I have both good news and bad news for the Toronto Blue Jays and their many fans throughout Canada. Good news, crazy as it seems with them having such a mediocre season so far, they are only three games out of a wildcard spot. Bad news, there are seven teams ahead of them hoping to achieve the same goal as them and thus, unfortunately, they really have no hope in overcoming this deficit and making the playoffs. Relying on high school mathematic wizard Doug Roach's “theory of possibility and probability”; it just isn't realistic to expect a positive outcome. It just isn't going to happen for so many reasons... Sorry!
Staying with the Jays, they just completed a series with the powerful World Series champion Cubbies in beautiful Wrigley Field, and received some international exposure throughout America but unfortunately they couldn't come up with some much needed wins. One more thing; why is Jose Bautista batting lead-off, struggling with a .210 batting average. Maybe Jays’ management should have paid more attention (took the hint) during the off season when not one team offered Jose even a meagre contract.
For the third year in a row, a team from the SWBL has won the Western Canadian Senior AA Championships, played this year in Prince George, B.C. Led by player/manager Mitch Olson from the Deloraine Royals, a team of talented and hard-working individuals was assembled to defend their crown and they did it the hard way, having to get by the Saskatoon squad that had beaten them twice before, once in round robin and once in the 1-2 playoff game, better known as the Paige System. Playing key roles in the triumph were Oilers’ Zane Sawyer and Nolan Jago, not to mention VCI Phys. Ed. teacher Curtis (rubber arm) Plett, who not only pitched well in relief in the semi-final game but “manned up” later, starting and winning the finale in a truly gutsy effort.
Closer to home, the Rivers Comets hosted and won the inaugural Senior A Provincial Championships by beating the Cartwright Twins in front of a boisterous home town crowd. Ryan Shaw turned out to be the hero as the big right-hander tossed 14 innings of no run ball to help his team win their biggest title in team history.
What on earth is happening with the Los Angeles Dodgers, (87 wins and a .713 winning percentage), maybe money does make a difference after all. Money doesn’t usually buy World Series championships but this season the team with the highest payroll in MLB, (over $242 million, $41 mil more, than the Yankees) looks like they’ll be there come October. On the strange and ridiculous side, the Dodgers’ are paying P Clayton Kershaw $33 million this year, which is more than the entire 25 man active roster of the San Diego Padres. (It should be noted that of the Padres' $63 mil payroll, $37 million of it goes to players no longer on the team).
Trivia time, how big is Toronto's payroll and where do the Blue Jays stand on the ladder?
Once again the Western Division of the CFL is completely dominating the lowly Eastern Division as no team down East currently has a winning record. Sad but true, even the Blue Bombers are 6-2 and that could improve if they beat the Alouettes last night.
The fight that everybody has been waiting for all summer is finally here. Tomorrow night undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr. takes on Irishman and super mouth Conor McGregor, the champion of MMA. Can a mixed martial arts superstar beat a boxing superstar, and legend? Who cares if you can pocket the kind of money that these boys are going to take home, $400 million for Mayweather, $100 million for McGregor.
Trivia answer, Jays have the fifth highest payroll at $177 million. Until next time....
