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Should the Toronto Blue Jays make a deal for an arm or a bat at the trade deadline?

Should the Toronto Blue Jays make a deal for an arm or a bat at the trade deadline?

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WATCH BELOW: On the latest episode of Long Ball, Postmedia's Rob Wong chats with Toronto Sun Blue Jays writer Rob Longley about the Blue Jays' biggest needs ahead of the trade deadline and what the expectation for Max Scherzer should be the rest of the season.
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Simmons Says: Masai Ujiri joins Toronto's sporting Mount Rushmore
Simmons Says: Masai Ujiri joins Toronto's sporting Mount Rushmore

The Province

time7 hours ago

  • The Province

Simmons Says: Masai Ujiri joins Toronto's sporting Mount Rushmore

The Mount Rushmore of Toronto sports executives (clockwise from top right): Masai Ujiri, Pat Gillick, Michael Clemons and Paul Beeston. If there were a Mount Rushmore of Toronto sports executives, the sculptures would begin with Pat Gillick and Paul Beeston, move to Pinball Clemons, and the final spot would be taken by Masai Ujiri. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors All of them changed the city, the culture of their respective teams and, on their own, deeply affected the country. The run Gillick had with the Blue Jays may never be equalled. For an 11-year-period, the teams that he and Beeston built — Gillick the baseball man, Beeston the business man — averaged 91 wins, were among the best in their game and did almost the impossible in winning two straight World Series titles. The Blue Jays became part of our lives back then, our daily conversation, our radio listening, our television watching, our newspaper reading. We were consumed by Blue Jays baseball in the Gillick years. And one thing about Gillick, Beeston, Clemons and Ujiri: When you met with them, when you had a conversation, when you shook their hands, you felt better about that day. You felt better just knowing them. You felt they understood something you didn't. About the sport, about teams, about champions, about what matters and what doesn't. Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Pinball's Argonauts were slaughtered in a public attendance way by the Blue Jays of the mid-1980s and have never recovered from that. But in a city so championship-starved, he played for three Grey Cup-winners, coached one, and has been involved in various management roles for four other championship teams in Toronto. Ujiri won just once in the NBA, and once will never be forgotten. Once may be all it ever is for the Raptors. This is how crazy it got across Canada in 2019: There were outdoor viewing parties in non-basketball places such as Red Deer and Moose Jaw and the NBA Finals became itinerant viewing for almost all Canadians. Masai made that possible. He started that in the kind of way the Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers and Winnipeg Jets dream of that being possible. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Masai, like Gillick, was in charge, had vision, had character beyond his own sport, had a Pinball-Beeston way about him, to not just say things, but do the right thing. You can't replace the kind of person Ujiri is, now that he's been fired as president of the Raptors just as the Blue Jays never really replaced Gillick after he chose to leave. In his 12 seasons with the Raptors, Ujiri's teams won nine playoff rounds. He was let go. In 11 seasons with the Leafs, the teams of president Brendan Shanahan made the playoffs nine straight years, but won just two playoff rounds. He was let go. In nine seasons with the Blue Jays, president Mark Shapiro's teams, the ones he's put together, have yet to win even a post-season game. He's still employed. It's hard to understand just what, if anything, major domo Edward Rogers is thinking here … Keith Pelley has been CEO of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment for just more than a year: In that time, he's bounced Bill Manning, who ran Toronto FC, he's fired Ujiri and parted ways with Shanahan. The pressure now with the wayward franchises bounces to Pelley … Ujiri was due a 2% raise for the coming NBA season and his contact was up after that. Rogers was never happy about how much he was being paid to run the team. Paying him even more for the future was out of the question … There is also $1 million owing to Ujiri's Giants Of Africa charity that is due in the coming days. There is no indication of whether some of that money, all of it or none of it, will be paid now or in the future … Ujiri truly believed that a team with Pascal Siakam, OG Anuoby, Fred VanVleet, Scottie Barnes and Jakob Poeltl could contend in the NBA. A similar team did this season — the Indiana Pacers. But somehow, that Group of Five, never connected properly in Toronto, never really got along, never found a way to succeed. Ujiri waited too long on them and paid for it. Now Ujiri leaves behind a lineup of Barnes, Brandon Ingram, RJ Barrett, Poeltl, Immanuel Quickley, Ochai Agbaji, Jamison Battle, Gradey Dick and their past two first round picks in Ja'Kobe Walter and Collin Murray-Boyles. If that group can play defence, it can have some success … The firing of Ujiri is a clear indication of the changing of the guard at MLSE. Larry Tanenbaum is no longer in charge. He would never have fired Masai. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. You can actually go online and bet on where Mitch Marner will be playing next season. At least you could have Saturday morning. Vegas is the favourite but now that there are reports the Leafs are talking to the Golden Knights about a sign-and-trade of some kind, the odds are the bets will be taken down … Here is why Vegas makes the most sense to Marner: Jack Eichel is an Auston Matthews-calibre centre on the Knights. Not many teams have those. Marner had 53 assists the past two seasons on Matthews goals. The numbers should be somewhat similar if he's feeding Eichel … Bill Zito did not win the GM of the year award in the NHL. He just wins Stanley Cups in Florida after trading for Brad Marchand and Seth Jones and signing Nate Schmidt as a free agent among other things. In Dallas, Jim Nill did trade for Mikko Rantanen and has been GM of the year now three years in a row. Which is nice, but wrong … It's amazing how trapped hockey insiders get by their relationships with player agents — insisting until the last minute how much money John Tavares would be paid to stay with the Leafs. The price became less important than the number of years involved. The Leafs still need a third line/second line centre depending on where they want to deploy Tavares … Last year, Marner and Tavares took up $22 million of the Leafs payroll. Right now, it's $4.3 million for Tavares, and almost $18 million in cap space. There is some value in that for the Leafs … The unnecessary move to decentralize the NHL draft was voted on by the current general managers. Now it's time to vote again — and turn the draft back into what it used to be. The NHL is at its best when it sticks to nuance and history and convenience. When it tries to be what it's not, as it did on Friday night, it winds up tripping all over itself … There was nothing more awkward watching from home than having newly drafted players talking to their general managers on video screens. The whole thing made me uncomfortable as someone who previously was a big fan of the all-teams-on-the-floor NHL draft … If it didn't cost much for the Red Wings to pick up goaltender John Gibson from Anaheim, it got me thinking: Why didn't Edmonton make a deal for Gibson? … The Wings have missed the playoffs nine years in a row. They need to be aggressive this off-season. Buffalo has missed 14 in a row. The Sabres need to be aggressive. Columbus wants to be aggressive. So all of that said, who misses the playoffs next year in the Eastern Conference? Florida, Tampa Bay, Toronto? I don't think so. Washington, Carolina, New Jersey? Probably not. Ottawa and Montreal? Maybe. And what about the Rangers and Bruins, who missed the playoffs this season? The East is suddenly crazy tough. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. What we'll never know: How many times Alexander Mogilny was nominated for the Hockey Hall of Fame before finally being elected on Monday? Was he passed over most years or just ignored? Because of the secrecy of the process — only the winners are announced and votes are never made public — there is no way to understand how or why Mogilny finally got elected. The good thing is, he's now a Hall of Famer. Albeit years overdue, but still, he's there for the rest of his life … Mogilny played on a line in Buffalo with Pat LaFontaine and Dave Andreychuk, all three of them now in the Hall. Had Andreychuk not been traded to Toronto for another Hall of Famer, Grant Fuhr, in 1993, that line would have become the first in hockey history with all three players on the line scoring 50 goals in a season … Some other all- Hall of Fame lines: Bryan Trottier with Mike Bossy and Clark Gillies; Jacques Lemaire with Guy Lafleur and Steve Shutt; before that, Dave Keon with Frank Mahovlich and George Armstrong in the six-team NHL … Carey Price was waiting for the call from the Hall on Tuesday but it never came. But without question it will come next year along with fellow slam-dunk choice Patrice Bergeron. That's without a doubt. That leaves spots available for those right on the border such as Patrik Elias, Rod Brind'Amour, Keith Tkachuk, Sergei Gonchar and Curtis Joseph, Ryan Getzlaf and Henrik Zetterberg. It doesn't guarantee that anyone will get in, but there's more of a chance when there are only two sure-thing candidates on the docket … Mogilny aside, the Class of 2025, Duncan Keith, Zdeno Chara and Joe Thornton were all first-time eligible players sure-things who couldn't be passed over …. And now we're wondering, unrelated: What, if anything, will Hall of Fame voters do in the future with Mike Babcock and Joel Quenneville? Both have credentials. Both have blemishes on their resumes … The best radio guest in hockey these days: Chris Pronger. He speaks like he played, with no fear, with edge, with a sense of intimidation, saying what few others will say. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Blue Jays look to be on their way to an 85- to 90-win season. What could be challenging in a wild-card race: Seven of their final 13 games of the season are against the longtime rival Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays look to be the best team in the American League. They're playing .666 baseball over the past 42 games … For a minute, Max Scherzer looked like an almost young Max Scherzer on the mound the other night. For a minute or so … If you take run differential seriously, and most bosses in baseball do, the Jays are the seventh best team in the AL. They do look better than that of late. But the Yankees were +113, the Rays are +67, Detroit is +91. The Jays are +8 heading into Saturday afternoon …. Nice to hear the former Argos executive, the Canadian Vince Magri just signed a two-year deal to stay as a pro scout with the Buffalo Bills … If I'm Brad Treliving, I'm signing Matthew Knies for five years and around $7.5 million a season. The better Knies plays for the Leafs, the less they will miss Marner in the future … The Canadian, Victoria Mboko, had a terrific French Open, but did not qualify for Wimbledon. Neither did the still trying to find herself, Bianca Andreescu … With Canada Day coming up and so much national angst, didn't you feel better, at least for the moment, watching NBA champion Shai Gilgeous-Alexander surrounded himself with a large Canadian flag during the championship celebration of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Nice to see someone who appreciates home … Women wrestlers I enjoy more than Bayley: Rhea Ripley, Bianca Belair, Charlotte Flair, Iyo Sky, Becky Lynch, Liv Morgan, Nia Jax, Trish Stratus, Natty Neidhart and, if she were still alive, The Fabulous Moolah … I don't know, but I hate to see a hockey player as solid, professional and committed as Marc Edouard Vlasic get bought out by the San Jose Sharks after 19 seasons. I understand the economics. I understand his game has slipped. But if this is the end, what an exceptional non-Hall of Fame career this man has had … Could Claude Giroux help the Leafs in free agency? Could he play right wing on a line with Matthews and Knies if Brad Marchand or Patrick Kane aren't available? … Happy birthday to Kawhi Leonard (34), John Elway (65), Brian Lawton (60), Gunnar Henderson (24), John Boccabella (84), Dan Dierdorf (76), Cody Rhodes (40), Corey Koskie (52), Matt Rempe (23), Craig Hartsburg (56) and Theo Fleury (57) … And, hey, whatever became of Terrence Ross?

Ten-man Canada exits CONCACAF Gold Cup after penalty shootout loss to Guatemala
Ten-man Canada exits CONCACAF Gold Cup after penalty shootout loss to Guatemala

Toronto Sun

time12 hours ago

  • Toronto Sun

Ten-man Canada exits CONCACAF Gold Cup after penalty shootout loss to Guatemala

Published Jun 29, 2025 • 4 minute read Canada defender Alistair Johnston (2) and Guatemala forward Rubio Mendez (9) battle for possession of the ball during the first half of a CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinals soccer match on Sunday. Photo by Abbie Parr / via the Canadian Press Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. MINNEAPOLIS — Canada, reduced to 10 men when Jacob Shaffelburg was sent off in first-half stoppage time, exited the CONCACAF Gold Cup on Sunday after a 6-5 penalty shootout loss to Guatemala. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The quarterfinal went to spot kicks after finishing tied 1-1 after 90 minutes at U.S. Bank Stadium. Tied 5-5 after six rounds of the shootout, Canadian teenage defender Luc de Fougerolles hit the crossbar. Jose Morales stepped up and beat Dayne St. Clair to send the 106th-ranked Guatemalans into the semifinal. Promise David, Daniel Jebbison, Derek Cornelius, Mathieu Choiniere and Nathan Saliba scored for No. 30 Canada in the shootout. Kenderson Navarro stopped Cyle Larin Oscar Santis, Nicola Samayoa, Aaron Herrera, Darwin Lom and Pero Altan also scored for Guatemala in the shootout. Guatemala captain Jose Pinto had a chance to win it in the fifth round after Larin's spot kick was saved but sent his penalty over the bar. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Canada exited the 2023 Gold Cup in a quarterfinal penalty shootout loss to the U.S. The Canadians also lost a shootout to Ivory Coast in the recent Canadian Shield Tournament in Toronto with de Fougerolles denied from the penalty spot. Guatemala will play either the 16th-ranked U.S. or No. 54 Costa Rica in Wednesday's semifinal at Energizer Park in St. Louis. The Americans and Costa Ricans met in the nightcap of Sunday's doubleheader at U.S. Bank Stadium, home of the NFL's Vikings. Leading 1-0 via a 30th-minute Jonathan David penalty, Canada was reduced to 10 men when Shaffelburg was shown a second yellow card for bodying Stheven Robeles to the ground. He picked up the first caution in the 40th minute for taking down CF Montreal's Olger Escobar. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Canadians did not sit back in the second half, coming forward when not absorbing the pressure of Guatemala hunting for an equalizer. But Rubio Rubin tied it for Guatemala in the 69th minute with a stylish header off a Santis cross to cap off a well-constructed attack. The Oregon-born Rubin earned seven caps for the U.S. before, taking advantage of family ties to Guatemala, switching his international allegiance. He plays his club football for the Charleston Battery in the USL Championship. While there was none of the over-the-top physicality shown by El Salvador in Canada's final Group B game, there was no shortage of niggle Sunday, be it an extra shove or ball kicked at a downed Canadian player. And the emotional temperature rose in a frenetic second half. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Jonathan David went down repeatedly in the second half, receiving treatment twice. Defending champion Mexico, ranked 17th in the world, faces No. 75 Honduras in the other semifinal Wednesday at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. The first half was entertaining with the 30th-ranked Canadians attacking from the get-go and No. 106 Guatemala responding with the occasional counter-attack. Canada won six corners in the first 20 minutes. Costa Rican referee Keylor Herrera pointed to the penalty spot in the 27th minute when Tani Oluwaseyi, put behind the defence by a pinpoint Richie Laryea pass, went down in the box. The contact with Aaron Herrera, a former CF Montreal player, was minimal but the decision passed video review. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Jonathan David, who had a penalty saved the previous game against El Salvador, made no mistake this time. He found the corner of the goal for his 36th goal in 67 appearances, adding to his Canadian men's scoring record. It was his second goal in as many games at the tournament and his Canada-leading eighth, along with three assists, in eight career Gold Cup games. Canada coach Jesse Marsch made two changes to his starting 11 with St. Clair, who played the first two Group B games before giving way to Max Crepeau, returning in goal and Oluwaseyi replacing Promise David up front. The Canadian starting 11 went into the game with a combined 353 caps with David (66 caps), Laryea (64), Alistair Johnston (55) and Tajon Buchanan (50) accounting for 235 of them. Buchanan, who was seen clutching the back of his leg in the first half, gave way to Jebbison in the 58th minute. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Navarro started in goal for Guatemala in place of the injured Nicho Hagen, a backup with the Columbus Crew, and did well, commanding his penalty box and initiating Guatemala attacks with savvy ball distribution. Canada had 59 per cent possession in the first half and had a 4-3 edge in shots (2-2 in shots on target) and 7-2 in corners. Canada came into the game with 10-2-2 all-time record against Guatemala was unbeaten in the previous five meetings (4-0-1), dating back to a 2-0 loss in August 2004 in World Cup qualifying in Burnaby, B.C. The teams played to a scoreless draw the last time they met, in group play at the 2023 Gold Cup. Canada defeated Honduras 6-0, tied No. 90 Curacao 1-1 and dispatched No. 81 El Salvador 2-0 to win Group B. Guatemala finished runner-up to No. 33 Panama in Group C, beating No. 63 Jamaica 1-0 and unranked Guadeloupe 3-2 and losing 1-0 to Panama. Canada, which won the tournament in 2000, had made the quarterfinals in the last four editions of the Gold Cup but had only advanced once — in 2021 when it lost 2-1 to Mexico in the semifinal after beating Costa Rica 2-0. Guatemala reaches the semifinal for just the second time, following 1996 when it lost 1-0 to eventual champion Mexico. The Guatemala roster features four MLS players including Hagen and Escobar. Toronto Maple Leafs Toronto Maple Leafs Sports Toronto & GTA Sunshine Girls

Blue Jays bullpen locks down series win at Fenway, Yankees up next
Blue Jays bullpen locks down series win at Fenway, Yankees up next

National Post

time13 hours ago

  • National Post

Blue Jays bullpen locks down series win at Fenway, Yankees up next

Following back-to-back blowouts with the Blue Jays and Red Sox exchanging lopsided outcomes, Sunday's series rubber match at Fenway Park was close and competitive with the normal quirkiness inherent to the historic venue on full display. Article content The Jays jumped out early with the long ball before the Red Sox drew even 2-2. Toronto regained the advantage for good in the fourth inning when the bottom of the order produced a pair of runs, setting the stage for an ending that highlighted the Jays' bullpen, capped off by closer Jeff Hoffman putting the final touches on a 5-3 Blue Jays win. Article content Article content Article content The Jays never trailed, though at no time did this game ever seem secure, which is par for the course at Fenway. But in a park in which no lead is ever safe, the Jays bullpen made sure this one was, as four relievers provided the visitors with 4.2 innings of one-hit ball to improve to 45-38 and remain three games behind the AL East-lead New York Yankees, who move into the Rogers Centre on Monday to start what looms as the hitherto series of the year. Article content The following are three takeaways from a win that was accomplished with just six hits and gave the Blue Jays a 4-2 record on their two-stop road trip. Article content 1. Foibles of Fenway Article content Virtually anything is possible when venturing into Fenway, with its iconic Green Monster in left field and the Pesky's Pole in right. Article content One day after scoring just one run in a lopsided loss to the Bosox, the Jays turned on two pitches in their first at-bats to produce two runs. Article content Addison Barger went deep into right field off Boston starter Walker Buehler, who had just struck out leadoff hitter Bo Bichette. Then, one pitch after yielding Barger's bomb, Buehler saw Vladimir Guerrero Jr. go deep by crushing a ball into the Monster seats. Article content Barger's blast was his ninth of the season, Guerrero's his 12th to give him the club lead. Article content Speaking of the Pesky's Pole, Carlos Narvaez, who bats right-handed, sliced a ball for a home run off Jays starter Eric Lauer to lead off the second — the poke travelling a mere 337 feet. Article content 2. Zero-sum game Article content A battle of jersey No. 0's played out pitting Buehler and Andres Gimenez, the featured player Monday against the Yankees when his replica jersey will be given away to fans at the Rogers Centre. Article content In the top of the fourth, Gimenez drove in a run as the Jays regained the lead, 3-2, then promptly stole his club-leading 10th base of the season. Article content The Jays would plate two runs in the inning, both with two outs. The inning ncluded three walks and ended when Tyler Heineman, who had just forced home the fourth Toronto run following a free pass, was picked off at first base with Bichette at the plate.

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