Shaking the foundations – Jays fan support

This stretch of games for the Toronto Blue Jays has been epic.  It has pushed them from being a should be contender to one of the favorites to win the division.  Before the trade deadline that proclaimed the Jays were pushing for the playoffs, ticket sales and enthusiasm for the team were at mediocre levels.  Fans almost assumed that a collapse was on the horizon.  The team sat in an arguably better position last season but the trade deadline passed without as much as a whisper from the Jays front office.  The excitement level in the club house dropped like a stone from the sky as the Jays would go on to finish in incredibly average fashion.

This year however has been completely different.  They Blue Jays lead the American League East for the first time this late in the season since 1993.  The excitement around this team is palpable as the team continues to beat and batter their opponents.  Fans have been coming out of their hiding places for the first time in over 2 decades and are foaming at the mouth over the possibilities.  I myself was in Toronto for the Blue Jays vs. Yankees series and could hardly believe the support around the city.  Shops all over town have Jays stickers, flags, and home made signs showing as the nation has truly stepped up their game to support this team.  Hearing the ballpark during the Andrew Miller vs. Tulo at bat was just heart stopping.  I have not heard the Sky Dome (o sorry I mean Rogers Centre) that loud since I was a kid.  I felt the ground shaking under my feet, my heart was pounding, my fiancee was squeezing my arm way to tightly and it all was just the most incredible feeling with how the team has been performing.  The stir around the ballpark got me a little verklempt and I almost needed a new topic to discuss before I teared up from the childhood memories that were swimming in my mind.

This kind of environment created by the fans brings out the best in athletes.  Our Toronto Blue Jays have been playing inspired baseball at home and part of that has to be from the support they are receiving from the crowd and fans in general.  The other day when Edwin Encarnacion torched the Detroit Tigers pitchers for 3 home runs and 9 RBI’s shows my point exactly.  The “HAT TRICK” was met with cheers and it began to rain baseball hats down onto the field from the normally hockey loving crowd.  EE would later get all the hats from the Rogers Centre staff and post a pic on Instagram shown below. He then would thank the fans for all the support and go on to say he has never felt anything like that before and thanks.  No Thank you EE we love watching you play hard everyday.  All the players for the Jays deserve a pat on the back for what they have been doing this season and we are all very proud of what they are doing.

As our men in blue continue to play their hearts out we need to be there for them as fans through thick and thin. The battle has already started and I expect to hear every last one of you all they way down where I live in Rochester, NY.  Yes I am a Jays fan in enemy territory and have been since I was a kid.  So get out your Bringer of Rain rain coats, put on your HE-YO Tulo shirts, and bring out those flannel dickeys to where when R.A. Dickey is knuckling and lets push this thing over the top.  I know all of you are just as crazy as I am, lets get clever and show the love we all have for this team. The support from fans can make a break a team and we are there ready and waiting.  Cheer your hearts out #StirThePot and #ComeToghether.

Go Jays Go!!

All information and stats provided from Baseball-Reference.com

Next: Jays take another from the Yanks

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