Heading into this weekends three game set with Tampa Bay, the Blue Jays have 35 games left to play. Derek Rivers Jersey . They have to make up a four game deficit on Detroit for the second Wild Card spot. Theyre also 3.5 games back of Seattle, are tied with the Yankees and are sitting just a half-game ahead of Cleveland. It will take a 23-12 stretch run, just to finish at 88 wins and there is no guarantee even that will be enough, But I suppose the key point is, they are still alive with just 38 days remaining in the season and are still playing "meaningful" ball. I decided to look back at six of Jays most significant seasons to see just how they did from August 15 up until the regular seasons final day. Lets start with 1984, the year the Blue Jays had the best team of their young history. Detroit started out that season 35-5 and looked unbeatable. The Jays, to their credit stayed relatively close for most of the season. In mid-August, they were (68-51), But from that point on they went (21-22) and didnt win two in a row after September 12 to finish at (89-73). In 1985 the Blue Jays won their first division title, eliminating the Yankees and clinching the top spot with a victory over Billy Martin and company on the final Saturday of the regular season at Exhibition Stadium. On August 16th of that season, the Jays were (72-43), while this years Jays were 63-60 on the same date. The Jays went 27-19 down the stretch, though they did drop five of their last six to give the Yanks one last fleeting chance. Bobby Cox and the troops finish with a franchise record 99 victories. 1987 was the year of the heartbreak. The Blue Jays lead the AL East over Detroit with just seven games to play. Rocked by injuries to Tony Fernandez and Ernie Whitt, they dropped all seven including the final three at Tigers Stadium and finished second to Detroit. That year they were 69-48 in mid-August and went (27-18) the rest of the way. In 1989, the Blue Jays won their second division title, and ultimately lost the ALCS in five games to Oakland. Still, the season featured a great stretch run. They were just (60-59) on August 15, two games worse off than they are this season. Cito Gastons crew went 29-14 the rest of the way to take the East with an 89-73 mark. In 1991 they laid claim to their third division title, before losing to Minnesota in five in the ALCS, dropping the last three at home. They did play well over the last six weeks, going 28-18 to finish at 91-71. In 1992 it all came together as they won their first World Series title beating Atlanta in six games. They were 20 games over .500 on August 15 at 68-48 and finished with another 28-18 run to wind up at 96-66, the second best record in club history. In 1993 the Blue Jays made it a repeat by beating Philadelphia in six, winning the series at home on Joe Carters "Touch em all, Joe" walk off homer against Mitch Williams. The Jays went 27-16 down the stretch that season to finish at 95-67. The bottom line is this: If the Blue Jays need to finish at 23-12 at the very least, they have only done that twice before in franchise history in the years they made the post-season. In 1989 when they were won 15 more games than they lost and 1993, when they won 11 more than they lost. Those were decidedly stronger teams and won division titles and the 93 World Series. If the Blue Jays make the playoffs now even as a Wild Card, it would be an epic achievement considering the odds. Cuban Option A number of teams had been monitoring the workouts of Cuban defector Rusney Castillo with the Red Sox agreeing to terms with him on Friday on a reported seven-year, $72.5 million deal. Castillo has a bit of pop in his bat and can play either 2B or CF. It puzzles me why the Blue Jays havent been in on this 27-year-old. They have needs in both those areas, and they wouldnt have to give up anything but money to get him. On The Farm Big night for the kids Thursday night at Buffalo. Lefty Daniel Norris ran his record to 3-0 with the Herd and dropped his ERA to 1.08. He struck out nine over five innings in Buffalos 5-1 victory over Scranton Wilkes-Barre. Norris has 32 strikeouts in 16-plus innings with the Bisons. Anthony Gose batting second and playing right field tied a Buffalo modern record by stealing four bases in the game and 21-year-old Dalton Pompey made his Triple-A debut in front of a crowd of 11,134 batting leadoff and playing centre field. The 21 year old Mississauga, ON-native went 1-for-4, with his first Triple-A hit coming in the fifth inning on a single. At the very least, all three figure to be September call-ups. Brandin Cooks Jersey . - This win was more the New Jersey Devils style. Shea McClellin Jersey . -- A lawyer for the fiancee of former New England Patriots player Aaron Hernandez asked a judge Friday to throw out perjury charges, saying Shayanna Jenkins did not wilfully lie as she was bombarded with 1,630 questions over two days before a grand jury. http://www.authenticpatriotsfanatic.com/c-91-patriots-trey-flowers-jersey.aspx . Despite Barcelona showing the same vulnerability in defence, Messis best performance since returning from a lengthy injury layoff ensured that his side bounced back from a defeat by Valencia in the previous round.7) Has there ever been a good outcome following a road rage on the highway? No, and the same answer applies to the race track, with sad proof of that more evident than ever.8) Back to the Tigers, sort of. Should we applaud Kate Upton for her honesty in realizing and admitting that Justin Verlanders fans blame her when he pitches poorly? His fantasy owners get so mad they wonder if she should remain in their fantasies of a different kind. So Im told. And no, we wont blame her when her boyfriend suffers an injury.9) Johnny Manziel vs. Brian Hoyer. If that is the extent of your interest in the Cleveland Browns, would you be willing to admit that you once followed the Denver Broncos because of Tim Tebow?10) Shall we make it official? The Montreal Alouettes change coaches more often than Chad Johnson changes names.11) Do you chuckle when you hear what might lie ahead for Rory McIlroy? 15 majors? 20 majors? Seems to me theres a guy stuck at 14 who was supposed to have reached one or both of those marks by now. 12) Who hurts more, the tacklers run over by Rob Gronkowski, or Gronkowski? Never mind his knees and his back, the New England Patriots tight end is trying to come back from four arm surgeries in the past two years. He says it has been miserable. No reason not to believe him.13) Lets lobby for a few changes to the rules of baseball, shall we? The fly ball that is lost in the sun and falls at the outfielders feet should not be a hit.14) From the rubber, the pitcher is not allowed to fake a throw to first base, and the deceptive "third to first" pickoff try has beeen outlawed. Shaq Mason Jersey. Why not stop the "turn and look the runner back to second" time-wasting move?15) Bear with me on this one. The closer enters the game in the bottom of the ninth with a one-run lead and blows the save by allowing the tying run. His team goes ahead in the top of the 10th and he pitches the bottom of the 10th and gets the win. That seems more like a second-chance save to me. Doesnt the win more rightly belong to the pitcher who stood to get it in the ninth?16) Meanwhile, back to golfs decison-making process, in this case, the Ryder Cup. USA team captain Tom Watson says hell basically let Tiger Woods decide if hes healthy enough and playing well enough to deserve a spot. What if team member Jordan Spieth told Watson to pick himself, based on the fact Watsons 36-hole score at the PGA was lower than Spieths, and Tigers?17) Is there ever a time when hockey isnt in the news? Thats my only hockey question, so that time is now, apparently.18) Shouldnt the first athlete who ever uttered the apologetic explanation "I never knowingly took a performance-enhancing, drug-banned stimulant" get residuals from all others who claim they were merely careless? Dallas Cowboys cornerback Orlando Scandrick is the latest to read from the script.19) Would fans fight any harder for gold bars than they do for baseballs that land near their seats? 20) Do you feel sorry for Andrew Wiggins because he wont get the chance to play in Cleveland? Til now, have you ever felt sorry for an athlete because he didnt get the chance to play in Cleveland? Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys China Wholesale Authentic Jerseys Cheap Jerseys 2018 Cheap Jerseys 2019 NFL Jerseys Wholesale ' ' '