Blue Jays Ending World Series

Well, tonight it ends, one way or the other. Game 7 of the World Series starts (appropriately) at 7 Central.

Win or lose, this will be a spectacular team, remembered along with the '92 and '93 teams that won it all. But the feeling I can't shake is that this'll be a one-off. Last year, the team was in last place. A lot of things broke right this year for them to win the division, and then the American League pennant.

It's easy to look at a team of stars, and think, "well, they'll be back." That's often not the case - I often think about the 2010 and 2011 Texas Rangers, who lost the World Series both years. It was almost fifteen years before they'd make it back and win. Meanwhile, for the Blue Jays, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is 26. Bo Bichette 27. They're entering their primes, but play (as always) in the same division as the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox. Winning the division is _hard_. Making the playoffs is easier than it used to be, since the league expanded the number of wildcard spots, but...

The last time the Jays made the World Series, I was 12. I'm 44 now. These things are rare when you're essentially a league minnow. The Dodgers have made it five times in the last ten years, and I expect they'll continue to make it regularly and effortlessly. But, and I say this as someone who's watched almost every Jays game for decades, I don't see the same for the Blue Jays. Very likely, this is it. They'll be up against it tonight. But they've been the better hitting team throughout the World Series. If they do what they've shown they can do all series, there'll be celebrations across the country tonight, and tomorrow, and...