Blue Jays Morning Brew: Baseball Mondays are OK

The Blue Jays Morning Brew returns as spring training enters full swing in Dunedin with stories on leg kicks, The People’s Champion and Jose Bautista

The arms have arrived, the bats have arrived, and the photos have been taken. Toronto Blue Jays spring training is fully underway in Dunedin, Florida, and ahead are a few stories to catch up on from the weekend that was.

Year of the Leg Kick  –  The 2016 Blue Jays lineup will have a familiar leg kick running through the heart of the order. This offseason alone, Troy Tulowitzki, Ryan Goins, and Kevin Pillar have added a kick to their swings as well.

“If you look around the room, what do people do? A lot of them leg kick,” Tulowitzki told Shi Davidi. “So you’re getting knowledge from some of the best players in the game about what they do. It would be the same thing if you went to a team that knows stride, they’re professionals that know striding. Over here, there a lot of guys I can talk to about leg kicking, which makes it more beneficial for me. That’s more the reason behind it.”

Gibby on the Big Screen  –  Ian Hunter over at Blue Jay Hunter brings us this gold: manager John Gibbons, The People’s Champion, being asked in Dunedin who would play him in a movie. His answers? Donald Trump, Danny DeVito, and Robert Redford. Hey, 2-for-3 isn’t bad in baseball.

Sitting down with Jose  –  After a whirlwind week, Blue Jays star Jose Bautista sat down with Steve Phillips of TSN for a more in-depth interview on his contract demands and the circumstances surrounding them. Take from it what you may, and believe who you will, but there’s some interesting conversation here (involving one very intelligent Blue Jay).

Looking at Domonic Brown  –  Over at Jays From the Couch, our friend Spencer Redmond breaks down the fascinating addition of former can’t-miss prospect Domonic Brown. He argues that the American League and potential to steal some DH at-bats could be good for the 28-year-old, and if he can perform well enough with triple-A Buffalo, don’t be surprised to see him get an opportunity through the season.

Veteran Presence  –  Ken Fidlin of the Toronto Sun highlights the weight on Toronto’s veterans and their positional battles entering the 2016 season in win-now mode. After carrying a heavy dose of rookies in to last season, look for a strong start from a club that knows the ropes.