Granderson is both new kid and wizened leader for Blue Jays

MONTREAL – Curtis Granderson has played 14 seasons in the majors with four different teams, but that doesn’t mean he’s immune to an adjustment period with the Blue Jays.

Even with his wealth of experience, integrating into a new team isn’t a simple thing for the the 37-year-old outfielder.

“It’s kind of like the first day of school, you’re coming in and trying to put the names with the faces and see how everybody’s chemistry is,” he says. “Who’s the jokester on the team? Who’s the serious guy? Who’s the chill guy? Who’s the funny guy? Those are all things I’ve gotta learn.”

On the other hand, part of what’s expected of a player of his age and stature is to be a leader in the clubhouse. That’s not something Granderson shies away from, but he also has no intention of stepping on toes.

“There are already leaders on this team first and foremost, because they’ve been here for a long time and had a winning experience here,” he says. “So when I come in, one I have to be receptive to what they’re saying, and hopefully they’re receptive to me. The combination of those two things both puts us in a situation where we can lead.”

Granderson won’t have any problem getting fellow Blue Jays to be receptive to what he has to say for a couple of reasons. The first is a trophy case that includes three All-Star Game appearances and a Silver Slugger Award. The second is the fact he leads the Blue Jays in the statistic that might be worth the most in an MLB clubhouse: service time.

“If you ask anybody they know almost to the number how many days they’ve played in the big leagues, if you catch them at the beginning or end of a season,” Granderson says. “Everyone is just trying to accumulate it because it does so many things for you post-baseball that people forget about. We’re going to be non-baseball players so much long than we’re going to be baseball players.”

Although improving your post-retirement benefits may not seem sexy, service time is worth an enormous amount of social capital among ballplayers. The goal for many is to play as much MLB baseball as possible, so guys who’ve managed to stick around the longest – like Granderson – have instant credibility.

It was the exact same way when Granderson broke in almost 15 years ago with a team that sported a veteran core he looked up to.

“I was fortunate I got a chance to be in Detroit in 2004 making the team, and then we went to the World Series in 2006 and I had a bunch of guys. Dimitri Young, who I still stay in touch with to this day, Magglio Ordonez, Kenny Rogers, Pudge Rodriguez, just to name a few,” he says. “These were talented players on the field, but the way they went about their business was cool just to watch and realize ‘these guys have played in the big leagues for a long time and this is why’.”

It seems odd to think a soft-tossing lefty starter like Rogers would be a crucial early-career influence for a toolsy young outfielder, but the southpaw’s longevity – and what it took to achieve it – drew Granderson in.

“I pulled bits and piece from a guy like Kenny Rogers, who doesn’t play [the same position] as me, but I’m like ‘Hey this guy is himself ready so much time before the lights go on.”

Now Granderson is in the position to set an example for the Blue Jays’ younger players. They’ll certainly be watching.

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