Well folks, here we are three days post-World Series, tired and a bit sad and very proud of our team. I will not pretend to be a die-hard fan, if anything I’m the opposite. I have watched only a handful of major league baseball games since the Blue Jays won in ‘93. In the regular season I couldn’t have told you the names of more than three current Blue Jays players. Even during the playoffs I didn’t watch every game.
And yet, even I got romanced by this team. There are good reasons people get so into professional sports, and this year’s World Series had them all in spades.
Group happiness (the positive version of mob mentality)
This World Series we experienced the good version of mob mentality, group happiness. Group happiness is that surging wave of energy and joy that gets so much bigger and more compelling when it’s shared with thousands of other people. I usually avoid activities where mob mentality is possible, where rioting might break out and things can turn dangerous on a dime. It is very easy to draw a parallel between a stadium full of rabid European football fans (for example) and the divisive, hateful, us-against-them rhetoric that can take hold in this world.
But this playoff run was different. This Blue Jays team had such a joyful, light and human energy about them that the crowd mirrored the same. There was so much positivity around it all that it felt like something I wanted to be a part of. And in the same way that mob mentality shows us the worst of what people can be, the kind of group happiness the Blue Jays inspired showed us just how good people can be.
The tension and release
I have to be honest, watching games six and seven, I wanted to go to bed. I’ve been sick for over a week and these games have been starting so late, I didn’t want to stay up. But once I turned on the game, I couldn’t not watch. The tension that built up inning by inning had to be released; there was no way to get to sleep without seeing the resolution. We didn’t get the huge burst of elation that would have come with a win - the tension exploding into joyous celebration that probably would have left us sleepless as well. No, we got the air leaking out of a balloon release that comes with the let down, but it is a release nonetheless and we humans are addicted to that tension-release cycle. It’s what makes a good movie, how a great drop in a song re-energizes people on the dance floor, and it’s why people love thrillers. Tension and release, baby.
The players
It took me maybe three games to fall in love with this team.
First it was Yesavage, the rookie pitcher who worked his way through the minor leagues this season, made his major league debut on September 15, and went on to break multiple playoff records on the mound. You could read his lips after his first playoff game, telling the guys on the bench “that was a lot of f$*king fun.” Imagine a pro athlete having fun? I loved it.
Then it was Vladimir Guerrero Jr., the insanely good first baseman who also seems to be everybody’s favourite person, smiling and laughing with teammates and rivals alike. Everybody loves this guy, and if you watched one game you love him too. (I fell in love all over again seeing him enter game seven wearing the Poulin jersey.)
Then it was Schneider walking up to the plate to “Pink Pony Club.” I love a weirdo who doesn’t care what anyone thinks, what can I say?
And then came Ernie Clement’s attention grabbing game seven slide into home plate, made for the cameras and full of silly glee. Showy but funny, like he was having the time of his life.
And his post-game interview:
“The only thing I can think of right now is spending this last night with all the boys,” an emotional Clement said. “I’m just going to miss them in the off-season. I couldn’t wait to come to the field every day and just hang with everybody. I’ve been crying for probably an hour. I thought I was done with the tears, but I just love these guys so much. It was just so much fun coming to work every day and battling with these guys. We have so much to be proud of, even if it didn’t go our way.”
It was obvious the whole team was having the best time while battling for the biggest title of their careers. It was how sports should be, trying hard and not taking yourself too seriously. Having fun with your teammates and the other team alike. Treating each other like human beings.
I fell in love with the Blue Jays this fall, a little late to the game but happy to have seen a team that not only excels at the game, but plays with the heart and soul this world could use a little more of.
You made us proud, boys.
Upcoming Shows
Nov 20 at 7pm - Spotlight Series 7 (Art Gallery of Northumberland)
Local artists and collaborators Katie Hoogendam (Merkat), Shannon Linton, and Saskia Tomkins explore the ways in which art sustains, connects, and enriches the shared spaces we inhabit. Tickets on sale here.
xo
Shannon