Mar 20, 2018
A look at the opening day arms Gibbons has chosen over the years
The Blue Jays manager is turning to his fifth different opening day starter over the last six seasons with J.A. Happ getting the ball against the Yankees next week.
Unlike his first stint as Toronto Blue Jays manager when he tapped his horse, Roy Halladay, on the shoulder four straight times, John Gibbons has needed to put a little thought into his opening day starter since returning to the fold in 2013.
That was the year Gibbons chose prized off-season acquisition and reigning National League Cy Young Award winner R.A. Dickey to toe the rubber on opening day, and this year marks the first time since then that the festivities are back in Toronto.
The last four opening days have all come on the road.
In J.A. Happ, Gibbons is also turning to his fifth different opening day starter over the last six seasons.
After having the ultimate easy choice in Halladay from 2005 through 2008, here’s a look at the opening day starters Gibbons has chosen — and how they’ve fared — since he was re-hired as manager.
R.A. Dickey
April 2, 2013 vs. Cleveland Indians
Acquired four months prior from the New York Mets in exchange for a package headlined by prospects Noah Syndergaard and Travis d’Arnaud, the knuckleballer’s tenure in Toronto did not get started on a positive note, and it ended up mirroring his up-and-down time in a Jays’ uniform.
In a game that took only two-and-a-half hours in front of 48,857 at Rogers Centre, Dickey allowed three runs in six innings — that became about par for the course over the next four seasons — but was out-pitched by Indians righty Justin Masterson and the Jays couldn’t get the bats going in a 4-1 loss.
R.A. Dickey
March 31, 2014 at Tampa Bay Rays
Getting his second opening day nod, Dickey added his name to a list of eight other pitchers who have taken the mound on opening day multiple times in franchise history, joining Dave Lemanczyk (1978, 1980), Jim Clancy (1981, 1984), Dave Stieb (1983, 1985, 1986, 1991), Jimmy Key (1987-89), Jack Morris (1992-93), Pat Hentgen (1997, 1999), Halladay (2003-09) and Ricky Romero (2011-12).
Dickey did not fare well against David Price and the Rays, either, giving up four runs in the first three innings and going on to lose 9-2.
Drew Hutchison
April 6, 2015 at New York Yankees
It’s amazing to think a season that started with Drew Hutchison on the hill eventually turned into a drought-breaking postseason appearance some six months later.
As the youngest opening day starter in club history at the age of 24, Hutchison led the Jays to a 6-1 win in in the Bronx, spinning six innings of one-run ball and carving up a lineup that included Carlos Beltran, Mark Teixeira and Brian McCann in the heart of it.
A few months later, Hutchison was out of the rotation and banished to Triple-A for a time.
Marcus Stroman
April 3, 2016 at Tampa Bay Rays
Had he not succumbed to shoulder inflammation a month ago, Stroman was the presumed opening day starter this season, which would have made him the current staff leader in that regard and put his name on the aforementioned list.
The first time Stroman took the mound in the opener, he out-duelled Chris Archer to lead the Jays to a 5-3 win in Florida.
Stroman was on point from the start in that outing, holding the Rays to one run over eight innings, before allowing two in the ninth, and then watching Roberto Osuna come on to lock it down.
Marco Estrada
April 3, 2017 at Baltimore Orioles
Estrada made the first opening day start of his career one year ago and he did his best to keep his team in the game at Camden Yards, allowing two runs over six innings.
The Jays’ situational hitting, an area that would let them down time and time again on their way to an 8-17 record in April, couldn’t get it done, and the Orioles stole a 3-2 win in the bottom of the 11th inning.
Opening day is just one of 162, but it was a sign of things to come.
J.A. Happ
March 29, 2018 vs. New York Yankees
In his 11th big-league season at the age of 35, Happ gets his first opening day assignment.
It won’t be an easy one for the left-hander, who has the pleasure of being the first starter to face the vaunted right-handed murderer’s row of Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Gary Sanchez.
It’s worth noting, however, that Happ’s career splits are fairly neutral, as he’s allowed a .243/.307/.391 slash line to lefties and a similar .249/.322/.416 line to righties.
The rotation is the key to the Blue Jays’ season and Happ will get the opportunity to start that storyline off on the right foot.