Closing time with Scott Downs
The ninth inning is about to commence at the Rogers Centre. The hometown Blue Jays are ahead by one run. Coming out of the left field bullpen is Toronto’s closer, Scott Downs. As he runs to the mound, the wind picks up Downs’ long dark hair, tucked so neatly under his cap.
After throwing a few warm up tosses, the native of Louisville, Kentucky crouches behind the mound, mutters something into his glove and then carves the initials of his two children into the dirt. It’s a ritual he performs every time the Blue Jays call upon him.
Downs’ baseball career has been somewhat quiet. From 1997-2005 he bounced around the minors along with stints in the majors with the Chicago Cubs and Montreal Expos. Before signing with the Blue Jays, his biggest achievement was a no-hitter he threw as a member of the Triple-A Edmonton Trappers in 2004. Since coming to Toronto, Downs has become one of the most dependable relievers on the team.
After a successful 2008 campaign as Toronto’s set-up man, he became the closer earlier this season after regular closer B.J. Ryan was placed on the disabled list. Downs has taken full advantage of the opportunity. As of June 10, he’s picked up eight saves in nine opportunities, giving up just six earned runs in 25.1 innings of work, while having an ERA of 2.13. Downs’ impressive work has allowed him to remain as the closer, despite Ryan’s return from the DL.
“Downs has been terrific for the Jays in what ever role he’s been in,” says Tom Dakers of Bluebird Banter, a popular blog dedicated to the Blue Jays. “I sort of think he is more valuable in the set-up role than as a closer, but he is clearly the best arm in the pen. He strikes out a batter an inning, and the guys he doesn’t strike out, he gets to hit ground-ball outs.”
In addition to his solid performance, Downs’ daily antics have made him a fan favourite. A recent blog post by MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian listed some of his superstitions. Along with carving his children’s initials into the mound, Downs will also race teammate Brian Tallet from the outfield to the clubhouse after every batting practice, place a can of Red Bull in the same spot in the dugout before every game and move a “No Reporters” sign down the third-base line every day.
Furthermore, Downs believes talking to reporters will bring him bad luck and prefers to speak with them in an informal setting. These kinds of actions are not only unique, but can also form a close personal bond with the fans.
“People remember that Wade Boggs ate chicken before games, or that Mark Fidrych talked to the baseball, or that Bill Lee sprinkled marijuana on his corn flakes,” Dakers points out. “People like things that humanize players. We all have our little quirks, so we like to know that players have little quirks too.”
Most of the attention given to the Blue Jays this season has focused on players like Roy Halladay, Adam Lind and Aaron Hill. However, Downs has silently played a major role in Toronto’s strong start in April and their surprising ability to stay in playoff contention after an ugly losing streak in late May. Regardless of what happens to the Blue Jays this year, fans will have nothing but positive comments about Scott Downs. They will applaud his hard work and love his behavior.
