Mark Shapiro almost human in Blue Jays press conference

This is what winning has done for the Blue Jays: It has made Mark Shapiro sound human. Article content

Likable almost. Like a guy you want to live next to. Or a guy you want to walk your dog beside. Article content Article content

Sounding like he belongs, in the city and in the country, sounding like he cares instead of spreading his usual bafflegab and talking in corporate buzz words, speaking with real emotion and no business talk.

Talking to you, not at you — which has been his custom during his decade in Toronto.

None of the arrogant, dislikable, curt Shapiro — an image, frankly, he created for himself — was on display Thursday in his season-ending press availability.

This was a man who used to bring squirm and discomfort to a new level, no longer leaving anguish behind as he