The Jays picked up their first win on Friday with a 10-5 decision over the Red Sox.
* Fordin Notes - The Jays find a cure for quiet bats, Cash's quick release, the bullpen has been improved so far this year, and the Jays picked up Mike Nakamura and sent him to Syracuse.
* Mike Ganter has a nice column on how the Jays plan to compete with the Sox and Yankees through a strong farm system. It's nothing that hasn't been covered in these parts, but it's nice to read it in the 'traditional' media.
To bring in his own people and create the environment he wanted, Ricciardi also had to do some housecleaning that cost some very good people their jobs. He took some hits for this, but he makes no apologies for it.
"I look at (football coach Bill) Parcells and (basketball coach) Bobby Knight and all these guys and when they go (to a new team) they bring their own people," Ricciardi said. "It's not that I had anything against anybody who was here, but we've only got so much time to get this thing turned around and if we have to create a whole new environment, I don't have time to get people on board and win them over. I need people who know what I want already."
* Tonight's Preview - Halladay takes on Pedro tonight. Are Halladay's April struggles a coincidence, or is there a reason why he struggles in April? Or will he come out and shut down the Sox tonight?
* Kevin Cash was one of the Jays' standouts yesterday. Consequently we're subjected to bad headlines.
* Rich Griffin - Red Sox deliver an early Easter gift to Jays.
"We lost today," Sox manager Terry Francona said. "I don't think it's the plane's fault. I don't think it was last night. We just lost the ball game."
* A view from Boston - Bob Ryan: Low-priced lineup finally cashes in.
The Blue Jays were very much present and accounted for at Fenway yesterday, spoiling the Opening Day festivities for both the Red Sox and the 34,337 in attendance by scoring three runs in the eighth and three more in the ninth against a Red Sox bullpen that was so stretched following the 13-inning loss in Baltimore the night before that Terry Francona was forced to give outfielder/first baseman David McCarty his major league debut as a hurler in the ninth.
But that smacks of journalistic whining, and thus would be an injustice to the Blue Jays.
* Sun Notes - The Jays' approach at the plate yesterday was much improved
Through the Detroit series, the Jays were out in front and early 61 times out of 81 outs. In yesterday's game, they were out in front just 12 times in 27 outs, a marked improvement.
* Washington DC is stepping up their efforts to bring in the Expos by apparently offering MLB exactly what they want - a fully funded stadium. If I've learned anything about the Expos sale it's to not take anything too seriously.
* After thinking yesterday's game was a night game and missing it completely I'm sure tonight is a 7 pm game. Maybe that's why the Jays won. For a warmup today, I'm headed to New Britain, CT to watch Dustin McGowan and the Fishercats face off with the Rockcats. Hopefully I'll have good things to report in tomorrow's roundup.
* Fordin Notes - The Jays find a cure for quiet bats, Cash's quick release, the bullpen has been improved so far this year, and the Jays picked up Mike Nakamura and sent him to Syracuse.
* Mike Ganter has a nice column on how the Jays plan to compete with the Sox and Yankees through a strong farm system. It's nothing that hasn't been covered in these parts, but it's nice to read it in the 'traditional' media.
To bring in his own people and create the environment he wanted, Ricciardi also had to do some housecleaning that cost some very good people their jobs. He took some hits for this, but he makes no apologies for it.
"I look at (football coach Bill) Parcells and (basketball coach) Bobby Knight and all these guys and when they go (to a new team) they bring their own people," Ricciardi said. "It's not that I had anything against anybody who was here, but we've only got so much time to get this thing turned around and if we have to create a whole new environment, I don't have time to get people on board and win them over. I need people who know what I want already."
* Tonight's Preview - Halladay takes on Pedro tonight. Are Halladay's April struggles a coincidence, or is there a reason why he struggles in April? Or will he come out and shut down the Sox tonight?
* Kevin Cash was one of the Jays' standouts yesterday. Consequently we're subjected to bad headlines.
* Rich Griffin - Red Sox deliver an early Easter gift to Jays.
"We lost today," Sox manager Terry Francona said. "I don't think it's the plane's fault. I don't think it was last night. We just lost the ball game."
* A view from Boston - Bob Ryan: Low-priced lineup finally cashes in.
The Blue Jays were very much present and accounted for at Fenway yesterday, spoiling the Opening Day festivities for both the Red Sox and the 34,337 in attendance by scoring three runs in the eighth and three more in the ninth against a Red Sox bullpen that was so stretched following the 13-inning loss in Baltimore the night before that Terry Francona was forced to give outfielder/first baseman David McCarty his major league debut as a hurler in the ninth.
But that smacks of journalistic whining, and thus would be an injustice to the Blue Jays.
* Sun Notes - The Jays' approach at the plate yesterday was much improved
Through the Detroit series, the Jays were out in front and early 61 times out of 81 outs. In yesterday's game, they were out in front just 12 times in 27 outs, a marked improvement.
* Washington DC is stepping up their efforts to bring in the Expos by apparently offering MLB exactly what they want - a fully funded stadium. If I've learned anything about the Expos sale it's to not take anything too seriously.
* After thinking yesterday's game was a night game and missing it completely I'm sure tonight is a 7 pm game. Maybe that's why the Jays won. For a warmup today, I'm headed to New Britain, CT to watch Dustin McGowan and the Fishercats face off with the Rockcats. Hopefully I'll have good things to report in tomorrow's roundup.
