3/30 - Led by Tony Batista's two homers, the Jays creamed the Cincinatti Reds today, 11-4. Batista had an outstanding game, driving in six runs while batting 3-4. Raul Mondesi contributed a two-run dinger as well, and newly acquired Marty Cordova added a solo shot. Pitcher Frank Castillo hurled 6-1/3 innings of fine ball, allowing two runs on six hits. He will most likely step in for Joey Hamilton when the season commences.
3/27 - The Jays have signed former Rookie of the Year Marty Cordova to a one-year deal worth $500,000. Cordova will most likely DH against lefties, sharing the duties with Brad Fullmer, and might get time as an outfielder. In 1995, Cordova was voted the top rookie in the AL after hitting 24 homers and driving in 84 runs. With Cordova now on the roster, the Jays have re-assigned Jacob Brumfield to the minors. Onto some other news now, don't forget to read the newest articles from Milner and Ayers. The latter, on the Fullmer deal, was written on the 17th (the day after the trade), but I haven't been able to put it up until now, so I'm sorry for the delay.
3/25 - Despite a good performance from Kelvim Escobar, the Jays dropped a close one to the Cincinnati Reds yesterday, 5-4. Escobar went five strong innings, allowing only two runs (one earned) while striking out three. On Thursday, the Jays beat Philadelphia, 4-1, on a great six-inning outing from Roy Halladay. Catcher Darrin Fletcher made his return with a pinch-hit at bat. He'll be eased into the lineup as Opening Day approaches.
3/23 - The Jays continue to roll along, as they won their seventh consecutive game by defeating the Phillies 7-5 yesterday. Raul Mondesi and Carlos Delgado led the way with home runs, and Chris Carpenter (W) had a strong outing despite elbow problems. The night before, the Jays took it to the Yanks with an 8-3 win. David Wells (W) beat his former team, going five innings while allowing two runs on six hits.
3/21 - Since the last update, the Jays have beaten the Red Sox and Twins by identical 3-2 scores. Their Spring Training record is now back up to 11-7 (2nd best in the AL) with help from a current five-game winning streak, and they'll face the Yankees later tonight after getting a day off yesterday. There's some bad news for the team though, as pitcher Joey Hamilton will be sidelined until after opening day, still recovering from an elbow operation.
3/17 - Happy St. Patrick's Day! The Jays defeated the Devil Rays today, 8-1, led by an outstanding performance by Chris Woodward. The shortstop came within a home run of a cycle, going 4-5 with three RBI. I guess that's just a side note right now, though, because of yesterday's three-way deal involving Toronto. David Segui and cash was sent to the Texas Rangers, whom sent Lee Stevens to the Expos, whom in turn dealt Brad Fullmer to the Jays. This is obviously a cost-cutting move, as Segui's $4.325 million salary is dumped in favor of Fullmer's $310,000. However, Segui was also unhappy with having to DH in Toronto despite being better defensively than Carlos Delgado at first base. Fullmer, meanwhile, brings great potential to the table, as he has compiled 44 and 37 doubles in his two MLB seasons with Montreal. Only time will tell how this turns out, but for now Fullmer should be a healthy fit for the DH role. Oh yeah, for those who chose Segui for anything on the Contest, you'll now have to unfortunately make an alternate selection.
3/15 - The Jays busted out the whoopin' sticks today, as they topped the Houston Astros, 8-3. Raul Mondesi, Tony Batista, Homer Bush, and Shannon Stewart all homered, as the Jays bounced back from being perfected by the BoSox yesterday. Bush was the offensive star, going 2-4 with two runs and three RBI. David Wells (W) allowed one run over four innings of work.
3/14 - It's not really a big deal, but the Jays got perfected by the Red Sox today, 5-0. No one could get anything off of the six Boston pitchers, as they accomplished a rare feat. The last no-hitter in Spring Training was in 1996 when the then California Angels beat the San Francisco Giants, 15-0.
3/13 - The Jays fell to the Rangers today, 6-1. Pitcher Frank Castillo looked very good, going five strong innings while allowing only one run. Shannon Stewart connected on a home run, a solo blast that accounted for the Jays' lone run. The Jays were limited to two hits, the other one coming from Kevin Brown. In other news, I've received many entries for the contest, so be sure to keep them coming. Also, don't miss new columns from John M. Milner and Thomas Ayers!
3/12 - There's some exciting new stuff today, as the First Annual BJF Fan Prediction Contest has started! You can enter by predicting the season-end results in several categories, but don't wait too long, the deadline will be upon you before you know it! Also, the 50th issue of BJF E-Zine was sent out today, so check your inboxes. The new BlueJayFan Net has been received quite well, so thanks to all the supporters out there. With your help, it'll only get better. By the way, the Jays, lifted by a Raul Mondesi grand slam, took it to the Yanks today, winning 14-3.
3/11 - It's been a busy couple of days for the Blue Jays. First off, on Friday, the Jays welcomed two new mascots, a male blue jay named Ace and a female one named Diamond. Toronto fell to the Rangers that day, 9-5, as former Jay Tom Evans hit a grand slam. New reliever Lance Painter pitched great, striking out five in his two innings of work. Today, the Jays battled with the Phillies for nearly three hours before coming up short, 9-8. However, Homer Bush did smack a three-run dinger. Kelvim Escobar, still nursing a sore neck, managed only one inning.
3/9 - The Jays lost to the Pirates today, 2-1, but it wasn't too disappointing because David Wells pitched extremely well. Wells, who's expected to be the ace of the staff this upcoming season, retired six straight batters and threw 14 of 19 pitches for strikes. Alex Gonzalez drove in the lone Jays run with a double.
3/8 - David Segui led the way with three hits and two RBI, as the Jays topped the Braves 11-7 in Grapefruit League action today. DeWayne Wise and Casey Blake also added two hits, and Anthony Sanders and Brent Abernathy both contributed two RBI. Andy Thompson hit his second homer of Spring Training in the ninth, adding to the triumph. In a hit-filled game (the Jays had 15, Braves had 11), Atlanta totaled five errors, nearly matching their runs total.
3/7 - Carlos Delgado blasted his first homer of Spring Training, leading a three-run Jays rally that helped Toronto beat Kansas City, 3-2. Chris Woodward and Alberto Castillo had the other RBI, as the Jays snapped a brief two-game losing skid. Billy Koch (W) picked up the win after one inning of relief.
3/6 - Sorry about there being no update yesterday, I had my hands tied. Anyway, the Jays have dropped two straight Spring Training games, 9-6 to Cleveland yesterday and 12-2 to Atlanta today. They are now 3-2-1, if you're wondering. Updates out of camp are very positive, though. Chris Carpenter's elbow is feeling good, and Alex Gonzalez seems to be tip-top form. Now, a note to webmasters of other Jays sites - consider becoming an MLBfans.net Select Site for the Blue Jays. It will increase your site's traffic and provide it with a great message board. You'll be linked from the Blue Jays Board, which was the second most popular out of all the boards last season, and it'll be a great benefit to your site. Just go to Select Site Application for complete instructions.
3/4 - The Jays remain undefeated in Grapefruit League play, as they beat and tied Cleveland in a doubleheader at SkyDome today. In the first game, the Jays held the Indians to two hits in winning, 5-2. Shannon Stewart went yard in the 4-run second inning, while Kevin Brown also connected on a long ball. Lance Painter, who is featured in columnist John M. Milner's first article, picked up the save, while Frank Castillo (W) hurled three shutout innings in his first Spring start. In the second game, the two teams played to a 3-3 tie. On a different note, the BlueJayFan Net Search page is now up and functional. Go ahead and give it a try.
3/3 - Jose Cruz might be getting back into the hang of things. Today, in the Jays' 7-2 Spring Training romp of the Yanks, Cruz blasted his second homer in as many days. Okay, so it's only the Grapefruit League, but if Cruz can keep this up, Jays fans will definitely be happy. Vernon Wells, who is expected to compete for the centerfield job with Cruz, had two hits. As for the pitching, Roy Halladay and five relievers were able to limit New York to seven hits. In other Jays news, pitcher Kelvim Escobar has agreed to a one-year deal worth $500,000. Escobar is a big piece of the young pitching staff in the Jays future.
3/2 - In their first Spring Training game of the season, the Jays beat the New York Yankees, 9-7. The score does not accurately reflect the game, though, as the Jays had a 9-0 lead going into the ninth. Chris Carpenter (W), Billy Koch, and John Bale combined for seven shutout innings, while Alberto Castillo, Jose Cruz, and Andy Thompson all homered. The same teams will face off again tomorrow, as Spring Training continues.
3/1 - Yup, it's that time of the year again. Freshly-mowed grass, sunshine, and baseball. The Jays have begun Spring Training under the beautiful conditions of Florida, and are looking to go all the way in 2000! The first matchup for the Jays will be tomorrow, March 2nd, when they face the New York Yankees for pre-season bragging rights - at least for a game. Hope you enjoy the new look to BlueJayFan.com -- err, which is now BlueJayFan Net. Later!
3/17 - Happy St. Patrick's Day! The Jays defeated the Devil Rays today, 8-1, led by an outstanding performance by Chris Woodward. The shortstop came within a home run of a cycle, going 4-5 with three RBI. I guess that's just a side note right now, though, because of yesterday's three-way deal involving Toronto. David Segui and cash was sent to the Texas Rangers, whom sent Lee Stevens to the Expos, whom in turn dealt Brad Fullmer to the Jays. This is obviously a cost-cutting move, as Segui's $4.325 million salary is dumped in favor of Fullmer's $310,000. However, Segui was also unhappy with having to DH in Toronto despite being better defensively than Carlos Delgado at first base. Fullmer, meanwhile, brings great potential to the table, as he has compiled 44 and 37 doubles in his two MLB seasons with Montreal. Only time will tell how this turns out, but for now Fullmer should be a healthy fit for the DH role. Oh yeah, for those who chose Segui for anything on the Contest, you'll now have to unfortunately make an alternate selection.
3/2 - In their first Spring Training game of the season, the Jays beat the New York Yankees, 9-7. The score does not accurately reflect the game, though, as the Jays had a 9-0 lead going into the ninth. Chris Carpenter (W), Billy Koch, and John Bale combined for seven shutout innings, while Alberto Castillo, Jose Cruz, and Andy Thompson all homered. The same teams will face off again tomorrow, as Spring Training continues.