Halladay in spring mode
March 1
Toronto Star: "Where Roy Halladay goes, the Jays' season will surely follow. So there will be keen interest in the form of the team's No.1 starter when he faces batters for the first time today in the inaugural spring training game against Boston."
So far, so good for Blue Jays
March 1
Toronto Sun: "Roy Halladay, who was shut down for the final 10 days of 2006 with a sore forearm, is looking like the Cy Young award winner he is. Some of Halladay's legendary work ethic even seems to be rubbing off on A.J. Burnett, who has not had even a hint of elbow pain."
Blue Jays' League still a spectator
March 1
Toronto Star: "The Jays continue to nurse middle reliever Brandon League (sore lateral muscle), who looked on yesterday as his teammates did some long tossing."
Frankly, Lind not hurting
March 1
Toronto Sun: "Adam Lind saw the news on TV. It inched across the bottom of the screen, almost in slow-motion: 'Blue Jays ... sign ... free-agent ... Frank Thomas.'"
Players, coaches eager to let the games begin
March 1
Globe and Mail: "Vernon Wells, Frank Thomas and Gregg Zaun, decked out in their brilliantly white Toronto Blue Jays home uniforms, sauntered past the indoor batting cage to a nearby field for a photo shoot."
Health, pitching at top of Jays' main concerns
March 1
Toronto Star columnist Richard Griffin: "This afternoon, facing a somewhat underwhelming Red Sox lineup, the Jays will open their 31-game Grapefruit League schedule full of sound and fury, signifying ... well, if not nothing, you can see nothing from here."
Spring's bases are covered
March 1
Toronto Star: "It'll be the 31st spring for the Jays here – meaning all the springs they've ever had – and while the population's now pushing 40,000, Dunedin can still be, as they often say, delightfully different."
Gibby not worried about spring wins
March 1
Toronto Sun: "On the eve of the Blue Jays' Grapefruit League opener against Boston, manager John Gibbons was reflecting on the significance (or insignificance) of spring wins and losses."
Gillick makes unexpected visit
March 1
Globe and Mail: "The Phillies, who are willing to trade starter Jon Lieber, like Rios (who doesn't?) and Dustin McGowan, and since Rios's shoulder is banged up, Gillick might have wanted to see for himself the health of the outfielder. And Gillick likes to do things differently (other general managers joke about how he doesn't return telephone calls). Toss in the fact that Casey Close, the agent for Roy Halladay and Ryan Howard, rolled in and suddenly you're looking for a grassy knoll."
Gillick chats with Jays
March 1
Philadelphia Daily News (scroll down): "Ignore the fact that the Phillies might be interested in acquiring outfielders Alex Rios or Reed Johnson if the Phillies deal Aaron Rowand for pitching help. As for the presence of Ryan Howard's agent, Casey Close, at the Blue Jays' camp, 'I didn't know he was there,' Gillick said."