In the midst of a breakout season, Alex Rios was sidelined for several weeks with a serious infection in his leg. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
From the Toronto Blue Jays' anticipated opening game, to their emotionally charged July series against the New York Yankees, to manager John Gibbons's confrontations with Shea Hillenbrand and Ted Lilly, trace the team's roller-coaster season through CBC Sports Online's 2006 timeline.
April 4: An opening-night crowd of 50,449 watches Roy Halladay outpitch Johan Santana as Toronto defeats Minnesota 6-3 at the Rogers Centre.
April 22: The Jays place high-priced free-agent pitcher A.J. Burnett on the 15-day DL with a right elbow injury.
May 16: Pitcher Gustavo Chacin is sent to the 15-day DL for the first of two stints with an elbow injury, missing a total of 83 games.
A.J. Burnett, the Jays $55-million man, didn't notch his first win of the season until June 27. (Paul Sancya/Associated Press)
May 29: Toronto transfers pitcher A.J. Burnett to the 60-day DL with persistent right elbow problems, further frustrating the right-hander.
June 22: A.J. Burnett returns to action from his elbow injury, allowing only two runs in Toronto's 3-2 win over Atlanta.
June 27: Toronto blanks the Washington Nationals 6-0 to begin its longest winning streak (5) of the season. The win is also Burnett's first of the season.
July 1: Alex Rios is placed on the 15-day DL with a leg infection. Rios misses the next 26 games and fails to regain his offensive form.
July 23: Toronto destroys the New York Yankees 13-5 to take three of four games and move to within 4½ games of AL East-leading Boston.
July 19: Jays manager John Gibbons challenges Shea Hillenbrand to a fight during a team meeting after the disgruntled infielder rips the team.
July 21: General manager J.P. Ricciardi trades Shea Hillenbrand and pitcher Vinnie Chulk to the San Francisco Giants for reliever Jeremy Accardo.
Aug. 5: The Blue Jays lose 7-1 to the Chicago White Sox, extending their longest losing streak (7) of the season.
Aug. 16: Eric Hinske is pulled from the lineup amid reports that he's been dealt to Boston. The Jays confirm the deal the following day.
Aug. 19: The Baltimore Orioles thump Toronto 15-0, handing the Jays their most lopsided shutout defeat since an identical loss to the Yankees in 1977.
Aug. 20: Ace Roy Halladay beats the Baltimore Orioles 9-2, becoming the first major-league pitcher to win 16 games in 2006.
Ted Lilly and John Gibbons reportedly came to blows in the Jays dugout after this verbal altercation during a game against the Oakland Athletics on Aug. 21. (Aaron Harris/Canadian Press)
Aug. 22: Manager John Gibbons exchanges heated words with pitcher Ted Lilly on the mound, which spills over into the Blue Jays' tunnel.
Sept. 19: The Jays drop a 6-3 decision to the New York Yankees and are mathematically eliminated from AL East contention.
Sept. 20: Roy Halladay is pulled from the game against the Yankees with a strained right forearm and is shut down for the season two days later.
Sept. 22: The Boston Red Sox crush Toronto 7-1 to eliminate the Jays from AL wild card contention.
Sept 26: The Jays win three of four games from the Boston Red Sox to take sole possession of second place in the AL East.
Oct 1: Toronto defeats the Yankees 7-5 to finish higher than third in the AL East for the first time since its 1993 World Series championship season.
Key Numbers
- Record: 87-75 (7th in AL)
- Home: 50-31 (T-2nd in AL)
- Road: 37-44 (9th in AL)
- Versus Division: 43-31
- Division Rank: 2nd in AL East
- Wild-Card Rank: 4th (8 games behind Detroit)
- Runs Scored: 809 (7th in AL)
- Runs Allowed: 754 (5th in AL)
- Team Batting Average: .284 (3rd in AL)
- Team On-base Percentage: .348 (4th in AL)
- Team Slugging Percentage: .463 (2nd in AL)
- Team Home Runs: 199 (4th in AL)
- Team Earned Run Average: 4.37 (5th in AL)
Team Leaders
- Batting Average: Reed Johnson (.319)
- On-base Percentage: Reed Johnson (.390)
- Slugging Percentage: Vernon Wells (.542)
- Home Runs: Troy Glaus (38)
- Runs Batted In: Vernon Wells (106)
- Hits: Vernon Wells (185)
- Runs: Troy Glaus (105)
- Wins: Roy Halladay (16)
- Earned Run Average: B.J. Ryan (.137)
- Strikeouts: Ted Lilly (160)
- Innings Pitched: Roy Halladay (220.0)
- Saves: B.J. Ryan (38)
