May 15, 2013; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays right fielder Jose Bautista (19) heads for home on an error by San Francisco Giants center fielder Angel Pagan (not pictured) during the first inning at the Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

We are catching the Baltimore Orioles with a wee bit of an issue in the starting rotation. A tried and true rookie from the 2012 draft class will be making his debut Thursday after Jair Jurrjens stunk the joint out in his first and only start of the year. SP Wei-Yin Chen is on the DL. Dylan Bundy is injured and also missing is OF Nolan Reimold, who hasn’t played since May 11 because of a right hamstring strain that has landed him on the DL.

Beware though. The Orioles, even with a 3-7 record in their last 10 games, entered Wednesday’s game against the Yankees with the best winning percentage in the Majors since July 29, 2012 (.613, 65-41)…and then proceeded to bash the Yankees with 3 homers and a win in their series finale. Buck Showalter has guided this team to a point where all AL East opponents are true contenders. No more beating the crap out of the Orioles for some easy wins. Showalter will always have his team prepared…but with the cyclical nature of baseball the Blue Jays need to stomp on their necks while they are down and show the East there are five contenders…because time is running out.

Probable Pitchers:

Game 1: Kevin Gausman (2-4, 3.11 ERA @ AA) vs Brandon Morrow (1-3, 5.16 ERA)
Game 2: Freddy Garcia (0-2, 4.84 ERA) vs TBD
Game 3: TBD vs R.A. Dickey (4-5, 4.50 ERA)
Game 4: TBD vs TBD

This should give you an idea how up in the air things are for both teams. To Be Determined taking up half the spots for both teams in this 4 gamer is something not seen very often. So let’s focus on what we do know. Brandon Morrow is still finding his legs after a stint on the DL. Aside from Robinson Cano teeing off on him in New York he generally did ok. If he can keep taking the steps forward, and his ERA is around 4 at the end of June then we have the makings of the ace we have always wanted to see. I refuse to use live up to his potential anymore because he has had time to do that. The key for him is to keep his pitch count decent. Throwing strikes is becoming the key component to his survival (duh) since his 2:1 K/BB ratio is middling at best. We need to see confidence and the ability to throw the ball where he wants it.

Kevin Gausman was the fourth overall pick in the 2012 draft and here he is already. He throws strikes, doesn’t walk many and along with Dylan Bundy make up the long term future of the Orioles rotation. The Jays just have to sit back and get a feel for the guy. Take pitches. Work the count. There can’t be much video to study so you know this kid just wants to throw strikes. So sit on a fastball and wait for it. He is the 11th starting pitcher used by the Orioles so this should spell out a win for the good guys.

Game 2 will be a battle of the retread vs the unproven. Freddy Garcia seems to have been around forever. From his glory years with the Mariners to begin his career to his resent situation in Baltimore, Garcia is truly a pitcher. He doesn’t throw as hard as he used to but a 1.07 WHIP and an opp BAA of .222 shows there is still life in that arm. If given the chance I hope we get to tee off on him. His GO/AO is a paltry .83 so expect lots of flyballs and with the way some of the Jays are swinging the bats it should be a homer happy type of game.

This of course is dependent on who will be the starter for the Jays. Chad Jenkins is available but has only thrown a max of 6 innings since coming back from injury. There is talk that 2010 6th rounder Sean Nolin (2-0. 1.17 ERA @ AA) could be shuffled up from New Hampshire to take the start. He has been rising up on the depth charts and appears to be this years…ummm…Chad Jenkins. Reliable with a big arm that could translate to average major league success. Considering he is three years from his draft year he has done quite well. But this is only an educated guess as to who our TBD will be.

Game 3 sees the resurgent R.A. Dickey taking the mound against a yet to be determined opponent. In his last three starts Dickey is averaging 7+ innings, 2 ER and about 7 Ks. This would appear to be closer to the Cy Young starter we gave up some of our future for. His overall WHIP of 1.31 is right in line with his career norm (1.33) so he has been as good as before but he has given up some timely hits this season that have doomed him to fail. The last three starts shows none of that and I am sure a focused Dickey would have no problem taking down a TBD pitcher…

Line-Ups:

The following are the probable line-ups for both squads:

Baltimore

1. LF: Nate McLouth
2. 3B: Manny Machado
3. RF: Nick Markakis
4. DH: Adam Jones
5. 1B: Chris Davis
6. C: Matt Wieters
7. SS: J.J. Hardy
8. CF: Chris Dickerson
9. 2B: Alexi Casilla

Toronto Blue Jays:
1. LF: Melky Cabrera
2. RF: Jose Bautista
3. 1B: Edwin Encarnacion
4. DH: Adam Lind
5. C: J.P. Arencibia
6. 3B: Brett Lawrie
7. CF: Colby Rasmus
8. 2B: Maicer Izturis
9. SS: Munenori Kawasaki

It would seem Melky Cabrera has tried to put to rest the feeling that he wouldn’t be able to play up to his potential without the use of drugs. In his last ten Cabrera has a .333 AVG which seems to say yes but his 0-5 in the last couple games makes you wonder if the tightness in his legs is causing some different issues at the plate. He is still below his career norms in OBP (.318 to .337) and Slugging % (.374 to .412) but he isn’t the bust many experts were saying hew would be. If he gets over his leg issues watch out.

Then there is da man. Da chief mucky muck himself Jose Bautista. In his last ten Bautista has carried the team on his shoulders it would seem (highlighted by his 2 HR, 4 RBI performance against the Rats…err…Rays). .412 AVG, 14 Hits, 10 runs scored, 4 HR, 10 RBI, 9 BB, 6 Ks and a stolen base for good measure. His average is up to .275 and I think we have finally seen a healthy Bautista coming to the plate. More selective and more confident we may be able to ride his bat to another series win considering the status of the Baltimore rotation.

Final Word

Thank goodness for Bautista because a lot of the other bats are just there for show it would seem (Arencibia, Lawrie, Rasmus). Baltimore has been free falling from 1st place is the East and now 3rd and in danger of falling to fourth. So which team are they? The one kicking MLB butt for almost a year or the one that is falling on it’s butt lately? It is hard to tell but it shouldn’t matter. If our starters can give a good 6-7 innings and Cabrera, Bautista, Encarnacion and Lind can keep firing on all cylinders then we should easily take 3 of 4. Some turnarounds are slower than others but it is apparent we are playing much better ball this month. Hopefully we can end May on an even higher note.

May 18, 2013; Bronx, NY, USA; Toronto Blue Jays center fielder Colby Rasmus (28) catches a fly ball against the New York Yankees during the seventh inning at Yankee Stadium. Yankees win 7-2. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

It was a strange week for the Toronto Blue Jays. With two scheduled off days, and a rain out in New York on Sunday the Blue Jays only had 4 games enter the books (making this ridiculous 8 man bullpen even more upsetting Hello Anthony Gose!). Within those four games it was the tale of two Blue Jays teams, the offensive juggernaut that faced the Giants, and the seemingly lost team that has shown up to face the Yankees so far this season.

The two wins against the Giants was enough to get Blue Jays fans looking once again towards contention. The two losses against the Yankees were just crushing enough to have Blue Jays fans actually looking at the bright side of a rain out. This tale of two teams act is killing the always over reactive fan base in Toronto, even more so with the extra off days this week giving them too much time to think about what has happened and what they need to do going forward. A full set of games against AL East opponents this week will go a long way to answering questions about the rest of this season.

GBOAT

This week’s GBOAT is R.A. Dickey. In his first start after becoming the latest “Doc” to lead a Toronto Blue Jays rotation, Dickey had his best start as a Blue Jays. In 6 innings Dickey gave up 6 hits, 2 walks and 2 earned runs. Dickey managed to rack up 10 strikeouts over his 6 innings of work and managed to make several Giants look absolutely ridiculous in their whiffs. Not that Hunter Pence doesn’t look ridiculous on most occasions but this the kind of thing a Dickey tumbler can cause when its working.

GIF compliments of GameReax

The game was worth a positive Win Probability Added of 13%. Back on the rubber on Monday after being rained out of his start Sunday in New York, Dickey looks to repeat his past successes against the Tampa Bay Rays. The forecast is calling for a humid day in Toronto, and by all accounts this means good things for the knuckler.

Omar Vizquel Honour of Ineptitude

I love Brandon Morrow. He’s my favourite Blue Jay. I truly believe that he’s going to be a great pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays. On Saturday, Brandon Morrow was bad. Over 5 innings pitched, Morrow gave up 7 hits, including 2 home runs, and 5 earned runs total. Morrow walked none, but uncharacteristically only struck out a single batter. His game was worth a negative 23% win probability. I have full faith in Brandon Morrow to bounce back in his next start, but it was a disheartening sight-seeing the Yankees put up a 5 spot in a game that many fans felt was a “really need to win”.

Wrap Up

An encouraging and discouraging 4 games over 7 days left Blue Jays fans unsure of where their team currently sits (aside from last place in the AL East). With their ace on the mound to open up the series against the Rays, the Blue Jays faithful hope the team can turn around its fortunes against AL East opponents. After the 3 game set against the Rays, the Blue Jays face the Orioles for 4 games. It’s a prime opportunity to make up some ground, so surely the Blue Jays will win 3 or 4 games in a row before giving them right back.

As usual all GIFs compliments of GameReax, cause they’re the best.

May 1, 2013; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays right fielder Jose Bautista (19) discusses a call at the plate with home plate umpire Bruce Dreckman at the Rogers Centre against the Boston Red Sox. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

The rest of the rotation and an average hitting team are what keeps the Mariners from moving up and challenging the A’s and potentially the Angels. When top prospects James Paxton (Canadian boy), Dannny Hultzen and Taijuan Walker rise up to replace Joe Saunders, Aaron Harang et al., this could be a team that could seriously contend for a division championship.

I figured I might as well lead with the Mariners since there is nothing new to be said about the Blue Jays. Pitching is mediocre in the rotation (7 walks by J.A. Happ last night was putrid), the old adage that hitting is contagious must also apply to NOT hitting because we don’t have one regular hitting above .255. That, my friends, is vile. Other than the bullpen, led by the perfect Casey Janssen, I am thoroughly disappointed. At least our defence seems to have settled down…there’s that…and ummm…hey Colby is up to .253. Yup…

Probable Starters:

Game 1: Felix Hernandez (3-2 .214 opp BAA) vs Ricky Romero (1st start)
Game 2: Hisashi Iwakuma (2-1, .160 opp BAA) vs R.A. Dickey (2-4, 4.50 ERA)
Game 3: Joe Saunders (2-3, 5.25 ERA) vs Brandon Morrow (0-2, 5.29 ERA)

If there is to be a saving grace for Game 1, it’s that Hernandez is 3-3 and has a 3.75 ERA against the Blue Jays lifetime. Mind you that stat is always bogus considering the players change so much from one year to the next but it’s something. If Romero can go 5 and the hitters can scrape together a few runs we may have a chance. Seattle hitters have provided their ace with 3.17 runs per game so far this year, hence the mediocre W-L record…which we mention every year it seems in regards to Hernandez.

Game 2 should be an interesting match-up. R.A. Dickey goes in with a slightly bum neck but is still cleared to play. I wish the blisters that have been bugging Iwakuma come back hardcore. Dickey should have a great shot at holding down the Mariners offence but Iwakuma has some stingy numbers folks. I mean SICK numbers. I see a pitchers duel in this one and a definite low scoring affair overall.

Game 3 should be the one truly no problem game of the lot. Joe Saunders is no longer a Diamondback, when he was at his best. He is now a Mariner who is 0-3 on the road with a bloated ERA of 12.51. Playing against your former team always seems to get players up and Brandon Morrow is no different. In 23.2 inning pitched against Seattle, Morrow has 32 Ks and a tidy 3.04 ERA. He is due for a brilliant start and this would appear to be the game to do it.

Line-Ups:

The following are the probable line-ups for both squads.

Seattle Mariners:

1. CF: Michael Saunders
2. 3B: Kyle Seager
3. DH: Kendry Morales
4. RF: Michael Morse
5. LF: Jason Bay
6. 1B: Justin Smoak
7. 2B: Dustin Ackley
8. C: Jesus Montero
9. SS: Robert Andino

Toronto Blue Jays:

1. 3B: Brett Lawrie
2. DH: Adam Lind
3. RF: Jose Bautista
4. 1B: Edwin Encarnacion
6. LF: Melky Cabrera
7. CF: Colby Rasmus
8. 2B: Maicer Izturis
9. SS: Munenori Kawasaki

I could decimate you with stats. Ok I WILL decimate you with stats: LAST in MLB in average (.228). 22nd in MLB in OPS (.690). 28th in MLB in Team ERA (4.72). 26th in MLB in BAA against (.268). Are we getting the picture? Hack the numbers to bits. The team is a mess. We needed that Boston series. Now we need this Seattle series. 2 out of 3 would be a great start since we have won only one series all season…cross your fingers. The time to worry is growing near.

The Final Word:

The all or nothing approach is failing fast. It may have worked for Chad Mottola in the minors where the pitching is more suspect but in the big leagues the pitching can leave us flailing or being too aggressive. There has been a bit more attention to longer at bats but then there are also a lot of called third strikes happening as well. I wonder if Mottola and Dwayne Murphy have the hitters confused as to what to do. Is it a room divided between both men? It is a thought. Perhaps a little shift in accountability between them may lead to results on the field. If not, I don’t see anything remotely resembling the team this group should be.

Apr 25, 2013; Bronx, NY, USA; Toronto Blue Jays manager John Gibbons (5) argues a call with umpire Jeff Kellogg (8) against the New York Yankees during the seventh inning at Yankee Stadium. Yankees won 5-3. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

Probable Starters:

Game 1: Jon Lester (4-0, 2.27 ERA) v/s Brandon Morrow (0-2, 5.27)
Game 2: Clay Buchholz (5-0, 1.19 ERA) v/s Mark Buehrle (1-1, 6.35)
Game 3: Ryan Dempster (1-2, 3.30 ERA) v/s TBA

Game 1 sees a resurgent and healthy Lester taking on forever-waiting-on-potential Morrow. I like the guy, I think he works hard and is a true team player but we are now into our fourth year of muddling and befuddling Morrow. His stuff is filthy but so is his pitch count. If he can bring himself down in pitch count and ease off on the walks (19:9 K/BB ratio), the potential for Cy Young stuff is there. But the bright side is John Lester, with the sparkling ERA and record seems to hit a bump in his last start, issuing 6 walks and 3 earned in just over 6 innings. If he is falling into the same Lester as last year then perhaps the Blue Jays could take this one.

Game 2 is a match up of perhaps the biggest surprise so far in Buchholz and perhaps the biggest pitching disappointment in Buehrle. Buchholz has not gone less than 7 innings all season. A 3:1 K/BB and a WHIP of 1.01 are the makings of an early Cy Young candidate. Buchholz has always had the potential. Is this the year he finally puts it all together? On the other end, is this the beginning of a sharp decline for Buehrle. A WHIP of 1.52 and a collective BAA of .306 is high, even for a guy who is prone to giving up lots of hits. He can’t seem to bear down and is prone to the big inning so far. Is this just a fluke? This would be a great way of proving the value of his contract. Beat their best when you are not performing at your best.

For Game 3, Ryan Dempster has done fairly well so far. Many thought he would have a sharp spike in ERA coming over to the AL from the NL but his .187 BAA has been amazing and he has struck out between 7 and 10 batters in every start so far. Strikeouts carry a lot of weight in this division and unless we curb our free swinging ways this could be a feast for Dempster. There is no starter listed as of yet for the good guys. Johnson is scheduled but they are still monitoring his progress from tricep tightness. With an off day yesterday it may mean bumping J.A. Happ up a notch to fill the spot. I have no problem with this as he has been the steadiest contributor in the rotation.

Line-Ups:

The following are the probable line-ups for both squads.

Toronto Blue Jays:

1. DH: Rajai Davis
2. SS: Munenori Kawasaki
3. RF: Jose Bautista
4. 1B: Edwin Encarnacion
5. LF: Melky Cabrera
6. C: J.P. Arencibia
7. CF: Colby Rasmus
8. 3B: Brett Lawrie
9. 2B: Maicer Izturis

Boston Red Sox:

1. CF: Jacoby Ellsbury
2. RF: Daniel Nava
3. 2B: Dustin Pedroia
4. DH: David Ortiz
5. 1B: Mike Napoli
6. LF: Mike Carp
7. C: Jarrod Saltalamacchia
8. 3B: Will Middlebrooks
9. SS: Stephen Drew

The lineup needs some semblance of stability. With Brett Lawrie working his way back in the majors and Jose Bautista seemingly over his back issues, this would be the perfect time to pull a Cito and set the lineup for a few weeks and let the players sink or swim. Fiddling with the roster has done nothing so try the other approach. With the MLB ranking of 27th in both pitching and fielding perhaps a different methodology would work…that and perhaps working the count (see Rasmus, Colby and Arencibia, J.P.).

Boston has been nothing short of amazing so far but this crew is a starter injury or Pedroia injurya away from a free fall. Can John Farrell do what Bobby Valentine couldn’t? So far the numbers speak for themselves (all numbers are MLB ranking): 3rd in Team BA, 2nd in slugging, 2nd in OPS, 6th in ERA and 1st in BAA. Them some fine numbers them is.

The Final Word:

It is great to see EE performing better as of late and thank goodness for Lawrie at third. I almost forgot how slick he was around the bag and his throwing arm is mint. Reyes and Lawrie will be a dynamite left side for the nest few years. We are getting hits here and there, home runs here and there but ultimately it is both the offence and the starting pitching that is performing below par. The starters seem to be straightening out a bit so there is hope there. Where is the hope for a team that ranks 27th in OBP, 28th in BA, 28th in WHIP, 3rd in hits allowed and 6th in walk allowed. At this pace we could challenge for worst statistical team in franchise history…but we all know there is nowhere to go but up right?

Apr 19, 2013; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays right fielder Rajai Davis (11) at third base on a triple in the first inning against the New York Yankees at the Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

It was time of great anguish among the Blue Jays faithful. It was the 10th inning of the 22 game of the 2013 season. Having suffered two crushing defeats at the hands of division rivals Baltimore, the Jays had found a  new way to torment the fan base, blowing a 3 run lead late in the game.

Not only did they blow the game, now in the bottom of the 10th, they were trying to lose it in the most excruciating way possible. Adam Jones came to the plate with 1 out, and a man on first, he launched a lazy fly ball out to Right Field where it was to be easily shagged by Jose Bautista, but of course not.

Fans and bloggers alike reacted in disbelief.

Are. You. Kidding.

— Travis B (@travisb31) April 24, 2013

Now with a men on first and second and JJ Hardy at the plate, many Jays fans had been hit with that “Its happening again, why do you hate us baseball Gods” feeling. Of course Hardy was going to crush a single, and of course it was going to go to the noodle armed Rajai Davis in right field. Ball met bat, Blue Jays fans hung there had in disappointment.

But then this happened….

And it was glorious.

Suddenly things changed. Could it be….could the Blue Jays finally be getting a break? All they had to do was score against Jim Johnson, whom has been prettttty lights out for the last year or so.

So what do the Blue Jays do? Exactly what they seemingly haven’t been able to do all year. They had good at-bats and loaded the bases for noted Blue Jays slugger Maicer Izturis. Ugh. “Well that rally was nice I guess” was a thought that passed through more than a few fans’ minds. But what’s this? Izturis worked a 4-pitch walk to bring in the go ahead run?

THE ORIOLES MAGIC IS OURS.

Seriously, this was not a “Blue Jays” way to win a game. A dominating closer issues a bases-loaded walk to a guy with a triple slash of .169/.206/.277? This was a victory circa the 2012 Baltimore Orioles, where anything and everything bounced in their favour on the way to a 93-win season. Combine the superior talent of our roster, with that enraging good fortune, and the Blue Jays are going to be unstoppable!

Apr 5, 2013; Toronto, ON, Canada; Toronto Blue Jays center fielder Colby Rasmus (28) during batting practice before playing against the Boston Red Sox at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

Unfortunately, someone forgot to mention that to Miguel Cabrera and the Tigers offense, as Detroit dropped Toronto to 2-5 on the season after a 7-3 victory over the Blue Jays.

It did not take long for the Tigers’ bats to make Brandon Morrow‘s afternoon a short one. An RBI double by Prince Fielder scored Cabrera in the first inning. Morrow then got Andy Dirks to fly out to end the frame.

Detroit added a run in the second inning with a lead-off, solo home run by Alex Avila. Morrow would allow a two-out single to Omar Infante in the inning, but would escape without further damage.

Morrow then got through a scoreless third inning, but only after Rajai Davis threw out Torii Hunter at the plate. However, Morrow’s day would end with two outs in the fourth inning. After getting two quick outs in the inning, Morrow surrendered consecutive two-out singles to Austin Jackson and Hunter, before Cabrera unloaded his first home run of the season. Cabrera would finish the day 4 for 5 with four RBI in the game.

Morrow would end his day there, having surrendered five earned runs on 9 hits and a pair of walks, while not registering a single strike-out. Overall, he lasted 3.2 innings and threw 83 pitches on the afternoon.

Morrow’s last appearance without a strike-out was on June 11, 2012. It should be noted that he would spend the next 2 months on the disabled list.

Once again, the Jays bats were quiet, with most of offense coming between the top two hitters in the order. Jose Reyes continued his hot hitting, going 2 for 4 with a run scored, a RBI, and a stolen base. He was followed by Melky Cabrera would went 3 for 4 with a RBI.

Colby Rasmus did add a meaningless home run in the top of the ninth inning, a solo shot off of Joaquin Benoit, his third of the season, but that was punctuated by another pair of strike-outs for the enigmatic Jays’ center fielder.

Unfortunately, the team continued to struggle in putting runners into scoring position. Today, only five players reached scoring position, showing that Toronto is still depending too much on the long-ball. Perhaps some small ball and run creationg could help generate some offense moving forward.

Maybe that move forward comes on Wednesday afternoon, when Mark Buehrle and Rick Porcello will square off at 1:08pm ET.

March 28, 2013; Clearwater, FL, USA; Toronto Blue Jays right fielder Jose Bautista (19) is congratulated by teammates in the dugout after he scored a run during the third inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Bright House Networks Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

But 2012 saw the Tampa Bay Rays continue to shine, the Baltimore Orioles becoming relevant again and the Yankees being the Yankees…winners. Boston took the year off but you know they could be in the hunt again with the bank roll they have to play with. The season did show glimpses of being the best offence in baseball. When Jose Bautista got hurt it signaled the end for this team. Edwin Encarnacion tried valiantly to carry the offense on his back but it wasn’t enough. Couple that with Ricky Romero‘s sudden fall from grace and you have a pretty decent team with horrid results.

Date: April 9, 2012
Location: Rogers Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
Game: Boston Red Sox vs. YOUR Toronto Blue Jays
Weather: Very Dome-y with girders seen in the sky….

Perhaps this heartbreaking loss was a sign of things to come. We led 2-1 going into the 9th. Henderson Alvarez went 6 solid, giving up one run. Our new power closer, Sergio Santos comes in and gives up 3 in the ninth to blow the save and give the Red Sox the lead. We couldn’t do the same against Alfredo “The Devil” Aceves. A last minute loss that truly was a precursor to the season to follow. True heartbreak…bring on 2013!

Staring at the screen as I throw out this last bit if history I must say it has been pretty cool. Sometimes we need more than our memories to remind us of all the craziness that has gone down with this Blue Jays organization. For all the ups and downs this team has been through, they have never really bottomed out. We seem to always have some semblance of competitiveness (don’t count the ’70s…we wuz just brand new, wee birds then).

That is the overlying factor I have taken from this experience. We, for the most part, play hard. Play a full nine innings. Not many mail it in and that says something about the culture that has always been a part of the Blue Jays brand. Success has been more fleeting than anything but it makes you appreciate exactly what it takes to win it all. We are lucky. We have two trophies. There are still many teams without even one.

So enjoy the Home Opener: 2013. Take in the grace, the spectacle that could be the beginning of another special Blue Jays season. I hope you truly immerse yourself in the game the way you used to…or have always wanted to. Let’s…Play…Ball.

Sep 6, 2011; Toronto, ON, Canada; Toronto Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos talks to media before the game against the Boston Red Sox at the Rogers Centre. The Red Sox beat the Blue Jays 14-0. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

In season, we saw the arrival of Colby Rasmus and the first number retired in team history: Roberto Alomar‘s number 12. We may not have been too competitive on the field but the fans bought into AA’s plan to build for 2013 and beyond. To be sustainable. He brought the minor league system from 25th best to 3rd best according to Baseball America. He drafted well and the prospect pool started to deepen. We, as fans, were hoping for the best but realistic that to fix what J.P. Ricciardi had left would take some time. A new philosophy always needs to bleed into the fabric of a team over time. So the 2011 Home Opener was a celebration of not only a new season but a new feel to our beloved Blue Jays.

Date: April 1, 2011
Location: Rogers Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
Game: Minnesota Twins vs. YOUR Toronto Blue Jays
Weather:…there is no weather inside a dome…ain’t figured that out yet? Hehe

We would see the maturing process of Ricky Romero reach it’s pinnacle in 2011 as he is named the number 1 starter for this team. With Romero and Brandon Morrow we saw two fixtures in the rotation. The next three were a mish mash of Brett Cecil, Kyle Drabek, Henderson Alvarez, Jesse Litch et al. The offence seemed primed for a great season with Jose Bautista blowing the cover off the ball, Adam Lind showing early promise and Brett Lawrie looking to impress. The pieces were falling into place at certain positions.

The game was a laugher from the start. We tallied fours runs in the first off a resurgent Carl Pavano and added six more before the start of the sixth. Romero was tossing donuts and looking every bit the number 1 he was designated to be. He would go 6.1 innings, 3 runs given up but only 1 earned and 7 strikeouts. Add to that the killer night of J.P. Arencibia (3-4, 2 runs, 5 RBIs, including 2 home runs). The game was well in hand as we trounced the Twins 13-3.

Coming off the type of surprise season the team had in 2010 this looked to be a great omen…an omen that went in the crapper as we finished 81-81…a mediocre line but underneath that failure to win were the seeds being planted of a winning team. We just needed to be patient. With a few more moves over the off-season this looked like a team being built properly, with no excuses. All we needed was to wait…

Apr 9, 2012; Toronto, ON, Canada; Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Jason Frasor (54) is introduced before playing against the Boston Red Sox at the Rogers Centre. The Red Sox beat the Blue Jays 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

So 2010 came upon with a fresh sense of identity for the Blue Jays. Anthopoulos promised nothing. All he basically said over the course of his first off-season is that he was going to try and build a sustainable winner like the Devil Rays for example. Player development was key and free agency was to be used only to fill in a missing piece. He wanted to use trades as a major component of building. He lived in the waiver wire. We all gave him a chance and his candor about telling us everything by almost saying nothing was remarkable. He had no track record. he was a Canadian kid who worked hard. We like them hard workers (bring back John MacDonald!).

Halladay got dealt. It killed us but we knew it was coming. He wasn’t happy here and when he eventually came back to pitch against us as a Phillie, he received an ovation no returning Toronto player has ever had. It was a great moment. Along with that deal the Jays just started to shed heavy payroll where possible and began to earnestly fill in the minor league spots with talent. A.A. wanted to build the best farm system in the game. In one year he pretty much did. But aside from the future, what did the Jays have to show us in 2010? Fourth place and more optimism than the team had had in years.

Date: April 12, 2010
Location: Rogers Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
Game: Chicago White Sox vs. YOUR Toronto Blue Jays
Weather: was a non-factor

We didn’t have the strongest pitching staff, as having lefty Brian Tallet in the rotation can attest. We realized, as fans, that this wasn’t our year so let’s hope there would be good stories to tell. The Home Opener was not one of those stories. We hit Jake Peavy pretty good all game. he went 5.2 innings and gave up 7 runs! This would be a breeze if it wasn’t for Tallet giving up 6 in 6 innings. We were tied going into extra innings due to Jason Frasor blowing the save in the ninth. Jeremy Accardo gave up a run in the 11th and there you have an 8-7 loss. It would be hard fought and the team did fight most of the season. Again though….4th. Frikken 4th. At least A.A. had already begun to hatch his plan.

March 16, 2013; Dunedin, FL, USA; Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Adam Lind (26) works out prior to the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Ok so 2009 was to be the beginning of the end for J.P. Ricciardi. You only have to look at the fiasco surrounding Roy Halladay and whether he wanted to be dealt or not. Ricciardi played it out in the papers and we knew the Halladay era would be over. J.P. never gave Roy a chance to win and there was no development in the minors of big name kids to sustain any level of success. Roy kept getting used parts behind him and he had enough. If Ricciardi gives any semblance of hope for the future then Roy stays. We all know where that led to. So again, we are left with a cast of middling, average to maybe above average players, some decent pitching but again no hope against the powers of the AL East. At least the Home Opener rocked.

Date: April 6, 2009
Location: Rogers Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
Game: Detroit Tigers vs. YOUR Toronto Blue Jays
Weather: ……………..hey I don’t have a pithy thought for everything you know……

Halladay took the mound in this game against Tiger ace-in-the-hole Justin Verlander. I was at this game and I tell you the crowd was ornery. Moreso than any crowd I had been in at the mistake-by-the-lake 2.0. I was looking forward to a pitchers duel but I was disappointed…well not really. If you can touch up Verlander for EIGHT runs in 3.2 innings…well you have me revved up. Adam Lind was fierce in this game going 4-5 with SIX RBI, 3 of them on a home run off Verlander. Now this I could get used to. With this kind of lead Halladay I think took a different approach to the game since he coughed up 5 runs in 7 innings with only a couple Ks and 2 home runs given up. As we have seen before, he isn’t the best on opening day….but after that watch out people!

It was a true team effort. Everyone gave something to this 12-5 and that was very enticing. Sadly as after a 9 game skid in May they never recovered and were fourth….again. Bye J.P. and hello A.A. Let’s see how you do going forward…