Ever since the Blue Jays named Charlie Montoyo as their manager, many began to wonder if Montoyo, who’d coached with the Tampa Bay Rays for over 15 years, would bring some of his former team’s progressive and bold baseball strategies with him north of the border.
Under manager Kevin Cash (who, interestingly enough, played parts of three seasons with the Blue Jays during his career as a catcher), the Rays implemented the now (in)famous opener strategy.
Though the league (and its fans) are rather divided as to whether or not the opener is “good” for baseball, many analysts, executives, and writers alike believe that, regardless of whether it pleases the fans, the opener will likely stay and, if nurtured correctly, continue to evolve as a genuine strategy.