Blue Jays Morning News: Scooter jails and Google thrones

Rounding up some Blue Jays loose ends in the Morning Mews, we look at Toronto’s Google dominance, scooter laws, ground ball pitchers and more

Lets start with a story that some of us will find familiar… It’s cold, mid-December now and Jays Fan puts the kettle on the stove to boil. Jays Fan walks away, perhaps into the other room to continue a Netflix binge or browse Jays Journal. Ten minutes pass, and Jays Fan wonders why they haven’t heard the kettle begin to whistle yet. When they walk back into the kitchen they find the back burner glowing orange-red. Then they see the kettle, sitting on the front burner.

This is the story of the recent Blue Jays offseason. Unless you’re a close family member of Cory Luebke‘s, it’s been a long, cold December. We won’t let you freeze altogether, though. Here are the stories catching our eye from around Blue Jays land:

More from Toronto Blue Jays News

• Matt Chapman has been exactly what the Blue Jays needed
• Blue Jays: The goalposts are moving in the right direction
• Single-A Dunedin Blue Jays advance to the Championship Series
• Blue Jays: Comparisons for Alek Manoah’s Second Season
• Blue Jays: Adam Cimber, the unlikely decision King

Google Kings  –  Here’s an interesting factoid from Sportsnet: the term “Blue Jays” was Canada’s most searched term on Google in 2015, edging out “Justin Trudeau” for the top spot. This comes from die-hard fans and daily readers, but also from the curious millions who were given a reason to discuss and learn about Canada’s team for the first time in decades.

Ground Ball Chemistry  –  Staying at Sportsnet, Nick Ashbourne looks at the benefits of Toronto adding a predominantly ground ball pitcher. It’s often forgotten that Kevin Pillar‘s Superman efforts didn’t save Toronto from Jose Bautista‘s limitations and the left field situation in 2015, but the infield defense remains top shelf.

We’ve kicked this idea around before, most often following my weekly pining for the addition of Burke Badenhop. In the launching pad that is the ‘Dome, a ground ball arm could feed an infield of Josh Donaldson, Troy Tulowitzki, Ryan Goins (for now) and Justin Smoak (sometimes). That’s an impressive defensive backdrop.

Scooter Bandits  –  From the category of “things that make you shake your head and mutter profanity”, here’s a funny one from Chris Cwik of Yahoo Sports. While the Jays were in New York with their new scooters, courtesy of old friend David Price, Josh Donaldson says the security at Yankee Stadium threatened them with… jail time!?

“They all showed up when we were playing the Yankees in New York. Then the Yankees security tried to tell us they were going to take us to jail if we rode them at the stadium,” Josh Donaldson said. “We were like, We don’t need to go jail so let’s put them away. I’m not going to jail.”

Settle down, G.I. Joes.

Next: Rumor Mill: Blue Jays kicking the tires on Luebke

Cover Boy  –  Marcus Stroman graces the cover of the upcoming Sportsnet Magazine 2015 Awards issue, in which he’s ultimately handed the “Nothing Left to Prove” award. Arden Zwelling is quoted as saying “he’s shown mere bursts of what he could one day be, is there any pitcher on the Blue Jays you have more confidence in? Is there any other guy you’d want to take the mound for a must-win?”

Best part of this article? That Stroman was considered for Best Hair and Worst Hair. Outstanding.