On the Underdog

I'm warming up to this Colby Rasmus fellow.

Anyone who has ever been to a game, knows the pain of sitting in earshot of a group of people who won't stop talking. Most of it is cringe worthy. I've learned a lot about what other fans think of Colby Rasmus from twitter and these overheard conversations. The result is not good. While JP Arancebia and Brett Lawrie invoke "oooh that's my husband" comments, Rasmus receives far less fan fare. "Oh my god that guys a freak. And he's so dumb! I hear that he's like from the South, and he's like such a hick. And you, know the other team, like gave him away cause he's like anti-social and crappy at baseball."

Yes, it's true. Colby is from Alabama. Watching his most recent 1-on-1 video with sportsnet emphasizes this. He lived in a single-wide trailer when he was an itty-bitty and he just wants to love on his little one. It certainly seems foreign. But he's being upfront, he's being honest and he seems content with the Blue Jays, and I think we're all starting to see the results in the months of May and June. Colby came to the team with oodles of possibilities, a fantastic defense, but batting numbers that were worrying. This boy is one the way up. He's walking to the plate with confidence, hitting the ball hard, diving in the outfield and sometimes, smiling in the dugout. 

Toronto is the place where the looked down upon come to shine. Just ask Jose Bautista, Yunel Escobar and now, Colby Rasmus. They were picked up for a song because other managers and teams couldn't wait to get rid of them. Followed by rumours and whispers, they fell in line in Toronto. Last year, Escobar gave an interview and they asked him what was different for him playing in Toronto compared to playing in Atlanta and he replied with, "I'm happy now."

And that seemed to be the tone of Colby's interview as well. A dugout that dosen't kick the young ones when they are down. They are team, and that's something I can get behind.