Blue Jays: Why are we missing baseball so much already?

I’ve noticed plenty of posts on social media about missing the Blue Jays a lot already in this young offseason, and I think there are a few good reasons.

For starters, baseball is awesome, and this year’s version of the Blue Jays was an exciting young team to watch. They had plenty of nights that left us pulling our hair out, but you could never truly write them off until the final out, even if they’d been sleeping until the last inning and then went on to not only ruin a no-hitter, but score 11 runs in the process.

It feels like a shame that the Blue Jays aren’t playing postseason baseball, and while we could say that every year, falling just short in 2021 stings a little more than any other season in recent memory. There was so much talent on both sides of the ball, and I know I’m not the only one that’s still scratching my head that it wasn’t enough to get them to the postseason.

On top of all of that, I honestly think there’s more to it, at least for me. I’m willing to bet I’m not alone either, and I’m not the least bit afraid to say it. The Blue Jays were a healthy distraction from this seemingly never-ending pandemic, and I already miss what a nightly baseball game was bringing to my life. Even if I didn’t have a regular opportunity to head down to the Rogers Centre and watch them in person, I was able to feel a sense of normalcy by coming home from work and turning on the TV to watch my favourite team.

I’m a fan of hockey and basketball, so maybe once the Leafs and Raptors begin their regular season I’ll be able to shake this bummed out feeling. It’s nowhere near the same for me as baseball though, and I’m having a hard time thinking about much other than the Blue Jays when it comes to sports. Next spring feels very far away, and there are so many questions that need to be answered for the Jays before then. Right now it feels like a TV show that’s left us on a cliff-hanger with their season finale, and it’s not easy to wait until the next one starts and we can pick up the storyline.

It doesn’t help that the playoffs are full of teams that many Blue Jays fans aren’t all that fond of. The Yankees have been knocked out, but the other AL East rivals remain in the Red Sox and Rays, and it’s not easy to cheer for the Astros either. At least we can root for Rowdy Tellez and the Brewers, at least for now.

Soon enough the World Series will be over and the offseason will begin, and that will be an exciting time for Blue Jays fans as we wait to see if Marcus Semien and/or Robbie Ray return, or what else Ross Atkins might have up his sleeve. For now we’re sorta stuck in a limbo that leaves many of us wanting more, and already missing what was one of the more exciting teams in Blue Jays history, even if they came up just a little short of the postseason.