Hustle & Heart

The Jays recently unveiled a very Jays Connected-esque video package containing what I assume is the tagline for the 2010 season: "Hustle And Heart". At the very least, it raises the expectation that someone from this team wins the award it takes its tagline from (our 2009 nominee was evidently "Rob Barajas", who plays with so much heart that he doesn't care how you spell his name) . I don't know if the Jays will be running their usual funny-the-first-time comedy spots of the 2-3 players casual fans have ever heard of finding themselves in WACKY situations, but count me down for a vote in favour of variations on this simple theme. It's about 70 seconds long and, instead of just going back to the same old suspects, features cuts to 10 different players talking about how this team is going to play with Hustle & Heart. Unintentional comedy is had when Vernon explains that "when nobody is watching, that's when I push harder". 1) Isn't that motivation for people to not come? 2) If that were true, 2009 should have been a career season.

Don't get me wrong, I know this isn't hockey where the difference between success and failure is often intensity and effort. I know that no level of work-rate is going to unseat the Two Headed Monster in the AL East when you've got Alex Gonzalez as your everyday shortstop and not a single starter with 400 career innings pitched. It may not be hockey. But this is a hockey town. And the ad features all sorts of verbal candy for the puck-loving crowd, from Vernon speaking of "old school baseball" to Snider calling the team a bunch of "grinders" and Scott Downs (looking like The Undertaker circa 2002) talking about the need for "heart when you know that you're the underdog". And for the crowd that still proudly wears their Tie Domi jerseys? How about clips of last year's Rumble in the Bronx (sadly missing Cito grabbing Edwar Ramirez by the scruff of his neck) with the voice-over of John Buck exclaiming that "we're not laying down for you, we're gonna come after you"? All that's missing is Adam Lind talking about how he's going to keep his head up in the corner outfield.

A lot of these cuts actually infer to the players' various back stories. The youngster Travis Snider talking about how he is motivated in the gym by thinking about all the people who helped get him to the show. Or former first round draft pick Ricky Romero talking about how he is motivated by pressure and expectation. And of course what is probably my favorite clip of Shaun Marcum talking about how he's been "building for this moment" for 18 months. As the voiceover by Saukrates explains, "this season is about the name on the front of the jersey". Y'know, because the names of the back of the jersey probably add up to in around 70 wins. All in all it's the Jays version of "Spirit is Everything" but at least this team's "Hustle & Heart" will be supplemented with some draft picks.