They are preseason rankings. Sorry I forgot to mention that ...

I posted them so they can be compared to later in the season ... when you can ask that same question lol.

 

I'm SUCH a bad parent! Keeping the kids home from school today and heading to Citi Field (wearing my "I still call it Shea" t-shirt) for the home opener.

At least they're learning about priorities!

 

My dad took me and my brother to the "homecoming welcome rally" for the Calgary Stampeders (our professional football team) in 1971 after they won the Grey Cup (our version of the Super Bowl) because the last time they won it was in 1948. He wrote us a note for school the next day saying "please excuse my son from school ... it won't happen for another 23 years" lol.

I bought a minority share of the team some years later and still own part of the team today. That was my lesson in "priorities".

Maybe there is a chance of your kids doing something similar ...

 

Friday April 01, 2016
Can you actually grow grass inside the Rogers Centre?
This weekend, the Toronto Blue Jays will begin another season's quest to reach the World Series.

But for several years, they've also been on another quest: trying to figure out how to get rid of the artificial turf at the Rogers Centre and replace it with real grass.

Currently, there is only one other stadium in Major League Baseball that has artificial turf: Tropicana Field in Tampa, where the Jays will start their season on Sunday.

The Jays have taken the first step towards transforming their stadium. It now features an all-dirt infield, which players say makes balls bounce more predictably.

But real grass remains the holy grail.

Eric Lyons, an associate professor of turf grass science at the University of Guelph has been commissioned by the Blue Jays to study whether it's possible to grow real grass at the stadium.

Lyons says the biggest issue when it comes to growing real grass at the Rogers Centre is humidity. "It can be a dealbreaker. We don't know how much humidity these grasses will create in the giant stadium," he tells Day 6 host Brent Bambury.


Toronto Blue Jays Jose Bautista flips his bat after hitting a three-run homer during seventh inning game 5 American League Division Series. (THE CANADIAN PRESS)

Then there's the issue of natural light. "If they could open the roof up, it's actually a very good stadium for growing grass," he says, noting that the amount of sunshine it gets -- with the roof open -- is ideal. So is airflow, he adds.

"But when the roof is closed, these things are no longer provided. They're going to be at 100 per cent artificial light. And there isn't a stadium in the world that's working in that way," Lyons says.

Working in labs funded by the Canadian and European space agencies -- with the ultimate goal of growing plants extra-terrestrially, Lyons is excited about working on the project. He got interested in the subject while playing college football on artificial turf in a domed stadium.

Asked directly whether there will ever be real grass at the Rogers Centre, he's circumspect.

"I don't know. It's not about the grass. It's about the building. We have the technology, it's just never been engineered because there's never been a stadium that needed it."
http://www.cbc.ca/radio/day6/episod...grow-grass-inside-the-rogers-centre-1.3515036

 

It will be a bittersweet moment when the Jays and Red Sox play their first meeting since Price didn't re-sign with the Jays ... fuck him, we have Stroman who will do just fine. Cool story about Marcus, at first he didn't want to come to Toronto but now calls it "the best city in the world" and genuinely does want to be here now.

Toronto Blue Jays’ Marcus Stroman was planning on being No. 1 with or without him, Boston Red Sox’s David Price says

Toronto's Marcus Stroman wants to be the top dog. “I remember last year he was like, ‘(Even) if you sign back (in Toronto), I’m going to lead this staff,” said a smiling David Price, inside the Boston Red Sox clubhouse at Montreal Olympic Stadium on Friday afternoon.

MONTREAL — David Price has a funny story about his former Toronto Blue Jays teammate Marcus Stroman.

A story that speaks of Stroman’s confidence and, for Price, his young friend’s extreme likability.

Toronto Blue Jays’ one-time long shots savouring the moment: ‘It’s all pretty surreal’
“I remember last year he was like, ‘(Even) if you sign back (in Toronto), I’m going to lead this staff,” said a smiling Price, inside the Boston Red Sox clubhouse at Montreal Olympic Stadium on Friday afternoon. “(He said) ‘I want to throw that ball on opening day.’ And that’s good to hear, he wants to not only be ‘The Guy’ on the Blue Jays, he wants to be the ‘The Guy’ in the American League or in all of baseball. That’s a good quality to have.”

Price, of course, did not sign with Toronto in the off-season, instead opting to pen a seven-year, $217 million contract with the Red Sox and now the talk around Major League baseball is that the Jays need Stroman to replace Price as Toronto’s ace — a ridiculous amount of pressure for a 24-year-old who’s really only pitched one full season in the Majors. Still, Price thinks Stroman can handle it, and more than that, thrive under the pressure.

 

Friday finals and scores:

 

Late starts:

 

Report: Cubs' Schwarber has ACL, LCL tears


Kyle Schwarber is carted off the field , Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Kyle Schwarber's season is over almost before it even began. The 23-year-old Chicago Cubs left fielder incurred a torn anterior cruciate ligament and lateral collateral ligament on Thursday night during a collision with Dexter Fowler during the team's 14-6 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks, according to ESPN Chicago's Jesse Rogers. He is out for the season

 

Stroman quickly fell in love with Toronto
TORONTO - On the same day he took the mound for the Blue Jays' home opener, pitcher Marcus Stroman delivered a love letter to Toronto.

In a story penned for The Players Tribune website, the 24-year-old right-hander calls Toronto a baseball city, hockey city, music city, fashion city and food city.

"And across all these industries, everybody shows love," Stroman wrote. "The Leafs show love to the Blue Jays. Drake and the other artists show love to us and the Raps. Nobody's trying to dominate the city. They just rep The 6ix. And if you also rep The 6ix, they got your back.

"Nothin' but love. That's why Toronto is my favourite city."

Stroman, who was born in Medford, N.Y., admitted he was upset at being drafted by the Blue Jays.

"I didn't want to go to Canada. I didn't know anything about Toronto. All I knew was that it wasn't New York, where I'm from. It wasn't Duke. It was Canada. It was a different country. But like I said, to understand Toronto, you have to really experience Toronto. You have to be there.

"When I got called up in 2014, that's when I got to truly experience Toronto, and I learned that it's such a hip and trendy city — very up on the times. Perfect for a young guy like me. It's a small city in the sense that it's not overwhelming. I live right downtown, so I'm a five-minute walk from the Rogers Centre or a Raps game or a Leafs game. I'm 10 minutes from the sickest restaurants in the city.

"I just fell in love."

Stroman also predicts another banner year for the Jays.

"We're just going to do everything in our power to go out there and get a win every day. We're going to have fun with it. We're going to let our personality show. We're going to let our emotions show. ... That’s why I think we’re as good as we are. That’s why I think we can do something special."

Toronto GM Ross Atkins said Stroman's sentiments were from the heart.

"He's an authentic person," he said prior to the game.

Jays president and CEO Mark Shapiro, who came on board last November after 24 years in Cleveland's organization, called Toronto "special and unique" but said he was still learning about the city.

"What he's writing about, from what I understand, is exactly why for me a decision to come here was easy, even after being one place for so long."

 

Nationals put CF Revere on DL

Ben Revere, The Canadian Press

ATLANTA - Washington Nationals centre fielder Ben Revere was placed on the disabled list on Wednesday after playing less than one full game for his new team.

The Nationals put Revere on the 15-day DL with a strained right oblique and recalled outfielder Matt den Dekker from Triple-A Syracuse before facing the Atlanta Braves.

Revere was scheduled for a MRI in Washington on Thursday.

The recovery period for an oblique injury can last longer than two weeks.

Manager Dusty Baker didn't offer a guess on the severity of Revere's injury, other than to say "It didn't appear that he was going to be able to play within a week."

Revere felt discomfort while swinging at a pitch Monday, when Washington beat Atlanta 4-3 in 10 innings. He started in centre and led off on opening day but left the game after four innings, replaced by Michael A. Taylor.

Baker said he knew Revere was disappointed to land on the DL so early in his time with the team.

"I feel bad," Baker said. "I can see it all over his face."

Baker said after Monday's game he thought Revere was OK. Instead, the pain persisted and even became more severe following an off day on Tuesday.

"We thought that it wasn't as serious as it appeared, but he was more sore today than he was yesterday, even though he came in for treatment and stuff," Baker said, adding he didn't want to face a week or longer without a full roster.

"We just didn't think we could go short for a long period of time," he said.

Den Dekker was optioned to Syracuse as one of the Nationals' final cuts of spring training.

Taylor took Revere's spot in centre field and as the leadoff hitter in Wednesday night's starting lineup.

The Nationals acquired Revere in a January trade that sent reliever Drew Storen to Toronto.

 

Here is a link to all players currently on the DL list or day to day:
http://www.tsn.ca/mlb/injuries

 

Typical start for a Chicago team!! All because professional baseball players didn't call the ball! When I grew up playing, that was baseball 101!!

 

You make a very good point and these occurrences are becoming far to commonplace.

Maybe they could use you on the outfield coaching staff lol.

PS ... Irish girls aren't only smart, they are hot as well. Love Ireland.

*scampers off hoping that is what it says on that nice ass*

 

More Friday finals:

So much for the Jays good start ... 3 straight loses.

 

What a heartbreaking loss for the Cubbies. Have them picked to win it all. May have to rethink that now.

 

I wouldn't panic just yet. They are pretty deep in outfield talent on their farm teams. They are odds on favorites right now ... and they are going to need it if they want to meet the Blue Jays in the World Series, lol. Sorry I couldn't help myself ...

The pitching rotation can pitch away from left field hits til someone gets his bearings in that spot.

 

You don't need to tell me about their depth, I make a living on this stuff. Soler's gonna get a chance to play now, plus maybe a chance for prospects like Billy McKinney or Albert Almora.

 

Yet you felt the need to mention that you "may have to rethink that" ...

There is no "I" in team and if one pins all their hope on one player, they are in for a rude awakening.

 

You never know how prospects are gonna work out for sure. I mean yeah they've got great depth, but there's only 1 Kyle Schwarber.

 

More Friday finals: