With Jays' Successful Youth Movement Fans Now Returning To..

For today's impressive Jays' win over Oakland (13-5) there were about 29.000
fans
in attendance. That is impressive considering that it is late in the season
and
the Jays are a last place team well out of contention.

Today the Jays' rookies really came through. Gabe Gross had a grandslam
homerun,
Russ Adams hit his first homer and was on base four times. He also played a
good
defensive game at short stop. Alexis Rios continues to hit near the .300
mark and had
a couple of hits today. Guillermo Quiroz called /caught an excellent game
and although
he went 0 for 4, he hit the ball hard during most at bats. Eric Crozier,
replacing Delagado
defensively in the 9th inning made an outstanding catch of a foul ball.

So things are looking much brighter for the Jays next year. Both Kevin Cash
and Quiroz
are already excellent defensive catchers and look like they can hit. Cash
hit a home run in yesterday's game.
The Jays seem set in the outfield with Wells, Gross, Rios and Reed Johnson,
all four-tool outfielders
who can be expected to hit. Potentially they are one of MLB's best
outfields.

Aaron Hill, now playing for New Hampshire, looks ready for the big club. As
a middle infielder
he is leading NH in rbis (90). Next year he would probably be ready to back
up Eric Hinke
at third or Russ Adams at SS.

Crozier is an impressive looking ballplayer. He seems ready to take over
first base for Delgado.
Orlando Hudson is now one of the premier fielding second basemen in MLB and
can hit pretty well.
So the Jays for next year are set for position players but still have a
closer problem. There is talent in the
bullpen, but that very important overpowering closer is still no where in
sight. Perhaps he is there
yet undiscovered in the farm system, which has a few very impressive arms,
or J.P Ricciardi will
have to visit the free agent market in the off season.

But however this turns out, Ricciardi's strategy now seems to be working.
And the rise is Jays'
attendance this year would appear to indicate that the fans sense that good
things are about to happen.

maybe JP isn't that bad after all. what happened to the 3rd baseman
prospect we picked up from Boston?
Frank

On Sun, 05 Sep 2004 23:54:38 GMT, "Anonymous" <anonymous.DeleteThis@dizum.com>
wrote:

>For today's impressive Jays' win over Oakland (13-5) there were about 29.000
>fans
>in attendance. That is impressive considering that it is late in the season
>and
>the Jays are a last place team well out of contention.
>
>Today the Jays' rookies really came through. Gabe Gross had a grandslam
>homerun,
>Russ Adams hit his first homer and was on base four times. He also played a
>good
>defensive game at short stop. Alexis Rios continues to hit near the .300
>mark and had
>a couple of hits today. Guillermo Quiroz called /caught an excellent game
>and although
>he went 0 for 4, he hit the ball hard during most at bats. Eric Crozier,
>replacing Delagado
>defensively in the 9th inning made an outstanding catch of a foul ball.
>
>So things are looking much brighter for the Jays next year. Both Kevin Cash
>and Quiroz
>are already excellent defensive catchers and look like they can hit. Cash
>hit a home run in yesterday's game.
>The Jays seem set in the outfield with Wells, Gross, Rios and Reed Johnson,
>all four-tool outfielders
>who can be expected to hit. Potentially they are one of MLB's best
>outfields.
>
>Aaron Hill, now playing for New Hampshire, looks ready for the big club. As
>a middle infielder
>he is leading NH in rbis (90). Next year he would probably be ready to back
>up Eric Hinke
>at third or Russ Adams at SS.
>
>Crozier is an impressive looking ballplayer. He seems ready to take over
>first base for Delgado.
>Orlando Hudson is now one of the premier fielding second basemen in MLB and
>can hit pretty well.
>So the Jays for next year are set for position players but still have a
>closer problem. There is talent in the
>bullpen, but that very important overpowering closer is still no where in
>sight. Perhaps he is there
>yet undiscovered in the farm system, which has a few very impressive arms,
>or J.P Ricciardi will
>have to visit the free agent market in the off season.
>
>But however this turns out, Ricciardi's strategy now seems to be working.
>And the rise is Jays'
>attendance this year would appear to indicate that the fans sense that good
>things are about to happen.
>
>