Ultimate Standings 2009: No. 31
Toronto Blue Jays
Last Year's Rank: 67
Title Track: 41
Ownership: 62
Coaching: 12
Players: 55
Fan Relations: 54
Affordability: 26
Stadium Experience: 108
Bang for the Buck: 18
The Blue Jays jumped 33 slots in the standings this year, thanks in small part to offering the cheapest average ticket ($17.78) in the AL. Messin' With Recession Tuesdays -- $1 hot dogs, $5 tickets -- have also been popular with cash-strapped fans, as have the thousands of $9 upper-deck stubs available at most home dates. But the biggest boost can be attributed to the rehiring of fan favorite Cito Gaston as skipper (86-spot bump). Known as a player's manager, Gaston lead Toronto to back-to-back championships in 1992 and 1993. And he made an immediate impact when he took over for John Gibbons last June, lifting a 35–39 team to a 51–37 record the rest of the way. Should Gaston guide the Jays to their first playoff berth since 1993, club brass may want to consider naming the Rogers Centre after him. Then again, diehard fans probably wouldn't want his name attached to that concrete, obstructed-view eyesore.
