Former Blue Jays World Series MVP shares his thoughts on Toronto's chances of winning it all
Photo credit: https://www.cbc.ca/
Today's Toronto Blue Jays have a closeness and cohesion that could help them win the World Series, says a star of the Jays team that won twice in the early 1990s.
«I would say the '92, '93 teams that we had rival that I see a lot of similarities with the team chemistry, the team make-up, said Pat Borders, a former Blue Jays catcher and 1992 World Series MVP."
«That's exactly what you need, he told The Current's Matt Galloway of CBC radio."
The Blue Jays beat the Mariners 4-3 in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series on Monday night, after George Springer hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning.
The Jays now advance to the World Series for the first time in 32 years, where they will face the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers in a best-of-seven series. The first game is in Toronto on Friday night.
Borders spoke with Galloway about what it was like to win in '92 and '93, and whether the Blue Jays have what it takes to win again. Here is part of their conversation.
Did that Springer home run remind you of Joe Carter's shot, that won it all in '93?
"Oh my goodness, a lot of similarities there. It's good to see him step forward after getting injured like that, hit in the knee and just fight through the pain, which he obviously did. It shows the character of the team a little bit."
I see a lot of similarities with the team chemistry, the team make-up.
A lot of them came up through the minor leagues together, like the teams of the past that I played on did.
And you are close, and that is a part that you need to win, especially in the post-season.
You see some other teams try to put together teams in and out pay everybody and bring people together. Most times that doesn't work.
The personalities that come up through the minor leagues, such as our team's [wins] in the 90s and the team you have there right now, a lot of the young kids came up together.
A big percentage of the team played in the minor leagues together and you can't recreate that kind of chemistry and closeness.
They also brought in some big players that always had personality, chemistry, knowledge, experience and all those things too.
So I think there's huge similarities between the teams that I played for in the '90s and this team this year, and I see good things happening for them.
What is it like to play in the World Series?
You can't describe it, but after the game was over, I know I was emotionally exhausted.
I went home and slept. People think you want to go out and party and have a good time - [and] you know, we had a great time after the games.
M 👏 V 👏 P - Pat Borders hit .450 in the '92 World Series!
However the concentration level that you have to have as a baseball player, as a pitcher, as a catcher: how did you get this guy out?
The next guy you got to get out? Do you change it up a little bit? Do you switch it?
Any pitch or any moment can change the outcome of the series and the game.
So for me, it was just a mentally exhausting time.
And when it was over, I was ready to get to sleep, really get to bed.
Pat Borders first home run in the '92 World Series was a big one. 👏
You think they can do this against the Dodgers?
I think anybody can do anything in the playoffs. You have a seven-game series. It's not super long. It's not like a 162-game season.
Teams, batters, pitchers, they have little bell curves of cyclical good and bad times ... I think baseball's kind of like that.
You go through good times and bad times. You just ride the wave of the good times. And hopefully it's during the time of the playoffs.
Source: CBC.ca
Credit: Matt Galloway
Credit: Matt Galloway
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