POEMS, EVERYONE? THE BLUE JAYS FANCY THEMSELVES POETS!

          The Blue Jays will use "a softer, more feminine
     marketing spin" this season, according to Mark Zwolinski of
     the TORONTO STAR.  Players "reading poems, earlier starts
     for night games, more news on the JumboTron, new, dynamic
     logos and slogans" are "all part of a fresh marketing
     strategy launched by the Jays in a bid to rekindle"
     excitement and attendance.  The team aims to draw at least
     2.8 million this year, an increase of some 200,000 over last
     season.  To do that, the Jays are targeting much of their
     marketing at women.  Blue Jays Communications Dir Peter
     Cosentino: "We're trying to appeal to a broader base of
     people. ... We want to be softer, but still have an
     aggressive approach."  Team research shows women make up
     about 40% of the team's fan base -- 6% short of the MLB
     average.  One element of the marketing package includes
     eight players reciting sonnet-style, baseball-themed poems
     on local radio stations.  New agency Ben Simon Byrne has
     replaced the Stanford Agency on an improved, C$1M-plus
     contract "to help sell the sizzle" (TORONTO STAR, 3/20).