It’s my Parting Shot for some Weekend Short Shots…..
The question on the minds of many, if not most, Canadian sports fans today is – did the Blue Jays do enough before yesterday’s Major League trade deadline to win the American League East pennant and, maybe even a World Series title? I’ll say they are gambling a lot on the return to form of Shane Bieber. The 2020 A-L Cy Young Award winner with Cleveland would be a fantastic acquisition, if he wasn’t coming off Tommy John surgery and had been pitching pain free all season. He is a massive wild card being added to a starting staff of Jose Berrios, Chris Bassitt, Kevin Gausman and Max Scherzer. Otherwise, picking up a solid major league hitter in Ty France from Minnesota and relief pitchers Louis Varland from theb Twins and Seranthony Dominguez from Baltimore. No matter, at the very least, Toronto needs to win the A-L East and avoid a best-of-three wild card round – a place where they haven’t performed well in the past!!
By the way, Dominguez’s first name is Seranthony (SEHR-ann-thuh-nee), not Sir Anthony. He’s not an English knight but, according to Uncle Google, the name has Greek origin and is a unique and powerful name meaning ‘burning with fire’ and ‘priceless one.’ That would work for the Blue Jays!
I’m going to stand by one of my journalistic principles, and probably come off as a bit arrogant, when I say that I will not use news from a team’s social media on the air. That is my hard and fast rule – one that I’ve had for as long as social media has been around, thanks to the possibility of scam or fake accounts! So, while I’m sure the Saskatchewan Rush had a very good reason for not issuing an email with yesterday’s news of the signing of Ryan Keenan and Robert Church, the fact that it was done on social media wasn’t news to me! Yes, I’m old school – but I’m 66 and been in the mainstream sports media for 46 years and I feel somewhat disrespected when I don’t get an email or phone call!
Again, if that comes off as arrogant, my apologies. If you know me at all, I try very hard not to be arrogant and brag – as much as I could. In fact, I’m known to be self-deprecating – to the point that I anger some of my work colleagues and, definitely, my wife when I put myself down! It’s a razor thin line to walk and I’ve done it well, I think, for a long time!! Have a great long weekend and see you at Cairns Field!
That’s my Parting Shot. I’m Les Lazaruk…and it turned out nice again!
