BLUE JAYS’ 20-GAME WINNER IS THE STRONG, SILENT TYPE
On a team full of flashy haircuts and even flashier attitudes, Happ just goes to work
J.A. Happ’s season last year was sort of like a secret bombing run: The left-hander flew under the radar.
Happ went 20-4 — only the sixth Toronto Blue Jays pitcher ever to reach the 20-win milestone and first since Roy Halladay in 2008 — and landed in the American League top 10 in a number of pitching categories, including ERA, wins, win-loss percentage and hits per nine innings. He also pitched a careerhigh 195 innings.
But somehow — possibly because of his understated demeanour — Happ didn’t earn the same recognition of some of his contemporaries. He put together one of the quietest 20-game win campaigns in history, with guys like Rick Porcello, Chris Sale, Corey Kluber and Justin Verlander getting more publicity. Happ acknowledged as much, but with a shrug.
“It doesn’t matter,” he said. “I don’t care. I’m not a guy that needs a lot of (publicity). It’s just kind of what it is. That’s kind of maybe how it’s always been with me, which is fine. We have some high-profile guys on this team, so it’s certainly understandable that a lot of the attention goes elsewhere, and that actually probably works better for me anyway.”
When you play on a club that includes Josh Donaldson, Jose Bautista and (last year) Edwin Encarnacion, you might get a little overlooked. As well, the Jays’ rotation last year wasn’t exactly picked for great things. There were question marks everywhere in spring training, including who the fifth starter would be. But the starting five put together the best performance in the AL and are hoping for more of the same, starting with Happ, who is perfectly happy to go about his business and remain in the background.
“Yeah, I don’t need (publicity) to be motivated or anything like that,” he said inside the Florida Auto Exchange Stadium clubhouse on Tuesday. “When it’s there, it can be nice — when it’s positive. But I’ve had the negative too, so I realize how it goes.”
The 34-year-old has had his ups and downs during a 10-year major league career. He survived a scary line drive to the head in 2013 off the bat of Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Desmond Jennings, and was on the Houston Astros’ roster during two seasons that eclipsed 100 losses. But Happ always knew he had the stuff — it was just a matter of finding the right formula.
“I talked to (Jays pitching coach) Pete Walker the last time I was (with Toronto) and said that I thought the capability was always there. I’d say, ‘Watch these other guys. Their stuff’s not that much different. I just need to execute in order to get to this level.’ ”
The book on Happ was that he found his best form after he was traded in July 2015 from the Seattle Mariners to the Pittsburgh Pirates, with whom he posted a 7-2 record, 1.85 ERA and 69 strikeouts in 11 starts. But Happ said his form started coming around after his first tour of duty with the Jays in 2014, though he also had some good years early in his career with the Philadelphia Phillies.
“I used to think maybe my stuff has to be better, I have to be so consistent and so perfect, but that wasn’t the case,” the Illinois native said. “It was kind of about fine-tuning some things and competing, and the mental edge as well.”
For the most part, Happ had the battle won last season, and the goal is to keep it going. In the off-season he bought a place in nearby Clearwater, Fla., and Happ spent much of the time working out at the Jays’ complex in Dunedin.
“The focus is still there,” Happ said. “With the wins or whatever, they’re going to come and go. My goal is not to win 20 unless I start getting close. Really, the goal is just to be dependable. That’s what I was fighting a lot in my career, trying to be more consistent, more dependable. It’s the hardest thing in baseball, to be consistent. I’m going to try to repeat that consistency part this season.”
And while he may not have an in-your-face attitude, Happ wants to take more of a leadership role this season, especially with the Jays’ younger pitchers.
“I think I’m getting a little bit more to that point in my career,” he said. “I certainly try to talk to some of the other younger guys — Stroman and Sanchez — and try to help them. They’ve got a great work ethic, great confidence, but I just try to let them know I’ve gone through quite a bit in this game, ups and downs, and hopefully they feel like I’m someone they can lean on.”