It's time to find out what the 2012 edition of the Toronto Blue Jays is made of as they visit the Evil Empire for the first time this season.

There was some decent pitching for the minor league affiliates on Sunday. Ryan Tepera (AA), Jesse Hernandez (A+) and Taylor Cole (SS) combined to allow just two hits in 14.1 combined innings of work.

Lovely article in the Globe about Don Wakamatsu's practice of writing out the Jays daily lineup cards in near perfect Gothic script. He's a self taught “bootleg calligrapher”, who's glad he's not coaching Jarrod Saltalamacchia any more. Apparently they sell these things for charity, and I'd like to buy one.

92-93 shares with us his observations from the final game of the Las Vegas 51s first half (follow 92-93, and see more pictures, at @NorthYorkJays):

With the caveat that it's ridiculous to draw conclusions based on any one game, here're my thoughts from the 51s game I attended, with some shoddy iPhone video/camera links.

A 2-5 Saturday for the affiliates with four games involving nine runs as the winning total.  Three of the games ended 9-3 and that's where you will find the two wins.  Turn me on, dead man!

The Blue Jays original closer heading into the season is now done for the season.  The National Post reports Sergio Santos is set to have his right shoulder operated on by Dr. Lewis Yocum in Los Angeles.



Sergio Santos, pitching April 11 at the Dome and earning his first save against the Red Sox, made just six trips to the mound for Toronto in 2012.

For his role in almost blowing Saturday's eventual 11-9 win by the Blue Jays over Cleveland at the Dome Saturday afternoon, right-handed reliever Jesse Chavez has been sent back to AAA Las Vegas according to Gregor Chisholm of BlueJays.com. Chad Beck has been beamed up from the 51s to take Chavez's place.



Jesse Chavez posted an 0-1 record with an 8.85 earned run average over 8 appearances, including a pair of starts, with Toronto this season.

Las Vegas continued their run at Sacramento and Lansing, Vancouver, Bluefield and the DSL Blue Jays put W’s on the Board as well.

Due to lack of time, this will be the travel size version sans all bells and whistles.

The Blue Jays announced that they have signed 1B-DH Edwin Encarnacion to a three year, $27M deal, with an option for a fourth year at $10M.

Some nights you really have to scour the boxscores to find performances worthy of being awarded a star for the evening and other nights you can find more than enough contenders without trying. Last night was one of the latter, with three strong pitching performances, some nice offensive lines in Lansing, a display of power by Dwight Smith Jr. and a standout line in an All-Star Game.

All-Star Tuesday was a day off for everybody in the system, except for the boys in the Gulf Coast and Dominican Summer Leagues.

Here we journey via the Way Back Machine into the exploits of Blue Jays in All Star Games past...

It was a rough Monday night for the affiliates as they went 0-for-5 with one game suspended due to rain.  Las Vegas and the boys in the Dominican had the day off.

Vancouver Canadians manager Clayton McCullough gets ejected for arguing a blown strike three call and a balk that led to Everett tying the game in the seventh inning at Nat Bailey Stadium Monday night.

Why does baseball have the best all-star game?