Donruss Jays 1983-1986

Hello Friends!

Last post was about the cards I need for the 1981 Jays team set for Donruss... 

Today will show the ones needed from the Donruss sets from 1983-1986. My 1982 team set is done. 

The 1983s.. 

Can I just say... This DK design is gorgeous.. 

The 1984 set is a nice one to look at. 

1985 was the first year the Canadian market got the Leaf set where it paralleled but not fully, the Donruss set. 

The only one I need from 1986 is this Cerutti The Rookies card. The base is complete. 

 

1981 Donruss Jays

 Hello Friends!

I know I've been a little sporadic with posting on this account lately. I apologize. I've been dealing with some issues still, but I'm getting a little better. I have been posting on my personal blog, In My Own Words. But anyway.

I've started my organization again finally.. I'm working on my Donruss Jays Binder. I'm done 1981 right now. 

I have most of the team set, but am missing a few..

These are the cards I'm missing: 

I'm probably going to take a look on Sportlots at the end of the month when I get some money again, but if I'm able to work out a trade with someone, I'd prefer that.. If anyone can help me out, let me know, either here or at 

matson67 at hotmail dot com

Have a wonderful day friends, and GO JAYS!

A Run of Stiebs

 Hello Friends!

Today I want to do something I've seen on the Twitmachine. 

A career run of a player... Obviously from the title, it's Dave Stieb. 

Stieb's rookie card in 1980. 

I included the team leaders cards he was on as well. 

I don't know why but I really like the look of the 85 set. If I were to collect though, it'd be the OPC. 

I'm debating. I have the Topps set.. I have most of the OPC set.. Do I keep both?

1993 was his last card as a Jay. He does have an Upper Deck 93 card as a White Sox player, but nothing in Topps.. 

I included this one but not the other retired Archives cards I have because this one actually has his time with the Sox and his return in 1998 

I'm thinking of doing some other career runs as I finish them.. I mean I could cheat and do a Peter Hoy one which is one card, and not even Topps.. But I digress..

Have a great day and Go Jays!

Peterborough Whitecaps

 Hello Friends!

I can't recall if I mentioned this on here, but while going through Baseball Reference and Canadian cities that hosted a minor league team, two cities stuck out to me.. Peterborough, and Port Arthur Ontario.

Peterborough, dear reader, is my current home. Port Arthur, post 1970, has been one half of the city of Thunder Bay. 

Both cities hosted minor league baseball in the 1910s. 

I looked into the Peterborough team. It was known as the Whitecaps for two seasons and the Petes for one. 

I've hit a dead end on information regarding the team itself aside from a single photograph that was used in an article in the Peterborough Examiner..

In 1912, they were part of the Class C Canadian League. There were eight teams in the league. Peterborough finished 8th. 

Other teams that season included the Ottawa Senators, Brantford Red Sox, Hamilton Kolts, London Tecumsehs, St Thomas Saints, Berlin Busy Bees, and Guelph Maple Leafs. 

In 1913, the team changed their name to the Petes, but their record seems to have not been recorded in any place on the internet. The same teams were in the league though Hamilton became the Hams. 

In 1914, the Petes and the Canadian League were bumped up to Class B. 

The Petes ended this season 49-62, good for 6th in the 8 team league. 

The teams were The Ottawa Senators, London Tecumsehs, Erie Yankees, Toronto Beavers, St Thomas Saints, the Petes, Hamilton Hams, and Brantford Red Sox. 

Between the 1914 and 1915 seasons, the Petes and the Erie Yankees disappeared from the league. The Canadian League continued until the end of the 1915 season, where the league folded. 

Unfortunately, that's about all I have on the Peterborough Whitecaps/Petes. I know they played at a place called Riverside Park, but I don't know where that would have been in the city. It might be East City Bowl, the current home of baseball in Peterborough. It could be where Water Street and Millenium Park are now. I don't know. I have reached out for clarification. 

I hope this was somewhat informative. 

Opening Day and the Jays

 Hello Friends!

Yesterday was Opening Dy across baseball and today I was pondering. After realizing the 2016 Cubs win was the first time the Cubs won in Wrigley, I started thinking about Opening Day win/loss records and Home Opener Win/Loss records.. 

Specifically for the Toronto Blue Jays. So.. I decided to look into it. After a quite messy method, I got my answers.

Of course, to log the Opening Day record, we have to go back to the first Opening Day for the Jays. 1977. April 7 had a nice blizzard blow in before the game, but the team was determined to have the game played. I'm sure many have seen the videos of players clowning around using shinpads as skis and bats as ski poles, etc.. After getting the Zamboni from the Maple Leafs to clear the infield, the game was underway..

We know the Jays won that fateful game 

But how about Opening Days after? 

To find my answer, I combed through Baseball-Reference and the box scores page for the Jays for ever year from 1977 to 2023. 

Originally I was going to just focus on Opening Day but then I also decided on Home Openers as well.. 

My methodology is this.. If it was an Opening Day game in Toronto, it counts as both Opening Day and Home Opener.. If they started the season on the road, The record would be recorded in Opening Day only. For the Home Openers, unless it was Opening Day, they were logged separate. 

As we know, Doug Ault was the hero of the day in 1977 with two homeruns..

Anyway..

In Opening Day games, the Jays were 26-21

In Home Openers, they were 30-17

I find it funny that a lot of the Home Opener wins came when they were either horrible, or mediocre.

Most of their Opening Day losses came on the road. Of course, we know they won last night, but I didn't add it to the data, since the Home Opener is April 8.. 

Canadians in the Majors: Tyler O'Neill

 Hello Friends!

Today I'm going to make this one focus on Tyler O'Neill..

Tyler O'Naill was born June 22, 1995 in Burnaby, British Columbia

He currently lives in Maple Ridge, British Columbia

He was taken in the third round of the 2013 draft by the Seattle Mariners. He worked his way through the Mariners system including a season that won him the Southern League MVP in 2016. The Jackson Generals won the Southern League Championship. 

On July 21, 2017, he was traded to the Cardinals for Marco Gonzales and continued working at the Triple A Level, this time in Memphis. In 2017, the Memphis Redbirds won the Pacific Coast League Championship. The resulting win meant O'Neill was part of two consecutive championship teams, in two leagues for two different organizations. 

After the 2017 season he was added to the 40 man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft.

His time in St Louis has been riddled with injuries, with him having one season where he accumulated more than 500 at bats. He did win two Gold Gloves for his defence. 

On December 8, 2023, he was traded to Boston for Nick Robertson and Victor Santos. 

He's an avid weightlifter and piano player. For his weightlifting, he was given the nickname Popeye in the Southern League. 

He has played the piano to entertain his teammates from time to time. His favourite song to play is O Canada. He's also played the Lord of the Rings Theme. 

His father was named Mr Canada, an honour given to the Nation's best bodybuilder, in 1975. 

I do hope he is able to stay healthy because I'd like to see him have a good career. That said, since he's on Boston... I'm of two minds on it.