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Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – March 20, 2017

Mar 20

Posted by Paul Francis Sullivan

ALCS+Cleveland+Indians+v+Toronto+Blue+Jays+BXBTl13YcrUl

Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images North America

MLB blackout rules are insane.

But MLB blacking out all of Canada? That is insane.

The great white north is honored in this episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.

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Tags: @sully baseball on twitter, @sullybaseball on twitter, Paul Francis Sullivan, Sully Baseball, Sully baseball daily podcast, sully baseball on sound cloud, sully baseball sound cloud, sullybaseball.wordpress.com, sullymetrics, toronto, toronto blue jays

Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – October 5, 2016

Oct 5

Posted by Paul Francis Sullivan

RICHARD LAUTENS / TORONTO STAR VIA GETTY IMAGES, Andrew Theodorakis, Special To The Chronicle

The post season has begun with two classic games and a manager blunder for the ages.

Buck Showalter lives by the motto “If you have to go down, go down with your 7th best pitcher!”

Meanwhile I entered a fold in time and space for the Connor Gillaspie homer.

It isthe Wild Card Game episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast

Madison Bumgarner, Connor Gillaspie, Edwin Encarnacion, Marcus Stroman,Noah Syndergaard, Curtis Granderson, Darren O’Day and Mark Trumbo all added to their Who Owns October totals.

For the up to date standings of Who Owns October, click MLB Reports.

What is “Who Owns October”? Click HERE for an explanation.

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Posted in 'SullyMetrics', HRs, Playoffs

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Tags: baltimore orioles, baseball, buck showalter, Connor Gillaspie, madison bumgarner, mets, mlb, new york mets, Noah Syndergaard, orioles, Paul Francis Sullivan, Sully Baseball, Sully baseball daily podcast, sully baseball on sound cloud, toronto, toronto blue jays

Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – July 28, 2016

Jul 28

Posted by Paul Francis Sullivan

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Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images North America

The Blue Jays can win the Division and a winnable AL this year. They need to go on a shopping spree and fill any holes. They can be one of those unique team that gives many players their only ring.

It is a small window of opportunity episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.

Gerrit Cole, Freddie Freeman, Khris Davis, Lance McCullers, Anthony Ranaudo, Ian Desmond, Cesar Hernandez, and Madison Bumgarner all added to their totals for Who Owns Baseball yesterday.

See the updated listing of WOB on MLB Reports

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Tags: baseball, mlb, Paul Francis Sullivan, Sully Baseball, Sully baseball daily podcast, toronto, toronto blue jays

Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – May 16, 2016

May 16

Posted by Paul Francis Sullivan

Richard W. Rodriguez / The Associated Press

The Blue Jays and Rangers rekindled a tense and sometimes ugly rivalry.

Baseball should take notice. They NEED rivalries like this.

It is a “Bad for Sportsmanship but Good for Business” episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.

Danny Valencia, Hector Santiago, Chris Carter, Gerrit Cole, Felix Hernandez, Brandon Guyer, Maikel Franco and Jon Lester all added to their totals for Who Owns Baseball yesterday.

See the updated listing of WOB on MLB Reports

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Tags: 2015 Division Series, jose bautista, mlb, Paul Francis Sullivan, Rougned Odor, Sully Baseball, Sully baseball daily podcast, texas rangers, toronto, toronto blue jays

Canadian MLB Expansion Or: Should The Jays Play At Least 1 Series In Vancouver + Montreal Per Year?

Nov 26

Posted by MLB reports

Olympic Stadium was a building catastrophe from the get go. It was a contributing factor of the Expos leaving Montreal. Having said that, it would have been really cool if the MLB were to at least designate the Canadian stadium to host some regular season games in the next few years.

Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer) Follow @stokes_hunter21

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I must be out of my mind right?

Having the Toronto Blue Jays play in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver allduring a regular season – and re-brand the club to a national team in the MLB? But stop and think about this for a minute.

The club as drawn almost 100K total fans for the 2 exhibition games in Quebec during the last 2 years in exhibition series right before the season started.

Why not play some games in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver – and rename the club the Canada Blue Jays? Okay.. that is a little drastic here. Keep them the Toronto Blue Jays, but what would be wrong with selling 40K+ fans a game for 12 total games? Maybe 6 games in each city.

Since the MLB insists on having 19 Divisional games a year – with 3 series in each city, would it be that bad if the Tampa Bay Rays or Baltimore Orioles were to visit Montreal to play the Blue Jays a series?

Or how about and grow the brand on the West Coast by playing a 3 game set at BC Place Stadium followed up with Toronto heading down to Seattle right afterwards for another series? Read the rest of this entry →

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Tags: canadian mlb expansion, edgar martinez, Larry Walker, mlb expansion, montreal, seattle mariners, The Montreal Expos, toronto, toronto blue jays, vancouver

183 in 2015 – Ballpark Previews: Games 46 – 52

May 13

Posted by chuckbooth3023

2015 MLB Trip Sponsors: Man Fish Brewery, Megabus.com, MLB Reports, National Car Rental, MLB Ball Park Pass-Port

20 fo15 MLB Trip Sponsors: Man Fish Brewery, Megabus.com, MLB Reports, National Car Rental and the MLB Ball Park Pass-Port.

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*** I Will be live tweeting from all ballpark venues I am watching games at. Join the discussion.

Chuck Booth’s 2015 MLB Park Historical Road Trip

The GOAL: 183 Straight Days (every single day at least 1 gm) Of ALL 30 MLB Parks Trip In 2015 (218 Games) view full year schedule.

The CAUSE: To Raise Money for Concussion Awareness (via Sports Legacy Institute. donate money here) Through Inspiring Others.

DAYS DATES

Games #46 – 52, days 37- 43

Today’s game (s) Start Time (s) in EST and Venue. CBP Monday, May.11 & May 12, 7:05 vs Pirates, Thursday, May.14, 1:05 vs Pirates, Wednesday, May.13, 7:05 Camden Yards vs Blue Jays, Saturday, May 16, 7:05 vs Angels. Sunday, May.17 1:35 vs Angels.

Daily Expenses This week

Tickets for the week – $105 (4 in philly, $70, 3 in Baltimore -$35

Food for the week – $ 70

Public Transportation for the week $70

Megabus trips – 2 trips, $2

Greyhound tickets, 2 trips – $19

Method of Transportation to the games Where I am headed next.

I have four games at CBP this week, Mon/Tues/Thursday and Friday, where I will watch games at Camden Yards on Wednesday/Saturday and Sunday. Next week I see games, at Citi Field, Nats Park, Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park.

It costs me $13 for transportation in Philly and my Baltimore excursions cost just $9. After the game Wednesday, I will be taken a late night bus to Philly, before attending a day game. On the Saturday contest, I will head to BWI airport to write blogs overnight, and await a day game on Sunday.

The Players Involved:

I am watching these game with just myself.

The 30 MLB Park tour by travel or air is one of the most adrenaline filled chases one can endure. It is like the Amazing Race, meets Survivor, against Planes, Trains and Automobiles.

For all of the Rosters, Depth Charts, State of the Unions and Salaries Posts that we do, please visit our dedicated page link here.

To Subscribe and listen daily to ‘Our Lead Personality’ Sully’s 20 Minutes Daily (every day since Oct.24, 2012) Podcast click here. Guaranteed listening to the Sully Baseball Daily Podcast will be the best time you invest in online!

Please e-mail me at: mlbreports@gmail.com with any questions and feedback. To subscribe to our website and have the Daily Reports sent directly to your inbox, click here and follow the link at the top of our homepage.

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Tags: 183 MLB Games in 30 MLB Parks Challenge, 2015 Baltimore Orioles, baseball road trips, blue jays, bwi airport, Chuck Booth, citi field, fenway park, Greyhound, manfishbrewing.com, megabus.com, mlb ballpark pass-port, National Car Rental, Nats park, philadelphia, phillies, pittsburgh pirates, toronto, yankee stadium

The Falling Canadian Dollar Could Be A Major Roadblock In Any Montreal Bid For Another MLB Franchise

Jan 22

Posted by chuckbooth3023

Toronto is the only team in the MLB not in the USA. With that comes foreign currency. For the years of 1990 – 2007, the Canadian Dollar was hovering around the 70 cents mark for the duration (62 cents at its worst). The last economic crash in the USA – had the dollar at par for the better part of the last 7 years, including once reaching $1.10 for every George Washington bill in America in late 2008. The average for the exchange rate had been in the mid 90 cents range for the most part of 2014. The loonie has been in a nosedive since the end of 2014 kicked in – and now it is around 80 cents for every US Dollar. It will cost you $1.263 Canadian for $1 American on today’s market, and it If it looks to go down much more. This economic factor could significantly derail any effort the city of Montreal has to ever regain an MLB franchise.

Chuck Booth (Owner/Lead Analyst): Follow @chuckbooth3024

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The Canadian Dollar is in a free-fall against the American greenback. I woke up this morning to see that to buy a US $1, it now cost $1.263 Canadian dollars. Effectively that means any club in Canada is at 26.3% Luxury Tax before the season even starts, because the team pays out player salaries in USD, while the money brought in is Canadian currency.

So often people forget that the Montreal Expos problems became occurring not only as the 1994 Player Strike/1995 Lockout fanbase was angry at the MLB, with some of them never to return, but also a sagging loony.

At its worst price, was a 0.62 cent buck vs the USA back in the mid-90’s. With the oil prices being what they are, this has serious ramifications for any impending groups of people wishing to bring back baseball to Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

The Expos left after the 2004 season, and in some ways it is a total injustice. Perhaps no other franchise has been affected more by the two biggest work stoppages than the Montreal had been.

The 1981 Player strike happened when Montreal was filling Olympic Stadium to the tune of 2 Million Fans per year, and the young nucleus of players such as Andre Dawson, Tim Raines, Gary Carter, Tim Wallach and Warren Cromartie were leading the charge to an uprising NL squad.

Of course everyone remembers “Blue Monday’s” HR to knock the Expos out of the 1981 playoff chase. The 1979 – 1994 teams carried out 12 out of 15 winning seasons, and possessed one of the greatest semblance of a drafting organization ever. Read the rest of this entry →

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Tags: 1981 NLCS, 1994 player strike, andre dawsom, bud selig, business of Canadian MLB baseball, Canadian Dollar, canadian mlb expansion, claude brochu, comerica park, expansion, jeffrey loria, john wetteland, ken hill, Larry Walker, marquis grissom, moises alou, montreal, montreal expos, olympic stadium, pedro martinez, rick monday, rogers center, rogers sportsnet, the score, tim raines, Tim Wallach, toronto, tsn, vancouver, vladimir guerrero, warren cromartie, washington nationals

The Disaster That Was The Blue Jays 2013 Season: State Of The Union

Oct 19

Posted by MLB reports

Following the 2012 Major League Baseball season, Toronto Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopolous made some noticeable moves, to seemingly re-invent Canada’s team. Jay’s fans everywhere were ecstatic and pumped for the upcoming season, thinking that playoff baseball would finally return to Canada after 20 long seasons.

Following the 2012 Major League Baseball season, Toronto Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos made some noticeable moves, to seemingly re-invent Canada’s team. Jay’s fans everywhere were ecstatic and pumped for the upcoming season, thinking that playoff baseball would finally return to Canada after 20 long seasons.

By ‘Special Guest Blue Jays Writer’ Steve Cheeseman Follow @cheeseman_s

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Another Season, Another Disaster.

The off-season started with a boom, with the signings of Maicer Izturis (3 yr-$9 million), and Melky Cabrera (2 yr-$16million). This was followed by acquiring hard throwing Esmil Rogers from Cleveland.

They weren’t done yet.

On November 14th, Anthopoulos completed a blockbuster trade with the Miami Marlins, receiving pitchers Josh Johnson (2-time All-Star)and Mark Buehrle (4-time All-Star), short-stop Jose Reyes (4-time All-Star, 2011 NL Batting Champion), catcher John Buck, utility man Emilio Bonifacio, and $8 million in cash in exchange for pitcher Henderson Alvarez, short-stop Yunel Escobar, catcher Jeff Mathis, and prospects.

It was a steal. Toronto then sent John Buck and prospects to the New York Mets, for reigning NL Cy Young winner R.A. Dickey, catcher Josh Thole and a prospect.

Odd makers out of Las Vegas named the Toronto Blue Jays as the favorites to win the 2013 World Series. Too good to be true right? Pretty much.

Munenori Kawasaki – See You Tomorrow

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Tags: @cheeseman_s on twitter, aaron loup, adam lind, AL East, alex anthopoulos, anthony gose, Blue Jays 2013 40 Man roster, Blue Jays 25 man roster, boston red sox, brad lincoln, brandon morrow, brett cecil, brett lawrie, Casey Janssen, chad jenkins, colby rasmus, darren oliver, drew hutchison, dustin mcGowan, edwin encarnacion, emiliio bonifacio, Esmil Rogers, houston astros, j.a. happ, j.p. arencibia, jose bautista, jose reyes, josh johnson, josh thole, Juan Perez, kyle drabek, luis perez, maicer izturis, Mark buerhle, mark derosa, mauro gomez, melky cabrera, Mickey Storey, moises sierra, munenori kawasaki, Neil Wagner, new york yankees, r.a. dickey, rajai davis, Ramon Ortiz, ricky romero, rogers center, Sean Nolin, sergio santos, steve cheeseman, steve Delabar, Thad Weber, todd redmond, toronto, toronto blue jays, vernon wells

Yankees Current State Of The Union + The Phil Hughes Question

May 8

Posted by nross56

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Wednesday, May.08/2013

As the Yankees enter May, they do so in second place trailing their rivals, the Boston Red Sox. This is a surprise for many who thought that Boston and New York would struggle in 2013

By Nicholas Rossoletti (Yankees Correspondent/Trade Correspondent): Follow @nross56

As April came to a close and May began, the Yankees found themselves in an all so familiar place. The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox were atop the American League East. It seems like this struggle between century old rivals has dominated the AL East for the better part of the last 15 years.

This year was supposed to be different as New York and Boston were both expected to cede the division to the Baltimore O’s, Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays, and perhaps that will still be the case, but after five weeks of the season, it certainly seems like the demise of the Yanks and Sox was greatly overstated.

Part of the reason that the Yankees have managed to prove their naysayers incorrect has been their stellar starting pitching. Each of the top four Yankee starters has pitched well to start the season, but as the title of the article suggests, there is one pitcher who has stood out especially in the last several weeks.

His performance leads to this question: Is Phil Hughes finally becoming the pitcher he was always touted to be? Is the 26-year old right hander finally blossoming into a strong 1/2 starter? The numbers, at least early on, scream YES.

The Phil Hughes Question:

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Tags: @nross56, @Nross56 on twitter, @nross56 twitter, alex rodriguez, baltimore, baltimore orioles, blue jays, boston, boston red sox, colorado, colorado rockies, curtis granderson, derek jeter, jayson nix, Kansas city, kansas city royals, Kaufmann Stadium, kevin youkilis, mark teixeira, new York, new york yankees, nicholas rossoletti, orioles, phil hughes, rays, red sox, rockies, royals, tampa, Tampa Bay, tampa bay rays, toronto, toronto blue jays, yankees

Yankees Update: Week 4 – The Injuries Mount Yet They Are Still The Bronx Bombers!

May 1

Posted by nross56

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Wednesday May 1,2013

After a hot start to the 2013 campaign, Francisco Cervelli has broken his hand and added his name to the long list of Yankee injuries in 2013. Cervelli worked to get back to the Majors and won the Yankee starting job out of training camp. Now only time will tell whether Cervelli can return from injury with the same skill that he opened the season.

After a hot start to the 2013 campaign, Francisco Cervelli has broken his hand and added his name to the long list of Yankee injuries in 2013. The man worked his way back to the Majors and won the Yankee starting job out of training camp. Now only time will tell whether Cervelli can return from injury with the same skill that he opened the season.

By Nicholas Rossoletti (Yankees Correspondent/Trade Correspondent): Follow @nross56

The end of April was supposed to signal the beginning of the end of the Yankee injury woes. Upon breaking camp, it was thought that Derek Jeter, Curtis Granderson and Mark Teixeira would all be returning in the next week or two.

Now, it has become clear that the Yankee injury woes are just beginning.

As discussed in last week’s piece, Jeter’s set-back already has extended his time table until the middle of July at the earliest. Big Tex has been unable to meet his time table as well and is not prepared to take live swings yet.

Granderson is the only player on track to return from injury based on the original timeframe. Grandy is slated to return in at some point in May.

Frankie Being Frankie:
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Tags: @nross56, @nross56 twitter, AL East, alex rodriguez, austin romine, blue jays, chris stewart, cleveland indians, curtis granderson, david phelps, derek jeter, emilio bonifacio, francisco cervelli, ivan nova, joe girardi, jose reyes, josh johnson, kevin youkilis, lyle overbay, mark buehrle, mark teixeira, marlins, mets, miami, miami marlins, new York, new york mets, new york yankees, nicholas rossoletti, nick swisher, ra dickey, railriders, raul ibanez, russell martin, San Francisco, scranton wilkes barre, toronto, toronto blue jays, Triple-A, Vidal Nuno, yankees, yankees 25 Man Roster

Review of Stadium Journey’s Latest Issue: 4 MLB Ball Parks To See – Top 10 Park Quirks, The 2 Best Parks and Japan

Apr 24

Posted by chuckbooth3023

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Wednesday Apr.24/2013

Stadium Journey is both a website and a magazine that thrives in rating and reviewing Sporting Venues around the World. Among those sports is MLB. Co – Founder Paul Swaney informed me that the recent magazine is fully geared to help the avid baseball fan visit their favorite ballpark.

By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024

There is not a bigger marketing in all of baseball than all 30 MLB Parks of the game of baseball. As someone who has dedicated their lives to visiting ballparks the last 7 years, I will pass along information that will help the general masses when it comes to my attention.

One of the people I have met through my baseball travels is Paul Swaney. I am doing this review and talking about this magazine because I endorse it 100% – and no one spends more time in studying the MLB Ballparks than the fine folks at www.stadiumjourney.com

From the Website:

Stadium Journey is a web venture with the goal to become a world-class community resource for sports fans, built around optimizing the experience of attending live sporting events.

About SJ “We provide tips and information through reviews of pro and college sports stadiums. We also rely on fans to provide tips and information about their favorite home stadium, or a first time impression. By sharing our knowledge, we can make every trip to the ballpark, stadium, or arena the very best it can be. Enjoy the journey!” Read the rest of this entry →

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Tags: @chuckbooth3024 on twitter, @paulswaney on twitter, chicago cubs, Chuck Booth. fastest 30 ballgames, citizens bank ballpark, comerica park, detrout, fenway park, miller park, paul swaney, philadelphia phillies, skydome, stadium journey magazine, the rogers centre, toronto, www.ballparkeguides.com, www.stadiumjourney.com

Yankees Update: Bad News On El Capitan While The Team Keeps Winning

Apr 24

Posted by nross56

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Wednesday April.24/2013

Derek Jeter. The Yankee Captain. A future Hall of Famer. Last October, Jeter broke his ankle during the American League Championship Series. All off-season, it was reported that Jeter would be ready for Opening Day. After a series of set-backs, it has now become clear that due to a small crack in his ankle, Jeter will not be ready until after the All-Star Break. Can the Yankees survive without their captain? Only time will tell.

By Nicholas Rossoletti (Yankees Correspondent/Trade Correspondent): Follow @nross56

Transitions are rarely easy. People, generally, are creatures of habit and routine. Change is almost always seen as a scary thing for most. Yankee fans are no different. The transition from the old guard is an overwhelming theme to this season for the Yankees.

As Week Three of the Major League season moved along, the Yankees received more bad injury news on their shortstop, Derek Jeter. The Yankee captain suffered a significant setback in his recovery from a broken ankle when it was reported that a small crack had emerged in the same location as the injury.

Reports had indicated that Jeter’s surgery would prevent such a re-occurrence. Obviously, this is not the case, and now, the Yankees will be without their shortstop until at the very least the All-Star break.

Yankee fans’ reaction was obvious as the news broke. For the better part of two decades, Jeter has been the constant in the Yankee lineup, and this injury reminds Yankee fans, again, that the times, they are a changing.

The Captain:

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A Night With Mookie Wilson Part 1: The Gala Dinner Speech At Tangle Creek Golf And Country Club

Apr 22

Posted by hennej

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Monday, April.22/2013

Mookie Wilson talking at the Golf and Country Club Friday April.12/2013, Simcoe, Ontario, Canada

Mookie Wilson talking as the Keynote Speaker at the Tangle Golf and Country Club Friday April.12/2013, Thornton, Ontario, Canada. MLB Reports was there to listen to the Mets Hall Of Famer speak – and we have a special 2 part series for you surrounding the event – including an exclusive one on one interview we conducted that will be the 2nd part of the 2 part series.

By Jordan Hennessey (Blue Jays Correspondent) Follow @hennej

One night with Mookie Wilson Part 1:

“Speed is the one thing that there’s no answer for. You can kind of contain it but in order to do that, you have to change your game” – Mookie Wilson.

Mookie Wilson is remembered for his speed and enthusiasm on the base baths, but there is more to him than that. I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Mookie Wilson at a Gala for Smith Brothers Baseball Central Sports Facility, a great new Baseball factory in Central Ontario.

The event was held at Tangle Creek Golf and Country Club. Partial proceeds went to Candlelighters Simcoe, in support of parents whose child has been diagnosed with cancer. Needless to say it was a great night for two great causes.

As an added bonus, we got to hear Mookie Wilson talk baseball, life, and his time on Sesame Street hanging out with the count. Which he told like it was yesterday.

To listen and read about the Interview I did with Mookie Wilson: Part 2 of a night with Mookie click here

The Mets and Mookie on Sesame Street

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Can The Blue Jays Weather The Jose Reyes Injury?

Apr 17

Posted by chuckbooth3023

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Wednesday Apr.17/2013

Anthopoulos is about as prudent a man as you will find. He is all smiles in this press conference, but he knows what is at stake. He has deemed that the “time is now” for the Blue Jays to go for it all, and convinced his bosses to risk hundreds of millions of dollars. If the team he has assembled does not compete, for any reason, he may be out of a job. The team has had a mediocre start at 6 – 7 in the tough AL East – and have lost their prime Leadoff Man for 3 months. Going the extra mile to add depth in the franchise may enable the club to stay in contention until Jose Reyes comes back in July.

By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024

Jose Reyes was the best player acquired over the winter by the Toronto Blue Jays. He was supposed to be the Leadoff Hitter, provide speed and flash the glove at the Short Stop position.

The 30 Year Old was doing just that before going down in a heap at Second Base over the weekend stealing a bag.

Incredibly, the guy almost was injured even weeks doing the very same thing just a few weeks back.

Brett Lawrie was activated from the Disabled List last night. The initial plan was to maybe play him at Second Base, with Jose Bautista moving back to Third Base. This would put Maicer Izturis at Shortstop, with relegating Emilio Bonifacio to Right Field.

Jose Reyes Injury:

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Tags: @chuckbooth3024, adam lind, AL East, alex anthopoulos, brandon morrow, brett lawrie, Casey Janssen, casper wells, chicago white sox, Chuck Booth. fastest 30 ballgames, emilio bonifacio, j.a. happ, j.p. arencibia, jose bautista, jose reyes, kansas city royals, maicer izturis, mark buehrle, melky cabrera, miami marlins, munenori kawasaki, national league, new york mets, r.a. dickey, rajai davis, toronto, toronto blue jays

Toronto Blue Jays: Clubhouse Cohesion, New Faces, And The World Baseball Classic

Feb 18

Posted by mednickalex

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Monday, February 18th, 2013

Melky Cabrera, Jose Reyes and Edwin Encarnacion. 3 of the first 4 hitters in the 2013 Toronto Blue Jays lineup, and all from the Dominican Republic. In their first year as teammates on the Blue Jays, and one of their first spring training practices, have already become a close trio. Dominican slugger Jose Bautista is missing from this photo, but is the 4th piece of this dazzling 1-4 combination.

By Alex Mednick (Baseball Analyst and Toronto Blue Jays Correspondent) Follow @mednickalex

The Toronto Blue Jays had a very well publicized off-season. Many moves were made, including two blockbuster trades, the signing of one of baseball’s best and most controversial contact hitters, and a new (old) manager. A core of the former Blue Jays remained intact, but between the big moves made by GM Alex Anthopoulos this off-season, along with the smaller additions, the Blue Jays have 12 new players on their 25 man roster. These 25 players are expected by many, to hit the gates running, and to at the very least, earn Toronto a spot in the playoffs come October 2013.

Clearly, team chemistry plays are huge part of winning championships. We have seen numerous teams boasting extremely talented rosters have merely moderate success, and we have seen teams loaded with professional journeymen have historic success. Michael Jordan is noted for making the comment, “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships”.

The 2013 Blue Jays are very unique in that while half of their team is in fact new to Toronto, many of these players have played together and have cultural bonds. The blockbuster trade with the Miami Marlins brought a total of 6 players to Toronto, all of whom, were quite obviously teammates in South Florida. 5 of these players are expected to immediately be impact players in the clubhouse. Another big trade with the Mets brought over three players who will likely contribute to the team to varying degrees, and have already formed close ties amongst each other due to the relationship that exists between a knuckleball pitcher and his battery mate. Right off the bat, we can account for 8 of the 12 new players on the roster who at the very least, already are familiar with each other and are not entering a new city completely unfamiliar with their teammates. The following players might all make their way to the ALL-Star Game at Citi Field this year: R.A. Dickey, Mark Buehrle, Jose Bautista, Jose Reyes and Edwin Encarnacion .

2013 Preview of the Toronto Blue Jays:

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Tags: 2013 ALL-Star Game Citi Field, @mednickalex on twitter, adam lind, AL East, AL Silver Slugger Award Winners, alex anthopoulos, alex mednick, American league, baseball, baseball analyst, Blue Jays 2013, brandon morrow, brett lawrie, Casey Janssen, citi field, colby rasmus, dunedin fla, edwin encarnacion, emilio bonifacio, Esmil Rogers, Hank Aaron Award Winner AL, john gibbons, jose bautista, jose reyes, josh johnson, josh thole, jp arencibia, mark buehrle, mark derosa, melky, melky cabrera, mets, miami marlins, new york mets, nl batting champions, ra dickey, rickey romero, ricky romero, rogers centre, roy halladay, team chemistry, ted lilly, toronto, toronto blue jays, wbc, world series

MLB Reports Junior Reporter Haley Smilow Interviews ‘Blue Jays Closer’ Casey Janssen

Jan 13

Posted by smilowfamily

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Sunday January 13th, 2013

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024

Haley Smilow was a busy reporter last year. So much so, that we couldn’t keep up with her. In her latest interview from last summer, Haley talked to Casey Janssen of the Toronto Blue Jays at the Rogers Center…. about his favorite Ball Parks to Play in, who he doesn’t like to face, what he does for pre and post game rituals and what he does on the road. Haley pulls no punches in asking the Relief Pitcher about his life in this candid interview. Amongst other topics discussed were: What Janssen does for charity work, what his favorite animal is…. Also whether or not he has forgotten his passport ever when going through International Customs and his favorite sports team. Read the rest of this entry →

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Tags: @bluejays on twitter, @caseyjanssen on twitter, @Smilow on twitter, andrew harts, blue jays, Casey Janssen, Chuck Booth, Death Is Waiting Studios, haley smilow, MLB cut 4, rogers center, toronto, toronto blue jays

James Paxton Deserves More Attention

Dec 30

Posted by samevans87

Sunday, December 30^th,2012

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Sam Evans (Baseball Writer): Follow @RJA206

James Paxton is one of the most talented Left-Handed pitching prospects currently in the Minor Leagues. However, partially because he went through trouble entering the MLB Draft a few years ago, Paxton seems to be underrated be most of the baseball world. There is a decent chance that Paxton will make his MLB debut in Seattle before the All-Star Break, so he should have a chance to get some of the attention he deserves in 2012. The Mariners are lucky to have Paxton, whether they use him as a trading piece or they decide to keep him. James Paxton has the talent to become a #3 starter in the majors and it won’t be long before the baseball world is much more aware of this.

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The Blue Jays New Reality: Building Towers on Shaky Ground

Nov 24

Posted by mednickalex

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Saturday, November 23rd, 2012

The Blue Jays have made a lot of moves in a short period of time and added a jolt to a fan base which had become numb of 19 years of not competing. People are saying they will win, including Las Vegas odds makers. They certainly look way better on paper than they did two weeks ago and people have a reason to be excited with the direction the franchise is going. They have taken 2 quick steps forward, but what happens when Murphy’s Law strikes and they take 1, or 2 steps back? How good are they then?

Alex Mednick (Baseball Writer and Analyst):

There has been a lot of talk thus far about how the Blue Jays are slotted to be ultra-competitive. And I don’t want to be a “negative-Nancy”, because this hype comes with good reason. I, as a Blue Jays fan, am beyond thrilled with the organization allowing Alex Anthopoulos to pull the trigger and make this kind of off-season happen…there is no doubt that this is what Blue Jays fans have been waiting for over the last 18 years. The Rogers family has shown that they aren’t simply using the Rogers Centre as the world’s largest billboard. They demonstrated that they are committed to take the financial risks necessary to make this team competitive. They said they would spend big $$$ when the “time came”, and they kept their word. The time has definitely come when you have two guys hitting 40 home runs a season in the middle of your lineup. I applaud the Rogers’ and the front office for saying something and sticking to it.

That being said, when I hear things like “we’re not done yet”, and, “the Blue Jays would like to add another front-line starter”, it soothes me and calms my nerves. The truth is, and I don’t want to seem greedy, but I am not content with where the team is now. If the past three seasons have shown us anything it is that over the course of 162-game season, injuries happen. Bottom-line: the roster you start with on opening day, will not be your roster throughout the season. Nobody has a rubber arm and muscles made of Teflon. Murphy’s law is constantly looming over any clubhouse and just waiting to strike. Look at 2012, we lost our 2, 3, and 4 slotted pitchers in 3 consecutive days! Read the rest of this entry →

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Tags: adam lind, alex anthopoulos, baseball, baseball analyst, brandon morrow, brett lawrie, Casey Janssen, colby rasmus, edwin encarnacion, emilio bonifacio, Esmil Rogers, joh johnson, john gibbons, jose bautista, jose reyes, josh thole, jp arencibia, maicier izturis, mark buehrle, mark derosa, melky, melky cabrera, mets, miami marlins, new york mets, ra dickey, rickey romero, ricky romero, rogers centre, roy halladay, team chemistry, toronto, toronto blue jays, world series

The Toronto Blue Jays Franchise Hitters: Part 3 Of A 7 Part Article Series

Nov 16

Posted by chuckbooth3023

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Friday, Nov.16/2012

Note from Chuck Booth: I am attempting to bring the history for each of the 30 MLB Franchises into a 5 part series that will focus on 1. The teams history. 2. The hitters 3. The pitchers. 4. The Teams Payroll going into 2013 and 5.The Ball Park that they play in. (The stadium articles will all be done next summer when I go to all of the parks in under a month again.) Be sure to check my author page with a list of all of my archived articles section here.

Tony Fernandez leads the Blue Jays Franchise for Hits and Games Played ALL-Time. At the age of 37, he flirted with a .400 average for half of the season in 1999. In his first go around with Toronto, he was part of the BlockBuster Trade that saw he and Fred McGriff go to San Diego for Joe Carter and Robbie Alomar at the GM’s Meetings in Dec of 1990. -Photo Courtesy of Sports Illustrated.

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer): Follow @chuckbooth3024

I like that this franchise series is right dab smack in the middle of the biggest Franchise trade since Tony Fernandez and Fred McGriff went to San Diego for Roberto Alomar and Joe Carter in 1990. A Toronto Blue Jays fan can only hope for the same result that came down afterwards to repeat itself in the next few year. The early days of the Jays hitters (late 1970’s provided some long-term reliable guys,) however it wasn’t until Jesse Barfield won a HR Title and George Bell came home with the 1987 AL MVP, that the rest of the MLB started to take notice on the hitters of this Canadian Team. As soon as the club moved into SKYDOME, the hitters had a field day. Not to say that Exhibition Stadium didn’t aid some homeruns and nice averages in its day, it is just that SKYDOME is a hitter friendly park.

From George Bell and the outstanding other 80’s OF trio of Barfield and Lloyd “The Shaker” Moseby, to Tony Fernandez and Ernie Whitt, these guys all played a huge chunk of their careers with this Canadian Club. Fred McGriff routinely hit towering shots off of the Windows Restaurant and led the AL in HRs during the 1989 Pennant Winning Season. In 1991, when Joe Carter and Roberto Alomar arrived onto the scene, the offense just clicked on all cylinders. Devon White was gracefully stealing bases and striding into runs with those gigantic high knee kicks of his. John Olerud walked right out of College and added one of the best ‘natural’ swings that any of us have ever seen. Veterans Dave Winfield and Paul Molitor bashed their way into Jays hearts with their limited time with the organization en route to back to back World Series Titles in 1992 and 1993. After the Strike/Lockout, the team then saw Shawn Green and Carlos Delgado routinely destroy pitchers and be amongst the league lead in several power categories.

There is a ton more on this article just past these links or by clicking the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON.

Here are the links for the article series.

The Toronto Blue Jays Franchise 1977-1993 Part 1 Of A 7 Part Series Click Here:

Franchise History Part 2 1994-2012: https://mlbreports.com/2012/11/28/jay/

The Hitters: The Toronto Blue Jays Franchise Hitters: Part 3 Of A 7 Part Article Series:

The Pitchers: The Toronto Blue Jays Franchise Pitchers Part 4 Of A 7 Part Series

Skydome: An Interview with ‘Rogers Centre Expert’ and “MLB reports Founder” Jonathan Hacohen Part 5 of 7

For Part 6 of the 7 Part Series: Blue Jays 2013 Team Payroll Click here:

For Part 7 of the 7 Part Series: Blue Jays 2013 Team Payroll: A Readers Thoughts, Click Here:

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Dissecting The Blockbuster Trade Between The Blue Jays And The Marlins

Nov 14

Posted by chuckbooth3023

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Wednesday, November.14/2012

Jose Reyes is a .291 Career Hitter and has averaged 55 Steals and 110 Runs Per 162 Games Played. He should have no problem scoring runs with Encarnacion and Joey Bats hitting in the middle of the lineup for Toronto.

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer): Follow @chuckbooth3024

I think you can safely say that the off-season has truly begun! I was writing on my computer yesterday when the big trade blew up on twitter. I live in White Rock, British Colombia, Canada, so you can only imagine how excited the whole country of Canada was to talk about baseball on the big media Social Website. Within minutes, it was clear that the Marlins and Jays were talking about a huge deal. There is a remarkable quality that I have admired about Alex Anthopoulos for a few years now. That his organization is pretty tight-lipped about their negotiations with any MLB team, just as it was with the Marlins on Tuesday. I waited a few minutes and then…..WHAM! A Blockbuster trade came right down the PIKE! Here is the trade in case you have been living under a rock for the past 24 hours.

To visit the 2013 Updated Version of the Toronto Blue Jays 2013 Payroll Blog I did click here

To the Blue Jays 2012 Stats:

SS/2B Jose Reyes .287 11 HRs 57 RBI, 86 Runs, 40 SB

SP Josh Johnson 8-14 3.81 ERA 191.1 IP 165 SO

C John Buck .192 12 HRs 41 RBI

2B/ss/3B/ Emilio Bonifacio .258 1 HR 11 RBI, 30 Runs, 25 SB in 244 AB

SP Mark Buehrle 13-13 3.74 ERA 202. IP (12th straight year of 200 IP+)

4 Million Dollars Cash

To the Marlins:

SS Yunel Escobar .253 9 HRs 51 RBI

2B/SS Adeiny Hechavarria .254 2 HRs 10 RBI, 126 AB

C Jeff Mathis .218 8 HRs 27 RBI, 211 AB

SP Henderson Alvarez 9-14 4.85 ERA 187.2 IP

Also Prospects:

SP Justin Nicolino:

RP: Anthony DeSclafini:

OF: Jake Marisnick Read the rest of this entry →

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Tags: 2013 Blue Jays Payroll, 2013 Miami Marlins Payroll, adeiny hechavarria, anthony descalfini, anthony gose, blue jays, brett cecil, brett lawrie, chris coghlan, Chuck Booth. fastest 30 ballgames, colby rasmus, drew hutchison, emilio bonifacio, free agent, giancarlo stanton, greg dobbs, hanley ramirez, henderson alvarez, j.a. happ, jacob turner, jake marisnick, jeff mathis, jeffrey loria, john buck, jose bautista, jose reyes, josh hamilton, josh johnson, justin nicolino, justin ruggiano, kyle drabek, logan morrison, Mark buerhle, miami marlins, mike redmond, nathan oevaldi, prince fielder, rajai davis, Reyes Trade, ricky nolasco, ricky romero, tommy john, toronto, travis d'arnaud, twitter @chuckbooth3024, yunel escobar

The Toronto Blue Jays Franchise 1977-1993 Part 1 Of A 7 Part Series

Nov 9

Posted by chuckbooth3023

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Friday, Nov.09/2012

The Blue Jays have not qualified for the Playoffs since they won Back to Back World Series in 1992 and 1993. Only Pittsburgh, Kansas City and Toronto have not made a playoffs appearance since the 1994 strike. At the time they were around the top of the MLB Payroll for all teams.

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer): Follow @chuckbooth3024

In sifting through 35 years of history with the Toronto Blue Jays as a franchise, it is sad that since 1994, only Pittsburgh, Toronto and Kansas City have not made a playoff appearance in the Major Leagues. They have been battling the Red Sox and Yankees powerhouse clubs since the 1994 player strike/1995 Lock-out. This baseball interruption of play was also a deciding factor on the Montreal Expos losing their franchise, however one could say that this has had a profound effect on the other only team North of The Border. The Jays were a model franchise all the way through the 80’s. From 1983-1993, the team carried out 11 straight winning seasons, 5 Pennants and back to back World Series Wins in 1992 and 1993.

Pat Gillick had been with the baseball club from the get go, and after finishing in dead-last for the first 5 years of existence, the Jays rode the backs of several budding stars that were drafted by the man. From the early pitching stars of Jim Clancy and Dave Stieb, to the young outfield that flourished as a core for years in: Lloyd Moseby, George Bell and Jesse Barfield, the team showed that drafting and trading for young players was the way to build an organization. It took until 1985 for the teams first Pennant, barely edging the Yankees by 2 games for the AL East. Playoff disappointment followed from 1985-1991. The team soon would find the promised land as the top team in 1992 and 1993.

Franchise History Part 2 1994-2012: https://mlbreports.com/2012/11/28/jay/

The Hitters: The Toronto Blue Jays Franchise Hitters: Part 3 Of A 7 Part Article Series

The Pitchers: The Toronto Blue Jays Franchise Pitchers Part 4 Of A 7 Part Series

Skydome: An Interview with ‘Rogers Centre Expert’ and “MLB reports Founder” Jonathan Hacohen

For Part 6 of the 7 Part Series: Blue Jays 2013 Team Payroll Click here:

For Part 7 of the 7 Part Series: Blue Jays 2013 Team Payroll: A Readers Thoughts, Click Here:

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What MLB Park Will Be The Next To Host A WrestleMania?

Oct 31

Posted by chuckbooth3023

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Wednesday, October.31/2012

Wrestlemania 18 (At SkyDome) was Hulk Hogan vs ‘The Rock.’ Hogan was his heel face character ‘Hollywood’ Hogan from his NWO days in the WCW for the event. The fans of Toronto gave the Hulkster several standing ovations for his entrance and as well for the Match. He was the most popular wrestler in Canada that day. While he lost to Dwayne Johnson in one of his best contests of his career, this match gave the WWE the idea to turn him Baby Face Again. The next week “Hulkamania” was reborn with Red and Yellow.

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer): Follow @chuckbooth3024

I have previously mentioned that baseball and wrestling was my entire life as a young kid in the 80’s. To me, nothing was bigger than the World Series every fall or WrestleMania every spring. In 1990, the city of Toronto hosted WrestleMania 6 at the (NEWEST) ballpark in the MLB, “The SkyDome.” Back in the day, the building was considered state of the art. I mean they were the 1st park to carry McDonalds as a fast food joint for a concession, they had luxury suite hotel rooms (in which some people forgot to draw the curtains to in heats of passion) and everything was big league. So when almost 68000 fans packed into SkyDome to watch the 1st ever WrestleMania in Canada (and also an MLB Park), it was an un-believeable atmosphere.

Wrestle Mania 6 The SkyDome–Photo Courtesy of WWE

Now I lived in Calgary at the time, yet I had seen my first MLB Game in 1989 at the SKYDOME. I would have loved to have been in that audience. I watched the events transpire from CCTV (Closed Circuit Television) in a big Restaurant in Calgary. (Yes people, there used to be no black box that you would be able to buy ALL PPV events on.)

HOGAN VS THE ROCK FULL MATCH FROM WRESTLEMANIA 18

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Moises Sierra Has a Future in the Majors: A Blue Jays Work in Progress

Aug 26

Posted by samevans87

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Sunday August 26th, 2012

Sam Evans: When Toronto Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos traded away both Travis Snider and Eric Thames at the trade deadline, it created an opportunity for unheralded twenty-three year old outfielder Moises Sierra. Sierra has a chance to show Toronto that he should be part of their future in these final couple months of the season. With his 70-grade arm and his ability to produce runs at a solid pace, Sierra could have a job in the majors for years to come. However, Sierra has a lot of work to do to become a candidate for playing time at Rogers Centre in 2013.

Moises Sierra was signed by the Blue Jays out of the Dominican Republic back in 2005. This was before the Blue Jays dominated the scouting world, so Sierra has never been an “Anthopoulos guy”. From 2006 to 2008, Sierra had some rough numbers for different teams, but he showed enough to be promoted from the DSL, in 2006, to earning a starting job in High-A for the 2009 season. Sierra had a 122 wRC+ at High-A in 2009, but he missed most of the 2010 season due to a stress fracture in his leg and a couple of other minor injuries. Read the rest of this entry →

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Tags: AL East, baseball, blue jays, brandon morrow, brett lawrie, edwin encarnacion, eric thames, jose bautista, milb, minor leagues, minors, mlb, mlb reports, moises sierra, outfield, prospects, ricky romero, sam evans, toronto, travis snider

John Farrell for Bobby Valentine: The Second Managerial Trade Ever?

Aug 23

Posted by bernieolshansky

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Thursday August 23rd, 2012

Bernie Olshansky: After the Red Sox cut ties with longtime manager Terry Francona, there were a few options for his replacement. Among those options were former pitching coach for the 2007 World Series Champion team John Farrell, and high-profile former-manager Bobby Valentine. Both seemed to be good options, and the Red Sox signed Valentine. Farrell won the managerial job with the Blue Jays after the retirement of Cito Gaston (Brian Butterfield, DeMarlo Hale, and Sandy Alomar, Jr. were also rumored to be vying for the position). Each team was poised to finish atop or close to the top of the AL East standings. This wasn’t the case for either team.

First I’ll cover the Red Sox. Their main problem was the lack of production. Adrian Gonzalez—who the Sox acquired to help carry the offense failed to produce at the beginning of the season. At the All Star Break, he had less than ten home runs. Jacoby Ellsbury was injured after only a few games, and the pitching was absolutely awful. Carl Crawford took a while to come back from his wrist and elbow injuries, and recently shut his season down to undergo Tommy John surgery. Jon Lester, the number one starter was up and down, and has had an off-year. Josh Beckett received boos after being accused of playing golf in between starts. There was obviously something wrong. The Red Sox fell out of contention fairly early—something that wasn’t expected. A lot of the criticism fell on the manager. Bobby Valentine was accused of demeaning the players, saying something along the lines of “nice inning, kid” to rookie Will Middlebrooks after he made an error. Another of Valentine’s slip-ups was calling into question Kevin Youkilis’ effort. This ultimately led to Youk being traded to the White Sox, ending his successful Red Sox career. Veterans such as Dustin Pedroia and Adrian Gonzalez didn’t take kindly to this and sent a text to management, spurring a meeting between front office officials and players. The situation in Boston is not good; players are divided into players versus manager and players versus players that support the manager. A change in Boston seems necessary; the pitching coach has already been relieved, and it seems like Bobby Valentine may be next.

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Posted in MLB Teams: Articles and Analysis

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Tags: adrian gonzalez, AL East, baseball, blue jays, bobby valentine, boston, canada, contenders, daniel bard, front office, john farrell, managers, mlb, mlb reports, rays, red sox, toronto, trade, unhappiness, yankees

A Busch Stadium Book Excerpt from ‘The Fastest Thirty Ballgames’

Aug 3

Posted by chuckbooth3023

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Friday, Aug.03/2012

Game#25 Day#24
Busch Stadium
St. Louis, MO
Aug.01/2008

I never thought anything was going to equal the previous day. We had arrived back at my brother’s house to spend a quality morning with my nieces and nephew—and Trent’s wife Kristy before returning to the road. It was a quick trip from Philadelphia to St. Louis. It was going to cost us a fortune to all take the shuttle into the Hilton at $17 each-so I got us on the next transportation shuttle bus, and then negotiated a deal with Budget to give me an extra few hours head start on the 24 hour time line airport rule—so I would not have to return after the St. Louis game to pick up the Mini-SUV, which had been the original plan.

Budget was awesome to let me have this deal early. I am a Fast Break member with them-and have/had spent a lot of money with them. We got a Mitsubishi SUV. My brothers thought it was a little small, but for a $65.00 rental that started out in St. Louis and ended up the next day in Minnesota-it was a great deal. Yes we had a five-hour drive from St. Louis to Chicago tomorrow, but we were all tough guys. I once again told them-“welcome to my world.”
That day in St. Louis was myopic. My brother Trent knew a guy at head office St. Louis, and that gentlemen made a few calls and arranged for my dad and I too receive ‘Field Passes’-and to be interviewed by Fox-Sports Midwest. I was almost in disbelief of that option, but it was now going to happen later that day. This experience was even better because none of us had been to new Busch Stadium-so all of us were there for the first time. Overall it was my 29th stadium so I only had “The Ballpark In Arlington” for stadiums left to complete my active 30. Much like Coors, Safeco and AT&T Park, the red-brick around the whole Stadium at Busch Stadium is top-notch. Read the rest of this entry →

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Toronto Blue Jays: 2012 Trade Deadline Predictions

Jul 13

Posted by MLB reports

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Friday July 13th, 2012

Alexander McWilliams (MLB reports Intern Candidate): As of yesterday, the Toronto Blue Jays and their fans can completely throw out the idea of trading the surging Edwin Encarnacion at the trade deadline on July 31^st. General Manager Alex Anthopoulos locked up the 1^st basemen/Designated Hitter to a 3-year deal worth $27 million, with a club option in 2016 worth a reported $10 million. With this deal taking place some 19 days before the trade deadline, what can fans expect to happen with their beloved Blue Jays? Many say they will be sellers, and others say buyers. Buy why can’t they be both?

The Blue Jays have developed, arguably, the best farm system in the MLB ever since Alex Anthopoulos took over as GM. Not only do they possess some of the best pitching prospects, but position players as well. All teams across the league are more than aware of the injuries that Toronto has suffered over the past few months, and could look to exploit said farm system in order to provide an immediate need for the team north of the border. Names such as Justin Upton, Carlos Quentin, Matt Garza, and Cole Hamels are the big names being talked about by a lot of teams these past few months. All are huge impact players which could benefit any team that acquired their services, but at what cost? Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in MLB Teams: Articles and Analysis

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Adeiny Hechavarria and his Future with the Blue Jays

Jun 17

Posted by samevans87

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Sunday June 17th, 2012

Sam Evans: Adeiny Hechavarria might be the best defensive shortstop in the minor leagues. However, his bat has always been far behind his glove, in terms of development. When the twenty-three year old started to hit at the end of last year, people started to take notice. Now, after over four hundred at bats in the minors, Blue Jays fans are starting to wonder when they’ll get to see this talented shortstop at the major league level.

Hechavarria isn’t exactly the youngest shortstop prospect. Cubs’ shortstop Starlin Castro and Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus are both younger than Hechavarria, who has yet to reach the majors. However, Hechavarria is still one of the younger players in Triple-A.

The Blue Jays signed Hechavarria to a contract that will pay him $10 million, when he was a free agent out of Cuba back in 2010. Back then, Hechavarria was thought of as a light-hitting shortstop, with tremendous potential due to his outstanding defense. The Toronto organization showed they believed Hechavarria could provide just enough value to be worth the big signing bonus they gave him back in 2010. Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in On the Verge: MLB Prospects

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Tags: adeiny hechavarria, AL East, baseball, blue jays, hechavarria, las vegas 51s, mlb, pcl, prospect, shortstop, toronto, Triple-A, yunel escobar

Can Canada Support a Second Baseball Franchise in Vancouver?

Jun 1

Posted by chuckbooth3023

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Friday, June.01/2012

Newly renovated BC Place Stadium with $600 Million Dollars in upgrades, re-opened on Sept.30/2011 and features a 100 by 85 retractable roof. The lights also illuminate different colors both inside and outside of the building. The stadium could be converted to meet MLB specifications.

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer and @chuckbooth3024 on twitter)- At first look you might not think that Vancouver could support a Major League Baseball franchise, but there are a few things to consider. With a surrounding area population of 2.5 Million, it is one of the biggest cities in the USA or Canada not to have a team. Of course when you are looking at the viability of a franchise submission/or relocation, you must look at the facility that the baseball would be played in. With newly renovated B.C Place Stadium-(see http://www.bcplacestadium.com/,) and its $600 Million Dollar Renovations, it is one of the most impressive structures in North America now.

The building itself is estimated to be worth over a billion dollars. It’s clear, retractable roof, with an incredible look to detail inside the building with 22 inch stadium style seating has all of the modern amenities that a new age fan would want. The facility features several new Skyboxes for corporate suites, and brand new concession stands that would be an extremely good revenue generator. The stadium’s surface is made up of Field Turf, and could be converted to meet baseball specifications. This stadium is a turn-key situation unlike any other in North America when it comes to a baseball ready facility.

Major League Baseball has gained in popularity over the last 20 years in the Lower Mainland with turning out MLB’ers like Larry Walker, Jeff Francis , Ryan Dempster and Brett Lawrie all coming from this area. Also in Canada, you have 3 TV networks that have an all-sports format in www.thescore.ca, www.tsn.ca and www.sportsnet.ca that would gladly love to fill content on their networks by bidding for television rights on a new baseball team in Canada. There are enough talented sports personalities to fill in solid coverage. Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in The Rest: Everything Baseball

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Tags: astro turf, bc place stadium, brett lawrie, CFL, edgar martinez, jeff francis, Larry Walker, metrodome, Minnesota, mlb expansion, mlb relocation, montreal, Montreal Canadiens, montreal expos, new york mets, new york yankees, oakland, pcl, portland, r, ryan dempster, Sacramento, seattle mariners, sportsnet.ca, tampa bay rays, team 1040, team 1410, the score.ca, toronto, toronto blue jays, tsn.ca, vancouver, vancouver canadians

MLB Ball Park Staff Can Make a World of Difference

Mar 19

Posted by chuckbooth3023

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Monday March 19, 2012

‘Douglas Chuck Booth’ (Baseball Writer and @chuckbooth3024 on twitter)- In 2007, MLB Opening Week experienced massive snowstorms along the Eastern Seaboard. Several teams had to cancel games and reschedule them for later in the year. I happened to have a bought a car near London, Ontario that I was driving all the way across America to return to Vancouver B.C Canada that week. As I was visiting baseball parks, they were being snowed out. I tried for the Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati only for it to have been snowed out. I extended my trip by a day to make up the game in Cincy. I watched the game in a snow storm. I then went to Cleveland to try my luck at Progressive Field. By the time I made it to the park, it was under a foot of snow. I had been hoping to see a doubleheader with the Seattle Mariners being the away team. Not the case, at least I parked at the Rock ‘N Roll Hall of Fame and had something to do in Cleveland instead of watching baseball. Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in The Rest: Everything Baseball

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Tags: Chuck Booth, cincinnati, cleveland indians, fastestthirtyballgames, Guinness Book of World Records, miller park, milwaukee, milwaukee brewers, progressive field, The Rogers Center, toronto, wrigley field

Garrett Maines Interview: Jays Catcher Prospect- on that Minor League Grind Just Tryin to be Showbound!

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Sunday February 26th, 2012

MLB reports – Jonathan Hacohen: When you think “Blue Jays catcher”, the names Arencibia and d’Arnaud. Arcencibia is the Jay’s power hitting major league catcher, who has quickly become a fan favorite in Toronto. Travis d’Arnaud is one of the Jays top prospects in the minors- and actually, one of the top prospects in the game, regardless of pitching. With the Jays as an organization having some of the best catching talent in baseball, we are ready to throw more names in the mix. Back in December, we interviewed Jays catcher George Carroll. Well, the Toronto Blue Jays have a serious catching factory going, as we were lucky to get some time to speak to catching prospect, Garrett Maines.

Drafted by the Pirates in 2009, Garrett chose to finish in school and finish his degree (way to go Garrett!) In 2010, Garrett signed with the Jays, after playing a season of indy baseball. After getting his feet wet in the Gulf Coast League in 2010, Garrett made it to Canada in 2011…playing for the Vancouver Canadians of the NorthWest League. Garrett really delivered in his 2nd professional season. He showed good pop, with 4 home runs in only 27 games. He hit .263, with a .337 OBP and .500 SLG, helping lead the Canadians to a league title. Clearly, this kid has some serious pop in his bat! Now going into 2012 and coming off a championship year, Garrett is hungry for more. After a hard offseason of workouts and preparations, Garrett is ready for 2012. Ready to take the next steps in climbing up the Jays organization ladder. Ready to work hard, offensively and defensively in becoming a solid all-around catcher. Remember the name Garrett Maines- this Jays prospect is going places! And if you need some quality baseball bats, give Garrett’s grandma a call. He comes from a serious baseball family! Today on MLB reports, we are proud to feature our exclusive interview with the man behind the mask, Garrett Maines: