Spring GameThread: Jay @ Yankees

The Blue Jays make the drive to Tampa, and the rather nice George M. Steinbrenner Field. When I was there a couple dressed as Marilyn Monroe and Joe Dimaggio were posting for pictures with people and somewhere I have a picture standing by Marilyn Monroe. I also went to Soup Plantation for the first and only time in my life. There was a blogger back then that said they had the best tomato soup of anywhere. I was underwhelmed by the soup.

Anyway today’s lineup:

That’s a surprising number of regulars making the rather long bus trip.

We get our first look at Alek Manoah this spring. I’d imagine he’s pitched in minor league spring games.

In ‘old friend’ news, Tyler Clippard signed a minor league contract with the Nationals. He spent seven seasons with them, putting up a 2.68 ERA in 414 games.

Sportsnet has a story up on the upgrades coming to Rogers Centre. I guess coming to the lower bowl of Rogers Centre:

The club envisions completing around 30 percent of the work next off-season, and the final 70 percent in the winter of 2023-24. The club isn’t planning to change the dimensions or situation of Rogers Centre’s playing surface, with the renovation’s largest and most noticeable impact coming to the stadium’s lower bowl, which will be completely replaced. Rogers Centre’s exterior will remain mostly untouched.

It also continues the story about how the team has lost hundreds of millions of dollars over the last few years. I’m doubting that.

And that the renovations will give the team ‘15 years’ to consider a new park.