Could a Toronto Blue Jays playoff bid be a home run for the economy?
Global News
Canada’s economy is slowing down just as the Toronto Blue Jays’ race for a playoff berth heats up. Here's what experts say that could mean for country's economic prospects.
This year, September in Canada means two things: pressure ramping up on the Toronto Blue Jays as they chase an elusive wild card spot for a berth in the MLB postseason; and economists crunching numbers to revise their forecasts of how steep a decline the economy could soon face.
Canada’s economy has stalled, according to Friday’s Statistics Canada report on real gross domestic product. GDP actually contracted in the second quarter of the year, surprising most economists and forecasters who hadn’t expected such a chill to take hold until the fall.
But Canada’s economy is cooling down just as the Toronto Blue Jays’ race for a playoff berth heats up.
As of Sept. 1, the Blue Jays’ playoff odds sat just below 50-50 at 44 per cent, according to analytics website FanGraphs. (They’re pegged at 2.4 per cent to win the World Series, if you want to know the long odds.)
A spate of recent injuries to stars such as shortstop Bo Bichette and a lacklustre offence hasn’t helped their chances lately as rivals charge for the MLB’s few coveted wild card spots.
For the Jays, that means there’s a critical lineup of games to play in September that could sway whether the city of Toronto — and the wider country — has a team in the postseason this year.
As Canadians face pressure from high interest rates and financial anxiety around a slowing economy, could the urge to spend on playoff tickets, travel and other experiences around the postseason be enough to lift the economy out of its doldrums?
Economists who spoke to Global News are doubtful that a Blue Jays playoff run itself is enough to completely stave off a possible recession, though a hypothetical postseason bid could be a welcome boost for businesses if Canadians opt to dip into their savings for some once-in-a-generation tickets.
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