Jays Going Down the Old Man River

By Steven Pukin

After an offseason where casual Blue Jays fans were disappointed (see: really pissed off and giving up on the Blue Jays for good) that GM Alex Anthopoulos did not drop a boatload of money on big name free agents like the Angels, Rangers, or even the notoriously spendthrift Marlins. Many were left wondering why the Fielders and Darvishs of the world were not suiting up for the Jays this spring. During the winter meetings, Anthopoulos talked about "payroll parameters" and "boundaries" that he had to work within to put together a competitive club. These choice phrases seem to reinforce the perception that the team's owners, Rogers Communications were just cheap bastards and would never end up spending any money ever.

The 10 Best Things About Being a Jays Fan

by Dave Barclay


This is an article inspired by the series on Big League Stew, one of my fave baseball blogs. If you are reading this on Wednesday, February 22nd, please go here and vote for me for the MLB FanCave. It's a fun, popular activity.

1) Memories of the Early 90s

If you are a Blue Jays fan, your mental file of “good memories” is right next to a file labeled “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” and, if you are in your twenties or thirties, “awkward conversations with girls/boys”. Everything was weird in the early nineties, because the Jays were the best team in baseball, had the biggest payroll, and shattered attendance records. The ‘90s Jays had swagger too. Everyone hated us (especially Orioles fans) and Todd Stottlemyre told the mayor of Philadelphia to kiss his behind at the victory parade in 1993.

And now, when the team is finishing fourth every year, all Jays fans still connect over shared memories of Alomar, Carter, Gruber, tight uniforms, mullets and box cuts. It’s a hilarious time to be nostalgic about.

Why Yunel Escobar is the Best

by Dave Barclay

I was looking at the Toronto Blue Jays' promotional schedule today, and my eyes lit up on two items in particular: every friday is Lester's Grand Slam Combo, which seems to indicate some kind of hot dog discount, and Sunday June 3rd is Yunel Escobar Bobblehead Day.

Yu guys, ever since Roy Halladay left Toronto, I had been holding my heart in my hand waiting to find another Blue Jay to give it to. I had some dalliances with Edwin Encarnacion, Jose Bautista and Kyle Drabek*, but when it came time to buy a new Jays shirsey this year, there was only one choice. Yunel Escobar.

Here are the reasons why Yunel Escobar is the best: