Now that we got this Valentine's Day crap out of the way, let's get on with something that'll warm our hearts - Jays pitchers and catchers have reported to Dunedin! Boo-yah!!
Some spring training notes for your careful perusal and examination on the ides of February.........
1. Michael Barrett, Jays catching hopeful and odds-on favourite to be the back-up to Rod Barajas, weighs in on the steroids issue. The former Expo was behind the dish when Mark McGwire hit his record-breaking 70th home run in 1998.
2. Local boy and former Jay Rob Butler (#2 in your 1993 World Series program, #1 in your hearts!) reveals his bitterness about those who used performance-enhancing substances to get ahead.
3. Pat Hentgen, your 1996 A.L. Cy Young award winner, shares his thoughts on the Robbie Alomar controversy and the steroid allegations surrounding the 1998 Jays pitching staff.
4. General manager J.P. Ricciardi says Travis Snider is not a stone-cold lock to head up north with the big club on Opening Day.
5. Everyone's favourite columnist shares his spring training observations.
6. In case you missed it, noted Baseball America columnist and right-hander Dirk Hayhurst is back with the big club shortly after being released to make room for fellow hurler Matt F. Bush.
7. For those of you who have #35 Lyle Overbay jerseys, you can break them out again this season. Overbay is switching back from #17 to #35 and let's hope he can duplicate what he did the first time around wearing #35 back in 2006. He gave up the number to Frank Thomas in 2007. Hopefully, Overbay will do better than Thomas and the other guy who wore #35 last season.
https://www.battersbox.ca/article.php?story=20090215002439720