I have received a copy of the hitting statistics for the 2014 extended spring training season. That season is now over and the short season teams will start playing soon. The hitting stats list 55 hiiters. However 14 of them are players on rehab assignements or players who are now playing for a full season team. I have excluded those players leaving 41 to consider. Of those 41, 21 have over 100 plate appearances. 32 have over 75 plate appearances. From a numbers perspective these stats represent approx a month worth of stats for a full season player. In extended, players play less and receive extra instruction.

A 2-2 Monday for the affiliates with the home teams faring better than the visitors. New Hampshire did not partake in any of the festivities.

Casey Janssen just blew the save, and finally has an ERA. It's probably my fault. I fell asleep.

Buffalo and New Hampshire won, while Dunedin and Lansing lost.  The Fisher Cats game included strong individual performances from the pitching and hitting side. 

Dunedin were the only winners on Saturday. KC Hobson drove in three of the Jays four runs. Dwight Smith, Dalton Pompey and Daniel Norris made good contributions to the win. Buffalo lost despite Dan Johnson's hitting. New Hampshire were shutout.

Lansing lost a wild one in extra innings low-lighted by bad defense. Five errors by the Lugnuts made for eight unearned runs.

Rounds 11-40 of the 2014 MLB Draft.

Matt Newman has been scuffling at AA but he hit two home runs Friday as New Hampshire continued their winning ways. Buffalo went to extra innings and won in walk-off fashion. Sean Nolin made his first start in almost a month. Dunedin were shutout and Lansing were blown out.

The Toronto Blue Jays are back home to take on the defending National League champion St. Louis Cardinals. The 25th anniversary of the SkyDome will also be celebrated with Jays alumni Jimmy Key and Ernie Whitt, the original battery for the first game back on June 5, 1989.


Domer  - the official mascot of SkyDome.

"Yes... that's it... keep eating.... little do you know, you're drawing closer to the POISON DONUT! Wuhahahah!"

"Wait, there is a poison one, right Smithers?"

Day 2 of the draft goes today at 1 PM.  Round 3-10, where the Jays get pick #9 in each round so another 8 picks today.  This will finish off the picks that must be signed or you lose cap space.

Don Zimmer was around the game just about as long as a man can be.

Draft day is here. The Jays pick at #9 and #11 in the first round. The draft begins at 7pm and if you have the MLB Network on your Rogers cable you can watch it live. The Jays should have made their two first round picks by 8pm. The draft will run two rounds tonight. Rounds 3-10 will go tomorrow starting at 1pm and the draft will run to its conclusion on Saturday.

The affiliates were 2-2 tonight, with Buffalo and Dunedin losing by a run.  While Lansing and New Hampshire each won by 5 runs.  Jeremy Gabryszwski had the best start of his career, in which he struck out 9 batters, and LB Dantzler helped out with 4 RBI. 

The affiliates went two up and two down Tuesday night, highlighted by a pair of double-digit efforts in the run column.

It is time for a very interesting series in Detroit. The Jays are 34-24, ten games over 500, the Tigers are 31-22, 9 games over. The Blue Jays run differential is +39, the Tigers is +17.

The Jays avoid Scherzer but they face three very good pitchers. The Jays record is slightly better but the Tigers are at home.