Cheesy promo has Grilli ‘pumped’
MLB NOTES: Reliever teams with Jays Care Foundation to notch save for hungry kids
Jason Grilli was a busy man Wednesday.
For the veteran Blue Jays reliever, National Grilled Cheese Day really is food for thought. Grilli, whose nickname is Grilled Cheese and whose Twitter handle is @GrillCheese49, has managed to turn a simple sandwich into a force for good.
The Jays are running a “Fire up the Grilli” promotion in April — which is also National Grilled Cheese Month — with a Grilli-designed sandwich on sale at Section 244 of the Rogers Centre. A portion of the proceeds go to the Jays Care Foundation.
“I’m a fan of food and to be able to see kids that benefit from just having a good meal as simple as a grilled cheese sandwich, you can see some instant gratification,” Grilli said before Wednesday’s game with the Milwaukee Brewers.
“I’m pumped to team up with the Jays Care Foundation.”
Social-media interaction for National Grilled Cheese Day included tweets from actress Jessica Biel, former UFC champion Miesha Tate and Toronto Mayor John Tory, who mentioned Grilli in his tweet.
The 40-year-old Grilli is also a member of Feeding America Entertainment Council. The organization is billed as the “largest domestic hunger-relief organization” in the U.S.
“A lot of guys create their own foundations, but it takes a lot of time and energy to do that,” he said. “So I just figured why not team up with one that’s already got things under wraps ... It’s just cool. Something as simple as feeding people who may not be able to do that themselves is just beneficial. And a lot stems from that.”
Grilli says his dad Steve, a former pitcher, is the “original cheese man.”
“Any time you give back (is special),” said Grilli. “This is nothing to do with me. My name’s attached to it, the nickname kind of goes hand in hand.
“And everybody likes a grilled cheese sandwich every now and again.”
Grilli’s larger-than-life personality helps. The 6-foot-5, 235-pounder has become a fan favourite in Toronto with his fist pumps and other displays on the mound.
“Fans love it too. You can hear it when he comes into the game,” said manager John Gibbons.
Wahoo on way out?
Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred has made his strongest comments on wanting the Cleveland Indians to eradicate their Chief Wahoo logo.
Manfred has been in talks with Indians owner Paul Dolan about abolishing the divisive symbol, which has sparked debate for decades.
In the past, Manfred has only gone as far as saying he understood why many people find the logo offensive. Now Manfred appears to be pressuring the Indians, who have reduced Wahoo’s visibility in recent years, to make more significant changes.
MLB spokesman Pat Courtney said in a statement to The Associated Press that league officials are confident about reaching a positive resolution for the game and the club.
“Thus far, there have been productive discussions with the Cleveland Indians regarding the commissioner’s desire to transition away from the Chief Wahoo logo,” Courtney said. “We have specific steps in an identified process and are making progress.”
On Tuesday, protesters gathered outside Cleveland’s Progressive Field to demonstrate against the team’s usage of the red-faced, smiling Indians logo, which has been part of the team’s history dating to the 1940s.
The Indians have decreased Chief Wahoo’s profile, switching their primary logo to a block ‘C’ several years ago.
However, the symbol still appears on some of the sleeves of some of the team’s uniforms and caps and the Indians have continued to sell Wahoo-themed merchandise.
Buchholz sidelined
Phillies right-hander Clay Buchholz has a partial tear of the right flexor pronator mass and will seek a second opinion from Dr. James Andrews next week.
An MRI revealed the injury. The flexor pronator mass is the collection of muscles on the anterior of the forearm used for wrist and finger flexion as well as pronation. Buchholz allowed six runs and eight hits in 2 1/3 innings against the New York Mets before the injury forced him to leave the game.
Buchholz has struggled in his first two starts since joining the Phillies from Boston, posting a 12.27 ERA.
Buchholz was a two-time all-star with the Red Sox, but has been trending downward since his best season in 2013, when he was 12-1 with a 1.74 ERA and helped Boston win the World Series.
Upton joining Giants
Melvin Upton Jr. signed a minorleague deal with the San Francisco Giants and the veteran outfielder is working out at extended spring training in Arizona.
The deal had been in the works and Upton needed a physical to finalize the contract. It’s unclear yet what role the former Blue Jay might have and when he could join the Giants to offer some depth in the outfield.
Upton, 32, would likely need some games initially with triple-A Sacramento. He batted .238 with 20 home runs, 15 doubles, three triples and 61 RBIs while striking out 155 times in 149 games between the Padres and Toronto last season. He also stole 27 bases in 35 attempts.