🌴 “Brah, Long Time No See Home Base” 🌴
Da Toronto Blue Jays neva stay home fo’ long time, afta being kine nomads away from Canada in 2020 an’ mos’ of 2021. Stadium fix-up had dem play 10 games on da road in 2023. 🚧⚾
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Plenny guys wen wake up 6 a.m. on Friday, but no cause dey like see da big kine star Shohei Ohtani lata dat night fo’ da Los Angeles Angels’ home opener. 😴🌅
Da Blue Jays stay try fo’ adjust to tree time zones in one week. Six weeks of spring training in Dunedin, Fla., den one 10-game trip dat stay da longest in franchise history fo’ start da season. 💤🕰️
Dey had fo’ deal wit body clocks, not pitch clocks. “Talkin’ to plenny guys, errybody wen wake up early,” Toronto’s right-handed starter Kevin Gausman said. “Den dey wen go back sleep.” 😪
Las time da schedule wen give Blue Jays dis kine challenge early, stay 1984 an’ dey stay play at Exhibition Stadium. Now dey stay Rogers Centre, wea stay gettin’ fix-up. Da extra kaukau fo’ start da season stay cause da franchise wen ask fo’ more time on da road. 🏟️🛠️
So wen da Blue Jays finally get dea home opener on Tuesday night against Detroit, dat stay da last one fo’ dis season. 🏠⚾
“Plenny teams wen play home games an’ road games alreddy, an’ we stay on da road,” Toronto outfielder George Springer said. “So, dass interesting fo’ real kine.” 🤔
Da Jays stay ready fo’ dis kine challenge. Not only dey talented an’ wen win 92 games las’ season, but da main guys like Vladimir Guerrero Jr. an’ Bo Bichette stay used to nomad life. 🌎🧳
Afta debuting in 2019, wat suppose to be dea full-major league season stay 2020, wit 60-game schedule cause da coronavirus pandemic. Da Jays wen play home games in Buffalo cause Canada neva let teams cross da border. 😷🇨🇦
“Dat year stay nuts. Den 2021, we stay in Dunedin an’ den Buffalo befo’ going back to Toronto,” Bichette said. “Den las’ year get da lockout.” 🔒⚾
He add: “Been few crazy years wea no mo’ real start to da season.” 🌀🗓️
Dis year, Bichette say, da season wen start on time, an’ da Jays get to go home afta da long road trip. 🏃♂️🏡
“Minor leagues, you dream fo’ play in da main city an’ see how da fans like you,” Bichette, 25, said. “But dat wen stay on hold fo’ us fo’ two years o’ so. Yeah, kinda sad, but we wen do good, I tink.” 😔👍
He add: “We wen compete no matta wat an’ neva complain. Dass goin’ help us in da long run.” 🏆🙌
Da Jays look like dey more focus on wiping out last year’s sad playoff exit den worryin’ bout laundry an’ clean clothes. Da General Manager Ross Atkins stay busy wit off-season moves, like getting outfielders Kevin Kiermaier (free agency) an’ Daulton Varsho (trade wit Arizona) an’ designated hitter Brandon Belt (free agency). 📝💼
Da Jays hope all dat goin’ make dem more well-rounded an’ get choke kine skills. So far, so good. Varsho wen hit one home run, get one bunt single, an’ trow one guy out at da plate in one game in Kansas City. Kiermaier wen hustle double an’ Bichette wen follow wit one run-scoring single. Jays wen win both games. 💥🔥
Wit mo’ bettah defense an’ baserunning, Atkins say, “we no worry bout scoring runs. I tink we can do dat.” An’ da end result, he add, is dat dey goin’ be strong in all da areas. 💪🏃♂️
Early results show good tings from Guerrero an’ tird baseman Matt Chapman. Dey stay first an’ second in da league fo’ hard-hit balls (exit velocity of 95 miles per hour o’ mo’). Chapman, Guerrero, an’ Bichette stay top tree guys in da majors fo’ hits, an’ Chapman stay first in batting average (.475). ⚡🏆
So, even tho’ da Blue Jays stay far from home an’ dea body clocks stay all hamajang, dey still get plenny talent an’ drive fo’ succeed. Fo’ real kine, dey stay ready fo’ show dea fans wat dey get an’ how dey goin’ make dis season one fo’ rememba. 🌟🌺
NOW IN ENGLISH
Toronto Blue Jays Finally Returning Home After Long Road Trip 🏟️🏠
The Toronto Blue Jays had a nomadic existence away from Canada in 2020 and for most of 2021. Due to stadium renovations, they began 2023 with 10 games on the road, across three different time zones.
However, the Blue Jays are well-equipped to handle this unusual start, as they come off a 92-win season and have lineup cornerstones like Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette who are used to life as baseball nomads. The team has been eager to return to Toronto and play in front of their home crowd. 🇨🇦🎉
Despite the challenges they faced, the Blue Jays have been focused on overcoming last October’s disappointing early playoff exit. General Manager Ross Atkins made several off-season moves, acquiring outfielders Kevin Kiermaier and Daulton Varsho, as well as designated hitter Brandon Belt. These additions are expected to make the team more well-rounded and versatile. ⚾🔄
Early returns show positive results, especially from Guerrero and third baseman Matt Chapman. They ranked first and second in hard-hit balls in the league, and Chapman, Guerrero, and Bichette are the top three players in the majors in hits. Chapman also ranked first in batting average. 📈💪
As the Blue Jays return to Toronto, they’re ready to show their fans their talent and determination, making this season one to remember.