Dein erstes Forum » Tropicana Field against the Tampa Bay Rays has

The Chicago Cubs have been taking a lot of heat lately. First off, the fans ripped the Cubbies introduction of a fuzzy new kid-friendly mascot named "Clark". But the bigger target was the franchises owners of the past four years, the Ricketts family. Under their stewardship, the Cubs have compiled a record of 273-375 and havent come close to being a contender in any of the four seasons. Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein felt compelled over the weekend to defend the Ricketts, saying at the Cubs Fans Convention in effect they were absorbing short term pain for long term gain. Epstein explained that the Ricketts had a long term plan that would ensure success for the organization. Last I looked, the Cubs havent won a World Series since 1908 and havent been in a Fall Classic since 1945. Thats not the point of this story though. I decided to compare the Blue Jays record to that of the Cubs over the last four seasons. The Cubs are 273-375. Thats an average of a little more than 65 victories per season. The Blue Jays are better but not by a significant amount. Their record from 2010 thru 2013 was 313-335. So the Jays averaged a bit more than 75 victories per season. Thats 10 more per season over the four years, but still under .500 and still nowhere near a post-season position. The Blue Jays record of futility in nowhere near that of the Cubs, but just the same, they havent been to the post-season since 1993, a stretch of 21 seasons. Over that span Kansas City is the only other Major League club that hasnt made the playoffs. The Blue Jays record since Rogers acquired the club consists of five winning seasons, eight losing seasons and one .500 campaign. The Cubs may be breaking their fans hearts, but the Blue Jays are hardly inspiring the planning of victory parades either. The Days of Key When the Dodgers signed their ace lefty Clayton Kershaw to that massive seven-year $215 million contract last week, it brought back memories of a veteran left-hander the Blue Jays had to make a decision on back in the off-season of 1992. Jimmy Key wasnt in the same talent class as Kershaw, but he will go down as one of the top pitchers in Blue Jays history. In nine seasons with the organization he went 116-81 with a 3.42 ERA. Key was to become a free agent after the 92 season. He and his agent wanted at least a four-year contract. Blue Jays GM Pat Gillick had a steadfast policy at the time of giving no more than three years to starting pitchers. So sure enough, Key left, signing a four-year deal with the Yankees. He was outstanding in his first two years in New York, and in fact led the American League in the strike-shortened 1994 season with a 17-4 mark and a 3.27 earned run average. In 1995 though, he blew out his arm and missed almost the entire season. Key bounced back strongly in 1996 though, and actually outdueled Hall of Fame-elect Greg Maddux to beat Atlanta in the final game of the World Series. That would be his final game as a Yankee and earned him a second World Series ring. Jimmy Key would sign with Baltimore for 1997, where Gillick was now in charge and would finish out his career with the Orioles. In an ideal world Key would have pitched his entire career in Toronto. I still distinctly remember three landmark starts in his career, that helped define the pitcher and the man he was. On the final day of 1987 season at old Tiger Stadium, the Blue Jays had dropped six straight games and needed a victory on that last Sunday over the Tigers to force a tie-breaker with Detroit. Key engaged in an epic pitchers duel with Detroit southpaw Frank Tanana. Detroit won the game 1-0 on Larry Herndons home run that barely cleared the low fence in left. The Tigers went to the ALCS against Minnesota and the Blue Jays went home. In 1991, the Jays were facing Minnesota in the American League Championship Series. The organization made the decision to go with knuckleballer Tom Candiotti in the opener at the Metrodome against Jack Morris. Many felt Key should have been given that start. Just being around Jimmy as long as I had been, I could see how angry if not crushed he was at the snub. Candiotti was horrid in that game and the Twins got the quick jump in the series. Key finally did start in Game 3 with the series tied at a game apiece. Jimmy pitched six innings of two-run ball, but got saddled with a no-decision. The Twins ultimately won 3-2 in 10 innings on Mike Pagliarulos homer off Mike Timlin. Minnesota would go on to take the series in five games. I said to myself after that series that resigning Key would be next to impossible after he was passed over for that Game 1 start. To his credit, Jimmy put all that behind him and had a strong season in 1992. The game I will never forget was Game 4 of the World Series against Atlanta. Key was at his absolute best and went 7.2 innings against the Braves. When he walked off the mound towards the dugout, he received an incredible ovation and tipped his cap. I just felt at that moment, and Im sure Jimmy did too, that it was his final performance as a Blue Jay. As mentioned earlier, Key signed that four-year deal with the Yankees in the off-season, and the Jays took a fair amount of grief for letting him go. To this day I cant remember any other Blue Jays player who ended his time in Toronto with a moment like that. First Impressions Drake did an incredible impression of Alex Rodriguez on Saturday Night Live. If they ever do a movie about this sordid tale, Drake can play A-Rod and actor/comedian/radio host Jay Thomas can play Anthony Bosch. Thomas played Carlas second husband, the hockey player Eddie Lebec on Cheers. His character died when he was run over by a Zamboni, and Thomas bares an uncanny resemblance to Bosch. First Date The Blue Jays season opener at Tropicana Field against the Tampa Bay Rays has an unusual starting time. They kick off the season at 4:10 in the afternoon in the opener of a four-game series on March 31. Vapormax Outlet . Thats how the Ravens won when Ryan was their defensive co-ordinator from 2005-08, and that is precisely the formula Baltimore used to beat Ryans New York Jets on Sunday. Nike Vapormax Clearance . After Mariota was pushed around by Stanford on Thursday, finishing 20/34 with 250 yards and two touchdowns in Oregons Title hope-crushing defeat, hes going to need a poor performance or two from the remaining frontrunners to have a shot at the most coveted individual trophy in college sports. http://www.vapormaxoutlet.com/ . He never mentioned anything about his hitting. The 33-year-old right-hander had success with both Sunday, pitching six solid innings and helping the offence-starved Mets with an RBI single as New York salvaged a doubleheader split with a 4-2 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. Nike Vapormax China .com) - The Grand Slam season will get underway Monday at the Australian Open in Melbourne, where a new champion will be crowned this year. Air Vapormax Free Shipping .ca. Kerry, In the closing minutes of the second period of Game 4 between Pittsburgh and Columbus there were the remnants of two broken sticks behind the Pittsburgh net.TORONTO -- The Toronto Blue Jays have used their big bats to power their way to victories over their nine-game winning streak. On Wednesday night, they showed that stellar defence and a little small ball can get the job done too. With pinch-runner Kevin Pillar aboard after Dioner Navarro opened the bottom of the ninth with a single, Anthony Gose dropped down an excellent bunt along the first-base line. Reliever Juan Carlos Oviedo threw wide to first and Pillar came all the way around to score to give the Blue Jays a 3-2 victory over Tampa Bay and their first walk-off win of the season. "Its not every day youre going to come out and score 10 runs," said Toronto infielder Steve Tolleson. "Sometimes you have to fight tooth and nail to win. The guys today really showed that and thats why we pulled through." Toronto opened the series with a 10-5 win and followed with a 9-6 victory a night later. On Wednesday, in what was likely the Blue Jays finest defensive effort of the year, Toronto stifled Tampa Bay all over the diamond. After both teams scored a pair of early runs, Gose made an all-world catch against the centre-field wall in the third inning to keep the game tied. In the sixth, Melky Cabrera offered a highlight-reel moment of his own with a great leaping grab against the wall in left field. Brett Lawrie of Langley, B.C., and Edwin Encarnacion got into the act too later in the frame. James Loney hit a hard chopper that the Canadian sprawled to retrieve in shallow right field. Encarnacion dived to snag the throw to first and managed to keep his foot on the bag for the out. In the eighth, it was Toronto third baseman Juan Franciscos turn. He made a great diving snag off the bat of leadoff hitter David DeJesus and an inning later, Lawrie was at it again by barehanding a slow chopper on the fly and whipping it to first base in time. "It was just one of those days that we just refused to lose," Tolleson said. On the winning play, Pillar broke for third when he saw the ball roll down the left-field line and third-base coach Luis Rivera made a gutsy decision to send him home with nobody out. "I wanted to score," Pillar said. "When I saw the ball go by, I mean Luis is aggressive over there. I mean worst-case scenario, Gose is probably standing at third base with one out. He made a good call there." The speedy Gose has been showing consistency with his bunting ability this season and it paid off. "I got it down tonight," he said. "I just tried to move the runner and good things happened." Toronto starter Liam Hendriks and Tampa BBay starter Chris Archer both gave up two earned runs over six innings.dddddddddddd Blue Jays left-hander Rob Rasmussen came on for the seventh and Matt Joyce greeted him with a ground-rule double. Toronto manager John Gibbons quickly went to the bullpen for Dustin McGowan, who gave up just one walk over two scoreless innings. Aaron Loup (2-1) worked the ninth as Toronto (32-22) completed the three-game sweep. Encarnacion, who has tied a club record with 14 homers this month, drove in a pair of runs with a first-inning single. Jose Reyes opened the game with a single and moved to third on a single by Jose Bautista before Encarnacion cashed them in. The Rays tied it in the second inning. Joyce doubled and scored when Wil Myers followed with a two-run shot, his fifth homer of the season. Tampa Bay (23-31) entered the series on a four-game winning streak. The three straight losses have sent the Rays into the division basement. "Its been pretty much how the season has gone to this point, but were going to change it," said Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon. "All these weird awkward breaks, were just not catching them." Toronto, meanwhile, has won 14 of its last 16 games and 19 of 24 overall. Its the Blue Jays longest winning streak since an 11-gamer last June. "I think thats a pretty exciting win I think all around for the team," Gose said. "Three straight sweeps and a sweep of another A.L. East opponent in the Rays, who weve had trouble with over the last couple years. It was a huge win." Notes: Toronto has won seven straight home games and is 10 games over .500 for the first time in over five years. ... Announced attendance was 17,309 and the game took three hours 23 minutes to play. ... Toronto closer Casey Janssen was given the day off to rest after picking up his eighth save in eight opportunities the night before. Fellow reliever Sergio Santos (elbow) felt some discomfort during a throwing session and may try again Sunday, Gibbons said before the game. ... The Blue Jays will wrap up their 10-game homestand with a four-game series against the Kansas City Royals beginning Thursday night. Knuckleballer R.A. Dickey (5-4) is scheduled to start for Toronto against fellow right-hander James Shields (6-3). ... The Rays will continue their eight-game road trip with a visit to Boston. ... Loney hit a towering shot in the fourth inning that curled foul just before reaching the foul pole. After an umpire review of 90 seconds, the call stood. ... The Rays challenged the call on Lawries infield single in the fourth. A 32-second review confirmed the call. ' ' '