Opening night was quite successful for the Toronto Blue Jays this year. It usually is, although a win over Boston in such a contest was unknown until tonight. Now the Jays are 1-2 against Boston in Toronto home openers. So it was the usual unusual start the team was looking for.
Peering below, you'll find that I'm a big fan of Tim Wakefield and not such a big fan of Shaun Marcum. Nothing against Marcum, but I thought he was lucky last year. Tonight, he was unlucky. He hung a single bad pitch and ended up giving up three runs in a single JD Drew stroke. Would his lucky streak from last year end prematurely? Nope. Sitting in the dugout, done for the night, his team rallied for the winning runs. Casey Stengel got it right, it's better to be lucky then good. On the other hand, Marcum was both tonight.
My other dire forecast victim for the season is Frank Thomas. And he got the key hit tonight. I'm not looking good right now.
The Jays wore their powder blues tonight. Toronto Blue Jays SHOULD be wearing Toronto double blue with red trim (see Maple Leaf flag, see Canada's ONLY team). Until the Jays shuck the ugly uni's with the loathsome logo and the black and silver trim, the team will NOT make the playoffs. I'm sick and tired of teams catering to hip-hop non-baseball fans with their black and silver Raider rip-offs. Toronto wears blue. And Toronto should have red trim. And the team should be sporting a Maple Leaf prominently. End of fashion segment.
The Jays signed Alex Rios and Aaron Hill to long-term contracts today. Good.
The Jays added Paul Beeston and the Human Rainstorm, Roberto Alomar, to the Ring of Excellence. Or whatever it's called. Good for Beeston. Had he been still running the club, operating with a nine-figure budget, we would have had another couple of championships since we last hoisted the World Series Trophy back in 1993. He'd have hired a good GM and kept the family atmosphere with this team intact.
As for Alomar, who spat at an umpire and then blamed it all on the ump's dead kid the next day (long after the heat of the moment had passed), I regret seeing his name up there. Undoubtedly the most talented player ever to wear Jay blues, he also pulled a Carter and quit on the team in an effort to usher his way out of town. That's the way I remember him.
Marco Scutaro leads the American League in stolen bases. A TORONTO Blue Jay leads the league in stolen bases. Either statement before the season would have been legal cause for internment in Bedlam.
Four Blue Jay starters have all turned in quality starts. There's a trend there.
Finally, a word about the most impressive Blue Jay of the past week. Brian Tallet has been dominating in his two appearances. If this continues, then the Jays probably have the best bullpen in the league. There's going to some nervousness over Accardo and eventually Ryan, but starters going six plus and having Tallet bridging to the final pair makes for a LOT of confidence.
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