toronto blue jays history
toronto blue jays history
Fans will be scooping up Blue Jays tickets to see what may be the sleeper team of the American league’s Eastern Division. The 2006 Toronto Blue Jays enter the campaign as one of the most vastly improved clubs in all of baseball. With the relocation of the Montreal Expos to Washington D.C. last year, the Blue Jays are now the only remaining Major League team playing outside of the United States. They also hold the distinction of being the only team north of the border to win the World Series, a feat made even more distinctive because they did it two years in a row in 1992 and 1993, with 1993 being their last appearance in the post-season.
Fans attending home games at Rogers Centre, formerly known as Skydome, will be awestruck by the wealth of talent that general manager J.P. Ricciardi and manager John Gibbons plan to put on the field. Hard hitting centerfielder Vernon Wells returns, as does right fielder Reed Johnson, middle infielders Russ Adams at shortstop, and Aaron Hill at second base. But it’s the money spent by Ricciardi that really bolstered the Blue Jays lineup. In a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers, they picked up quality first baseman Lyle Overbay. That was followed by a deal with the Arizona Diamonbacks that saw third baseman Troy Glaus packing his impressive 2005 stats which included 37 homeruns and 97 runs batted in and moving from the desert to the chilly Canadian north.
The team also brought in veteran catcher, Bengie Molina from the Los Angeles Angel of Anaheim to handle the pitching staff. And what a pitching staff it is. Right-handed ace and 2003 Cy Young Award winner, Roy Halladay had to be shut down in mid-season last year after being hit in the shin by a line drive off the bat of Texas Rangers, Kevin Mench. Big things are expected from Halladay with he returns this year. Meanwhile Ricciardi dug deep into his pocketbook to make sure he solidified not just the starting rotation but the Blue Jay bullpen as well. The first blockbuster deal was made when he signed former Baltimore Orioles closer B.J. Ryan to the biggest contract ever for a relief pitcher, $47 million over five years. The team then went on to pull off a second coup by getting the much sought after Florida Marlin’s starter A.J. Burnett for a price tag of $55 million. Returning Blue Jays, Gustavo Chacin, Ted Lilly and Josh Towers will fill the remaining spots in the five-man rotation.
All these acquisitions have given the Blue Jays a depth few other teams possess. Shea Hillenbrand, can now be used as a designated hitter, while Eric Hinske, Frank Catalanotto, and Greg Zaun will combine to give the team a solid bench.
Since playing beneath the dome at Rogers Centre makes the cold, Canadian days and nights a non-issue. Toronto ticket holders can take comfort in the fact that the Blue Jays are prepared to play winning baseball once again.
