Watching this injury-riddled Blue Jays club stumble to a 5-16 record over the few weeks got me to thinking about the greatest Blue Jays Ive ever seen. Im often asked to rank the Jays position by position. My choices fire up plenty of debates especially considering this organization is in its 36th season. So lets take a run at it, starting behind the plate. Pat Borders spent seven years with the Blue Jays plus a brief cameo return in 1999. He never hit better than .257 and in his best offensive year he only hit 15 homers and drove in 49 runs. Still, Pat is my pick for his stellar defensive work, back-stopping the majority of the games over three straight division title clubs from 1991 thru 1993 including back-to-back World Series titles. At first base, a bit of a tougher call, since John Olerud was part of both World Series teams and won a batting title. But my nod has to go to Carlos Delgado, who owns just about every batting mark in the Jays record book. Second base is a no-brainer. Roberto Alomar is the greatest of all the Blue Jays period. Ive never seen a more outstanding or creative second sacker. At third, in the early to mid-80s the fans loved the platoon of Rance Mulliniks and Garth Iorg. In his brief stay in Toronto, Scott Rolen was top notch and Troy Glaus had an impact as well. However, my pick is Kelly Gruber. Pat Gillick scooped up Kelly in the Rule 5 draft in 1983 and though he didnt really break through with the big club for three more years, he was a key cog in the late 80s right thru to the first World Series victory in 1992. Unfortunately a neck injury ended his career prematurely in 1993 after he had been dealt to the Angels. Tony Fernandez had four different stints in Toronto, and at one point Pat Gillick called him the greatest player the organization had ever developed. Tony could make playing shortstop look effortless with that flip throw from deep in the hole. After being swapped to San Diego along with Freddie McGriff for Joe Carter and Alomar, he was re-acquired during the 93 season and was part of the second World Series club. Bouncing around to different clubs and not doing as well in New York probably cost him a shot at the Hall of Fame. But who knows, maybe somewhere down the road... Left field belongs to the fiery George Bell, another great Rule 5 pick-up from Philadelphia. George was the first Jays player to win an MVP award and though at first was a marginal outfielder, he worked incredibly hard to be better than just average. Devon White holds down centre field. He provided incredible gold glove defence in centre field and had an under-rated bat during the World Series years. One of the fastest men ever to wear a Blue Jays uniform. A few years down the road, we might be saying Jose Bautista is the greatest right fielder the Jays have ever had. But for now, its Joe Carter, who was simply an RBI machine and will forever be remembered for hitting the World Series-winning homer off the Phillies Mitch Williams in 1993. Designated hitter is another tough call. Dave Winfields class and presence helped spark the 1992 team to the Blue Jays first World Series victory. For me though, Paul Molitor is the one. He was one of the most intelligent and fundamentally sound players I ever saw and was the World Series MVP in 93. The top starting pitcher is between Dave Stieb and Roy Halladay. Though he was coming back from an injury earlier in the season and wasnt really a factor in the World Series in 1992, Stieb was on the roster and got his World Series ring. After coming so close, Stieb finally got his no-hitter at Cleveland and was a ferocious competitor. Halladay was outstanding for the Jays and has been even better with the Phillies, but I still give Stieb a slight nod over "Doc". There is no doubt about Tom Henke being the top closer and Duane Ward the No. 1 set-up guy. Henke was the shutdown guy for four of the Jays five division titles and their first-ever World Series victory. Ward set him up for three of those division titles and was the closer himself in 1993, setting a franchise record with 43 saves. The Manager: Cito Gaston. Four division titles, two American League championships and two World Series victories. The only disappointing thing is, Bautista, Halladay and Delgado are the only Blue Jays even in the conversation for best of anything since 1993. News and Notes Its too late for this year, but the Jays should have Brett Lawrie back on Tuesday at Detroit. Jose Bautista and Brandon Morrow should be returning in time for the Orioles series starting Friday night at Baltimore. Kudos to the Captain Jeter has given no indication he intends to retire after this season. Hes got one guaranteed year left on his contract at $17 million and then another players option year that could be worth anywhere from $8 million to $17 million depending on the numbers he puts up next season. And to think we were starting to write him off early last season and even the year before that. He wont win the American League MVP award, but Derek Jeter is having an incredible season at age 38. Hes hitting .321 with a league-leading 163 hits through Sunday. His on-base percentage when he was named Rookie of the Year in 1996 was .370. Now 16 years later its .363. Jeter has only made eight errors this season, just two over his career-low for a season. cheap ray ban . As part of its partnership with NASCAR Canada, Pintys Delicious Foods is featured prominently as a sponsor across all NASCAR properties in Canada, including the NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES, NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES and NASCAR CANADIAN TIRE SERIES presented by Mobil 1. ray ban outlet . Armstrong has joined the Grizzlies on their current road trip and will begin practising and conditioning with the team immediately. http://www.officialraybansun... . "Theres no excuse really," Lombardi said of the 2011-2012 campaign. "I just wasnt myself for a while. [url=http://www.officialraybansunglassesoutlet.com/]Cheap Ray Ban Sunglasses . Up by 24 in the fourth quarter, it looked as if Durant and fellow All-Star Russell Westbrook were going to rest for most of the final period. ray ban wayfarer sunglasses . The play occurred on Monday when Kane hit Avangard Omsks Nikita Pivtsakin. Kane will miss Wednesdays game against HC Yugra. The KHL discipline committee had an option to suspend Kane for a maximum of five games, but opted for just one. ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- James Shields gave the Tampa Bay Rays another strong pitching performance as they make their push in the AL East. Shields took a three-hitter into the eighth inning, leading Tampa Bay over the Kansas City Royals 5-3 Wednesday for the Rays 16th win in 21 games. The Rays moved three games back of the Yankees in the AL East after New York lost to the White Sox 2-1. Shields (12-7) retired 12 in a row after Alcides Escobars two-out single in the third and allowed three runs and five hits in 7 2-3 innings. The right-hander struck out seven and walked one, improving to 4-0 with a 2.15 ERA in his last five starts. "Im mixing my pitches up pretty well," Shields said. "My delivery has been really, really well ever since the beginning of this month. My change up is back in action." Escobar ended Shields day with a two-out RBI triple in the eighth that pulled Kansas City to 4-2. Jake McGee allowed a run-scoring single to Alex Gordon, and Kyle Farnsworth retired Billy Butler on a grounder. "Shields set the tone, again," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "Our starters normally do that. Great job on his part." Jose Labaton homered off Aaron Crow leading off the bottom half, and Fernando Rodney pitched the ninth for his 39th save in 41 chances. It was the first homer Crow allowed on the road since Bostons Carl Crawford went deep on Aug. 21 last year at Fenway Park. Tampa Bay won two of three in the series, limiting the Royals to just five runs. Tampa Bay leads the AL with a 3.27 ERA. Kansas City manager Ned Yost was ejected in the eighth by plate umpire Scott Barry for arguing after Eric Hosmer took a called third strike. "These guyys have tremendous starting pitching, tremendous bullpen," Yost said of the Rays.dddddddddddd "Its a team you dont really want to come in and play because theyre coached well, theyre managed well, they play he game right and their pitching is just phenomenal. That being said, I thought we came in here and matched up pretty good in the three-game set." Luis Mendoza (7-9) gave up two runs, five hits and four walks in 4 1-3 innings. He also hit a batter and balked. "I struggled with my command," Mendoza said. "I tried to pitch careful today and I put runners on base and then they got a big hit. In baseball, the base on balls hurt you." Jeff Francoeurs RBI single put Kansas City ahead in the second, but the Rays took a 2-1 lead in the third on Ben Zobrists sacrifice fly and Jeff Keppingers RBI single. Ryan Roberts doubled in a run in the sixth, and the Rays made it 4-1 in the seventh on an error at second by Escobar, who couldnt handle Francoeurs throw from right on Zobrists double. "We kind of got some there late, but we just ran out of innings," Francoeur said. "Coming in I knew it was going to be tough series. We got one and we got close to getting one today." NOTES: Yosts ejection was his third this season and 29th overall. ... Tampa Bay went 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position through the fifth and 1 for 13 overall. ... Mendoza threw 43 of 81 pitches for strikes. ... Tampa Bay begins a three-game home series Thursday night against Oakland that ends Saturday. The Rays dont play on Sunday due to Tropicana Field being used for next weeks Republican National Convention. ... The Royals are off Thursday before a four-game series at Boston. ' ' '