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So ends the Jays season. It wasn't awful when compared to the last two, but it didn't feel like a success as we got a taste of playoff contention which evaporated in August like Juan Fransisco's contact rate. Enough of the summary and onto the links:
JAYS LINKS
The Blue Jay Hunter: GIFS: Jose Bautista Toys with Yankees Fans in Right Field
GIFS of Jose Bautista faking out some fans in right field at Yankee Stadium with a souvenir baseball.
The Blue Jay Hunter: GIFS: Mark Buehrle Celebrates His 200 Inning Milestone
GIFS of Mark Buehrle celebrating 14 consecutive seasons of 200 plus innings.
The Blue Jay Hunter: Flashback Friday: The Blue Jays Drive of '85
Looking back at the Toronto Blue Jays historic "Drive of '85" where they celebrated their first playoff berth in franchise history.
Adam Lind pokes the beast by question Blue Jays decision-making process - Jays Journal - A Toronto Blue Jays Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More
Adam Lind is choosing a poor time in ripping into the Blue Jays front office about decisions involving Marcus Stroman, Colby Rasmus, and more
Toronto Blue Jays: Dalton Pompey, Prospect or Major Leaguer? (Video)
Since his call up, Dalton Pompey has excited Toronto Blue Jays fans with speed, hitting, and a big smile. Is Pompey ready to take over full-time in the OF?
Toronto Blue Jays’ Daniel Norris down after final outing: ‘It’s obvious my stuff’s not really there’ | National Post
Daniel Norris earned a September promotion to the Toronto Blue Jays. Then he hit a wall
Toronto Blue Jays’ Kevin Pillar shows his speed and savvy with safe slide at home plate: ‘It happened real quick’ | National Post
At first blush, Kevin Pillar’s dash looked risky indeed
Lugnuts and Blue Jays Partnership Extended Through 2016 - Jays Journal - A Toronto Blue Jays Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More
Toronto Blue Jays and the Lansing Lugnuts have agreed to extend their player development contract for an additional two-years, which will take them to 2016
MLB LINKS
Paul Konerko Made A Thank-You Video For White Sox Fans
Paul Konerko is retiring, by the way. The 38-year-old made a sweet video thanking White Sox fans for their love over his 16 seasons in Chicago.
How To Call A Team's Bluff On Stadium Subsidies
Today, the Angels walked away from negotiations on a deal to renovate Angel Stadium, all because the city did something every city ought to do when its sports team comes looking for handouts: Anaheim did its homework.
Mets Writer Notes Team Hasn't Balked All Year; Mets Immediately Balk
This is just beautiful:
Yasiel Puig Uses His Mouth To Open Two Beers At The Same Damn Time
At the same damn time?
New Baseball Cards Visualize Advanced Stats
The image above comes from a new line of sabermetric-inspired baseball cards. According to SportTechie, the cards are a partnership between Bloomberg Sports and Topps. The cards feature home run spray charts for hitters and strikeout pitch location for pitchers.
We Now Go Live To Hunter Pence's Dirty, Dirty Mouth
CSN Bay Area brought San Francisco fans the breadth of celebration live from the Giants' clubhouse tonight as they claimed a spot in the postseason. Part of that coverage was an extremely foul-mouthed, and unbleeped, speech by Hunter Pence. (Seriously NSFW)
Kansas City Royals leave Blue Jays with baseball’s longest playoff drought | Toronto Star
With the Royals clinching wild-card berth and thus ending their 29-year playoff drought, the Jays' 21-year drought is now the longest in baseball.
CBS Radio Producer Gets All Emotional About Derek Jeter
Before Derek Jeter's emotional last game at Yankee Stadium, CBS Sports radio host Damon Amendolara brought his Yankees-fan producer, Shaun Morash, on the air to talk about Jeter's impending retirement. The tears came pretty quickly. (To be fair, Shaun cries at the drop of a hat...)
The Physics of the Pop-Up – The Hardball Times
It’s late in the game, and your team is finally showing some signs of life. The tying runs are in scoring position with two down, and that brash young rookie is coming up to the plate. For the first time in weeks, the home crowd is buzzing with anticipation. From the mound comes the high heat, and that stupid rookie can’t resist the excitement of the moment. He swings and pops it up. The air gets sucked out of the building in the time it takes the ball to gently land in the shortstop’s mitt. Now that the game is over and you have nothing better to do, let’s look at the physics of that infernal pop-up.
The History of Baseball Shrunk to 24 Hours – The Hardball Times
It is funny where ideas for articles come from sometimes. When I saw the link for Alex Remington’s recent Hardball Times article, “The History of Baseball In One Day,” my first thought was that Remington had compressed baseball’s history into one 24-hour period to plot out at what times different important events would have occurred on that scale.
TODAY IN MOCKING BEANTOWN WRITERS HISTORY
Baseball History - September 28th - National Pastime - Baseball History
1982 Although the Twins stake Terry Felton to a 3-0 lead in the night cap of a twin bill, the Blue Jays tie the score knocking out the hard-luck pitcher from his last major league game. The no-decision leaves the 24-year old right hander with a lifetime mark of 0-16, a major league record for most career losses without recording a victory.
1982 At Toronto's Exhibition Stadium, right hander Jim Clancy is perfect until he faces Randy Bush leading off the ninth inning. The Twins designated hitter ruins the bid for perfection with a broken-bat single to right field, and the Blue Jays starter has to settle for a one-hitter, beating Minnesota, 3-0.
1997 Toronto's Jerkface Clemens goes 8.1 innings against his former team, but doesn't get a decision when the Blue Jays score two runs in the bottom of the ninth and beat Boston in a 3-2 come-from-behind victory. The right-hander will finish the season with a 21-7 record, the best winning percentage for a starting pitcher on a team that will finish last.
2011 Ozzie Guillen, who signed a four-year, $10 million deal with Florida, is introduced before the season's finale as the club's new manager, replacing 80-year old interim Jack McKeon. The outspoken former White Sox skipper is expected, in addition to bringing a better product on the field, to help spark enthusiasm for the team as they start a new era playing in a new ballpark as the Miami Marlins.
2011 With a Tampa Bay loss all but assured, the Red Sox, appearing to need just a win to advance to the ALDS or to Tampa Bay for a one-game playoff if they lose, become optimistic about their chances for a playoff spot with their 3-2 lead over Baltimore, and the Rays trailing New York, 7-0. Boston will drop a 4-3 walk-off decision when the Birds score two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning, and moments later will see their season come to a crushing end when Evan Longoria hits a solo homer in the bottom of the 12th inning, giving the Rays an unbelievable comeback victory and the AL Wild card.