Results tagged “bluejays”

While Blue Jays fans may bemoan the disappointments of the past season, at least this year’s squad didn’t stink as badly as their predecessors thirty years ago. The 1979 edition of the bluebirds was the worst in team history, with a record of fifty-three wins and one-hundred-and-nine losses. Chances were good that the shirt modelled by outfielder Rick Bosetti could have performed better on the field than most of that year's lineup.

Last year, we featured the television spots used during the latter half of the 1980s to encourage tourists to come to Toronto and "Discover the Feeling!" Today’s ad is an early print version of the campaign used to lure travellers from Motown into driving east on Highway 401. After a year of development by Camp Associates, the new tourism slogan was unveiled in 1984 as a replacement for "Toronto...Affectionately Yours," which had been used since 1972. Early reaction to the new slogan was summed up by Star columnist George Gamester: "’Discover the Feeling!’ doesn't sound like much for $50,000. But then 'I Love New York' probably didn't sound earth-shattering when first proposed, either."

To say that it was chilly outside during the Jays' season opener would be an understatement. Fortunately—and it's rare that this is a fortunate event—the Rogers Centre's roof was closed. Underneath it, 48,027 fans awaited the start of what almost everyone is predicting will be a mediocre season, at best.

"Belt it" was a concept the Ontario government and Blue Jays slugger Rico Carty were well acquainted with as the 1979 baseball season dawned. Too bad the rest of the Blue Jays played like careless drivers during that season's opening game in Kansas City. Where the 2009 squad steamrolled over the Detroit Tigers last night, the 1979 team was like a deer caught in the headlights.

LECTURE: Bob Dylan fans can learn more about the influential songwriter at a multimedia event by Michael Gray this evening. Alongside rare archival footage and excerpts from Dylan’s music, Gray—the author of The Bob Dylan Encyclopedia—explores his subject’s music and its blues influences. Hugh’s Room (2261 Dundas Street West), doors open at 6 p.m., presentation at 8:30 p.m., $22.50 or $25 at door.

The guys at Drunk Jays Fans, one of the city's better sports blogs, are kick-starting a grassroots campaign to have former Blue Jays play-by-play man Tom Cheek awarded the Ford C. Frick Award. The award, which is given annually by the Baseball Hall of Fame for "career excellence in baseball broadcasting," is the equivalent of being inducted into Cooperstown. Throughout September, fans can pick their top three broadcasters from a huge list of nominees, and the top vote-getter will be included on the final ballot voted on by the Hall of Fame selection committee.

FILM: As the summer continues, so do Toronto's weekly outdoor movies. Tonight, the Harbourfront Centre is screening 1998 Tom Tykwer thriller Run Lola Run in German with English subtitles. Just three subway stops away, 1987 Rob Reiner fantasy The Princess Bride is showing at Yonge-Dundas Square. Both films begin at 9 p.m., and both are FREE.

MUSIC: San Fransisco melodic indie duo Mates of State are playing tonight at Lee's Palace. Joining the husband and wife team are Oakland progressive string-metal group Judgement Day. Lee's Palace (529 Bloor Street West), 8 p.m., $15.

Environmental groups including Ecojustice and Earthroots are decrying that golf courses on the Oak Ridges Moraine use billions of litres of water a year. The report they issued points out that groundwater levels in the area are declining sharply. Not in their report but should have been: the fact that golf sucks.

SPORTS: After a four-day stint in Baltimore, the Toronto Blue Jays return tonight for their first home game in two weeks. The Jays take on the Seattle Mariners tonight. The Mariners are in last place in the West Division, and the Jays are in second-last place in the East Division! This is shaping up to be an exciting series. Rogers Centre (1 Blue Jay Way), 7:07 p.m., $9-$57.

So far, the summer weather's been anything but. Rain, rain, more rain... we haven't had to take one shower in two months! (Kidding. Don't make that face.) Still, that's no excuse to huddle at home: here are our top three no-poncho-required weekend activities.

If Reba McEntire and Tony Bennett come to Toronto to play, why shouldn't tourists follow suit?

Every Saturday morning, Historicist looks back at the events, places, and characters—good and bad—that have shaped Toronto into the city we know today.

At an event yesterday to show off Toronto's new street furniture, David Miller praised the exclusive deal with Astral Media. The contract includes a measly 1,000 new bicycle posts, because God knows we don't want to encourage cycling in downtown Toronto. The contract also includes new public toilet installations which are billed as being "self-cleaning," to which Torontoist can only issue a collective "shyeeeeah, right."

Every weekday morning, bright and early, we feature a photo (or two) from a photographer in the Torontoist Flickr Pool. It's our way of giving the many excellent photographers in our pool the attention that they deserve.

The committee charged with reviewing Ontario's payday loans law recommends a hard usury cap of sixty percent. Were it any lower, payday loan companies would have to shut down and go get real jobs and make their mothers proud of them. Were it any higher, payday loan companies would be dancing in the streets and shouting "hooray!" So sixty percent is apparently the fair number.

Rumours are flying about Led Zeppelin potentially playing the Rogers Centre this summer. (See Torontoist's breaking post from last weekend here.) Let Torontoist give you a sneak preview: the tickets, targeted for an aging boomer base with money to burn, will be insanely expensive; the band will give a competent but unremarkable performance that will have every paper exclaiming in an enormous font "THEY'VE STILL GOT IT!" when in truth they only barely have anything resembling "it"; and somewhere, zombie John Bonham will shed a single tear.

Dalton McGuinty wants Fiat to build its new North American factory here in Ontario. McGuinty emphasized Ontario's history of auto manufacturing, and also the province's sheer desperation to replace thousands of lost jobs from the American Big Three automakers gradually collapsing. McGuinty then said, "No, seriously, we'll do anything to get the plant. AN-Y-THING." Then he winked.

The federal government's defence plan will cost $20 billion more than the federal government said it would cost, at least according to the Vice Chief of Defence Staff. Stephen Harper responded to the criticism by explaining that the country would be purchasing its planes and tanks through Canadian Tire, and that the Canadian Tire money generated by the purchases would be applied directly to the national debt, thus equalizing out costs.

Barack Obama inched closer to the Democratic Presidential nomination last night, winning North Carolina pretty decisively and holding Hillary Clinton's victory in Indiana to a near-tie. Pundits and prognosticators alike agreed that at long last, Hillary Clinton's chances of winning the nomination were almost totally nonexistent, now that America has finally come to terms with the fact that Barack Obama is black, y'all, he's black, y'all, he's blackety-blackety-black, y'all.

TTC riders can get a refund after last weekend's strike (see Torontoist's story here). If you bring your pass to a collector's booth, you will get $7.50 back. Torontoist personally plans to invest its Metropass refund in the stock market, purchasing 1/95th of a share of Google.

Copper theft in Toronto has reached record levels. Thieves just can't get enough of that golden-brown stuff. You can do anything with it—sell it for four dollars per pound, or...well, actually that's pretty much all a copper thief can do with copper, come to think.

China vows to continue the international Olympic torch relay despite lots of protests. The International Olympic Committee suggested that they might do away with the international route in upcoming games, because from now on, all Olympic games will be held in authoritarian dictatorships and they "don't want to look bad" when they award the next few Games to Zimbabwe, Uzbekistan, and the Equatorial Republic of Hate-Land. (The President-For-Eternity of Hate-Land responded by saying, "ooooooh, I hate the International Olympic Committee! And I hate you!")

Today is Tartan Day. This is the day customarily used for the first time ever to celebrate Scots who have moved to North America. Torontoist recommends that you celebrate by eating a deep-fried Mars bar and staggering out of a soccer game, swearing loudly.

Jeff Healey, legendary Torontonian musician and owner of Jeff Healey's Roundhouse on Blue Jays Way (and Healey's at Queen and Bathurst prior to that), has died of cancer at only 41. The news, posted to his website earlier tonight, comes just under two months before the domestic release of Healey's new album, Mess of Blues, recorded with what Healey called "the best damned bar band in Canada." His website has plenty more information about his life and music. Funeral and memorial arrangements are forthcoming.

If you're like us (and, God willing, you’re not), then you're utterly exasperated by the ongoing steroid scandal in Major League Baseball. You're puzzled that the United States Congress has nothing better to do than to interrogate multimillionaire athletes who might've used performance-enhancing drugs. Moreover, you're wondering why, this past Wednesday morning, no fewer than three Canadian sports networks were showing live coverage of the Roger Clemens hearing. Is it really that important?

After the Toronto Blue Jays acquired a gimpy Scott Rolen in exchange for a gimpy Troy Glaus, the general consensus was that the two players cancelled each other out. One point, however, hasn't been discussed—possibly because it's utterly irrelevant to the game of baseball. Still, we feel it's worth mentioning that we'll no longer have to wince as Troy Glaus limps up to bat with "Crazy Train" blasting through the speakers. Instead, we'll apparently get to revel in watching Rolen strut to the plate to the melodious sounds of…wait for it…"Rollin'." Yes, the Limp Bizkit song.

'Tis the season for gift certificates. Whether you're scratching your head trying to figure out what to give to an impossible recipient or selecting your loved one's favourite store or service, the selection of certificates, cards and vouchers seems unlimited. More than a few local sports woke up on Christmas morning three decades ago to find one of today's passes for the Blue Jays' second campaign as a stocking stuffer.

It's election day today! So go vote. If you don't vote, nobody will ever truly love you and you will die alone and unmourned. This is a statistical fact.