Bats, Books, and Blue Jays: Keegan's Chronicle
Host Nii Wallace-Bruce welcomes Keegan Matheson, an author and writer for MLB.com, to discuss his new book, 'The Franchise: Toronto Blue Jays.' Keegan shares insights on the process of writing the book (00:34), highlights some memorable chapters (02:42), including those about Jose Bautista (23:36) and Buck Martinez (05:43), and reflects on how the book has impacted his view of baseball.
Later, the discussion shifts to the ups and downs of the current Blue Jays season (15:40) and speculation on the future of the team's key players (20:23) and potential trades. Keegan also shares details about upcoming book signing events (26:40) and his plans for future writing projects.
Keegan Matheson:
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Opening and closing music courtesy of Jeremiah Alves - "Evermore".
Transcript
Welcome back to another episode of PSP.
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:am your host, Mr.
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:Neal Spruce, and Summer is
officially here in Toronto.
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:It's a beautiful, warm day across
the GTA and we have some warm vibes,
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:and it's a great time to read a book.
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:So on that note, let's bring
in an author from mlb.com.
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:He's got a book out called The
Franchise Toronto Blue Jays, and he's
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:gonna tell us a little bit about.
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:The local baseball team that
is beloved Toronto Blue Jays,
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:it is friend of the show.
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:Keegan Matheson joining us.
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:Keegan, how you doing?
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:Keegan: I'm doing very well.
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:Thank you for having me.
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:It's good to be back here.
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:PSP: Yeah, it's a pleasure to have you
on and previous few times the book was
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:still in the development phase, but as of
today, we can now say it's published, it's
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:out everywhere . independent bookstores,
larger bookstores online,, you'll be doing
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:a few meet and greets around the GTA.
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:How does it feel to
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:Keegan: Okay.
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:PSP: finish the process?
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:I.
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:Keegan: Very relieving.
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:I have learned through this process,
I almost said I've learned patience.
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:I don't know if I got all the way there,
but it's, it's been so different from
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:my, normal day-to-day job, which is
strange because the topics are the same.
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:But when I go to the stadium to cover a
game, , it's all very narrowly focused.
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:There's normally one story
a day, maybe two, but.
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:If news happens or a big win or
an ugly loss, that's the story.
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:I write the story.
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:It is online for people to read almost
immediately, and then by the time we all
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:wake up in the morning, we all forget it.
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:Myself included what I wrote the
night before, and that's okay.
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:That's how it's supposed to
work day after day after day.
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:But this has been
something far slower and.
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:Far more intentional and patient
to, to go through it all.
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:So God bless my agent and publishers and
the folks I've worked with who have told
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:me when to calm down at certain points
through this process, which has been
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:many, but it's been a really rewarding
process there at times last year.
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:As I wrote the book throughout the
season there were certainly extremely
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:high stress points and it added a lot
to my plate on top of my regular job.
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:But now that I'm standing here and, and
looking back on it and feeling completely
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:overwhelmed by the number of people
sending me pictures of the book it and
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:who have picked it up already, it's, it's
so rewarding and this book has changed.
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:This entire job for me, quite frankly,
in terms of how I relate to my job, but
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:how I interact with my day-to-day job,
how I see the game of baseball, itself.
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:So it's, it's all been worth it.
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:Even though I may not have told you that
at a few points last, you know, July,
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:August, September, it's been worth it.
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:Absolutely.
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:PSP: Now you'll have to go back to
asking players about more of the.
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:Day-to-day stuff as opposed to having
a 10,000 feet view of the franchise.
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:We'll get to that in a moment,
but as part of the release, you've
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:also shared with us the chapters
that are on offering in your book.
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:Are there any in particular that
stood out for you or you are
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:really passionate about writing?
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:Keegan: Yeah, my mind for that would
go to what I'm kind of calling like
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:the fresh chapters, the newer chapters.
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:And, and that was a really hard
part of the process of writing
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:this book , was just determining
which stories I would tell.
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:'cause this team is almost 50
years old now, so there's so much.
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:To get into, and if you try to write
about everything you're writing
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:about, nothing, it, it becomes an
inch deep and it doesn't matter.
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:So I didn't want to spread it too thin.
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:I didn't wanna make this a history
book that would bore people and
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:being able to curate this a bit, I.
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:Which is a, a fancy way of saying I got
to be picky and, and write the chapters
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:and stories I wanted to write was the
most important decision in all of this.
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:How to shape this.
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:And there are some that you
have to cover no matter what.
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:You cannot write a book about the
Blue Jays without writing about
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:Joe Carter's Home Run or Jose
Battista's bat flip in those teams.
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:You have to, it's the law.
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:But on top of that, I
also wanted to include.
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:Significant portions of the book
that were fresh and represented.
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:My experience covering this team.
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:And that's a difficult thing for me
because in my day-to-day job, I want
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:to be completely out of my stories.
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:You know, it's my name's on top of them,
but it's about the player or the team.
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:And to insert myself a little bit in
writing was very uncomfortable for me.
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:But at certain points I think it
added to it that would lead me to.
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:The chapters I often point people
to, which are the Shohet chapter,
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:which is where I got to finally share
a lot of stories I've been kind of
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:holding onto and have not appeared
in my reporting or writing yet.
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:It appears in the two chapters
that cover the COVID years.
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:That's where I was able to lean on a
lot of my experience being on the road,
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:covering this team and all of the things
that went into those strange years.
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:And the event will comeback.
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:And then even some more personal
stories about players' lives around
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:this city, what it's like to come to
Canada, what it is like to be 25 years
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:old and rich and famous in Toronto.
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:I don't know how that feels, but
some other folks did and they
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:told me about it, but it's was
really fun to balance those and.
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:While some of these chapters had
to be written, you have to write
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:Carter, you have to write Halladay and
Steve and Delgado, and those things.
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:And I loved writing those.
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:I, I did want some of the chapters
to be new and fresh and to kind of
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:add to what's already been written.
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:PSP: Yeah.
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:And there's a lot in there.
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:I'll never forget that, that Epic in
December, a couple of years ago, that
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:was the, what, what do we call it?,
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:It started off in the morning It
just whipped up into a frenzy.
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:And by the afternoon, it seemed
like the whole city was waiting
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:for a plane coming from Los Angeles
that was allegedly carrying Ani.
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:Evidently it was not,
but it was an experience.
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:It was a sad experience for Blue
Jays fans, but it was an experience
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:nonetheless, and in time there'll be.
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:Reverse experiences.,
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:The yin to the yang, if you will.
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:We'll get to the yin and yang later on
when we talk about the:
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:But I wanted to touch on one of the
beloved members of the squad, not of
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:the franchise, buck Martinez, he's
now a commentated with the team.
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:He's also been a manager.
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:you mentioned a special
part , of the book.
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:That talks about him , in the 1980s.
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:want us to take us through that?
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:Keegan: Yeah, the Buck chapter might
have been my favorite to write, honestly
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:out of the 31, and it's number 31 in
the book, the very last chapter because.
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:Buck means a lot to me and he, he
means so much to baseball in this
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:country, not just the Blue Jays,
but baseball in Canada, I think.
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:And what fascinated me about Buck, and
this is kind of the approach I took
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:to his entire chapter, is how much
these small moments kind of changed the
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:course of history, changed lives, and.
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:Buck and I, we went out for a long,
long lunch last spring training
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:in Dunedin for this interview.
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:And the stories he, he told are amazing.
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:He remembers 40 years ago,
like I remember yesterday.
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:But the story goes that 1981 Buck was
a backup catcher, hits a defensive
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:value, wasn't a big hitter, and
the brewers had a deal in place
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:to trade 'em to the Yankees and.
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:Last minute that fell through
supposed to happen, didn't happen.
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:So eventually he, the way he puts it, he
just kind of rode around on the bus with
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:the brewers for a bit and eventually was
DF AED and was knocked off the roster and
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:it was the Blue Jays he ended up going
to and Buck was completely unfiltered.
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:And the quote he gave was a little
more colorful, but his reaction
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:at the time was like, seriously,
that's the best they can do.
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:They're sending me to Toronto.
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:Can you believe it?
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:And later on at the very end of our
conversation, he said, it's the best
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:thing that's ever happened to me.
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:And how much.
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:So many lives would've changed
how much the Blue Jays we know
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:today would've changed if Buck
had have ended up in the Yankees.
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:And number one, he would've needed
to shave the tremendous mustache
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:he had back in the early eighties.
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:But his career as a player, a
manager, a broadcaster in this country
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:likely never would've happened.
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:So these little things along the way
that continue to make me appreciate.
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:The potential of every day, every move.
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:The next time the Blue Jays claim
a reliever with a seven ERA.
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:Yeah.
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:99% chance.
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:It's a nothing move.
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:Sure.
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:It's probably dumpster
diving, but what if it's not?
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:I.
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:What if this guy sticks around?
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:What if there's more to the story?
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:And Buck was just so incredible as,
as a storyteller and so generous
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:with his time for this book.
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:Not only talking about back
then, but through his career,
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:his early days working with a Dan
Schulman in that incredible booth.
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:They have developed, going back to when
Dan tried out and Buck was a little pissed
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:off because they were letting some young
radio guy try out for the TV broadcast.
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:But thankfully his name was
Dan Schulman and it worked out.
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:But right up through more recently,
his cancer diagnosis with that is
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:meant to him coming back from that,
connecting with people over that, it's
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:just a, it's a remarkable career and,
and the way he connects with people is
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:really special and damn Buck belongs.
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:On the level of excellence.
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:I, I hope that's something that happens
soon and I will be so proud to be there
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:and, and write that story that day.
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:PSP: Absolutely.
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:Yeah.
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:So I didn't grow up in
Toronto, unfortunately.
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:I know not everyone's perfect,
but hey, it is what it is.
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:But I first heard Buck.
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:He used to do , the International Feed
of the World Series Film V Network.
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:So that was my first introduction to Buck.
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:And Dan obviously did a lot
of ESPN broadcasts for Sunday
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:night baseball back in day.
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:So that's how I first heard about.
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:Those two iconic voices.
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:And then when I came to Toronto, I found
out that they're in the same booth.
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:How can you pack so much greatness
into , the same commentary booth
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:Keegan: it is ridiculous.
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:Like I, I, I hope people understand how
nuts it is to have Dan Showman and Buck
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:Martinez in the same booth and then having
my Guy Joes slide in there some days.
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:Like it is unbelievable.
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:It's, I, I think I wrote in the book
that it's kind of a golden era of
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:the Blue Jays broadcast, and I really
believe that it is, it's just to have.
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:Dan Schulman with what he does in the
United States with his time working in
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:ESP and baseball and man, so many people
recognize him for college basketball too.
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:I'm, I'm so separated from.
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:United States NCAA sports culture
where, you know, two guys just
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:walk past each other and say, roll
tide, and they're best friends.
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:Like, I don't, it's weird to me.
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:I, it, it doesn't compute with my
brain, but college sports fanatics,
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:I mean, when, when they say See
Dan, it's like seeing a Beatle man.
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:It's a, it's amazing.
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:So to have both of them not just working
in Toronto because it was an open job,
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:but choosing to be here and like really
embracing it, it's just what a gift.
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:Man, man, it's blue Jays fans are spoiled.
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:PSP: I gotta cosign that Now, Keegan, you
touched on the level of excellence there.
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:. Will we ever see Toronto
Blue Jays build a statue?
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:I know the Raptors
haven't talked about it.
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:The make
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:Keegan: Yeah,
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:PSP: outside of
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:the arena down the road.
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:But have the Blue Jays ever broached that?
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:Keegan: I am dying for them to do that.
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:I hope they do that.
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:Mark Shapiro was kind of hinted
and winked at a couple of things
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:coming that I feel like we'll
learn about in the coming months.
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:I don't know what that's going to mean,
but he's been asked about this and he's
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:kind of in, in his own words, kind of
said like, ah, just give us a little bit.
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:We have some, some plans,
so we'll see what's coming.
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:I think a challenge that.
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:I, I wasn't even fully aware
of this until more recently.
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:Is that the land directly
outside the stadium?
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:I'm talking like the sidewalks.
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:Some of the areas along the
sides are not owned by the team.
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:I'm not sure how far their official
property stretches or if it just
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:ends at the wall of the building.
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:So there's some considerations
with boring stuff like that.
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:But no matter where it happens, if
it's outside, if it's inside, they've
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:gotta do a better job of that.
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:And I think they realize that.
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:So I'm, for the time being, not
being too hard on them about it.
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:'cause I think there are some
plans in place, but the Jays need
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:to do a better job of recognizing
their history, not just with.
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:Reunions and anniversaries.
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:But with day-to-day, every single day
stuff an 18 or 25-year-old Blue Jays fan
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:needs to know why Dave, Steve matters.
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:They need to know why
George Bell matters and.
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:Ernie Witt and a lot of those
core guys of the eighties,
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:early eighties teams coming up.
241
:They need to know who Buck
Martinez was before he was the
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:guy calling games on SportsNet.
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:They need to understand
Roy Halladay and the story.
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:They need to understand Carlos
Salgado, Tony Fernandez, how many
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:times he came back and forth and
back and forth and what he meant and.
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:Right now that's kind of
up to the fans themselves.
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:If you want to, you know, read
a book or, Google it and learn
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:a bit more yourselves, you can.
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:But I don't think there's been
much done proactively to kind
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:of educate or keep that alive.
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:And it doesn't need to be
stuffed down people's throats.
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:But if there were something
more permanent, I think that
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:would go such a long way and.
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:Baseball with statues is always
the perfect thing for me.
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:You know, I, I, you can picture the
easy ones of Joe Carter skipping.
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:You can picture Batista somehow they'll
find a way to suspend the bat in the air.
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:I don't know how, but you, you
can picture those big, big moments
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:that they could commemorate with
5, 6, 7 statues outside of stadium.
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:I hope something's done there because.
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:I, I, I kind of feel the history
of this team slipping a little bit.
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:And that's dangerous because when,
when people care and understand the
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:history of a team, that roots a team
deeper in people's souls, and that keeps
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:people interested in a team, even if
they're 20 and 54, even if they suck.
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:It's a team that you've always loved
and you understand it and it means
265
:something to you that forges that deeper
connection that I think the Blue Jays
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:could really, really benefit from.
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:Not just in terms of baseball, but if
they need a business case for it too.
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:I think there's a business case, man.
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:Just keep people caring about
the organization, not just in
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:2025, but where it came from.
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:PSP: Absolutely threading the past with
the present so that ideally, when it's
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:all said and done, lad Guerrero Jr.
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:Will get his own statue.
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:Keegan: Hmm.
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:PSP: It's gotta have,
that thread continuing.
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:Keegan, you got me thinking about
a power rankings of statues.
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:Now.
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:Oh boy, this is gonna be fun to think
about when I sit in the sun later on.
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:Anyway you're listening to PSP with
myself, Neil Willis Bruce, and our special
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:guest, Keegan Matheson, writer@lv.com
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:for the Toronto Blue Jays.
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:And.
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:Author of the franchise,
Toronto Blue Jays.
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:So Keegan, I know that dust has
just settled, but do you think
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:you have another book in you?
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:Keegan: I, I think now I do.
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:I would've said, hell no
a couple of months ago.
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:But now that I have a better
understanding of how this works, it's
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:something I would be eager to do.
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:I.
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:This is the type of book I
think you only write once.
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:You know, I'm not going to write
the history of the Blue Jays again.
293
:I'm gonna need some stuff to happen.
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:But in a perfect world, the Blue
Jays give me something over the
295
:next few years and give all of
us something that's book worthy.
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:We'll see.
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:I, I'd also be much more interested in
perhaps tackling an individual player or,
298
:or a smaller era of Blue Jays baseball.
299
:Even this current era, I've
wrestled with that a bit and.
300
:I wondered, should there be a chapter
or a section on this era, the Shapiro
301
:and Atkins era, since the last playoff
runs, but the era's not over yet.
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:I don't know what it is and I.
303
:If I had have written that story,
they would've either blown the
304
:team up or won the World Series.
305
:I'm not sure to, to really
make it look foolish.
306
:But this era is still alive and
if they make a run that changes
307
:how we view all of these years.
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:So it's it's something I'm eager
to continue to do because it's a
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:different part of my brain than.
310
:My night to night work covering
this team, and it's something
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:that I really loved doing.
312
:Like now that I hold it, now
that I see it, it's it got me
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:excited about the job again.
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:It really changed my relationship with
this job, and I think I'm in a much
315
:healthier place with that right now.
316
:So I'd like to keep that going.
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:Maybe a, maybe a season or two off.
318
:We'll see.
319
:But I think I'd have a, a smarter
approach next time too, and
320
:maybe not drive myself so nuts.
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:PSP: It's all good.
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:It's baseball is a game of patience.
323
:It's not a
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:Keegan: Hmm.
325
:PSP: game.
326
:So understand.
327
:Now you talk about
night to night to night.
328
:talk about the, the 2025
iteration of said franchise.
329
:That is the Toronto Blue Jays.
330
:They, they swept the pad race.
331
:They reversed.
332
:Proceedings in Tampa Bay.
333
:When they went on the road,
had a mixed series in Texas.
334
:Came back, swept the athletics, who
knows what will happen as Philadelphia.
335
:But I guess what I'm getting at is there
seems to be a trend of hot and cold, which
336
:is ironic 'cause Toronto's weather's been
like last weekend, felt like or winter.
337
:And today's bonafide summer.
338
:Much like this team, what are you seeing
lately, Keegan, and how do we solve it?
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:Keegan: The answer is always offense
for when you talk about consistency.
340
:It's the offense typically.
341
:And while I'm a little worried about the
back end of the Blue Jays rotation with
342
:Bowden Francis and how they continue
to fill in from Act Scherzer, I, I
343
:think the rotation will be fine enough.
344
:The bullpen looks a little
better than I thought it would.
345
:I, I think pitching across the board,
it's not dominant by any means,
346
:but I think it will be good enough.
347
:The offense seems to determine.
348
:What this team does, and we saw that
in the series against the a's it
349
:exploded, they looked incredible.
350
:But the series prior to that, against
Texas, against Tampa, it was dreadful.
351
:So consistency needs to come from the bats
and it's always going to be about power.
352
:In my mind, this team.
353
:As much as they've tried to do it in
recent years, they are not built to hit
354
:17 singles a game and win five to two.
355
:It, it's so much easier when you hit
one over the wall, and we're seeing that
356
:lately certainly with Addison Barger, but
with Flatty, Bobette looking much better.
357
:That makes everything easier, and that's
what we need to see more of because
358
:they've been stuck to 500 all year.
359
:A game above a game below.
360
:Back to it below.
361
:If they can finally create some breathing
room, I think that changes everything.
362
:It, it's kind of like a,
an individual game itself.
363
:We saw it on Tuesday when Bowden Francis
allowed six runs in the first inning.
364
:Oh, the air comes out of everything.
365
:You're just trying to get through it.
366
:The same goes for the broader
picture of the season.
367
:If.
368
:You're stuck to 500, you start
to feel that magnetic pull.
369
:But if you can win another four or five
in a row, and suddenly you are five, six
370
:games away from 500, you begin to leave.
371
:Believe that you're never
going to touch it again.
372
:And that's when you can start to set your
eyes on a division or perhaps the first
373
:wild card spot, not just sneaking in the.
374
:Third wild card spot, which
we've seen enough of in Toronto.
375
:So it's been a confusing
team, A a very confusing team.
376
:But the highs keep you pulled in.
377
:They make you believe that they
can, they can do this if they
378
:hit, they've just got a hit.
379
:It's the same story three years in a row.
380
:I know, but they've gotta hit.
381
:PSP: Mm.
382
:Yeah.
383
:And unfortunately one of the guys
who was brought in to alleviate that
384
:ongoing problem was Anthony Sanair.
385
:He is now in the il.
386
:Hopefully he comes back healthy
and good to go again, but if,
387
:let's say he doesn't come back.
388
:In the meantime, you see them
going out and making phone calls
389
:to other teams to bring someone in?
390
:Are they gonna do something at
their deadline to that effect?
391
:Keegan: I think they will, and kind
of the corner outfield slash third
392
:base felt like the place they could
make a big upgrade at this point.
393
:It could even be more of a
backup first base DH type of bat.
394
:We'll see a lot of this
depends on Addison Barger.
395
:If he keeps playing like
this, everything changes.
396
:If.
397
:Pitchers adjust to him and
he kind of comes back down to
398
:earth, then you still need a bat.
399
:But I think a hitter will be added.
400
:You'll see the normal
tinkering with the bullpen.
401
:You always do for a contender.
402
:My mind jumps more for the blue
jays towards their rotation.
403
:That could mean a depth starter to help
them get by, but I think it would make a
404
:ton of sense, and I think a lot of things
are lining up for them to try to pull
405
:off something similar to the Jose Barrios
trade from a couple of years ago because.
406
:Chris Bassett is a free
agent after this year.
407
:So is Max Scherzer two more
years for Kevin Gossman?
408
:Barrios has an opt-out
coming in a couple years.
409
:This rotation's about to change a lot and
the Blue Jays have shown a willingness
410
:and they have the ability financially
to go out and get a guy that still has
411
:some money left on their contract and.
412
:That's a big advantage because not
every team, even among contenders, has
413
:money to spend next year and the year
beyond that the Blue Jays do because
414
:contracts are coming off the books.
415
:So whether that's going out and chasing
a starter that has two or three years
416
:of control left or like Barrios with one
extra year and you try to extend them,
417
:I really think that's the sweet spot
and I think it makes a ton of sense for
418
:this front office and how they operate.
419
:Trying to get a year ahead
of some business and.
420
:It could help now as well because
this rotation, it's credit to the
421
:three veterans Bassett Gossman.
422
:Barrios always, but they can
only carry so much, and you need
423
:all five spots to be rock solid.
424
:PSP: Mm-hmm.
425
:Now, in terms of doing business early
and being proactive, there is an elephant
426
:in the room a formerly long-haired
elephant, but now a bit more buzz Cut.
427
:His name is Bobette, and his
contract is coming up to expiry.
428
:Do you see the team coming up?
429
:with an extension with the Vette camp,
or do you think they might look to
430
:potentially move him on at the deadline?
431
:Keegan: I think this is so
much in the middle that Bo
432
:just ends up in free agency.
433
:I, I think the Blue Jays would have to
have a complete free fall to consider
434
:dealing him and given how wide open the AL
is, I, I don't think that's gonna happen.
435
:I, I think the, the wild card will
stay realistic for them and they'll
436
:want to have Bo be part of that.
437
:He's playing some really
good ball lately as well.
438
:A couple of home runs
over these last week.
439
:So you're seeing him be a bit
closer to his better version.
440
:And quite frankly, right now, even if
the Blue Jays were to market bobette,
441
:he's coming off of a terrible year,
and right now he's having a good year.
442
:But I think that other teams would
look at this and say he's hitting 2 76,
443
:close to a seven 50 OPS is a short stop.
444
:Like it's, it's good.
445
:But you're not giving up
your number one prospect.
446
:It's not gonna be a
franchise changing move.
447
:So I think that Bo is just part of
this stretch run for Toronto, and
448
:then he hits free agency from there.
449
:The Blue Jays need to try to
win the tiebreaker number one,
450
:and that means convincing Bo
that he at least likes it here.
451
:Money is always going to win a
hundred times out of a hundred.
452
:But if the Blue Jays and one other
team are offering Bo a similar
453
:contract, does he wanna stay
here or does he want to get out?
454
:And I.
455
:Something about Bobette really
brings out the body language experts.
456
:I, I feel, and he is he
doesn't smile enough for folks.
457
:He's not expressive enough for folks.
458
:I don't care.
459
:That's, that's just who he is.
460
:This is not for the cameras.
461
:It's the same bobette that I
get in the clubhouse each day.
462
:He's.
463
:A serious guy, and he is, he's
not not someone who is overly
464
:expressive and that's just fine.
465
:But when he speaks and when he says things
with a microphone in his face, he means
466
:them and they are thought out, and I.
467
:He's not just kind of
riffing off the cuff.
468
:So when Bobette says that, you know, he's
told me this in spring training, he is
469
:said it since that he and Vladi want to
play the rest of their careers together.
470
:I don't think he's just
saying that for attention.
471
:Bo does not want attention.
472
:He doesn't want another reason for
me to be waiting at his locker.
473
:So when he says these things.
474
:My suggestion is for everyone to
believe him and as he continues to
475
:say them, it gets more interesting.
476
:Now, I also think that Bo is going
to be a really interesting case
477
:where 10 different teams are going to
project him 10 very different ways.
478
:If you think he's a shortstop who
will age well, that's a big contract.
479
:If you think he eventually has
to move off short stop, and he
480
:maybe won't age well athletically.
481
:Way different.
482
:So we'll have to see where the
blue Jays are in that financially.
483
:But I do think that some of the body
language and interview analysis of
484
:Boba yet has kind of tilted the, the
conversation too far in one direction.
485
:I, I still think this is something
where it's, it's possible he
486
:can find a way to stay here.
487
:PSP: There we go.
488
:Bo is definitely one that
lets his back do the talking.
489
:I,
490
:Keegan: Yes.
491
:PSP: that.
492
:I like that.
493
:Personality.
494
:Now, Keegan, one thing that
you mentioned at the start, and
495
:you've also mentioned during our
interview is the name Jose Batista.
496
:Keegan: Mm-hmm.
497
:PSP: part of the 2025 Canadian
Baseball Hall of Fame induction
498
:class that is happening in St.
499
:Mary's.
500
:Just for our audience, I'll list
the other members of the class.
501
:So we have former Big Leaguer Eric Ard.
502
:We have Canadian Junior
National Team Coach.
503
:Hamilton, longtime Women's National Team
Star Amanda SA American All American
504
:Girls, professional baseball legend
Arlene Noga and also . Jerry Schneider,
505
:the Montreal City counselor who was
involved with bringing Major League
506
:baseball to Canada for Toronto's purposes.
507
:Jose Petista will forever be
defined by the back flip and.
508
:How it got the Blue Jays back
to relevancy, if you will.
509
:How important is his induction
into the Hall of Hall of
510
:Fame for Canadian baseball?
511
:Keegan: it's a huge moment for Jose,
just like his addition to the level
512
:of excellence because he is for this
current generation of Blue Jays fans,
513
:frankly, anyone that's under what,
under 35, who doesn't quite remember?
514
:92 and 93.
515
:Jose is your guy.
516
:He is the face of Blue Jay's
baseball coming back and being
517
:relevant again and being cool again.
518
:Quite frankly, Jose Batista was
a very cool baseball player.
519
:He made baseball in this city matter.
520
:Again, he turned skydome into
a social destination again, and
521
:that was not an easy thing to do.
522
:Not at all.
523
:And.
524
:What I think people love about Jose
is the story of how he got here.
525
:He, he was just another guy.
526
:The Blue Jays acquired him when he
was already, what, 27, going 28.
527
:He was just another guy bouncing
around the bottom of rosters.
528
:He was not supposed to be special,
and then something clicked and
529
:suddenly the blue Jays had the
one player everyone else wanted.
530
:That most other people hated.
531
:And that's what a lot of the connection
to Jose was because he had that
532
:attitude, he had that edge, and
that set the tone for those teams.
533
:That's why others who came in, like
Josh Donaldson, Russell Martin,
534
:Marcus Stroman, when he came up, Troy
Tulowitzki, all of those guys who I, I
535
:promise you had quite the edge to them.
536
:They fit so well because it was on Jose
Bautista's team and those 15 and 16 teams.
537
:We're so special.
538
:Like they, they never went to the World
Series A-L-L-A-L-C-S and the A LCS.
539
:But they still matter to people because
of the type of baseball they played
540
:and the attitude they played with.
541
:And Jose is one of the all time
greats for this organization.
542
:Among hitters.
543
:He is up there with the very best,
with Carlos Delgado and his longevity
544
:with George Bell, the MVP season,
Jose is right there, and I think
545
:people are gonna be chasing 54 homers.
546
:I mean, maybe forever.
547
:In this city.
548
:So a great one for him and
Jose's still got it man.
549
:When I talk to him for the book,
he's still just as confident.
550
:He still has a swagger that you can only
pull off if you are Jose freaking Batista.
551
:It's it's amazing.
552
:He is one of a kind.
553
:PSP: And yes, he's definitely , top
of the list for a statue when the
554
:Toronto Blue Jays consider that.
555
:Now, one thing we can read about
before that is your book, the
556
:franchise, Toronto Blue Jays.
557
:I'm probably gonna down to
the Sports Nett Grill to.
558
:See you signing books and, and the like.
559
:, Have you got any other events
coming up where you'll be doing
560
:meet and greets with fans?
561
:Keegan: I'll have books for sale
and to sign and I won't bore
562
:anyone with speeches or anything.
563
:I just wanna get folks together
and get Blue Jays fans together.
564
:Then later in the month at another
story bookshop on Ancy, that's
565
:June 26 at 7:00 PM so I'll share
that on, on socials as well.
566
:And we should have another event or.
567
:To hopefully in the East end try to spread
out the city a little bit coming up.
568
:But I would I, I'd love to see people
out with those, even if they have a
569
:book already, even if you just wanna
come hang out, have a drink, talk ball,
570
:whatever is on your mind with this team.
571
:But I'm looking forward to those.
572
:PSP: Great.
573
:Absolutely.
574
:And I'm looking forward to seeing
what this book brings for you.
575
:'cause , I really think you've done
a great job with this book and it's,
576
:it's fantastic that you've been
able to tie in all the history.
577
:, Into the many chapters that you have.
578
:So congratulations once again on bringing
it to life and seeing it through.
579
:We look forward to seeing
your writings on lv.com,
580
:obviously for the, the
night to night work.
581
:But when that next book comes
up, 'cause there will be another
582
:book, I'm sure, definitely let us
know what that entails, Keegan.
583
:Keegan: Absolutely.
584
:I, I appreciate you having me to
talk about this one and yeah, I'll,
585
:once I sleep for a week or two, maybe
we'll get on the second one there.
586
:PSP: Fantastic, Kegan, appreciate your
time as always I've been nameless Bruce,
587
:and this has been another episode of PSP
