As 2013 winds to a close, TSN. Wendell Carter Jr. Jersey .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. TSN.cas writing staff reflects on the best baseball moments from the past 12 months including the Jays highs and lows, Ichiros moment in the sun, Todd Heltons farewell and more! Torontos Opening Day optimism vanishes in a hurry By: Barry Riz A winter unlike most in Blue Jays history had passed with some of the most dramatic player upgrades the franchise had ever seen. Jose Reyes, Melky Cabrera, R.A. Dickey, Mark Buehrle, and Josh Johnson were each star additions and made the Blue Jays a revitalized force in the AL East. Many prognosticators saw Toronto as a 95-win team, and Las Vegas sportsbooks had the Jays as World Series favourites. Opening Day is usually sold out in Toronto - but tickets to this one against Cleveland were tough to come by two months in advance. There was a buzz in the stadium, an expectation that had been building all winter. The road back to the postseason was going to start - and start in style - with defending NL Cy Young winner Dickey on the hill for the Blue Jays. Well for those who believe in signs, there were plenty to go around. Catcher J.P. Arencibia allowed three passed balls from the knuckleballer which led in part to Clevelands first two runs. Torontos newly potent offence was held to just four hits, with their sole run coming on a double play groundout. The Indians cruised to a 4-1 win. After months of winter build-up the aura of invincibility for Blue Jay fans was gone in a hurry. Ichiro joins baseballs elite By: Shane McNeil Baseball has had a pretty brutal couple decades from the 1994 players strike through to the Biogenesis bombshell of 2013, but Ichiro is the type of classic baseball player that performs at the most basic technical level in hugely entertaining fashion. I dont care that he has hit one home run for every 83 major league plate appearance, because theres no one else in the game Id rather see run as fast as they can from home to first. So when Ichiro joined Pete Rose and Ty Cobb as the only professional ball players to reach the 4,000 hit plateau on Aug. 21, it gave baseball fans a chance to respect a man who has excelled at the game on its most basic of levels. Some put an asterisk on the achievement due to his time in Japan, but there are many reasons why those people are wrong. Ichiro has played baseball in a beautiful and dignified way for the last 13 years in North America while countless other superstars have chosen not to. If we cant allow the man his one moment in the sun in what is likely the twilight of his MLB career, were doing something wrong. A quiet goodbye for a Hall-of-Famer By: Mike Beauvais The 2013 MLB season had some great storylines and it was one of the more compelling campaigns in recent memory including legendary New York Yankees reliever Mariano Riveras farewell tour. There was another significant retirement in 2013, but it certainly didnt receive the coverage that Riveras did. On Sept. 17, Colorado Rockies first baseman Todd Helton announced that the 2013 season would be his last in the MLB. Only 11 days later, he would play his final game at Coors Field. There was a modest ceremony prior to the game and Helton would go on to close out his career in Denver with a home run and three RBI. Maybe Heltons retirement didnt merit the fanfare that came with Riveras, but Heltons played out much like the majority of his 17 seasons with the Rockies did â€" quietly and under the mainstream radar. If youre a casual baseball fan, you just might be taken aback by Heltons career numbers: .316 career batting average, top-10 all-time in OBP (.430,), only player in MLB history to have 10-consecutive seasons of 35 or more doubles as well as countless Rockies career records. Helton was never the sexy name that Derek Jeter was and never starred in the spotlight of the Bronx like Jeter and Rivera did, but Todd Helton was the Colorado Rockies talisman and worthy of Cooperstown consideration. In his final at bat on that cool, September night in Denver, Helton went out as unassumingly as you would think a player like Helton would: he struck out swinging before politely soaking in the standing ovation from the Coors Field crowd. "It goes by really quick," Helton said after the game of his career. "You blink and here you are." Brian McCann stands up for his principles By: Daan De Kerpel In a two week span in September, Brian McCann had confrontations with Miami Marlins rookie Jose Fernandez followed by Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Carlos Gomez after they each admired a home run a little too long. On Sept. 11, Fernandez was making his last start of the season in Miami. In the sixth inning, he hit a home run and watched it a little too slowly for the Braves liking. As he rounded third, Fernandez made some gestures to the Braves bench, which didnt sit well with McCann, who immediately started talking to the 20-year-old. After the game, Fernandez told the media that he apologized to both McCann and Mike Minor, the pitcher who hit the home run off of. McCanns response: "Hey, man, youre a kid but youre in the big leagues. You need to do what big leaguers do." Perhaps taking a page out of Johnsons playbook, McCann was much more animated two weeks later when Gomez took Paul Maholm deep, watched the ball sail into the seats before running. After trading barbs with Braves players as he ran the bases, McCann stood in front of home plate and wouldnt let the Gomez pass. That led to the benches clearing and even punches being thrown. While no one is expecting McCann to display this type of fire all the time in the regular season, the fact that he can get that wound up in games against non-playoff teams in September, makes me wonder what hell be like in a rivalry game against the Red Sox. The infectious joy that is Munenori Kawasaki By: Sarah Zintel The Toronto Blue Jays 2013 season may not have met their fans expectations but they certainly got lucky with the hilarious distraction that was Munenori Kawasaki. He stormed onto the Jays infield leaving everyone in stiches. The shortstop quickly became best known for his unorthodox stretching, unique dance moves, original handshakes with teammates, and most importantly his interview skills. The Japan natives most infamous interview was after his walk-off double for the win at home against the Orioles where he stole the show with his preplanned notes and poor English. The interview quickly went viral and most recently earned him the MLBs GIBBY Award for "Cut 4 Topic of the Year". Kawasakis positive and joyous attitude helped motivate not only the fans but also his teammates to come together and celebrate the Blue Jays, despite the team finishing last in the AL East. The team declined Kawasakis option for next season and the fans will surely miss his spirit. But one thing that will never be forgotten is: "My name is Munenori Kawasaki. I come from Japan. Im Japanese!" MLB strikes unlikely gold in Game 162 By: Shane McNeil So, were now two years into Major League Baseballs expanded playoff format and while nothing could replicate the insanity of the final day of the 2011 season, the extra playoff spot has at least provided meaningful games on the seasons final day with regularity. This season was no different, as the Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers and Cleveland Indians entered the final game vying for wild card spots. All three teams won their final game, setting up a one-game playoff between the Rangers and Rays to earn a spot in another one-game playoff with the Indians. But the highlight of the day would come not from the wild card chase but a meaningless game in Miami. Marlins hurler Henderson Alvarez no-hit the Detroit Tigers for nine innings, but his teammates were unable to get him a run through eight. The Marlins caught some fortuitous bounces in the ninth, including the wild pitch that would plate Giancarlo Stanton for the winning run. Immediately after Stanton crossed, the Marlins mobbed Alvarez â€" who was standing in the on-deck circle - to celebrate the achievement. When was the last time you saw a pitcher relish a no-no with a batters helmet on? Kris Dunn Jersey . - Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr has nothing but good problems right now. Bobby Portis Jersey . The Padres made the moves before Fridays game at Washington. They promoted infielder Jace Peterson from Double-A San Antonio and right-hander Kevin Quackenbush from Triple-A El Paso. http://www.bullsofficialsshop.com/kids-toni-kukoc-bulls-jersey/ .Y. -- The "for sale" sign is up at the Buffalo Bills with the hiring of financial and legal advisers who may begin talking with prospective buyers within the next month.ST. LOUIS -- Jhonny Peralta went deep twice, ending the St. Louis Cardinals 366 at-bat homerless drought. The first would have been plenty for Adam Wainwright. Wainwright became the majors first five-game winner and Peralta had two home runs and four RBIs in a 7-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday. "Im really having more fun pitching right now than I ever have," Wainwright said. "Its just such a chess match. "I feel Im right where I want to be and so Im going to work extra hard to stay there and not get complacent." Matt Holliday, Allen Craig and Yadier Molina also had RBIs for the Cardinals, who totalled five runs in their previous four games. St. Louis took two of three from the Pirates, shutting them out in both wins. "We got some big hits today, gave him a little bit of room to breathe," manager Mike Matheny said. "Even though weve got all the faith in the world in Waino, you just hate to have to be on the edge all the time." Edinson Volquez (1-2) gave up six runs in 5 2-3 innings for Pittsburgh, which has dropped five of six. His day unraveled after the Pirates appeal of a potential double-play ball was denied and first baseman Ike Davis foot was ruled off the bag in the sixth inning. Davis was on the dirt stretching for the relay and was adamant replay got it wrong, contending he had contact with the base for "at least a half-second" after gloving the relay from second baseman Neil Walker. "I knew I was on the bag. You can look at the video yourself and you would think I was on the bag, too," Davis said after the game. "But I guess it wasnt a close enough view." Craigs two-out bloop single made it 2-0 the next at-bat, his first RBI in eight games. Peralta followed with a three-run homer on a full count for a 5-0 lead that chased Volquez, whos 3-6 with a 5.66 ERA in 12 career starts against St. Louis. Manager Clint Hurdle said if the umpires had called it a double play, he didnt think Matheny would have prevailed in a challenge. "You saw how it changed the complexion of the game," Hurdle said. "I dont think it does anything mentally, youvee got to play through it. John Paxson Jersey. "Weve been playing through calls we didnt like for 128 years, so that part of it is not going to change." Peralta also homered leading off the fifth, the Cardinals first since Craig on April 16 at Milwaukee. He has six homers, the most ever by a Cardinals shortstop in the opening month of the season and one more than Edgar Renteria hit in 2000. "The first one, I knew it was gone for sure," Peralta said. "The second home run, I didnt know for sure if was gone. He threw me a pretty good change-up." Wainwright (5-1) allowed three hits in eight scoreless innings and hasnt allowed a run in 25 consecutive innings. He stayed on turn after tweaking his right knee trying to cover first in his last start at New York and had seven strikeouts with two walks. Wainwrights only loss came April 6 at Pittsburgh when he allowed two runs in seven innings but lost 2-1 in another matchup with Volquez, with the win going to reliever Tony Watson. On Sunday, Wainwright retired nine straight before hitting Jose Tabata with a breaking ball with one out in the sixth. Pedro Alvarez singled with two outs, but Wainwright got Neil Walker on a called third strike. Hes the fourth St. Louis pitcher to win five games in the opening month, joining Darryl Kile (2000), Bob Tewksbury (1994) and John Denny (1977). "You cannot make a lot of mistakes," Volquez said. "Hes unbelievable. Hes a superstar." Matt Adams tripled off Jeanmar Gomez in the eighth and scored on Molinas sacrifice fly. NOTES: The Pirates have lost five consecutive series. ... Michael Wacha (2-2, 2.10) opposes Yovani Gallardo (2-0, 1.42) Monday in the opener of a three-game series between the Cardinals and Brewers. ... The Pirates have a day off before opening a two-game series at Baltimore with Charlie Morton (0-3, 4.35) opposing Chris Tillman (3-1, 3.38). ... Matt Carpenter and Yadier Molina received Silver Slugger awards in a pregame ceremony. ... Peralta has eight career multihomer games, the previous on July 29, 2012, at Toronto. ... Holliday had an RBI in all three games of the series. China Jerseys Wholesale Cheap Jerseys Store Cheap NFL Hoodies NFL Jerseys Cheap White NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL T-shirts From China Cheap Jerseys Online NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys Throwback Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping NFL Jerseys Wholesale White NFL Jerseys Cheap Wholesale Nike NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Camo Cheap Authentic Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys 2019 Wholesale Nike NFL Jerseys China NFL Gear Cheap Jerseys ' ' '