It has been a quick turnaround for former Phillies Jonathan Papelbon, Cole Hamels and Ben Revere. Papelbon earned his first save as a National this week, Cole Hamels starts for Texas tonight and Ben Revere, sent to Toronto for two minor league pitchers, made his Blue Jays debut today as their leadoff hitter. The Blue Jays expect Revere to fill in that spot from time to time, but he'll be slotted towards the bottom of the order for the majority of the season.
Prior to the start of Toronto's 1:07pm game against Kansas City, Revere met with the Blue Jays media. Here's what he had to say about being traded and becoming part of a team that is making a run at not only the AL East crown, but the World Series with the additions that have been made.
"I know a bunch of guys that have gone from a team in last place to eventually be traded to a team that won the World Series," Revere said on Saturday morning in his first interview with the Toronto media. "I called them this offseason and I was just like you lucky dog. Hopefully someone can call me and tell me I'm a lucky dog.
"We have a great team here, we're definitely in the hunt and hopefully we make that magic run. Every time I see the videos, when Joe Carter hit the walk-off home run [in the 1993 World Series], it kind of gives you goosebumps a little bit just to not have that revived in the playoff atmosphere because I've never experienced it." [BlueJays.com]
Revere went 0-for-5 in his debut, but managed to make a nice jumping catch in left field, robbing Kendrys Morales of possible extra-bases in the fourth inning. The Royals went on to win, 7-6.
