Some pre-season musings to get the site going again for before the 2004 season gets underway:
I like the new uniforms. You really can't go wrong with black as a uniform colour these days, and the more hats and jerseys the club sells, the longer we get to watch the likes of Delgado and Halladay ply their trade as Jays. It would've been nice to keep a small maple leaf somewhere, say a small silver one just above the player names, a la the NBA, but I think it's safe to assume that most people know the Jays play in Canada by now.
Congratulations to Simon Pond, the first Canadian to break camp with the Jays since Paul Quantrill and living proof that, like Reed Johnson before him, even guys too old to be prospects can hit their way to the majors.
Here's hoping that Pond uses the James Bond theme to accompany him to the plate when at SkyDome, at least for the first few games.
The Roy Halladay deal should have every Jays fan breathing a large sigh of relief. It sends the signal that the Jays will still spend money, especially to those members of the fourth estate that have given up on J.P. Ricciardi as a cost-cutter. It should also make Toronto a more attractive option for free agents. Oh yeah, and it means the best starting pitcher in the AL will be in Toronto for several more years. True, it's always inherently risky to give a pitcher a big-money long term contract, but considering Halladay's youth, health and history, he's a better risk than most.
Cudos to the team for lowering the price of upper deck seats in a quest to draw at least 2 million fans. I would take it one step further and reduce all those 500-level seats between the foul poles and the Jumbotron to $1. Call it the "Looney Bin" and encourage fans to make noise and generally act nuts. It could spike attendance and improve the Dome's atmosphere.
I know the Alex Rodrigues trade was seen in many corners as a sign of everything that's wrong with baseball, but I think it's great. First, it had people talking about baseball before spring training had even begun. It also cements the Yankees as the greatest villains in the game, almost effortlessly going out and trading for the game's best player after their arch-rivals had failed to work out such a deal. Great villains are a key to great drama, and there will be no better drama in baseball than the A.L. East this season. The race should generate a lot of interest, and that's good for baseball.
Finally, the deal doesn't really make the Yankees that much better. They still have a huge hole in the infield, it's just on the right side instead of the left. Add to that the fact that every error Derek Jeter makes is sure to spark questions of whether or not A-Rod should be at shortstop, and this trade could trigger some dissension in the Big Apple, which is great news for Jays fans.
Is A-Rod the first reigning Gold Glover to switch to a different position the following season?
While we're on the subject of dissension, Boston might not be the happiest place on Earth after waiving Manny Ramirez and rather publicly trying to replace Nomar Garciaparra. If the Sox don't get off to a good start, this team could also turn into something of a soap opera.
Look for Justin Miller to replace Josh Towers as the Jays 5th starter no later than mid-season. Towers is too homer prone, and it's unlikely that he'll keep up his insane walk rate of a year ago.
Here's hoping that Alexis Rios is the real thing, because as much as I like Reed Johnson, he really has no business playing right field everyday for a team that fancies itself a contender. Hopefully, he can keep up the Shannon Stewart impersonation until Rios is ready for the show.
Does anyone actually believe that the Enrique Wilson will spend the entire season as the Yankees starting second basemen? Anyone? Does Enrique believe it? Roberto Alomar is signed to a one year deal in Arizona, and if he can bounce back from his hitting woes of the past two seasons, look for him in pinstripes by August.
Doc Halladay versus the Detroit Tigers: this may be the best chance to see a no-hitter on Opening Day in quite a while.
