Roy Halladay. He's the most valuable player on the team and probably the most recognizable player. He's a hard worker, a strong leader, and appears to genuinely like playing in Toronto.

My two cents.

I love this one.

http://www.battersbox.ca/article.php?story=20050915200350394

I laugh at it every time I see it.

You won't have pictures of them, but I'd like to see press conference pictures of the four newest Blue Jays--all of them trying on their new jerseys.

My first post - how exciting (Ive been visiting the site off and on for a couple years, though mostly this off-season). Anyways, I would make my humble vote for Roy Halladay, unless you are looking for a face that has not been put up there before (I recall reading that he was part of the banner previously, though my personal recollection fails me). In that case, I would nominate Lyle Overbay...a nice representation of the new era. He may seem like a random choice of the four, but in watching his press conference with Glaus (among other reasons) I have a feeling he'll be a fan favourite in the coming years. Just my opinion.

I've got to say Doc. I only recently became a baseball fan (03), but seeing him pitch is something else. Him and Santana are the only 2 pitchers in the AL that I just expect to win every single game. He's remarkable and if we keep him long enough he could be the greatest Blue Jays pitcher of all time (no disrespect to Mr. Steib).

I really like the way the current banner looks, so I'd nominate another picture of someone smacking the hell out of the ball.

http://www.battersbox.ca/article.php?story=20050824232035971

http://www.battersbox.ca/article.php?story=20050824072149672

Given how important Rios is going to be this season and the unimaginable power of *POTD mojo*, my vote goes to him.

I really don't understand why we have to get rid of O-Dog.

08/02/05... Josh Towers... That is all...

My vote would be Vernon on the left side of the banner belting one and Ryan on the right hand side throwing. This would mean the Batter's Box logo would have to be centered.

Of course you couldn't do this until you get a picture of Ryan in BlueJay kit at the start of the season. Ryan has an awful determined grimace when delivering the ball, which would be great.

This would represent the old and new face of the team.

There is no banner mojo whatsoever. Here are the last 4 players to be in a banner:

-Roy Halladay (two major season ending injuries)
-Miguel Batista (ghost thet kept re-appearing in various parts on the team, eventually being traded)
-Orlando Hudson (traded)
-Vernon Wells (one serious injury and two un-Vernon-like seasons)


Let's stick a picture of Derek Jeter up there because the banner is a kiss of death.

I like the picture of Zaun getting ready to tag someone out with the ump then blowing the call followed by Zaun going ballistic.

http://www.battersbox.ca/article.php?story=20050921130612812

I like the Wells picture mentioned above as well (was that used before?).

It would be nice to see a face that represents what this team is all about. I still consider this team's face as being home grown, young and gritty. Who better than Aaron Hill - Hudson's replacement and probably a guy who will be on this team longer than most.

http://www.battersbox.ca/article.php?story=20050817233610107

I would have said Halladay but it may be 50/50 at best that he is a Jay two years from now.

Ryan or Overbay would be two other good choices. They both should be Jays for a while!

There's nothing quite like the follow-through after good hard contact (http://www.battersbox.ca/article.php?story=20050824072149672). It's Wells, for me.

Vernon. That is all.

It's a new era for the Jays & I say we go with a photo of the new guys, Glaus & Overbay trying on their new uniforms at the prss conference.

Einsof, you'll notice that there are no photos of the day or week of Glaus or Overbay (or of any of the new acquisitions). Batter's Box does not have a budget to send me to Arizona for the Winter Meetings, so we're going to have to work from material I already have. I pointed everybody to the photo of the day/week archives so you can all try to pick something from them -- suggestions of things that don't appear in the archives aren't very helpful.

Sure, I have some pictures that haven't been used yet, but every single person that I have a photograph of (save for maybe Tom Cheek and Jerry Howarth) is represented in the POTD/W archives. Please check them out, everybody.

Just for the record, when the new player chosen gets a freak injury, bizarre slump, or suffers from extreme gigantism, don't call me. I warned you! :)

I like Fawaz's rationale, but I'm mindful of VBF's cautionary tale, as well. Perhaps there's some kind of reverse osmosis at play that we need to consider. So, take a toolsy guy under a lot of pressure who's struggling and put him on the banner, and voila, he breaks out. Rios is that man.

I would say Wells. He is an anchor of the team, a decent power hitter, and the best defensive CF out there right now. Also came up through the Jays organization, it's hard to get more Jays than that.

I'd also say Hill though, perhaps that play last year where he was on SS and ran around Koskie to grab that ball in LF. He is magnificent.

Doc, I think he IS the Jays, at least for me. :)

I like the idea of Doc and say at least one of Carter, Alomar, Molitor, Devo etc.

TIE the two eras together. Our WS's in the 90's and our Push for Glory in the early 2000's.

Several of you seem to have missed what Aaron said in the article:

If you click here, you'll see all of the previous Photos of the Day/Week... if a player isn't represented in those links it means I don't have a good photograph of them.

No Glaus. No Ryan. No Carter. No Alomar.

This might take a little more time, which one may or may not have time for, but I liked those wallpaper Jays logos with the players layered within the logo. Maybe we could do tie in the Jays logo with the number 30 (anniversary/season whatever) or maybe the number 5 since 2006 is the fifth year anniversary of da box. Maybe Batter's Box Fifth Anniversary logo with a fancy number 5 and the players layered in the background.

JP Riccardi gets my vote. After all, he is the man who has engineered this current incarnation of the Jays that I love ever so much. Seeing his mug at the top of the page would always be a conversation stimulator.

For what its worth, here is my $0.02 worth.

Okay, I just flipped through the archives looking for players I'd like to see in the banner in poses that lend themselves to the short & wide format. There's Towers
http://www.battersbox.ca/article.php?story=20050801142322654
and Doc
http://www.battersbox.ca/article.php?story=20050608113055159
and Speier
http://www.battersbox.ca/article.php?story=20050504103944329

I don't know if this one would work well in a banner, but I love this shot featuring Aaron Hill
http://www.battersbox.ca/article.php?story=20050616230729301

When it's all said and done, my vote goes to Gregg Zaun and this shot:
http://www.battersbox.ca/article.php?story=20050502095939869

Gregg Zaun in whatever pose fits the format of the banner. The intensity Zaun brings to every game he plays is something I'd like to see from every Jay, although a more controlled form of it, otherwise everyone will be on the DL.

My favourite all-time shot of Zaun is one I keep seeing of him in an Astros uniform (on sports highlight shows), in absolute conniption mode having just hit a game winning hit. His teammates are trying to mob him, and he keeps slipping away, pumping his fists, yelling and screaming and spraying tobacco juice everywhere.

My nickname for him, based on that footage, the exploding mask, and the concussion attempting to break up a double play (and the hush that fell over the stadium afterwards) is "The Pepper Pot". For the next banner for Da Box, I would like to nominate Da Peppa Pot.

Might I add that at age 35, he doesn't have much longer for such an honour to be bestowed upon him, and he's the only player involved in every pitch when our team's on the field, when he plays (which I hope is a little less this year to save wear and tear: backup catcher please). Is there anyone on this team that burns to win more than him? He may have his equals, but nobody tops him. He IS the field general.

I don't know if this one would work well in a banner, but I love this shot featuring Aaron Hill http://www.battersbox.ca/article.php?story=20050616230729301

That one is great. I think it'd look good and it shows the Jays youth and willing to get down and well, to borrow a phrase from ol' Larry, "git-r-done".

One word:
DOC

I like the Doc shot that is liked above. It should be Halladay; he is the man.

Sorry, linked above.

My vote is for Doc. (I'm biased at the moment as I just purchased a jersey with is name on the back!) His beard would show up well on the banner.

Doc.

We'll be lucky if we ever see another player like him dawn the Jays' jersey. Let's milk the fact that he's one of us while we still can.

Zaun for me.

I think he is so undervalued by general fans and media that he really deserves it. He is such a key piece to this team but you almost never hear his name mentioned as such. Specifically Im a fan of this photo:

http://www.battersbox.ca/article.php?story=20050921130612812

The Doc in a walk. Best pitcher to come through the Jays system since Stieb. He will end up best pitcher developed by the Jays ever.

http://www.battersbox.ca/article.php?story=20050921130612812

I would second Ryan C's choice of player and pic. Baseball from a Canadian perspective, right? Greg wears a mean goalie mask...

Third!

Zaun, like O-dog, is a fan favourite not because he's a star, but because he works hard. . . sort of thing canadians love. Everyone else has a star up top--I'd rather have Zaun.

Oh what the hay.... carrying over from another thread, How about Eric Hinske? He works hard and has that blue collar look to him.