NEWS » were shooting for, Lacy said. Hopefully Im able

Michael Saunders grew up in Victoria, British Columbia, which is less than 100 miles from Seattle, home of the Mariners. Naturally, he rooted for the Blue Jays, who were 2,700 miles and three time zones away in Toronto.For me and my family, it was all Blue Jays, and for the friends I grew up with going to school, it was all Blue Jays too, the Toronto outfielder said. And obviously, the excitement during those two World Series was through the roof.Those two World Series were in 1992 and 1993, and the Blue Jays won each -- the first against Atlanta on Dave Winfields Game 6 11th-inning double, and the second against Philadelphia on Joe Carters Game 6 walk-off/dance-off home run. Their popularity went not only through the roof but also through the stratosphere. The Blue Jays led the league in attendance six years in a row, including 1993, when they averaged 50,000 fans per game.And then the team went into a sudden and surprising decline. After 11 consecutive winning seasons and almost constant contention, the Blue Jays began piling up losing seasons in 1994 and went 21 years without reaching a single postseason. Average attendance plummeted to as low as 19,173 by 2010. From 2008 to 13, they finished no higher than fourth in their division.Ive been here four years, and winning wasnt something that was synonymous with the Blue Jays, Toronto center fielder Kevin Pillar said. We were kind of the doormat of the AL East.And then things changed. After finishing last in 2013 and third in 2014, the Blue Jays won the division last year. This year, after beating Baltimore in the wild-card game and Texas in an AL Division Series, they will be playing for the AL pennant against Cleveland.Theyre also massively popular again, leading the league in attendance with an average of close to 42,000 per game. And that isnt counting the many fans who filled the stadium in Seattle for a series against the Mariners in September. Its almost like a West Coast Canadian holiday, Saunders said of the Blue Jays crowds in Seattle.As when Hall of Fame general manager Pat Gillicks Blue Jays added Roberto Alomar in 1991, Jack Morris in 1992 and Paul Molitor in 1993, acquiring new players has been a big factor in Torontos resurgence. As Pillar said, We went out and got some really, really good players and ultracompetitive guys, and that kind of changed the culture.One of those really, really good players was third baseman Josh Donaldson, whom the Blue Jays acquired via an offseason trade after the 2014 season. He was a significant boost for Toronto and immediately won the 2015 AL MVP. Signing catcher and Canada native Russell Martin that same offseason was also important.For one thing, they brought some toughness to us, manager John Gibbons said. The previous couple of years, I didnt think we had enough of that. Id seen Josh from afar playing in Oakland, and I knew what he was about. We got him and it rubbed off on our guys. ... And Id seen Russ a little bit, but his reputation was the same way, a hard-nosed guy. And Russ is the backbone of this team.The two played key roles in completing the Jays division series sweep of the Rangers on Sunday, with Donaldson scoring the winning run from second base on Martins grounder. Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, whom Toronto acquired in 2015, played a huge role as well, driving in five runs in the series.Tulowitzki is the same type of guy, Gibbons said. They made a big difference because you can have a ton of talent, but if you dont have some toughness, some gamers and some guys who are really motivated every day to win, you come up empty.Obviously, veterans Edwin Encarnacion and Jose Bautista have been crucial, with Encarnacion hitting 42 home runs in the regular season and three this postseason, including his wild card-winning three-run blast.Torontos pitching also has been very good all season -- the Blue Jays had the leagues lowest ERA at 3.78 -- and the offense has been powerful, with 221 home runs. There was a slump in September, though, when the Jays averaged the fewest runs per game in the majors and nearly missed the playoffs.We rely on that home run ball. And when you run into a little drought, you come up empty a lot of nights, Gibbons said. It was a tough September. We battled. We really picked it up at the end just to get in, and since the month has turned over into October, it kind of looks like the old team.Indeed. The Jays homered eight times and scored 22 runs in the division series. They have hit 10 home runs in their four postseason games.Were pitching well, and were playing good defense, and right now, weve been able to hit the homer. And thats big, a big positive for our offense, Donaldson said. Because there are times when we rely on that, because we dont have a lot of guys in our lineup who are speed-oriented and that are going to take advantage of extra bases. Thats not how were built. Were built to hit the long ball.We definitely feel good where we are at right now.And their fans are feeling good as well, in Victoria and beyond.Cheap Yeezy 350 Mens . The team also announced Tuesday that the Braves will wear a commemorative patch on the right sleeve during the season. The patch, shaped like home plate, carries the number 715, Aarons autograph and a "40th Anniversary" banner. Yeezy Boost 350 v2 Core Black-Solar Red . Andrew Luck lost his favourite target and the Indianapolis locker room lost one of its most revered leaders when Reggie Wayne was diagnosed Monday with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee that will cost him the rest of the season. http://www.yeezys350cheap.com/ Yeezy 350 v2 Black Cheap . After taking two big hits this week -- losing at home and dropping back-to-back games for the first time all season -- Indiana struck back by playing its most complete game of the year. Yeezy Boost 350 V3 Replica For Sale . Scott Kazmir allowed four hits in seven shutout innings, Michael Brantley hit a two-run homer in a three-run first inning and the Indians maintained their hold on an AL wild-card spot with a 4-1 win over the Houston Astros on Saturday night.GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Eddie Lacy doesnt know whether hes going to play Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys, but the Green Bay Packers running back knows theres one major part of the rehab process from last weeks ankle injury that he doesnt like.A cold tub, which I really despise, Ive just got to tell you all that, Lacy said.Lacy was headed back there Thursday afternoon after he took part in practice on a limited basis.I went until they shut me down, Lacy said after practice. Did a couple of individual drills to see how it felt running around and, yeah, stopped when they told me to.Seated at his usual interview spot on the edge of a table in front of his locker, Lacy had his ailing left ankle covered with a compression sock so it was difficult to tell how much swelling, if any, he had. He had the ankle taped during practice.But at least he didnt require a walking boot as he did for a good portion of his rookie season, when he battled a sprained right ankle for most of the second half of the season.I dont think I would say its as bad, Lacy said. I dont think I need a boot.Lacy also battled an ankle injury early last season. Neither time did he miss a game because of it. In fact, hes only missed two games in his NFL career: one last season because of a groin injury and one as a rookie in 2013 because of a concussion.Lacy appeared on his way to a second straighht 100-yard rushing game when he dropped out in the third quarter of last weeks win over the Giants.dddddddddddd Lacy, who rushed for 103 yards in the Week 3 win over the Lions, was up to 81 yards on 11 carries when he got hurt against New York.The Packers need Lacy this week perhaps more than ever given?James Starks?tenuous situation. Starks, who finished Sundays game after Lacy dropped out, has a knee injury and also has been excused from all team activities until at least Saturday because of a death in his family.Thats what were shooting for, Lacy said. Hopefully Im able to get out there and play.Its going to come down to Sunday, he added. Im going to do everything in my power to be able to put myself in the best position when its game time to go out there and play.At this point, the Packers dont have another halfback on the roster. They could promote Don Jackson from the practice squad, and after releasing No. 3 quarterback Joe Callahan on Thursday, they have a roster spot open. However, they also might need room on the roster for defensive end Mike Pennel and cornerback Demetri Goodson. Both are eligible to be activated after serving four-game suspensions to start the season, but the Packers have until Monday to do so. ' ' '