A Look At the Jays’ 1979 Spring Training Rules, And Their 2017 Spring TV Schedule

Spring Training has arrived! Pitchers and catchers are reporting! Reporters are… uh… reporting! The smell of the grass and the sound of bats cracking and all that.

Even a cynical fuckface like myself can’t deny that it’s a pretty great day when Spring Training begins, even though tomorrow we’ll realize what a slog we’re in for before the games actually start to matter. The idea of perfectly mowed, green grass filling up the screens on my TV and my computer for the next few weeks seems a little bit perfect right now.

As perfect as the tweet above? No, I don’t think anything could quite be that perfect.

Some context for the tweet: Paul Hodgson played 20 games for the Blue Jays in 1980, per his Baseball Reference page, and spent his entire pro career in the organization. I’m not sure what he did for the Jays after that, but his Twitter bio says he was with the organization in some capacity until 1997. That list of rules is legit! And also kiiiiiiinda the best.

Also the best: watching baseball on TV! (Aaaaand killing two birds with one stone in this post.)

In a press release sent out today, Sportsnet announced their 2017 spring broadcast schedule for the Blue Jays. Thirteen of the 35 games the Jays will play this spring will be televised in some form. That’s… not enough, though one assumes that once the other clubs announce their TV schedules a few more will become available via opponents’ broadcasts.

Here is the TV schedule. All of the games will have audio available. Now get yourself an MLB.tv subscription! (Y’know, assuming the new regime hasn’t fucked with the fact that blackout rules don’t apply for the Jays in Canada)…

Sunday, February 26 – Phillies @ Jays

Monday, February 27 – Pirates @ Jays

Friday, March 3 – Yankees @ Jays

Tuesday, March 7 – Team Canada @ Jays

Sunday, March 12 – Rays @ Jays

Saturday, March 18 – Rays @ Jays

Friday, March 24 – Red Sox @ Jays

Saturday, March 25 – Canadian Junior National Team @ Jays

Sunday, March 26 – Orioles @ Jays

Friday, March 31 – Pirates @ Jays in Montreal

Saturday, April 1 – Pirates @ Jays in Montreal