Hi everyone. There's still plenty of snow on the ground and my friends and family back in NY just got hammered with the white stuff, but today in DC sure feels like Spring is just around the corner. Certainly, Spring Training is.
A few notes from Jays' camp, all courtesy of the tireless fellow marathoner Jordian Bastian:
- Cito Gaston seems to like Joey Gathright and his chances of making the Jays. Asked what he has to do to make the team, Cito said "Just go out and play." With a different manager that could be seen as somewhat cryptic or a non-answer, but coming from Cito to me it sounds like Gathright has a bit of a step up. Maybe not, though.
- Randy Ruiz isn't the only one to impress the Jays with a new 2010 physique. Jays' first-round pick Chad Jenkins has reportedly showed up to camp having shed 25 pounds and has apparently looked fantastic on the mound so far. Jenkins would ordinarily be slated to start at Lansing this season but assistant GM Tony LaCava thinks that the big righty has a chance to stay in Dunedin with a strong spring. I have to admit, I like Jenkins quite a bit. I think, coupled with a Jays organization that seems to value infield defense, he could be an effective starter for a long time.
- Finally, Travis Snider is going to experiment this spring with a different swing. Specifically, he'll try lowering his hands, which Moonraker says "[s]implifies the load." Apparently the Jays have been trying to get Snider to try this since last season, but he was understandably reluctant to make mid-season adjustments in his swing.
Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend so far. I've got a few depositions coming up next week so I'll be working, unfortunately, but I did get a great run in this morning. Today's title comes from the song "Edmonton" by the Rural Alberta Advantage.