1BJW Interview: RHP Jacob Waguespack

Waguespack in 2016, image- Jay Floyd

Hello, Jays fans.  It's been a long time...I shouldn't have left you...without a dope post to step to.  Think of how many weak blogs you've slept through.  Time's up.  Sorry I've kept you.

It's Jay and I'm back on 1BJW with an exclusive interview.  This time around, I talked with righty hurler Jacob Waguespack about how he kept the rust off during the Coronavirus hiatus, his time with the Blue Jays to date and more.

The 26-year-old was acquired in a deal at the 2018 trading deadline that sent Aaron Loup to the Phillies.

Last year "Wagz" made his big league debut for Toronto, posting a 5-5 record with a 4.38 ERA, a .249 batting average against along with a 7.3 K/9 mark.  He was off to a strong start during the spring exhibition season this year, prior to the sport being halted.  In five appearances, Waguespack did not allow an earned run.

Read ahead for the full interview...

-Can you share some feedback on your strong efforts this spring before the pandemic hiatus and can you still come back with momentum following the long break?

Overall, I think we as team created a good vibe in the clubhouse so we as team were feeling good coming out of spring, and I think that'll be the same this time around.

-How were you staying in shape and keeping the rust off during the hiatus? Who were you able to work with, if anyone?

Luckily, my next door neighbor is a catcher at my old high school, and him and I would throw, work out, do bullpens, etcetera. His name is Payton.

-That sounds awesome. What did it mean to him to be able to catch bullpens with a big leaguer? Or have you guys known one another so long that he doesn't see you that way?

We actually are recent neighbors so it hasn't been too long. But he's a pretty even keel guy, so it was normal from the start.

-Does throwing with a young guy like that bring back any of that younger, hungrier mindset for you?

Nah, it more so just made me appreciate the journey because I could see myself in him.

-How did you spend your down time during the break? Where you watching TV, playing games?

I watched a few shows like most did, and played video games as well. Enjoyed cutting my grass a lot.

-Has there been anyone in the Jays systems that's been a big help to you or that you've learned a lot from so far?

Not anyone in particular, but the Jays as a whole have incredible people in the organization who've helped me a good bit.

-Your MLB rookie card is out in this year's Topps Series 1 collection. Is that a big deal to you and your family and have you gotten any of them?

I have a couple that were given to me. My family and I were pretty excited about it. Something you dream of as a kid.

-What do you like most about Toronto?

Toronto is a big city with some of the nicest people. There's a good feel to it.

-Playing for the Blue Jays now, have you become a full-fledged Toronto sports fan, rooting for the Leafs and the Raptors as well?

I was pretty fired up when the Raptors won it all. The city of Toronto was buzzing big time. I'll definitely root for those teams.

-With the shortened season, do you think it can be more any team's year as opposed to the longer, more traditional season?

I think it'll provide some opportunities to a lot of teams. Like most, I think the short season is a sprint and any team can have success.

Can The Blue Jays Make An Orioles-Like Run In 2013?

Fans of the Blue Jays are well aware of the AL East Division they have to deal with on a yearly basis. The Yankees and Red Sox are bad enough, but the past few years the Tampa Bay Rays have done it with young talent. Now, in 2012, the Orioles are battling the Yankees for the AL East crown, while also keeping an eye on their Wild Card lead just to get into the playoffs.

Is the AL East now tougher than ever? Possibly, but when you step back and look at things, there is no reason not to think that the Blue Jays could make a similar surprise run next season. The extra Wild Card slot certainly helps, but it’s not like the Blue Jays don’t have talent on their roster and in their system.

The first step to a successful run next season is to make a decision one way or another on John Farrell. Reports are that the Red Sox want him as their next manager. The Blue Jays have him signed to a contract. The team needs to make a decision early in the off-season to either give him up (with some sort of compensation) or hold on to him.

As far as players are concerned, the Blue Jays do not have to be major players in the free agent market, but one thing they do need is better starting pitching. Ricky Romero was supposed to emerge as an ace, but instead he’s struggled all season. Same goes for Henderson Alvarez. All of their other promising pitchers were sidelined by injuries. It would help to go out and get a veteran or two who can be dependable for a full workload. They don’t have to be aces, they just need to give the bullpen a rest.

Speaking of injuries, it’s hard to look at the Blue Jays this season and not feel badly for them. This team has talent when healthy. Brandon Morrow and Kyle Drabek are still young enough to emerge as potential aces, but they have to be on the mound to do that. As far as the offense is concerned, any time Brett Lawrie and Jose Bautista spend a huge chunk of time on the disabled list, you know you are in for some struggles.

Last season, the Orioles won all of 69 games. The Blue Jays will most likely finish with more than that. It seems improbable to make a huge turnaround in just one season, but it can be done. The Red Sox will be down next season, the Rays will most likely end up losing some key free agents and people are still not completely sold on the Orioles. Yes, the Yankees will always be the Yankees, but with a few subtle off-season moves and a clean bill of health for their stars, the Blue Jays could return to the postseason and be the surprise story of 2013.

FanDuel.com has provided this guest article, check them out if you play fantasy baseball leagues for daily fantasy baseball action.

1BJW Interview: RHP Sam Dyson

News dropped on Wednesday night that 24-year-old righty hurler Sam Dyson would be promoted to Toronto's big league roster.

After missing 2011 following elbow surgery, Dyson, a 4th round draft selection out of the University of South Carolina in 2010, began this season with Class A Advanced Dunedin and earned a promotion to Double-A New Hampshire.

In 21 games this season combined at the two levels, the 6-foot-2-inch 205-pounder who sports a mid-90's fastball, posted a 2-0 record with 3 saves and a 2.56 ERA.

Last month I spoke with Sam about his recovery & rehab, his success this season, New Hampshire and plenty more. Read ahead to check out that interview.


-You certainly had a solid start to your pro career this year. What do you attribute to such great success?

I just try to get ahead in the count and make my pitches no matter what the count is as well. Pretty much just staying healthy and getting out there, every opportunity I have.


-You began the season with Dunedin as a starter, then moved up to New Hampshire, where you were moved to the bullpen. Do you have a preference for either role? And was it a more difficult or an easier switch than you have expected?

I think pitching in Dunedin was a little easier routine wise. Being on a five-day schedule, you know when you have to work out and you can have a little more time for your arm to recover, 'cause here, you might have an idea of when you're throwing, (or) you might not have an idea. It's a completely different routine, throwing before the game and having to sit down for a couple hours. That's just the main difference.


-I wanted to get some thoughts from you on your surgery and the recovery process overall.

I had Tommy John Surgery in October, 2010. The usual recovery time is, like, 12-16 months, or something like that. Mine took a little longer. I wasn't going to play last year anyway. I was down in Dunedin. I stayed there all off-season. I live in Tampa, so it was a 40-minute drive, so it wasn't too bad. I drove over there every day and rehabbed with the Blue Jays training staff.


-Were there any real setbacks, or did everything go as expected?

I think everybody has setbacks along the way, whether it's early on or, you know, once they get out here in the games. Sometimes you've got to break a little scar tissue up and stuff like that. I think mine happened at 11 months. I was right before Instructs, so they shut me down for, like, two months and then I started throwing again and that led into spring training and thank God I'm out here playing.


-Coming off being drafted that year, you had to be super excited to be selected by Toronto. Did the down time with the injury take away from that and did it make you hungrier?

I mean, it makes you hungrier whenever you're not out there playing because you definitely want to get out there. You just try to work as hard as you can, whether you're injured or whether you're not injured. I think when you're injured, you kind of see things from a different light just because everyone else is out there working their butt off and you want to do more and more and more to get out there sooner.


-And we mentioned you joining the New Hampshire club here after some time in the Florida State League this year...do you have anything thoughts on New Hampshire, the facilities, the community there?

The community is nice. It seems like it's always raining up there. We haven't had too many sunny days. And the complex is very nice. It seems like a college atmosphere. Not night-life wise, just the fans. There's a bunch of fans, like four or five thousand people every night. It's a great place to play!


-If you had the opportunity to give advice to young players that might wish to play baseball in college or in the pro's, what advice would you give?

I would say- Believe in yourself and work as hard as you can, whenever you have to opportunity to. And do the right things on and off the field and things will work out for you.

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Evan Crawford Lookalikes?

After meeting lefty hurler Evan Crawford and getting to photograph him a bit a couple weeks back on a New Hampshire Fisher Cats road stop in Trenton, NJ, I began to notice some similarities between the man that would become a Blue Jay, and a pair of celebrities. Check out the imagery below and let us know what you think.

Above, we see Crawford side-by-side with actor Bradley Cooper, star of the classic film The Midnight Meat Train and other things too probably.

Also, we can check out Crawford beside pro wrestling champion Chris Sabin, who we presume you've likely never heard of.

Tell us your thoughts. If you have other Blue Jays or baseball lookalikes, let us know about those as well.
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Blue Jays Acquire Francisco From Phils

The following piece appeared today on PhoulBallz.com, a Phillies site run by 1BJW's own Jay Floyd.


The man known to Philadelphia faithful as “Benny Fresh” is heading north of the border, as the Phillies have dealt outfielder Ben Francisco to the Toronto Blue Jays for minor league left-handed pitcher Frank Gailey.

Francisco, was acquired by Philadelphia in a July, 2009 trade that initially brought star hurler Cliff Lee to town in exchange for four prospects.

In his time with the Phillies, Francisco batted .260 with 16 HR and 61 RBI in 225 regular season games played. The 30-year-old is likely best known for his homerun in game 3 of the 2011 division series against St. Louis that locked down a win for Philadelphia. In 17 career postseason games, the California native has tallied a .105 batting average.

Gailey, a 26-year-old lefty, was born in Philadelphia and attended West Chester University. In 2011, Gailey split time between Class A Advance Dunedin and Double A New Hampshire. In the Florida State League, Gailey was strong, going 4-2 with a 1.84 ERA and a .168 batting average against in 26 relief outings, earning himself a promotion to the Eastern League. Gailey wasn’t as sharp with the Fisher Cats, as he sported a 1-4 record, a 5.70 ERA and a .286 batting average against in 19 games.

Originally a 23rd round draft choice by the Blue Jays in 2007, Gailey has posted a 2.45 ERA overall in his 5 professional seasons.

The 5-foot-9-inch 190-pounder has never pitched above the Double-A level. He projects to be developmental depth, much the way veteran minor league relievers Justin Friend and Les Walrond were at multiple levels of the organization last season.
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Image- Philly.com

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Blue Jays Fair to Middlin’ Ways Continue

It is hard to believe now but there was a time for a glorious decade from the mid-1980’s through the 1994 strike and season cancellation when the Toronto Blue Jays were a dynasty that consistently beat the MLB odds and would play before packed sellout crowds at what was then known as the Sky Dome. Things have simply not been the same since that work stoppage, as fans turned away from the Blue Jays and baseball in droves and the team has been unable to keep up with the Jonses, or make that the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox.

The Blue Jays broke even with the MLB odds this year as they were 81-81 but 16 games out of first place. This has been the pattern of the Blue Jays in recent years, as they will often give fans a hint or tease at success only to then fall back as a small market type of team that actually plays in Canada’s largest market and a market with plenty of funds.

Pitching was the biggest reason for Toronto’s problems this year, as they ranked 24th in the major leagues for staff earned run average and 21st in quality starts. The poor performance by the pitching staff wasted a solid offensive season that saw the Blue Jays ranked a surprising 6th for runs scored and 5th in home runs. It is interesting to note the lack of a home field advantage for the Blue Jays as they won 39 games on the road compared to just 42 at home. Much of this has to do with the antiseptic sterile environment of Rogers Centre and a town that is obsessed with hockey’s Maple Leafs.

The bullpen blew a staggering 25 saves and lacks a quality starter at the 4th and 5th slots. Filling those slots will be the priority of the management staff in the off season. There is considerable depth in the Jays' developmental system and they expect to develop their own rising talent to fill other needs on their own.

The anchor of the team is, of course, Jose Bautista, who hit .302 with a whopping 43 home runs and 103 RBI, in 2011. Another Toronto mainstay is Yunel Escobar, who hit .290 and scored 77 runs with an ailing elbow down the stretch, but is expected to be healed when spring training begins.

With division rival Tampa Bay winning on a shoe string budget, there are simply no more excuses for teams like Toronto and 2012 will be a pivotal season.

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Stewart Focused on Return to Majors

TRENTON, NJ- It was a quick cup of coffee with the Toronto Blue Jays for Zach Stewart, but after being reassigned to the Double A New Hampshire Fisher Cats on Tuesday, he's had a taste of the good stuff and wants more.

Originally selected in the 3rd round of the 2008 draft by Cincinnati, Stewart was acquired in a trade that sent Scott Rolen to the Reds in 2009. Since then, as one of Toronto's top pitching prospects, the Texas native has posted a 12-6 record and a 3.86 ERA in 49 games in the Blue Jays developmental system.

In his Major League debut on June 16th, Stewart held the Baltimore Orioles to 7 hits and 2 earned runs in 7 innings pitched, while striking out 4 and walking 1 batter.

The length of Stewart's stay with the Blue Jays was clearly brief, but his time spent in the home city of the Blue Jays was blink-and-you-missed-it short. The 24-year-old's arrival to Toronto, his first Major League start and the team's departure for a road trip all occurred within about a 24 hour period, so Stewart didn't get to particularly become familiar with the city he hopes to call home for a long time.

"I had never been there before. It was my first trip there. I got (to the Rogers Centre) at 6:30 for a 7 o'clock game, then went to the hotel to sleep and get ready for my start the next day. And as soon as (my) game was over, we left and went (on the road), so I really didn't get to see much of Toronto," Stewart explained in an exclusive interview.

However, the Toronto fans left Stewart feeling quite welcome and he describes the day as a dream come true.

"It was definitely good to throw at home and have that atmosphere (for my Major League debut)," Stewart said. "It was awesome. It was a great experience and everything I hoped it would have been."

Five days later, against the Braves, the 6-foot-2-inch 205-pounder struggled, allowing 5 earned runs and 10 hits in 3 2/3 innings. Knowing that the games at the MLB level carry more weight, Stewart asserts that his mental approach, to try to bounce back following the poor start, was the same he has used in the minors. He stuck to what has worked for him throughout his professional career and wiped his slate clean to come back out for his third start.

"At that level it's more magnified, but I didn't take (my outing against the Braves) to heart, or anything. There's bound to be bad starts, or bad breaks, so I just tried to let it go, keep my mental focus and forget about it.

"I'm not going to change my approach. I feel like I have a good manner of preparation that I take into every game. So, I'm not going to change it just because I went to the big leagues," Stewart said.

The righty hurler came back strong this past Monday at Detroit. In 6 innings against the Tigers, Stewart allowed 9 hits and let up just 2 earned runs, while striking out 4 and walking 1.

Unquestionably, Stewart enjoyed his time at the highest level of baseball. He credits the entire Blue Jays club with immediately making him feel like part of the team, which is great for a youngster that is asked to jump up two levels in order to help a team that has had shaky pitching this year.

"Everybody, from the manager to the players to the trainers and everyone, treated me well," Stewart stated. "No one made me feel like I was out of my element or uncomfortable. It was was a great experience all around. I was happy with my time there."

But while Stewart is able to reflect on his brief stint in the Majors with some pleasure, the move back to the Fisher Cats roster has left him dissatisfied, with a full focus on getting back in a Toronto uniform.

In a sense, (having been there) does make me more hungry, so now that I did have a taste of it, I want to get back."
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Got Zach Stewart? We Do!

Hey, there Blue Jays fan! Perhaps you know about the Major League debut of 24-year-old right-hander Zach Stewart. And maybe you are aware that 1BlueJaysWay.com is a solid source for Zach Stewart content. Well, if no one has congratulated you and/or told you that you are wonderful and gorgeous today, allow me to...

Thanks for stopping by the site and checking out 1BlueJaysWay.com's excellent Zach Stewart content, you fine little ray of sunshine that lights up our day.

Firstly, check out our interview with Zach from last season by clicking HERE....then, listen to our interview with Zach from a couple weekends back by clicking HERE....then, be sure to check out the media player below to enjoy some new bullpen footage of Zach that was shot by us along with an exclusive quote where Zach answers a question about whether or not he pondered being promoted to the big leagues during his most recent starts with the Double A New Hampshire Fisher Cats.

Enjoy. We hope you like us as much as we like you.

Brand New Season, Brand New Jays

The following entry is a guest post by Ontario resident Craig Ballard. You can read more from Craig on his blog by clicking here.

The 2011 season for YOUR TORONTO BLUE JAYS is here. The time for optimism is now, I understand that. All MLB fans have their favorite teams tied for 1st place in their division, and as a back-up tied for the Wild Card too. For some that optimism/euphoria/excitement will end just as quickly as Jim Halpert's tenure as Manager for Dunder-Mifflin. For others, there will be an unexpected lightning-in-a-bottle season. And for some remaining squads, it will be a season of organizational development. Where do the 2011 Jays look like they will be?

Personally, I see it as a season for development. I mentioned before that I understand the excitement about this time of year, but if you are someone who thinks the Jays will make the playoffs in 2011 then we are just not on the same page. We can surely enjoy the season together, but we have clashing points of view.

I would inquire, "If 2011 was targeted as the year to start making your playoff runs (yes, runs - plural) then why trade Doc? Why trade Marcum? Why let Scott Downs, John Buck, Lyle Overbay go? To a lesser extent why let Kevin Gregg go as well?" Some may say why trade the offensive production Vernon Wells would have given you too? I personally would say that getting out from underneath Wells' contract was a win under any circumstances.

For me the word of 2011 Toronto Blue Jays is Development. But, questions are bountiful. I am watching to see how 23-year-old Kyle Drabek will develop in his first full MLB season. Will Brett Cecil continue to progress? Cecil took a good chunk off of his rookie season ERA in year #2, but a high hits total, and a brutal spring have me in wait-and-see mode for Cecil's 2011 and beyond. Will Brandon Morrow develop the arm strength and stamina to not have to end 2012 early like '10 and '11 (Morrow will be shut down at about 185 innings this season)? Will Morrow build a solid rapport with rookie catcher J.P. Arencibia? Jose Molina is the personal catcher for Morrow currently, but as Arencibia is the catcher of the future, ideally the team and its fans should want those two to develop their chemistry/rhythm as a battery. Will Adam Lind develop into a legit first baseman in terms of production? Will Travis Snider show the skill he has and get his MLB career going?!?!

The Snider inquiry is a big one. I am sure I am not the only one, but I have not given up on Snider. MEGA potential, but at 23 this .248 career hitter has to get it going soon. He has 19 career HR's and he surely needs more than that this season alone (and going forward).

All of the players mentioned will be asked to be major contributors to this organization in 2012 and beyond so as fans we are hoping for their development.

Truly, I believe that AA will have the Jays in perennial playoff contention from 2013 going forward, but if guys use 2011 to accelerate their development then we may see something special as soon as 2012 (as The ENVY say "fingers crossed").

Another story that may unfold a tad in 2011 is what will the double-play duo look like for the Jays after this season? Will it be the current duo of YEScobar and Aaron Hill? Will it be Adeiny Hechavarria and Hill? Will it be YEScobar and Brett Lawrie? Will it be Hechavarria and Lawrie? What about Alfredo Griffin and Damaso Garcia? If you get rebound seasons from YEScobar and/or Hill I think either one of them could become easy trade bate.

Actually, I feel that way about the entire roster (except perhaps Jose Bautista, due to his recent contract). We have seen that AA wants to have young, high-upside players, with controllable contracts. He has brought Drabek, Lawrie, Anthony Gose, Morrow, and YEScobar into the organization. He traded Marcum and SS Alex Gonzalez when they had their most value. I think AA will make a trade(s) this season that will be along those lines. Selling high to get a return asset that is young, high-upside, controllable contract, looks to be AA's modus operandi.

Of course, speaking of development, we will watch rookie manager John Farrell and his progression, especially his influence on this young pitching staff.

Any way you slice it, the stat of the season for the 2011 Jays is that this is the 23rd season for the Jays in the SkyDome/Rogers Centre. Is it just me or did that shock you too? Does not seem like 23 years to me. Time surely flies.

Go Jays, Go...

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You can follow Craig Ballard on Twitter by clicking HERE.

Blue Jays’ Odds for Success in 2011

With a record of 85-77 in 2010, the Toronto Blue Jays would have contended in any division in baseball except the one in which they play. The AL East, perhaps the most competitive division in MLB’s history, produces the type of talent—save the poor Orioles—GM's salivate over.

While the Yankees and Red Sox are big-market, big-spending, big-producing clubs, even middle tier clubs like Tampa Bay hone their talents by playing against giants and eventually step up to challenge the throne. So, only four games back of the Sox last year, and a stretch of bad luck away from competing for at least the Wild Card, what are the Jays’ odds to get over the hump next season?

The Blue Jays have been building to compete against their division; by doing this, of course, they subsequently become a pain in the backside for every other team on their schedule. Finishing up 10-8 against the Yankees, Toronto made great strides and are only looking to improve going forward.

Right now, the Blue Jays are looking at around 40:1 to make the playoffs and 50:1 to get to the World Series, according to most sports books and internet casinos out there. Boston and New York, conversely, are 5:1 and 13:2 – worlds apart on paper, no doubt.

But Toronto hasn’t been asleep at the wheel. While most of the AL East has been improving (the Rays almost completely rebooted), the Blue Jays attacked the off-season like they meant business, dumping an aging and underperforming Vernon Wells to clear up $86 million. This leaves a lot of possibilities open moving forward.

Kyle Drabek, the center of the Roy Halladay trade in 2009, is primed to make his mark on the league this season. Frank Francisco has joined the club to be a major contributor out of the bullpen. And last year's MLB homerun leader Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion, and newcomer Juan Rivera are all primed to have big years swinging the bats.

Realistically, Toronto is only going to improve, putting their odds a little better than the 50:1 they’re pulling now. If Tampa Bay drops off at all, which they’re bound to now that they’ve dismantled the team, the door is open for the Blue Jays to move up a rung.

This leaves the powerhouse teams – Boston and New York. These teams deliver a huge hurdle, but Boston finished third last year with no guarantee they’ll be better, despite some serious additions to their roster. In addition Toronto was able to best New York often enough last year, meaning the Blue Jays certainly have enough confidence to thump the Evil Empire going forward.

Now, we’re not predicting a first-place AL East finish for Toronto next season. If we wanted to take a gamble that big, we’d at least try some blackjack online – at least it may pay off. But we’re also not sleeping on the Blue Jays. We predict a solid 94-68, good enough for a Wild Card berth.

Where it goes from there, well, we’ll just have to wait and see. Bring on baseball!

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Travis d'Arnaud Talks to 1BJW

Blue Jays catching prospect Travis d'Arnaud was in Toronto recently to take part in team activities. It was d'Arnaud's first taste of Major League life north of the border. d'Arnaud, who will turn 22 years old next month, was acquired last off-season in the trade that sent Roy Halladay to Philadelphia. Injured for much of the 2010 season, d'Arnaud has been working hard to get healthy during the Autumn and Winter months.

We reached out to Travis last week for some quotes about his off-season. His thoughts on the team event and where his training and rehab work stands lies ahead. Check it out.


The format of the event in Toronto was pretty much like any day at the field. We had to show up around 7:30 am and breakfast was there for us. Each day from 9-10 was meetings from all of the front office staff for the Blue Jays. Then from 10-1 was a strength and conditioning program where we stretched, threw, ran and then worked out. After that we had lunch and attended more meetings from 1-2. After 2 we hit on the field from 2:15-3. After that we were allowed to go back to the hotel we were staying at and walked around the lovely town of Toronto.

The players that were there were: David Cooper, Eric Thames, Darin Mastroianni, Alan Farina, Kyle Drabek, JP Arencibia, Brian Jeroloman, Brett Lawrie, Jo Jo Reyes, and me. The MLB players that were there were: Vernon Wells, Adam Lind, Jesse Litsch, The new players they acquired from the A's (Rajai Davis) and Brewers (Carlos Villanueva), Travis Snider, and Dustin McGowen.

My off-season program has been a very long process for me. Since I was injured last year, I had to go through vigorous physical therapy for two months in Laguna Hills, CA, with Randy Bauer. After that, I went to Fischersports in Arizona and rehabbed with Brett Fischer. Without either of those two men, I would still be in a lot pain. So for the past month I have been lifting lots of core and strength lifting such as squats, deadlifts, and push/pull lifts for upper body stuff. My main focus of all of my workouts was core. Now, I am in my "get in shape" phase of the off-season, where I lay off heavy weights and focus more on getting an ever stronger core and start my running, agility, and plyometrics. By the time spring training starts next month, I was to be in peak physical shape so my body can withstand a 140+ game season.

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Gillick Elected to Hall of Fame

Former Blue Jays General Manager Pat Gillick was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Monday by the 16-member Expansion Era Committee. Gillick, who won 3 World Series as an executive with the Blue Jays (1992-1993) and the Phillies (2008), declared that the announcement was an honor.

"It's really on behalf of all the people I worked with over the years. That's who I feel this honor is for," Gillick stated.

Gillick received 13 votes, one more than required to be elected. Marvin Miller, a longtime executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association, fell one vote short of election this year. Candidates must receive 75% of the vote to be elected, thus needing 12 of the 16 votes.

By definition, the Expansion Era covered umpires, managers and executives who made their greatest contributions to the game from 1973 to the present. As for players to be considered, that period was 1973-89.

Currently employed as a senior advisor to current Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr., Gillick also led the Baltimore Orioles and the Seattle Mariners to the postseason in the 1990's and the 2000's.

The committee is comprised of seven Hall of Fame players and one manager: Johnny Bench, Whitey Herzog, Eddie Murray, Jim Palmer, Tony Perez, Frank Robinson, Ozzie Smith and newly named manager of the Phillies' Triple A affiliate Ryne Sandberg, four current Major League executives: Bill Giles of the Phillies, David Glass of the Royals, Andy MacPhail of the Orioles and Jerry Reinsdorf of the White Sox, and four veteran media members: Bob Elliott (Toronto Sun), Tim Kurkjian, Ross Newhan and Tom Verducci. Surely, having individuals on the committee that are quite familiar with, or close to, Gillick could not have hurt his chances of being elected.

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1BlueJaysWay Interviews Eric Thames

Eric Thames was a 7th round draft choice of the Blue Jays, out of Pepperdine University, in 2008. A lefty hitting slugger, Thames has developed into a prized prospect in the Toronto system.

Through 112 games this season, Thames has posted a .290 batting average, smashed 21 homeruns and driven in 87 runs. In 59 games at 2 levels last season, Thames posted a .310 average with 3 homeruns and 39 RBI.

We recently spoke with the California native about his progress, his team, his coaches and more. Check out the media player below to listen to the full interview.



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12 Must-Follow Toronto Baseball Twitter Feeds

That Twitter thing is here to stay. Are you still among the "Twitter-ain't-for-me" crowd? It's becoming a critical part of fandom. Members of the media use it to share important updates instantly, bloggers use it to inform their readers when a new article or interview is available and everyday folks use it to communicate about, and track, their favorite sports teams. Twitter is becoming the premiere manner to communicate instantly about the latest happenings in sports.

Today, 1BlueJaysWay brings to you the top 12 must-follow Toronto baseball Twitter feeds. Check it out below.


12- Us @1BJW
We're too great to not include ourselves. However, I thought it best to play it cool and rank our account high on the list, so as to avoid any accusations of favoritism or special treatment or nepotism. I mean, psssh...whatever.

11- Andy Mc @AndyMc9293
Andy is a fan with plenty of intelligent opinions. Think that sounds like you? Andy will probably disagree and tell you all about it. He's not a bed, so don't sleep on him.

10- Toronto Sports @SportsToronto
This feed provides a steady stream of links and news. As there are loads of accounts that post endless links, I chose just one such account to list and this is the lone link loader that made the cut. During the summer, Toronto Sports provides the non-stop Blue Jays updates that you need.

9- Fake Cito Gaston @FakeCitoGaston
The feed provides comedic updates from an imposter Cito and 1BlueJaysWay loves it! If internet marriage existed, I might put a ring on Fake Cito.

8- Bob Elliott @elliottbaseball
Bob is a Toronto baseball columnist who would be ranked higher, if not for his reliable infrequency of tweeting efforts. Inside knowledge and expert opinions are the main attraction here. It's true times two.

7- Ryan the Jays fan in NY @ADKSHerpa5344
Ryan W. is an insightful fan, who regularly offers his input on team news, has ties to team history and roots for the Blue Jays from deep in enemy territory...New York. This Twitter feed is so smooth that jazz musicians should make songs about it.

6- Navin from Globe Sports & Sports and the City @eyebleaf
Navin is a blogger, who posts updates with the enthusiasm of a youthful fan. His blog work is also noteworthy, if for nothing else than his road trip to all 30 ML ballparks. That's so baller that Lebron James and Chris Bosh thought about signing to play for him.

5- Drunk Jays Fans @DrunkJaysFans
A must read blog results in a must read Twitter feed. The Drunkards always keep it real...funny. Don't miss any of their work by staying connected! Drunk Jays Fans is the Return of the Jedi of Twitter feeds, if by Jedi you mean "tremendously cool baseball content".

4- April W of JayProspects.com @Alleycat17
She's on point with her input, critique and thoughts on all things Jays. If you wanted an internet pal to chat baseball with, "AlleyCat" is just the right gal. Her intensity as a fan and efforts as a blogger elevate April into the top tier of Canadian baseball tweeters. AlleyCat17 is the I Dream of Jeannie of Twitter feeds, if by Jeannie you mean "a spunky Jays dreamgirl".

3- Blue Jay Hunter @BlueJayHunter
Ian runs one of the best Toronto baseball blogs on the planet and provides solid opinions in brief fashion to the tweeting public. Need news? Need humor? Need Blue Jays? This is where to get those things! I often feel like BlueJayHunter is my dishes, since I'm always arguing with my lady about who should do them after dinner.

2- Shi Davidi @ShiDavidi
Shi is the beat writer for The Canadian Press. Insider news on your Toronto Blue Jays is his job. Nothing gets by this guy. Plus, he's so cool that school nurses all over Ontario place him on injured children instead of ice packs.

1- Jordan Bastian @MLBastian
The top dawg is certainly deserving. Breaking news often hits this feed before any other place. Unique opinions and stats allow this MLB.com reporter to stand out among a group of smart tweeters. Jordan is so hot that I wish that he was a set of drums and I was in Def Leppard, so I could bang him with my stick.


If you do not yet have a Twitter account, get one. And let 1BlueJaysWay be the first to welcome you to the new realm of awesome. Need more convincing? Twitter's logo is an illustration of a blue bird...it's made for you, Blue Jays fans! If you are already on Twitter and don't follow the users on our list, get on it. You are missing out.