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Blue Jays: How can you not be romantic about baseball?
By Eric Elliott
Sep 27, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays players salute fans in the third inning of their final regular season home game against Tampa Bay Rays at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
Home, home on the range:
The race for first place in the American League, and consequently home-field advantage during most of the playoffs, still wages on in the last week of the regular season.
Currently, the Jays hold a two-game lead over the Kansas City Royals. For the Blue Jays, this is a huge deal. On the season, the Jays hold an impressive 53-28 win-loss record at home, compared to a more pedestrian 38-37 record on the road.
When you couple that home-field success with their potential American League opponents who all have losing records on the road—aside from the New York Yankees—you get a very frightening team come playoffs time.
The playoff roster:
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With the happiness of playoff baseball comes the sadness that not all of the current roster will be part of the contributing 25-man squad this postseason.
Due to playoff baseball’s conventional four-man rotation, one of the Jays’ current pitchers is going to find himself viewing rather than contributing to a run at the World Series. Given Buehrle’s struggles with his arm throughout the second-half of the season, it’s conceivable he will be the one sitting out starting next week.
Outside of the rotation, the Jays will have to deal with the return of Troy Tulowitzki from injury, while juggling what combination of their three first baseman—Edwin Encarnación, Justin Smoak and Chris Colabello—they want on their roster.
The unfortunate reality is that not everyone is going to fit in such a confined lineup. Although they would still receive a hypothetical World Series ring, that sting would leave a sour taste in anyone’s mouth that may not be cured through flashy jewelry.
Next: Breaking down the true advantage of home field in October