Blue Jays' Jose Reyes, Maple Leafs' Joffrey Lupul experiencing parallel careers
Baseball player Jose Reyes and hockey player Joffrey Lupul have more in common than simply the city they play for, a recent story by Tip of the Tower argued.
Both players enjoyed relative success at the beginning of their careers only to suffer from injuries and inconsistent play as the years passed. Oddly enough, both players are semi-irreplaceable despite the disappointing play for their respective clubs, Tip of the Tower claimed.
"When both players are in the lineup and playing to potential, their respective clubs are undoubtedly better," Tip of the Tower wrote. "The Jays have struggled to find a replacement for Reyes who provides dependable defense and a productive bat, burning through young players like Ryan Goins and Jonathan Diaz in an hopeless effort.
"It’s just not easy to replace Reyes even in the approaching twilight of his career. The same basic situation applies to Lupul. When he’s sitting in the press box or plugging away on the third line, the Leafs don’t really have the depth to cover for his prolonged absence from the second line."
That depth struggle leads to the downfall of both the Jays and the Leafs, Tip of the Tower noted. Because both players make up the relative "core" of their teams and neither are easily replaced, the teams also struggle when both players struggle, meaning a lot of headaches for the Jays, Leafs and Toronto fans.
(h/t Tip of the Tower)
Photo by John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
