E
xpectations are higher than the CN Tower in Toronto as the Blue Jays started swinging their bats in seriousness last week to start the 2013 Major League Baseball season.
While the NHL lockout zapped sports' fans enthusiasm over the early part of the winter, the Blue Jays picked up the slack by having one of the greatest off-seasons in baseball history. Any off-season. Any team. Ever.
Not only did the Jays' pitching staff get a whole new look with the addition of Josh Johnson and Mark Buehrle from Miami and R.A. Dickey (merely the 2012 Cy Young award winner) from the Mets, but they added pop at the plate in shortstop Jose Reyes (a former N.L. batting champ) from Miami and Melky Cabrera from the drug suspension list. Cabrera was hitting .350 and en route to the N.L. batting title last year before being suspended for drug use.
The abundance of new talent makes the Jays a legitimate contender, considering the lineup also includes the batting and fielding talent of Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion, Adam Lind, Brett Lawrie, J.C. Arencibia and Colby Rasmus. It's almost an embarrassment of riches, and the baseball cognoscenti have noticed: In some quarters, particularly Las Vegas, the Jays are the betting favourites to win the World Series (but that might be just because Vegas oddsmakers have taken gobs of money on the Jays from Canadian tourists visiting Sin City). Other respected baseball observers aren't quite as giddy about the Jays' chances, with most of them suggesting a wildcard berth will be their fate come Game No. 162.
While the Jays are going to be fun to watch this year as they try to do unto others as others have done unto them for the past 20 years, the Washington Nationals are regarded as the team to beat in the National League. In fact, in a recent Sports Illustrated poll, four of the seven prognosticators picked the Nationals - teeming with talent with the likes of superstar-in-waiting Bryce Harper and pitching phenom Stephen Strasburg - to be crowned World Series champs in October.
Now wouldn't that be something to see? The Jays representing the American League against the former Montreal Expos (now Washington) in the Fall Classic. Can you hear the strains of O Canada in the background?
Comedy writer Alex Kaseberg: "In Serbia a 28-year-old woman has a rare brain disorder that makes her see everything upside down. Which explains why she is such a huge Charlotte Bobcats fan."
Jeff Miller of the Orange Country Register, on Mike Trout's contract being renewed at the minimum level, $510,000: "Mike Trout spent the summer of 2012 looking like the next Mickey Mantle. When it came time to recognize the cornerstone of their franchise, to reward the player who chased history his entire rookie season - and usually caught it - the Angels treated him like the next Mickey Mouse."
SI.com, on the Phillies chances in 2013: "General manager Ruben Amaro Jr. mistook the mandate to "get young" by loading up on both Michael Young and Delmon Young, which won't help an aging, middling offensive core."
Brad Dickson of the Omaha World-Herald: "A fan wearing a LeBron James T-shirt ran on to the court during a recent Cavs-Heat game. Seeing a man on court who obviously loves LeBron, the guy was mistaken for any NBA referee."
R.J. Currie of sportsdeke.com: "The Flames dealing Jarome Iginla to Pittsburgh is the end of an era at the Saddledome. Put another way, Jarome Arthur-Leigh Adekunle Tig Junior Elvis has left the building."
Currie again: "The Chicago Cubs reportedly may add a mascot that represents the Cubbies' tradition. Possible names include Hindenburg, Titanic and Exxon Valdez."
Greg Cote, Miami Herald: "The Dominican Republic's World Baseball Classic win made it three consecutive WBCs with the U.S. team not even reaching the final. Wait. Didn't we invent baseball? This would be like the NFL losing the Super Bowl to the Netherlands."
Dwight Perry of the Seattle Times: "Penn State football recruit Zayd Issah faces charges of forgery and theft by deception after trying to pass counterfeit money at McDonald's. Authorities say they'd never seen Joe Paterno's face on a $5 bill before."
NBC late-night host Jay Leno, after bodybuilding guru Joe Weider died recently at age 93. "In 1969 he got Arnold Schwarzenegger his very first acting job. So hopefully he will be remembered for the good things he did."
Janice Hough of leftcoastsportsbabe.com: "The NBA has said, 'Oops, Kobe Bryant really did foul Ricky Rubio' - on Rubio's last second shot that might have tied the game. Not that it affects the Lakers' 120-117 win over the T'wolves. And it's not as if the league has any rea$on to want Lo$ Angele$ in the playoff$. . ."
Hough again: "Tiffany's has just come out with a new collection of World Champion SF Giants memorabilia. This opposed to World Champion Cubs memorabilia which is in their "archaeology" collection."
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