Colabello praised Jays’ potential in spring camp

TORONTO • Chris Colabello had played in the big leagues before. This time, he came to spring training on a minorleague contract with the Blue Jays. Right away, he says, he noticed something “special.”

Colabello made of point of passing on his observation to manager John Gibbons and GM Alex Anthopoulos. He hoped he might get in on the action when the season started, but he was sent to Triple-A Buffalo.

“I remember being so happy that first week of camp,” he said, “and going in and telling Gibby and Alex, even when they sent me down, I said, ‘I commend you guys on the job you’ve done and the group you’ve put together because it’s special. It has the opportunity to be special.’ And I said I look forward to being a part of it whenever that time comes.”

That time came early in May. On the day he was called up from Buffalo, the Jays’ record was 13-15. After Colabello hit a homer and drove in four runs in a 10-3 win over Oakland on Wednesday night, their record was 6352. They had won 10 straight and moved into first place by half a game over the Yankees. The lead became a full game after Thursday afternoon’s victory over the A’s but before the Yankees had played Cleveland in the evening.

“There’s a bunch of guys in here that I think see what’s in front of us, guys that have been around, young guys that are playing like they’ve been in the league 10 years,” said Colabello, who is batting .324. “It’s a good feeling to come here every day and know that everybody’s got your back.”

Even when the team was struggling, the special feeling endured, he said. Then they started to win, and after a series of startling deadline trades brought in five new players, they began to roll. When Troy Tulowitzki, David Price, LaTroy Hawkins, Mark Lowe and Ben Revere arrived, “it was a seamless transition,” Colabello said.

Grabbing first place on Aug. 12 is an important accomplishment, but the players also know what’s more important is holding that position after the last pitch of the 162nd game, he added.

“Baseball’s a game of ups and downs, and I think sometimes everybody outside the clubhouse has a tendency to forget that,” he said. “We know there’s going to be peaks and there’s going to be valleys. It’s a matter of emotionally staying even-keel, in the middle somewhere, where you want to be. So that way you come to the park every day and just expect to go out and compete, and let the results fall where they may.

“It’s great to go on runs and to be in first place at this time of the year, but nothing counts until everything is said and done.”

He seemed confident the players will not lose sight of that principle because of the way Anthopoulos rebuilt the roster, starting in the off-season with the acquisitions of Josh Donaldson and Russell Martin.

“I know that was the focal point for the organization, to bring in guys that had the label of character guys and winners,” Colabello said.