Booing Atkins isn't for everyone

“You have a lot of so-called ‘pissedoff veterans’ in there.”

- MIKE WILNER

Chris Bassitt believes that in a city like New York, there’d be less focus on the failings of the front office and more on the players.

Chris Bassitt includes himself in that group in the Blue Jays clubhouse. Not because of the front office. Not because of the manager.

This annus horribilis for your Toronto Blue Jays, according to the 35-year-old right-hander, is entirely on the players.

“It’s been the worst year of my career,” Bassitt said before Saturday’s 7-2 win over the St. Louis Cardinals at the Rogers Centre, in which José Berríos picked up his career-high 16th win with seven innings of two-hitter and Davis Schneider homered for the first time since June 22, part of a threehit day. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. put the icing on the cake by singling home a run in the seventh for his 500th career RBI. At 25 years and 182 days old, he’s the youngest Jay to reach the milestone (by more than two years: Lloyd Moseby was 27 and 219 days when he did it). Among players who started their careers in Toronto, only Carlos Delgado (714 games) did it in fewer games than Vladdy’s 806.

Bassitt is the Jays’ nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award, presented annually to the player who best exemplifies the game, sportsmanship and community involvement.