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Meet Your 2017 Toronto Blue Jays
The Blue Jays have named their 25-man Opening Day roster. Now, remember, this is just the group of guys who will suit up on April 3rd in Baltimore. There’s going to be some flux all season due to performance and injury. But the players insist it’s a huge honour to be named to the roster…
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The 7th Inning Stretch Podcast #23 – Okay Blue Jays, Let’s Play Ball
As Spring Training (finally) draws to a close, Asher & Matt discuss some of the Jays injured players and fringe roster decisions. Some players have shown cause for concern—so Dr. DiNic stops by to instruct how worried we should be. And Name That Jay takes an Opening Day twist.
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The Season Is Dark and Full of Terrors
After a pre-season that has seemingly lasted as long as a Game of Thrones winter, we’re finally less than a week ahead of Opening Day for the 2017 campaign. And while there is much optimism for the Toronto Blue Jays once again, the season, like a Game of Thrones night, is dark and full of terrors. Not…
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Gibbons Extension Good News For Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays have locked up manager John Gibbons for two more seasons, with a club option for 2020. Gibbons, who gets far less respect than he deserves from segments of the fan base, sits second in franchise history for manager wins, just 250 behind Cito Gaston. For whatever reason, some fans have just…
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7th Inning Stretch Podcast #22 – Minimum Wage
Aaron Sanchez is in the Spring Training headlines again, this time over the low price of his new contract. Matt and Asher discuss the long- and short-term repercussions of the deal. Will Sanchez be tabbed to start Opening Day? If not him, then who? Left field still looks like kind of a mess, and the…
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Who Should Start Opening Day?
We are officially three weeks away from Opening Day–at the time of this writing. By the time you read this, it will probably be closer than that. Spring Training has dragged on, mainly because of the lack of storylines in Blue Jays camp. The biggest news items are the injuries to Josh Donaldson and Devon…
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7th Inning Stretch Podcast #21: Spring In Our Step
With Spring Training under way and most of the roster set, Matt & Asher discuss what roles we might expect from Justin Smoak, Steve Pearce, Melvin Upton and Dalton Pompey. Are there any surprises in the bullpen? And which early-21st century catcher does Matt remember so well in Name That Jay?
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Going Smoakless
“This is a ‘don’t get hurt’ kind of spring.” — Sportsnet’s Arden Zwelling on The Jeff Blair Show The above was a quote from the thirty minute roundtable with Jeff Blair, Stephen Brunt and Arden Zwelling on Sportsnet 590 this morning. A thoughtful, honest, level-headed discussion between three of the brightest baseball minds at the…
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X-Factor: Steve Pearce
Last month, I started to take a look at some players who might be under-the-radar contributors to the Blue Jays season. If all goes to plan, you know what you’re getting out of Jose Bautista, Josh Donaldson, Troy Tulowitzki and Russell Martin. Even if that core group can stay healthy and produce as usual, you’re still…
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X-Factor: Dalton Pompey
As we sit in the final week of January, just 19 days until Blue Jays pitchers and catchers report to Dunedin for spring training, it’s fair to say this club is not as strong on paper as its 2016 version. The failings of the off-season have been well-documented, highlighted by the unpopular decision to move on…
Jays Balk 