New contract? New clubhouse? Big win? Shoot, the only thing that could have made the home-opener any better for Aaron Hill was if he had a dog and a guitar with him.
Jeremy Accardo said it was like a playoff atmosphere. Not even the semi-streakers who ran out onto the field with two out in the ninth inning distracted him.
(And how Toronto was that? A guy without a top. A woman with her bra still on. This is what happens when Presbyterians go streaking. This is what happens when Toronto the Good lets it's hair down.)
"[Roy Halladay] actually called it in the dugout," Hill said after the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Boston Red Sox 6-3 in front of 50,171 fans at the Rogers Centre last night. "He said there was probably going to be a streaker."
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It is said there is no such thing as being "half-pregnant." But, apparently, you can half-streak.
One of the songs that was played early last night was April Wine's classic Oowatanite, and, man, was it fitting.
The Blue Jays rolled into their brand-new clubhouse — words don't do justice to the thing — found out that the organization had made a significant long-term commitment to Hill and Rios, saw Shaun Marcum stick it to the defending World Series champions, then received a late, two-run double by Frank Thomas for victory.
Accardo picked up his second save, getting Mike Lowell to pop up with a man on first — just seconds after police and security personnel carted off the miscreants who'd invaded the field.
This was a raucous, roiling crowd that cheered, fought, flashed — there were reports the streakers appeared to have an opening act in the 500 level behind first base — and saw Roberto Alomar and Paul Beeston's names go up on the Level of Excellence.
For once, the Blue Jays played the Red Sox in Toronto and it felt … well, it felt like a home game. It's nice that the Blue Jays remember those 1992 and 1993 World Series teams and the throwback powder-blue uniforms were kind of neat but, well, it's time for some new history, you know? The old stuff's getting old.
"It would be awesome if we could get this crowd every day," said Accardo, who, when asked if he snuck a peak at the odd couple who ran on to the field, added, "well, I watched if that's what you're asking."
Accardo had just given up a single to shallow centre field to Manny Ramirez with two out, but he said he wasn't perturbed by the delay. He threw a couple of warm-up pitches to Gregg Zaun, and then agreed with the catcher's assessment that they should start off Lowell with a first-pitch slider.
"We figured [Lowell] would be ambushing," Accardo said. "He's thinking fastball away with a three-run game and one guy on."
Toronto general manager J.P. Ricciardi hadn't even seen the opening introductions last night — let alone the first pitch — and he was already pronouncing the home-opener as having been "a really good day."
And why not? Rios's contract was in the finishing-touches stage for a while. So was Hill's, to the point where the sides cut off talks. Planned? Ricciardi rolled his eyes.
"We didn't plan this for opening day," he said, "because we didn't think it would take that long to get them done."
The next step? Jays ace Halladay has two years left on his contract and that will be addressed in the winter. And Ricciardi suggested that with any type of season at all pitcher Dustin McGowan will be the next young core player to be locked up.
But that's for the future.
"It's always nice when you win," Hill said.
And when you get a contract? "It's always nice when you get a contract."
And the clubhouse? Yes, he said, "it's always nice when you get a new clubhouse.
"Guys who were with other teams say it's the best they've seen," he said, taking in the dark wood, spaciousness and cool, curving ceiling.
"If I had a dog and a guitar, I'd probably never leave it."
