Blue Jays Minor League Review – Young Stars on Rise
As many of you are aware, mainly because I keep banging on about it, three weeks of sampling basically as much English beer (i.e. San Miguel and Stella) as possible meant my ability to write about baseball was curtailed. Doesn’t mean I wasn’t doing my research though. In fact, during a forced shopping trip with […]
Blue Jays Minor League Review – The Rock
I told this story on the most recent edition of the YourVancCs podcast but for those that missed it, here it is again, in brief. After meeting the current edition of the C’s this past Monday I was jumping into my car when I noticed a very recognizable ex-Expo, carrying a far too large Blue […]
YourVanC’s Weekly – Episode 20!! For Real This Time
After some extended, sometimes heated, negoatiotions with Greg ‘Podcast Killah’ Balloch, we finally got the band back together and hit the studio for the long-awaited 20th show edition of the YourVanCs Podcast. Of course, for readers of this site, that may be a bit of a letdown as I advertised the last edition as the […]
Blue Jays Minor League Review – Movers, Makers, Surprisers
After focusing my last minor league review piece on the pitching side of the ledger, specifically four arms, I promised to use this platform to talk hitting. Something I was quite excited about, since, well, for the first time in awhile there are a few hitters in the Jays system to be excited about. Before […]
Blue Jays Minor League Review – Hoffman Week
Because I believe everything that legendary Jays broadcaster Buck Martinez says, I’m officially coining the term Hoffman Week as Toronto’s 2014 first round pick is *supposed* to be activated Wednesday and assigned to Dunedin. (as part of my usual routine now, to cover up dated opening paragraphs, I’m lazily inserting a note rather than re-writing […]
Blue Jays Minor League Update – First Few Weeks
I wish someone would draw a hard and fast line in the sand as to when small sample sizes end and we can start reading far too much into what 20 year old kids are managing in the lower echelons of minor league baseball. With most of the Jays affiliates almost 20 games deep into […]
Notes From Blue Jays Minor League Camp – Part Three
There’s going to be a lot of firsts for the younger Blue Jays over the next weeks/months. First trip to Montreal, where I really hope Miguel Castro tried poutine. A lot of it. First opportunity to play in Yankee stadium (although not for Dan Norris as Buck Martinez found out during yesterday’s interview): Opening day […]
Notes From Blue Jays Minor League Camp – Part Two
Yesterday I focused on the pitching, especially as it pertained to who could end up in Lansing, when writing up the notes I took after speaking to a Jays minor league coach. Â Today it’s about the hitters. Â Well, two in particular. Let’s hearken back to my (still yet to be completed) Jays top prospect list, […]
Toronto Blue Jays Top Prospects: Mid Tier Love Part 2
I have had to re-position my goals somewhat when it comes to this list. Originally, I hoped to get it done prior to the Vancouver Canadians luncheon. That was a long time ago. Now the hope is that everything is tied up sometime in mid March. I’m sure we’ll wait with baited breath. I’d also […]
YourVanCs “Weekly” – Episode 13
I had hoped to get this podcast up in between the playoff doubleheader yesterday but a couple of friends came over, a few beers were sunk, and here we are. One late podcast and one mild hangover. This week, Greg and I took time away from our Thanksgiving turkeys (in fact, Greg was shovelling a […]
YourVanCs “Weekly” – Episode 12
I braved Vancouver traffic to join Greg in studio for another episode of the only podcast dedicated to the Vancouver Canadians. This week Greg and I give a primer on some of the off-season prospect/winter leagues that are getting started, including the Blue Jays farmhands who are now underway for the Mesa Solar Sox in […]
Fall League? You Want to Talk About Fall League??!
Well, since the Blue Jays haven’t made the playoffs in many people’s lifetime then ya, let’s talk Arizona Fall League. For those of us (i.e. me) who are eternal optimists, the Jays future looks rosy and two potential pieces of that future will be suiting up for the Mesa Solar Sox over the next six […]
Notes From Toronto Blue Jays Extended Spring Training
It’s been awhile since I’ve been able to dig up any dirt from Blue Jays extended spring training. Seems my source has met himself a nice young lady down there in Dunedin which leaves precious little time to speak to ol’ Charlie. Plus, and this was covered during the mechanics piece, extended is an absolute grind, and […]
Blitzing Anthony Alford
Toronto Blue Jays 2012 third round pick and aspiring safety for Ole Miss University, Anthony Alford, finished his schooling for the year and arrived in Florida Sunday. What follows is anyone’s guess, including, I’d surmise, the Jays themselves. They’ll need to see what kind of shape Alford is in, how he reacts to everyday baseball activities, […]
Quick Thoughts on Vancouver Canadians Luncheon
The Vancouver Canadians hosted their fourth annual hotstove luncheon yesterday in support of their baseball foundation, and judging by the giant checks being passed around, business is booming. Prior to the main event though, there was a press conference for us media types. Although I think the two handsome ladies who were running it thought […]
C’s do Two Steps Forward, One Back Routine
After showing signs of life by winning the last two games against Salem-Keizer to take the five game series, Vancouver headed out for their penultimate road trip of the season and laid a frog’s egg. A 10-2 soaking by the Everett Aqua-Sox saw the C’s fall back out of the North division lead after only […]
C’s do the First Half Shuffle
After falling just short of the first half flag, the Vancouver Canadians were obviously very excited to get the second half going. Monday’s finale against Eugene was done in an hour and fifty-six minutes. I couldn’t believe it, was doing some writing, looked up and the ushers were cleaning up. That’s a fast game. The […]
Introducing The Ghost: Matt Hitt
Regular readers of this blog (hi Mom) are aware that I have a predilection for both stats and spreadsheets. When it comes to baseball stats, there are two websites that are essential when covering any baseball, but are especially helpful with minor league information. Baseball Reference and Fangraphs are my writing bibles. Which is why […]
Anthony Alford a Vancouver Canadian?
In the never-ending quest to predict the Vancouver Canadians opening day roster prior to…..Opening Day, some interesting bits of intelligence are starting to filter over the airwaves. The MLB draft takes place from the 6th through 8th of June which will provide a chunk of the roster. As we get closer to the draft, the […]
