Jays Adrift

Last night the Toronto Blue Jays hit a new attendance low for the Rogers Center. The announced attendance was 11,159 and that certainly looks small inside that stadium.

The sad part of this figure was that Halladay was pitching last night. During the Halladay trade talk so many fans said that if you trade the Doc I’ll never go to another Jays’ game. Well the Jays didn’t trade Halladay and still the fans do not show up.

Listening to the talk shows you hear so many people blame JP for the lack of interest. I am definitely not a JP booster, but that is just a cop out. If you are a baseball fan and you really care about the team keeping a pitcher like Halladay you have to go out and support the team, especially when he’s pitching. The only thing last nights game showed the owners was that the fans are not willing to support Halladay with their wallets.

At this point of the season I’m not laying the blame on JP for lack of attendance. The major fault now has to be laid at the feet of Rogers. JP has overstayed his welcome and the fan base in Toronto has tuned him out. Years of lies and arrogance has put JP in this position. Once the trade deadline expired and a Halladay deal could not be worked out Rogers should have fired JP right then. Granted it would not help the team for the balance of the season, but it would be tangible proof that the times are changing for the Jays. It would have been a bold statement, and a problem with the Jays is that they are anything but bold.

The fans have no idea what the future of the Jays is. Some information has been leaked that next year’s budget may jump up to $120 million, but there is not one shred of evidence that supports this. If there is any credence to that rumor I can not see any reason for Rogers not making that public. It would provide hope for the fans and give them some reason to believe. At present they are saying nothing and hiding behind the excuse that they are in the process of hiring a new president. Sorry that just doesn’t wash and the 11,159 fans in attendance last night bare that out.

The other bit of reality here is that Toronto is not a true baseball city. The stadium is in a perfectly accessible location and last night was a great night to see the game with fan favorite Halladay on the mound. The reality is that the fans are no longer paying attention to the Jays and there are very few true baseball fans in Toronto who even knew that Halladay was the scheduled pitcher. If they did know, not many showed up.

If disinterest is the major issue here, part of the blame must also fall on the manager. Cito is a player’s manager and his total focus is on the players on his team. He stands by them through thick and thin, but he does not appear to be an inspirational leader nor does he seem to think that getting the fans excited is his job. In Toronto we need that. We need someone running the team that inspires the fans and gives them a reason to believe. We are not Boston where baseball is so deep in our blood that we appreciate every nuance of the game. To attract crowds of 30,000 plus we need to be motivated and excited by the GM and manager of the team. That is especially the case when the team on the field is not producing results.

I really think that Rogers is perplexed by the attendance figures and is reevaluating their commitment to the team. I’m not saying the team will leave Toronto, but I would not be surprised to see it sold in the not too distant future.