2nd year in a row - playoffs
2016 is the 2nd year in a row the Jays have made the post-season. Last year they lost in the ALCS to the eventual winners of the World Series, the Kansas City Royals. This year the Royals are not in the playoffs.
Toronto is also up 2 games to 0 on the same team they beat last year, the Rangers...

Current Mood: tired

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2015 will be Toronto's First Postseason Appearance in 22 Years
The subject line says it all: This season Toronto will make the playoffs for the first time since they won the World Series in 1993.
Here is to the 2015 team and their hard work. Go Jays!

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Jose Bautista
Hey, it's been awful quiet in here, how y'all doing?  I thought I'd point out an interesting story in today's WaPo about the remarkable turn around of Jose Bautista: link  Dominicans love Toronto, no?

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Delgado retires
Carlos Delgado has officially retired.
He has been limited by a hip injury, which caused him to stop playing in the majors in 2009.

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Jays quickly trade new aquisition for pitching
So it seems the Jays turned around and traded catcher Mike Napoli to the Texas Rangers for Frank Francisco, who they may actually keep. Toronto needs pitching, and there is no established closer, so Francisco could fill a number of slots.
So much for a new catcher!

Current Mood: amused

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Wells traded to Angels
The Jays announced they have traded Vernon Wells to the LA Angels for catcher Mike Napoli and outfielder Juan Rivera.

I expect Napoli will be the primary catcher and Rivera to platoon/come in from the bench. What does that mean for Molina? He is either the backup catcher or gets traded to bring in some pitching.

Current Mood: tired

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Tickets deal: 80 for $95
If you are interested in tickets to next season's games and live nearby, getting 80 tickets for $95 is a good deal.
http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/tor/ticketing/season_pass.jsp?partnerId=N7471-16HM3Z

Current Mood: awake

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New Manager
Toronto's new manager was announced today: John Farrell.
Farrell was the pitching coach for the Red Sox last season.

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Not Surprise News
I doubt anyone reading this doesn't already know, but everything is official now: RHP Roy Halladay was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies in a 4-team trade. The details:

Jays get: RHP Kyle Drabek, OF Michael Taylor, and C Travis D'Arnaud.

Phillies get: RHP Roy Halladay + $6million, Phillippe Aumont, Tyson Gillies and J.C. Ramirez.

Mariners get: LHP Cliff Lee,

The Jays then traded Taylor to the A's for IF Brett Wallace.

Current Mood: indifferent

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Next Best Thing
No sooner had the Blue Jays played their final game of the season, than I received some consolation in the mail:

1.  A copy of the big, hardcover 1992 World Series commemorative book. The best part: some of the text was written by W. P. Kinsella, and includes his digressions on subjects like politics and why baseball inspires more fiction than other sports.

2. Old VHS tapes of the Jays' 1992 and 1993 World Series games highlights.

Something to while away the long winter nights.

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How Did the Jays Do With Those Moves?
As you know, the Jays have done some wheeling and dealing before the two trade deadlines. I was curious to see how the players have stacked up against each other, to see if the Jays can say they "won" those roster moves.

Rios claimed by Chicago

Alex Rios as a White Sox: .140 BA (13 for 93), 4 doubles, 1 homerun, 3 RBI, 1 walk, 23 K

Jose Bautista, since August 1st (he's got the most of the playing time since Rios left): .167 BA in August, .235 so far in September, 17 for 88, 3 doubles, 3 homeruns, 8 RBI, 19 BB, .395 OBP in September

The winner so far: Jays, by a mile. Rios has fizzled in Chicago and hasn't helped turn around a White Sox team that was in contention when he arrived, and is struggling to stay in it now. The Jays freed up salary, and were able to use the roster spot to bring up Randy Ruiz, who has been a pleasant surprise so far.

Rolen to Reds for Encarnacion, Roenicke, Stewart

Since starting for their new team, respectively:

Edwin Encarnacion: .216 (22 for 102), 1 triple, 3 HR, 11 RBI
Josh Roenicke: 10 apperances, 13.1 IP, 13 H, 10 ER, 11 BB, 13 K, 6.75 ERA

Scott Rolen: .258 (24 for 93), 3 doubles, 2 HR, 11 RBI

The winner so far: not sure. If Rolen's production would have dropped off for the Jays like it is for the Reds (mind you he got hit in the head in one of his first games with Cincinnati), one might look at the Jays to win this one. However, Encarnacion hasn't played too badly at third, and Rolen wanted to be closer to home so he's happy. I think the determination of who won the deal will be if Zach Stewart makes it to the bigs and how well he does up here. Stewart had a 2.13 ERA in 11 games for Las Vegas, with 14 K's compared to 6 BB.

BJ Ryan released

I didn't know this until I researched it, but the Cubs signed him to a minor-league contract and sent him to work at their spring training complex and then pitched in 5 games for the Iowa Cubs (AAA). I figured he was still sitting at home.

The winner so far: BJ Ryan. He made his $12-million this year from the Jays and didn't even pitch for them for 3/4 of the year.

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Comments encouraged!

Briggsy

Current Mood: contemplative

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Tickets for Saturday
Hey folks...I've got two tickets for Saturday's game vs NY Yankees but I will be out of town.

2nd row section 137 (above Jays bullpen)

Retails at $36 each + taxes and charges

Selling for $60 for the pair or best offer.

Anyone?

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Waiver Claim Confirmed - Rios is Gone
It's official now; Alex Rios is a Chicago White Sox.

Some people will no doubt be sad to see him go, and some will be really glad to see him gone.

As of right now, there hasn't been a corresponding roster move made, but it would appear that Snider will be back up with the team. Hope he's ready!

Briggsy

Current Mood: okay

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My All-Time Jays Team
I enjoyed watching the Reunion weekend on TV, and wished all that time that I had saved up enough money so that I could have headed to T.O. for the weekend and caught a game or two.

Anyway, it got me thinking about an “all-time team.” Earlier in the year, Rob Neyer on ESPN picked an AL and an NL All-Star team, where he had members of all organizations that ever played in the league (think Montreal Expos in the NL and the Brewers when they were in the AL). I didn’t go as far as an All-Star team, but I did think about who I would have thrown on the field, representing the Blue Jays, if I had the power to do so (and a time machine to bring players over in their prime, or from a certain year where they had great seasons).

I will go position by position, and where I make selections, I will try (not always) to include what year I would take that player from. This should generate a little chatter in this group, I hope!

( My All-Time TeamCollapse )

What do you think? Comments welcomed and encouraged!

Briggsy

(x-posted to my journal)

Current Mood: content

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Down in flames?
So, this week is Big Changes around Toronto.
Yesterday, they jettisoned B.J. Ryan, who still has 1 year (at $10 million) left on his contract.
They also put Roy Halladay on the auction block this week. Anything they get for him will be too little, in my opinion. If he wasn't so good and consistent, I could see it working out well for the team.

The Jays are 2-8 in their last 10 games, and were just swept by the Rays. They now sit below .500 and seem to be intent on letting Baltimore out of the AL East cellar.

Are the Jays doing the right thing by releasing Ryan and looking to trade arguably the best pitcher in baseball? I think so, since what they have been doing since the late mid 90's hasn't gotten them into the playoffs at all. Time for a new tactic - and to replace J.P., too.
Thoughts?

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Russ is Back
Great to see Russ Adams back with the club. He singled in his first at-bat of the season (pinch-hitting for Romero in the 8th inning), and that was also nice to see. I hope that he makes the most of his opportunity back with the Jays.

And, the Jays won today to boot!

Briggsy

Current Mood: pleased

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Team status so far
I'm quite happy with how the Jays are doing so far. Better than I expected, that is for sure.
With so many questions going into the season for pitching, it was unclear how things would shape up early. Those questions still remain - and have multiplied - so one can only hope for good things as the season continues.

Current Mood: awake

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I know it's only two games in, but BJ Ryan should be apologizing to Gaston. He put up a stink about how Gaston said he'd probably have Downs and Ryan split closer duties, and then Ryan blows his first save opportunity...  =)

But...a win's a win!

2-0! Ya!

On another note,  I have a 15 game flex pack and 6 of the games I randomly selected will be conflicts for me.  I can swap them out, but I figured I'd throw the dates out here in case anyone in the comm was interested in buying a game off me.

Tickets are in the area of sections 137-139, row 2 or 3 (depending on the game)  Face value is $26.00 each and I have 2 tickets per game.

The games I have are:

Sun May 3 vs Orioles - 1pm
Sat May 6 vs White Sox - 1pm
Sat June 6 vs Royals - 1pm
Sat June 27 vs Phillies - 1pm
Sun July 26 vs Rays - 1pm
Sat Aug 8 vs Orioles - 1pm

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The Re-Birth of the Offense?
Can you guess who the current AL RBI leader is?

Great game last night Jays!

Briggsy

Current Mood: pleased

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Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday to the Toronto Blue Jays! 33 years ago, the American League voted to expand into Toronto.

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