Are the Blue Jays our rivals?

[mdbdotcom]

We are in the same division, but I think of them more as PITA than true rivals. I'd like to have some respect for our rivals.

[Morgan423]

I dislike them intently because of the current group of players that are hitting Yankee - levels of douchiness, but I wouldn't call them a main rival. They are almost always a .500ish team that we're usually able to navigate through, and in three or four seasons their team will have different personnel who can't possibly be as obnoxious.

Strangely the only team in our division that doesn't annoy me is TB, even though they could be our main competition this year if their pitching stays healthy. Mainly it's because they play the game the way we do, hard-nosed but respectful. It's one of the things I like about our team, and I respect any team that plays the game that way.

[El Gordo]

Cito, Sign stealing, Crap turf, Canada, GM stealing, Bautista, Donaldson. There is a genuine animosity between the teams IMO.

[StottyByNature]

Rivalries are a gut feeling. My gut was telling me this entire weekend that I can't STAND losing to these guys. It won't ever quite reach Yankee-level, but man this was close. The heat of rivalries can rise and fall, but for me right now I hate the Jays the most. Maybe it's their smug attitude, maybe it's their high level of spending, maybe it's their ridiculous stadium that looks like they're playing with bouncy balls, I don't know. They just really rub me the wrong way. Don't think too much into it, these types of things are what make following sports so fun.

Also, Devon White, Cito Gaston, Kelly Gruber and Joe Carter really caused me a lot of heartache as a kid, so that doesn't help.

[ExileAngelos]

Are you kidding?

If you still think the Yankees and the Red Sox are our top rivals, you haven't been paying attention the last 3 years. Those games are snoozers compared to what we've got going on with the Jays.

It's good vs. evil here, folks. The Jays are the lousiest, scummiest group of villains to play the game at the same time I've ever seen in my entire life.

Bautista is a joke - the worst guy in sports I've ever seen - and Gibbons is a straight up loser. Encarnacion and Martin and Reyes are crony d-bags. And their stadium is a trash fire that should be razed.

NY and Boston? Man, who cares, honestly.

You forgot to include Donelson on your list of crony d-bags.

[Rene88]

I don't know but they are a bunch of donkeys:)

[big_sparxx]

Rivalries are a gut feeling. My gut was telling me this entire weekend that I can't STAND losing to these guys. It won't ever quite reach Yankee-level, but man this was close. The heat of rivalries can rise and fall, but for me right now I hate the Jays the most. Maybe it's their smug attitude, maybe it's their high level of spending, maybe it's their ridiculous stadium that looks like they're playing with bouncy balls, I don't know. They just really rub me the wrong way. Don't think too much into it, these types of things are what make following sports so fun.

Also, Devon White, Cito Gaston, Kelly Gruber and Joe Carter really caused me a lot of heartache as a kid, so that doesn't help.

Agreed. They seem to have this idea that they are, for whatever reason, that much better than us. They call us "thugs" and they hate us (just follow a stream on Twitter when we play them)

I'm hoping to be in TO for the series in early Sept. when I take my kids up to college. I will definitely be #OrangeProud.

I seriously hate them... and their damn "STAY FAIR STAY FAIR" Play by Play announcer....

[LayzieDES]

You forgot to include Donelson on your list of crony d-bags.

The only player I couldn't stand more than Ortiz and Bautista was Lawrie. Now that he's in Oakland, Donaldson is an appropriate filler for that hate. However, Bautista is really fighting for that coveted top spot of most hated player from me.

[Frobby]

The only player I couldn't stand more than Ortiz and Bautista was Lawrie. Now that he's in Oakland, Donaldson is an appropriate filler for that hate. However, Bautista is really fighting for that coveted top spot of most hated player from me.

Lawrie was way worse than Donaldson IMO. Donaldson is a good player and despite last year's dust-ups I really don't see him as a guy who is copping an attitude all the time. Lawrie was insufferable. Thankfully, he didn't turn out to be that good of a player.

Really, for me it just boils down to not liking Bautista's antics, and my suspicions (based on the mid-career spikes in their numbers) that he and Encarnacion are on the juice. Oh yeah, and I don't like Gibbons much.

[srock]

Cito, Sign stealing, Crap turf, Canada, GM stealing, Bautista, Donaldson. There is a genuine animosity between the teams IMO.

This is my opinion. I dislike the Blue Jays for a variety of reasons.

To me, you want to play a rival so you can best them on the field.

But its not a rivalry. Disdain, yes, not rivalry.

[ExileAngelos]

You're right. See, every time you turn around there's another Jay d-bag to add to the list.

LOL so true. I never realized Martin was such a d-bag until yesterday.

[Redskins Rick]

LOL so true. I never realized Martin was such a d-bag until yesterday.

Playing for the Yankees during your career tends to help the person along the way to d-bag status.

[paulcoates]

Biggest rivals? I don't think so. That's still the Yankees and Red Sox.

The team I have the most vitriol towards? BJ, without a doubt. I almost hope we continue to throw inside to Bautista, and if it hits him, oh well.

[Frobby]

LOL so true. I never realized Martin was such a d-bag until yesterday.

Why, because he argued a strike call? I've got no problem with Martin.

[Scrat1]

I love the level dan-O's seething rage. That's fandom! I mostly agree with him too. Even though, short of murdering one of our guys with a broken bat, they don't even come close to the Yankees as our historical rival, right now there's much worse bad blood between Baltimore and Toronto. For the time being, "rival" is entirely accurate.