REIGN DELAY
Washout in Baltimore paired with Yankees loss leaves Jays a win away from AL East crown,
BALTIMORE— The forecast was for steady rain, commencing mid-afternoon at Camden Yards. The Blue Jays had already cancelled batting practice on the field prior to Tuesday’s postponed game against the Orioles.
But Troy Tulowitzki was anxious to hit on the field, to watch line drives sail up the alley. The injured shortstop had not experienced that since colliding with Kevin Pillar on Sept. 12 at Yankee Stadium. This was Tulowitzki’s final step toward a return.
As such, he came early to the ballpark with coaches and took about 30 swings against live pitching, passing his own personal test with flying colours. On Monday, he had managed about five swings poaching on a late group in BP before a huge black cloud prompted the grounds crew to race out and halt the proceedings, dismantle the cage and cover the field as Tulo stood there unamused. He finished Monday’s session in the batting cages under the stands. Not what he wanted.
“It’s nice to get out there on the field and watch the ball,” Tulowitzki admitted after his Tuesday session, hours before the game was postponed. “It’s a little different than hitting in the cage. I’m definitely pretty close. Maybe it’s the last game of the (Orioles) series. Maybe (Friday) when the Tampa series starts, but I definitely like my chances to play in games before the post-season starts.”
The Pillar chin-to-left-shoulder-blade collision cracked a bone and damaged a muscle group which has prevented Tulowitzki from swinging the bat on the field, until now. He has discomfort, but not necessarily pain, and that’s something he feels will allow him to play.
“I don’t think what’s going on is whether my bone doesn’t heal or the muscles don’t heal,” Tulowitzki said. “I’m good enough to take swings and I’m good enough to field ground balls and now it’s just about giving them good feedback: ‘Hey I took a lot of swings and a lot of hard swings and I feel good.’
“These guys constantly are asking how I’m feeling and some even watch me out there. That means a lot.” TROY TULOWITZKI ON HIS TEAMMATES
“I think that’s what their concern is, not to rush this thing as far as saying, ‘OK, hey, you say you feel good but go out there and play a game and really get after it and see how it responds.’ ”
There usually is a silver lining attached to every setback in life, and this dark cloud of injury to one of their stars is no different for the Jays. The silver lining is at least a hope that the rest of this playoffbound team has benefitted from learning they can win without their all-star and fifth-place hitter.
The Jays were 30-8 with Tulowitzki in the starting lineup; they are 9-5 since the Yankee Stadium freak injury heading into Wednesday’s doubleheader with the O’s. After struggling to adjust at 4-5, the Jays have won five in a row as they edge toward clinching the division over the Yankees and stealing first overall in the AL from the Royals.
They are good without Tulowitzki, but even better with him.
“Numbers speak for itself, how we did when he was in that lineup,” manager John Gibbons said. “But let’s face it, we’re going to need him in the lineup if we’re going to be our best. The guys that filled in have done a great job, they really have. It’s forced us to pinch-hit at times too. But here in September we can do it because we’ve got so many guys.”
Tulowitzki loves that he has never been made to feel like an outsider during his time on the sidelines, even though he is still getting to know many of his teammates. It has touched him on a personal level. He described the best thing he learned from Tuesday’s personal batting practice.
“It’s just the support I got from my teammates,” Tulowitzki explained.
“These guys constantly are asking how I’m feeling and some even watch me out there, whatever it is. That means a lot. That’s the biggest thing that I felt, was just the love from the teammates to say ‘Wow, these guys do want me back.’ That’s important. I think you always remember things like that because there will be other guys down on our team and if you just go up to him and say, ‘Hey man, we want you back out there, and we can’t wait for you’ on a daily basis, that makes you feel good.”
Tulowitzki was just a kid, a secondyear player, with the Rockies in the 2007 playoffs when they had to sit for a week and wait for the Red Sox to finish up the ALCS.
Though the Jays have clinched a playoff berth with nine days left, the 30-year-old spoke of the positives of the team still having goals — the AL East and home-field throughout that keeps them playing hard in the final week.
“I think that helps a lot,” Tulowitzki said. “I think it’s helped in this case right now to where the Royals were running away with this thing a little bit and we were coming to the ballpark really playing meaningful games, at least since I’ve got here. Every game’s been meaningful, we’ve needed to win them. I think that’s helped out a lot.”
The Jays have a chance to clinch the AL East on Wednesday, if the weather co-operates.