‘Embarrassing’ Blue Jays Fans Slammed for Targeting $33M Star and His Children With Death Threats

With just 25 games left in the season, the Blue Jays’ once-comfortable lead in the AL East is down to just two games. And guess what, with the Yankees right on their heels, Toronto hasn’t helped its own cause. They just dropped four of their last six frustratingly. Two of those losses came in the ninth inning, where closer Jeff Hoffman has struggled badly. Again on Saturday night, he gave up three runs on three hits, including two homers. And the result? The Brewers pulled out a 4-1 win at Rogers Centre.

Now, that outing pushed Hoffman’s total to 12 home runs allowed in the ninth inning or later this season, an unfortunate new franchise record. So, it’s the kind of slump fans didn’t expect at this point in the playoff race. And while rough patches are part of baseball, it doesn’t excuse some of the ugly and unacceptable fan reactions Hoffman has been facing. The reactions got dirty enough to get called out by the Canadian baseball podcaster John Kiner-Falefa.

“I can’t stress this enough. If you are leaving comments under Jeff Hoffman’s Instagram page of his family and children, wishing horrible things happen to them over a baseball game, you are below the sc– of the earth. Absolute fu— losers.” Kiner-Falefa was brutally honest, taking out the trolls. He also shared a few snapshots of the comments directed towards Hoffman’s family: Embarrassing stuff.

Well, criticizing a player’s performance is fair game and part of the competitive spirit of baseball. But crossing the line to attack someone’s family is completely unacceptable. Some of the comments, even directed at Hoffman, have been so out of line that they reflect poorly on the Blue Jays’ fanbase and the game itself.

For the unversed, even at Rogers Centre, fans booed Hoffman off the field after his tough outing Saturday. But that kind of reaction comes with the territory, and Hoffman himself admitted as much, saying: “Everybody here’s trying to win. Everybody wants to win. That’s a Blue Jays fan, so it’s understandable.” 

However, apart from trolls, Hoffman’s struggle reflects the holistic scenario of the Blue Jays.

The poor story of the Blue Jays’ bullpen

Well, Hoffman’s struggles aren’t an isolated issue. Rather, they’re part of a bigger story about the Blue Jays’ bullpen lately. In August, the bullpen has posted a 4.76 ERA, and their 15% walk rate is the worst in the majors. Now, stretch that sample back to late July, during the road trip against the Tigers and Orioles, and the numbers look even worse.

So, what used to be a real strength for the Blue Jays has turned into a trouble spot. For instance, Louis Varland still hasn’t settled in, Brendon Little has been inconsistent, and the team is without both Chad Green and Erik Swanson. And to make matters worse, Yimi Garcia doesn’t seem anywhere close to throwing again.

Nevertheless, Hoffman’s seven blown saves grab attention, but he’s also converted 28. And earlier in the year, he was not just closing out wins, but creating them on his own. The truth is, the whole Blue Jays’ bullpen is stuck in a rough stretch right now. And if they’re going to turn things around, it’ll have to be as a group, whatever that looks like for each guy.