Blue Jays Future Looks Bright

You've got to love the look of the 2008 Toronto Blue Jays. No doubt, with the Toronto Maple Leafs season over, the Blue Jays will take center stage along with the Raptors. From the starting rotation, to the bullpen, to the batting line up, the Jays are more than capable of overthrowing the Red Sox and Yankees and winning the AL East.

But hardcore followers of the Jays have known that this team has been in the works since 2002. Back then, Rios was still just a highly touted prospect, McGowan's potential was being questioned, and Vernon Wells was just coming into his own as an every day player. My, how far they've come.

Wells and Rios are now perennial all-stars and gold glove candidates, McGowan is
dominating, Aaron Hill is getting ready to break out, and the rebuilding phase is finally over. With some key free agent acquisitions in the past few seasons -- Lyle Overbay, Frank Thomas, Matt Stairs, David Eckstein, Scott Rolen, AJ Burnett, to name a few -- this is a serious playoff contender.

It's now up to the fans to show their support. The Rogers Center should be packed, the Jays should be a hot ticket. A little extra boost from the crowd can make a big difference.

Side note: those powder blue retro uniforms looked fantastic on Friday night. Come to think of it, the new road jerseys don't look half bad either.