The Official Toronto Blue Jays Thread

[91TFC]

The Jays will have a great year with there new acquisitions and the pitching staff. The hitters will rebound and lead the Jays to there 3rd World Series Title! Go Jays Go!

[LFC4life]

http://img247.imageshack.us/img247/5574/333879binnw2.jpg

DUNEDIN, Fla. - A friendly welcome from Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Roy Halladay had Shannon Stewart a little afraid Monday.

"Halladay came up to me and was smiling," said Stewart, who signed a minor-league contract over the weekend. "I've never seen Roy like that, he scared me. I'm used to Roy being serious and going out there and being so stone cold. Stone Cold is what I call him. He had a lot of joy in his face.

"It's seems like he's very happy with himself."

Very few people remain from the Blue Jays team Stewart left in a trade to Minnesota in July 2003. Halladay, outfielder Vernon Wells and Reed Johnson are the only players. Manager John Gibbons and some coaches and support staff were also part of the squad in 2003.

"I saw Vernon a little bit [on Monday] and Gibby. It's different because when I was here, Gibby was like the bullpen coach and now he's the manager."

Halladay was still smiling when he was told of Stewart's comments.

"That's good coming from a guy that I played against," Halladay said of the fear he may have instilled when they were on different teams. "He's a great guy to have in the clubhouse. I'm looking forward to having him back."

Monday was Stewart's first day in camp and his 34th birthday. He was happy on both accounts since he was, as of a few days ago, among the large number of veteran players still trying to land a major-league job.

"I'm only 34, and I'm feeling like I'm 40 the way it happened," he said.

"Baseball is changing and maybe they're just trying to go to younger guys."

Toronto general manager J.P. Ricciardi actually tried to sign Stewart in December, but Stewart and his former agent Greg Genske rejected the one-year offer. A two-month wait followed with some nibbles from Seattle, Baltimore and Kansas City, but no concrete offers. Stewart eventually fired Genske and hired Barry Praver and Scott Shapiro and agreed to a contract that will pay him US$1.5-million if he makes the major-league club, with a US$250,000 bonus if he makes 400 plate appearances.

"This is where it all started for me and my best memories of playing in the big leagues have been with Toronto. I love everything about Toronto. The city, the people. Of course the stadium is great. So you can't help but be happy to be back."

Stewart is a career .298 hitter who last year hit .290 with 12 home runs and 48 runs batted in with Oakland. He admits he is a different player than the one general manager J.P. Ricciardi traded for outfielder Bobby Kielty.

He is no longer the speedster who stole 51 bases in 1998 as part of a run of four straight 20-steal seasons. "I'm a better player in a lot of ways. A little smarter, a little bit better as far as taking care of my body. You kind of know what you need to do the older you get."

Figuring out what role Stewart will have with the Blue Jays this year is the task of Gibbons and Ricciardi and their assistants. As things stand, it appears Stewart and Johnson will battle each other to be the right-handed hitting half of Toronto's left-field platoon with Matt Stairs.

"I'm just coming in here just to help the ballclub," Stewart said. "I'm not coming here trying to be the left-fielder. I'm just trying to fit in. That's my role right now. Whatever Gibby and the organization want me to do, I'm going to try to do."

[91TFC]

Is anyone going to see any spring training games this year? I saw one last, but I don't think I will be able to see a game when I go down this year due to the schedule they have.

[91TFC]

http://img247.imageshack.us/img247/5574/333879binnw2.jpg


Johnson was let go and Stewart is platooning with Stairs in left field. Season Opener tomorrow!

[LFC4life]

Made me sad see Johnson go, he was a favorite of mine, just the way he plays the game like it should be.

Yeah Yankee Stadium Tomorrow!

[91TFC]

Home Opener got rained out. It's going to be played tomorrow at 7:05

[LFC4life]

NEW YORK - Last opener at the old place, first win for Joe Girardi.

Just how the Babe would have wanted it.

Chien-Ming Wang pitched well against the Toronto Blue Jays for seven innings, making Girardi a winner in his rain-delayed debut as Yankees manager and sending New York to a record-setting 3-2 victory Tuesday night.

"It was a big night," Jason Giambi said. "This one is huge."
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Back in 1923, Babe Ruth homered in front of 74,200 fans on the day Yankee Stadium opened. This time, it was Melky Cabrera's shot that tied it for New York. And the 84th opener at this storied ballpark ended like so many that came before - with a victory by the home team.



After wet weather postponed the festivities Monday, Wang and the Yankees beat Roy Halladay (0-1) to win their major league-best 11th consecutive home opener. That snapped a tie with the Pittsburgh Pirates, who won 10 in a row from 1945-54, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

With owner George Steinbrenner and his son, Hank, a Yankees general partner, watching from their suite above home plate, Cabrera also made two outstanding catches in centre field.

Alex Rodriguez scored on Hideki Matsui's grounder in the seventh, breaking a 2-all tie.

"It was a good, clean game. The difference was their defence," Toronto manager John Gibbons said.

Joba Chamberlain struck out two in a hitless eighth to the delight of his polio-stricken father, Harlan, who attended the game and cheered from his motorized scooter.

Mariano Rivera worked a perfect ninth for the save and handed Girardi the souvenir ball from the final out as the sellout crowd of 55,112 roared.

"He just congratulated me and he said that's No. 1 and let's get a lot more," Girardi said. "It's a neat moment for me."

Girardi took over this season from his popular mentor, Joe Torre, who guided the Yankees to playoff appearances in all 12 years at the helm.

"I know he really wanted to win this game," Derek Jeter said. "I'm happy for him."

Set to move next year into a new $1.3 billion ballpark that's under construction next door, New York improved to 58-26 in Yankee Stadium openers. The club has won 16 of its past 17, and 22 of 25.

When the game became official after the fifth inning, the video board in right-centre showed a tape of George Steinbrenner pulling a lever as the digital countdown of regular-season games remaining at Yankee Stadium flipped from 81 to 80.

"You really can feel it from the fans, this year especially," Hank Steinbrenner said, adding that his father went over to see the new stadium Tuesday. "You can feel the excitement and the fever and the fans are, man, that really is like a 10th player out there."

It rained again Tuesday in New York, but the skies cleared about 75 minutes before gametime. Reggie Jackson was escorted to the mound by fellow Hall of Famer Yogi Berra to throw out the ceremonial first pitch.

But a pair of Yankee Stadium staples were missing: longtime broadcaster Bobby Murcer and public-address announcer Bob Sheppard.

Murcer is regaining his strength following a brain biopsy last month. He had surgery in December 2006, four days after being diagnosed with a malignant brain tumour.

Sheppard wasn't behind the microphone because he's recuperating from an illness, so he was replaced by regular backup Jim Hall. When Jeter stepped to the plate, however, he was introduced by a recording of Sheppard's famous voice.

"I always want him to announce my name," Jeter said. "To me, Yankee Stadium is not the same without his voice."

A hamstring injury prevented Wang from starting last year's opener, and he ended the season by getting tagged in two playoff losses to Cleveland. But his sinker was on against Toronto and he was helped by several fine defensive plays - including a couple by Giambi at first base.

"Joe ran us a lot in spring training. Everybody's in great shape and we played great defence tonight because of it," Giambi said.

Girardi visited the mound with a runner on third and two outs in the seventh, then stayed with Wang (1-0). Rodriguez snared David Eckstein's grounder to third, ending the inning.

Coming off his third AL MVP award, Rodriguez hit a two-out RBI double in the first inning.

Marco Scutaro and Shannon Stewart had RBI groundouts for Toronto.

Cabrera homered leading off the sixth, a pop fly that barely cleared the 314-foot sign in the right-field corner to Halladay's chagrin. That snapped Cabrera's streak of 163 at-bats without a homer since Aug. 12 at Cleveland.

"He had definitely the best curtain call that I've seen in a long time," Giambi said. "Straight scissor kick."

Notes: Jeter made his 12th opening-day start at shortstop for the Yankees, passing Hall of Famer Phil Rizzuto for the franchise record. . Hank Steinbrenner said the Yankees still plan to make Chamberlain a starter in time for the playoffs. . Thomas extended his opening-day hitting streak to 14 games, the longest current run in the majors. . Rivera didn't get his first save last season until April 28.

Same old issue as last season with the big bats going a bit quiet but it is hard to complain after one game but I like how Scudurto played.

[91TFC]

Agree. I think that we will rebound and win tonight.

[LFC4life]

Blue Jays won yesterday 5-2

It was great to se Wells get off the mark with a 3 for 4 night and getting his first dinger of the season and Burnett was really looking sharp minus the A-Rod homerun.

[LFC4life]

Well after a loss in the rubber match of the series we gone on to win 2 on the Red Socks on the back of some great pitching.

Hope it can continue!

[91TFC]

If it wasn't for the jays I would be totally pissed off right now.

[divingisgay]

Seems like Toronto Sports teams can only have 1-2 wins/night
Blue Jays filled that quota :(

[91TFC]

Yeah the Jays were the only Toronto team to win yesterday. The Leafs, Raptors, Rock, and TFC all lost yesterday.

[LFC4life]

Well the jays completed the sweep of the Reds Sox yesterday, Doc got the win and big Frank with the grand slam :)

[91TFC]

Does anyone know what channel the Jays are on today? I can't seem to find it.

[91TFC]

Never mind.

[LFC4life]

I am still a bit bitter about them getting swept my the A's, they keep doing what they say they are to avoid.

They get up and beat bigger teams but then when we play those weaker side we loss.

[LFC4life]

http://www.rockingham.k12.va.us/sound_sorting/all/images/sweep.jpg

Jays get it done in Texas, great to see B.J Ryan out there after the Tommy John Surgery he had last year. He is much better closer than Accardo.

[91TFC]

Hopefully we can do the same vs Baltimore or atleast go on a 4-2 streak over the next 6 games.

[LFC4life]

The jays have hit a slump, split in Baltimore, got beat up by a poor Rangers team and is losing to the Tigers.

It is these 5 games slumps which just kill the team because they never seem to go on a 5 game winning streak to off-set it.