Even though my beloved Toronto Blue Jays finished their season at .500 yesterday, I am already excited for next year and here's why:
1. Jose Bautista.
I don't think this needs further explanation, but I'll say it anyway: the man is an All-Star. He's a leader with the bat, on the field and in the clubhouse. He plays hard every day which makes him fun to watch. He should be this year's AL MVP. Period. He also proved that 2010 wasn't a fluke, which means 2012 will be just as good- I can't wait to see him bat third at the home opener on April 9th.
2. Brett Lawrie
He's young, he's exciting and he's Canadian. What more could Canada's only major league baseball franchise ask for? Besides his heroics with the bat and remarkably improved play at third, what I most enjoy about Lawrie is the fact that in every Jays walk-off victory since he joined the club, he is the first guy congratulating the guy who did it (assuming it wasn't him). He's as happy for his teammate as he would be for himself. That attitude is good and best of all, it's infectious. All we need to do is wrap his hands in bubble paper when he's not playing and we'll get to see him for all 162 in 2012.
3. Alex Anthopoulos
Whether you think he's a Ninja, a Jedi, or the Silent Assassin, the Jays' young GM is the real deal. No one can guess his next move, but I guarantee you it will involve trading for some other club's best player in exchange for a bag of baseballs and leaving them feeling like they just made the best deal ever. This means anything could happen in the off-season, making the lead-up to 2012 very exciting.
4. Ricky Romero
Now, way back when we drafted Romero, Jays Nation was irked that we took him and not Troy Tulowitzki. And for a while, maybe they had a point, but I always believed, deep down that just because Tulowitzki turned out to be pretty good, that didn't mean Ricky couldn't be good as well. This year, Romero had a breakout year. He is clearly the ace of our staff and has embraced that role. But for a few bad breaks, his record could have easily been 16-18 wins this year, something I have faith that he will achieve in 2012.
5. JP Arencibia
This year, JP broke the Jays' home runs by a catcher record, guided our young staff through their ups and downs and improved markedly behind the plate. Besides all that, he's embraced Toronto in a way that rarely happens in our city. If you follow JP on Twitter (and really, if you're reading this, you probably do), you know he's gone out of his way to experience Toronto. He's tried the Bixi bikes, loves CMT, attempted to watch local softball games and announces what local restaurants he goes to. Also, he's recently taken to handing out "Stars" hockey-style on Twitter after games. The guy is fun and genuinely cares about the fans. I can't wait to read his insights next year.
6. Brandon Morrow
King of the Strikeouts. His command wasn't picture perfect all year long, but he finished strong and struck out 203 batters this year, making him just the fourth Blue Jays pitcher in history to clear 200 strikeouts in a season. A little work in the off-season will make Morrow and Romero a knockout 1-2 punch in 2012.
7. All the young guys.
The average age of the Jays is 27.2, which puts them among the younger teams in the league. There is nothing but long, bright futures on the horizon for guys like Henderson Alvarez, Kyle Drabek and Travis Snider. And with the potential they displayed in 2011, 2012 could be breakout years for all of them.
8. The new logo
Apparently, the new logo for our Jays has been leaked. Full disclosure: I don't especially care for it. I think the bird looks a little chunky in the cheek and I fear for the font. Honestly, I like the fierce bird we have now. That said, I do agree we could use a little more Canadian-ness in our uniforms. So since it seems that most people do like the "new logo" and are excited about it, if this really turns out to be the one and it attracts more fans back to my team in 2012, I will embrace it and the enthusiasm that comes with it. There is no place like the Rogers Centre (read SkyDome) when it's full- if the new logo helps make that happen, 2012 will be a loud, fun year.
9. The Expanded Playoffs
It's time and it's a miracle Selig figured it out. It'd be better to also dump the divisions so the teams play each other an equal number of times, but baby steps. Assuming all the details get worked out, with two wild cards next year, it increases our odds of getting in.
10. Anything Can Happen
The 2011 Jays proved that they're never out of any game, that any trade can be made and that people in Toronto do care about baseball and how our team does. There's a feeling about this group of young men that anything is possible and we're so close to returning to the glory days. I see Blue Jays tshirts, jerseys and hats everywhere. Anytime they did something interesting, they trended on Twitter for hours. There's a momentum building and I can't wait to see what it brings with it in 2012.
