HERDchronicles

By: Brian Frank Grant Rogers might be firing pitches with his right arm at Sahlen Field these days—but, incredibly, he used to pitch left-handed. "I was pitching (right-handed) in my Little League championship game—and I was a big kid—I was 11, throwing maybe, like, 75 (mph). My elbow cracked, or something popped, and I went and got a first look—they said something I can't even remember. I went and got a second opinion. The guy said, just rest a year and you'll be fine. I res

By: Brian Frank Trey Yesavage, who rocketed through the Blue Jays' system last year, beginning the season at Low-A Dunedin and finishing it pitching in the World Series, returned to the Sahlen Field mound last night. Yesavage had a 3.63 ERA in six games for Buffalo last season. He was then promoted to Toronto, where he pitched in three regular-season games before pitching in six postseason games, including an 11-strikeout performance in the American League Division Series aga

By: Brian Frank Of all the legendary players who have passed through Buffalo in its long history of professional sports, none has had a greater impact on sports or society than Jack Roosevelt Robinson. In 1946, Jackie Robinson played nine games at second base for the Montreal Royals at Buffalo’s Offermann Stadium. Buffalo baseball fans witnessed history as they watched Robinson prepare to break the major league color barrier the following spring. In August 1945, Brooklyn Do

By: Brian Frank Every baseball journey has a beginning. Bisons hurler CJ Van Eyk’s earliest baseball memory came in his hometown of Lutz, Florida. “Probably going to signups for Little League with my parents,” Van Eyk recently told The Herd Chronicles . “I think I was six years old, and the first team I played on was the Rays at Lutz Little League.” That day began a baseball career that includes a Florida High School State Championship, a College World Series appearance, and

By: Brian Frank Blue Jays infielder Ernie Clement is a lifelong Buffalo Bills and Sabres fan. The Rochester, New York native had some once-in-a-lifetime Western New York sports experiences this past offseason. Fresh off setting an MLB record for hits in a single postseason with 30, Clement toured new Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park in December. “I’m a Bill’s purist, so I was skeptical,” Clement told The Herd Chronicles  of his visit to the Bills’ future home. “I wanted to st

By: Brian Frank Chad Dallas is optimistic about his rehabilitation from Tommy John surgery. After making 14 starts for the Bisons, Dallas underwent the procedure on his right elbow in September of 2024. Speaking to The Herd Chronicles  from Blue Jays’ spring training in Dunedin, Florida, the righthander reflected on the past year and a half of recovery. “I got out probably around the World Series—I think it was a little before,” he said. “Things have gone well. It was a prett

By: Brian Frank Adam Macko was born in Slovakia and moved to Canada when he was 13 years old. The left-handed hurler and graduate of Alberta’s Vauxhall Academy of Baseball has long dreamed of representing Canada in the World Baseball Classic. That dream became reality when Macko received a phone call during the offseason from Canada National Team director Greg Hamilton. “We were in contact, kind of back and forth,” Macko said from Blue Jays spring training camp in Dunedin, Fl

By: Brian Frank If one player epitomizes the 2025 American League Champion Toronto Blue Jays, it’s infielder Ernie Clement. The versatile infielder has overcome numerous career setbacks to become an indispensable piece of the Blue Jays’ lineup. The 29-year-old personifies the team’s style of play — unselfish, scrappy, and resilient. Clement grew up in Rochester, New York, where he played baseball at Brighton High School and starred on a hockey team that included players from

By: Brian Frank In the first World Series game played in Toronto in 32 years, former Bisons star Addison Barger provided the big blast on a historic night for the Blue Jays. Barger belted a grand slam in a nine-run sixth inning that helped propel Toronto to an 11–4 Game 1 victory over the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. The game entered the bottom of the sixth inning in a 2–2 tie, thanks to Daulton Varsho's two-run home run in the fourth inning. Bo Bichet

By: Brian Frank Episode 16 of the Chatting with the Herd podcast is a World Series Media Day Extravaganza with Chris Bassitt, Mason Fluharty, Will Smith, Louis Varland, Anthony Banda, Braydon Fisher, Michael Conforto, and Justin Bruihl. You can listen here: Spotify: tinyurl.com/4efj9rks Apple: tinyurl.com/4mveyzbx