Friday bantering: Charlie in charge

So the Blue Jays finally named their new manager...

Taking over from John Gibbons will be Rays bench coach Charlie Montoyo aka ‘Choo Choo’; all aboard the new manager hype train everyone!

Montoyo agreed to a three-year contract with a club option for the 2022 season.

Montoyo won seven International League South Division titles and two Governors’ Cup championships (2009, 2013) with Durham. He also worked with the Puerto Rican team at the 2009 World Baseball Classic.

A second baseman who was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in 1987, Montoyo spent 10 seasons in the minors.

His only major league experience was a four-game stint with the Montreal Expos in 1993. I’m sure that makes him a Canadian citizen by default.

All the information, tweets and videos on him and his appointment can be found in the stream here. There is lots to like about him (and his family).

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At the same time, another former Ray and candidate for Jays manager, Rocco Baldelli became new manager of the Twins:

This is what Rays manager Kevin Cash had to say about both men:

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In other feel good news of the day:

This is Smoak’s first nomination for a Gold Glove award. Marcus Stroman became the tenth Jays player to win a Gold Glove last year, the first Toronto player to be honoured since pticher R.A. Dickey in 2013. Outfielder Vernon Wells was the last Jays position player to win such an award in 2006, while second baseman Orlando Hudson was the most recent infielder to get a nod. A win would make Smoak the first first baseman in club history to receive the honour.

Justin is up against tough competition in the form of Mitch Moreland of the Red Sox and Matt Olson of the A’s. Information on all of the finalists can be found here.

Lets just say the candidates for shortstop and centre field this year are pretty impressive; good luck choosing between them.

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And in Milwaukee, Brewers hitting coach and former Jay, Darnell Coles has resigned after an erratic year. Coles informed the team of his desire to seek other opportunities after four years as Milwaukee’s hitting coach.

Coles oversaw a group that finished fourth in the National League with a combined .747 OPS this season but struggled with situational hitting, especially during the NLCS.

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In Arizona Fall League action Vladimir Guerrero Jr. extended his fall hitting streak to 10 games and raised his average to .463 with a 2-for-4 performance, including a double, walk and run as the Surprise Saguaros cranked out 14 hits and 8 runs against the Glendale Desert Dogs.

However....The Dogs took this very personally and in reply amassed 24 hits and 21 runs. 6 of the runs came in the first and 11 in the 9th.

We will not say any more about this game.

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Despite what you may have heard, the starting pitcher is not dead.

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And though we all loathe the Red Sox, its hard not to like Mookie Betts. Not only a great ballplayer but a lovely human being.

Game 2 of the World Series on Wednesday night featured some cold weather, with game-time temperatures in the 40s and the night only growing colder in the hours after the Red Sox won, 4-2.

That provided the context for a truly wonderful gesture from Boston outfielder Mookie Betts ... a gesture that might have gone unrecognized were it not for former Red Sox player and current WEEI host Lou Merloni:

And to top it off, he can also bowl a perfect 300!

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And to end, here are 10 great baseball Halloween costumes you can make at home.

Happy Friday everyone! Oh and Lets Go Dodgers....