[URBAN NOTE] "‘Old Jays’ are battered and bruised but ready for battle"

[rfmcdonald]

The Globe and Mail's Robert MacLeod reports on the aging Toronto Bay Jays as they come into play for the World Series.

Jason Grilli is 39 and proud of it.

The Toronto Blue Jays reliever, a 14-year veteran, wears his longevity like a crown, gracefully enduring ribbing from his teammates about an old coot playing a kid’s game.

The onset of middle age among some Blue Jays has been a running joke in the clubhouse, ever since the likes of Grilli and Joaquin Benoit, who is also 39, joined the team in mid-season trades.

Josh Donaldson, the 30-year-old Toronto third baseman, has been a leading protagonist, even using his Twitter account to poke fun at the so-called “Old Jays.”

Donaldson was at it again Monday, after the Blue Jays swept the Texas Rangers from the American League Division Series to afford them a break before starting the league championship against the Cleveland Indians.