I’ve been to the spring training home of the Toronto Blue Jays – Dunedin, Florida – on eight nine occasions. In the early days, I did as much research as I possibly could to get the most out of the trip. During this process I encountered plenty of bad advice and misinformation from both sports writers and fans alike. As a result, I’ve compiled this living document to give our readers an always-current snapshot of what the Dunedin area has to offer.

In addition to this guide, I’ve documented three previous trips to Dunedin (before I stopped blogging during my trips and learned to enjoy myself) on this site. If you’re so inclined, you can read about them here. Now on to the guide!

Dunedin, Florida

Dunedin was settled in the mid-19th century by Scottish immigrants. In 1878, Scottish merchants J.O. Douglas and James Somerville petitioned to have the town called Dunedin, which is the Scots Gaelic name for Edinburgh. The town was incorporated in 1899.

Dunedin is the former home of the Professional Golfer’s of America (PGA), and has been the one and only spring training home of the Toronto Blue Jays since 1977. Currently, Dunedin is a vibrant city of 36,381 (based on U.S. Census bureau data from 2019) within the Tampa Bay metropolitan area. The Pinellas Trail, a jogging and biking path that extends the length of the county, runs through a quaint downtown filled with shops, restaurants, and businesses. The city, which has been designated a Tree City USA, has many parks and natural areas (featuring the 90-acre Hammock Park nature preserve) with stately live oaks and towering pines. The city-owned marina and Edgewater Park are adjacent to the downtown and great spots to see the sunset. Two of the United States’ finest beaches, Caladesi Island State Park (named America’s best beach in 2008) and Honeymoon Island State Park, are located within Dunedin city limits.

When it comes to describing Dunedin’s vibe, The Globe & Mail‘s Robert McLeod says it best:

Described by one long-time resident as being like “Mayberry with a twist,” Dunedin is laid back and a little hippie-dippy, certainly not your typical conservative small town. – Keeping the Blue Jays’ annual coastal migration to Dunedin, March 3, 2015

Dunedin also plays host to the Blue Jays’ low-A minor league affiliate: the Dunedin Blue Jays of the Low-A Southeast league, formerly the Florida State League. TD Ballpark, the current name of the Blue Jays’ spring training ballpark, is situated next to the Dunedin Public Library, just a few blocks south of the downtown core on Douglas Avenue. TD Ballpark was built in 1990 as a replacement for Grant Field, the Blue Jays’ original spring training ballpark, known for its notoriously rickety wooden grandstand. Grant Field was built in 1930 and had a seating capacity of 3,417. The newly renovated TD Ballpark, opened for spring training in 2020, has a capacity of 8.500 with 6,500 fixed seats. Dunedin is among the smallest spring training destinations in the state of Florida.

The Toronto Blue Jays warm up prior to a March 1977 game at Grant Field in Dunedin, Florida. Photo credit: Karl E. Holland.

The Toronto Blue Jays’ inaugural spring training schedule.

As mentioned previously, the name Dunedin comes from the words Dùn Èideann – the Scots Gaelic term for Scotland’s capital city, Edinburgh. You can tell there is a great deal of Scottish influence here, with street names such as Douglas, Scotland, Aberdeen, Highland, and Sky Loch. Dunedin has maintained and embraced its Scottish roots; evidence of this heritage can be seen all over town. Often the sound of bagpipe music can be heard throughout the city. Once a year, Scottish clans descend upon the city for the Dunedin Highland Games. Beginning in October of this year (2019) bagpipers will “pipe in” the sunset at Dunedin’s beautiful marina pier.

To get to Dunedin from wherever you may be, you’ll likely want to land in Tampa International Airport. From there it’s a straight shot across the Courtney Campbell Causeway – a picturesque 30-minute drive. Toronto Blue Jays beat writer Richard Griffin said it best in his article Spring arrives in baseball’s circle of life:

Recently retired Star colleague and long-time Jays beat reporter Al Ryan would talk about how he got emotional every time he landed in Tampa for his first day covering the Jays. For Ryan, the act of crossing the Courtney Campbell Causeway for the first time each spring would define the end of one year of life and the beginning of another. The previous year would flash before him in great detail – clearly making it more of an adventure in driving for Ryan than it usually was.

The act of crossing the Courtney Campbell Causeway is indeed a rite of passage for Jays fans who routinely make the pilgrimage to spring training.

The Courtney Campbell Causeway. Image courtesy of Celebrations Tampa Bay. 

The first piece of misinformation – and most common fake news story – is that fans shouldn’t stay in Dunedin itself because the downtown core “pretty much shuts down around 7:00 p.m.” This is patently false. Not only does Dunedin not shut down in the evenings (more on that later), it has a really fun and eclectic downtown. If you can, try to stay within walking distance of the stadium. There’s nothing worse than spending an afternoon at the ballpark and not being able to have a few cold ones because you have a 40-minute drive back to St. Petersburg in front of you. There’s also many events that take place within the Dunedin core: the annual Beer Fest at Edgewater Park, the Dunedin Downtown Market, pub crawls, the Highland Games (and impromptu pipe band performances), Mutt Madness, live music, and an epic St. Patrick’s Day street party.

With that in mind, there are some great bars and restaurants within walking distance of TD Ballpark. They are perfect for a post-game beer (or more) before heading for dinner. Here’s a quick-and-dirty rundown of the usual suspects:

Where to drink in Dunedin

Bars

• Rosie’s Tavern: Named after the owner’s late Beagle, Rosie’s is tucked behind a complex of art galleries on Broadway. Rosie’s has consistently solid live music and is, of course, dog friendly. Rosie’s portrait can be found on the wall along with many furry frequent customers. For a more in-depth review of Rosie’s, have a look at this article in the Tampa Bay Times.
• The Crown & Bull: Formerly known as Kelly’s Chic-a-Boom Room, “The Crown” is located on Main Street in Dunedin. It’s a popular spot for post-game happy hour beers on their expansive, covered patio. Cheap Yeunglings are always on tap. The decor pays homage to historic landmarks in Dunedin, and still serves the incredible breakfast that Kelly’s was known for.  The Crown & Bull’s logo features an image of a bulldog – it’s actually the owner’s own dog – and is representative of Dunedin’s fun-loving and dog-friendly atmosphere. The new menu is focused on local, responsibly sourced, fresh ingredients. In addition to the focus on the fresh, wholesome dining experience, Crown and Bull will now serve food until 1:00 a.m. and will have live music seven days a week. Be sure to try the bloody mary bar.
• Blur: For all you club-goers out there, this is the place to to get your dance-on. Yes, it’s open after 7:00 p.m.! But it’s really only busy on Friday and Saturday nights. It’s the place to go for karaoke and very popular drag queen nights.
• Skip’s Bar:  Skip’s is a dive, but a nice dive.  The patio can get quite busy and Skip can be seen selling $1 hot dogs before home games. Dog friendly.
• Bauser’s: You’ll find Bauser’s on Douglas Avenue: a hop, step, trip, and fall away from the ballpark. Bauser’s is famous for offering parking that comes with a coupon for a free beer on game days. Two years ago it was a hard sell; last year it was wildly popular. The place is dark, dank, and a little bit dirty. The beers are cheap and people have a great time. It’s the bar to go to if you’re not looking for anything too snooty.
• Marker 8: You’ll find this waterfront tiki bar within the confines of the Beso del Sol resort on Bayshore Blvd/Alt-19. The bar is known for its free sunset rum shots and 2:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. happy “hour.” It’s a 15-20 minute walk from downtown Dunedin, but definitely worth it. The bar also manages to book renowned bands that deliver exceptional live music. This year’s lineup included the ‘Black Honkeys,’ a band with a notoriously devoted following.
• High & Dry Grill: The High & Dry Grill is basically a tiki hut parked on the beach in the middle of the Dunedin Causeway. It’s a great spot to sip cocktails and look out onto the bay. If you’re lucky, you might even get to see some dolphins.

The view from High & Dry Grill. Photo credit: Callum Hughson/mopupduty.com

• Flanagan’s: Flanagan’s used to be just another ~Irish Pub~. The bar is now under new ownership and has been extensively refreshed; you can actually see what the floor looks like now that the layer of grunge has been cleaned away. There’s live music nearly every day and it’s the place to be in Dunedin for St. Patrick’s Day.
• In The Loop:  Located in the parking loop in front of the Best Western Yacht Harbour Inn, this bar is great for sunsets if you can get a seat before hotel guests begin camping out. In The Loop is a refuge for fans of Jimmy Buffett and Bob Marley.
• Hifi Rooftop Bar: Dunedin’s 2nd rooftop patio, located in the renovated Fenway Hotel with great sunset views across the intracoastal waterway to Caladesi Island.
• Clear Sky Draft Haus: Located at the intersection of Main St. and Skinner Blvd., Clear Sky has high-end pub fare and 37 craft beers on tap. Every spring, the choices include at least two Canadian selections. Grab a brew and a Cuban sandwich (or the Monster grilled cheese, a favourite) beforehand, and you won’t need a hot dog at the ball game.
• Reboot Arcade & Bar: Located a block north of Rosie’s on Scotland Street, Reboot is “Dunedin’s very first virtual reality arcade bar and Tampa Bay’s only bar exclusively devoted to modern console gaming, including 16 flat screen TVs, Xbox One gaming systems, PlayStation 4 games, Old School Pinball and Arcade Games.” Early and I came here around 2:00 a.m. on a Thursday morning to play the original SNK game Baseball Stars and had a great time. When all other bars are closed, Reboot is your only option. They also have board games and an extensive beer list.
• Sonder Social Club: Dunedin’s first craft cocktail bar, Sonder Social Club is located across the street from Dunedin Brewery, close to the Pinellas Trail. Like Reboot, SSC is open until 3:00 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights. The cocktails – both alcoholic and non-alcoholic – are inspired and thoughtful. I recommend the coconut-washed boulevardier, artisanal sangria, and the born in Bombay. Don’t sleep on the baby beef wellingtons. Happy hour (select cocktails for $6 and $6 wines!) is 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. and all day Sunday.

Wine Bars

• Stirling Wine: Established in 2005, Stirling Wine features boutique wines from around the world. You can sit on their covered patio with some of the best Main Street views for unsurpassed people watching. Live music is common in the evenings, making Stirling is a very popular weekend destination.
• Cork & Beans Coffee House & Wine Lounge: This pet-friendly wine bar and coffee shop offers heavy pours of wine during happy hour.

Microbreweries

Dunedin has more craft breweries per capita than anywhere else in the world – at least it sure seems like it. Here are Dunedin’s seven best, and they’re all within close proximity of each other.

• Caledonia Brewing: Caledonia embraces Dunedin’s Scottish roots: Caledonia was the name given to Scotland by the Romans and is a nod to the local Scottish heritage in Dunedin. The brewery uses Scotland’s National Animal, the unicorn, in their logo and decor as well as the Scottish flag, The Saltire. They also host The Dunedin Chapter of the New World Celts monthly. They have 19 rotating beers, along with guest taps and wine. Rumour has it the Jolley Trolley has direct route from the brewery to the ballpark during spring training.
• 7venth Sun Brewing Company: While the facility itself is much more austere than Dunedin Brewery, the beer is decidedly better and the brew-masters take some fun risks, like the yuzu lager. The patio is a line of chairs in a gravel parking lot. I’m certainly not too stuck up for it.
• Dunedin House of Beer: The Dunedin HOB is home to some of the most awful, rancid, foul smelling beer I’ve ever come across. Pro tip: stay away from the Norwegian Wood. While HOB used to focus on ales and IPAs, they’ve gradually added a few drinkable, lighter lagers to their menu. This place can get messy pretty quickly.
• Dunedin Brewery: Located just off the Pinellas Trail in downtown Dunedin, this brewery is the oldest microbrewery in the state of Florida. Blue Jays fans seem to worship this place. The beer ranges from awful to above average, though there is a wide selection. They do have some solid live music from time to time, but you’ll have trouble getting in if the band is good. Bonus points for having a dog-friendly patio.
• Cueni Brewing Co.: A newcomer to Dunedin’s microbrewery scene, Cueni opened in 2016 with a focus on IPAs and Belgians. Pronounced “Q-Knee,” the brewery was brewing a peanut butter and jam sandwich beer when I was there last. For those of you who prefer lagers (like me), try the English golden ale.  It combines English yeast with Czech malt and the U.S. hops to produce a refreshing, faux lager. Cueni is only open until 10:00 p.m. on weeknights, so plan your brew crawls accordingly.
• Soggy Bottom Brewing Co.: Soggy Bottom Brewing Company was founded by three friends with a passion for craft beer who wanted to become involved with the industry. In 2017 Soggy Bottom was born, serving a variety of in-house brewed beers with wine on tap and ciders for those who are gluten intolerant. Expect heavy beers – lots of porters, stouts, and brown ales.
• Woodwright Brewing Co.: Before Woodwright opened, it was the showroom for the Dunedin Woodwright, a custom woodworking shop that had been in business for over 20 years. The Dunedin Woodwright still operates next door, but the showroom is now a small, two-barrel brewery and tasting room. From the worn building, to the car-free lot, to the big wooden door with stained glass, the place feels like it comes from a different era. Woodwright specializes in European styles: golden ale, hefeweizen, English pale, amber ale and so on. Woodwright is only open Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. I found this out the hard way.

The Dunedin brew-pub crawl

With seven craft breweries within walking distance of downtown (and 20 minutes of the stadium), the small city of Dunedin has been gaining a stellar reputation among craft beer aficionados. The perfect post-game pub crawl can be had in downtown Dunedin with seven microbreweries in close proximity of each other. I’ve taken the liberty of creating the ideal route. It includes the usual suspects listed above (Caledonia, 7venth Sun, Cueni, Soggy Bottom, Dunedin Brewery, Dunedin House of Beer, and Woodwright). It also includes Rusty Lyon’s rooftop patio for a little fresh air.

Dunedin, which has a population of roughly 36,000, boasts seven craft breweries in a 1.5-kilometre radius in its downtown core, and they’re all within a 20-minute walk to TD Ballpark.

“Having that many breweries within walking distance isn’t common,” said Jon Cueni, who owns Cueni Brewing Co. (which specializes in Belgian-style beer) with his wife, Bren. “We get a lot of what I call local tourists, people who live an hour away, two hours away, and they come here because they know they can walk to seven breweries in a day.

“Plus there’s always something going on in Dunedin — arts festivals, baseball, lots of restaurants — so it’s a great place to get away and grab a beer or two.”

– Blue Jays and craft beer in Dunedin, February 26, 2019

Click here to download the map, if you’re so inclined. Please be responsible when enjoying the “Gulp Coast.”

Where to eat in Dunedin

• Home Plate On The Trail: Serving only breakfast, Home Plate is located directly across the street from TD Ballpark. Home Plate fills up with both fans and baseball writers looking for breakfast before batting practice on game days. Unlimited refills!
• Marguerite’s Cafe: One block north of TD Ballpark is Marguerite’s, a cafe serving both breakfast and lunch for 12 years. Marguerite’s offers both indoor and outdoor dining options, with fresh, innovative salads always on the menu. Beware: portion sizes are huge! They will even prepare a special picnic lunch for two, by request. A great option for Weaver Park, Hammock Park, or a trip to either Caladesi or Honeymoon Island (more on these two islands further down the post).
• Casa Tina’s: Exceptional Mexican food & drinks. Before it was sold in Canada, I used to come here and zero-in on one of my favourite beers, Modelo Especial. Now that Modelo Especial is available at the LCBO, I recommend trying the home-made aguafrescas on offer, such as the hibiscus-flavoured Jamaica and Horchata (both are supposed hangover cures). Of course, don’t miss their margaritas. All items on the menu are amazing, especially the Cochinita Pibil. The salsa/pico de gallo that comes with home made tortilla chips is extraordinarily fresh. The elotes are also very strong. Patio seating is available and the staff are super friendly.
• Bon Appetit: This restaurant is located in the Best Western Yacht Harbour beside the pier at Dunedin Marina. The menu is old-school and a little bit pricier, but the view of the water can’t be beat. Voted “Tampa Bay’s Best Waterfront Restaurant.”
• Sea Sea Riders: Average to above-average seafood, depending on the day. The wrap-around patio is great on a hot summer night with a breeze blowing in off the water. Renovated this year, Sea Sea Riders features a new menu focused on locally-caught seafood.
• Los Amigos Dos: It doesn’t get any more authentically Mexican than this place. Located 1.5km directly east of the Florida Auto Exchange Stadium, Los Amigos Dos is a Mexican restaurant and market that serves tasty tortas, tacos, quesadillas, huevos rancheros, tamales, chilaquiles, chiles rellenos, and other Mexican favourites. Everything on the menu is also very affordable. The market sells Mexican pantry items, snacks, spices, dried chilis, and fresh fruits and vegetables. They also have soft drinks imported directly from Mexico; they are made with real sugar instead of high-fructose corn syrup. Apparently they taste much better and have acquired a cult-like following. All the big names are here: Jarritos, Mexican Coke, Fanta (both orange and strawberry flavours), Mirinda, Squirt, and others. The best part is that they carry a wide variety of hard-to-find Mexican beers, including my favourite in the whole world, Superior. I’ve looked for years for it, but only now have I been able to find a place that sells it. Mil gracias, Los Amigos Dos.
  
• El Huarache Azteca #2: This place is an actual hole in a wall beside a gas station. But don’t be scurrrred. The food is amazing! This is real, authentic Mexican – not the typical Americanized excuse for Mexican food which is common in Florida. Mexican beer is served ice cold and the margaritas are delicious. Try the traditional Mexican dish machaca at breakfast. They’ll serve you a cold Pacifico with it even if it’s 10:00 a.m., they don’t care.
• Olde Bay Cafe & Dunedin Fish Market: My favourite place to sit and have a drink while watching the sunset over the harbour. OBC, as some of the locals refer to it, has the freshest fish, a terrific beer selection and an eclectic crowd. The fish is never fried – it’s seared on a cast-iron skillet and finished in the oven. It’s so dog-friendly here that dogs get served bowls of water and snacks before their owners are able to order. 14/10 dogs would come back again.
• Hog Island Fish Camp: Hog Island Fish Camp is the sister restaurant to the Olde Bay Cafe and is a five minute walk north of Main Street on Broadway. This is a new addition to the list; the restaurant just opened in October of 2016. If Olde Bay Cafe is filled up, give this place a try – there’s more space, the fish is just as good, and there is a wider menu selection. The hog fish and sea bass are exceptional.
• The Living Room: An upscale dining option on the Main Street of Dunedin. While the environment is more refined than casual, the restaurant is still dog-friendly. For $7 they’ll bring your dog a bowl of grilled salmon with rice, or chicken and green beans. The menu is innovative and the food is delicious. The crispy brussels sprouts are addictive.
• The Black Pearl: Described as “French and New American Cuisine,” The Black Pearl is ideal when you’re in the mood for suspenders, cane, monacle, top hat fancy. All the staples are here: foie gras, black truffle, escargot, Chilean sea bass. Avoid The Black Pearl’s signature ice cream unless you’re a sadist. It’s intense black licorice.

• Eli’s: This BBQ shack on the side of the road is open only Fridays and Saturdays, but oh what a shack it is. You can find it at 360 Skinner Road. It’s now run by Eli’s son, as Eli the original passed away a few years ago. ESPN’s Keith Law has been raving about it for years. Eli’s son serves free food all day every Martin Luther King Day.
• Happy’s Bayou Bites: Down the street from Eli’s, you’ll find a small wooden shack that, according to the rumour mill, serves up the best hushpuppies ever. “Happy’s hour” starts at 3:00 p.m.; picnic table seating only.
• The HONU: I have a special place in my heart for sea turtles, and so does the HONU (Hawaiian for turtle). Owned by the same people responsible for Dunedin’s popular Charlie Tulum’s taco truck, the HONU bills itself as a “Lei’d back cafe.” The menu features Hawaiian favourites such as poke, musubi, mahi mahi, and even macacadmia nut ice cream. All meals can be made vegetarian or vegan-friendly. In addition, there’s a doggie dining menu. Their poke might be the best I’ve ever had, and they have a new outdoor tiki bar to satisfy all of your tiki needs.
• Dunedin Smokehouse: When I’m in Florida I try to gorge on things I can’t easily get in Canada – mostly fresh fish from the Gulf. And where I live in Canada, BBQ is available everywhere. But seafood isn’t for everyone, and if you’re one of those people, Dunedin Smokehouse is definitely the place for you. Pulled pork, brisket, ribs, corned beef, and sausages are all on the menu here, and the sides are just as outstanding – especially the jalapeño cornbread and smoked gouda mac and cheese. Outdoor fire-side dining is also available. If you really want to be gluttonous, try the “Phat” Pig Combo. You get to choose four meats and two sides, though you’ll find the standout is always the slow-smoked St. Louis ribs.
• Lucky Lobster: Another new addition to Dunedin, Lucky Lobster mercifully takes the place of the old “Jolly Mon” alongside the Pinellas Trail. Sad to say, I’m allergic to crustaceans: shrimp, crab, and lobster so I can’t vouch for Lucky Lobster. But I can say it’s clean and bright with an attractive decor and patio seating. They serve Maine lobster, if that means anything to you.
• Carvor’s Fish House: The newest addition to Jensen Brothers Seafood, Carvor’s serves the freshest fish and seafood with daily specials served 11:00 a.m.– 3:00 p.m. Highly recommended. Watch for Big George the stork, who likes to creep around the seafood market looking for handouts. Directly across the street from Sonder Social Club and a few steps away from Dunedin Brewery.
• Taco Baby: Formerly an ATM on Main Street, Taco Baby is the smallest taqueria in all of Florida. When I went, it was shortly after it opened. There were three varieties available: al pastor, chicken tinga, and jackfruit pibil for the vegetarians. The tacos weren’t great but they weren’t bad either – I’d like to give them a chance to get in a groove before I can reliably assess their tacos. Mexican Squirt is available here, so that’s a big plus.
• Escape Root Juicery: If you’re looking for a liquid lunch in the healthiest sense, Dunedin’s organic juice bar is the place for you. You’ll find cold-pressed juices, smoothie bowls, espresso & cold brew, and smoothies. It’s juuuust on the outskirts of downtown Dunedin, a five minute walk from Clear Sky Draft Haus.

Dunedin Marina. Image courtesy of the Olde Bay Cafe.

Dog-friendly Dunedin

You will notice from the above list that many of the bars and patios are dog friendly. This is a prevalent theme in Dunedin. From FIDO Friendly magazine’s Dunedin aka Dogedin:

As pet-friendly destinations grow in popularity all across the United States, one located north of St. Petersburg/Clearwater on Florida’s gulf coast is emerging as top dog, year-round: The City of Dunedin, which has earned the nickname “Dogedin”— and for good reason!

With dog-friendly restaurants, canine-welcoming cafes, dog parks, beaches and public murals of the furry loved ones who call Dunedin home, the City is the perfect summer destination for pets and their families.

Hotels in the city are generally pet-friendly. There are designated dog beaches up and down the coast (my favourite is Fort DeSoto Dog Beach), and you will likely see dogs accompanying their owners on Dunedin’s many patios.  In addition, one of Dunedin’s iconic landmarks is the “Dogedin Mural” painted by local artist Anna Fields. Anna painted the mural as a fundraiser for Dunedin Doggie Rescue, a local pet rescue organization. She also runs Murals for Mutts, a non-profit organization that raises money for animal welfare. The mural is located on the side of Skip’s Bar, and is a popular congregating area among local’s before heading down to Kelly’s for cheap Yeunglings. Donations can be made at the Murals for Mutts website.

Photo credit: Callum Hughson/mopupduty.com

Things to do and places to see in Dunedin

Toronto Blue Jays prospect watching at the Player Development Complex

So, apart from eating and drinking, what is there to do when the Blue Jays have an inevitable off day? Well, you can go to one of the many other Spring Training facilities in the area (more on that later). Or, you can check out the Blue Jays’ minor league complex, formerly known as the Bobby Mattick Training Centre, now known as the Player Development Complex. The Bobby Mattick Complex (for short) is 6km away from TD Ballpark and sits in the middle of a residential neighbourhood. The official address is 3031 Garrison Road. Parking is available in the former player parking lot at 1700 Solon Avenue.

The Bobby Mattick Complex is a pretty cool place to go for a number of reasons. First of all, it’s free.  Secondly, there’s usually only 15-20 fans there and the atmosphere is incredibly personal and laid back. If you are a minor league/prospect nerd, this is the place for you. Not only will you find minor leaguers, you’ll also find rehabbing veterans, guest instructors and visiting baseball dignitaries. The times that I’ve gone I’ve been fortunate enough to have seen up-and-coming prospects Kyle Drabek and Brett Wallace, as well as a rehabbing Dustin McGowan. Another time I hung out with former Mariners closer Danny Farquhar and Balbino Fuenmayor.  To give you an idea of the type of access that you get to the players at the Bobby Mattick complex, have a look at my Notes From Team Canada’s Workout. I was there when Team Canada’s World Baseball Classic team was working out at the complex and had as up-close of a fan experience as you can possibly imagine.

* Updated as of February 2025

Tom Cheek’s grave

When in Dunedin for spring training, fans often like to pay their respects to the late hall-of-fame broadcaster Tom Cheek. Tom is buried at the Sylvan Abbey Cemetery in Clearwater, which is a 15 minute drive east of Dunedin. Legendary Canadian baseball writer Bob Elliott talks about his annual pilgrimage to see – and speak with – Tom at Sylvan Abbey here.

Photo courtesy of the Canadian Baseball Network

Orange-spotting

Along with Dunedin’s rich Scottish history, there is also an extensive history of Dunedin oranges, orange groves, and citrus packing. Between the 1880s and 1950s, beautifully designed labels were made to go on each side of Dunedin orange crates.

In 2009, two mysterious graffiti artists started painting both oranges and the orange crate labels on buildings in the dead of night. While neighbouring municipalities were passing by-laws to ban graffiti, Dunedin’s residents were thrilled with the mysterious oranges. The city’s Chamber of Commerce even put a sign on its building reading “Please paint oranges here!”

The identities of the mysterious muralists were soon revealed: local artists Steven Spathelf and Marsha Goins. Since then, it has become a point of pride for both Dunedin residents and merchants to have a Spathelf or Goins-painted orange on the side of their building. The two artists continue to field requests for more oranges, and those oranges have since become a symbol for the town. It can be fun to see how many oranges painted on Dunedin buildings you can find. Spathelf just painted his 700th orange this past July (2019).

Fans can purchase painted oranges from Spathelf himself. For more information, visit Spat’s Splats or Steven’s Facebook page.

A retro Dunedin orange label mural painted on the side of Rosie’s Tavern. Photo credit: Callum Hughson/mopupduty.com

A Flamingo brand mural painted on a residential Dunedin home. Photo credit: Callum Hughson/mopupduty.com

The infamous Dunedin oranges. Dewdrops and blossoms are optional. Photo credit: Callum Hughson/mopupduty.com

Honeymoon and Caladesi Islands

Across from the Dunedin Channel lies Caladesi Island and Honeymoon Island. Both are National Parks and a nominal admission fee is charged to access them. Caladesi Island was rated America’s #1 beach in 2008. You’ll need to board a ferry from Honeymoon Island to get to Caladesi. The islands have white sand beaches and are very remote; on these islands you can pretend that you’ve washed up on an empty beach and actually believe it. If you’re lucky, you might pick up some sand dollars while walking along the beach.

Caladesi Island

Kayaking, sailing, jet skiing, and stand-up paddleboarding

I recently discovered that jet skis, stand-up paddleboards (SUPs), sailboats, and kayaks are all available for rent from the Dunedin Causeway – the bridge that crosses the gulf coast intracoastal waterway to Honeymoon Island. If you’re feeling adventurous, a great way to get to Caladesi Island is to bypass the ferry and rent a kayak instead. Vendors include Sail Honeymoon (part of the High & Dry Grill) and Romantic Honeymoon Island. Caladesi Island features a kayak trail through mangrove trees; the entrance to the trail is near the Caladesi marina.

If you’re really adventurous, I highly recommend kayaking or renting a jet ski (you’re likely to have more success with jetski rentals in Clearwater Beach) to Three Rooker Bar. It’s a small, semicircular island that has emerged as a result of sand accumulation over the course of the last decade. As the island emerged, it quickly became vegetated, increasing its stability. On weekends it’s crowded with boats and revelers, but the water is Caribbean blue and the sand is sugary white and soft. The island is only accessible by private boat and has no facilities.

On a kayak, it’s a long paddle but it’s worth it. Three Rooker has beautiful secluded beaches, and a Dunedin local told me “There’s a dolphin pod off Honeymoon Island and Three Rooker. Even the dolphin babies will play with you.” On my way there I ran into a loggerhead turtle and a few dolphins, but no babies. If I wasn’t so paranoid about getting my camera wet, I wouldn’t have missed the photo opportunity of a lifetime. Be mindful of the sun and wind. Bring sunscreen, and if you’re an inexperienced kayaker, it might be better to avoid the open water and unpredictable waves and stick to the calmer waters of the intracoastal waterway near Dunedin. You can explore a few of the sand keys between the Dunedin Causeway and Dunedin Marina. For more information on kayaking to Three Rooker Bar, click here.

Boat tours, fishing trips, and booze cruises

Another fun thing to do is go on a dolphin, sunset, or booze cruise; the varieties are almost endless.  Last year I just walked around the Dunedin Marina and found a boat that was offering sunset dolphin tours.  It was the ParrotDise Express, and it cost about $30. Ask for Captain Jeff. Dolphins were seen as well as the elusive green flash at sunset.

Photos: Callum Hughson/mopupduty.com

Apart from the dolphin sightings, an unlimited amount of rum punch was available to all those on board. This made for a super fun time. If, however, dolphin/sunset/booze cruises aren’t your thing, you can always charter a fishing boat for half day or full day fishing trips. Captain Dan has the best reputation in Dunedin. He runs By Request Charters, and he’ll take you sport fishing, island hopping, shelling, snorkeling — he even does weddings and burials at sea. If you manage to catch “the big one,” many of the local restaurants will cook your catch for you, including the Frenchy restaurant chain.

In my mind, the best fishing option is Daisy Mae Fishing Charters. The Daisy Mae Dunedin can fit six passengers comfortably, a 39′ Yellowfin with three (3!) 350hp outboard engines. Early and I chartered the Daisy Mae in 2020 and had one of the most enjoyable fishing trips you can have. Endorsed by former Cubs and Phillies pitcher Jake Arrieta, make sure you request Captain Tim – he does everything he can to make sure you have a great time and don’t go home empty-handed. Be sure to take your catch to the Olde Bay Cafe afterward to be cooked to order.

The Daisy Mae Dunedin

Monster Charters and Inshore Fishing Charters (in Clearwater) are other options.

If you want to go deep sea fishing, but don’t have the $800 US it can take to charter your own boat, the Double Eagle is for you. For $62, the Double Eagle III will take you 10 miles (16km) off the gulf coast for a four hour trip. Tackle rental, bait, and fishing instructions are all included. For $87, the Double Eagle II will take you 25 miles (40km) off the gulf coast where you’ll find substantially larger, deep-dwelling fish if you’re willing to spend eight hours at sea. It’s a cost effective way to scratch your fishing itch, and it’s a lot of fun. I highly recommend it.

Bike rentals

A great way to see Dunedin and the surrounding area is to rent a bicycle from Kafe Racer. Walk-ins are welcome, but bicycles are available only on a first-come, first-served basis. I recommend cycling the Pinellas Trail, an abandoned rail corridor that has been converted to a pedestrian & cycling trail. It stretches from Tarpon Springs in the north all the way to St. Petersburg in the south, a total distance of approximately 60km. It also cuts through the heart of Dunedin.

The Pinellas Trail. Photo courtesy of Pinellas County

Clearwater, Florida

Okay, so you weren’t able to stay in Dunedin and ended up in Clearwater. It’s not the end of the world. Located 20 minutes south-west of Dunedin, Clearwater is three times the size of Dunedin and home of the Philadelphia Phillies’ Spring Training camp at Baycare Ballpark. Since you’ll likely be driving to Dunedin, here’s a piece of advice: park downtown and walk the five minutes to the ballpark. Parking is free in downtown municipal lots. Along the streets that lead to the ballpark, home-owners and local businesses rent their front lawns for parking from anywhere between $5-$20 to unsuspecting tourists. Of all the parking hustlers, Bauser’s is your best bet, and as mentioned above, you get a free beer after the game.

Recently, there have been improvements in Clearwater-to-Dunedin transportation. The Jolley Trolley will take you from Clearwater to Dunedin for $2.25 and runs every hour. A day pass is a cool $5.00.  The Clearwater Ferry‘s Blue Line services Dunedin Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. It costs $8.00 each way and takes approximately 50 minutes from Clearwater Beach Marina to Dunedin Marina – with one stop in between. It runs every hour and 25 minutes.

Anyway, back to Clearwater. Clearwater itself is a refuge for well-to-do snowbirds, a tourist trap for those not yet of retirement age, and a weekend destination for local Floridians.

Bars and restaurants

As far as bars go, those from the Toronto area might notice similarities to Wasaga Beach. “The Strip” is lined with plenty of bars, but they’re all pretty much the same. If you want to get “Turnt” as the kids say these days, make sure to go to Shephard’s Backyard Tiki Bar. Early‘s favourite is Crabby’s Beachfront Bar & Grill. They serve 32oz. Jai Alais that taste bad and make your breath smell even worse. Honourable mention goes to the Surfside Taphouse, where in a case of mistaken identity, Early thought the 70 year old bartender was Genie Bouchard working a side hustle. All of the credit goes to the eight 32oz Jai Alais Early had just consumed previously. If you’re getting an “early” start to spring training and you’re down near the end of February, you can find spring breakers at Toucans Bar & Grill.

As far as restaurants on the strip go, the “Frenchy’s” chain is probably the most popular. The freshest fish can be found at The Bait House in Clearwater Marina. Columbia restaurant is a solid Spanish tapas option just off the strip. The Hyatt Regency is a great option for whole grilled red snapper.

Slightly off the beaten path is a Buck Martinez’s favourite restaurant, the Island Way Grill. When Jonathan Papelbon was a Phillie, he used to come here. One time at the Island Way, Buck Martinez ordered the last piece of hogfish. Papelbon arrived slightly later, and upon hearing the news that Buck Martinez snapped up the last piece hogfish, proceeded to throw a temper tantrum. If hogfish is on the menu at this restaurant (or at any other restaurant you go to), get it. The Island Way Grill is a pricier restaurant, but definitely worth it. Go on, treat yourself.  You deserve it.

If you’re having trouble finding hogfish, the most reliable restaurant is the Rumba Island Bar & Grill. While its quite a bit further inland from the beach than most places in Clearwater, it’s almost always on the menu.

Hogfish. Photo courtesy of Island Lure Fishing Adventures

Things to do and places to see in Clearwater

Like Dunedin, many fishing charters are available for hire and they are all conveniently located at 25 Causeway Blvd. And, like Dunedin, many of the restaurants in Clearwater will cook what you catch, most notably Cooters.

Also in the vicinity of 25 Causeway Blvd, you will find Captain Memo’s Pirate Cruise. The late Captain Memo was a pirate and was the captain of a real pirate ship called “The Pirate’s Ransom.” To honour his legacy, his family and loyal pirate crew continue to provide pirate cruises from Clearwater Bay. There is a program for children that includes games and face painting, while on the adults-only section of the ship, the pirate crew keeps your goblet filled with grog: complimentary beer and wine is served on all cruises on the 3rd deck, with champagne complimentary on cruises after 4:00 p.m.

Last but not least, I have to mention Lenny’s.  What can be said about Lenny’s that hasn’t already been said before? Not much, so I’m not going to try to. Lenny’s is an iconic, family-owned diner located across from where the Phillies play. For my full Lenny’s review, click here.

Other spring training locations

Dunedin is ideally situated because it is within driving distance of at least eight other spring training parks. Not all of them are worth driving to, however. These are the ones I feel are worth going to and are within reasonable driving distance. Ranked from best to worst:

1. Baycare Ballpark – located in nearby Clearwater and home to the Philadelphia Phillies, this ballpark is gorgeous.  It’s also the closest of all the spring training ballparks to Dunedin.  How convenient!  If you plan it right, you can go to a Jays game in Dunedin in the afternoon and follow it up with a Phillies game at night.
2. McKechnie Field – home to the Pittsburgh Pirates, McKechnie Field is in Bradenton, Florida, about an hour drive south of Dunedin.  I first visited last year and was quite impressed.  As a bonus, the drive south is beautiful, especially over the Sunshine Skyway Bridge.  Do try McKechnie Field’s Orange Swirl Ice Cream. You’ll be happy that you did.
3. Joker Marchant Stadium – home to the Detroit Tigers.  It’s about an hour and a half drive east to Lakeland, where the Tigers play.  It’s a relatively new ballpark but the facility doesn’t really have much of a “spring training” atmosphere.  It’s a little too commercial.  When I stalked Noah Syndergaard, I did it at Joker Marchant Stadium.
4. George M. Steinbrenner Field – home of the New York Yankees, of course.  It’s a nice enough ballpark I guess, but it’s full of Yankee fans and looks a lot like a monument to the New York Yankees.  So in reality, it’s actually quite terrible.
5. Ed Smith Stadium – Located in Sarasota, about an hour and 20 minutes south of Dunedin, Ed Smith is the home of the Baltimore Orioles. I keep trying to check it out, but keep getting rained out. It might be cursed.

The rest: The Rays’ Charlotte Sports Park in Port Charlotte, the Twins’ Bill Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers, the Red Sox JetBlue Park in Fort Myers (a replica of Boston’s Fenway Park), the Braves’ Champion Field in Orlando, and the Astros’ FITTEAM Ballpark in the Palm Beaches are probably too far and not worth it if you’re crunched for time.

Stray observations

• St. Petersburg, a 45 minute drive south-east of Dunedin, has a few things worth checking out. An impressive museum dedicated to surrealist artist Salvador Dali can be found at the waterfront. The best flan in Florida (apparently) is at Ceviche in the Ponce de Leon hotel. Not only that, but they have Flamenco dancing. The Canopy Rooftop Lounge is a Miami-style bar that is great for cocktails.
• The best Key Lime Pie in the area can be found at Rusty Bellies in Tarpon Springs, about 20km north of Dunedin. Tarpon Springs is a weird place. It used to be a fishing village populated by Greek immigrants who fished for sponges. Today, there are a bunch of mediocre Greek restaurants and plenty of kitschy beach garbage for sale. It doesn’t look like much sponge scavenging is happening any more, but the stores are still full of it. If you’re not willing to make the trip, hit up your local Publix grocery store – this grocery store chain’s dessert is the favourite of most Floridians and is even rated #1 by Coastal Living Magazine.
• If you’re like me and love animals, it’s hard not to have a particular affinity toward Florida’s gentle giant — the Manatee. You can swim with and passively observe them at River Ventures in Crystal River. Another option is Plantation on Crystal River, a hotel that offers Manatee tours. They also have a stellar Instagram feed. It’s an hour and 45 minutes north of Dunedin and will take up most of your day.

• Ybor City is a neighbourhood in Tampa that has been designated as a National Historic Landmark District. It’s a multi-ethnic community that was originally founded by cigar manufacturers in the late 1800s. Watch for the wild chickens who roam the streets freely. The Cuban influence is strong here. In fact, Jose Marti park – located at the west end of Ybor in the Marti district – is actually considered to be Cuban soil. There’s a Columbia restaurant here with delicious, authentic Cuban food. If it’s live music you’re after, you came to the right place. Check out The Attic, Crowbar, Gaspar’s Grotto Pirate Bar, The Bad Monkey, Coyote Ugly, and, of course, The Dirty Shame.
• I said it before but it bears repeating: get the hogfish. It is tasty. While hogfish is undoubtedly the #1 tastiest fish in Florida, there are plenty of other great ones to try. My favourites include red snapper (of course), sheepshead, cobia, snook, and barracuda. You’re going to see grouper everywhere, as well as “grouper cheeks.”  Mahi mahi is also everywhere, but tends to be dry and not so great.
• People are going to tell you to go to the original Hooters restaurant. Don’t. It’s terrible and a waste of time.
• Jeff Blair provided me with a very valuable tip long ago. He said to listen to WMNF. “AM, FM, it doesn’t matter. The west coast of Florida is a radio wasteland, with the exception of local lefty, tree-hugging station WMNF. The rest of it is religious stuff, generic, non-offensive Eighties stuff, country twangin’ and hip-hop drivel. WMNF’s got a couple of sweet shows: Soul Party on Friday, which plays real soul music — the stuff that inspires real musicians, and Latin Salsa and Jazz on Saturday, with Luis (Speedy) Gonzalez. This week was a big tribute to Joe Cuba, a big Latin boogaloo guy who passed away. This was World Music before it got its own section at HMV.” It’s 88.5 on your FM radio.
• Some of you are known autograph hounds. At the Bobby Mattick Complex, autographs are easy to come by. At TD Ballpark, you’ll want to hang around the right field corner like a creeper after batting practice has finished – around 11:00 a.m.

Perhaps this guide isn’t as comprehensive as I think it is. What did I miss? Do you have any questions? Comments? Feel free to ask away in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter at @callumhughson.

A history of abuse

In my mid-to-late teens, I pitched for a team in the North Dufferin League while simultaneously playing for a London, Ontario-based travel team when I would visit my Dad during the summers. I couldn’t get enough baseball and loved every moment that I was on the mound. To me, the more I could pitch, the better. My coaches indulged my desire to pitch as much as I could – the concepts of pitch-counts and innings limits were foreign to them.

As the end of one particular season approached, my team entered a tournament carrying a track record of futility. My coach wanted that trend to change, and broached the idea to me of starting back-to-back games. I thought this was a terrific idea. Although tournament games were limited to seven innings, I pitched all 14 innings of the two games and we won them both. That would never happen today, with strict pitcher eligibility rules and mandatory periods of rest for youth ball players. My parents weren’t invested in my baseball career enough to monitor what was happening, and I placed my faith in a coach who I trusted to be a responsible adult. I didn’t think it was unusual at the time, but knowing what I know now about developing young pitchers, my coaches didn’t do my arm any favours.

During university I took a hiatus from playing competitive baseball. However, my baseball-crazed roommate and I would regularly go to the local ballpark to throw simulated games and see how far we could throw frozen ropes from the outfield. We would then try to throw the baseball out of the ballpark to straight-away centrefield from home plate. Repeatedly. We were not smart. This is when I began to feel more than “normal” soreness in my shoulder in the days following throwing sessions.

Serious shoulder discomfort

Following university, I moved home and resumed playing for a senior, elite-level team in the Greater Toronto Baseball League. Indoor workouts went well and I was throwing free and easy. Our first outdoor practice took place in early April on a cold, windy day. It was an intra-squad game and I toed the rubber. It took a considerable amount of time to warm-up and I didn’t feel entirely warm as I began the game. On my 4th or 5th pitch, I remember feeling a “tugging” feeling inside my shoulder. The next few pitches were 10-15mph less than what I was used to throwing. I remember my pitching coach yelling “throw max effort!”

“I can’t,” I said.  “It’s too cold.”

But it wasn’t too cold.

That night my shoulder throbbed and pulsated like it had its own heartbeat. I continued to practice, but couldn’t throw nearly as hard as I was accustomed to. The more bullpens I would throw, the more I felt like I was losing my range of motion; my shoulder was stiff and slow. When Hall-of-Fame closer Trevor Hoffman famously injured his shoulder, he described it as “like air going out of a tire.” I could relate. But did I go to a doctor? Of course not.

Image courtesy of Buzzle

Are you hurt or are you injured?

I consulted a friend who was a recent kinesiology grad and asked her opinion as to what might be happening in my shoulder. She said it was likely just a shoulder strain, maybe some bursitis. She recommended a two-week period of rest and I would be as good as new. Two weeks became three weeks, three weeks became four. I resumed throwing bullpens and made my season debut in relief. With adrenaline pumping, I did my best to throw “max effort.” Only I couldn’t locate my fastball in the strike zone. With every pitch, I felt searing pain that cut deep through the core of my shoulder. After walking two and allowing a single – while generating only a single out – I was pulled from the game.

Sitting on the bench as the adrenaline subsided, I could feel there was something deeply wrong inside my shoulder – structurally wrong. Did I go to a doctor? Of course not. It seems profoundly stupid looking back now, but there were two reasons I didn’t seek help:

1. “Playing through pain” and “grinding it out” is the prevailing ethos among the baseball community. My favourite baseball player, Roy Halladay, had t-shirts printed with the slogan “Suffer in silence” for those of his teammates who dared to attempt his legendary training regimen.  “Are you hurt or are you injured?” was a popular phrase that permeated baseball lexicon following The Program‘s release in 1993. In my mind I was hurt and I was going to find a way to overcome my shoulder issue, whatever it was.
2. I was stuck in the first stage of the Kübler-Ross model of grief: denial.  From the Mayo Clinic:  “Refusing to acknowledge that something is wrong is a way of coping with emotional conflict, stress, painful thoughts, threatening information and anxiety. You can be in denial about anything that makes you feel vulnerable or threatens your sense of control, such as an illness, addiction, financial problems, or relationship conflicts.”

Typically, when there is something wrong with a pitcher’s shoulder, the outcome is devastating. Pitchers facing elbow surgery generally recover and regain their form – upwards of 82% of the time. For pitchers facing shoulder injuries, however, the outcome is far less certain due to the complexity of the joint. A torn rotator cuff or labrum can end a career, not only professionally, but recreationally as well. Common shoulder injuries for pitchers include tendonitis, ligament damage, capsular tears, labrum tears, and thoracic outlet syndrome. Only 35-50% of pitchers return to form following surgery, and these pitchers are generally cared for by the top sports medicine professionals in North America. That wasn’t going to be the case for me. If (when) a doctor found something was wrong with my shoulder, my days of pitching were over. In my mind, anyway.

I began a steady diet of anti-inflammatories and loaded my shoulder with a thick layer of A535 or Voltaren Emulgel before each game. Eddie Harris would be proud. I even experimented with some prescription-strength painkillers.

Like Eddie Harris, I re-invented myself as a junkballer. Nothing was straight, speeds were varied, I would pitch backwards in counts. If I ever did throw a fastball, it was strictly for the element of surprise. I was able to achieve some level of mediocrity; a small measure of respectability. But I wasn’t having fun. The pain remained and the command of my pitches was fleeting.

I haven’t got an arm like you, kid. I have to put anything on it I can find. Someday you will too. – Eddie Harris, Major League

An epiphany

A few years later I moved to London, Ontario, and joined a team in the Southwestern Senior Baseball League, a league at the same level as the GTBL or COBA. I had a new trick in my arsenal that I had been working on: varied arm angles to try to combat the searing pain I would feel in my shoulder when I would throw a pitch. Naively I thought things would be different. On the first pitch of my first appearance of the season, the pain returned – worse than ever before. I removed myself from the game and removed myself from the team shortly after. Did I go to the doctor? Of course not.

I thought to myself that my pitching career might be over. I spent a few seasons playing softball and slo-pitch, but it wasn’t nearly the same – I couldn’t pitch. And the pain was still there, even on innocuous throws when I played the infield. So my clever solution was to take a year or two off from even throwing a baseball. That should be sufficient time to heal whatever is ailing me, right?

Fast-forward to February of 2016. With a yearning to resume pitching, I contacted Canada’s premier indoor baseball facility, Centrefield Sports. Having convinced myself that throwing too many pitches early in the season might have been responsible for my shoulder issues in the past, I began an ultra-conservative throwing program with catcher Larry Balkwill. 15 pitches for the first bullpen.  20 for the second. And so on. I was feeling pretty positive in the early going, being able to command my “fast”ball to both sides of the plate and beginning to regain the feel for my curveball. But as soon as Larry encouraged me to air it out and “throw through the target,” the pain came back and my ability to throw strikes vanished. At the same time, throwing a bullpen in the cage beside me was an overweight, out-of-shape 12-year old kid. He was throwing heaters at age 12 much faster than I could throw them at age 35. Feeling defeated, I went home and thought of what I could do differently. More A535? Vick’s vapo rub? A stronger anti-inflammatory? Then I saw a tweet from ESPN’s Keith Law that resonated with me:

https://twitter.com/keithlaw/status/723580296579432448

(The tweet, since deleted, was about a pitcher who was having stomach issues from taking too many anti-inflammatory pills. Paraphrasing the original tweet, it was  similar to “anti-inflammatories only serve to mask pain, and pain is the body telling you that something is wrong.”)

I booked an appointment with my doctor, who then referred me to sports medicine experts at Western University’s renowned Fowler Kennedy clinic.

At my first appointment, my physiotherapist did a provocative test called the “Hawkins Test” (named after the surgeon who developed it, Dr. Richard Hawkins) to try to re-create the pain in my shoulder that I felt when throwing. It worked; it hurt bad. Then, she manually re-positioned the humerus of my shoulder and performed the test again. With a re-positioned humerus, there was no pain whatsoever! I was assigned various exercises using surgical tubing-like therabands, and was told that if I put in the work, I would be able to replicate what she did in the clinic: the ability to throw pain-free. I left Fowler Kennedy walking on sunshine.

A solution

Like a good student, I did all of my exercises diligently. I was a highly motivated client, constantly chasing the pain-free pitching carrot dangling from the proverbial stick. But every time I threw the ball – no matter how many exercises I did – the pain came back. It turned out that a few strengthening exercises weren’t going to re-position my damaged shoulder after years of abuse.

Then a breakthrough happened. My physiotherapist taught me how to manually re-position my shoulder and keep it in place using kinesiology tape. For the first time in more than 10 years, I was able to throw pain-free. I couldn’t have been  happier.

With a new feeling of confidence, my physiotherapist and I agreed that I would finally be able to test my arm on a pitching mound. During pre-game warm-ups, I felt strong and had fairly decent velocity on my warm-up tosses. When I moved to the bullpen, however, I didn’t feel comfortable at all. While I was able to throw straight with relative ease, when it came to creating a downward plane on the ball in order to locate within the strike zone, there was a great deal of discomfort. With that said, I learned long ago that bullpen performance does not necessarily translate to in-game performance. In this case, the lack of comfort I felt in the bullpen translated directly into the game. I struggled to find a consistent arm slot, release point, even my stride was inconsistent and ineffective – all because my shoulder was feeling weird. My initial response was to pitch through it, thinking that I would eventually find my rhythm like I had always done in the past.  It was important to me to prove to my new team that I was, in fact, capable. Fortunately for my shoulder, an older teammate who I respected immensely encouraged me to pull myself from the game in order to save myself for the rest of the season.  So, that’s what I did. Pitching through the pain of shoulder impingement syndrome – like I had been doing for the past 10+ years – usually leads to a full or partial tear of the rotator cuff. Lucky for me I had a teammate who was looking out for my well-being.

All of the symptoms that I experienced in my younger days came back after the game – the swelling in the shoulder, the aching, throbbing pain. It lasted much longer than regular muscle soreness lasts. It turns out that kinesiology tape wasn’t quite the magic pill I thought it was going to be. I went back to the sports medicine clinic and we gingerly worked through some elementary exercises. I met with a sports medicine doctor and he did some additional provocative shoulder tests. Yes, I had a shoulder impingement. No, there was no reason to think there was a tear in my labrum. The best course of action would be maybe a cortisone shot and some rest – and to keep pitching until I felt comfortable with the tape.

I continued to use kinesiology tape and constantly experimented with positioning and the amount of tension in the tape. It definitely took some getting used to, but the more I practiced with the tape, the more comfortable I began to feel. Eventually, I was able to throw strikes at will – pain free – all because of the kinesiology tape. (And a manager who stuck with me when I was complaining of searing pain in my shoulder while walking the whole ballpark. It’s not often a manager continues to run a guy out to the mound, complaining of shoulder pain while sporting a patchwork tape job. Those guys don’t typically have a track record of success, but thanks to my manager’s faith in me, I was able to turn things around.)

The moral of the story

It’s been more than three years since I first saw a doctor about my shoulder and I’m finally in a place where I feel comfortable pitching. My velocity is about 60-70% of what it was in my 20s; I can’t tell if that’s from the shoulder impingement, additional damage in the shoulder that I don’t know about, or the fact that I’m now 39 years old. I can throw bullpens of between 80-100 pitches and recover within days. Before, if I threw 20 pitches, it would take me a week to recover – if I was lucky. I’m still a junkballer, but I’m having fun playing baseball again, and most importantly, I’m playing pain free.

What’s the point of this story? The point is, because I foolishly adhered to baseball’s culture of “playing through pain” and “suffering in silence,” I lost 10 years of playing the sport that I love. I squandered the peak years of my baseball-playing career because I didn’t want to ask for help. While I’m eternally grateful to be able to play again, I’ll never know what might have been had I seen a doctor immediately and continued playing with a fully healthy shoulder. I hope this story serves as a lesson to baseball players of all ages: if you feel there’s something wrong, speak up. Get the help you need. Otherwise you could miss the best baseball years of your life for no reason at all.

Sincere thanks to Larry Balkwill for his off-season tutelage, Jon Traut from London Pain and Headache Clinic for rehabilitating my shoulder, and the best physiotherapist ever, Kristen Gamble, at Fowler Kennedy Sports Medicine for post-ACL surgery care and showing me a shoulder impingement work-around. Grateful to still be able to play the sport I love as an old person, with the best group of guys I’ve ever played with in the London Orioles.

The history of Labatt Park

Tecumseh Park circa 1925. Image credit: Western Archives

Labatt Memorial Park (formerly Tecumseh Park, 1877 – 1936) is a baseball stadium near the forks of the Thames River in central London, Ontario, Canada. It is 8.7-acres in size, has a capacity of 5,200, and a natural grass field. From home plate to centre field, the distance is 402 feet; from home plate to left and right field down the lines, it is 330 feet. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Labatt Park is the “oldest continually operating baseball grounds in the world,” with a history dating back to 1877. It’s the home of the Intercounty Baseball League‘s London Majors, the Western Mustangs, Fanshawe Falcons, and London Mens Baseball League. It’s the former home of the now-defunct London Tigers, London Werewolves, London Monarchs, and London Rippers.

While Labatt Park has the record for oldest continually operating baseball grounds, it should be noted that Fuller Field in Clinton, Massachusetts, made it into the Guinness Book of World Records in August of 2007 as the world’s oldest “baseball field” in continuous use, dating back to 1878 – a year after Tecumseh Park-Labatt Park opened in 1877 – as Fuller Field’s home plate and bases have purportedly remained in the same location since 1878, whereas home plate at Labatt Park has been moved (within the same field) from its original spot in 1877.

According to Seneca College’s Professor Bill Humber, a noted Canadian baseball historian and author, the site of today’s Labatt Park was likely used for recreational games when it was a grassy commons area at the river-forks, prior to becoming Tecumseh Park in 1877.

The game of baseball, a derivative of the British game of rounders, had likely arrived in the area with British soldiers garrisoned in London, as well as from United Empire Loyalist settlers from the U.S. in the early 1800s.

The London Tecumsehs

The founding of the London Tecumsehs Baseball Club in 1868 ultimately led to the creation of Tecumseh Park in 1877, a park that rivalled most American fields at the time. According to the London Advertiser of May 4, 1877, the first game at the new baseball park was held on May 3, 1877, with a contest between the London Tecumsehs and its junior team, the London Atlantics. The Tecumsehs won 5-1.

“The first regular game of baseball of the season was played yesterday afternoon in the presence of fully a thousand people. The new grounds are the most complete of every respect of any of the kind in Canada, and but few American cities have a convenient playing field.”

– The London Advertiser of May 4, 1877

The Tecumsehs had a short but illustrious career, defeating the Pittsburgh Alleghenies in 1878 to win the International Association pennant before folding.

The London Tecumsehs (image credit: London Sports Hall of Fame)

The London Tecumsehs reformed in 1888 and played in the American Association, and later in the 1920s in the Michigan-Ontario Baseball League. Charlie (Mechanical Man) Gehringer played with the 1924 Tecumsehs before he went on to a stellar career with the Detroit Tigers. Gehringer was subsequently inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.

Image via John Thorn, official historian for Major League Baseball

On September 15, 1920, with Ty Cobb in the lineup, the Detroit Tigers defeated the London Tecumsehs 5-4 in front of 3,000 people at Tecumseh Park in exhibition baseball. Reserved seating for the game was $1.

On May 9, 1921, under manager George (Mooney) Gibson, the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the London Tecumsehs 8-7 at Tecumseh Park with 3,500 fans in the stands in an exhibition contest. Before the game, Gibson and his team were presented with a silver loving cup by the London Kiwanis Club. Gibson thrilled the locals by catching the opening inning with his 1909 World Series-winning battery mate Babe Adams and singling and scoring a run in his lone at-bat. London Mayor Sid Little entertained the team that evening at his home.

On May 23, 1923, Washington’s pitching ace Walter Johnson was in uniform but did not pitch as the Washington Senators defeated the Tecumsehs 13-9 in an exhibition baseball game at Tecumseh Park.

1924 London Tecumsehs at Tecumseh Park. Image source: Mike Delmanowski

The Labatt family purchases Tecumseh Park

Labatt Park ticket gate in the Kensington (now Blackfriars) neighbourhood of London, Ontario, circa 1950. Image source: Western Archives

Following a devastating flood in the 1936, Tecumseh Park fell into disrepair. The Labatt family, owners of London’s Labatt Brewery, purchased Tecumseh Park and invested $10,000 toward its rehabilitation.  They then renamed it “Labatt Park” and donated it to the City of London on New Year’s Eve.

Labatt Park, 1940. The ticket gate can be seen in the bottom left corner. (Photo credit: Ron Nelson)

During the first half of the 20th Century, Labatt Park was regularly visited by numerous barnstorming Negro teams from the U.S., plus a much-celebrated visit by legendary Negro League star pitcher Satchel Paige on June 30, 1954, when Paige was barnstorming with a baseball version of the Harlem Globetrotters. Paige pitched the last three innings of an exhibition game against another legendary barnstorming team – The House of David baseball team. The House of David players sported beards and long hair and traveled with their own generator-powered lights (Labatt Park installed lights in the 1940s).

London had its own barnstorming team of Black players as well. On October 1, 1923, The London Colored Stars placed an ad in various papers announcing they had won 15 of 19 games and “are looking for more engagements.”

The London Majors

The London Majors, currently of the Intercountry Baseball League, have called Labatt Park home since their inception in 1925. Initially part of the Senior Intercounty Baseball League (and known as the London Braves), the team won their first championship that same year. Since 1925, London has won a total of 12 IBL pennants (finished first atop the regular season standings) and 12 IBL championships (playoff champions).

The 1925 London Braves (incorrectly referred to as the “Cockneys.” Image credit: Sara Lewis)

Over the years, the London franchise has had a variety of names, including: the London Braves in 1925, London Winery from 1934 – 1936, London Silverwoods in 1937, London Seniors in 1938, the London Army Team from 1942 – 1943, London Majors from 1944 – 1959, London Chester Pegg Diamonds from 1960 – 1961, London Majors again in 1962, London Pontiacs from 1963 – 1969, London Avcos from 1970 – 1973, and London El-Morocco Majors in 1974. In 1975 adopted the military-inspired nickname of “Majors,” a moniker first coined by Captain Chet Smith, manager of the 1943 London Army Team, IBL, OBA Sr. ‘A’ and Canadian Baseball Congress Champions. Thy have been the Majors ever since.

The 1945 London Majors (Image credit: 1946 Baseball Annual from the National Baseball Congress)

The 1948 London Majors, IBL Champions, Canadian Baseball Congress Champions and Can-Am Baseball Congress Champions. (Image credit: The London Free Press Collection, Western University Archives.)

The 2018 London Majors (image credit: Matt Hiscox)

In 1974, after Cy Young Award-winning pitcher Denny McLain had retired from the major leagues (two years earlier), McLain played a season for the London Majors, restricting himself to home games at Labatt Park. Due to arm problems, however, McLain only pitched nine innings for the Majors, but did play in 14 games at either shortstop, first base, and catcher and batted .380, including hitting two homers in one game in London.

A notable fan-friendly event is the Majors’ yearly “Pack the Park” – a promotion that aims to fill Labatt Park to capacity (5200) for a pre-selected game each season. The idea has been mimicked by the famed London Orioles of the London Mens Baseball League, with lukewarm results.

A capacity crowd in attendance for Game 7 of the 2008 IBL Championship

Ferguson Jenkins

After Cy Young Award-winning pitcher Fergie Jenkins pitched his final major league game on September 26, 1983, London Majors’ owner-player Arden Eddie convinced Jenkins to pitch for the Majors in 1984 and 1985. Jenkins commuted to games from his home near Chatham, Ontario.

Image credit: Jeffrey Reed

The London Tigers

Professional baseball declined in London after World War II, with mostly amateur teams playing at Labatt Park in the following decades, until 1989 when the Double-A Eastern League affiliate team of the Detroit Tigers was established in London. The inaugural season home-opener for the London Tigers was Friday, April 7, 1989, against the affiliate of the New York Yankees, the Albany Yankees.

During the team’s inaugural season, the club derived its offence from unusual sources – shortstop and catcher. Shortstop Travis Fryman led the Eastern League with 30 doubles, while hitting .265/.297/.402. Catcher Phil Clark batted .298/.328/.427.

The London Tigers, managed by former New York Yankee star Chris Chambliss, drew 167,679 fans in total for their inaugural season. This was more than the total number of fans drawn in their previous two years in Glens Falls, New York.

Chambliss was named Manager of the Year in the 1990 Eastern League after London finished 76-63, just three games behind the Albany Yankees, while attendance was just 15 fans off of the opening season’s pace. The team also featured Canadian Tim Leiper, former Toronto Blue Jays coach and stalwart of the Canadian national team.

All-Star first baseman Rico Brogna was named the #3 prospect in the league and led all players in homers (21), and tied for the lead in RBI (77) while hitting .262/.331/.447. Mike Wilkins (13-5, 2.42), Dave Haas (13-8, 2.99) and Rusty Meacham (15-9, 3.13) gave the club a nice trio of arms; Wilkins was 6th in the league in ERA, Haas 9th, and Meacham led in wins.

In the post-season, London lost the first two games to the Canton-Akron Indians but then won three in a row at Labatt Park. They then beat the New Britain Red Sox in three straight games to become the first Detroit Tigers farm club to win the Eastern League championship.

Labatt Park circa 1989. Image credit: London Free Press

In 1993 with Tom Runnells as manager, the London Tigers drew the fewest fans in the league, with 103,840. Runnells led the team to a 63-75 record for a 6th place finish.

That season a 22-year-old outfielder by the name of Bobby Higginson batted .308/.362/.464 after a call-up from the Lakeland Tigers. Felipe Lira went 10-4 with a 3.38 ERA, the third-best ERA in the league, and was the last London Tiger to make the Eastern League All-Star Team. Future MLB journeyman Jose Lima went 8-13 with a 4.07 ERA.

After the 1993 campaign, the Detroit Tigers were disappointed with London’s sinking attendance numbers and moved the team to Trenton, New Jersey where they became the Trenton Thunder. After one year in Trenton, the Thunder switched their affiliation from Detroit to the Boston Red Sox.

For more on the London Tigers, be sure to check out the documentary Curtain Call: The Tale of London’s Tigers.

Awards for Labatt Park

On January 20, 1990, in Houston, Texas, Labatt Park was named the “Beam Clay Baseball Diamond of the Year” for “excellence and professionalism in maintaining an outstanding professional baseball diamond.” The award recognized the outstanding groundskeeping of City of London employee/supervisor, Mike Regan.

On September 7, 2011, Labatt Park was named “Canada’s Favourite Ballpark” by Baseball Canada after a three-month contest among 40 ballparks across the country. The park garnered 63% of the final vote.

Labatt Park documentary

In 2014, Sean Stanley produced a documentary about the history of Labatt Park, how it got started, how it came to be where it is, notable events, and championship teams that called it home. Learn about the park where baseball legends like Ty Cobb, George “Mooney” Gibson, Satchel Paige, and Fergie Jenkins all played a little ball. Copies are currently available at the Downtown London Public Library.

Pandemic baseball at Labatt Park

In 2020, the Intercounty Baseball League cancelled its season due to the global COVID-19. With Labatt Park’s world record of continuous play in jeopardy, the London Majors hosted an exhibition game against the Guelph Royals. The game was “not just a regular baseball game, but a game to ensure the historic longevity of Labatt Park remains intact,” said co-owner and manager Roop Chanderdat. The Majors won the game 3-0 and ensured the continuous use record lived on.

Refurbishments and improvements

On March 4, 2021, the Canadian federal government announced a combined $7.1 million investment in sport, recreation, and cultural facilities in London, Ontario. Of the $7.1 million, $1.5 million is earmarked for improvements to Labatt Park, with upgraded accessible washrooms, new bleachers, and improved lighting. These upgrades will improve the safety and accessibility of the stadium, which supports baseball organizations at all levels and community events. The upgrades are expected to be completed in time for the 2021 season, should COVID-19 protocols allow for it.

Assorted photos of Labatt Park

Image credit: Tourism London

Image credit: Google Earth

London Free Press file photo

Image credit: Callum Hughson/mopupduty.com

Image credit: JVG Aerial Media

Image credit: Callum Hughson/mopupduty.com

Image credit: Kyle McVey

Image source: Butch McLarty

Image credit: Greatest 21 days

Image credit: London Free Press

Image credit: Reddit user theycallmemorty

An aerial shot of Labatt Park (Image credit: Baseball Canada)

Image credit: The London Free Press

Image credit: unknown

Image credit: Chris Creamer’s Sports Logos

Featured image credit: Intercounty Baseball League

Osuna is remembered in Toronto for being arrested and charged for the assault of the mother of his 3-year old child. Osuna received a 75 game suspension from MLB before being swiftly traded to the Houston Astros for Ken Giles, David Paulino, and Hector Perez. In parts of three seasons with the Houston Astros, Osuna racked up 51 saves in 92 innings with a 95:15 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Osuna was limited to 4.1 innings in 2020 due to elbow issues and/or a forearm strain and cleared waivers at the conclusion of the 2020 season, becoming an unrestricted free agent.

Yasiel Puig. Image credit: Liga Mexicana de Beisbol

The Mexican League seems to be a popular destination for violators of MLB’s Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Child Abuse policy. Although it has not been proven if Yasiel Puig has violated MLB’s policy, Puig has landed in the Mexican League after failing to sign a contract with an MLB team. Puig’s extended stay in baseball purgatory is likely due to the fact he’s been accused of sexually assaulting a woman at the Staples Centre in 2018. Puig denies the assault allegations and there is no official timetable for a court ruling. Having tested positive for COVID-19, Puig did not play in 2020 (though he was close to signing with the Atlanta Braves before his positive COVID-19 test). Puig has been a free agent since his contract with the Cleveland baseball team expired in 2019.

Additionally, former top college baseball prospect Luke Heimlich – an admitted juvenile sex offender – has found a home in the Mexican League with the Tecolotes de Dos Laredos. Once projected as a first-round draft talent, and winner of the college National Pitcher of the Year award, Heimlich was passed over in all 40 rounds of the 2018 draft due to his guilty plea in 2012 on child molestation charges. Although Heimlich recanted his guilty plea (he said he wanted to spare his family a long trial), he struggled to find employment on the baseball field. He signed a deal with a team in the Chinese Professional Baseball League, but the league office voided his contract three days later. A post-draft workout with the Kansas City Royals was cancelled due to public pressure. Heimlich eventually signed with Dos Laredos in March of 2019, and following a lengthy and somewhat controversial vetting process, had his contract approved by the league a month later.

Whether you believe the Mexican League is of ill-repute as a result of these signings, or a necessary purveyor of second chances, it will be interesting to see if these players will be able to capitalize on these opportunities and be able make a return to MLB (or in Heimlich’s case, reach affiliated baseball).

Featured image credit: Liga Mexicana de Beisbol

Most rosters for 2021 have yet to be set due to pandemic-related uncertainty, but a few chips have already fallen that will be of particular interest to Blue Jay fans:

Justin Smoak

A former first round draft pick, Justin Smoak failed to live up to expectations in two middling stints with Texas and Seattle. Signed as a free agent in 2014, Smoak came into his own as a Blue Jay, culminating in a breakout 2017 campaign in which he posted a .270/.355/.529 slash line with 38 home runs. He’s regressed significantly since then, but will try to get the magic back as a member of the Yomiuri Giants in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. Smoak will make $3 million per season on a two-year deal.

Eric Thames

Joining Smoak in Yomiuri is former Blue Jays outfielder Eric Thames. It’s been a while since Thames has played the outfield at the professional level; he’s primarily a first baseman or designated hitter. But with Smoak having the first baseman’s position locked down, the Giants will do what they can to get Thames’s potent bat into the lineup. Thames will make $4 million on a one-year deal. Thames has shaved his beard to comply with team policy.

Image credit: Nippon Professional Baseball

Adeiny Hechavarria

Long a haven for Cuban baseball stars, the NPB has featured such talents as Alfredo Despaigne, Dayan Viciedo, Yulieski Gurriel, Leodys Martin, Leslie Anderson, Barbaro Cañizares, Frederich Cepeda, Jose Julio Ruiz, and even Omar Linares. Former Blue Jays defensive specialist Adeiny Hechavarria will carry on the tradition as a member of the Chiba Lotte Marines. Hechavarria will make $970K on a one-year deal, a slight pay cut from the $1 million he made as a member of the Atlanta Braves in 2020.

Matt Dermody

Even the most dedicated Blue Jays fan may not remember former relief pitcher Matt Dermody. The left-hander pitched a total of 3.0 innings for the Blue Jays as a September call-up in 2016. When the Blue Jays clinched a playoff berth, Dermody accurately assessed the likelihood of him experiencing a similar moment again in his career (not very) and stood out for his celebratory antics:

Dermody will join the Seibu Lions of the NPB on a one-year deal; financial terms of the contract have not been disclosed.

Wilmer Font

A versatile right-handed reliever, the hard-throwing Wilmer Font was often Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo’s preferred “opener” for the past two seasons. Following a disappointing 2020 season in which he allowed 18 runs in 16.1 innings, Font signed a one year dear with the KBO’s SSG Landers (formerly SK Wyverns). Kudos to Font for getting that money while he still can, but in 12 innings for the SSG Landers he looks like he might be cooked.

Big Sexy

Although not a former Toronto Blue Jay, Bartolo Colón could be a future Blue Jay. Okay, okay. Hear me out.

Image credit: Liga Mexicana de Béisbol

The 47-year old former Cy Young winner is currently in Mexico as a member of the Acereros del Norte in the Mexican League. In a spring training tune-up start, Colón pitched three scoreless innings while striking out two and walking none. Former Blue Jay pitcher Dave Stewart continues to be the team’s pitching coach.

Colón last played at the Major League level in 2018, but hasn’t been effective since 2016. With that said, Big Sexy throws strikes and still keeps himself in great shape (his Instagram account is a must follow). He can’t be any worse than Tanner Roark can he?! Colón could be a nice temporary diversion and innings eater while the pitching staff gets healthy. Though he does need a top-tier defense behind him to be passable, and the current defensive alignment of the Blue Jays have proven they are not yet up to the task.

Okay, fine. No Bartolo. But it’s still pretty cool that Big Sexy is still getting it done at age 47 while tipping the scales at nearly 300 lbs.

Featured image credit: Nikkan Sports

What I got wrong

Thanks to a slew of injuries to George Springer, Nate Pearson, Kirby Yates, and Robbie Ray, the Opening Day roster looked slightly different than anticipated. This allowed Randal Grichuk to sneak into to the every day lineup and he has performed well beyond expectations. With that said, Grichuk pulled this same trick in the first month of 2020 before he regressed to his career average.

In a rare case of a spring performance actually meaning something, Tim Mayza beat Francisco Liriano for the modified left-handed specialist relief role.

…with Thomas Hatch recently succumbing to what looks like Tommy Juan.

Looks like I jumped the gun on Thomas Hatch needing Tommy John surgery. But he has landed on the 60-day IL with elbow impingement which is a little bit of a better prognosis than a torn UCL – as long as Hatch doesn’t have any bone spurs.

What I got right

While he has an influential supporter in Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro, Danny Jansen is an offensive black hole. My goodness.

I think at this point, Danny Jansen is what he’s proven himself to be: a catch and throw catcher. While I said he’s an offensive black hole, I didn’t anticipate his offensive futility would reach such lows. Although he has played only 13 games, Jansen has posted an awful slash line of .052/.158/.088 for an OPS+ of -27. It’s not often you see a big leaguer post numbers that bad. Gabriel Moreno is waiting with baited breath at the alternate site, but I don’t think Jansen is going anywhere. If he continues to struggle, he’s just going to have to wear it.

What I’m not seeing talked about much is Kirk’s arm strength – his throws to second average 67.4mph. If you were to place that number in a 2019 context, he would finish last in all eligible catchers. Pitchers love to throw to him, but I’m sure Kirk’s admiration society will lose members once baserunners run uninhibited with him behind the plate.

Alejandro Kirk won the backup catcher competition over Reese McGuire, much to the delight of round boys fans everywhere. While Kirk brings a potentially potent bat to the Blue Jays lineup, his poor arm was recently exposed by the Kansas City Royals. He’s allowed eight stolen bases and hasn’t caught a single would-be base stealer. The secret is out. It should be interesting to see how teams capitalize on Kirk’s limp noodle arm in the weeks ahead. Will he adjust? Will his playing time behind the plate be reduced? Stay tuned.

Blue Jays catching prospect Gabriel Moreno. Image credit: Caio Miari

What remains to be seen

I might be in the minority with this opinion, but I’m still not sure that Cavan Biggio is a consistent Major League-calibre player. He’s only had 159 games at the big-league level, so I’d like to see where he’s at about about 1000 more at-bats. I also don’t love his arm at the hot corner.

Through 15 games, Cavan Biggio has not looked like a consistent Major League-calibre player. His strikeout percentage is up to 31 per cent; he has not been able to prove he can handle above-average fastball velocity. It’s a small sample size to be sure – and his struggles could be related to a hand injury – but it’s worth keeping an eye on. Like Kirk, the secret might be out on how to get Biggio… out.

Additionally, my concerns about Biggio’s throwing arm have been well-founded. He’s already made four errors at the hot corner and doesn’t look comfortable at the position. The Blue Jays could have a problem on their hands, but it’s no time to panic after 15 games played.

We’re not quite sure what Rowdy Tellez is, but we’re about to find out in a (hopefully) full season of games in 2021.

Tellez is in the same boat as Biggio and is performing in a similar manner. Is he the player he showed himself to be in (albeit a small sample) 2020? Or is he really the free swinging three-true-outcome player (with most of those being strikeouts) he was in 2019? The Athletic’s Keith Law believes him to be the latter:

Additionally, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. looks to be lost at both the plate and in the field. After a successful 2020 campaign, this is a surprising, and altogether unwelcome development. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, small sample size caveats apply.

Pitching depth tested early

Following a stunted 2020 season, the baseball cognoscenti has prognosticated that pitching injuries would be on the rise in 2021 with increased workloads for pitchers. I don’t think anyone thought there would be SO many injuries as there have been early on, with Robbie Ray, Ross Stripling, Julian Merryweather, Jordan Romano, Tyler Chatwood, and T.J. Zeuch all landing on the IL at some point.

Blue Jays manager Ross Atkins has tapped the usual suspects in Anthony Kay and Trent Thornton to plug the leak. He’s also gone “outside the box” in leaning on the surprisingly effective Tommy Milone and Anthony Castro, while extracting value from perpetual vagabond reliever Joel Payamps.

Ray’s return hasn’t inspired confidence, and Montoyo is continuing to piece together all-bullpen days to compensate for injuries and an inconsistent starting rotation. If the Blue Jays’ waiver claim of Jeremy Beasley is any indication, it looks like the team is more inclined to pluck expendable arms off the scrap heap rather than throw their higher-ceiling pitching prospects into the fire. Hopefully further injuries don’t force Ross Atkins’ hand.

A return to health and stability

With George Springer and Teoscar Hernandez’s return to active duty, the Blue Jays lineup should achieve some semblance of offensive consistency soon. On the run prevention side, the good news is that Jordan Romano should be back to anchor the bullpen this weekend, while Nate Pearson stretches himself out at the alternate site in preparation for an imminent return to the rotation. The bad news is that infield coach Luis Rivera is going to have to work overtime with Cavan Biggio to get him on track. And this time next month, I might very well have to add Bo Bichette to the defensive conversation.

The shaky rotation will continue to be a liability for some time, but Steven Matz’s return to form has been a stabilizing force and a boon for a pitching staff that could only count Hyun-Jin Ryu as a reliable option. For the Blue Jays to have any aspirations of going deep in the playoffs, someone is going to have to emerge as a dependable innings-eater. I don’t think it comes from the group of Ross Stripling, T.J. Zeuch, or Anthony Kay.

One last thing: Vlady is a stud. But we always knew that didn’t we?

Featured image credit: Jerome Miron/USA TODAY Sports

Following a tumultuous spring training in which Bell refused to take an at-bat when he was announced as the designated hitter and laid on the grass in foul territory in protest, Bell channeled his anger into a three home run performance on opening day of 1988 – the first player to ever do so.

George Bell’s three home runs on opening day

Royals starter Brett Saberhagen allowed all three of Bell’s home runs that day; it was the only time during Bell’s career that he hit three home runs in a single game.

When asked about his performance following the game, Bell said, “I had a great day today but who knows what’s going to happen the next day? I just go one day at a time.” (Globe and Mail, April 5, 1988)

Blue Jays manager Jimy Williams extended an olive branch to Bell following his extraordinary performance. Starting in left field in the next game, Bell went 5-for-5 with two doubles.

George Bell as a Chicago White Sox

George Bell remained in Toronto for two more seasons before signing as a free agent with the Chicago Cubs. He was then traded to the Chicago White Sox for Ken Patterson and future slugger Sammy Sosa. His career ended with the White Sox, incidentally against the Toronto Blue Jays in the 1993 ALCS.

During his team’s ALCS appearance against the Blue Jays, Bell brought back bad memories of his earlier outbursts in Toronto by slamming manager Gene Lamont. Ironically, this time Bell was annoyed because he wasn’t DHing. Instead, the once-feared slugger had been benched. “I don’t respect Gene Lamont as a manager or as a man,” Bell asserted after being shunted from the Game Three lineup in favor of Bo Jackson. “Geno was in that Triple-A league [the NL] when I had my best years so he doesn’t really know what I can do.”

The highlight of Bell’s White Sox career was undoubtedly the game in which he was speared by first-baseman Mo Vaughn (the video is age-restricted but definitely worth watching on YouTube):

Following the ALCS loss to the Blue Jays, Bell was released by the White Sox.  The Blue Jays went on to win their second World Series.

These days, Bell can be found at the Bobby Mattick complex in Dunedin as a guest instructor for the Blue Jays during spring training when he’s not curating his Instagram account.

Photo credit: Eddie Michels

Photo credit: Craig Robertson, QMI Agency

Featured image photo credit: Toronto Star file photos