JAYS’ PR REALLY DROPPED THE BALL WITH HALLADAY

I thought it was just me and my constant annoyance with almost everything the Blue Jays do these days. And then I went to the annual Sports Media Canada luncheon and found out it was a topic of uncomfortable conversation.

Why were the Blue Jays so obtuse on the day Roy Halladay died? Why were they so distant? They didn’t have a press conference the way the Phillies did. They didn’t make anyone available to talk about Halladay. They offered no comments at all. And they had almost no presence on social media at all. Well after the Phillies had sent out a warm release about Halladay’s death, the Blue Jays sent out an unemotional, rather cold statement, not even mentioning Halladay’s wife or children by name.

Every time I want to give the new Blue Jays the benefit of the doubt, they corporately trip all over themselves. I can understand a poorly written statement, considering the circumstances. I can’t understand anyone in senior management being so tone deaf as to have approved its release.

That didn’t come from me. That came from PR professionals in the industry.

What the Jays sent out after the tragic death of one of their greatest players was cringe-worthy.

Those on the inside figure the Jays will make up for their misplay of Tuesday by retiring Halladay’s number, possibly on opening day of the 2018 season. “They can fix this,” a Jays insider said. “They’d better fix this.”