Yankees, Red Sox...and Blue Jays??

Ok, Canada, do me a favor. Just for a couple of minutes, turn off the hockey, put your iPod on "pause" (you can listen to Rush later), and listen up.

The Toronto Blue Jays might, just might , crash the Yankees-Red Sox American League East house party this year.

Wait, wait, I know. You've heard this before. Too many times in recent years, you've cooked up scenarios in your head where the Blue Jays somehow run past the New York-Boston Axis and find themselves in the post-season for the first time since Bill Clinton was still inhaling Big Macs. Too many times in recent years, the Jays end up in a nose dive and you're thinking about dropping the puck by the time the All-Star break rolls around. Getting your hopes up all of the time just to be disappointed in the end is no fun at all. Ask any fan of Lost.

Nevertheless, look at your team, eh?

You've got an outfielder who very easily could go for 30 HRs and 30 SBs this year (Alex Rios), another All-Star outfielder (Vernon Wells) who seems to have the shoulder issues which dampened his 2007 behind him (a healthy Wells is closer to the .300 AVG, 32 HR, 106 RBI monster of '06 than the .245, 16, 80 of '07), and an excellent fielding second baseman (Aaron Hill) who very quietly hit 17 HRs last year. You've got the ageless Frank Thomas who just keeps hitting (26 HR, 95 RBI in '07). Your minor league system always seems to pump out talent. Lots of good stuff going on here.

Wait, there's more. You just might have the best starting pitching in the division.

You've got a certifiable ace (Roy Halladay), a smoke-throwing stud (A.J. Burnett), and two younger guys who seem to be on the verge of big-time breakouts (Shaun Marcum and Dustin McGowan). Sure, your number 5 starter is still up in the air but, hey, who's isn't?

On top of that, I bet the Yankees would trade bullpens with you in a heartbeat. Even if B.J. Ryan isn't ready to start 2008 as Toronto's closer, there's still Jeremy Accardo who, following Ryan's 2007 injury, took the closer gig and ran with it all the way to 30 Saves and a nifty 2.14 ERA. Beyond Accardo, there's Casey Janssen who tossed 72 2/3 relief innings to the tune of a 2.35 ERA. Beyond Janssen, you've got Scott Downs who posted a 2.17 ERA and struck out 57 batters in 58 IP. That's a bunch of quality arms. Without Ryan, it's a very good bullpen. With a healthy Ryan, it might be the best relief corps in the American League.

Yes, I know you look at the two 900-lb. gorillas in your division and disgustedly shake your head. Yankees and Red Sox. They get all the media buzz, they get all of the stars, and they have all of the money. If either of these behemoths find themselves lacking in some area, they go out and make a headline-grabbing deal. The Blue Jays really can't do that. They have to draft well, smartly develop players in their own system, and be prudent with trades and free agent dealings. The Blue Jays can't spend a bagillion dollars on a Matt Clement or a Carl Pavano, have the deal implode, and walk away thinking "Oh well, what now?" The Blue Jays have done their homework. Time to kick the training wheels off and go for it.

Yes, that Boston club looks positively fearsome (winning the World Series twice in four years will do that for you) and the Yankees are, well, still the Yankees. Both these teams figure to be good. Very good.

Still, both teams have questions. Sure, your garden variety Red Sox fan is feeling pretty good these days but can they not be thinking to themselves "What's up with Josh Beckett's back? Are Lester and Bucholz ready? What if Manny Ramirez's 2007 decline continues? What if Jason Varitek breaks down? What if Dustin Pedroia struggles? Is Jacoby Ellsbury for real? What if 2007 is as good as Matsuzaka gets?" That may seem like focusing on a lot of negatives for a team coming off another World Series win but focusing on negatives is what Boston fans are good at.

Meanwhile, Yankee fans can't look at their Kiddie Korps of young pitchers and not wonder if they are really ready for a full season of New York pressure, can they? Oh, and remember that garbage scow that sailed around Manhattan several years ago, looking for a place to dump its trash? Throw a pinstriped jersey on it and you'd basically have the 2008 Yankee bullpen. And offensively? As good as they are (and very well still could be) Derek Jeter, Bobby Abreu, Jorge Posada, and Hideki Matsui aren't immune from the influence of Father Time. What if they collectively decline? Yes, A-Rod is a magnificent player but can you really expect a repeat of his 2007 campaign (54 HRs, 156 RBI)? Well, Yankee fans expect it. They also expect to go 162-0 every year.

So, chin up, Blue Jays fans (all 347 of you). It can happen. Yes, you need just about everything to go exactly right. You need healthy years from Wells, Halladay, Burnett (good luck with that one), and Ryan. You need a resurgence from St. Louis Cardinal outcast Scott Rolen. You need Rios to take the "next step" and be the 2008 version of Matt (Holy God, this guy's awesome! Where'd he come from?) Holliday. You need Frank Thomas to keep forgetting just how many candles there are on his birthday cake. Perhaps most of all, you're going to need some luck. The Evil Empire and the Not As Evil As The Yankees But Still Pretty Evil Empire need to experience a hiccup or two. Maybe three.

Admittedly, it's a tall order for the Jays but stranger things have happened. The Yankees and Red Sox look tough, per usual, but they're not invulnerable. What was unthinkable in previous years is now, at least, possible in 2008. That's progress. Go get 'em, Toronto. Make every executive at Fox Sports wail in tears because you bumped one of their beloved ratings cash cows out of the post-season.

That's it, Canada, thanks for listening. You can go back to what you were doing. When "Tom Sawyer" comes on the iPod, crank it nice and loud for me. And root, root, root for your Blue Jays.