Opening Weekend Links April 6, 2014

In Honor of Burly's Gem: The Pitcher (tune of The Walker by Fitz and the Tantrums)

Ooh, slow's what they think about me
Ain't gonna stop cause they tell me so
Cause 81 miles per hour baby,
Is how fast that I like to throw.

Can't keep up with my rhythm
Though they keep trying.
Too quick for the batters to swing.
I pitch to the sound of my own drum,
It goes, they go, we go, hey yeah yeah yeah

GAME RECAPS

Homers from Cabrera and Bautista back strong start from Dickey as Jays beat Yankees - The Globe and Mail
Dickey (1-1) pitched a gem of the game but Toronto’s lack of offence meant the game was balanced on a knife’s edge until late homers from Cabrera and Bautista

Toronto Blue Jays’ R.A. Dickey rebounds with a gem against the New York Yankees | National Post
On Opening Day, R.A. Dickey gave up six runs and six walks and lacked optimal velocity on his knuckleball. He took the loss and he took it hard.

Yankees blanked by Dickey, Blue Jays 4-0 | New York Post
Confusion smothered the Yankees’ clubhouse late Saturday afternoon regarding the latest replay scenario.

JAYS LINKS

The Blue Jay Hunter: The Top 5 Best & Worst Toronto Blue Jays Uniforms
What's in a uniform? Simply put ... everything. Everything a team stands for can be found within every stitch and thread of its uniform. So it's not surprising why baseball uniforms are serious business. After all, a club's image rides on it.

Gregg Zaun isn’t afraid of ruffling a few feathers - The Globe and Mail
As a Sportsnet studio analyst for Toronto Blue Jay broadcasts, Gregg Zaun is known for his sharp suits and sharper tongue.

Five reasons to give the Blue Jays a chance this year - The Globe and Mail
It's opening day in Toronto and the Jays prepare to greet the hometown crowd, fans hope the 2014 team erases last year's disappointment

Blue Jays’ brass playing moneyball, Toronto-style | National Post
Ladies and gentlemen, your 2014 Toronto Blue Jays. The home opener in this town is usually a savage sort of ceremony, filled with too many people who are out of control, whether the mayor is in the building or not.

Mark Buehrle’s Perfect Imperfect Game | FanGraphs Baseball
Armed with his usual stuff, Buehrle struck out 11 of 30 Tampa Bay batters. He was a fastball away from completing a shutout, and Buehrle himself was taken by surprise by what he was able to do.

The Blue Jay Hunter: Flashback Friday: Alex Rodriguez Yells "Mine"
Alex Rodriguez has done some pretty deplorable things over the course of his career; some of them off the field, some of them on the field ... but this one ranks up there.

Hum and Chuck: 159 More: Buehrle and Bautista
So, 159 more games like the one Wednesday night, am I right?

MLB LINKS

Identify Can’t-Miss Prospects Using This One Weird Trick | FanGraphs Baseball
While not exhaustive, the exercise in question seemed to indicate that those prospects who had been recognized either for their ability to hit for average or their plate discipline had produced markedly better numbers at the major leagues than those prospects who were recognized for their power, speed, or athleticism.

Dodgers bench Yasiel Puig after he arrives late for home opener - The Globe and Mail
Yasiel Puig was scratched from the starting lineup after arriving late for the Los Angeles Dodgers’ home opener on Friday.

Worst Intentional Walk Attempt Ever Becomes Walk-Off Home Run
Auburn lost to Ole Miss on a walk-off home run in the 13th inning Friday night on a pitch that was supposed to be the first of four intentional balls. Unfortunately, Auburn's Jay Wade threw an unintentional meatball down the middle of the plate and Ole Miss won 8-5.

Pirates fan catches foul ball with bucket full of popcorn | Big League Stew - Yahoo Sports
From Yahoo Sports: The new MLB season isn't even a week old — at least here in North America — which means it's very, very early.

Giancarlo Stanton crushes mammoth 484-foot home run at Marlins Park | Big League Stew - Yahoo Sports
Giancarlo Stanton plate appearances became must-see events the day he first put on a Miami Marlins uniform. Nothing about that has changed four years later, but perhaps Stanton just wanted to make sure we were all still paying attention Friday night when he unloaded on a helpless first-inning pitch from San Diego Padres left-hander Eric Stults.

TODAY IN BELL RINGING HISTORY

Baseball History April 6th - National Pastime - Baseball History
1973 On Opening Day at Three Rivers Stadium in front of record crowd of 51,695, the Pirates retire Roberto Clemente's uniform number 21 posthumously. The Pittsburgh right fielder died in a plane crash on New Year's Eve attempting to bring relief aid to earthquake-stricken Managua, Nicaragua.

1988 The Blue Jays’ reluctant designated hitter, George Bell, follows up his three home run Opening Day performance going 5-for-5 (three singles and two doubles) leading Toronto over the Royals, 11-4. Considered a defensive liability, last year’s American League MVP will return to left field full time.