I guess even the mild mannered Alex Anthopoulos couldn’t hold back the mob any longer. After watching his team blow 2 saves in the series finale vs. the Rays, the Jays brass did what many of us fans thought should have been done long ago; Brett Lawrie will make his MLB debut on Friday night in Baltimore.
To say that there has been an anticipation in Jays’ land for this day is a monumental understatement; the reason(s) it took so long (aside from the hand injury at the end of May) to happen, is inexcusable. The Jays seemingly handled this situation with too many thoughts and not enough action – let’s hope they learn from it.
The fact that Lawrie should have been a starter from Spring Training out is now a grossly understood fact; EE and Nix were in no way a better option than Lawrie. As the months trudged along and the Jays continued to spiral around the .500 level (almost at nauseam), fans began to protest their unrest with the club.
Call in shows; blogs, Twitter, Facebook and local media, all seemed to be baffled by the Jays’ management regarding not only Lawrie, but other minor leaguers, who seemed more than ready to join the Jays. This “rebuilding” year sure didn’t seem that way until last week’s trades to acquire Colby Rasmus, and now today’s call up of Lawrie.
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| Brett Lawrie |
If by chance Lawrie does stumble in his first few games or weeks in the majors, fans will quickly turn to the circus like atmosphere that is sure to eclipse anything the Jays have ever been a part of, as an excuse. However, the simple fact remains that Anthopoulos might have created this situation by continually holding Lawrie back, and thus unleashing what he was trying to avoid all along.
It was far time that Jays fans were given something like a home-grown, multi-talented and eager to impress player to cheer for. Lawrie will be slotted into the line-up (my guess is probably in the 6th hole) and given the rest of the season to strut his stuff at 3rd base. He will make his home debut on Tuesday vs. Oakland – get your tickets fast!
I will have the pleasure of watching him in Seattle on the 15-17, as I make my way from Vancouver, and with the Lawrie clan from BC no doubt making the same trip, it should be a blast!
Let’s hope Anthopoulos et al. remember this calamity the next time the Jays are in this circumstance; also, let’s get ready to be excited about the last 7 weeks of the season, because now, win or lose, there’s something more than a J-Bau HR watch to fuel fan’s desires!
Until next time,
Go Toronto Go!
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