Bumpy beginnings for Jays’ new front office
On the subject of grass in the Rogers Centre, it looks like Mark Shapiro has stepped in it again.
At his year-end press conference on Thursday, the Blue Jays new president sent another shiver down the neck of the fan base with what sounded like an organizational about-face on plans to bring grass into the ball park.
“In my opinion, we don’t need it. My opinion is clearly it would be better. It’s just a question of the alternatives and what are we going to have to choose between,” Shapiro told the gathered press. “I like the game better, I think everyone likes the game better on natural grass. Do we need it? No.”
After years of being told artificial turf was a detriment to free agents and takes a toll on our own players, this is yet another tone deaf look from Shapiro.
Admittedly, he arrived at a tricky time, replacing a beloved general manager, Alex Anthopoulos, who chose to leave. From there, there have been a number of media flareups, from not offering David Price a contract, which the previous regime supposedly was going to do, to invoking loathed former manager John Farrell at the press conference while introducing his new righthand man, Ross Atkins. Even bringing back J.A. Happ could be seen as an affront to fans. It is almost as if Shapiro is underestimating how baseball savvy people are here. Or, at least, Blue Jays savvy.
Was he aware the Rogers Centre grass was important enough for a fan to submit a Freedom of Information request to get the communications between the team and the University of Guelph? That’s a perfect example of the level of investment by hardcore fans here.
On his arrival, it felt like the media greeted Shapiro with kid gloves. This could be chalked up to Canadian politeness and the fair thing in allowing someone to make a first impression — which is also something the media has to do.
It is one of those things that is always unsaid, but one of the very practical considerations whenever there is a regime change of this nature is that things reset, and media folks jockey for insider access. Relationships are often key to getting scoops, and with so much interest after a heady season it’s only natural for the press corps to try and get in good with the new crew.
But the moves this team is making are making that difficult. With each disappointment, and Shapiro’s management speak about “the process” and “budgetary constraints,” it is clear the goodwill from last season has faded.
Most of the big columnists in town have been critical of ownership and the team’s moves this off-season, including the Globe and Mail’s Cathal Kelly, who wrote a scathing column last week that said: “Whatever magic Toronto had coming out of the 2015 season has been bled off by corporate bafflegab and an executive haircut that leaves nothing above the shoulders.”
While we at the Star have stopped allowing reader comments, Shapiro might want to read the ones on that story, as that article captured how many Torontonians are feeling.
What is truly amazing is how grim the talk of the Jays has turned, especially considering this is a team whose incredible offence should keep it as a contender.
“It feels like a team capable of winning the World Series next year,” Shapiro said Thursday.
He better hope that happens, as that might be one thing that changes people’s minds about him.
In all fairness, Shapiro is the new man in charge and if he is approaching everything with an objective and open mind, then this could be good in the long run. One of his reasons for his reported hiring was his ability to make improvements to the aging building. That said, for a man clearly careful with his language, why not use a word like ‘re-evaluating’ as opposed to clearly stating his disdain for a new field?
The other issue is that Shapiro does feel like he is wrestling with the ghosts of the past regime, and looks like he is trying to do whatever he can to strike out to let everyone know this is his show.
That’s also tough to do when even the media continue to celebrate the last guy. On Thursday, the local Baseball Writer’s Association of America chapter awarded Anthopoulos the John Cerutti Award, which is given to a person associated with the team who exemplifies goodwill, co-operation and character. As well, the Toronto Sun awarded him the 2015 winner of the George Gross Award for Sportsman of the Year.