Top Ten Grey Cups of the last 40 years: Part 3

                Our third part of the Top Ten Grey Cups. This looks at the two best Grey Cup games of the past forty years. Enjoy.

#2. 1996: Toronto Argonauts – 43, Edmonton Eskimos – 37

                Over the years, I’ve seen a lot of lists where the top Grey Cups have been mentioned, but for some reason, the 1996 edition is never mentioned and I can’t understand why. I’m assuming because fans and media of the other eight cities in the CFL, hate the Argos and don’t want to acknowledge that Toronto could win a great game. However, this game is just that: great. It had big plays, a close finish, a controversial play late in the game, and biggest of all, it was played in a snow storm.

                The game was played in Ivor Wynne Stadium in Hamilton and the snow started coming down heavy about three hours before kickoff. Shovelling crews were kept busy all day and you see the  never could see the green turf, except around the yard lines and side lines which the crews were constantly clearing.

                The underdog Eskimos scored first when the Argos’ quarterback, Doug Flutie, scrambled into his own endzone after a high snap sailed over his head, and fell on the ball to concede the two-point safety. Edmonton increased the lead to 9-0 on a 64-yard pass from Edmonton QB Danny McManus to receiver “Downtown” Eddie Brown. The first quarter ended with the heavily favoured Argos scoreless.

                That didn’t last long as Toronto put up 27 points in the second quarter. After a Mike Vanderjagt 37-yard field goal, Edmonton couldn’t move the ball and had to punt. Argo returner, Jimmy “The Jet” Cunningham, took the ball and ran 80 yards into the endzone and slid in the snow once he got there. After another Vanderjagt field goals, the teams traded touchdowns, two each, with Edmonton’s coming on two big plays: a 75-yard pass from McManus to Jim Sandusky and a 91-yard kick return by Henry “Gizmo” Williams. (Players don’t seem to have interesting nicknames anymore. The Argos also had Mike “Pinball” Clemons in this game.) The Argos two scores came on a one-yard run by Robert Drummond and a ten-yard scramble by Flutie. Toronto led at the half, 27-23.

                The Argos scored the only points of the third, another Vanderjagt field goal, who also added another early in the fourth to give Toronto a ten point lead at 33-23. An Edmonton touchdown closed the gap to three, which leads us to the controversial play of the game.

                On a third-down gamble, Flutie tried to sneak for the first down, but fumbled the ball after moving forward a couple of yards. Edmonton recovered the football, but the play had been blown dead by the referees, determining that Flutie’s forward progress had been stopped before the fumble. Replays showed this was questionable but the ball remained in Toronto’s possession. Three plays later, Vanderjagt kicked his fifth field goal of the game and Toronto’s lead was six.

                The deciding play occurred on Edmonton’s first play from scrimmage after the field goal. McManus threw a pass to Edmonton receiver, Darren Flutie, who slipped on the snow and fell to the ground. The ball bounced off his chest and into the arms of Argo defender, Adrian Smith, who ran 49 yards into the endzone to give Toronto a 43-30 lead. Edmonton scored in the final seconds to make the final score 43-37.

                While the Eskimos and their fans complained about the fumble that wasn’t called, it only led to three points. Take those three points away and the Argos still win, 40-37. Saying the game would have turned out any differently is merely hearsay.

#1. 1989: Saskatchewan Roughriders – 43, Hamilton Tiger-Cats – 40

                In what is the most exciting Grey Cup game ever, the Saskatchewan Roughriders were making their first appearance in the championship game since 1976. The Tiger Cats were in the game for the fifth time in the decade, but had only won one of the previous four attempts (1986).

                Hamilton got off to a quick start with two field goals from kicker, Paul Osbaldiston. After Rider punter, Terry Baker, put one into the endzone for a single point, Hamilton scored the first major of the game when QB Mike Kerrigan hit receiver Tony Champion and the first quarter ended with Hamilton on top 13-1.

                The second quarter was back and forth with five touchdowns being scored. The first was by Saskatchewan when QB Kent Austin hit tight end Ray Elgaard to make the score 13-8. Hamilton restored their twelve-point lead when Kerrigan hit Derrick McAdoo for a major but the Riders came back again when Austin’s pass was taken into the endzone by Jeff Fairholm. McAdoo caught another Kerrigan pass and Donald Narcisse caught Austin’s third touchdown pass of the day bringing the half to a close with Hamilton in front of the Green Riders, 27-22.

                After the two teams traded field goals in the third quarter, Saskatchewan started to take control of the game. The Tiger-Cats conceded a safety when they were forced to punt deep in their own end to make the score 27-24. The Riders then took the lead, 31-27 when Tim McCray scored on a one-yard touchdown plunge.

                The fourth quarter was a battle of field goals as first Saskatchewan kicker Dave Ridgway extended the Rider lead to seven with a 25-yard boot. Osbaldiston answered that with a 47-yard kick of his own, but Ridgway restored the seven point lead with 20-yarder. Saskatchewan on top 40-33.

                Hamilton then went on a time-consuming, championship-caliber drive in an effort to tie the score. Two controversial missed defensive pass-interference calls had Hamilton head coach, Al Bruno, throwing fits on the sideline as he screamed at the officials and almost stormed onto the field to confront them. Finally, on the third pass interference play of the drive, the flag was thrown and Hamilton inched closer to the tying score.

                The Ti-Cats moved the ball down to the Saskatchewan eight yard line, but it was third down. The stage was set for the greatest catch in football history—not just Grey Cup history, not just CFL history, but football history. Kerrigan took the snap and dropped back to the 12 yard line. He threw the ball up in the air towards Champion. The Hamilton receiver, later revealed to playing with cracked ribs, was five yards into the endzone when he realized the ball was thrown behind him. He turned his body to face the ball, jumped up and reached for the ball, squeezed it and fell backwards, landing hard on his back against the artificial turf. The pain must have been unbearable, but Champion hung on to the ball for the touchdown and after the convert, the game was tied at 40.

                But Champion’s catch couldn’t help the Hamilton defense as Saskatchewan marched the ball back down the field to the Tiger-Cats’ 26 yard line. Ridgway booted the ball through the uprights from 35 yards out and the Roughriders captured their first Grey Cup since 1966, winning 43-40.

Watch Champion's catch.

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Top Ten Grey Cups of the last 40 years: Part 2

               Part 2 of our Grey Cup Top Ten lists focuses on #6 through to #3. Here we go.

#6. 1981: Edmonton Eskimos – 26, Ottawa Rough Riders – 23

                The biggest story heading into this game was the fact that Ottawa had a 5-11 regular season record while Edmonton posted a 14-1-1 mark. The talk was not IF the Esks would win but by how much. But the game started looking like the biggest upset in Grey Cup history would happen. The Riders’ defense stopped Edmonton’s powerful offense time and time again, and Ottawa slowly built their lead.

                Two Gerry Organ field goals and a Jim Reid one-yard touchdown run gave the Riders a 13-0 lead by the end of the first quarter. Sam Platt ran 14 yards for another Ottawa touchdown, boosting the lead to 20-0. Edmonton managed a single point before the half ended on a missed field goal that wasn’t returned out of the endzone.

                Edmonton came out strong in the second half and Ottawa defense tried to hang on. A two-yard touchdown run by Jim Germany and a quarterback sneak by Warren Moon closed the Rider lead to five points at 20-15. In the fourth quarter, Organ kicked another field goal to make the score 23-15, but another Moon touchdown and a two point convert tied the game at 23.

                With four minutes to play, Ottawa looked like they were on the Cup-winning drive when receiver, Tony Gabriel, caught a 20-yard pass with an Eskimo defender practically hanging onto his back. However, the referees called both players for pass interference and the play was called back. Replays clearly showed it was a bad call and should have only gone against Edmonton. Ottawa would eventually punt the ball and the Eskimo offence gradually moved the ball into field goal range where kicker, Dave Cutler, booted the winning field goal as Edmonton avoided the upset, 26-23.

#5. 2005: Edmonton Eskimos – 38, Montreal Alouettes – 35 (OT)

                This would be the first time in 44 years that the Grey Cup went into overtime. The game got off to slow start offensively as Edmonton led by a score of 3-1 after the first quarter. A touchdown pass from Ricky Ray to Ed Hervey added seven more to the Edmonton tally and they went into the half with a 10-1 lead. When the second half started, the fun began.

                Montreal running back, Eric Lapointe scored on a one-yard plunge for the Alouettes’ first major of the game. The convert made it 10-8 but Edmonton added a field goal to take a 13-8 lead. Lapointe scored another TD and Montreal added a field goal to take a 18-13 lead, but before the third quarter ended, Edmonton had another touchdown of their own with Tony Tompkins returning a kick off 96 yards. At the end of the third quarter, Edmonton led 20-18.

                In the fourth, the two opposing quarterbacks scored touchdowns with Montreal pivot, Anthony Calvillo running a bootleg for one yard while Ray snuck in for the Edmonton touchdown, which was followed by a two-point convert and a 28-25 Eskimos’ lead. As time expired, Montreal kicker, Damon Duval, kicked a field goal to tie the game at 28.

                Montreal had first possession in the OT. (Several years earlier, the CFL had adopted the NCAA Football overtime method where both teams would have a possession starting at the 30-yard line. If both teams scored the same number of points, another overtime would follow, same format.) Both teams scored touchdowns in their opening possession of OT, forcing a second. After an Edmonton field goal, Montreal took possession, but a penalty and a sack brought up a third and 33 from the 45 yard line. Montreal failed to convert and the Eskimos had the Cup for the second time in three years.

#4. 1994: B.C. Lions – 26, Baltimore CFLers – 23

                Despite having their original name (Baltimore CFL Colts) blocked by the NFL after a threat of a lawsuit, the Baltimore club became the first team based out of the United States to play for the Grey Cup. The B.C. Lions, after two road wins in the playoffs against Edmonton and Calgary, would represent the West Division and, essentially, Canada.

                The game had a Canada vs USA feel right from the beginning and the Vancouver crowd would voacally support the Lions throughout the game. B.C. scored first on a Lui Passaglia 47-yard field goal, but Baltimore would strike back with a touchdown run by quarterback, Tracy Ham, and a 46-yard interception return by Karl Anthony to take a 14-3 lead. Late in the second quarter, with the Balitmore offence pinned deep in their own end, Ham threw a pass that was intercepted by Charles Gordon and run seventeen yards into the endzone. A Baltimore field goal made the half time score 17-10 in favour of the U.S. squad.

                Another Baltimore field goal at the beginning of the third quarter gave the team a ten point lead but by the end of the quarter, the Lions tied the score on a one-yard TD run by back-up quarterback, Danny McManus and a 42-yard field goal by Passaglia.

                After the teams traded field goals early in the fourth, B.C. started what looked like the game-winning drive, but Passaglia missed a 37-yard field goal with 1:02 left in the game. Baltimore went two and out and had to punt the ball back to the Lions. After a few plays moved the ball to the Baltimore 31-yard line, Passaglia made good on his second chance, booting a 38-yard field goal to give B.C. the victory and keep the Grey Cup in Canada—for one more year.

#3. 1987: Edmonton Eskimos – 38, Toronto Argonauts – 36

                This was a back-and-forth game that saw big plays, both starting quarterbacks get knocked out of the game with injuries, and numerous lead changes. Edmonton kick returner, Henry “Gizmo” Williams, got the scoring started when he returned a missed field goal by Argo kicker, Lance Chomyc, 112 yards for a touchdown and the longest return in Grey Cup history.

                Edmonton led 10-3 by the end of the first quarter, but Toronto rookie running back, Gil Fenerty, scored on a 61-yard pass. After an Edmonton turnover, Fenerty scored again, this time from five yards out and the Argos had a 17-10 lead. A few plays later, the Eskimos fumbled again and Toronto defender, Doug Landry, picked it up and sprinted 54 yards for another Argo touchdown and a 24-10 lead.

                Then Edmonton QB, Matt Dunigan, exited the game with a head injury and Damon Allen, who would lead the Argos to a Grey Cup Championship 17 years later in 2004, would take over for the Eskimos. Before the first half ended, Allen found Marco Syncar for a six-yard touchdown pass and the Toronto lead was cut to 24-17.

                The third quarter was rather uneventful with Edmonton only scoring four points and the Argos getting three. Toronto took a 27-21 lead into the final period. On the first play of the fourth, Allen found Brian Kelly for a 15-yard touchdown pass and after the convert, the Eskimos led 28-27.

                A Chomyc field goal put the Argos back in front, but Allen scrambled for a 17-yard touchdown and gave Edmonton a 35-30 lead with just under seven minutes to go. After Toronto QB, Gilbert Renfroe, went down with a knee injury mid-way through the game, back-up, Danny Barrett, came into the game and was equal to the task. With 2:43 remaining, Barrett ran 25 yards into the endzone giving the Argos their lead back. But the two-point convert failed and the lead was only one.

                Edmonton drove down the field and into field goal range, where kicker Jerry Kauric booted the game winning points from 49 yards to give the Eskimos their first Grey Cup victory since they won five in a row in the late 70s/early 80s.

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Top Ten Grey Cups of the last 40 years: Part 1

                Since this is Grey Cup week, I thought I’d give my list of the top ten best Grey Cup games since 1975. I will start with some honourable mentions, then look at #10 to #7.

Honourable Mentions

1991: Toronto Argonauts – 36, Calgary Stampeders – 21

                This game was close until the Argos’ special teams took over early in the fourth quarter. With the score 22-21 Toronto, Raghib “The Rocket” Ismail returned a punt 87 yards, putting the Argos up 29-21. The following kickoff was fumbled, Toronto recovered, and QB Matt Dunigan threw a 36-yard pass to Paul Massotti to bury the Stamps.

1995: Baltimore Stallions – 37, Calgary Stampeders – 20

                The first and only Grey Cup won by an American based team, the Stallions were led by an 82-yard punt return by Chris Wright, a four-yard fumble return by Alvin Walton and five Brian Huerta field goals. The Stamps never really threatened Baltimore’s control of the game.

2002: Montreal Alouettes – 25, Edmonton Eskimos-16

                Montreal won its first Grey Cup since 1977. After being in contention since their re-incarnation in 1996, the Alouettes were strong defensively during the game. The Eskimos trailed by eight when they scored a touchdown with 19 seconds to play, but the two-point convert attempt failed. Still, at 18-16, they still had a chance to win if they recovered the onside kick. Instead, Montreal’s Jermaine Copeland grabbed the onside attempt and raced 47 yards to the endzone with the game-clinching score.

Okay, now for the top 10 list:

#10. 2009: Montreal Alouettes – 28, Saskatchewan Roughriders – 27

                This will forever be remembered for the game that the Roughriders won, if it were not for a too-many-men-on-the-field penalty. Saskatchewan, who led by as many as 14 points at one point during the game, led by two with time winding down. The Als lined up to kick a 43 yard field goal to win the game. But Montreal kicker Damon Duval missed it wide right and the Saskatchewan players began to celebrate.

                However, the Roughriders had 13 men on the field and were penalized ten yards and Duval was given another chance to win the game, this time a 33 yard attempt, which he hit, giving Montreal their first cup win since 2002.

#9. 1998: Calgary Stampeders – 26, Hamilton Tiger-Cats – 24

                This was a back-and-forth game which featured two All-Star quarter backs: Jeff Garcia for Calgary and Danny McManus for Hamilton. Calgary led 4-3 at the end of the first quarter, and Hamilton took a 16-10 lead at the half. After two single points for Hamilton (one from a missed field goal, the other on a punt that went into the Stampeders’ end zone), Calgary scored a TD on a Garcia run and the third quarter ended with Hamilton ahead 18-17.

                Two field goals by Calgary kicker Mark McLaughlin put the Stamps up 23-18, but Hamilton scored the go-ahead touchdown with three minutes remaining on a four-yard run by Ronald Williams. The two-point conversion attempted was unsuccessful. Now trailing by a point, Calgary drove down the field and McLaughlin kicked the winning field goal as time expired.

#8. 1988: Winnipeg Blue Bombers – 22, B.C. Lions – 21

                While the temperature wasn’t much of a factor in this Grey Cup game, held in Lansdowne Park in Ottawa, the wind played havoc with the kicking and the passing game all day. Tony Cherry scored the first major of the game when he carried the ball in from 14 yards out, giving the Lions a 7-1 lead. Two Trevor Kennard field goals tied the game at seven, but B.C. quarter back Matt Dunigan threw a 26 yard touchdown pass to David Williams to put the Lions back on top, 14-7. Winnipeg QB Sean Salisbury led the Bombers on a touchdown drive of their own to tie the score at 14.

                From there, it was a contest of field goals and single points as the Bombers eventually took a 22-19 lead as time began to wind down. The Lions started what looked like a potential game-winning drive as Dunigan led the team 75 yards down to the Winnipeg seven-yard line. However, Dunigan’s pass on first-and-goal was batted up in the air and intercepted by the Bombers’ Mike Gray to end the threat.

                After Winnipeg conceded a safety in favour of better field position, the Lions got the ball back for one last chance, trailing 22-21. However, they never threatened again and Winnipeg won their second Grey Cup Championship of the decade.

#7. 1976: Ottawa Rough Riders – 23, Saskatchewan Roughriders – 20

                This would be the final Grey Cup Ottawa would ever win. They jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter with an early field goal, then a 79-yard touchdown on a punt return by Bill Hatanaka. However, before the first half ended, Saskatchewan scored 17 unanswered points, led by two touchdowns from quarter back, Ron Lancaster and a field goal. Steve Mazurak and Rob Richardson were the recipients of the touchdown passes.

                The two teams traded field goals in the third quarter and Saskatchewan led 20-13 heading into the final fifteen minutes of the game. Another Ottawa field goal cut the lead to 20-16, but were stopped on a goal-line stand with just few minutes remaining by the Saskatchewan defense. But Ottawa got the ball back, and found themselves on the Green Riders’ 24-yard line with only 20 seconds left.

                As Ottawa quarterback, Tom Clements, dropped back to pass, receiver Tony Gabriel headed towards the endzone on a post pattern, but quickly changed it into a corner route. The Saskatchewan defender fell for the fake and Gabriel was wide open. Clements' pass was perfect and Ottawa had the touchdown needed to win the Grey Cup.

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Ohio State's loss leaves the door for the College Playoff wide open

                The College Football Playoff (CFP) picture just got a lot cloudier this past weekend, but what a weekend it was. Two big upsets as a couple of teams fell from the ranks of the undefeated. And other teams that appeared out of it only a few short weeks ago, worked themselves back into the picture.

                The updated CFP poll will be released Tuesday evening and it should make for some interesting debate among College Football fans. Personally, I’m excited for the next two weekends and I don’t even know where to begin. Should I talk about who should be the top four, or who doesn’t deserve to be there, or who plays who and what will happen if so-and-so wins? However you look at it, Rivalry Weekend (coming up) and Conference Championship Weekend (first Saturday in December) are going to be too difficult to predict but will offer up a ton of drama.

                Let’s start with the Clemson Tigers. They were last week’s number one in the CFP rankings and that shouldn’t change. The Tigers are now 11-0 after beating Wake Forest 33-13 on the weekend, capping an undefeated conference season (8-0 in the ACC.) They have clinched the ACC Atlantic Division and will play the North Carolina Tar Heels in the ACC Championship on December 5^th. Before that, though, is this weekend’s game against their rival, South Carolina. The Gamecocks have had a miserable season at 3-8 and won’t pose much of a threat to the Tigers. Clemson should still be number one in the CFP when it is released Tuesday evening.

                The Alabama Crimson Tide have a 10-1 record after destroying the Charleston Southern Buccaneers by a score of 56-6. Despite having one loss, to Ole Miss back in September, the Tide have been rolling since that lone setback. They’ve already clinched the SEC West and will play the Florida Gators in the SEC Championship. But rivalry weekend will see them play inter-state rival, the Auburn Tigers, a pre-season favourite for the National Championship and if Alabama wins both games, they will be ranked number two in the final CFP rankings.

                While the first two spots are pretty solid, it’s number three and down that get a little confusing, as well as controversial, perhaps. When the rankings are releases this week, Notre Dame will be number three. I don’t agree with that choice, and I haven’t agreed with the Irish being in the top four for the previous few weeks either. They haven’t done anything this season to prove that they belong in the top four. Yes, they are 10-1. Yes, their only loss is to Clemson by two points. But look at how they’ve struggled in the other games. They turned the ball over five times against Boston College last weekend and barely escaped with a 19-16 win. Struggles against teams like Georgia Tech (unranked), USC (unranked) and Temple (unranked) make me believe that they shouldn’t be—at this point—a top four team. But it seems like the people who vote on the CFP desperately want the Irish in the four-team playoff due to tradition, popularity and all that. A loss to Stanford this coming weekend would definitely knock them out of contention. Not having a thirteenth game due to not being in a conference would hurt them as well.

                Number four will most likely be the Iowa Hawkeyes. They were number five last week and they remain the only undefeated team in the Big Ten after Ohio State lost to Michigan State. The Hawkeyes control their own destiny. They’ve already won the Big Ten West and will play in the Big Ten Championship against either Ohio State, Michigan State or Michigan. Their final regular season game is Friday against the Nebraska Cornhuskers. They win that and win their Conference Championship game, a spot in the top four is pretty much assured.

                Now for the other contenders. Whoever wins the Big 12 will only have one loss, but not having a conference championship game will hurt them as much as it will the Irish. Three teams still have a shot. The Oklahoma Sooners will play the Oklahoma State Cowboys this Saturday. If the Sooners, whose only loss was a shocking, horrible performance against the Texas Longhorns, will win the Conference with an 8-1 record (11-1 overall). If the Baylor Bears win their final two games, they will finish at 8-1 as well, but their only loss was to the Sooners and therefore they would lose the tie-breaker. Oklahoma State, who was undefeated until they played Baylor on Saturday, needs to beat Oklahoma on Saturday, and hope Baylor loses one of their remaining games. If Baylor wins both, they will be tied with the Cowboys and will win the tie-breaker with the head-to-head.

                In the Big Ten, Michigan State controls its own destiny. The Spartans pulled off the upset against Ohio State and now, with a victory over Penn State, will win the East and play the undefeated Iowa Hawkeyes. By winning the Big Ten Conference, the Spartans would be in the best position to pick up a top four spot. It the Spartans lose, the winner of the Ohio State/Michigan game would win the East and have a chance to knock off Iowa for the title. An Ohio State Big Ten Championship would likely move them back into the playoff spot. The Wolverines, on the other hand, have two losses and even winning the Conference would probably not be enough to get the nod for the playoffs. A Michigan Big Ten title would assuredly hand the fourth spot to the Big 12 Champ.

                Confused yet? I hope so. It’s what makes the College Game much more exciting than the NFL.

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CFL Division Final Previews

                After a thrilling Eastern Division Semi-Final and a not-so-thrilling Western Semi Final, the roles will be reversed for the Division Finals this Sunday. Intra-Provincial battles and hopefully some winter weather will help provide some excitement for both games.

                Let’s start with the Western Division where the Calgary Stampeders, fresh off a 35-9 thrashing of the B.C. Lions, will travel a few hundred kilometers north to tangle with their long-time foe, the Edmonton Eskimos. Both teams finished with a 14-4 record but the edge and the division went to Edmonton after winning two of the three games between the two clubs in the regular season.

                Fans of the CFL are in for a treat when these two teams face off in the late afternoon game. And while the forecast doesn’t call for any snow in Edmonton until Monday, fingers crossed it comes a bit early and provides an extra element of excitement in the game. But, weather aside, the Stamps will need strong play from quarter back Bo Levi Mitchell if they are to return to the Grey Cup for the third time in four years. The defending champs have the edge in terms of experience, and that should help them with the hostile Edmonton crowd.

                The Eskimos are looking for their first Grey Cup appearance in ten years, which was the thrilling overtime victory over the Montreal Alouettes in 2005. They will need their powerful pass rush on defense to harass Mitchell all day long if they don’t want him to rip their secondary apart. Edmonton QB Mike Reilly will probably need a few offensive series to shake off the rust since he hasn’t played in three weeks following Edmonton’s regular season bye in the final week, and the first round bye for finishing first in the division.

                While it’s tough to pick a winner either way, it’s more than likely, since the two teams are stronger than anything the East has to represent them, the winner of the Calgary/Edmonton game will win the Grey Cup in Winnipeg on November 29^th.

Prediction: Calgary-31, Edmonton-27

                As for the Eastern Final, after an exciting 25-22 last second, field-goal winning game against the Toronto Argonauts, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats will travel to Ottawa to take on the Redblacks. Unfortunately, this will not be as exciting as the Western final as Ottawa should roll easily to their first Grey Cup appearance since 1981, when they were the Ottawa Rough Riders.

                The Redblacks defeated Hamilton two consecutive weeks to finish out the regular season, and the third time won’t be the charm for the Tiger-Cats. The way QB Henry Burris has been playing, he should shred the Tiger-Cat defense and without Zach Collaros leading the offense, Hamilton won’t even be able to keep the game close.

Prediction: Ottawa-37, Hamilton-14

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Josh Donaldson joins George Bell as only Blue Jay MVPs

   
            For only the second time in team history, the Toronto Blue Jays have the American League’s Most Valuable Player. It’s been 28 years since left fielder George Bell won the award in 1987 and now, finally, third baseman Josh Donaldson has also won the award for Toronto.

                It doesn’t come as too much of a surprise as Donaldson’s numbers were better than his main challenger, Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angles. While Trout, the 2014 MVP after finishing runner-up to Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera in both 2012 and 2013, had a slight edge in batting average (.299 to .297), and the two players finished equal in home runs (41), Donaldson’s 123 RBIs dwarfed Trout’s 90. Add to that Donaldson’s stellar defense at the hot corner, combined with the Blue Jays in the playoffs and the Angels not making it, there was never any doubt who the AL MVP would be.

                I’m sure former Toronto general manager, Alex Anthopoulos, will be happy, as his decision to trade Canadian hero, but injury-prone and hot-headed Brett Lawrie to the Oakland Athletics for Donaldson during last year’s off-season has been justified. Donaldson had an amazing season while leading the Jays to their first-postseason appearance since 1993.

                Despite losing to the eventual World Champion Kansas City Royals in six games in the American League Championship Series, the Jays took a huge step forward in 2015 and the MVP for Donaldson is the icing on the cake for the team’s best season in more than two decades.

                However, I’m sure the latest Toronto success will be met with more negative attitudes from the American media. For example, even before the award was announced, Sports Illustrated writer Cliff Corcoran, was already lamenting Donaldson’s victory, trying to pull out all kinds of reaons as to why Trout should win. But Corcoran forgets that his is only one opinion and it’s the combined opinion of many voters that decides the award.

                I have a feeling the SI writer is one of those bitter individuals south of the border, who instead of appreciating what the Blue Jays did this year, comes up with excuses as to why a Canadian team has success. I saw it more than 20 years ago when the Jays were winning multiple division titles and two World Championships. There’s no reason to think otherwise now. However, that’s just one person’s opinion and maybe I’m reading into it wrong, but that’s what it feels like.

                But forget the negativity from the haters, Donaldson is the MVP, the Jays are back where they belong, an American League contender, and here’s looking forward to 2016.

                On the National League side, Bryce Harper of the Washington Nationals was the unanimous choice for that league’s MVP. Harper becomes the first MVP award winner in the history of the franchise, which includes the 36 years the team spent as the Montreal Expos. He batted .330 this season, hitting 42 home runs and adding 99 RBIs. Unfortunately, his success didn’t translate into team success as the Nationals finished seven games behind the New York Mets in the NL East.

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Big Papi: one final year in the sun

                I found out on Tuesday it was being reported that David Ortiz will retire following the 2016 MLB season and it saddens me. First, let me say that I am not a Red Sox fan. Never have been. The dislike has been carried since 1986 when Boston eliminated the Toronto Blue Jays on the penultimate weekend of the season to capture the American League East title. And nearly thirty years later, I still get a tingle down my spine and a smile across my face every time I see a replay of Mookie’s ground ball going through Buckner’s legs.

                However, that aside, while the Red Sox will never be one of my favourite teams, David Ortiz will always be one of my favourite players. The intimidating stare, the intimidating batting stance and the intimidating swing as he drives one high and far and into the second deck—a shot that was blasted so hard that he can almost stop before his swing is ended and watch the majestic height of the ball before breaking into that slow home run trot—is something that I have always appreciated.

                He was signed out of high school by the Seattle Mariners in 1992 and played for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, a Class “A” affiliate of the M’s, until 1996 when he was traded to the Minnesota Twins. After making his MLB debut with the Twins in September of 1997, Ortiz never impressed while playing in Minnesota, often battling injuries during his tenure there. Over parts of six season, he played in 455 games, hitting .266 with 58 homers and 238 RBIS.

                A trade was what the Twins sought but after finding no takers, he was unceremoniously released following the 2002 season. In January of 2003, he was signed by the Red Sox and it would prove to be the best thing that happened to both parties. In fact, I think it’s safe to say that Ortiz would not have had success without the Red Sox, and the Red Sox would not have had success without Ortiz.

                After riding the bench for the first two months of the 2003 season, Ortiz was inserted into the starting line up as the designated hitter at the beginning of June, and has been there ever since. In his thirteen seasons with Boston, he has been an All-Star nine times, led the American League in home runs in 2006 with 54, lead the AL in RBIS in 2005 and 2006, finished in the top five in Most Valuable Player voting five times, compiled a .288 average, smashed 455 home runs (for a total of 503), added 1403 RBIs (totaling 1641) and even stole 11 bases. (I know, not many but pretty good for a guy weighing 230 pounds.)

                But most importantly, he has led the Red Sox to the World Series Championship three times (2004, 2007 and 2013) and was named the MVP of the 2013 World Series. During that Series, he also proved that despite his primarily being a DH, he was no slouch with the glove either as he played three games at first base against the Cardinals and held his own.

                His dramatic walk-off home run in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series against the Yankees in 2004, helped paved the way for the biggest comeback in baseball history as the Red Sox, down three games to none at the time, came back to win the series in seven games. (He was named the MVP of the 2004 ALCS.)

                But despite all his on-field accomplishments, it was his professional character off the field that won my favour. From 2002 until 2014, I worked at the Park Hyatt Hotel in Toronto, the last ten years of which as a front desk agent. The Park Hyatt was the home of the Red Sox whenever they were in Toronto to play the Blue Jays. I got the chance to meet and deal with Ortiz on a regular basis (by that I mean usually three times a year.)

                While working at a four-diamond property—and especially at the front desk—you get to deal with your fair share of jerks. Ortiz does NOT fall into that category. He was always polite, greeted you with a “How’s it going?” or “How you doing?” and was never rude, arrogant or demanding. As far as I know, he looked after the bellman (which is something his former teammate and fellow countryman Manny Ramirez did not do—but that story for another time) and was generally just a class act. With that type of attitude—and I also saw it from other Red Sox like Dustin Pedroia, Mike Lowell and Jason Varitek—it was hard to cheer against Boston.

                And I have to admit that my dislike for the Red Sox has diminished over the years due to the class of players like David Ortiz.

I once wrote that Ortiz was one of the players I expected to hit a home run every time he came to the plate and that won’t change in 2016. It will be hard to watch a Red Sox game starting in 2017 and have him not in the lineup. But I won’t think about that just yet. I will just make sure I enjoy watching him play one more season, and make sure I get back to Toronto at least once next year to see him play in person one more time.

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CFL Division Semi-Final Previews

                I’d be lying if I said I was an astute follower of the Canadian Football League. I used to be. I remember in high school watching every game I could when it was on the CBC network, which was usually only one game per week. Our family didn’t have cable so any game on TSN would go unwatched. But every CBC broadcast from early July right through to the Grey Cup would dominate the TV in our house, provided the Blue Jays weren’t on.

                But something happened when I got into my early 20s and I just didn’t watch the Canadian game as much as I had previously. However, every November, my interest In the CFL will peak again as the playoffs begin. While the NCAA is king of football in my house, with the CFL playoff games being played on Sundays, it’s the NFL that takes a backseat throughout the month.

                And this year it will be even more enjoyable to watch as all five games will be played outside: no domes this year, which means weather could be a factor: the best way to watch playoff football.

                With the Ottawa Redblacks (winners of the Eastern Division) and Edmonton Eskimos (West) getting byes to the division finals, this Sunday’s actions will feature the Division Semi-Finals, and chances are, there aren’t going to be any upsets. At least, I can’t see any happening.

                Let’s start in the East. The Hamilton Tiger Cats, the Eastern representative in the Grey Cup the last two seasons, will host the Toronto Argonauts. Both teams finished with ten wins and eight losses but the Ti-Cats get the home field advantage because they dominated the season series between the two teams. Hamilton won all three games, with scores of 34-18, 42-12 and 35-27.

                The problem for Hamilton is, and this is without a doubt the reason why they didn’t finish first in the division, they have no decent quarterback since Zach Collaros went down with a torn ACL in his right knee in a game against Edmonton back in September. While none of the backups has shown that they are ready to be a starting QB in the CFL, it looks like Jacory Harris will be the guy this weekend.

                As for the Argos, they may be able to pull off the upset if their quarterback, Rickey Ray, can somehow pull off the kind of magic he did three years ago when he led Toronto to a home victory at the 100^th Grey Cup. Ray missed pretty much the entire 2015 season and the rust showed in the handful of games he played. The Argos have also had the misfortune of not having a home this season as they played a good chunk of their home games on the road and at neutral sites due to scheduling conflicts at the Rogers Centre.

                This could very well be a low-scoring defense-dominated with both teams having to insert the backup quarterback due to the inefficiencies of the ones that start. In the end, it will be the Tiger Cats who will beat the Argos once again and punch their ticket to Ottawa for the East Final.

Prediction: Hamilton-15 Toronto-6

                As for the Western Semi-Final, there’s no danger of an upset happening here. The defending Grey Cup Champion Calgary Stampeders will not have a problem with the B.C. Lions, who barely made the playoffs with a seven-win and eleven-loss season. Calgary finished at 14-4, tied for the best record in the league with Edmonton, but lost the division on the tie-breaker scenario.

                The two teams played twice during the regular season, with Calgary winning both. The first in September by a score of 35-23 and the second this past weekend, albeit with both teams playing their second string, by a score of 28-7.

                The dominance will continue on Sunday.

Prediction: Calgary-31 BC Lions-14

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A Special Thank You From "Top Of The Third"

As the baseball season ends, it is a time for reflection. A look back at what has happened over the past seven months (eight if you include Spring Training) to see how your team did. Were the expectations too high, too low, or did they finish where you thought they would? Did your team make the postseason, or finish at the bottom of the standings? It’s an unavoidable process as you look back to the just completed season—ever so briefly—before turning your attention to what may lay in store for the following year.

At “Top Of The Third”, it’s also a chance to reflect on what we accomplished. I had wanted to start a baseball blog for quite some time, to combine the two things that I know more about than anything else: baseball and writing. As a journalist graduate from Niagara College sixteen years ago, and not working in the field I studied, I figured this blog was the best way to get back into writing, something I have always loved to do.

The first post was the weekend before the All-Star Break and originally I had planned to publish three or four posts per week. But, then something incredible happened. The Toronto Blue Jays, my favourite team since I was a kid, got good. They turned another mediocre season into their best in more than two decades. As I started to write more about them, more of you started to read my posts. In order to keep you coming back repeatedly, I wrote more. Whether it was about the Blue Jays, past moments in history, division races in September or post season memories, I just kept writing and the hits to my blog kept coming.

In just under four months of blogging, Top Of The Third has been viewed over 3200 times (an average of 27 per day), something I would never have dreamed four months ago. It has been overwhelming how many people have read with interest occasionally, repeatedly or just had a glance to see what it was all about.

And I wanted to thank each and every one of you who read the posts, liked the Facebook page (over 90 likes now), recommended the blog to others or just had a quick look to see what the subject was. It was because of all of you that I continued to write with as much enthusiasm as I did. It was all of you who gave me inspiration to write every day, even though there were some days I had to wrack my brain to come up with another sentence, another paragraph or another story.

But as the baseball season has come to an end, it is time to back off the blog—but just a little bit. Having a full-time job and being a father to a four year old and a two year old makes me busy enough. Adding a daily blog to the list has been a challenge—albeit a fun one—and a little bit exhausting.

As we look ahead to the 2016 baseball season, “Top Of The Third” will undergo a format change that I will be working on throughout the winter. I want to shift away from the journalistic aspect of telling you what you already know, and move more toward giving my opinion on a given topic and getting your thoughts on it as well.

During the winter, I will introduce this with one or two—maybe three—published posts per week on free agent signings, manager firings and hirings, retirements, etc…, (I might even dabble in some other sports leagues like the CFL, NFL and NCAA football)—but my focus will be on 2016. And I can tell you several things I am working on for next season.

Next year will be the 40^th season of the Toronto Blue Jays. I will be working on a top 40 list where I will rank the top 40 Blue Jay players of all time. Your input on this will be welcomed. It will also mark the 35^th Anniversary of the first and only post season appearance of the Montreal Expos. A ten-part series is in the works to remember that as well.

So while the posts will slow down for the next several months, I invite you to keep reading whenever something gets published. Please like the Facebook page, follow on Twitter or sign up with your email to get posts sent directly to your inbox.

Thanks again for being a part of my rookie season as a baseball blogger and I look forward to providing more reading entertainment in 2016.

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"Baseball is designed to break your heart." -- A. Bartlett Giamatti

                The conclusion of the baseball season always brings to mind a few paragraphs from a novel by New York Times Bestseller, and my favourite writer, John Grisham. Although Grisham has gained notoriety over the last 25 years for his legal thrillers, he has written non-legal novels as well. One of which is “A Painted House” that was published in 2000.

                The book is about a small boy, aged seven, growing up on a cotton farm owned by his grandfather in rural Arkansas in the early 1950s. His favourite team is the St. Louis Cardinals and as the baseball and cotton seasons wind down, it’s becomes painfully clear that neither the Cards nor the cotton are going to be successful.

                The following paragraphs are the boy’s thoughts after the last Cardinals’ game of the year and these words sum up how I feel at the end of every baseball season.

As we left town I thought about the end of the season. Baseball began in the Spring, when we planted and when hopes were high. It sustained us through the summer, often our only diversion from the drudgery of the fields. We listened to each game, then talked about the plays and the players and the strategies until we listened to the next one. It was very much a part of our daily lives for six months, then it was gone. Just like the cotton.

I was sad by the time we arrived home. No games to listen to on the front porch. Six months without the voice of Harry Carey. Six months with no Stan Musial. I got my glove and went for a long walk down a field road, tossing the ball in the air, wondering what I would do until April.

For the first time in my life, baseball broke my heart.

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Top Five World Series Controversies In The Last 30 Years

                I didn't expect the World Series to end so quickly. This is the post that I intended to publish yesterday but had to delay due to Kansas City's Game 5 victory. However, we will look into the past and view the five most memorable controversies in World Series play since 1975. We will start with an honourable mention (or dishonourable, depending on how you view it) that can’t be included in the list as it didn’t happen during a game, but occurred during a pre-game interview.

Honourable Mention: October 24, 1999: Game 2

Jim Gray’s infamous interview of Pete Rose

                Prior to Game 2 between the Atlanta Braves and New York Yankees, Major League Baseball announced its All-Century Team. Pete Rose, the all-time MLB hits leader, who was also banned from baseball for gambling on the game—a charge he denied—was featured on the All-Century Team.

                After the ceremony, Rose was interviewed by NBC’s Jim Gray, who tried to get him to admit that he did indeed gamble on baseball. That Gray attempted to do that on a night that was meant to honour baseball’s best was appalling. Even more so, when Rose again denied that he gambled, rather than change the subject, Gray kept pestering him to admit it throughout the interview.

                While Rose finally admitted his guilt more than ten years later, Gray was still out of line in his questioning and while I think he is a very fine sports journalist, his approach on this night was questionable.

#5. October 27, 2013: Game 4

Was it a balk?

                The St. Louis Cardinals led the Boston Red Sox two games to one in the World Series, but trailed Game 4 by a score of 4-2 going into the bottom of the ninth. Boston had their closer, Koji Uehara, on the mound to finish the game.

                With one out, Allen Craig singled for the Cards. Kolten Wong came into the game to pinch run. One out later, Carlos Beltran represented the tying run for St. Louis. But Uehara threw to first and caught Wong off the base, the first time in World Series history that a game ended with a pick off.

                But the Cardinals complained that Uehara didn’t step off the pitching rubber before throwing to first, meaning a balk should have called, moving Wong to second base. Countless replays seemed to favour Uehara, but he made the move so quickly, it’s understandable why St. Louis thought a balk should have been called. However, the play stood and the Red Sox had tied the Series.

#4. October 26, 2002: Game 6

The game ball is presented...in the seventh inning

               

                The San Francisco Giants held a three games to two lead over the Anaheim Angels, and led Game 6 by a score of 5-0 going to the bottom of the seventh. With one out, Giants’ starter Russ Ortiz gave up back-to-back singles to Angel hitters Troy Glaus and Brad Fullmer. San Fran manager, Dusty Baker, came out to remove Oritz from the game, and in a questionable move, presented him with the game ball while the game was still going on.

                With Felix Rodriguez now on the mound for the Giants, Scott Spezio hit a three-run home run for the Angels to close the gap to 5-3. In the bottom of the eighth, the Angels scored three more runs and held on for a 6-5 win. Baker was widely criticized for his presentation of the game ball, with the thought being the Angels were given more motivation for coming back when they saw the gesture.

                The Angels would win Game 7 by a score of 4-1.

#3. October 20, 1992: Game 3

The triple play that wasn’t

                After splitting the first two games of the series, the Atlanta Braves and Toronto Blue Jays were scoreless in the fourth inning when the Braves threatened. Back-to-back singles had two Atlanta runners on base with none out and slugger David Justice at the plate.

                Justice hit a high fly ball off Toronto starter Juan Guzman that seemed destined for at least a double. But Toronto centre fielder, Devon White, tracked the ball down and made a leaping catch at the wall for the first out. The Atlanta runners, who also thought the ball was a sure hit, now had to scramble back to their respective bases to avoid being doubled up.

                In his attempt to get back to second, Deion Sanders passed Terry Pendleton, automatically making Pendleton the second out. As the Jays’ defenders were unaware of the out, they completed the play by throwing the ball to first baseman John Olerud to ensure Pendleton was out. When the throw was made, Sanders took off for third. Olerud fired the ball to third baseman, Kelly Gruber, who chased Sanders back to second base.

                As Sanders started to dive back to the bag, Gruber dived and touched Deion’s leg with his glove before Deion got back to the bag. A triple play.

                Unfortunately, second base umpire, Bob Davidson, didn’t see the tag and ruled Sanders safe. Despite Gruber’s plea and the countless replays showing Gruber obviously made the tag, the play stood. How Davidson missed the tag when he was right on top of the play is confusing. However, the Jays would eventually win the game by a score of 3-2.

You make the call

#2. October 22, 2000: Game 2

“I thought it was the ball”

                It was the first subway series for the city of New York since 1956. The New York Yankees and the New York Mets were going head-to-head for baseball supremacy in the first year of the new millennium. The Yankees had taken the first game of the series and it didn’t take long for tempers to flare in the second game.

                Mets’ catcher, Mike Piazza, had been hit in the head by a pitch by Yankees’ pitcher, Roger Clemens, earlier in the year and many were wondering what would happen when they faced each other in the World Series.

                In his first at-bat, Piazza fouled off a pitch that broke his bat. The barrel of the bat bounced in the direction of Clemens, who picked up the broken lumber and mysteriously fired it in the direction of Piazza as he started out of the batter’s box.

                Piazza started to shout at Clemens and the two benches emptied, anticipating a fight. In my opinion, it looked like Clemens picked up the bat and—being so pumped up—just threw it away, not knowing Piazza was running towards first. However, rather than apologize and explain his emotional display, Clemens made up the preposterous excuse, “I thought it was the ball.”

                Really Roger? You thought a splintered bat was the ball? And you were throwing the BALL on the ground halfway between the plate and first? Ok, sure.

#1. October 26, 1985: Game 6

Missed call at first

                The St. Louis Cardinals led the Kansas City Royals by a score of 1-0 heading to the bottom of the ninth. The Cards were three outs away from winning the World Series and had closer Todd Worrell in the game to close it out.

                The Royals first batter, Jorge Orta, grounded a ball to first baseman Jack Clark. As Orta raced towards first, Clark tossed the ball behind Worrell who was covering the bag. While it was clear that Worrell touched first before Orta, umpire Don Denkinger, who may have had his view of the ball blocked by Worrell due to the poor toss from Clark, ruled Orta safe.

                Replays confirmed the missed call and even though the Cards argued, the play stood.

                The next batter for Kansas City was Steve Balboni who hit a high pop up in foul territory that should have been the first out. However, Clark misplayed the ball and it dropped, allowing Balboni to continue his at bat. Balboni took advantage and singled two pitches later. He was lifted for a pinch runner, Onix Concepcion.

                A force out at third on a bunt attempt and a wild pitch and an intentional walk later, the Royals had the bases loaded with one out. Pinch hitter, Dane Iorg, blooped a single to right scoring two runners and giving the Royals the win, 2-1.

                While Cardinals’ fans, for years, would blame Denkinger’s blown call for St. Louis losing the World Series, they never mention Clark’s dropped foul ball, or the 11-0 thrashing in Game 7. Denkinger didn’t cause either of those mishaps.

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