Archive for the ‘Toronto Blue Jays’ Category

The Blue Jays and Their Fans Grapple with Supply and Demand

Posted by Drew Fairservice under Toronto Blue Jays on Feb 21, 2013

the hands of he who remains the best

These are heady times for the Toronto Blue Jays. Less than one week ago, the Jays sold out their home opener in under an hour. Realistically speaking, tickets were sold long in advance of the February 15th single-game sales opportunity to season ticket and package holders, but the facts are the facts: the first game of the year, featuring the newest Blue Jays R.A. Dickey, was a hot commodity.

Selling out Opening Day is one thing, running into angry mobs of fans who desperately want to give you their money is another, altogether new thing, for the Toronto Blue Jays. Such was the state of affairs when the Blue Jays offered their “Ballpark Passes” for 2013. The ballpark pass entitles the pass holder to a ticket in the 500 level (aka the bleeders) for 80 home games (all but Opening Day, naturally) for a very, very low price.

Demand for the season pass was tremendous, resulting in some brief heartache for fans. The deluge of bargain seekers overwhelmed the online infrastructure, causing delays and a few disappointed fans. Most fans I corresponded with noted the headaches were minimal and, after a few struggles and a significant exception, got their passes after a little diligence and a lot of patience.

Increased demand for a baseball team is good for business. The Blue Jays report (unofficially) that ticket sales are up across all segments: season tickets, multi-game packages big and small, ballpark passes, the full assortment. A far cry from where the team stood just five months ago.

Read the rest of this entry »

26 Comments

Blue Jays Sign Secret Weapon Mark DeRosa

Posted by Drew Fairservice under Toronto Blue Jays, Trades And Signings on Jan 22, 2013

Showcasing his best remaining MLB skill

Mark DeRosa was, once, a very good baseball player. Mark DeRosa contributed greatly to a 97 win team during his final season with the Chicago Cubs, in 2008. Then he was traded to the Cleveland Indians where he was decidedly less good and decidedly more hurt. Then has traded again, this time to the St. Louis Cardinals. They, too, were a good team, even though DeRosa was not especially good during his time in St. Louis.

Mark DeRosa then joined the 2010 San Francsico Giants where he barely played. But the team was good! The Giants won the World Series thanks in no way to Mark DeRosa, who got to do a bunch of hanging around but very little actual playing after early May. But he was there and then they won. One more injury-shortened year in San Fran before he joined the Washington Nationals on a cheap, one-year deal.

Once again, DeRosa barely played but the Nats were great, reaching the playoffs for the first time in “franchise” history.

The team release announcing the Blue Jays signing of Mark DeRosa to a one-year, $750000 MAJOR LEAGUE contract now makes so much sense. Mark DeRosa has a role in baseball at this point of his career – Mark DeRosa is the mascot to the stars.

Read the rest of this entry »

36 Comments

Flip Flop Fly Ball: The Toronto Blue Jays Draft History

Posted by Craig Robinson under Flip Flop Fly Ball, Toronto Blue Jays on Jan 16, 2013

Ed. Note: The Rule 4 amateur draft is one of the most important days of the baseball year. Making the right selection on draft day reverberates throughout an organization, just as whiffing on a pick keeps general managers and scouting directors up at night.

Drafting is important but isn’t the be all, end all. The Toronto Blue Jays have a decent draft record over the past two decades. The team has, at times, been decent. That’s it. How did it happen? Craig Robinson dig into the Blue Jays drafting with the latest Flip Flop Fly Ball infographic.

Read the rest of this entry »

14 Comments

The Getting Blanked A-Z Guide To R.A. Dickey

Posted by Dustin Parkes under Getting Blanked Guides, New York Mets, R.A. Dickey, Toronto Blue Jays on Dec 18, 2012

After much speculation and negotiation, the Toronto Blue Jays have acquired R.A. Dickey from the New York Mets as part of a seven-player trade that sends the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner to Toronto along with catcher Josh Thole and Minor League catcher Mike Nickeas in exchange for highly touted catching prospect Travis d’Arnaud, the system’s top pitching prospect in Noah Syndergaard, veteran catcher John Buck and outfield prospect Wilmer Becerra.

Only in a world where fantasy baseball trades, video game franchise modes and prospect rankings are given more credence than they’re due could this trade be viewed in a negative light. It’s a good deal for both teams. The swap shores up a New York Mets organization that hopes to build around a young pitching rotation with the proven talent of the recently locked up David Wright. Meanwhile the Toronto Blue Jays further establish their newly found status as the best team in the American League East – at a time when the rest of the division appears wobbled by age and inconsistency – by acquiring a pitcher whose $5 million salary in 2013 likely makes him the greatest value-add possible for a rotation.

Dickey’s contributions go beyond the benefits of exceptional talent at a below-market price. He’s a unique player, a unique person, who offers a multitude of qualities underneath his jersey. He isn’t easily encompassed or grasped. However, here for your enjoyment and edification is an attempt to do just that: The Getting Blanked A-Z Guide To R.A. Dickey.

Read the rest of this entry »

31 Comments

The Next Domino Falls as Dickey, Jays Agree to Two-Year Extension

Posted by Drew Fairservice under R.A. Dickey, Toronto Blue Jays on Dec 17, 2012

Get your Dickey fix! After Richard Griffin cryptically reported that negotiations between R.A. Dickey’s representation and the Toronto Blue Jays “ended successfully at an affordable rate” comes a Ken Rosenthal report that there is indeed a deal in place.

Read the rest of this entry »

47 Comments

Dickey to Toronto Starting to Get Real

Posted by Drew Fairservice under New York Mets, R.A. Dickey, Toronto Blue Jays on Dec 15, 2012

The rumors swirled all night and day (as lovingly curated by your heroes Andrew Stoeten and Archi Zuber) but now, at 10:00 PM on Saturday, comes the first example of a national writer/trade hound naming names. After Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports was among the first to include Travis d’Arnaud’s name among those leaving Toronto in exchange for National League Cy Young award winner R.A. Dickey.

What I can only assume was grueling 24 hours passes and Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweets the structure of a trade between the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Mets. Nothing official but one source did confirm that flags do indeed fly forever. The deal looks like this:

Read the rest of this entry »

52 Comments

Dickey Talks Raised to Half Mast

Posted by Drew Fairservice under New York Mets, R.A. Dickey, Toronto Blue Jays on Dec 14, 2012

Image courtesy of oh my god I'm so sorry

Jon Heyman of CBS Sports was among the chorus of baseball insiders today who took hold of a flaccid news cycle and vigorously agitated the R.A. Dickey talks. Seems the Mets front office is wary of getting shafted by the defending Cy Young award winner’s contract demands and, rather than suffering the indignity of a free agent year walk of shame, will explore their trade options with multiple partners.

The back and forth between club and pitcher took an unexpected public turn over the last few weeks, pitting a ownership group of white collar criminals against a populist hero in a battle of words and squabble over what seems like the matter of a few million dollars.

Any trade talk is likely premature but it is important fans of the rumored teams don’t blow their oops I’ve gone too far.

Read the rest of this entry »

19 Comments
« Older Entries
Newer Entries »