The World Baseball Classic showed that baseball fans do exist in Toronto, the summer will decide if they return.
I have to admit it's been quite some time since the crowd has been so animated at the Rogers Centre, at least until that stunning no-show by Team Canada against the Italians Monday night. Starting with Saturday's opener, a hard fought, playoff-like 6-5 victory for the United States over Canada, the not-so-old building hasn't housed this much excitement since Joe Carter "touched 'em all" 16 Octobers ago.
Quite frankly, it was long overdue.
In this multi-cultural Mecca that is Toronto, baseball long ago lost its lustre, with the blame being placed equally on a perpetually average Jays team, the emergence of the Raptors and Toronto FC to take away some of the sporting entertainment dollars and, of late, the downturn in the world economy. Factor in that we live in a remote-control, fast-food society and who could expect anyone from the ADD Generation to be able to sit through a three-hour sporting event.
There are the diehard 15,000 that will show up win or lose, rain or shine, but they are normally a staid group, sitting on their hands, waiting for something, anything to happen to make some noise. I just don't see a lot of new Jays fans these days.
Well, that all went out the window as the second edition of the World Baseball Classic rolled into Toronto; nothing like a good, old-fashioned cross-border battle between Canada and the U.S. to start the ball rolling. In a well-played affair, where Canadian pitching was just a bit short, pride was definitely evident for the players and fans, 42,000 of whom packed the place Saturday night.
When Italy played Venezuela in the second game of the first day/night doubleheader in SkyDome/Rogers Centre history, 29,000 fewer fans filled the seats but the old ball yard was just as loud, thanks to whistle-blowing, flag-waving Venezuelan fans who acted more like they were at a soccer match than a baseball game. We could all take a page from their books. Instead of waiting for the action to develop, these crazy fans implored the action to come to them and it made for an unbelievable atmosphere. It was more of the same on Sunday night when Venezuela took on the mighty Americans team until an eight-run sixth caused the flags and whistles to be tempered.
Too bad it all had to come to a screeching halt Monday night in the first elimination game of the pool. Canadian starter Vince Perkins looked overwhelmed and pitched behind to the majority of the 14 batters he faced. Canada fell behind early and meekly tapped into a couple of double plays in the first two innings when runs would have halted Italy's momentum and growing confidence.
Can't blame Justin Morneau. Two doubles and two singles in his first four at-bats. Too bad he had to be the last out, sending Canadian baseball supporters to the exits grumbling loudly. Who laid this curse on our teams in Toronto anyway?
My point is this: I know there are a lot of baseball fans still out there, regardless of heritage. They used to come in droves to the then-named SkyDome, back when the best ball in the Major Leagues took place north of border, played by a Blue Jays team that reflected the ethnicity of the Greater Toronto melting pot. You came to see American Joe Carter drive in Puerto Rican Roberto Alomar and Dominican Tony Fernandez, or to watch Venezuelan Kelvim Escobar blow some heat by hitters.
I'm hoping that these five days in March, when the Toronto sporting public is winding down from yet another cold winter of watching professional hockey and basketball teams miss the playoffs yet again, will remember the good times they had watching some internationally flavoured baseball and return when MLB's regular season starts up. Sure, the Blue Jays have about as much a chance of making the playoffs as I do playing bass for the Rolling Stones, but that doesn't mean that you can't enjoy coming to the Rogers Centre and watching baseball again, even if the concessions and souvenirs are ridiculously over-priced.
Try it, you might enjoy it again. And you can thank the over-the-top Venezuelan fans for re-stoking your baseball fire.
FINE TUNE THE FORMAT
Forgetting that the Netherlands open the tournament by upsetting the heavily favoured Dominicans, or that Australia laid an unforeseen whipping on Mexico, this tournament needs a little fine tuning to make it even more interesting, and to keep some players from staying home. Here are two suggestions I have:
1 -- Keep this opening round in March, just put it a little closer to the end of the month when players/pitchers are gearing up for the start of the Major League season and have fewer worries about injuries.
2 -- After the field has been cut down to eight teams from 16, have them play one-game playoffs over three days during the all-star break in July, with the break being a full week. That way, players will be in mid-season form. Sure the MLB season will need to be halted for a week, but if the NHL can shut down for an extended time to play in the Olympics every four years, then why not baseball?
I realize the Players' Association will want to be compensated, and the owners will also want their cake to shut the game down for a week. No one is asking for dates to come off the 162-game schedule, it just means a couple of double-headers, probably of the day/night variety, will be added.
This tournament appears to be here to stay, so why not make it better?
ONE LAST THOUGHT
Sure had to feel badly for Scott Richmond. The shot of him sitting alone at the end of the game was very telling. Couldn't pitch in the Beijing Olympics because the Blue Jays thought it was so important to give him a three-start tryout while cemented in fourth place. Then he finally gets to put on the red and white at the same time that he's trying to secure a spot in the Jays' wide-open rotation. In the end, all that he gets is 2 2/3 innings against Toronto in Dunedin on Sportsnet. Not even a consolation prize. Sure hope he makes the Jays now, although he's behind the Purceys, Cecils and Clements of the camp.
