WIN IT

That was a ridiculously stressful weekend of baseball and I loved every second of it. Except Friday. I don't know, Mark Buehrle. I just don't know.

The Jays actually won a series in the Bronx for the first time in two seasons. And if that doesn't make you feel  somehow empowered and hopeful about the rest of the season, I can't help you. If you didn't feel something when Bautista stole second to get into scoring position late in the game, a move that helped him be the go ahead run,  I don't know what to tell you. Here is the man, the myth, the legend himself, as told to John Lott:

“I knew there were two outs, and I figured it would have to be a pretty long extra-base hit for me to score from first because I’m not the fastest guy on the team. I know that Robertson, unless he slide-steps, is a little bit slow to the plate. I just took a chance. I said I’m going to try to take a hop-step when he comes set, and if he doesn’t [try a pickoff], I’m going to go. I did, and he didn’t pick, he went to the plate, and I got the easy stolen base, got in scoring position early in the at-bat for Dioner. He had a great at-bat. He did a helluva job battling some tough pitches and fouling some balls off and getting the knock.”

 After the Orioles beat the Mariners in extras yesterday, I tweeted "Thanks for nothing, Mariners." And I got a few replies that said something along the lines of  "Well now the Jays have sole possession of the second wild card." And I was instantly reminded of all those Ricciardi years where the goal was .500 baseball- as if that was something to get excited about.

I don't want the “second wild card”, with it's playoff game and desperation.

I want the division.

Screw the Orioles and their golden horseshoe luck and Nelson Cruz's alarmingly manicured eyebrows and their fans booing Melky Cabrera despite the  presence of Cruz on their team and their bragging about being in first (after about an hour of being in first.)

Screw the Yankees and their geriatric players, and their hometown calls and their deification of Derek Jeter. Screw that they get talked about as somehow more relevant in the playoff race than the Jays, though they have almost identical records and were never in first place as long as the Jays.

Screw the Rays and their sudden surge to relevance, for one time employing a rapist (apparently STILL, in AAA), for their stupid stadium and their fans making comments about the Jays' lack of fans, as well as insanely ignorant comments about Canada. Screw them for calling out David Ortiz for pimping homers (how about don't give up homers to him? Problem solved.)

Screw the Red Sox for having terrible, entitled fans that think they are great. Screw John Farrell's “magic”. Screw Jonny Gomes’ stupid beard. Screw BROCK HOLT. Screw David Ortiz's home run pimping and calling other players' “sensitive” while being overly sensitive.

Screw the AL East. And go out and WIN IT.