--3B Scott Rolen had an encouraging spring, batting .417 with nine of his 15 hits for extra bases, including three home runs and two triples. "I'm feeling pretty good," Rolen said. "Last year, I started making some better adjustments from where I was physically. I needed to back up a little bit and re-teach myself some of the basics. I've been pleased with it so far."
--Rookie LHP Ricky Romero, who won the fifth spot in the Blue Jays rotation, limited the Marlins to one run on four hits over five innings in the Grapefruit League finale. Manager Cito Gaston was thrilled with Romero's emergence this spring and he now has strung together three strong outings in a row. "He seems like he's improved every time out there," Gaston said. --Despite the speculation in the final week of spring training, LHP B.J. Ryan will open the season as the Jays' closer. Ryan's velocity had been down leading to speculation the job may go to others until his velocity returned to 88-90 m.p.h. "The one thing I know about Ryan is he's going to go out there and give it all he has," manager Cito Gaston said. "He's been back up to 87 and hopefully once the bell rings he'll get up to 89-90 and pick up from where he left off last year. He's our closer."
BY THE NUMBERS: 3 -- The most wins recorded by a Blue Jays pitcher on opening day, held by LHP Jimmy Key (1987-89).
QUOTE TO NOTE: "I've been (on teams that are) favored and I've been counted out, both ways, and neither one of them really mattered. What matters is when you cross the lines. Let's see what's on the field, let's not see what's on paper." -- 3B Scott Rolen on the prospects for the lightly regarded Blue Jays this season.
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