2008 Dunedin Blue Jays Season In Review
The season started with high expectations for several young high profiled players on the roster. Former first round draft picks, OF Travis Snyder, C J.P. Arencibia and SP Brett Cecil headlined a roster with a lot of intriguing story lines. Snyder recently made his Major League debut for Toronto after spending the start of the season in Dunedin. Cecil made his way all the way to Triple-A, where he continued to dominate. After being named to the Mid-Season All-Star team Arencibia moved up to Double-A where he continued to show off his amazing skill.
The Blue Jays also brought back a few of last years stars including 2007 Mid-Season All-Star OF Cory Patton. Patton finished off the 2008 season strong and was recognized by being named to the Post-Season All-Star team. His .305 AVG, 30 doubles, 13 home runs and 70 RBIs helped him earn that spot on the team. Cory wasn't alone as other players, including RP Connor Falkenbach, 3B Jesus Gonzalez and C Al Quintana were among those making a return to Dunedin for the 2008 season.
The Jays finished the first half tied for second place with the Tampa Yankees with a 37-33 record. The Jays played well at home, going 19-15, but were just .500 on the road with an 18-18 record. April and May were rough months for the Jays as they struggled to stay above .500 with a 15-11 record in April and 15-14 record in May. The All-Star break came at the right time for the Blue Jays as they started off June going 7-8 to end the first half.
Once the second half started the Jays got on a roll and never looked back. They ended June going 7-3 to take the lead in the West Division. In July fans saw the team win 10 in a row as they ended the month going 17-9. As the weather heated up, so did the Jays. With the August sun burning down on them the Jays went 24-8 in the final month of the regular season, including ending on a 5 game winning streak. The Jays were so dominate in the second half that their 48-20 record gave them a 12.5 game lead over the second place Tampa Yankees. Dunedin was untouchable at home going 27-9 and was almost as good on the road going 21-11.
Overall the Jays had the best record in the Florida State League, going 85-53. No other team in the FSL won more then 80 games. It all ended in the Western Division Series against the Fort Myers Miracle. After taking out the Miracle the last three times these teams had met in the playoffs the Miracle came up big this year. They allowed only 2 total runs to score as they won Game 1, 2-1 and Game 2, 3-1.
Several new Dunedin Blue Jays came up big during the season. The pitching staff was led all season long by Reidier Gonzalez and Kenny Rodriguez. Reidier went 12-4 on the season with an ERA of 3.14 in 137.2 innings pitched. He was rewarded by being named to the 2008 Post-Season All-Star team. Kenny also ended the season with a 3.14 ERA as he went 8-8 with 2 complete games. Relief pitchers Celson Polanco, Chad Blackwell and Eddie Rodriguez built a strong bridge from the starters to closer Connor Falkenbach. Combined they pitched in a total of 143 games, going 204 innings and only giving up 68 earned runs. Falkenbach, who earned the honor of being named to the 2008 Mid-Season All-Star team, ended the season with 28 Saves and a 2.78 ERA.
Hitting was the biggest story of the year for the Jays. 2B Bradley Emaus shined in the second half of the season, earning himself a spot on the 2008 Post-Season All-Star team. He finished the season with a .300 AVG, 12 home runs and a team high 34 doubles. This year's number 1 draft pick, 1B David Cooper, came into Dunedin with big shoes to fill. He let everyone know right away he was here to play as he drove in the game winning run in his first game in Dunedin. He ended the season with a .315 AVG, 9 doubles and 15 RBIs in 24 games for the Blue Jays.
In what had to be the feel good story of the year for Dunedin, Brian Dopirak, formally of the Daytona Cubs, signed a contract to play with the Blue Jays in 2008. Brian was a former Dunedin High School stand out. He was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2002 First Year Play Draft straight out of high school. His return to the Dunedin area was high lighted by Mid-Season and Post-Season All-Star selections. Brian spent most of the year in Dunedin, before being called up to Double-A New Hampshire during the last month of the regular season.
These Jays will not soon be forgotten. The heart and energy they put into the 2008 season was something that every fan at Dunedin Stadium felt. While the Jays fans can now look forward to a wonderful 2009 season, there will always be a place in their hearts for the 2008 squad. With four playoff appearances in the last five years, Toronto knows that all it has to do is look down here in Dunedin to know that good things are on the way.
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