I've been following the Blue Jays since 1983. That was a pretty exciting year for this young franchise. We had a good, young team, but we wouldn't win our first pennant until 1985, the year Terminator Tom Henke arrived.
In addition to the obvious on-field benefits to having a solid closer, there is a great psychological team benefit to having a closer you can rely on. As the closer goes, so go the Jays. All Blue Jay success, which is essentially the years between 1983 and 1993, was anchored by the dynamic duo of Tom Henke and Duane Ward.
The Jays haven't won a pennant since 1993, the last season Duane Ward was healthy. In 1994 he was struck with bicep tendonitis and when he was shelved, so was the Jays pursuit of back-to-back-to-back.
This is why the signing of B.J. Ryan was so vital to our future success. For the first time in a long time, there was a dominant, dependable closer, and with that came hope. Without Ryan, who is out for at least a year, we're pitiful, losers of 9 in a row and counting. Sure, we miss Ryan's arm, but most devastating is the psychological effect. Without Ryan, the Jays simply can't compete. There is no hope. This season is over, and it's early May.
The Jays only squeezed one year out of both Duane Ward and B.J. Ryan as closers for this team, but Tom Henke gave us seven strong seasons, saving many a game as we won four AL East pennants and a World Series. We need another Henke, someone dominant and built to last. Until we find the next Terminator, we'll never win again.
