Yes, I’ll admit it. I’ve jumped up on the Blue Jays bandwagon. Hard to believe, I know.

There was a time I was a casual baseball fan. I used to enjoy listening to the games on the radio while I did other things like work on paintings in my studio. Those were the days when Tom Cheek and Early Wynne called the games. I used to like it when Tom took a bathroom break and Early called the “filth” inning.

Then came the baseball strike. When was that – 95? The idea that the super-rich owners and the super-rich players would have themselves a labour dispute seemed so silly to me. There was plenty of wealth there for everyone with excess gold spilling over the edge of the pot. I just couldn’t believe they couldn’t sit down and divide up the pie in a way everyone could be happy with. I abandoned ship completely. From 1995 until this year I have no idea what happened in baseball. I neither listened to nor watched a game.

Then this year the team traded up and went from mediocre to pretty great and it perked my interest. OK, they stacked the team with a few top-drawer players, but there is no way they’re going to catch up, or so I thought. I was pretty sure there was no way the Jays were going to make the playoffs, but I began paying attention. I found myself checking scores. How are those Jays doing? And then I started listening to games. When they last played the Yankees, I actually went out to a local pub, had an ale and some mediocre wings and watched the game on the pub’s many screens. I’ve never done anything like that. In fact, it’s pretty rare I go to a pub for any reason these days.

So, OK mea maxima culpa, I jumped on the bandwagon. I even find myself jabbering about the team as if I know what I’m talking about (trust me I don’t). Go Jays Go!