News » and hoping Im makin

The Blue Jays bullpen is going to have a distinctly different look in 2015 after the drop off the group experienced this year. GM Alex Anthopoulos fingered the pen as a significant factor in the club missing the post-season by five games. He said if the relievers had just performed at the Major League average, the Jays likely would have beaten out Oakland for that second Wild Card position. Its almost a guarantee that Casey Janssen wont be back as the closer next season. After all, he is a free agent and the Jays so far have shown no inclination to re-sign him. Casey never was the prototypical closer. He got by more on stealth and pinpoint control than power. But over the past three seasons, he racked up 81 of his 90 career saves, good for fourth all-time on the Jays list. It was only a year ago he had his best season, saving 34 of 36 chances. But closers can be great and lose it just like that as Oakland found out with Jim Johnson this year and Tampa Bay learned with Grant Balfour, two free agent signings that didnt exactly work out. Aaron Sanchez, who was so effective down the stretch in a set-up role with a couple of saves thrown in, could emerge as the closer next spring. However, its a better bet that he winds up in the starting rotation. Before Janssen, the last home grown starter I can remember who morphed into a closer was Billy Koch. They drafted the flame-throwing righthander in the first round of the June draft fourth overall in 1996. He pitched in A ball at Dunedin in 1997 and 1998 as a starter and impressed with his velocity but struggled at times with his control and his composure on the mound. After making five starts at Syracuse in 1999, Koch was called up to the Blue Jays and immediately thrust into the role of closer, largely because of his ability to hit 100 miles per hour on the gun. Koch had a solid three-year run as the Blue Jays bullpen stopper, racking up 100 saves in 117 chances, good for the third spot on the Jays list. After the 2001 season, incoming GM J.P. Ricciardi dealt him to Oakland for 3rd baseman and now Cubs coach Eric Hinske, who would go on to be the American League Rookie of the Year in 2002. The As benefited from that deal as well. Koch racked up 44 saves in 2002 for the playoff-bound As and put up an (11-4) record. Unfortunately, that season proved to be his undoing. Koch was burnt out by the playoffs and gave up a decisive home run to the Twins A.J Pierzynski in the deciding game of that series with Minnesota. Koch was never the same and bounced around from the As to the White Sox and then the Marlins before finally being released by the Blue Jays in spring training of 2005 after just four Grapefruit League appearances. He didnt pitch in another Major League game after 2004 at age 30. The point being of course, the Blue Jays want a longer career out of Sanchez, not just the sort of flame-out career that often becomes the lot of a closer. If the Blue Jays are going to look for an experienced veteran closer, there are a couple of interesting names who are going to be on the market shortly as free agents, including Jason Motte of the Cardinals and Sergio Romo of the Giants. Motte, whos 32, has now saved 42 games for the Cardinals when they won the World Series. Then the following year, he underwent Tommy John surgery on his elbow. Motte made $7.5 million this season and the Cards let him walk since they seem to have settled on Trevor Rosenthal as their closer. Romo, whos 31, has dropped off a bit this season, but still has 75 of his career 78 saves in the past three years. He made 5.5 million this season and, like Motte, is a free agent. He also has a wicked slider as an out pitch. If the Jays go the internal route, lefty Brett Cecil might be the best bet. Division Series Picks After lucking out in the Wild Card games and going 2 for 2, I might as well give you my picks for the Division Series. In the American, though Id love to see Kansas City win, Im picking the Angels in four games. In the other series Baltimore in five over Detroit. In the National League, the Dodgers over St. Louis in four and Washington to beat the Giants in four. Id still love to see San Francisco win though, just to see them play the Dodgers in a seven-game series for the first time ever. Jays Streak A strange and unusual Blue Jays streak that I had totally forgotten about: over a stretch of 614 games starting on October 4th of 1980, the Blue Jays did not get a single victory from a lefthanded starting pitcher. Jimmy Key finally ended the streak on May 1st of 1985. This season, southpaws Mark Buehrle and J.A. Happ won 24 between them. Go figure. Authentic Seattle Seahawks Jerseys . The Sioux Falls Canaries scored two in the seventh and three more in the eighth to come back from a 3-0 deficit and defeat the Winnipeg Goldeyes 5-3 in front of 6,769 at Shaw Park on Sunday afternoon. Custom Seahawks Jerseys .com) - John Wall supplied 24 points and 11 assists in leading the Washington Wizards to a 102-91 win over the New York Knicks on Christmas Day. http://www.cheapseahawks.com/. But back-up Peter Budaj has put up two wins and an overtime loss while starting three games in four nights since Price went down with a suspected groin injury. Discount Seattle Seahawks Jerseys . A veteran of 16 NHL seasons, Prospals career was highlighted by him ranking fourth in points scored, third in assists and sixth in games played among all Czech Republic born players in NHL history. Seattle Seahawks Jerseys Outlet . -- LaMarcus Aldridge returned to the Trail Blazers lineup, happy to know that things didnt go awry without him. TORONTO -- Mark Casse finally has his first Queens Plate victory. Filly Lexie Lou captured the $1-million race Sunday at Woodbine Racetrack, giving the six-time Sovereign Award winner as Canadas top trainer his first Plate win. The 53-year-old American came close in 2011, finishing second to Inglorious with Hippolytus, but admitted becoming emotional after Lexie Lou crossed the finish line 1 1/2-lengths ahead of runner-up Amis Holiday, a 9-1 longshot. "My son, Colby, just started crying afterwards and to see it mean that much to him got me crying," said Casse, a 34-year racing veteran. "There was a lot of crying . . . I think I wouldve been OK had Colby not started crying. "When all youve done your entire life is been around race horses . . . I really dont know anything else. Ive been following the Queens Plate since I was a little boy and so to finally win it, I just pinch myself. I thought wed win it sooner or later. I knew I wasnt going to give up." The daughter of Sligo Bay-Oneexcessivenite served notice in the Woodbine Oaks on June 15 that she was indeed a Plate contender. Lexie Lou earned a comfortable 4 1/2-length win and covered the 1 1/8-mile distance in 1:49.77, a full second faster than We Miss Arties winning time in the Plate Trial a race earlier. Breaking from the No. 14 post in the 15-horse field, Lexie Lou sat comfortably in ninth at the halfway point before steadily working up the field. She sat second behind Asserting Bear after a mile before surging into the lead, then holding off Amis Holiday to finish the 1 1/4-mile race on Woodbines polytrack in 2:03.94. "I think a lot of times theres too much preparation, too much training and we did very little with her," Casse said. "After the Oaks we sent her out to our farm, which is about an hour north of here, and let her eat grass. "When I saw her in the paddock today walking around with not a care in the world, I said to my wife, Shes going to be really really tough, because the first time we ran her she was kind of nervous. But not today." Asserting Bear finished third ahead of We Miss Artie, the 9/5 favourite who rallied to take fourth after a terrible start. The remainder of the field included: Niigon Express; Lions Bay; Matador; Heart to Heart; Coltimus Prime; Athenian Guard; Cap in Hand; One Destiny; Man o Bear; Tower of Texas; and Majestic Sunset. Lexie Lou paid $8.20, $4.50 and $3.30 while Amis Holiday returned $9.70 and $5.80. Asserting Bear paid $6. Jockey Patrick Husbands earned his second career Plate win but first since 03 when he guidedd Wando to a Triple Crown, the last horse to register that achievement.dddddddddddd But the victory was almost anti-climatic for the veteran rider. "I breezed this filly Saturday and when I pulled her up I started crying because I couldnt believe I had another Queens Plate winner," Husbands said. "On the way back to the barn I told the assistant, Could you tell Mark I dont think they will beat this filly. "I went back to my car, I called Barbados and told everybody Im coming home to celebrate. Im on the flight (Sunday night) to Barbados to celebrate (Monday)." Javier Castellano, We Miss Arties jockey, said the poor start cost his horse the race. "I think with the big field my horse got a little nervous in the gate, he completely sat down behind the gate," Castellano said. "Thats why he broke straight in the air . . . it took a lot out of him. "He was too far behind. I lost a lot of ground going around horses." Jockey Luis Contreras had no such complaints about his trip or Amis Holiday starting from the No. 15 post. "We didnt need to be on the lead and I could see all the horses from the outside position," he said. "My horse gave a tremendous kick and we almost got there." Chantal Sutherland-Kruse, the jockey aboard Asserting Bear, said Lexie Lou was a deserving winner. "We did our best but Lexie Lou was just powerful," she said. The victory was the fifth in 12 career starts for Lexie Lou, with the $600,000 winners share boosting her all-time earnings past $1.2 million. Last year, Lexie Lou ran for owner-trainer John Ross, earning more than $300,000. But after her first start this year, Ross sold the filly to Gary Barber, the chairman and CEO of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). "I dont buy horses thinking Im going to win the Oaks," Casse said. "I buy them just thinking and hoping Im making a good buy and can make it work and sometimes funny things happen. "John Ross did a wonderful job with her, she came to us in great shape and we couldnt have done it without him. We were just in the right place at the right time and got lucky." Casse was non-commital about Lexie Lou running July 29 in the $500,000 Prince of Wales Stakes, the second jewel of the Canadian Triple Crown at Fort Erie Racetrack. "A third race in a short time and, of course, a surface shes never been over," Casse said. "Well see, we could go there. "Gary is from California and they have synthetic there and it wouldnt shock me if she ends up in California." Cheap Buffalo Sabres Gear Wholesale Calgary Flames Jerseys Cheap Adidas Colorado Avalanche Jerseys Montreal Canadiens Outlet Store Wholesale New Jersey Devils Jerseys Adidas Arizona Coyotes Jerseys Cheap Adidas Boston Bruins Jerseys Cheap Adidas Carolina Hurricanes Jerseys Chicago Blackhawks Shop Free Shipping Wholesale Columbus Blue Jackets Jerseys Dallas Stars Shop Free Shipping Cheap Adidas Detroit Red Wings Jerseys Anaheim Ducks Jerseys China Wholesale Edmonton Oilers Jerseys Florida Panthers Shop Free Shipping Wholesale Los Angeles Kings Jerseys Minnesota Wild Outlet Store Cheap Adidas Nashville Predators Jerseys Cheap Adidas New York Islanders Jerseys New York Rangers Winter Classic Jerseys Cheap Adidas Ottawa Senators Jerseys Cheap Adidas Philadelphia Flyers Jerseys Wholesale Pittsburgh Penguins Jerseys Cheap Adidas San Jose Sharks Jerseys St. Louis Blues Winter Classic Jerseys Wholesale Tampa Bay Lightning Jerseys Toronto Maple Leafs Outlet Store Vancouver Canucks Outlet Store Cheap Adidas Vegas Golden Knights Jerseys Cheap Adidas Washington Capitals Jerseys Cheap Adidas Winnipeg Jets Jerseys ' ' '