Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Some Blue Jays fans just don't get it.

You're at the game, and the home team is destroying the Tigers. Everyone is having fun, and then you have to be a goon and chuck stuff onto the field. Come on, what are you doing? Really?

That thought entered my mind quite a few times last night when the Jays were up big in the 8th inning and the game was delayed for nearly 10 minutes because fans started heaving beer cups, batteries, golf balls, baseballs, you name it, in the direction of the Tigers players...

The P.A. Announcer (who took a long time to address the crowd) eventually informed everyone at the Rogers Centre if this behaviour continued it would spell a forfeiture of the game for Toronto. And yet a few fans were still tossing debris onto the field. Those fans aren't true fans. They're just dumb...

Another ridiculous thing you see constantly at Jays games are people on their cell phones talking to someone a few sections down, waving frantically to get their attention! What's the deal with that? Do you realize how ridiculous you look? I don't even understand the point in doing it, because it's never as if their "friends" move to sit beside them. Mainly they distract other fans and look like a fool in the process...

And don't even get me started on how much i LOATHE the "wave" at sporting events...

Travis Snider is the real deal!

Believe the hype! Travis Snider will be a force patrolling Left Field for the Blue Jays for many years to come. In 4 stops in the Jays organizational ladder last season, Snider had 25 HR's, 104 RBI in 157 games, including 10 RBI in 22 games with the big club...

Snider followed up a torrid spring raking at a .381 clip with 4 HR's, 10 RBI, by smacking two extra base hits in the opener last night including his first home run of the campaign. As mentioned in a previous post, there is absolutely no way Toronto will continue to have him hit at the bottom of the order if Snider is such a force. Both Adam Lind and Snider will be right in the middle of that lineup, which, if everyone remains healthy, could be fairly potent...

A bonus to Snider's game is his underrated defense. He is an upgrade over Lind in left, and he manages to get to most balls hit his way, and has a pretty good arm. For being a stocky guy, he's able to cover more of the field that would seem to be the case...

There is only one potential road block in Snider's ascent to stardom is his penchant for striking out. Snider struck out quite a lot in AA, and in the brief time in AAA, he did so as well. Obviously, if he piles up the power numbers that he's been doing since being selected with the 14th pick in the 2006 draft, it won't be too much of an issue. However, there is a possibility he might go in prolonged slumps. Then again, for a 21 year old rookie, you can't expect too much...can you??

Adam Lind leads Blue Jays offensive onslaught!

What a big statement the Blue Jays made on opening day. Their expected weakness swinging the bats was proven wrong, if only for one contest. Every Blue Jay had at least one hit, pasting Tigers ace Justin Verlander for 8 earned runs in just 3.2 innings of work...

Adam Lind led the charge with 4 hits including a three-run home run, and set a Jays opening day record with six runs driven in. Manager Cito Gaston gave Lind a lot of responsibility hitting fifth behind Vernon Wells, and he didn't disappoint. Lind also drove in a pair with an RBI single in the 1st & plated an additional add-on run in the 8th with a base rap. Since being drafted in the 3rd round out of South Alabama in 2004, Lind has showed this kind of promise on more than one occasion. It's hard to believe that after a rough beginning in '08 which led to his demotion to AAA, Lind thought his major league career could have been over...

Vernon Wells didn't look like he had been suffering any ill effects from his wrist & hamstring injuries that caused him to only suit up for 11 games in the spring. Lyle Overbay, moved down to seven in the order due to a poor showing in the grapefruit league, also swung the bat well, driving in two in the first inning...

If it seems that I've missed someone, I've done it intentionally. Travis Snider is so good he deserves his own post, coming up...

HUGE Blue Jays victory!

What a phenomenal opening day victory for the Jays. There are so many positives to take from the 12-5 drubbing of the Tigers...

Adam Lind set a franchise record with 6 RBI on opening day...

Rookie of the Year candidate Travis Snider had a double & a solo home run...

Every Blue Jay had at least one hit...

Even when Roy Halladay let a few pitches get away from him (which led to a pair of homers, and nearly two more), he still managed to mow down Detroit...

The best bullpen in baseball in '08 continued its fine form...

The only embarrassment were the actions of a few fans causing a delay in the game by throwing objects onto the field...

More on this game, and what to expect going forward tomorrow!