So, with just 13 games left in the regular season, the potential playoff picture for the Toronto Blue Jays is still quite muddled. Anything is possible, from being the best team in the AL, to playing in the wild card game, to some other fate we’d rather not discuss. And the next 3 games against the Yankees (starting tonight!) will go a long way in determining this outcome.
Yet despite the uncertainty, playoff tickets have been on sale since the first week of September. With the insane hype and the Jays’ incredible winning ways of late, fans are scrambling up onto the bandwagon to get a piece of playoff action. Fans like, say, you and your ten closest buddies!
Playoff tickets have been sold in exclusive full post season strips. In other words, those who believe have already stood in line to pay in full for Wildcard, ALDS, ALCS and World Series tickets. (Refunds will of course be issued for unplayed games but only if you remember to contact your ticket rep prior to Nov 13th – otherwise, you’ve made a down payment on 2016.)
Normally I would suggest that this type of aggressive pre-selling is a jinx on the team. But not this year. Nope – 2015 is feeling like 1993.
So now comes the difficult task of creating a seat sharing agreement with 10 of your friends. There are 11 possible post season home games for the Jays and you all want a shot at getting into the Skydome. But of course the chance that every series goes the maximum # of games is slim, which means some of you likely won’t get to a game.
It’s time to gamble with fate. You’ve gotta choose your game wisely. If you draw the #1 pick, which game do you choose?
There is a lot of uncertainty:
- The Jays could finish as high as 1st in the American League, or as low as the 2nd Wildcard spot. (Yes, they could fall off a cliff and finish lower, but you don’t believe that).
- There could be a Wildcard game, or not. This game may or may not be played at the Rogers Centre.
- The final positioning will dictate whether the Jays have home field advantage. This is also true of the ALCS round where their opponent could affect whether the series starts in Toronto or somewhere else.
Here is what we do know:
- MLB has locked down their dates for all games. So, I can tell you that if there is a 7th game in the World Series, it will be played on November 4th.
- Thanks to the outcome of this year’s All Star game, the AL will have home field advantage for the World Series. Advantage Jays.
For the play-it-safers in the crowd, the only 100% guarantee is taking game #1. That way, you either get the Wild Card game (intense one game showdown), ALDS Game 1 (if Jays have home field advantage) or ALDS Game 3 (if Jays finish 3rd in the American League).
Or perhaps the smart play would be to take home game #5 from the above grid. At that point, the post season could already be well into the ALCS round, or you might even catch a World Series game.
For me? I’d go for the glory. Home game #11. 7th game of the World Series. Go Jays!
What’s your pick?
~Written by Rob Davies
Sport and Social Club offers a variety of recreational sports for adults! Be sure to check out our fall sports menu and sign up today!