Deep Left Field with Mike Wilner

Guests: Blue Jays home run and RBI leader Kazuma Okamoto, rookie outfielder Yohendrick Pinango, reliever Joe Mantiply    
This week in Deep Left Field, we rant about Blue Jays fans who for some reason want to declare the season over when it's not even summer yet and they're two games out of a playoff spot.
We look back at a break-even"Week That Was" that featured five one-run games, then talk to a couple of rookies and a long-time veteran.
Kazuma Okamoto joins us to discuss the up-and-down start to his big-league career and the transition to life in North America, as well as various and sundry dugout snacks.
Yohendrick Pinango talks about his first month in the majors and his extremely eye-catching neck tattoo.
And we check in with lefty Joe Mantiply, in his 15th season in professional baseball but first with the Jays, about his early-season success (now on hold thanks to a trip to the injured list) and about pitching to young catcher Daulton Varsho when they were both with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
All that plus a dip into the mailbag at [email protected]!

Guests: Blue Jays infielder Ernie Clement, Los Angeles Angels pitcher Alek Manoah and bench coach John Gibbons
This week in Deep Left Field, we take you through a Blue Jays week that ended with a bang - the first grand slam of the season and a walk-off, at that!
Then Ernie Clement joins us to talk about the team's rough start to the season, his ever-increasing popularity (and visibility on your television between innings!), and how last season's late-May rebound weighs into the Jays' feelings about this season's issues.
With the Angels having been in town, we catch up with a couple of old friends. Two-time Jays skipper John Gibbons sits down for a trip down memory lane and we chat with Alek Manoah about his return to the big leagues in his old home ballpark, as well as his meteoric rise with the Jays and the fall that sees him with his third different team in eight months.
All that, plus your thoughts in the mailbag at [email protected]!

Guests: Blue Jays alumnus Shannon Stewart, Jays catching coach Drew Butera, Cleveland Guardians reliever Erik Sabrowski
 
This week in Deep Left Field, we force ourselves to look back at a rough Blue Jays Week That Was, in which they got to within one game of the .500 mark then lost four in a row, including a three-game sweep at the House of Horrors that is Tropicana Field.
 
Continuing the celebration of the Jays' 50th season, we talk to Shannon Stewart, one of the greatest pure hitters in the history of the team, and hear his memories of those mid-'90s to early 2000s teams for which he played such a big part.
 
We introduce you to Drew Butera, the Jays' new catching coach, and discuss his role on the team that he helped knock out of the playoffs as a member of the 2015 Kansas City Royals.
 
Young Canadian Erik Sabrowski joins us as well. The Edmonton, AB native has posted a sparkling 1.55 ERA through the first 59 appearances of his big-league career.
 
All that, plus the mailbag at [email protected]!

Guests: Blue Jays pitcher Dylan Cease, catcher Brandon Valenzuela, Boston Red Sox infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa
This week in Deep Left Field, we look back at a winning Blue Jays Week That Was. With the injured players starting to return, the Jays went into Thursday's action just half a game out of a playoff spot in the American League.
Dylan Cease has had a strong start to his Jays' career, posting a 2.87 ERA through six starts, leading the American League in strikeouts and not having allowed a home run yet. He joins us to talk about the first month of his seven years as a Blue Jay, how he feels he's performing, what he's seen from his new team and why he always looks over at third base before releasing the ball.
Brandon Valenzuela has been a big-leaguer for just about a month now, and we check in with the rookie catcher to talk about the work he's doing in the batters' box, filling the shoes of Alejandro Kirk and just how much he likes the ABS system.
Also, we catch up with Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who had a rough final outing as a Blue Jay in Game 7 of the World Series.
All that, plus your thoughts in the mailbag at [email protected]!

Guests: Rehabbing Blue Jays starter Trey Yesavage, Reliever Brendon Little, Team Canada/Buffalo Bisons pitcher Adam Macko
This week in Deep Left Field, we look back at a Blue Jays week that included a three-game winning streak but also saw the closer controversy take another step forward, likely with Jeff Hoffman losing his job, at least for a while.
Then we go down to the farm in Buffalo to hear from Trey Yesavage after a truncated rehab start, check in with Brendon Little to see how he's dealing with life away from big-league pressure, and catch up with lefty Adam Macko after a strong World Baseball Classic for Canada and terrific start to the minor-league season.
All that, plus a dip into the mailbag at [email protected]!