I’m sure you’ll remember the Raptors Amir Johnson attended the Blue Jays game on April 19th against the Yankees, to throw out the first pitch.  And the second.  And the third.

But even though things didn’t go exactly as planned, Johnson still decided to produce a video of the experience for our (unintentional) amusement:

Johnson’s throwing style appears to be better suited for on the cricket field, rather than the pitching mound.  To be fair though, I’d also be nervous throwing out the first pitch in front of 40,000 people.

And at least Johnson had the excuse of not actually being a professional baseball pitcher.  (Which is more than can be said for Brandon Morrow and Brett Cecil, who both endured nightmare outings in the 9-4 loss to the Yankees.)

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• By paul.taylor
• May 15, 2013
• Comment

Remember how before the season, sports media experts were saying the Yankees were a declining force and now was the time for the Blue Jays to take advantage? Well, it’s not exactly going to plan so far.

Yes, I realise we’re only 24 games into the season, but the Blue Jays 9-15 record has me concerned.  And after last night’s 6-4 loss to the Yankees, the Jays are now 3-8 within the AL East, including 1-4 against the allegedly fading evil empire.

Of course it might help if the (previously) highly rated pitching staff could live up to their reputations.  Hopefully the team can turn it around and remain competitive until reinforcements arrive.  Or more specifically, Jose Reyes, who posted this message on Twitter last night:

Soon? How soon?! Not to sound impatient or anything Mr. Reyes, but could you please hurry your ass up those stairs and get on with your rehab. It’s pretty embarrassing wishing you had Vernon Wells and Lyle Overbay back on the team.

Photo credit: @lamelaza_7

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• By paul.taylor
• April 27, 2013
• Comment

Ho hum. Another game and another loss for everyone’s favourite professional Canadian baseball team. The Blue Jays 5-3 loss to the Yankees also means they stay firmly rooted to the bottom of the AL East. (Or at least as firmly rooted as you can be with 139 games still to play.)

Despite the current erratic performances, one player you can count on to give 100% every game is Brett Lawrie, who had his first home run of the season last night.  And if the following photo is anything to go by, it appears Lawrie isn’t the only one currently laying it all out:

Now we could all sit here accusing Paige Brendel of rubbing our noses in it, but at least she’s still paying attention to what’s happening with her boyfriend.  As you can see, she knows enough that Lawrie had two hits against the Yankees.

Unless of course she’s ordering a couple of Martinis, in which case she is rubbing our noses in it. Brett! Control your woman!

Photo credit: @PaigeBrendel

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• By paul.taylor
• April 26, 2013
• Comment
• 6

With the Blue Jays in New York to take on the Yankees this weekend, you’d expect the players to take every opportunity to enjoy the sights, especially when it’s 17 degrees and sunny outside.  Unless you’re J.P. Arencibia.

For some reason, the Blue Jays catcher instead decided to stay indoors, after heading over to the MLB Fan Cave on 4th Street and Broadway.  I suppose you have to throw the ‘cave dwellers’ a bone and give them some outside human contact every now and then, especially when they have to watch every. single. baseball game during the season.

One cave dweller who would have been particularly thrilled to see Arencibia was April Whitzman, who hails from Toronto and is a big Blue Jays fan:

While he was there, Arencibia also took the opportunity to show his musical talents on the guitar:

I’d say a bit of “the blues” is in order for Arencibia and his teammates at the moment. And not because it’s the colour they wear.

Photo credits: @MLBFanCave & @BertsBall

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• By paul.taylor
• April 26, 2013
• Comment

I appreciate the Blue Jays Brett Lawrie is perceived as a polarising figure by players and fans alike.  However, I’m personally glad to see him back in the starting lineup.

And I’m sure the majority of Blue Jays fans feelt the same way after Lawrie played a key part in yesterday’s victory against the Yankees at the Rogers Centre.  The third baseman contributed two RBIs, as the Blue Jays came from 4-2 down to win 8-4.

Fortunately, it wasn’t only Lawrie bringing his A-game yesterday, as his girlfriend, Paige Brendel, got dressed up for a night out:

Little red never hurt ❤ twitter.com/PaigeBrendel/s…

— Paige Brendel (@PaigeBrendel) April 22, 2013

Miss Brendel may will be right about a little red never hurting.  Either way, she’s definitely a sight for sore eyes.

Photo credit: @PaigeBrendel

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• By paul.taylor
• April 22, 2013
• Comment

As you all know by now, Derek Jeter broke his ankle late Saturday night in Game 1 of the American league Championship series and will be out for the remainder of the playoffs.

Prior to Sunday’s game versus the Detroit Tigers, Jeter had participated in every single postseason game the Yankees played, going back to 1996.

Now, the Yankees are down 2-0 in their best of seven series and heading to Detroit for the next three games. Even if the Bronx Bombers have the deepest MLB roster, their heart and soul is missing, and it shows. They failed to score any runs and registered only four hits against Anibal Sanchez, who has been less than stellar this season, with a 9-13 record.

Jeter is now 38, and even if he just dominated the American League with 208 hits this season, a banged up body could slow him down in coming seasons. Luckily for him, no ligaments or mucles were affected and a fracture usually heals with no issues. But he isn’t getting any younger and is becoming more fragile.

The Yankee’s captain has played at least 150 of the 162 regular season games in eight of the last nine years. A proud athlete like him refuses to be just another player. He wants to dominate. If Jeter’s body prevents him from playing as often and at a high level in the upcoming season, it is very possible that he may decide to call it a day.

The same goes for long time closer Mariano Rivera, who deserves an award for dumbest injury of the year after hurting his leg while trying to catch a ball at the wall during batting practices, early in the season. Rivera, who has been a teammate of Jeter since 1995, is now 42 years old, and it will be very interesting to see how his body responds after having  almost an entire season off.

The Yankees are well known for signing MLB All-stars to big contracts, but for the past 16 years their core has come from their own system. We all know that you can’t buy a championship, otherwhise the Yankees would win every year. A good farm system with a good group of athletes is key to winning and the Yankees will have to go back to the roots if they want to win in the near future.

Photo credit: csmonitor.com

• By Manny Frag
• October 15, 2012
• Comment

For anyone who missed yesterday’s amusing photo of Steve Nash’s new hairstyle, here it is again:

Due to attending the Toronto FC and Argonauts training facilities this week (more on this in the coming days), together with flying overnight, I’ve not had an opportunity to prepare a decent column.  (Obviously some of you would say this is a daily occurrence anyway.)

In any event, this is my lame attempt at an apology for today’s blog, where I’ve basically decided to use Nash’s new hairstyle as an excuse to look at some other disastrous sporting dos.  Enjoy.

1) We start off with one of Toronto sports great underachievers…..Oh, hold on, there’s quite a few of them isn’t there?  I guess we better narrow it down.

Basically, it’s former Blue Jays pitcher A.J. Burnett who inexplicably decided to attempt a ‘Dennis the Menace’ haircut during his stint with the Yankees:

2) Staying with former Toronto athletes but definitely more of an overachiever rather than an underachiever, here’s Chris Bosh:

To be honest, this has nothing in particular to do with Bosh’s chosen hairstyle and everything to do with my continued sports-hate for the ex-Raptor.  Regardless, he still looks ridiculous.

3) Next, not that we ever need any excuse, but here’s the much-adored Gary Bettman, circa. 1994:

Suave, sophisticated and trendy.  None of these are words you’d associate with the above picture.  Instead, try clueless, ridiculous and smug.  (And let’s be honest, he may as well be holding his middle finger up at us all.)

4) It’s a well-known un-factual fact that virtually every black/African American man has more style than the average white male.  This includes their ability to sport afros better than, say, David Hasselhoff.

But I have to draw the line at this:

Seriously, is it Coco Crisp or Coco the Clown?

5) Further to the previous point, David Beckham is often perceived as one of the few white guys who can pull off most styles.  However, even he is susceptible to making bad decisions:

6) I thought we’d end with one of the most polarising mullets of all time.  You either love it or hate it, but I have to give kudos to Jarmoir Jagr for even attempting this:

It actually make’s Kelly Gruber’s mullet from his Blue Jays playing days almost look acceptable.

Enjoy your weekend and keep an eye out for blogs over the coming days in relation to my visit this week to the Toronto FC and Argonauts training facilities.

• By paul.taylor
• October 5, 2012
• Comment

I appreciate that none of you give a flying fadoo (copyright Bob McCown) but I will be flying overnight, hence this week’s top pictures and stories come to you a day early.

1) We start off with Steve Nash’s new hairstyle, which was debuted at the Lakers media day on Monday:

Look, I know everyone loves Nash and he does come across as one of the good guys, but can we all just agree that he looks ridiculous?  Thank you.

2) Talking of media day, the Raptors also held theirs this week:

Unless my eyes are deceiving me, DeMar DeRozan appears to have a pink scarf wrapped around his neck.  I prey this isn’t just the latest example of today’s metrosexual male.*

Whatever DeMar’s wearing, Kyle Lowry doesn’t look too impressed while Landry Fields appears to be doing his best to simply ignore it all together.

(*I long for the good old days when men used to go to the barber’s instead of hairdressers.  Guaranteed, whatever you asked for, you would come out with a short back and sides.)

3) Turning to the Blue Jays, Yunel Escobar has been doing his best to turn around the negative perception of him ever since his infamous eye black sticker incident.

(For what’s it’s worth, I still don’t believe he fully realised what he was doing.  Right or wrong, there was definitely a cultural aspect to what happened.)

Now I’m not showing you the above photo to make some cheap joke at the expense of Escobar or the gay community.  Instead, I want to make a cheap comment about how skinny that guy’s legs are to the immediate right of Escobar.  Seriously, they look like they’ve been photoshopped into the picture.

(N.B. Just to pre-empt any potential negative response, let the record state that I do in fact have gay friends.  However, it should also be noted that a woman cuts my hair and I do my own decorating.)

4) Sticking with the Blue Jays, yesterday represented the end of a disappointing season that started off with so much promise.  Not to kick a team when it’s down, but here’s a picture from the Yankees series that proves once and for all that it’s time to put natural grass in the Rogers Centre:

5) As was to be expected if he didn’t perform well, Mark Sanchez has been getting a rough ride this past week from the New York Media.  (To be fair, he doesn’t exactly have much to work with on offence.)

However, just to stifle any pity any of us may have for the guy, I now present reason number 879 why we should never feel sorry for sports athletes:

6) Actually, that last photo has made me so devoid of sympathy for Sanchez that I suddenly feel compelled to also share this photo with you:

And before you all start accusing me of just being jealous……………..you’re totally right.

7) Here’s an example of the different ways the Maple Leafs continue to maximise merchandising profits, as shared by either a loyal fan or a pyromaniac this week on Twitter:

Actually, the lighter represents an accurate reflection of what’s to come for Leafs Nation.  Whether the NHL plays games this year or not, the Maple Leafs hopes of a good season appear destined to go up in flames.

8 ) And finally, for any Raptors fan that’s fearful of another losing season, look away now:

That’s right, head coach Dwane Casey has been putting in some extra hours at a local call centre.  If he gets fired, Casey is now fully trained up and ready to persuade customers to claim back for PPI which they never took out in the first place.

• By paul.taylor
• October 4, 2012
• Comment

As a youngster, some of my most exciting days each year were whenever one of the teams I supported would release their schedule for the upcoming season.

However, when I found out MLB, and in particular the Blue Jays, had released their 2013 schedule, I had about as much enthusiasm as if someone had told me there was going to be a Bridesmaids sequel.  (I can only hope I haven’t just put the idea into someone’s head.)

So what’s changed from when I was a young whippersnapper, full of wide-eyed innocence and the joys of life? Is it the fact this season hasn’t finished yet? Or the Jays decision years ago to move into the toughest division in all of sports, just to make a few extra bucks? Maybe it’s just my gradual transformation into a miserable old git?

It’s likely a mixture of all three, but whatever it is, a quick look through the Blue Jays 2013 schedule threw up these observations:

1) The New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays will again provide a considerable blockade to any Blue Jays ambitions of making the playoffs.  As such, the news they will now be playing every divisional opponent 19 times instead of 18 must be considered…..…err, how can I put this……..a bit of a bitch.

2) As if that wasn’t enough, even if the number of games against each team hadn’t increased, the Jays still have to deal with an apparently revitalised Baltimore Orioles team.  What this basically means is that whereas heading into 2012 the Jays had 54 divisional games to worry about, they will now enter 2013 with 76 potential ball-aches.

3) The games against the Red Sox in particular could be very intriguing.  We know John Farrell will be involved; the question is which side will he be managing?

4) On a more general level, I’m guessing Bud Selig delivered his verdict to all those critics who want interleague games wiped from the schedule altogether.  With the Houston Astros moving over to the American League in 2013, this now means there will be at least one interleague game every…..…single…..…day!

I don’t know about you, but I’m already resigned to 2013 being another year without post-season baseball in Toronto.

Ah well, at least I get to sit down shortly and watch the Jays play Seattle………….Sorry, what’s that?  Ricky Romero’s on the mound tonight?!  Oh well, at least it should prepare us for next season.  Enjoy the game.

Photo credit: Brad White - Getty Images

• By paul.taylor
• September 12, 2012
• Comment

Before continuing, we’d just like to offer our congratulations to Jamie Hoffeldt, who was successful in making the final spot on the Toronto Raptors Dance Pak.  You’ll be glad to hear she’s going to do a monthly blog for us, talking about her experiences on the team.

Anyway, in case you missed it, here’s part one of our mailbag.  Now settle back for part two.

Q. Can you please settle an (imaginary) argument between me and Alan Ashby.  He recently referred to a team that was 55-45 as being ten games over .500, but I say it should be five games above.  Whose right?

Steve – Halifax

Good question. Let’s imagine the Blue Jays were currently in contention for the play-offs.  No really, don’t laugh, try it……….Okay, FINE, let’s say the New York Yankees had a record of 75-65.  Ashby (and to be fair a lot of people) would say they were ten games over .500, based on the fact the team’s won ten more games than it’s lost.

However, if 70-70 represents .500, and the Yankees have won 75, does that not make them only five games above .500?  Also, using the Washington Nationals’s current 84-52 record as an example (if only Montreal, if only………..actually, the same goes for the Blue Jays at the moment) some would argue they are 32 games over.

In order to be .500, they would have to go on a colossal 32-game losing streak.  But this would then mean the team had played 168 regular season games, which is impossible when every team ‘only’ plays 162.

Yeah, I’m with you on this one Steve, but let’s try to limit the arithmetic questions in future because me heads hurting a little bit now.  Thank you.

Q. I actually convinced myself during last week that the owners and players were going to get a new CBA agreed in time to start the NHL season on October 11, but after Friday, I’m not so sure anymore.  It’s going to be alright isn’t it?

Danielle - Brampton

Oh dear, if you’re looking for reassurance, I’m afraid you’ve come to the wrong place.  I’m the guy who once tried to compliment a female colleague about her work, by saying she was on the ball (i.e. she was extremely aware of everything that was going on around her and was focused on the task at hand) but instead came out with “you’re on the game today aren’t you?”  Not surprisingly, our relationship was never quite the same after that.

Anyway, unfortunately there’s no way I can see the season starting on time.  Bettman is obsessed with bringing the NHLPA to it’s knees again, having the audacity to say a set-up HE forced the league to shut down for in 2004-05 is no longer good enough.

And it doesn’t help that he takes things too personally, (e.g. seething about being forced to admit the owners second proposal only offered the players 46% of revenues despite originally claiming it was 50%.  Which is ironic because if anything, it’s the players, media and fans who have the right to be angry after Bettman initially decided to be economical with the truth.)

Did I mention how stubborn Bettman is as well?  Whatever agreement is eventually reached will STILL unlikely have any significant effect on helping struggling franchises in places such as Phoenix.  Gary needs to get a grip and move the team to Quebec already.

Overall, I think it’s safe to assume Gary Bettman is definitely NOT on the ball.  (Although for legal reasons I should stress I am not indicating that he’s on the game either.  Which is a shame as it would put Donald Fehr and the NHLPA in a much stronger bargaining position.)

Enjoy the rest of your day.

If you have any questions for our mailbag, send them to: [email protected]

Photo credit: Kathy Willens - Associated Press

• By paul.taylor
• September 6, 2012
• Comment