PHOTO BY EDDIE MICHELS
DUNEDIN: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. waits his turn to hit
Category: Toronto Blue Jays
Ryu Hyun-jin heads to first spring training with Blue Jays
http://yna.kr/AEN20200202002400315
“I feel great. Things have been going smoothly so far,” Ryu told reporters at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. The left-hander threw off flat ground during his personal camp in Okinawa, Japan, last month.
YONHAP NEWS AGENCY
All Headlines 14:10 February 02, 2020S
INCHEON, Feb. 2 (Yonhap) — Toronto Blue Jays’ South Korean pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin left the country Sunday for his first spring training with his new club in a new state, confident in his ability to deliver the goods with a clean bill of health.
After spending seven years with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Ryu signed a four-year, US$80 million free agent deal with the Blue Jays in December. In 2019, Ryu, who led all of baseball with a 2.32 ERA, finished runner-up in the National League (NL) Cy Young Award voting.
As a Dodger, Ryu had his spring training in Glendale, Arizona. He’ll prepare for his first season with the Jays in Dunedin, Florida, with pitchers and catchers set to report by Feb. 12.
Ryu Hyun-jin of the Toronto Blue Jays speaks to reporters at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, on Feb. 2, 2020. (Yonhap)
Ryu said he’ll first spend about three days in Los Angeles to take care of some unfinished personal business and will arrive in Dunedin, on the west coast of Florida, a few days before the reporting date.
“I feel great. Things have been going smoothly so far,” Ryu told reporters at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. The left-hander threw off flat ground during his personal camp in Okinawa, Japan, last month.
“I’ll try to increase my velocity during spring training games,” Ryu added. “As long as I can stay healthy, I should be able to pitch well.”
Health has always been an issue for Ryu, who missed all of 2015 and then made only one start in 2016 with shoulder and elbow problems. Ryu has also been sidelined with injuries to his legs, groin, hip and neck.
Red Sox Legend David Ortiz Peels Back Curtain On Recovery From Shooting — NESN.com
David Ortiz endured several tough battles over the course of his 14-year career in Boston, they all pale in comparison to the one he took on this past summer. The Red Sox legend on June 9 was shot in the back in his native Dominican Republic. Ortiz promptly underwent a multi-hour surgery and was transferred…
Red Sox Legend David Ortiz Peels Back Curtain On Recovery From Shooting — NESN.com
Former White Sox employees charged in fraudulent ticket sales scheme — HardballTalk | NBC Sports
A pair of former White Sox employees allegedly funneled almost 35,000 tickets to an outside broker, who flipped them online for profit.
Former White Sox employees charged in fraudulent ticket sales scheme — HardballTalk | NBC Sports
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. fields grounders at minor-league complex
PHOTO BY EDDIE MICHELS
DUNEDIN RENOVATION UPDATE
— PHOTOGRAPHS AND TEXT PROVIDED BY EDDIE MICHELS —
The batters’ eye is being put in place on Sunday January, 26th at TD Ballpark in Dunedin, FL spring training home of the Toronto Blue Jays. The batters’ eye will have a four-stall rest room behind it for fans on the stadium’s walkway. Also one can notice a number of trees that have been planted outside the stadium’s fence. This is because Florida law requites that for every tree taken down two must be replanted on site. This has caused trees to be planted on the outside of the half field practice field behind the stadium’s right centre field fence.
Will the Blue Jays first spring training game just four weeks away as of Monday construction continues on the main gate of TD Ballpark at Grant Field in Dunedin. The photo shows the new walkway from the intersection of Douglas and Beltrees to the main gate through what used to be the stadium’s main parking lot. It has not been announced what parking will be available on site for games.
First 2017 Houston Astros player apologizes for sign-stealing scheme — Global News
Speaking Friday at the fan convention for the Chicago White Sox, who signed the left-hander to a $55.5 million, three-year contract in December, Dallas Keuchel said he felt what happened was blown out of proportion, but he was sorry. Continue reading →
First 2017 Houston Astros player apologizes for sign-stealing scheme — Global News.
DUNEDIN RENO: Exercise hill goes up
PHOTOS AND TEXT FROM EDDIE MICHELS
Constructed on the northeast side of the Blue Jays new minor-league complex and over a City of Dunedin landfill a new players exercise hill has been constructed. This one mound of dirt is about 2-2 1/2 times the height of the two exercise mounds at the Steinbrenner Field in Tampa.
Larry Walker Believed He’d ‘Come Up A Little Bit Short’ In HOF Voting — NESN.com
If anyone was convinced Larry Walker wasn’t going to get inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, it was Larry Walker. The former Canadian player spent 17 years in Major League Baseball between the then-Montreal Expos, Colorado Rockies and St. Louis Cardinals. Walker amassed 2,160 hits, 383 home runs and was a career .313…
Larry Walker Believed He’d ‘Come Up A Little Bit Short’ In HOF Voting — NESN.com
Free agent OF Ozuna, Braves reach $18 million, 1-year deal —
Free agent outfielder Marcell Ozuna and the Atlanta Braves have reached an $18 million, one-year deal
Free agent OF Ozuna, Braves reach $18 million, 1-year deal —
DUNEDIN: The new spring-training digs take shape.
Working on one of the pitching mounds.
PHOTOS BY EDDIE MICHELS
Whicker: No winners in Spyball scandal, not even the Dodgers — Press Telegram
The Houston Astros were not brought to justice. General manager Jeff Luhnow should have been exiled for five years. Their share of national TV revenue should have been revoked and reallocated among the other 29 clubs. They should have lost the entire 2020 and 2021 drafts, not just the first two picks. All their 2020…
Whicker: No winners in Spyball scandal, not even the Dodgers — Press Telegram
By MARK WHICKER | mwhicker@scng.com | Daily NewsPUBLISHED: January 20, 2020 at 2:26 pm | UPDATED: January 20, 2020 at 2:26 pm
The Houston Astros were not brought to justice.
General manager Jeff Luhnow should have been exiled for five years. Their share of national TV revenue should have been revoked and reallocated among the other 29 clubs. They should have lost the entire 2020 and 2021 drafts, not just the first two picks.
All their 2020 games against the Angels should be canceled.
Okay, too harsh.
Given all that, spare us the petitions on behalf of the Dodgers.
They did not lose the 2017 and 2018 World Series because Alex Cora was sitting in the other dugout with his two-way wristwatch, autographed by Dick Tracy.
They began losing Game 5 in 2017 because they felt it was important to pitch Brandon Morrow into puddling exhaustion, and then because Kenley Jansen walked a batter and hit another before Alex Bregman’s game-winning single.
The view from left field 