Mascot / In-game performer auditions (10:00 am, Elgin Theatre) The Jays Care Foundation Reverse Draw (6:00 pm, Liberty Grand)

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1 TORONTO BLUE JAYS MEDIA NEWSLETTER Volume 2006, Issue 1 Released January 18, 2005 IN THIS ISSUE Looking Ahead: Dates You Need to Know in the Offseason Jays Swing Into Sales on February 25 with Swing Into Spring Spring Forward: Key Dates in Spring Training O Canada: Jays Set to Face Canuck Entry in WBC State of Affairs Examined at State of the Franchise Fortune of Reversal: Rookie League to Benefit from Reverse Draw Game Entertainment Has Ace Up Its Sleeve By the Numbers: Baseball America s Top Ten List a Call to Arms Notable & Quotable: Lip Glaus - Glaus Trade Caps Busy Offseason And Has Lips Flapping LOOKING AHEAD DATES YOU NEED TO KNOW IN THE OFFSEASON FEBRUARY February 1-20 Salary arbitration hearings held February 4 February 6 February 9 February 11 February 17 February 18 February 21 February 22 February 23 February 25 Mascot / In-game performer auditions (10:00 am, Elgin Theatre) The Jays Care Foundation Reverse Draw (6:00 pm, Liberty Grand) State of the Franchise Meeting (6:00 pm, Toronto Hilton Toronto Ballroom) Special advance sale of single game tickets launched on Pitchers & catchers report to Dunedin for Spring Training First workout for pitchers & catchers Medicals begin for reported players Announcement of 2006 Ford C. Frick Award winner Players report to Dunedin for Spring Training First full-squad workout Blue Jays single game tickets go on sale Blue Jays Swing Into Spring (Jays Shop Yonge and Dundas & Eaton Centre) Photo Day MARCH

2 March 2 March 3 March 4 Blue Jays begin play in Grapefruit League Blue Jays vs. Team Canada (Knology Park, 1:05 pm) Blue Jays host meet n greet BBQ for season ticket subscribers IN THE NEWS JAYS SWING INTO SALES ON FEBRUARY 25 WITH SWING INTO SPRING Single game tickets for the Blue Jays 2006 championship season go on sale on Saturday, February 25. A special advance sale will begin exclusively online at on Saturday, February 11. Blue Jays fans wishing to purchase individual game tickets for any home game in the 2006 home schedule will have four options on or after the 25th: 1. Buy tickets online through 2. Buy tickets by phone at (416) or OK-GO-JAY 3. Buy tickets in person at Blue Jays Box Office or Jays Shop locations 4. Buy tickets in person at Rogers Video locations (listed on To celebrate this important occasion, the Blue Jays will once again be hosting a day-long fan festival at Eaton Centre called Jays Swing Into Spring. First introduced to a strong response last season, Jays Swing into Spring offers a day full of activities including a question-and-answer session and autograph signing with select Blue Jays players, a fashion show of new merchandise and auditions to sing the nationals anthems at a home game. >>>Click here for Blue Jays 2006 Ticket Information >>>Click here for the Blue Jays 2006 Championship Season Schedule >>>Click here to view a Photo Gallery of the 2005 Jays Swing into Spring SPRING FORWARD: KEY DATES IN SPRING TRAINING The Blue Jays have now finalized the schedule of key dates for this year s Spring Training. At the risk of entering the Department of Redundancy Department, the dates, which are included in a larger calendar above, are repeated here, along with the dates for Minor League Spring Training. February 17 February 18 February 22 February 23 February 25 March 2 Pitchers & catchers report to Dunedin First workout for pitchers & catchers (Mattick Training Center) Medicals for all reported players Positional players report to Dunedin First full-squad workout (Mattick Training Center) Photo Day Blue Jays begin Grapefruit League Play Blue Jays vs. Devil Rays (1:05 pm, Knology Park)

3 March 3 March 4 Blue Jays vs. Team Canada (1:05 pm, Knology Park) Blue Jays host BBQ for season ticket subscribers All Spring Training workouts for the Blue Jays will be conducted at the Bobby Mattick Training Center at Englebert Complex, while all Grapefruit League home games will be held at Knology Park. The Club will play 33 exhibition games in total, including a date on March 3 in Dunedin against Canada s entry to the World Baseball Classic. The exhibition schedule wraps up on April 1 with the second of two games against the Club s Class AAA affiliate, the Syracuse SkyChiefs. The Club will travel north that same night for workouts at Rogers Centre prior to the 30 th Home Opener in Blue Jays history, set for April 4 against the Minnesota. The Club s minor league players will move in to the Mattick Center shortly after the Major League team relocates to Knology Park. Here are the dates for Minor League Spring Training. March 2 March 4 March 5 March 7 March 8 Staff reports Minor league pitchers & catchers report First workouts for minor league pitchers & catchers Minor league positional players report First full workout for Blue Jays minor leaguers >>Click here for the Blue Jays Grapefruit League Schedule >>Click here for Spring Training / Knology Park Information >>Click here for the Blue Jays 2006 Championship Season Schedule O CANADA: JAYS SET TO FACE CANUCK ENTRY IN WBC The Blue Jays are proud to lend their support to the inaugural World Baseball Classic by lending their training facility to Team Canada for the purposes of its training camp. The members of Team Canada, including manager Ernie Whitt, will report to Dunedin and the Bobby Mattick Training Center by the beginning of March. Included in their training session will be an exhibition game against a Blue Jays split squad team at Knology Park on the afternoon of March 3 (1:05 pm). After that, Canada gets set to take on the rest of the world beginning pool play in the 16-team tournament on March 7 in Arizona. The Canadians are in a pool that includes the United States, Mexico and South Africa. Media information on the World Baseball Classic can be found at >>>Click here to review Team Canada s roster >>>Click here to review Team USA s roster >>>Click here to visit

4 STATE OF AFFAIRS EXAMINED AT STATE OF THE FRANCHISE This year s edition of the Blue Jays State of the Franchise has been set for the night of February 9, beginning at 6:00 pm. It will be held this year in the Toronto Ballroom of the Toronto Hilton (145 Richmond Street West), as its usual location, Alice Fazoolis, is unavailable due to ongoing renovations. The annual meeting gives the Club s most valued stakeholders, its season ticket subscribers, a chance to get straight answers to their toughest questions to the Blue Jays senior administration team. As in years past, President Paul Godfrey, General Manager J.P. Ricciardi and VP of Ticket Sales & Service Patrick Elster will be available at the head table to answer questions. Manager John Gibbons will join in by way of conference call from the Club s spring headquarters in Dunedin. The now annual gathering was first introduced in 2002 and earned its nickname as it coincided directly with the U.S. President s State of the Union address. As in past years, members of the media are invited to attend this gathering but should first confirm their attendance with the Blue Jays Communications Department. A FORTUNE OF REVERSAL: ROOKIE LEAGUE TO BENEFIT FROM REVERSE DRAW All 200 tickets for this year s Jays Care Foundation Reverse Draw, benefiting Rookie League Baseball, have now been sold at $500 apiece. The gala evening is set for the night of February 6 at Toronto s Liberty Grand and will feature performances by world-renowned pianist Naki Ataman and jazz singer Carol McCartney. Among those also slated to appear is Blue Jays bench coach and Team Canada manager Ernie Whitt. Of course the real highlight of the evening is the draw itself in which the names of all 200 ticket-holders are pulled from a drum and announced one by one, until just one remains. The last name to be drawn will drive away as the winner of a brand new 2006 Pontiac Torrent. The Jays Care Foundation Reverse Draw is presented with the gracious support of GM Canada and Expedite Plus. Members of the media are invited to attend this gathering but should be sure first to RSVP to the Blue Jays Communications Department. GAME ENTERTAINMENT HAS NEW ACE UP ITS SLEEVE You could say they are looking for the strong silent type. Auditions for the role of Ace for the upcoming season will be held on February 4 th at Toronto s Elgin Theatre Studios, beginning at 10:00 am. Jen Cohen, the Executive Producer for Live Entertainment at Blue Jays home games, says their preferred candidate, must be a highly skilled performer with a great ability to improvise and animate. Experience in tumbling, gymnastics or acrobatics is a definite plus. Above all, though, the new Ace must be good with children and be an outgoing people person. Candidates at these auditions will be interviewed and be asked to improvise a series of scenarios. More details are available in a one-page information sheet that can be downloaded and printed off by clicking on the link below. >>>Click here for more information on the Mascot Auditions Open Call BY THE NUMBERS BASEBALL AMERICA S TOP TEN LIST A CALL TO ARMS The Blue Jays minor league system has been hailed for the quantity and quality of its pitching prospects. That was clearly reflected in this year s list of the top ten prospects in the system, as determined by the editorial staff of Baseball America magazine. All but two of the spots on the 2006 list went to hurlers, including each of the top three spots overall.

5 Topping this year s list was right-hander Dustin McGowan, who was similarly honoured in McGowan is just the second Jays pitching prospect to head up BA s list in two or more seasons, the other being Roy Halladay who topped the charts in three consecutive seasons between 1997 and Trivia Time - Only six Jays prospects, McGowan and Halladay included, have been named as the Club s top prospect in more than one year by Baseball America Can you name all six? The answer is below A pair of left-handers drafted by Toronto with its first pick in each of the last two drafts, Ricky Romero and David Purcey, sit second and third on the list respectively. The other pitchers included in this year s top ten are Josh Banks (5 th ), Casey Janssen (6 th ), Brandon League (7 th ), Francisco Rosario (8 th ) and Vince Perkins (10 th ). The only two positional players to crack the top ten were outfielder Adam Lind (4 th ) and catcher Curtis Thigpen (9 th ). Rank Player (Position) Key 2005 Numbers Draft Previous Ranking 1 Dustin McGowan (RHP) 1-3 in 7 starts in Toronto 1 st round, 2000 * 7 BA says McGowan has overpowering frontline stuff and pitches down in the strike zone with explosive life 2 Ricky Romero (LHP) 1-0, 3.82 in 8 starts in Dunedin 1 st round, 2005 NA BA says Poised on the mound and attacks hitters with command of three above-average pitches 3 David Purcey (LHP) 161 K in IP 1 st round, BA says Fastball explodes on batters Generates awkward swings and misses with his plus 12-to-6 curveball 4 Adam Lind (OF) Led FSL with 58 extra base hits 3 rd round, 2004 NA BA says Uses a picture-perfect left-handed swing to make hard contact to all fields 5 Josh Banks (RHP) 145 K vs. 11 BB 2 nd round, BA says One of the minors finest control pitchers Splitter is a major league out pitch 6 Casey Janssen (RHP) 13-4, 2.12 over three levels 4 th round, 2004 NA BA says Follows a gameplan when he pitches, keeps the ball on the ground and is adept at holding runners 7 Brandon League (RHP) 1-0 in 20 ML appearances 2 nd round, BA says Special arm Throws everything hard Popped 101 mph on the radar in the Major Leagues 8 Francisco Rosario (RHP) 3.95 ERA - 4 BA says Throws his plus fastball at mph 9 Curtis Thigpen (C).286, 51 RBI over two levels 2 nd round, 2004 NA BA says Strike-zone judgment and athleticism are Thigpen s calling cards Cerebral catcher 10 Vince Perkins (RHP) 7-7 record, 111 K 18 th round, 2000 NA BA says Power arm rivals any in the system High marks for his mound presence and makeup * - McGowan was selected in the supplemental round (33 rd overall) of the 2000 draft The lists, one compiled for each of the 30 teams in Major League Baseball, are based on projections of a player s long-term worth and are only open to those players who have yet to exceed the Major League rookie standards of 130 at-bats or 50 innings pitched. Thus Jays like Aaron Hill, Russ Adams and Gustavo Chacin, who were all included in last year s rankings (at 2 nd, 6 th and 10 th respectively) are no longer eligible for consideration. McGowan has pitched just 45.0 innings at the Major League level ensuring his eligibility. Trivia Time Answer The six Blue Jays prospects to have topped Baseball America s top ten prospect lists in more than one season are Tony Fernandez (83 & 84), Sil Campusano (86, 87 & 88), Derek Bell (89 & 92), Roy Halladay (97, 98 & 99), Vernon Wells (00 & 01) and Dustin McGowan (03 & 06)

6 NOTABLE & QUOTABLE LIP GLAUS: GLAUS TRADE CAPS BUSY OFFSEASON AND HAS LIPS FLAPPING In recent years, the Blue Jays have largely skated under the radar during the offseason. But after the acquisitions of B.J. Ryan, A.J. Burnett, Lyle Overbay and Troy Glaus, the Blue Jays enter 2006 as the talk of baseball. Here s a sampling of what s being said: The Blue Jays should be a fun team to watch in With the acquisition of [Troy] Glaus, Lyle Overbay, A. J. Burnett and B.J. Ryan, they might have moved ahead o f the relatively stagnant Red Sox as the biggest threat to New York in the AL East. Jerry Crasnick, ESPN.com Third baseman Troy Glaus could have nixed the deal, told the Toronto Blue Jays thanks but no thanks, continued on with his career as a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks. But the more research Glaus conducted, the more he realized this was an opportunity too appealing to veto. The Blue Jays had already made major offseason moves, adding the closer they were lacking, bolstering a rotation on the verge of becoming a formidable entity. No longer was the artificial turf in the Rogers Centre, replaced before the start of last season, regarded as an unforgiving slab of cleverly disguised concrete that threatened to shorten seasons, and ultimately careers. That meant a lot to Glaus and his unstable back. Glaus compared the positives to the negatives and concluded that the positives were pitching a shutout. He permitted the Diamondbacks to add Toronto to the list of franchises he would join via trade. Then on Tuesday he became a Blue Jay in a four-player swap that could help redefine the balance of power in the American League East. The Jays, who last appeared in the playoffs in 1993, have taken on the appearance of a viable contender. Western New Yorkers might once again be moved to make a September drive up the QEW to watch a game pitting two challengers for the title instead of a onesided showcase for the New York Yankees or the Boston Red Sox. Bob Dicesare, Buffalo News Suddenly, the Yankees and the Red Sox appear to have competition in the American League East. In a little more than a month, Toronto has gone from a cost-conscious franchise doomed to finish behind its high-spending division rivals to baseball's boldest team this off-season. Yesterday, J. P. Ricciardi, the Blue Jays' general manager, completed his fourth major transaction by acquiring the slugging third baseman Troy Glaus and the minor league shortstop Sergio Santos from Arizona for reliever Miguel Batista and second baseman Orlando Hudson. Pat Borzi, New York Times The Blue Jays added the big-time power hitter they needed in Troy Glaus...The move gives Toronto the power hitter it needs, and although there is still time for other teams to make moves, you could make a strong case that on paper, the Blue Jays are the second-best team in the AL East right now -- with Roy Halladay, Gustavo Chacin, Ted Lilly and A. J. Burnett in their rotation, B.J. Ryan serving as the closer, and a good if not dynamic offense. Buster Olney, ESPN.com

7 Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi should be buying lottery tickets. The way he's going he could be like Pedro Guerrero; swing at a ball in the dirt, send the ball off the wall and leg out a triple. Ricciardi wanted to trade for two hitters. He got them --slugging third baseman [Troy] Glaus and gap-to-gapper first baseman [Lyle] Overbay. He wanted to sign two free-agent pitchers. He got them -- a big overpay in right-hander A. J. Burnett and a big overpay in closer B.J. Ryan...Vernon Wells says the Jays have improved, but expresses caution. "Seeing it on paper and doing it are two different things," Wells said from Arlington, Tex. "We don't belong with those two teams until we show it." We'll go where Wells won't: The Jays are better than the Red Sox and will win more games in Bob Elliott, Toronto Sun