Let’s be clear: there are constituencies in this country where the possibility of a Canadian usurping Usain Bolt as the fastest man in the world would pale in comparison to Sidney Crosby’s gold medal-winning goal at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics because – well, because hockey. And that’s OK.
But think about this: if Andre De Grasse were to somehow have beaten Bolt in the men’s 100-metre race on Saturday at the IAAF World Championships in London, it would have been the signature Canadian sports moment; a moment that would resonate in every corner of the planet. These are heady times for Canada internationally, in part because the of train-wreck that is Donald Trump and the resulting sullying of the U.S.’s international image has initiated a kind of chain reaction that results in the neighbour to the north being viewed through a different lens.
People outside Canada like our prime minister, just as everybody used to love British PM Tony Blair because he wasn’t George Bush, until history caught up to Blair. It was all about “Cool Britannia” back then and had he pulled this off De Grasse would have been “Brand Canada” personified.
But no.
There will be no moment for Andre De Grasse, who announced via Twitter on Wednesday that a hamstring injury will force him out of the world championships.
Now, I’m not saying it’s even a likelihood that De Grasse – the Olympic bronze medallist in the 100 metres in Rio de Janeiro – would dethrone the greatest and most impactful athlete post-Muhammad Ali in what Bolt says is his last race.
Bolt’s history is to run the best time of each year in that season’s biggest event, and in a pre-race news conference this week he seemed to have De Grasse squarely in his sights as only Bolt can, taking umbrage with what he viewed as disrespectful comments from De Grasse and his camp: suggestions that Bolt’s staff pressured organizers to keep De Grasse out of the men’s 100-metre event in Monaco last weekend. Bolt took offence when a reporter from his homeland – Jamaica – asked a question that carried a remote hint that he might in fact lose. He went on to suggest a post-race headline. “Unbeatable. For me that would be the biggest headline. Unbeatable. Unstoppable. Hear that guys? Jot it down.”
I’d add the word redoubtable. Bolt is so good I can’t imagine him losing, frankly, unless he decided to throw the race. He dominates like no athlete I’ve seen in my lifetime. And that’s why I’m pained for De Grasse, because even though there is still a chance he will become the next great sprinter and maybe even set a world record, he won’t get to do it against Bolt. It will be like claiming a vacant boxing title instead of beating the champion. What a shame. What a moment lost.
THE CASE FOR MARCO ESTRADA
By far the most interesting news out of the trade deadline, at least from the Toronto Blue Jays‘ point of view, was general manager Ross Atkins’ suggestion that Marco Estrada’s future could very well be with the Blue Jays, as opposed to being dealt in some post-non-waiver trade deadline deal.
It makes sense. There was not a great deal of interest in Estrada at the deadline – I’m told rumours of late attraction on the part of the Kansas City Royals were overstated – because in addition to being a free agent, his inconsistency made him the least desirable of commodities for a contender: a free agent who is a project. Truth is, the chances of Estrada regaining his footing under Blue Jays pitching coach Pete Walker are better than if he were to have gone to a place that didn’t know him, and perhaps there are teams out there thinking: “Let the Jays figure him out, and then we’ll swoop in in three weeks time.”
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It’s possible that Atkins is trying to bolster Estrada’s trade value, but I’m not certain that works much anymore in these days of advanced analytics. My guess is that Estrada finishes the season here and re-signs with the Blue Jays in the off-season, agreeing to a deal with vesting options. Even if he were to right himself enough that another team trades for him this month, he’ll be back here in 2018. He likes the city, and at the right price, he would be a conservative insurance policy given what happened to Aaron Sanchez this season. Plus, there is no pitcher in the system remotely close to displacing him – even if Joe Biagini is moved to a full-time starter’s role, because there’s less organizational confidence in that and motivation to do so than you might think.
The Blue Jays have a great deal of heavy lifting this off-season, and Teoscar Hernandez and Anthony Alford aren’t givens as starting outfielders. This is a team that needs more offensive dynamism; it’s going to have to do so around Russell Martin and Troy Tulowitzki and, at times, Josh Donaldson and here’s a newsflash: You don’t get younger in free agency, so any transformation will come through trades out of necessity. A corrected Estrada has more value to the Blue Jays than to any other team.
QUIBBLES AND BITS
• Former Los Angeles Dodgers GM Ned Colletti is SportsNet LA’s studio analyst on Dodgers telecasts but his fingerprints are all over the team. He was in charge when Clayton Kershaw, Corey Seager and Cody Bellinger were drafted, and when a catcher named Kenley Jansen was converted to a pitcher. Colletti had an interesting take when he was asked why so few position players were traded at the non-waiver trade deadline: The acquired player would have to be a major bat to make a difference, Colletti said, and it’s just as easy to acquire that bat in one of those post-deadline waiver deals in August.
“The bullpen is where people spend their money and time and prospects,” Colletti told my show. “Teams are built now from good starting pitching to middle relief, and the bullpen is built from the end of the game back to the middle and they hope it meets.”
Colletti knows about August trades: in 2006 he acquired Marlon Anderson from the Washington Nationals on Aug. 31 and Anderson went on to hit .375 over 25 games. Three years later Ronnie Belliard was acquired from the Nats on Aug. 31 and hit .351 over 24 games and had a solid post-season.
• My Baseball Central colleague Kevin Barker wants optimism, so here it goes: the Blue Jays are 2-0 in August following Wednesday’s win over the Chicago White Sox, and since 2015 have the best record in the majors in the month of August at 40-17 (.701), ahead of the Royals (39-20, .661), Texas Rangers (37-21, .638), and Boston Red Sox (39-25, .609). The Blue Jays went 21-6 (.778) in August 2015, their best month of August in club history. And… that’s all I got.
• Lots of weird stuff going on with the Red Sox, which is kind of comforting given the state of the world. We present for your consideration the case of reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Rick Porcello, who has lost an MLB-leading nine quality starts – the most by a Red Sox pitcher since Milt Gaston in 1930. The Red Sox have scored zero runs with Porcello in the game in 10 of his 18 starts. No bueno.
WHAT WE’RE WATCHING
Thursday, Aug. 3
NFL Hall of Fame Game – Arizona Cardinals vs. New York Giants. Two-a-days … CTE … sexual assaults … 12 minutes of actual action crammed into over three hours of mind-numbing analysis: the NFL is back!
Cleveland Indians at New York Yankees: Welcome to the Bronx, Sonny Gray! Your first assignment? Corey Kluber and the Indians, in the first of four games at Progressive Field. Kluber is 3-1 (1.91) in his five previous starts against the Yankees.
Friday, Aug. 4
Washington Nationals at Chicago Cubs: The start of a three-game series that will see the Cubs’ John Lackey make the start on Saturday. Lackey is one of the few active pitchers who can say they faced the Nationals franchise when it was still the Montreal Expos. He started a 7-6 loss for the Los Angeles Angels in an interleague game on June 5, 2003 at Olympic Stadium.
Hamilton Tiger-Cats at Edmonton Eskimos: I don’t know how the hell a team loses 60-1 as the Ticats did last week against the Calgary Stampeders. I don’t know how a team responds to that, either. Let’s see.
Saturday, Aug. 5
IAAF World Championships: All eyes are on the men’s 100-metre Final, which will likely be Bolt’s final individual race. Bolt has won six of seven global 100-metre finals in which he’s competed, his only loss coming at the worlds in Daegu, South Korea, in 2011 when he false started, allowing fellow Jamaican Yohan Blake to win. There’s no De Grasse, but Bolt is a world citizen. Makes it easier to cheer for him, guilt-free – and hope like hell that all manner of evil befalls any U.S. sprinter. Just ‘cause.
THE ENDGAME
The Dodgers are really good. They lead the majors in earned-run average, WHIP, opponents’ batting average, strikeouts and walks, and are in position to become the fourth team since ERA became an official statistic in 1913 to lead their league in opponents’ average, walks and ERA. The other three teams? The 1925 Cincinnati Reds, 1975 Dodgers and 1988 New York Mets.
Jeff Blair hosts The Jeff Blair Show from 9 a.m. to noon ET and Baseball Central from noon to 1 p.m. ET on Sportsnet 590/The Fan
