Could Toronto be a future port of call for Pirates' Bay?

Toronto Star
August 16, 2007

PITTSBURGH

If professional athletes whine and think they're underexposed in Canada, they clearly haven't been paying attention to the plight of the Pirates. Mainstream America does not know these guys exist. Which allows Canadian outfielder Jason Bay to play out the early portion of his career in obscurity on the banks of the Allegheny River.

"I actually enjoy being out of the public eye," the 29-year-old native of Trail, B.C. said. "I like the market here. It's just a little under the radar. That would all change if we started winning a little bit."

Therein lies the small-market Catch-22. In order for the Pirates to win more games, management needs a major influx of fan dollars to invest in payroll. But, in order to receive an influx of dollars from turned-on Pirates fans, they need to win more games.

"It is definitely frustrating," Bay admitted. "It wears on you after a while. You can only hear, `We're looking forward to next year,' so many times. The fans get agitated and it starts up in here. No one in here enjoys losing and that's the thing."

Bay is having an off year, judged against the standard he set for himself in his first three seasons in the majors. He entered last night's game with a .251 average, 18 homers and 73 RBIs. He has two more seasons after this before he is eligible for free agency.

"I like it here," Bay shrugged. "I like the direction. I like the guys and all that, but time will tell. I would definitely not be reluctant to sign a long-term deal. I'm a big fan of Pittsburgh, but it also boils down to getting the ship pointed in the right direction.

"Some people are looking for the quick fix, pull the switch and boom you're a contender. The reality is that doesn't happen for a team in our (financial) situation. ... I like it here. It's really beautiful. At some point it's definitely going to be about winning ballgames, not just putting on the uniform."

Meanwhile, Bay is proud of the progress Canadian players have made even since his own rookie season in 2004, when, with Larry Walker's career winding down, he was the beacon for Canadian baseball development. Now, it's at the point where there are Canadians everywhere and the need to label Justin Morneau, Russell Martin, Jeff Francis and Bay by country no longer seems necessary.

"People always ask what does it mean for baseball in Canada?" Bay said. "It's a lot better for Canadian baseball when you have 20 guys and you have a choice rather than, `Hey, there's two. Pick one.' It helps branch out a little bit and touch more people."

Bay credits the World Baseball Classic in March of '06 for the camaraderie that permeates the Canadians around the majors. More than ever, Canadians search out other Canadians as they forge ahead through the daily grind.

"It's kind of like an English-speaking guy playing (Caribbean) winter ball," Bay explained. "Whether you know the guy or not, you go over and say hi. There's a lot of guys that are Canadian that I've never met, but it's the one thing you have in common."

In the winter of 2009-10, if the Pirates do not turn things around, Bay will have a decision to make on free agency and his tranquil existence of peaceful anonymity may be shattered forever. With Troy Glaus and Frank Thomas's deals expiring that winter, would the Jays ever be interested in a star Canadian outfielder? Hmm.