The NATIONAL POST's Andrew Stoeten writes no matter where the Blue Jays' season "goes between now and Game 162 (and beyond)," Senior VP/Baseball Operations & GM Alex Anthopoulos "has made Toronto a desirable place to play again." He has shown that the "often apathetic crowds can turn into raging beasts when there’s something tangible on the line." His revamped club "is shattering records" for TV ratings, too. Stoeten: "One wonders how much the folks in ownership are even looking at baseball performance when they consider whether or not to bring back Anthopoulos, so much as they are these TV ratings, revenue generation, and the rush of goodwill towards a brand whose aura is so strong right now that a not-always-loved behemoth like Rogers can probably feel a bit of warmth from its glow" (NATIONAL POST, 8/22). Meanwhile, amid reports the team is looking at Indians President Mark Shapiro to replace outgoing President & CEO Paul Beeston, SPORTSNET.ca's Paul Blair wrote if Beeston's job "is to be split into two, then there’s no reason Anthopoulos shouldn’t be given complete control of baseball operations" (SPORTSNET.ca, 8/24).
LET'S GO PLACES: In Chicago, Brian Sandalow notes Cubs Chair Tom Ricketts yesterday at an event to discuss the team's new long-term legacy partnership with Toyota "was asked whether he was confident the baseball budget would increase exponentially in the next year or two." Ricketts said, "Obviously it all goes into the mix. I don’t know about exponentially, but obviously this is an important part of winning. If you look around other stadiums and other ballparks, there’s a lot of signage everywhere because all those dollars end up going back into the organization" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 8/25).
YANKEE DOODLE: In N.Y., Bill Madden wrote the Yankees "suddenly look like a model of stability and fiscal responsibility" compared to the Red Sox and the Dodgers. All of this "turmoil and reckless spending in Boston is all-too-reminiscent" of late Yankees Owner George Steinbrenner’s "manic behavior" in the ’80s. Madden: "And you could say the same for the Dodgers" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 8/23).
SEARCHING FOR THAT SPECIAL SOMEONE: CBSSPORTS.com's Jon Heyman noted the Angels, Brewers and Red Sox "are looking for GMs now, while most believe the Mariners and Phillies could join them in searches soon after the season." Some teams "are moving to become more analytical (Brewers, Tigers) while others appear to be going the other way (Red Sox, Angels)" (CBSSPORTS.com, 8/21).
