Tuesday 17 November 2015

I made a montage! (And I learned some stuff)

As anyone who knows me knows, I love a good montage. Music + rapidly edited clips of sports people doing sports stuff = an incredibly happy Emily.

I know everyone and his brother has probably created some kind of highlight reel for the Blue Jays this season, but one of the best ones I ever saw was one they showed before the Canada Day game at the SkyDome - it was set to 'We're All In This Together' by Sam Roberts Band (also Canadian!), which is one of my favourite songs, and has a message that really encompasses the energy and the message of this season.

I couldn't find that video anywhere online, and it would have only contained the first 3 months of the season anyways (pre-Tulo & Revere & Price) so I, like any sane person, decided to make own!

One week, a few late nights, and several sticky notes full of scribbles later, voila!
(I didn't choose the thumbnail, but I love that it's Mark Lowe petting Ben Revere's face. It makes me giggle)

A few things I should point out: It's only moments from the REGULAR season. Before anyone gets grumpy about it missing Bautista's bat flip, I did that on purpose, because there were already too many great moments in the regular season to cram into a 5-minute song, I didn't have space for any from the playoffs. One of Donaldson's walkoffs almost didn't make the cut. (And besides, I wanted to end on a happy note, celebrating the AL East title). I might make another video if I feel like it but, ya know, school comes first and all that.

I think I accidentally favoured some of my personal favourite players. Oopsie. Hopefully, if you're a Martin/Travis/Pillar/Goins fan too, you'll like it! I did throw Danny Valencia in there once or twice even though he's no longer a Jay.

I sneakily included a few 'audio easter eggs', bits where the song synced up perfectly with the content of the video. Let me know in the comments if you think you spotted any!

I also realize, since this is the first video I've ever edited, there are a few glitches. For some reason, the program I used, once I converted it to a video file, many of the clips got extended or shifted a few seconds beyond where I thought I'd clipped them (the narration too). As a result, some of them show a few frames of the next shot (if I cut right before a shot change in the original video, which thankfully I didn't do too often) or an extra half-word on the narration. Not sure how to fix that, although I did go back and try a couple times.

I'm also well aware that there are several moments that I would have liked to include but didn't. There may be a Part 2 in the works at some point.

Friday 13 November 2015

Curses!

Today is Friday the 13th, which naturally brings out the superstitious person in all of us. Baseball is a pretty darn superstitious sport in and of itself, so I thought I would revisit a couple of the 'curses' that supposedly led to the Blue Jays not winning the World Series this year (and maybe one that helped them?).

First and foremost, I don't really believe in curses *knocks on wood*. Other than the power that they can have over the people who DO believe in them, there's no evidence to prove these things are real. The only supernatural reason the Jays didn't get to the World Series is the Royals' devil magic. Helped out by a little lying bearded brat, and a crappy 9th-inning strike zone.
Huh, I really thought I'd be over that by now. Moving on...

First and foremost, there's the Taylor Swift curse. You know, the one that says every team whose stadium she gave a concert in started doing badly after she left town. Like the Nats, the Padres, and the Astros (although the Padres were at .481 and in fourth place in their division before she played in San Diego, so they shouldn't even count), some Jays fans got worried that her playing at the Dome would cost them.

I already addressed this:

But it should be noted that in 1989 the Jays lost in the ALCS, to the team that went on to win the World Series (just like every team we've ever lost to in the ALCS) so who knows?

The Jays might have 'lucked' out here, because her concerts in Toronto came in October, pretty much at the very end of the regular season, when they'd already clinched. They won the game in Tampa that occurred simultaneously with her concert on October 2nd, then lost the late-afternoon game prior to her concert the next day, then were thoroughly embarrassed by the Rays the day after that.

And then came the playoffs. One theory is that she doesn't curse the team so much as she curses the stadium, so here's how that played out: The Jays were 3-3 in home games in the postseason, and 2-3 in away games. So much for that.

The jury's still out, but just to be safe, Taylor, the next time you're in Toronto - please play at the ACC.


The next and last curse is the Sports Illustrated Cover Curse. This one is far more well-established and documented (heck, it even has its own Wikipedia page) and is one of those stories where there are just SO many coincidences that even skeptics are scratching their heads. But it can't be that powerful, or else all athletes would refuse to appear on the cover, right? Right?!

Still, when this cover was released, for the October 17th issue, I was more giddy-excited than apprehensive. I mean look at all their smiling faces! They look like the cast of a sitcom! (A sitcom I would totally watch, by the way). Gibby's even got that 'They're zany, but what can I do about it' shrug down pat.
At the beginning of the ALDS, they lost two games and everyone was ready to 'blame the curse!' But then they turned it around, won three in a row and took the ALDS crown. That seems pretty un-curse-like to me. Obviously, they lost in the next round to the aforementioned Royals, but it's not like they got swept. Aside from losing, there's not much to be said for this curse.

And then I did some thinking about the individuals on the cover, and I realized the curse may have affected each of them individually, in more minor ways. And I got some MAJOR goosebumps. Let's break it down:

David Price: This guy seems to have his own personal curse, in that he's never won a postseason game he's started. Three times this year that happened, despite a strong beginning in ALCS Game 2. He pitched well most of the time, but never got enough run support. He also gave up three times as many runs as RA Dickey did in ALDS Game 4, in fewer innings. (That's more of a compliment to Dickey than it is an indictment of Price). Also, in that very Wikipedia article, I found that this (sorry for the tiny text):

Russell Martin: He had a minor slump at the plate in the postseason, and didn't hit a single home run (surprising, considering just about every other Jays player did). But the most obvious symbol of his curse was 'the throw that launched a thousand beer cans' in ALDS game 5, a.k.a. his return toss to Aaron Sanchez that somehow managed to find Shin-Soo Choo's bat and roll away, allowing Roughned Odor to score and causing mass hysteria at the Dome. It was the flukiest of all flukes, something nobody on either team or the umpiring staff had ever seen before.
Here he is discussing that very moment:

Troy Tulowitzki: Tulo also had an issue with the umpires and with Odor (maybe Odor himself is a curse, hmmm...) because he was the one who laid down the tag in the 14th inning of Game 2 that was reviewed, and somehow still ruled safe. If the out was called properly, it would have ended the inning - but instead, Odor and another run scored, leading to the Jays losing that game. 

Tulo also was involved in a debacle with Sam Dyson in the 5th game of that very series (keep your hands to yourself, Dyson!) and got bizarrely ejected for no apparent reason from ALCS in game 3. 
Now you might think Jose Bautista was immune from the curse, being that he probably had the best postseason out of anyone - hitting 4 homers, including the one that brought the house down and sealed the ALDS. But he, Josh Donaldson and Edwin Encarnacion - the remaining fellows on the cover - all were removed from games with minor injuries, 3 of the 4 Jays players this happened to (Brett Cecil being the 4th). In game 1 of the ALDS, Bautista felt a tightness in his hamstring that prevented him from taking the field in the ninth inning. 

Donaldson was the final out in the last game of the ALCS, down by 1 and unable to drive in the man on 3rd. As mentioned earlier, he was also pulled from ALDS game 1 for fear of a possible concussion after he slid into 2nd base and smacked his head off Roughned Odor's knee (damnit Odor!) 
Ouch.
Encarnacion suffered another sprained finger during the first game of the ALCS that caused his swing to become painful, prompting him leaving the game early. 

The only Jays player missing from this cover that possibly had an even worse postseason was Ryan Goins, who went 0-for-18 in his first 5 games. And then there was that time that he didn't catch a pop-up in RF in Kansas City... Stupid ghosts. 
I should note that, aside from that bloop, he was spectacular defensively all postseason long, and totally redeemed himself at the plate afterwards (including with a home run!). Good for you, Go-Go! 

There may have also been some awesome sort of magic working in the Jays' favour - such as this tweet from the governor of Texas that seemed to have jinxed not one, but both of the teams mentioned. The Jays won the 4th game of the series that very night in Texas, and then all the errors in Inning 7 of Game 5... well, you know the rest. 
Still, the SI curse is kind of spooky, and in terms of MLB it didn't even stop with the Blue Jays this year. They featured Mets second baseman Daniel Murphy prior to the World Series, after he'd hit a crazy number of home runs in consecutive games - and then he made a bunch of errors and didn't hit a single homer in the WS. 

But the photo shoot for the Jays' cover did gift us with this gem, so it can't be all bad, right?

Wednesday 11 November 2015

Russell Martin Beard Appreciation Post

So the other day, I decided to catalog and sort all the photos I've collected of the Jays this year, as sort of an off-season project.
And I realized one thing.

Russell Martin's beard is glorious.
Now, I know there are a collection of great beards on this team. Bautista wouldn't look like himself without a beard (neither would mini-Bautista).
R.A. Dickey's is authoritative and tidy, like a teacher's.  

Buehrle's, duh. 

Pillar grew one this year that gradually became more Amish-like as the season wore on.
Devon Travis had one that I like to consider the baby version of Russell's.

Josh Donaldson's popped in and out of existence, and much like his hair, took on many shapes.
At times, Drew Hutchison's was so high-definition that I believed he'd drawn the damn thing on with a marker.

Various other guys (Colabello, Estrada, Price, Smoak... the list goes on) also experimented with the scruffy look.

But Russell's is on a whole other level.
I mean just look at it!!
That is some Grade-A level bearding going on right there.

There may be beards out there that are longer, wilder, and more physics-defying (looking at you, Dallas Keuchel), but his is just so... nice!
I mean it helps that the rest of his face is nice, too. What with the twinkly eyes and the joyful smile.
(And no, I don't know what he's doing with that bat)
But without his beard, he wouldn't be the same Russell we've come to know and love. 
The 'stache on its own just doesn't cut it. 
The beard is one of his best features.
It's so very versatile. Even when it's dripping in champagne, it retains its shape.
Give him a porkpie hat, and he's Hipster Russell! 
Give him a vest and tie, and he could be a lawyer, or an English professor. Or Prime Minister!
RM for PM. I'd trust this face to run my country and not be evil about it. 
Obviously the beard looks best when Russell's happy (as we all do)
Tra la laaa, skipping down the street...
But even when he's sad, it's still on point. 
Same with when he's puffing on a cigar.
Sucks to be Yankees fans (for many reasons) but mostly because they never got to enjoy the majesty of the beard when he played for them. 
*So majestic*
Whether he's sitting alone in the dark, 
 Pretending to be shortstop for a day,
 Or channeling his inner Spider-Man, his beard is right there with him.
(I mean, where else would it be, it's in a beard's nature to go everywhere with its owner...)

It can bring us to tears with its beauty.
(Don't be fooled, he's only PARTLY crying about his dad playing O Canada)
It makes the good times just that much better.
And helps him look just that much more intimidating when he wants to.
Why so serious? 
But we all know there's nothing to be scared of, because deep down he's nothing but a big fuzzy teddy bear.  (See what I did there? Fuzzy? Cos of the beard?) 
It even looks good devoid of colour. 
"Congrats on the great beard, man" - Kevin Pillar, probably
This bat wanted to get up close and personal. And really, who can blame it? 
It is the most magnificent beard to have ever bearded. 
 This is my favourite Russell Martin photo of all time. 
Thank you god, for giving us this beard (and the man attached to it).

And that's coming from a girl who doesn't even normally like facial hair. This beard is that special.

(Crying & praying GIFs created by Tumblr user ATEDaryl)

Friday 16 October 2015

Know Your (New-ish) Jays: Troy Tulowitzki


Yadda yadda Colorado, yadda yadda trade, AA is a wizard, yadda yadda Jose Reyes.

So. Tulo. Unlike a lot of baseball fans, I managed to remain completely oblivious to most of the National League until fairly recently. So believe it or not, when everyone was freaking out about him being acquired at the trade deadline, I was like "Who in the heck is THIS guy?!" (Then again, I was also minorly bummed about Brett Lawrie leaving in the Josh Donaldson trade, so what do I know). And then I did some research and I was like "Holy crap. How did we GET this guy?!"

Does he have Twitter: No he doesn't. Boo, I know.

Irrelevant Facts: My sister, who had never been to a ballgame in her life, and probably never sat through the entirety of one on TV, just so happened to be at his first game as a Blue Jay. She therefore also saw his first home run with the team, live. I was immensely jealous.

His eyes are hazel, but the weird kind of hazel where they look a different colour depending on the angle and the lighting. It took me months of watching his interviews to notice this. Weird.

His young son's name is Taz, which I'm not sure but may possibly be an homage to the Tasmanian Devil from Loony Tunes. Even if it's not, I would like to think it is, because I know Tulo secretly has a whimsical side.

Best quotes: "I thought it was an elbow, but it was Kevin's chin." So simple. So matter-of-fact. Kind of accusatory. (I'm only laughing about this now because he's healed. At the time, this was painful to think about)

Talking about Taz and baseball - "He hits on the tee in the clubhouse, at home. He talks about Ace constantly. He learns the guys’ names, he loves Russ for some reason, he’s really stuck on him. Bautista he says, he’s starting to learn JD, so he’s starting to really pay attention to the game."

What he's good at: You know how ballerinas can jump across the stage and then spin in mid-air? Well Tulo does that, but while throwing a baseball. There's no other way to describe it. All across the world, thousands of little kids are being taught to plant their feet before they throw, and then Tulo just defies all of the traditional teachings and does his own thing. 


Jumping, in general, seems to be something he's remarkably good at (Did he find Brett Lawrie's stash of Redbull? Does he have springs on his feet? Who knows), whether it's hopping over a clumsy catcher trying to land a tag, or leaping out of the way of a stupid slide. Maybe he should have named his son Tigger, if he inherited the bouncy gene... 

What he's not so good at: There's always the 'Tulo's made of glass' narrative, but other that that, I can't really find fault in any part of him. And aside from a collision with the chin-who-shall-not-be-named, he's done hardly anything to hurt himself this season, which is pretty impressive.

2015 Season highlights: 
He hasn't been 100% up-to-offensive-form this year (mainly due to his shoulder) and then there's the whole theory about the thinner air in Colorado, but he's still delivered some pretty clutch hits. Everyone keeps saying "Just wait, he's really really good when he's playing like himself. You haven't seen anything yet." I mean, his first hit as a Jay was a soaring home run, so who am I to argue?

He has kind of a strangely upright batting stance, but we love him for it. And take a look at the wide base his feet make as he completes his swing - that's all power, right there.
Way to make a first impression, bud!


His first defensive play in Toronto wasn't anything too special, other than being successful - but take a look at who he just so happened to get out...
He happened to be the runner on base that Donaldson drove in to cause a walk-off against the Kansas City Royals on July 31st. And then there's the fact that after he joined the team, they went on an 11-game win streak, and were 12-0 with him in the starting lineup (he sat the day after that walk-off, the only game they lost until August 14th). Toronto fans started to think he was our lucky charm. 

It was only fitting that, on the day that record-breaking streak finally ended, down by one run to the Yankees in the bottom of the 9th with runners on 2nd and 3rd, that Tulo was the last out. He struck out with a full count against reliever Andrew Miller, after an incredible battle that lasted nearly ten minutes and felt like much longer. For context - Miller has the third-highest swing-and-miss rate in the entire league. His pitches are hard to make contact with. And Tulo fouled off ten of them. I was disappointed, sure, that that streak was broken when they were so close, but you just couldn't be mad at him. He definitely didn't go down easily. There's no video I could find of that at-bat, but everyone was talking about how remarkable it was. That, boys and girls, was good batting. 

Why I love him: I have learned to love good defense as much, if not more than, anyone else. So his impressive range and spinning and incredible throws are plenty amazing. I also like dingers as much as the next guy, and for some reason I'm always surprised to remember he only hit 5 with the Jays this season. Somehow it's always felt like more. 

I like the way he gives interviews, too. He's always very focused, precise in his choice of wording without hesitation. There's no beating around the bush with him, he's very straightforward and yet tactful. Like after he told off Detroit's Anthony Gose for a questionable slide late in a game the Tigers were losing by 14 runs - "I definitely had a few words for him. He didn't have anything for me back." I remember the first interview he gave after being traded, he kind of reminded me of a hockey player for some reason. Maybe it was the fact that he's always wearing plaid shirts, maybe it was the honest, blunt way he spoke, maybe it was the fact that I'm used to seeing hockey players holding press conferences instead of baseball players, but that struck a chord with my Canadian soul, and I have yet to lose that feeling.

It's also easy to admire the sense of mutual respect he seems to command with the umpires and other players - even when there has been a disputed call or something, he's been able to have a discussion with them without anything escalating.
Look at them all, listening so intently to what Tulo has to say.
As much as I love players who wear their emotions on their sleeve, there's something to be said for variety, and sometimes cool, calm and collected like Tulo carries the day. In a similar vein - when he gets mad, or excited, then you know there's something to really be upset or happy about. I feel like he's the kind of person that, if you can get a small laugh out of him, it's more rewarding than a big laugh from other people.


Happy Tulo, angry Tulo - can you spot the difference?
It's a weird kind of indescribable confidence I have in him, somehow I just trust the guy. Even during the few periods where he was slumping at the plate, I never worried like I have with other players, never felt bad for him, never felt anything other than a sense of 'he's got this under control'. The same thing when he was injured - you knew he was doing his best to get back to the team, but you also knew that he knows his own body the best out of anyone, and he would make the correct judgement call to not hasten back if he wasn't ready.

Speaking of injuries, when he was asked about whether his injury-prone self was concerned about the turf at the Dome, he had this to say: "I've talked to a some of the other guys, and it doesn't seem to affect them ... the research that I've done, maybe moreso the guys with back issues, it stiffens them up, but that's never really been a problem for me." That was so refreshing to hear, that he wasn't just going to assume the turf would be a problem (cough, Buck Showalter, cough cough) and was approaching it with an open mind. 

I love his dedication to the eyeblack - even when the game being played is indoors, or at night, you'll never see him without the stuff. In fact, the first few games he was sitting on the bench after getting injured, it took me a moment to recognize him without his trademark markings. And I'm sure Gregg Zaun would applaud the dedication Tulo has to wearing the flip-down shades - no matter how silly looking they are.  


He has a few little rituals that I find endearing - one where he goes back and touches second base before resuming his position after talking to the pitcher - and another where, before every pitch, he holds his bat straight outward, puffs up his cheeks while looking at it, and then exhales quickly and steps into the batter's box (I first noticed this during his aforementioned battle with Miller, because they would call time and he'd do it between every pitch).
I call it his chipmunk face. 
Off-Field Antics: He's pretty serious, doesn't get up to much in the dugout, and keeps his personal life personal, but over the course of the many clinching celebrations this year, he has been known to chuckle good-naturedly while a teammate (usually Josh Donaldson - why is it always Donaldson?) pours beer over his head and screams at him in excitement. 


When the famous number 2 (which has more to do to a love of Derek Jeter than it does with the number sounding like part of his last name) arrived in Toronto, his number was already occupied by third base coach Luis Rivera. Rivera graciously switched to number four in order to accommodate his new shortstop, and Tulo surprised him with an expensive custom-engraved watch as a thank you gift. How sweet.

There was also the time this happened during warm-ups, the photo that launched a thousand memes:


Pensive Tulo? Sleepy Tulo? Draw-Me-Like-One-Of-Your-French-Girls Tulo? Who cares, we can all agree that this photo is priceless. 

And there exists proof that, on a rare occasion, he actually does smile!



And such a lovely smile it is, too!
Fictional/cartoon character he resembles: A young, hazel-eyed, attractive Sean Penn. (Such a comparison fits in this category, because there has never been an attractive version of Sean Penn). It's there in the nose, and the intense brows, and the jawline. This older picture from when he had longer hair might help illustrate my point: 




And then, after all, there's this...