Quote:
Originally Posted by actionjackson
You may disagree, but I think the post-trade deadline 2015 Blue Jays should've had the advantage in that ALCS, not as much as 1985, but still should've had the advantage. A lot of those Royals guys were homegrown though, and that can make a huge difference when it gets down to brass tacks. That's two you owe us.   
EDIT: Also, the Royals advanced scouting was tremendous, and their high contact rate was probably more conducive to winning in the postseason. |
Nobody wanted to play that Blue Jays team in 2015. They got hot sometime in July and they could rake. Then they picked up David Price and Troy Tulowitski. I remember they played a barnburner of a game at Kauffman Stadium on the last day before the All-Star Break -- KC ran out to a big lead, then the Jays came all the way back in a 7-run inning, but KC ultimately won. I thought, God, I don't wanna face them in the playoffs. But they stayed hot and even threatened KC for home-field advantage.
Then they had that emotional, stirring playoff series win over the Rangers (the bat flip, the crazy clinching game) and they looked even more like a team of destiny. I only hoped KC's postseason experience from the previous year + HFA would make the difference, and it did. Price didn't learn how to pitch in the postseason until ... oh, four months ago. And Toronto's other young starters weren't yet quite seasoned enough.
But let me tell you something: I think the 1985 Blue Jays could have taken down the 2015 Royals. I think the 1985 & 1987 Jays teams were at least as strong as the 1992 team that won it all. They just had some bad luck.
Nothing touches that post-trade deadline 1993 team, though. The 93 Jays lineup is one of the five best lineups a World Series team has had since 1970. Rickey Henderson, Devon White, Roberto Alomar, Joe Carter, Jon Olerud, Paul Molitor, Tony Fernandez, Pat Borders & Ed Sprague ... it's no wonder the Phillies pitching staff fell apart in that World Series.