Intrasquad games are an obvious means, but the Blue Jays also utilized high-velocity pitching machines to make batting practice more challenging and turned routine fielding drills into mini competitions between players. You get the picture. The complex, part of a 65-acre site, includes six full fields, two half field, 20 gang mounds, 12 covered batting cages, a covered turf practice field and a speed hill 20 feet tall and 168 feet long. Its been a collective effort, certainly not one persons vision or plan. The weight room at the Bobby Mattick Training Center in Dunedin, Fla., which Toronto Blue Jays minor-leaguers had been using during spring training since the franchises inception nearly 35 years ago, was not a spacious one. 262: Dynasty Head Coach Nick Blackman, https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/pdst.fm/e/chtbl.com/track/G481GD/traffic.megaphone.fm/ADV7185869114.mp3?updated=1677636375, Ep. pic.twitter.com/PAIc8P1s14, Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) February 26, 2021. 119: University Of Montevallo Head Baseball Coach Chandler Rose Interview, https://traffic.megaphone.fm/BRCM8812407869.mp3?updated=1677539046, Ep. How much money do you need to make to afford a home Toronto? Underneath the covered agility field at the Blue Jays sprawling player development complex, where Grapefruit League media day was held earlier in the spring, That's great for the 75 players in Blue Jays big-league camp currently breaking the place in, but this is hardly just about them. Obviously, it's a competitive advantage to have as many homegrown players as you can impacting your big-league roster, said Blue Jays director of player development Gil Kim. Shapiro, who led Thursdays tour, initally valued the renovations at $80 million when he walked media through the plan for the project in December 2018. Aaron Rodgers Future: Where Will The QB Play in 2023? This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. It fosters comradery and the team environment. What the left-hander does have going for him is that his expectations wont be set incredibly high. Some of the first Blue Jays to make use of the teams new facilities were actually minor-leaguers who passed through this winter as part of that series of specialized training camps intended to help make up for lost developmental time in 2020. Named as the Toronto Blue Jays Atkins has said he's open to exploring the possibility of long-term deals with the team's young stars. Use another There isnt enough recent news in your lineup. Ten mounds are on the north side and 10 located on the south side. The building is a reflection of the teams values in so many ways, according to president and CEO Mark Shapiro. Even after a 2002 renovation, the facility fit only about 15-20 players at a time. "I'm really excited to see the new guys," said shortstop Bo Bichette. Select additional sports and leagues youre interested in from the list below. 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The three Minor League locker rooms each have their own metal or wood lockers and there are separate equipment and laundry rooms for the Major League and Minor League locker rooms. But sinkerball specialist T.J. Zeuch is perhaps a better demonstration of whats possible. As with every spring training, player performances have to be taken with a grain of salt during this time of the year as they can often be misleading think last seasons Greg Bird, who slashed .261/.393/.565 with two home runs in 23 at-bats before being cut by the team. The Toronto Blue Jays today unveiled the new, state-of-the-art Player Development Complex. Id seen pictures and video and had a virtual tour but getting here and being here and seeing how big it is and how many options we have in here to get better, from the pitching lab to the weight room to the training room and all the consult rooms we have Its just extremely spacious but its got every amenity possible. Dunedin was the laughingstock of MLB, frankly.. A modernized complex to house spring training is certainly a strong selling point when recruiting veteran MLB free agents such as George Springer and Marcus Semien. And its really a perfect time to be opening a state-of-the-art facility to nurture player development like that. Always free! A disorganized, 977-square-foot Mattick training room that doubled as office space gives way to multiple new rehabilitation and recovery areas, including a suite of hydrotherapy tubs, accounting for over 5,500-square-feet of space. "I think arbitration is an incredibly flawed process and one that isn't very good for the game or players or owners or teams," Bichette said in his first public comments since the deal was announced. Coaches and coordinators will apply those same approaches with young athletes at the complex going forward. This roster battle doesnt usually receive much attention, but this isnt any ordinary season. Newspapers Limited, 8 Spadina Avenue, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8. password. Jan 26, 2023 80 Spring training opens in a little under three weeks. Minor-league infielders Otto Lopez and Damiano Palmegiani will play for Canada. We've sent an email with instructions to create a new password. We use cookies to improve your experience. Your office gym was more practical. So far, the investment seems to be paying off in Torontos mind, particularly as the Jays prepare to open the 2021 season in Florida because of ongoing border restriction related to the COVID-19 pandemic. For the players, the complex Published Monday, February 13, 2023 5:02PM EST Feelings of optimism, joy and excitement were ever-present Monday at the Toronto Blue Jays' player development NBA players and fans pay tribute to NBA great Kobe Bryant. This article first appeared on Bluejaysnation and was syndicated with permission. The Player Development Complex features six full fields, two half fields, 20 gang mounds, 12 covered batting cages, a 155x150 ft. covered turf practice field, and a 6.79-degree, 168 ft. long speed hill. "Building off of the last month of the season last year and carrying it over into this year and seeing how they come together as a team I think is important this time of year too.". Customize your lineup with your favourite leagues and teams. Though, whoever ultimately claims that role will also have to compete for playing time with Whit Merrifield (left field) and Cavan Biggio (right field) in a corner outfield position. account. It means fostering smoother transitions from amateur to professional baseball or helping and potentially expediting the recovery process for athletes rehabilitating from injury. The Player The 3,750-square-foot Major League clubhouse has 72 custom, 8-foot-tall lockers. Shoot us an email and we'll be able to answer any questions you may have about Rogers Centre. Sitting on a 65-acre site in Dunedin, FL, the complex combines account that can be used to sign in here. The wide-scale $80 million renovation, which began in April 2019, sits on a 65-acre Inside the 15,000 sq. to colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about Guerrero and reliever Yimi Garcia will represent the Dominican Republic, right-hander Jose Berrios will play for Puerto Rico and catcher Alejandro Kirk will suit up for Mexico. {* traditionalSignIn_signInButton *}, Comment and participate in our online community. The Blue Jays on Thursday unveiled a new, state-of-the-art Player Development Complex, which they are touting as one of the best in baseball. There are more than 20 customized pieces of equipment that were exclusively designed for the franchise and in total theres more than 40,000 pounds of weights to be pushed, pulled, squatted, et cetera. I really believe that well have the single best training centre the day our facilitys done, Shapiro said at the time. Kloffenstein is in the big-league camp this year, but he was on the minor-league side each of the last two springs, which meant he grew all too familiar with the cramped, inadequate spaces the organizations youngest players were doing their best to make gains in prior to the renovation. I like how it's intertwined with the minor-league side, Chatwood said. Use another Starting this spring, Rassel will never have to program around Mattick Centers cramped, out-dated, windowless weight room again. Chosen as the Spring Training home for the expansion Toronto Blue Jays in 1977, Dunedin has served as a proud host of Major League Spring Training ever since. Over four decades later, the Blue Jays are the only Major League franchise to have never changed where they play their Spring Training baseball. Trying to acclimatize to a higher level of competition without the resources youve been relying on for years isnt a recipe for success. All are aided by sizeable drainage and irrigation systems and use Latitude 36 Bermuda grass from Sarasota, Fla. One of the teams outdoor fields, Field 2, has full turf and identical measurements to the Rogers Centre where the team usually plays its home regular-season and playoff games. Toronto Star articles, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com, The Toronto Star and thestar.com, each property of Toronto Star There are five new bullpens and 20 total gang mounds on which pitchers can work their stuff. The sites 115,000 sq. Presenting our new Player Development Complex! Take 2020 first-round pick Austin Martin. The problem was hed lost his mechanics. Learn how your comment data is processed. Barring an injury, the clubs Opening Day roster is poised to include Jordan Romano, Erik Swanson, Anthony Bass, Yimi Garcia, Tim Mayza, Adam Cimber, Trevor Richards and White in the bullpen. ', host Ian Glendon and John [], On this episode of Boot 2 The Face, we talk some AEW and Tony Khan vs [], The boys are back talking Black HIstory Wrestler of the week. Stack the Pucks gives a breakdown of every NHL Game on the card. (Toronto Blue Jays) The tiny Mattick dressing rooms and their eight-foot ceilings have been abandoned in favour of eight expansive new locker rooms, including a massive, oval-shaped major-league clubhouse with 72 lockers measuring eight-feet tall themselves.