was talking about it after the game, right and just how much it invigorated the Blue Jays clubhouse dugout at that point in time, watching him grind and battle and just seeing what they felt was the toll that it took on Rodin in that moment. And you know, did it directly lead to the two errors that follow that led to two more runs maybe, But the fact is, you know, you haven't a bat like that. It takes a lot out of the opposition. And so even though he just did pop out and made an out in that spot, that was big. And I think the Blue Jays have been have spoken a lot about just recognizing moments, about playing for each other, and I think that George talking to Davis in that spot is really just a symbol of him recognizing, Hey, you were, you were doing something selfless there. You did something for the team and that helped us out afterwards.

00:08:40
Speaker 6: Suh, long time no see. I mean, I hope you enjoyed the draft. You were you were, You and Hazel were grinding at the draft.

00:08:45
Speaker 3: But tell you what, it was great to get into the air conditioning there.

00:08:50
Speaker 6: I bet, I bet, I bet all right, trade deadline coming out for the Blue Jays. Just give me one thing you want. That's it, just one quick, easy, give me the biggest need for the Blue Jays of the trade dead And then I also want to know have you ever climbed the sea In Tower?

00:09:02
Speaker 5: That's it?

00:09:03
Speaker 3: Okay, I have not climbed the see In Tower, but I would actually like to, but it's just never worked out with my schedule in terms of need. You know, if you had asked me this a couple of weeks ago, I probably would have said starting pitcher, and maybe my lean might still be starting pitcher. But I think you can probably like not really have to twist my arm, and I could say, like, you know.

00:09:26
Speaker 2: Just load up on.

00:09:28
Speaker 3: Get an elite reliever type, someone who can go in and be reliable and leverage. And the reason for that is just you know, you kept on thinking, Okay, Jimmy Garcy is going to get back. Jimmy Garcy is going to get back, but he's going to see a specialist again on Wednesday. I guess that's tomorrow at this point, and they're going to try to figure out what's going on with the nerve issue in his elbow. When I talked to him yesterday. He said what he's feeling is worse than what he had last year, and what he had last year cost him the final two months of the season. So I think if Jimmy Garcia is not going to have a pathway to providing, you know, quality innings, I think maybe you take your chances on the rotation holding up uh and maybe that Alec Manoa can come back and be a boost at some point later in the season and make that your priority, because I just think the way bullpens are, how important bullpens are in general, but particularly in the postseason. You know, I think the Blue Jays wanted to get a starter and or reliever no matter what. But if you're only going to do one thing, I think right now, loading up and getting the best reliever you possibly can might be a wiser course of action.

00:10:40
Speaker 1: There you go, and Shy is on it, so give him a follow if you're not already on Twitter at Shidavid the last name.

00:10:47
Speaker 6: Yepkay, they put Minoa in the bullpen when he comes back, just yes or no.

00:10:52
Speaker 3: I haven't heard that as a thought yet, and my guess is that they would probably just want him on a regular routine. But when there's need in in a playoff race, you know, sort of all bets are off, but they generally don't like to do that with guys coming off. Tom of John.

00:11:10
Speaker 2: AJ bring him back?

00:11:11
Speaker 1: Is the lensing cumb Remember Lenscomb when he was doing those little two.

00:11:15
Speaker 6: Three Yeah, yeah, a lot of guys have done that.

00:11:20
Speaker 2: Okay, it's an interesting idea for sure.

00:11:23
Speaker 1: Yeah, shy, enjoy and now there's full sunshine for you. See, we just wanted to help you pass the time while the roof opened and the sky's parted for you.

00:11:33
Speaker 2: So there you go. Thank you so much, appreciate you.

00:11:36
Speaker 3: Good to see you.

00:11:37
Speaker 5: Guys.

00:11:37
Speaker 3: Be well,