Now we wait until the snow melts

As we enter this new era of optimism in Toronto, imagine if you will what other cities endure until April.
In Pittsburgh, Seattle, San Diego and Houston, there is little of consequence going on.
Their ticket offices are fairly quiet, perhaps the odd 10 or 20 game packet is sold during the Christmas season, perhaps as a gift, perhaps the disposable income from no NHL hockey in markets such as Pitt, LA, and Anaheim or Dallas.



Here in Hogtown, we did boffo numbers once the Marlin deal was announced, then an up tick when Melky was signed. It hit it's crescendo when the RA Dickey trade and contract was finalised. Folks responded.
They have been buying jerseys for Christmas, they have been jerseys just because the team is legitimate.

If they get news that Sergio antos is 100 % healthy , barracade the doors, these fans are ravenous.  The Jays are also pretty lucky.

They have the opportunity that other markets don't have. No hockey to rival them.

We soon enter the 4rth month on no NHL hockey and the expectations that after mid January we will have run out of a workable schedule.  The Jays need not fear the Raptors, again nothing but also rans, the Argos championship season peaked at the Grey Cup, nothing after. The Marlies play in little Ricoh Centre to sparse crowds of 4 and 5000 well wishers, and the World Juniors are live when only insomniacs are awake.

A clean run through January until mid February when pitchers and catchers report, and the y have the sports pages to themselves. Sprinkjle in some boring arbitration news, some injury updates, and we are in March.
If Rogers were smart, they would seize the opportunity to televise exhibition games from Florida. Fol
ks will watch, PVR, and live stream at work just to get their fix.

If they play this right, they have the entire Toronto sports landscape to themselves.  They will be the inevitable distractions, like NCAA Men's Basketball, and a few Grand Prix races, the NBA, but the stage is theirs to own.

I think it is their's to cultivate new fans, embrace old ones, and foster a lot of good will before the umpire says play ball.

In other cities, say New York, the Mets are second tier, the Yankees are old and wounded, the city and region still recovering from Sandy, and no glitz or glamour.

We should enjoy our advantage, our current slight advantage, and as they say make hay when the sun shines.

Next blog we analise the current state of the pitching staff.

First off, a Christmas Wish goes out to anyone who has had the misfortune to stumble across this blog, and find it interesting enough to bother reading, so thanks to Brad, Mike, Luke, Clark, my son Kevin, Aaron and Andrew.
I guess I have not excatly made any progress with trhe female demographic, have I ?

Christmas is a time of giving, so this blog is devoted to giving out pine cones to the good folks and lumps of coal to those who deserve it most.

My first pine cone goes out to the families of the victims of the recent madness in Conneticutt. My heart goes out to you.

My second pine cone award goes to Rob Ford, mayor of Toronto, because rarely do local politicians give me so much pleasure and amusement.  His antics and pratfalls are the stuff of legends.

My first lump of coal goes to anyone stupid enough to agree with "guns don't kill people, people kill people" theories. Don't waste your breathe speaking.

Another lump goes to whoever booked the musical acts at Londo Olympics, get real folks, who werer those acts. The Who and Sir Paul, but yech on the rest.

More coal lumps to Yunel Escobar and the idiots that let this kid go out and embarass the organistion.

Oh, and a reminder that Paul Beeston allowed him to continue to play and represent the team then sold off as fast as he could means he had  abest before date stamped on him.

Pine Cones to Mike and Luke for their dance of romance during game 1 of 162 in jubilation. Was not even the game winning hit, guys got the bromance going. Give em that.

A box of Turtles and a new sweater to Anthopolous for his impersonation of Pat Gillick, his Trader Pat ended his saga as Standing Pat, or Alex.  Marlin deal, Melky, then Dickey, netted us a rotation not based on Romero as the ace. Can anyone remember the crappy summer, not now.

I would like to give a bucket of coal to Bill O'Reilly at Fox, but the would burn and not care about pollution, and I would really like the Kardashians to just go away.

Since I cannot control those matters, let us leave with a hopes for a safe and wonderful Christmas, and a pennant in 2013.

The Death of Innocence

Today In Conneiticut, 27 souls were lost to an indiscrimenet shooter with no morals, and in the wink of an eye, a tragedy unfolded at what should be the happiest time of the calendar.

There is nothing that can be said that will make sense so why try.

In the coming days, we will hear about the victims, their parents, the shooter, his possible motivation, and who gives a crap.

27 souls lost, and so I ask , "how many does it take to change a moronic law "

How many must pay so dearly, how many families have to lose members, how many.

It is a loss, of innocence and perhaps today we don't have the right to call ourselves a civilised.

Life has go on, but for many, it goes on in fear and doubt.

A lot of stuff on my mind lately

So when I have a lot of stuff rattling around in my head, I tend to wait until,there is enough to justify a blog entry, so we have reashed the tipping point.

The annual winter meetings have kicked off in Nashville, and Dan Haren signed a 1 year $ 13 million deal with Washingto, pending a physical. If he does not past it, his options are limited. The Marlins are flogging Yunel Escobar to Oakland, who will in turn flog him around themselves. It's just what these teams do, hoping to get rich when the music stops.

No Zach or Josh signings, but give it another week, the Dodgers who have more money than God and could buy and sell the NHL are desparate for a major acquisition, and Grienke should be it, but our boy Zach is holding out, letting the bidding run it's course.

AA is in TwangTown picking up odds and sods, dropped a back up catcher, then grabbed another. Wilson out, Whiteside in. What does it mean, well he is a Ninja, but my eastern philosophies is a tad rusty, so I would appreciate some input.

Marvin Miller passed away last week, and will again be passed over for entry into the Hall, and that continues to be criminal. It is shameful the way that the game treats Miller and his legacy.

What else, of yeah, tis the season and all that, give generously this time of year, I see that Marco Scutaro is deciding on what offer of $ 8 million a year for 3 years he will play for. Shows you what happens when you get hot in Septemeber and October. People foget your April and May.

Are Jays dealing in Nashville, the local media would love another deal Alex, I mean Argos won the Grey Cup, so the CFL is done. There is no hockey, and by the looks of things the Raptors will be out by Christmas.  Jays need a few arms to join the bullpen for depth. We do not really expect Adam Lind to play first, or J.P. Arencibia to share time with John Buck, so something has to give.

The Yanks find out Arod needs another operation, so let me see, Yanks resigned a 37 year Kuroda, have 37 year Jeter rehabbing, a 42 year Mariano Rivera coming back and Arod has 2 hip operations. These are your fathers Yankees, add an aging Tiexera, ans Rafael Soriano & Nick Swisher departing, and you don't know what condition Michael Pineda is in, but I never count them out, but they clearly are the same group. but is early, and money can be spent.

Christmas is in 3 weeks, so go ahead and panic about shopping, especially to those who disdain shopping via the web.  The way society shops and does it's business has had that effect on the winter baseball meetings.
Trades are concluded over smart phones, tablets, from distant laptops in suishi bars.

One day the GM's will all sit behind large TV screens, that they can install in their offices, and can have inter actions with select GM's.   Mark my words, it's coming.

Shame, because I like the idea of 2 GM's sitting for a drink at the bar, writing out deals on a napkin.

Those days are gone, and for today, I am done.