TORONTO a€“ The Blue Jays dropped the final game of their four-game set with the Mariners, 7-5, on Thursday afternoon. Archie Bradley Jersey . Prior to the game, TSN.ca continued its series of season-ending player interviews by sitting down with knuckleballer R.A. Dickey. Dickey, who turns 40 on October 29, discussed his pregame preparation and how it differs from conventional pitchers, his impression of Jose Bautistas play and he addresses how long he intends to continue playing. Below is the transcript of the chat: TSN.ca: R.A. one more start to go this season. When you look at your numbers, youve had a pretty good year and a pretty consistent year for this team. But I want to hear you describe it. How has your season gone? DICKEY: I certainly felt like its been an improvement from last year. I think one of the things that makes a competitor a competitor, and a lot of these guys are the same way, is that youre never really satisfied. You know, even in my Cy Young award year I feel like I could have done a few things better so youre always trying to push that envelope. At the same time there is a certain amount of satisfaction that I get when Im able to achieve some goals on a personal level. Now, collectively, its been a disappointment as Ive expressed before but even inside that disappointment youre hoping to grow as a pitcher in your craft and whatnot and like looking back I feel Ive been able to give our team a chance to win on more nights than not. TSN.ca: In what ways have you evolved as a pitcher? Im sitting here thinking your change of velocities and the ways that youve tried to adjust to pitching in what I think is a much harder home park to pitch in than Citi Field in New York. Is that one and maybe what are some of the others? DICKEY: I think youre accurate on both counts. Being able to change speeds has been something Ive felt like has been a very good weapon for me to keep the ball in the ballpark and Ive gotten better and better at that this year. Ive thrown more slow knuckleballs this year than any year previous. Ive been able to keep the ball in the ballpark for the most part throughout the year. I think Ive given up 25 home runs this year which, you know, still a little bit high. Id like to have it a little bit lower but all in all, playing in the AL East in these parks its not terrible. Im okay with that number. I wish that I could have started the year a little stronger. I think next year I think my focus is going to try to be how can I get out of the gates just a little bit better? A lot of that has to do with my control. Im still walking guys at a level that is unacceptable to me. If I can improve on that I think a lot of my numbers will take care of themselves but those walks need to trim down. TSN.ca: Your numbers over the last four or five years would suggest that you can but Im going to ask you, can you trust that pitch to the extent that youve got a really good idea, when it leaves your hand, that its going to end up in the place that you want it to? DICKEY: Yeah, I do. I think I know enough about my mechanic, I know enough about my release point, etcetera, etcetera to be able to get the ball in the strike zone more consistently than 71 walks in a year. I feel like I should be 60 to 65 walks at the most is kind of the ceiling that I hope to achieve. I have precedent. Ive done that before well over the previous three or four years. Now, youve got to be a little more careful with hitters in this league so you give yourself a little more grace for that but theres times when Ive walked guys with two outs or led off an inning with a walk that I could get much better at. TSN.ca: When you look at this division and where this team stacks up comparatively with Baltimore, with Boston, with New York and with Tampa Bay a€“ and I think some unpredictable things happened in the American League East this year a€“ how close are the Blue Jays to being to not just a playoff contender because that factors in the wild card but a legit division winner or contender for the division? DICKEY: Well, I dont think I can stand here in good conscience and say that we have everything that we need. Whether that comes in the form of guys performing better that are in here or the addition of other players and Im including myself in that equation but you cant sit here and say that youve got everything when you havent done it. You obviously need something. So I think thats the real challenge is trying to identify those things that we need that would be more consistent that would help us achieve our collective goals. Weve got some great players in this clubhouse; players I feel like you can really depend on consistently and if you just have some pieces around them that can complement them well I think youre right where you need to be. Now, how does that come? Well see. I think a lot of guys in here are going to have better years than they did last year because theyre going to be exposed to more and will have had more experience and so on and so forth. I think that you have a good chance at competing. Now, are you going to run away with it with the guys that we have in here? I dont think, regardless of who you had in here, youre going to run away with it. Its just too competitive of a division. TSN.ca: I want to get your thoughts on Jose Bautista, who I put up there with Roberto Alomar and maybe a couple of other guys as maybe the top ever positional players to play on this team. Youve, I dont think, worked necessarily against him too, too much, especially when hes been in the five seasons of his prime but whats he like as a teammate and whats it like to watch him go to work each and everyday and perform the way that he does? DICKEY: Well, let me speak just to the player on the field first. Ive had the, Im not necessarily going to call it a privilege but I had the opportunity to play with Alex Rodriguez in the AL MVP year. Ive had the opportunity to play with David Wright and Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau in his prime and Ive got to tell you that this guy ranks right up there with those guys. The year that hes having this year in particular, he has the chance to score 100 runs, have 100 walks and 100 RBIs. I mean, for a guy to do that is phenomenal. Youre happy that youre on a team being able to witness such a thing happen. Thats what he has done consistently over the last few seasons when he has been healthy. As a player: what a guy, what a pro. Comes ready to play everyday, played hurt, been kind of the pillar on this team from a position player standpoint that weve needed, come up in big situations, clutch situations, when weve been in the playoff race time and time again and given us a chance to win so you cant say enough about him as a player. Off the field, hes in the community. Hes got things going on. Hes the face of what we do. Hes been a great teammate. Ive had nothing but great things to say about him. Hes been a fun guy to play with. I think last year he had some real challenges that he was dealing with, being physical or otherwise he had some real challenges and this year Ive gotten to see him firsthand kind of be who he authentically is and its been a real treat. TSN.ca: Getting back to you, you talked about your walk count and how youd like to bring that down. Whenever I approach you and we talk about your pitching youre very aware of your statistics because you analyze how your season is going as you progress. What are some of the numbers that concern you the most when youre trying to judge what kind of run youre on or what kind of season youre having? DICKEY: I just think its my personality. Im somewhat quantitative. Its the only way I can measure a job well done and for me I try to keep an eye on my innings because if youve thrown 200-plus innings youve usually been depended on to go deep in games, which means youve pitched well enough to get deep in those games. Hits per innings pitched are big for me, or WHIP, I try to pay attention to those numbers. How many guys are getting on base in every inning? I like to have that number below 1.3 as much as possible and so there are some things that I can keep an eye on. Thats just me. A lot of guys dont even look at the numbers but Im not going to stand before you and tell you I dont because thats the only way I really have to measure how Im doing. Of course, quality starts for me is always a€| I had Orel Hershiser tell me one time and it stayed with me ever since, he said if you can be depended on to give your team a chance to win youll always have a job and Ive never forgot it. So thats one of the things Ive always tried to do is put up a quality start as many times as I can. TSN.ca: When you pore over a scouting report of an opposing team and you go over their hitters, how is that different for you than it would be for a conventional pitcher in terms of, I mean because I think weve all got a pretty good idea of what pitch youre going to throw more often than not so how do you assess a way to attack a guy? DICKEY: Thats a great question. I think for me a hitters weaknesses arent necessarily something that a€| like, sinker in, he hits .008 on sliders away, like that doesnt help me a bit a€| but what does help me is how aggressive is this guy? Does he walk a lot? Does he strike out a lot? Is he prone to swing early in the count or is he not prone to swing early in the count? Can I get ahead with fastballs early in the count because he takes first pitches? What are his first-pitch take percentages? Things like that really help me more than anything, knowing the personality of the hitter more than knowing what conventional pitches beat him or dont beat him. TSN.ca: Youve got one guaranteed year left plus a club option. You throw a pitch that traditionally has allowed guys to work well into their 40s. I know its still early for this but when you look ahead could you see yourself in this game as an active pitcher, an active player, maybe half a decade from now? DICKEY: Well, that would mean Id be 45. Conditionally, like the way that my body feels, I certainly feel like I could perform at the level that Im performing. I think the real question is do I want to do that to my family? Theyll be a big part of my decisions going forward at the conclusion of this contract. I certainly feel like Im physically going to be able to keep going and well just have to take it one day at a time but I just try to live in the moment as much as possible. Ive got one start left against the Baltimore Orioles, on Sunday, and thats really my emphasis right now, to try and finish strong. TSN.ca: Thanks so much for this, R.A. Appreciate it. DICKEY: Youre welcome. Jarrod Dyson Jersey .5 million. The 25-year-old Varlamov is thriving under first-year coach and Hall of Fame goaltender Patrick Roy, posting a 26-9-5 record with a 2. Jake Lamb Diamondbacks Jersey . 1. Did the Senators trade the wrong goalie? Lets make one thing clear: The Ottawa Senators acquired Ben Bishop from the St. Louis Blues for one reason and one reason alone. http://www.authenticdiamondbacksproshop.com/diamondbacks-zack-greinke-jersey/ . Johansen scored twice and Derek MacKenzie, Brandon Dubinsky and Cam Atkinson also had goals to lead the Blue Jackets to a 5-2 victory over the Washington Capitals on Thursday night, ending a three-game losing skid.(SportsNetwork.com) - The Winnipeg Jets got over one hurdle by snapping their longest losing streak of the season. The bar gets raised a bit tonight as they visit the NHL-leading St. Louis Blues. Viewers in the Jets region can watch the game on TSN Jets at 6:30pm ct/7:30pm et. The game is also available on TSN Radio 1290 in Winnipeg. Winnipeg had gone 0-3-3 prior to last nights 7-2 victory over the Dallas Stars. The win was much needed for the Jets, who moved to within four points of the Stars and Phoenix Coyotes for the second wild card spot in the Western Conference. Winnipeg scored six straight goals after falling behind 2-1 in the first period and four Jets skaters recorded at least three points. Dustin Byfuglien had two goals and an assist, while Blake Wheeler finished with four helpers. Byfuglien has six goals and two assists over his last five games, while Wheeler now leads the Jets with 56 points. Tobias Enstrom and Olli Jokinen both added a goal and two assists, while Jacob Trouba, Michael Frolik and Evander Kane all lit the lamp. Al Montoya, who came in when Ondrej Pavelec was hurt Friday against the New York Rangers, made 25 saves and didnt need nearly that many behind Winnipegs offensive barrage. "These guys battled for me," said Montoya, who picked up his first victory since Feb. 2. "This is what they pay me for. Ive been waiting for this chance." Pavelec is out with a lower-body injury, joined on the sidelines by Chris Thorrburn, Jim Slater and John Albert. Jarrod Dyson Diamondbacks Jersey. Montoya may get the start again on Monday and is 1-1-1 with a 3.22 goals against average in his career versus the Blues. St. Louis leads the NHL with 99 points, putting it six ahead of the Colorado Avalanche for first place in the Central Division. The Blues have won seven of their last eight, including Saturdays 4-1 win over the Nashville Predators. Patrik Berglund scored twice, while Alexander Steen netted his career-high 30th goal and Vladimir Tarasenko scored. Ryan Miller ended with 30 saves. Berglund has 14 goals and 31 points on the season, including six tallies over his last eight games. "Im playing the same way," said Berglund. "Ive been shooting the puck. Its finding its way in, so its obviously nice." While Berglund is heating up, Tarasenko is out for at least the next six weeks due to a hand injury suffered versus the Preds. The 22-year-old, who has 21 goals and 22 assists on the season, is slated for hand surgery on Wednesday. Miller is 6-0-1 with a 1.70 GAA and .932 save percentage since being acquired from the Buffalo Sabres. He is 13-6-5 with a 2.66 GAA and .909 save percentage in 26 career meetings with the Jets franchise. The Blues have won three straight over the Jets since losing the first meeting of the season between the clubs in a shootout on Oct. 18. They have claimed six of the previous seven encounters overall as well as three in a row and six of eight at home in the series. Cheap Jerseys China NFL Jerseys China NFL Jerseys Wholesale Discount Basketball Jerseys Cheap NHL Jerseys Authentic Cheap Baseball Jerseys Free Shipping Cheapest College Jerseys Sale Cheap Football Jerseys China Nike NFL Jerseys Canada Wholesale NHL Jerseys From China MLB Jerseys Outlet Canada Wholesale NBA Jerseys Canada Store Cheap Soccer Jerseys China Cheap Authentic Jerseys Canada ' ' '