To Troy Tulowitzki’s Homerun in game 3 of the 2015 ALDS,
You were one of the most pivotal homeruns in Toronto Blue Jays history. You were the Franz Ferdinand of the 2015 ALDS, the turning point of an entire series, but most importantly, you were the moment I believed in the Toronto Blue Jays.
Growing up as a Blue Jays fan in the early 2000s was a miserable time. The thought of making the playoffs was laughable and the notion that our home team could somehow win a championship would have you put in an insane asylum. But then in the summer of 2015, Alex Anthopoulous and the Toronto Blue Jays acquired Troy Tulowitzki from the Colorado Rockies. Even as I sit here typing this now, it seems like the last year and a half has been a dream. From the time Troy Tulowitzki began his career up until 2015 began, he has been the best shortstop in baseball. He’s been injured, but if there’s a shortstop your team wants, it’s always been Troy Tulowitzki.
And then all of a sudden, Troy Tulowitzki was a Toronto Blue Jay.
A goofy smile came over my face as I typed that sentence out. It is January 3rd, 2017 and I still get warm and fuzzy inside that Troy Tulowitzki is a Toronto Blue Jay (goofy smile happening again). But this isn’t a letter to Troy Tulowitzki, this is a letter to Troy Tulowitzki’s homerun in game 3 of the 2015 ALDS.
If you are a Blue Jays fan, do you remember how you felt heading into that game three? It seems like a century ago, but two games into that series, our whole city was dejected, depressed, cynical, every single negative emotion you could feel as a Blue Jays fan was felt because our team was losing a best of five series two games to nil and this was how our season was going to end, limping out of Arlington and being swept out of the playoffs after making it to the promised land after twenty-two long, harsh, empty, dismal playoff-less years. There was no hope around these parts; even if we managed to win one game, we were not going to win two in Arlington, and even if we managed to win two, the Rangers would be pissed off and throw everything they had at us in game five.
But then everything changed.
Troy Tulowitzki was oh fer the entire playoffs up to that point. Three games in and no hits from our newly christened star shortstop and the entire town was ready to call him a bust. One swing, deep left field, it’s become a trend in the historic moments in Toronto baseball and this was no exception. I will never ever forget the pure feeling of hope and joy that was restored inside me when I saw that baseball fly off the bat and into the stands.
Blue Jays 5
Rangers 0
The Blue Jays were going to win a playoff game, ten words that I never thought I would hear in my life only three months prior to that swing. Everyone in this city will talk about the Bautista homerun, everyone in this city will talk about the Encarnacion homerun, but I will never ever forget the Tulowitzki homerun as the first time I ever truly believed in the Toronto Blue Jays.
So thank you, Troy Tulowitzki’s homerun from game three of the 2015 ALDS, you will have a place reserved in my heart until the end of time.
Yours Truly,
Zan Rathore