Toronto Blue Jays: Issues between Shapiro and Rogers hard to ignore

The Toronto Blue Jays’ tumultuous season now includes speculation about how solid the relationship is between president and CEO Mark Shapiro and Rogers.

When Mark Shapiro took over as president and CEO for the Toronto Blue Jays, he was already at a disadvantage. The hugely popular and affable Paul Beeston was always going to be a tough act to follow.

Some of the negativity towards Shapiro was unfair. It seemed like no matter what he did, it just wasn’t good enough for the Blue Jays fan base.

However, there were also times when the Cambridge, Massachusetts native seemingly didn’t help himself. One example of this was the reported handling of his relationship with Alex Anthopoulos, who ultimately decided to leave his position as general manager.

Talking of relationships, this provides the perfect segue into speculation regarding Shapiro’s association with the Blue Jays’ owners, Rogers. Apparently, there is uncertainty between the two sides.

As reported by Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi, the subject was brought up by Bob McCown. The Prime Time Sports’ host first mentioned the uneasy relationship on Thursday.

McCown then discussed the subject again on Friday, in response to a caller’s question. As per Davidi:

"“There is a level of uncertainty about the relationship with senior executives that (Shapiro) deals with at Rogers and that he answers to at Rogers…usually where there’s smoke there is fire … and there’s smoke.”"

It’s important to note McCown didn’t explain why there was uncertainty between the two sides. However, you better believe the Bobcat has built up a solid and extensive number of sources during his 40+ years in the Toronto media.

The question is, how bad is the relationship between Shapiro and Rogers? No matter how reputable any sources may be, it is no secret McCown isn’t a big fan of what the Blue Jays’ president and CEO has done during his time in Southern Ontario.

With this in mind, is the uncertainty at — or nearing — the point of no return, or can it still be repaired? Obviously, there is no way for us to know at this stage.

What we do know in the world of professional sports, is both the positive and negative can often by embellished, whether it be by the media, sports fans or the players and teams themselves. When it’s going well, it’s going great; when it’s going poorly, it’s an unmitigated disaster.

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When a team is winning, how often do you hear about how well the players get on with each other, and how likeable the team is? On the flip side, if a team is losing, teammates are arguing and their popularity plummets with the media and fans alike.

The irony in all of this is that no matter how unpopular Shapiro may or may not be, Rogers aren’t particularly liked by Blue Jays fans. Although not always warranted, how often do you hear complaints that the owners are not putting enough money into the team?

Of course, winning cures all ills, but the truth is, nothing has gone right for the Blue Jays this season, even when they were — apparently at least — trying to contend earlier in the year. Now that a realistic challenge is all but a distant memory, the organisation has decided to rebuild, which has led to more losing and more frustration for everyone involved.

So where does Shapiro go from here? No doubt he will be involved in more conversations with the owners, no matter how good or bad the relationship might be.

As things stand, the two-time Sporting News Executive of the Year has a contract that runs through the 2020 season. Whether he gets to complete it — or get an extension — is the only uncertainty we’re sure of right now.

What’s your take on the speculation about Shapiro’s relationship with Rogers? Is it more cause for concern, or being blown out of proportion due to how poor this season has been for the Toronto Blue Jays in general? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.