Blue Jays Morning Brew: A President & a Rookie

Man, the boys are fun to watch lately! Those who are fringe fans are tuning in faithfully. I’ve had people tell me that they haven’t watched the Blue Jays in 20 years, but they’re tuning in. And, why not? The entertainment value is high! You are almost guaranteed to see exciting baseball. It’s a good time to be a Blue Jays fan.

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New President– According to the Associated Press (via LA Times), the Blue Jays have found their new club president. It was originally reported by Jon Heyman of CBS.  Mark Shapiro will be bringing his talents to Southern Ontario. Shapiro is leaving the same position in Cleveland. He’d been with the Indians since 1992. An official announcement will be made today, apparently. Paul Beeston has been packing up his office for months now and will be leaving at the end of the season.

Toronto Blue Jays

Several questions remain to be answered if Shapiro moves in to the office. Will the storied “5 Year Policy” disappear with Beeston? That might be at the top of most minds. As well, issues with updating Rogers Centre, including the installment of real grass, are going to need to be undertaken. Perhaps the biggest question, though, has to do with the future of GM, Alex Anthopoulos. Heyman says that the plan is likely to keep AA (the team is winning after all). AA would also prefer to stay.

Kelly Gruber has an idea to improve umpiring– Brock Picken of The Blue Jays Dugout caught up with Kelly Gruber and wanted to talk about that famous play during the 1992 World Series. Gruber had chased him down to end an incredible play that started in the outfield with Devon White. The Braves runners got crossed up and one was doubled up at first. As Sanders was attempting to make his way back to 2nd, Gruber leaped and tagged his foot. The umpire at the time called Sanders safe. No tag. Video replay would have helped that situation.

Here’s a look:

Anyway, it ended up to be OK, I think. But, back to Gruber. He told Picken that while there is no way to achieve perfection, perhaps taking umpires off the field all together and relying on the cameras is the only way to come close. “Cameras don’t lie” he said.  In the same interview, Gruber tells us that he did talk to Sanders the next spring about the play. I’d love to know what the reply was.

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Rookie of the Year– Roberto Osuna has started to open some eyes around baseball. The 20 yr old who pitches like a veteran is getting some mention in American League Rookie of the Year conversations. Mike Rutsey of The Sun describes the surprise addition of Osuna. His own manager has been impressed with his performances. John Gibbons, obviously, is a huge fan. During the Tigers series, when Osuna went 3-0 on J.D. Martinez and came back to strike him and the next two out. It is situations like that where Osuna may present some competition for Houston’s Carlos Correa. Even if Gibby thinks the short stop has the edge.

Road Warriors at the bottom– Before sweeping the Tigers, the Blue Jays wrapped up a very impressive road trip where they dismantled the Angels. They also took 2 of 3 from the Rangers. There was lots of attention on Josh Donaldson and rightfully so. Edwin Encarnacion‘s hitting streak was in full effect. But, Richard Griffin of The Star points out that the bottom of the order was equally as good. They may not have the sexy power numbers, etc. But, they combined to hit nearly .300 on the road trip. If the Blue Jays are going to make serious noise in the post season, the bottom of the order is going to play a big role. They set the table for the big boys. They extend the lineup. They have the potential to not give opposing pitchers any breaks. They’ll need to continue this success.

Next: Will Winning Bring David Price Back?

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