It seems like Buck Martinez’s old comment about the Yankees is coming back to haunt the Blue Jays. Remember when he said, “The Yankees. They’re not a good team. I don’t care what their record is. They have a lot of wild pitches, they make a lot of mistakes in the field, and they don’t run the bases very well.” Well, now it’s the Jays who can’t seem to get the fundamentals right, and it’s happening at the worst possible time.

Notably, Game 6 against the Dodgers was a disaster after Addison Barger’s baserunning blunder led to that ninth-inning double play. You’d think they’d learn from it, but tonight feels like deja vu. This time, it’s George Springer making the same kind of mistake, killing the momentum and ending the first inning just like that. And fans?

They are left scratching their heads, wondering what’s going on with the Jays’ baserunning lately. “Does George Springer have any baseball smarts?” one fan asked.

The chaos started right in the first inning. Springer was on first with one out after leading off with a single, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was at the plate. With a 3-2 count, Springer took off on the pitch, but Vladdy watched strike three go by for a called strike. Still one out left, but Will Smith popped up from his knees and fired to second, where Springer had stopped running.

Result? He was tagged out easily, and to make it worse, he wasn’t even hustling, just walking, with no attempt to dodge the tag!!!

Sure, Springer’s still dealing with that injury from the 18-inning marathon loss back in Game 3, but giving up on a play like that in the World Series Final? That’s tough to watch.

And this is just the latest in a string of ugly baserunning mistakes for the Jays this series. Notably, before Barger’s meltdown in Game 6, Bo Bichette made a similar blunder in Game 3. He’d led off the second inning with a single, but then drifted off the bag at first while joking around. The home plate umpire had just called a strike, which he apparently didn’t notice.

Catcher Will Smith flipped the ball to pitcher Tyler Glasnow, then pointed to Bichette, who was caught wandering. Glasnow tossed to the infield, and Bichette was tagged out easily.

And for reference, the Blue Jays went on to lose both Game 3 and Game 6, and fans are, as expected, losing patience. It’s not just bad luck anymore, but it’s bad baseball.

Fans are having a meltdown with the Blue Jays

How come a repeated baserunning error by the Blue Jays? Fans wonder. “George Springer’s controller just died…,” one fan said. “I guess George Springer was confused when he didn’t hear the trash can banging,” added another. Ahh, gut punch alert!!! If you remember, Springer’s time with the Astros is forever linked to the infamous trash can sign-stealing scandal. He was a key part of the Astros’ scandalous 2017 team. And just because he failed to get a call sign to not move to the second, fans believe it’s because he can’t steal signs.

However, hitting 4 HRs at .262 is no joke, and it surely isn’t powered by any trash-can banging. So, his baserunning error is purely a misplay.

“WTF was George Springer thinking? That was a clear strikeout, and you should never do that, no matter if it’s a strikeout or a ball four,” one user agrees. It was a clear strike call by the umpire, and with bases not loaded and still one out left, there’s actually no point behind stealing a base, and that too in the very first inning. But it is how it happened.

But there’s no denying that Springer is putting his body on the line for one final game. “Respect to Bo Bichette and George Springer for even competing. You know they’re hurting,” one user remarked. “George Springer can’t barely move, yet he was sure it was a great idea to ‘run on contact’ in a 3-2 count,” another commented.

Postseason baserunning mistakes aren’t new. Jean Segura’s slip-up in the 2022 NLDS and Gleyber Torres’ lapse in the 2020 ALDS both proved how pressure can crack even top players. One bad read or slow reaction can turn a winnable game into a nightmare — and the Blue Jays are facing the same problem now.

George Springer’s toughness has never been in question, but his decision-making has. Still dealing with a right-side injury from Game 3, he’s running more on instinct than precision. The brace on his side shows determination, yet his baserunning shows fatigue — a veteran forcing his body to keep up while his timing slips.

After hurting his right side in Game 3, Springer is still not 100% fit to hit the field. But how the Blue Jays are absolutely pumped up right now, he is still here. He is also seen wearing a brace in the dugout, reflecting his current condition. So yes, despite baserunning being a grave misplay, let’s acknowledge how Springer is putting in effort despite his injury.