TORONTO — Life in the grind can sometimes make it easy to lose sight of the bigger picture, and amid the mad scramble to find the Toronto Blue Jays a place to call home this summer, that bigger picture is far too important to miss.
Their looming July 29 ‘home’ opener, now less than a week away, is an albatross that becomes heavier and heavier each moment without a resolution. There’s a toll for players, stress for coaches as they try to map out routines and work schedules, an immense burden for the front office, ambiguity for visiting clubs, and loads of anxiety for Major League Baseball.
To say the pressure is on doesn’t even begin to do it justice.
The under-discussion option of staying in Washington July 29-30 and playing host to the Nationals there, and then flipping the subsequent July 31-Aug. 2 series with the Philadelphia Phillies to Citizens Bank Park, would buy everyone some time, right up to the Blue Jays’ Aug. 11 date with the Miami Marlins. Maybe it’s the breathing room everyone needs.
Still, the real risk here isn’t to the sanctity of the baseball schedule or the damage to the Blue Jays’ chances this summer — both of which take hits the longer this drags on — but to the health of players, coaches and staff who may end up on the road for three straight weeks amid a raging pandemic.
Not good.
The main fault of Major League Baseball’s impressively thorough back-to-play protocol is the amount of travel in it, the primary factor that the Canadian government cited in rejecting the Blue Jays’ plan for regular-season games at Rogers Centre on Saturday, and prompted the State of Pennsylvania to turn down a joint proposal with the Pittsburgh Pirates to tenant at PNC Park on Wednesday.
Consider their reasoning:
“Based on the best-available public health advice, we have concluded the cross-border travel required for MLB regular season play would not adequately protect Canadians’ health and safety,” said Marco Mendicino, Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship. “Of particular concern, the Toronto Blue Jays would be required to play in locations where the risk of virus transmission remains high.”
“To add travellers to this region for any reason, including for professional sports events, risks residents, visitors and members of both teams,” said Pennsylvania’s health secretary, Dr. Rachel Levine.
The underlying message there is a fear players will vector COVID-19 from one region to another, an issue exacerbated by the Blue Jays visiting the coronavirus hot spots of Florida and Georgia in the next two weeks, but also playing clubs who have been there, too.
Despite that, critics described the decisions as politically motivated or alarmist. There’s a case to be made for both, and I examined the issue about a month ago.
At the same time, there’s sound reasoning for caution, as well, as Dr. Andrew Morris, medical director of the Antimicrobial Stewardship Program at Sinai Health System/University Health Network and an infectious diseases professor at the University of Toronto, explained.
“There are several things that in infectious disease we have known forever,” he said. “One is you get people congregating together, you’re going to have spread. Two is respiratory infections are very transmissible, just like this, and they are more transmissible than people ever believe that they are. And three, when you have lots of mixing, it’s bad for epidemiology, so when you have people moving all over the place, that is a bad policy for infectious-disease management.
“The reason why a virus that came out of Wuhan, China is all over the world,” he added, “is because of migration patterns.”
Now, take away any periods spent at a proper base that gives players a break from road life — needing to find meals, entertainment, social connections and other basic necessities away from home — and it increases their chances of both contracting and spreading disease.
That’s why the barnstorming possibility first suggested by ESPN’s Buster Olney, where the Blue Jays would play their entire home schedule as the host team at the stadium of their opponent, is a reckless idea.
The Blue Jays are looking at alternative options to Pittsburgh, including going to the city of each scheduled opponent and playing as the home team.
If they used the 60-game road trip plan, the Blue Jays would never be in one spot for more than four days until Sept. 7-17, when they are set to host the Yankees and Mets and then visit the Yankees. Such a schedule is not only a competitive disadvantage, it’s a threat to both the Blue Jays and public health.
So, for the good of the Blue Jays and the communities they visit, a proper home needs to be found for them, one that gives them an opportunity to spend time sheltering safely when they’re not at work.
To that end, the club is revisiting its previous groundwork looking into Baltimore’s Camden Yards, while Buffalo’s Sahlen Field, home to the Blue Jays’ triple-A affiliate, remains a reluctant emergency fallback that needs substantial infrastructure investment to meet both big-league standards and COVID-19 protocols.
The Blue Jays also looked into bouncing between Yankee Stadium and Citi Field, although a multi-stadium plan is less ideal because it means more temporary elements such as third clubhouses are needed.
If the logistical issues can be cleared up — and they are plentiful at any big-league park — the Orioles’ home schedule matches up well with the Blue Jays’ home schedule. The only conflicts are July 29-Aug. 2 and Aug. 14-16, but figuring out where to set up an alternative clubhouse, where to locate the clubs and ensuring all protocols are followed requires time that no one has.
Team president and CEO Mark Shapiro made clear Saturday, following the Canadian government’s decision, that his team’s health and safety would be the top priority, but the situation now is no longer fully under his control.
Opening day starter Hyun-Jin Ryu, again providing a voice of reason, emphasized how the uncertainty of where the Blue Jays play was a collective challenge for the whole organization, not just players, but added, “we just have to remember that we’re going to grind for two months instead of an 162-game season. If we can rally together and work as a team, we should get by fine.”
“This is something we’ve never had to deal with in the past, but honestly, this season is all about (the challenges) that we experience and overcoming them,” he continued. “It’s going to be difficult but I trust my teammates and I think we’ll be able to rally around just because it’s an unprecedented season.”
There’s little doubt about that, and manager Charlie Montoyo pointed to the health challenges his endearing son Alex has faced his entire life as perspective for the Blue Jays’ current woes, saying, “I’ve gone through worse, so it could be worse.”
Still, both he and the rest of the coaching staff have been “communicating with the players, talking to them and staying positive,” he said. “You have no control over what’s going on, just play the game, play to win and keep going. We’ll see where we’re going to play. Don’t worry about the stuff you can’t control. That’s what we’re mainly saying to all of them. And they’ve been really good. They really have. They deserve a lot of credit.”
More than credit, they deserve a home, and their plight is a reminder of how hard staging a season amid a pandemic is going to be. Major League Baseball and the players decided to make it even harder by adding a travel element to the mix, and now health officials in both Canada and Pennsylvania have said thanks but no thanks.
That’s quite troubling from a baseball perspective. In terms of health and safety, it may be even worse.
MONTREAL – Canadian National Railway Co. told employees this week it plans to relocate its operations in Jasper to near Hinton, Alta., about 100 kilometres away.
In a memo sent to employees in the fire-ravaged town, the company said it’s aiming to increase efficiency by minimizing train stops between Edmonton and Blue River, B.C., which sits across the Rockies.
CN plans to close its Jasper bunkhouse and build a crew change facility east of Hinton, with workers slated to clock in at the new site starting in September 2025, according to the document obtained by The Canadian Press.
“CN has made the decision to implement operational changes to improve network fluidity,” regional vice-president Nicole James said in the memo.
The union representing rail workers criticized the relocation, which affects about 200 employees, though no layoffs are expected.
“This is another devastating blow to the town of Jasper, after this year’s catastrophic wildfires. Rail is one of the largest industries in Jasper, after tourism, and CN’s move will cripple this community even further,” said Paul Boucher, president of the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference.
“And for the workers who’ve already lost so much — some even their homes — this is a truly cruel blow.”
Union spokesman Christopher Monette noted that most residents or their spouses must work in town to qualify to live there under Jasper National Park’s residency rules. The company has told the union it will apply for an exception for the workers, he said.
CN spokeswoman Ashley Michnowski says the railway is committed to supporting employees through the transition and keeping them updated.
“These types of changes take time to fully plan out and implement. That’s why one of our initial steps was to have this discussion with our employees as well as advising the town of Jasper,” she said in an email.
A wildfire ripped through Jasper in July, destroying a third of the mountain town and displacing many of its 4,800 residents.
The blaze also caused smoke damage to the CN bunkhouse, which the company says it has worked to restore since it was allowed to re-enter the community with contractors on Aug. 16.
Engineers and conductors have been reporting for work in Hinton, roughly an hour away, since the wildfire.
With roots as a fur trade outpost, Jasper launched as a railway town in the early 20th century after tracks built by the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway — CN’s predecessor — paved the way for the municipality.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Red Wings made another investment this week in a young standout, signing Moritz Seider to a seven-year contract worth nearly $60 million.
The Red Wings announced the move with the 23-year-old German defenseman on Thursday, three days after keeping 22-year-old forward Lucas Raymond with a $64.6 million, eight-year deal.
Detroit drafted Seider with the No. 6 pick overall eight years ago and he has proven to be a great pick. He has 134 career points, the most by a defenseman drafted in 2019.
He was the NHL’s only player to have at least 200 hits and block 200-plus shots last season, when he scored a career-high nine goals and had 42 points for the second straight year.
Seider won the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie in 2022 after he had a career-high 50 points.
Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman is banking on Seider, whose contract will count $8.55 million annually against the cap, and Raymond to turn a rebuilding team into a winner.
Detroit has failed to make the playoffs in eight straight seasons, the longest postseason drought in franchise history.
The Red Wings, who won four Stanley Cups from 1997 to 2008, have been reeling since their run of 25 straight postseasons ended in 2016.
Detroit was 41-32-9 last season and finished with a winning record for the first time since its last playoff appearance.
Yzerman re-signed Patrick Kane last summer and signed some free agents, including Vladimir Tarasenko to a two-year contract worth $9.5 million after he helped the Florida Panthers hoist the Cup.
Veterans Tyson Beukeboom and Karen Paquin will lead Canada at the WXV 1 women’s rugby tournament starting later this month in the Vancouver area.
WXV 1 includes the top three teams from the Women’s Six Nations (England, France and Ireland) and the top three teams from the Pacific Four Series (Canada, New Zealand, and the United States).
Third-ranked Canada faces No. 4 France, No. 7 Ireland and No. 1 England in the elite division of the three-tiered WXV tournament that runs Sept. 29 to Oct. 12 in Vancouver and Langley, B.C. No. 2 New Zealand and the eighth-ranked U.S. make up the six-team WVX 1 field.
“Our preparation time was short but efficient. This will be a strong team,” Canada coach Kevin Rouet said in a statement. “All the players have worked very hard for the last couple of weeks to prepare for WXV and we are excited for these next three matches and for the chance to play on home soil here in Vancouver against the best rugby teams in the world.
“France, Ireland and England will each challenge us in different ways but it’s another opportunity to test ourselves and another step in our journey to the Rugby World Cup next year.”
Beukeboom serves as captain in the injury absence of Sophie de Goede. The 33-year-old from Uxbridge, Ont., earned her Canadian-record 68th international cap in Canada’s first-ever victory over New Zealand in May at the Pacific Four Series.
Twenty three of the 30 Canadian players selected for WXV 1 were part of that Pacific Four Series squad.
Rouet’s roster includes the uncapped Asia Hogan-Rochester, Caroline Crossley and Rori Wood.
Hogan-Rochester and Crossley were part of the Canadian team that won rugby sevens silver at the Paris Olympics, along with WXV teammates Fancy Bermudez, Olivia Apps, Alysha Corrigan and Taylor Perry. Wood is a veteran of five seasons at UBC.
The 37-year-old Paquin, who has 38 caps for Canada including the 2014 Rugby World Cup, returns to the team for the first time since the 2021 World Cup.
Canada opens the tournament Sept. 29 against France at B.C. Place Stadium in Vancouver before facing Ireland on Oct. 5 at Willoughby Stadium at Langley Events Centre, and England on Oct. 12 at B.C. Place.
The second-tier WXV 2 and third-tier WXV 3 are slated to run Sept. 27 to Oct. 12, in South Africa and Dubai, respectively.
WXV 2 features Australia, Italy, Japan, Scotland, South Africa and Wales while WXV 3 is made up of Fiji, Hong Kong, Madagascar, the Netherlands, Samoa and Spain.
The tournament has 2025 World Cup qualification implications, although Canada, New Zealand and France, like host England, had already qualified by reaching the semifinals of the last tournament.
Ireland, South Africa, the U.S., Japan, Fiji and Brazil have also booked their ticket, with the final six berths going to the highest-finishing WXV teams who have not yet qualified through regional tournaments.
Canada’s Women’s Rugby Team WXV 1 Squad
Forwards
Alexandria Ellis, Ottawa, Stade Français Paris (France); Brittany Kassil, Guelph, Ont., Guelph Goats; Caroline Crossley, Victoria, Castaway Wanderers; Courtney Holtkamp, Rimbey, Alta., Red Deer Titans Rugby; DaLeaka Menin, Vulcan, Alta., Exeter Chiefs (England); Emily Tuttosi, Souris, Man., Exeter Chiefs (England); Fabiola Forteza, Quebec City, Stade Bordelais (France); Gabrielle Senft, Regina, Saracens (England); Gillian Boag, Calgary, Gloucester-Hartpury (England); Julia Omokhuale, Calgary, Leicester Tigers (England); Karen Paquin, Quebec City, Club de rugby de Quebec; Laetitia Royer, Loretteville, Que., ASM Romagnat (France); McKinley Hunt, King City, Ont., Saracens (England); Pamphinette Buisa, Gatineau, Que., Ottawa Irish; Rori Wood, Sooke, B.C., College Rifles RFC; Sara Cline, Edmonton, Leprechaun Tigers; Tyson Beukeboom, Uxbridge, Ont., Ealing Trailfinders (England);
Backs
Alexandra Tessier, Sainte-Clotilde-de-Horton, Que., Exeter Chiefs (England); Alysha Corrigan, Charlottetown, P.E.I., CRFC; Asia Hogan-Rochester, Toronto, Toronto Nomads; Claire Gallagher, Caledon, Ont., Leicester Tigers (England); Fancy Bermudez, Edmonton, Saracens (England); Julia Schell, Uxbridge, Ont., Ealing Trailfinders (England); Justine Pelletier, Rivière-du-Loup, Que, Stade Bordelais (France); Mahalia Robinson, Fulford, Que., Town of Mount Royal RFC; Olivia Apps, Lindsay, Ont., Lindsay RFC; Paige Farries, Red Deer, Alta., Saracens (England); Sara Kaljuvee, Ajax, Ont., Westshore RFC; Shoshanah Seumanutafa, White Rock, B.C., Counties Manukau (New Zealand); Taylor Perry, Oakville, Ont., Exeter Chiefs (England).
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 18, 2024.
