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The Sputnik // Monday September 5

SPORTS

Kyle Denton // sports@thesputnik.ca

The end of a season. The beginning of an era?

Kyle Denton Section Editor With less than a month of Toronto Blue Jays baseball left to be played, another season is coming to a close. Although, to say that this season was a disappointment is difficult to argue. Yes, the Jays will finish somewhere around the .500 mark, far out of the playoff hunt, but the future does seem bright for the young squad that general manager Alex Antholopous has assembled. Again, it is easy to remain skeptical considering how often Toronto sports teams have long declared that each particular year will be the one the franchise turns themselves around and becomes a contender. Whether you are a Jays fan, Argos fan, Raptors fan or Leafs fan, the message has been redundant and has certainly lost its value. But I do believe the Jays are on the upstart, and it does not only begin with the team itself, but with commissioner Bud Selig. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Major League Baseball will add another wild card birth to both the American League and National League at the start of the 2012 season. This addition will certainly allow the Jays to give up on the battle against the beasts of the east, and instead contend for the additional wild card spot against the likes of Detroit, Cleveland, Chicago and Los Angeles. The competition, although strong, all carry many holes in their rosters that money cant buy as easily as in New York and Boston. The idea that Toronto could be in a playoff hunt, and break the soon-to-be nineteen year playoff drought, is an idea that already carries excitement for die-hard and casual fans alike. Building on this excitement is the youth of the roster and the potential building of an eventual contender. Already possessing an all-star right fielder and starting pitcher, it has been the main objective of Anthopolous to successfully round out the Jays and be able to provide a strong top to bottom order along with stable pitching. With the emergence of players such as Eric Thames, Brett Lawrie and the acquisition of Colby Rasmus, the Jays are beginning to create a youthful core of everyday players. The Jays are, however, in need of a serious overhaul of their bullpen. Outside of Casey Janssen, and a surprisingly solid Jesse Litsch, the Jays pen has been stagnant and ineffective throughout the year. They also must seek out a quality starting pitcher to sit third in the rotation, behind Ricky Romero and Brandon Morrow. If Carlos Villanueva can return as a number 5 starter and Brett Cecil can work out his mechanics, then the Jays should have a solid rotation. The likes of rookies Luis Perez and Henderson Alvarez should also create some healthy competition in the rotation. On the offensive side, Anthopolous has to decide if Edwin Encarnacion can hit with a level of consistency, and is worth the 3.5 million dollar option. The defensively challenged player has been a force at DH since the All-Star break and has even looked capable when replacing Adam Lind at first base. With the addition of another presence at the plate, and a couple more strong arms, the Toronto Blue Jays should be able to contend for a playoff spot in the next few years. And with a little help from Bud, with the addition of a second wild card spot, the end of the playoff drought for Toronto Blue Jays baseball could be sooner than expected.

Jenn Tomlinson Writer Although called starving students, us university students do a pretty good job appearing well fed. We should really be giving thanks to the calorie gods for saving us all from malnutrition via the freshman 15 phenomenon. Those 15 extra pounds are just a precautionary measure to avoid possible undernourishment in the event that our financial constraints force us into involuntary fasting conditions. On the other hand, it might have something to do with idiotic nutritional choices some of us seem to make. That being said, let me be clear: all weight gain is not a bad thing. Our entire body composition changes as we age and the transition from our teenage years to our twenties is no exception, where we experience a noticeable filling out for girls and guys alike. The freshman 15 should not be referred to as gaining 15 pounds in general, but specifically the unhealthy weight gain that comes with poor nutritional choices and an inactive lifestyle. So although we discuss this weight gain as a dreadful thing that will force a student to only post Facebook photos of themselves strategically placed behind large objects or standing next to people who have succumbed to the freshman 45, the freshman 15 can be avoided. The main problem with the freshman 15 is that by the time any of us notice our clothes have shrunk and our chins have multiplied, the bad habits that got us there are hard to shake. This semester, try to keep the following things in mind: Your bodys metabolism can be compared to a fire. In order to keep this fire burning constantly and efficiently, it needs fuel. That means you need to eat every three hours, or roughly 6 small meals and/or snacks per day, to keep your metabolism from reacting the way a roller coaster does. Going too long without food stalls the burn. Amongst your 6 meals and/or snacks, try to incorporate protein and fibre. These components keep us feeling full and tide us over until the next meal. Note: vending machines are often a poor choice. Its not necessarily the volume of food we consume that ruins us, but often the quality of food we choose. Although cheap and simple, processed and pre-packaged foods are much more calorie-dense than their natural, fresh counterparts. Translation: you can eat a lot more of the healthy stuff and still fall within a reasonable daily caloric intake. Lastly, you need to also beware of your drink of choice. Pop, juice and coffee are loaded with ridiculous amounts of sugar and sometimes just swapping these things for water can have fast results for your body. As well, constantly having water within reach can combat the bodys tendency to mix up hunger and thirst which is another reason to stay hydrated. Alcohol also tends to play a major role in the freshman 15, so if you love your beer but you love your toned physique, youd better start eating clean the rest of the week.

Eric Thames, one of the Jays young players, looks at a ball hit against Baltimore August 29th. (Photo by Keith Allison)