As 2013 winds to a close, TSN. Xavier Sua-Filo Texans Jersey .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. TSN.cas writing staff reflects on the best baseball moments from the past 12 months including the Jays highs and lows, Ichiros moment in the sun, Todd Heltons farewell and more! Torontos Opening Day optimism vanishes in a hurry By: Barry Riz A winter unlike most in Blue Jays history had passed with some of the most dramatic player upgrades the franchise had ever seen. Jose Reyes, Melky Cabrera, R.A. Dickey, Mark Buehrle, and Josh Johnson were each star additions and made the Blue Jays a revitalized force in the AL East. Many prognosticators saw Toronto as a 95-win team, and Las Vegas sportsbooks had the Jays as World Series favourites. Opening Day is usually sold out in Toronto - but tickets to this one against Cleveland were tough to come by two months in advance. There was a buzz in the stadium, an expectation that had been building all winter. The road back to the postseason was going to start - and start in style - with defending NL Cy Young winner Dickey on the hill for the Blue Jays. Well for those who believe in signs, there were plenty to go around. Catcher J.P. Arencibia allowed three passed balls from the knuckleballer which led in part to Clevelands first two runs. Torontos newly potent offence was held to just four hits, with their sole run coming on a double play groundout. The Indians cruised to a 4-1 win. After months of winter build-up the aura of invincibility for Blue Jay fans was gone in a hurry. Ichiro joins baseballs elite By: Shane McNeil Baseball has had a pretty brutal couple decades from the 1994 players strike through to the Biogenesis bombshell of 2013, but Ichiro is the type of classic baseball player that performs at the most basic technical level in hugely entertaining fashion. I dont care that he has hit one home run for every 83 major league plate appearance, because theres no one else in the game Id rather see run as fast as they can from home to first. So when Ichiro joined Pete Rose and Ty Cobb as the only professional ball players to reach the 4,000 hit plateau on Aug. 21, it gave baseball fans a chance to respect a man who has excelled at the game on its most basic of levels. Some put an asterisk on the achievement due to his time in Japan, but there are many reasons why those people are wrong. Ichiro has played baseball in a beautiful and dignified way for the last 13 years in North America while countless other superstars have chosen not to. If we cant allow the man his one moment in the sun in what is likely the twilight of his MLB career, were doing something wrong. A quiet goodbye for a Hall-of-Famer By: Mike Beauvais The 2013 MLB season had some great storylines and it was one of the more compelling campaigns in recent memory including legendary New York Yankees reliever Mariano Riveras farewell tour. There was another significant retirement in 2013, but it certainly didnt receive the coverage that Riveras did. On Sept. 17, Colorado Rockies first baseman Todd Helton announced that the 2013 season would be his last in the MLB. Only 11 days later, he would play his final game at Coors Field. There was a modest ceremony prior to the game and Helton would go on to close out his career in Denver with a home run and three RBI. Maybe Heltons retirement didnt merit the fanfare that came with Riveras, but Heltons played out much like the majority of his 17 seasons with the Rockies did â€" quietly and under the mainstream radar. If youre a casual baseball fan, you just might be taken aback by Heltons career numbers: .316 career batting average, top-10 all-time in OBP (.430,), only player in MLB history to have 10-consecutive seasons of 35 or more doubles as well as countless Rockies career records. Helton was never the sexy name that Derek Jeter was and never starred in the spotlight of the Bronx like Jeter and Rivera did, but Todd Helton was the Colorado Rockies talisman and worthy of Cooperstown consideration. In his final at bat on that cool, September night in Denver, Helton went out as unassumingly as you would think a player like Helton would: he struck out swinging before politely soaking in the standing ovation from the Coors Field crowd. "It goes by really quick," Helton said after the game of his career. "You blink and here you are." Brian McCann stands up for his principles By: Daan De Kerpel In a two week span in September, Brian McCann had confrontations with Miami Marlins rookie Jose Fernandez followed by Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Carlos Gomez after they each admired a home run a little too long. On Sept. 11, Fernandez was making his last start of the season in Miami. In the sixth inning, he hit a home run and watched it a little too slowly for the Braves liking. As he rounded third, Fernandez made some gestures to the Braves bench, which didnt sit well with McCann, who immediately started talking to the 20-year-old. After the game, Fernandez told the media that he apologized to both McCann and Mike Minor, the pitcher who hit the home run off of. McCanns response: "Hey, man, youre a kid but youre in the big leagues. You need to do what big leaguers do." Perhaps taking a page out of Johnsons playbook, McCann was much more animated two weeks later when Gomez took Paul Maholm deep, watched the ball sail into the seats before running. After trading barbs with Braves players as he ran the bases, McCann stood in front of home plate and wouldnt let the Gomez pass. That led to the benches clearing and even punches being thrown. While no one is expecting McCann to display this type of fire all the time in the regular season, the fact that he can get that wound up in games against non-playoff teams in September, makes me wonder what hell be like in a rivalry game against the Red Sox. The infectious joy that is Munenori Kawasaki By: Sarah Zintel The Toronto Blue Jays 2013 season may not have met their fans expectations but they certainly got lucky with the hilarious distraction that was Munenori Kawasaki. He stormed onto the Jays infield leaving everyone in stiches. The shortstop quickly became best known for his unorthodox stretching, unique dance moves, original handshakes with teammates, and most importantly his interview skills. The Japan natives most infamous interview was after his walk-off double for the win at home against the Orioles where he stole the show with his preplanned notes and poor English. The interview quickly went viral and most recently earned him the MLBs GIBBY Award for "Cut 4 Topic of the Year". Kawasakis positive and joyous attitude helped motivate not only the fans but also his teammates to come together and celebrate the Blue Jays, despite the team finishing last in the AL East. The team declined Kawasakis option for next season and the fans will surely miss his spirit. But one thing that will never be forgotten is: "My name is Munenori Kawasaki. I come from Japan. Im Japanese!" MLB strikes unlikely gold in Game 162 By: Shane McNeil So, were now two years into Major League Baseballs expanded playoff format and while nothing could replicate the insanity of the final day of the 2011 season, the extra playoff spot has at least provided meaningful games on the seasons final day with regularity. This season was no different, as the Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers and Cleveland Indians entered the final game vying for wild card spots. All three teams won their final game, setting up a one-game playoff between the Rangers and Rays to earn a spot in another one-game playoff with the Indians. But the highlight of the day would come not from the wild card chase but a meaningless game in Miami. Marlins hurler Henderson Alvarez no-hit the Detroit Tigers for nine innings, but his teammates were unable to get him a run through eight. The Marlins caught some fortuitous bounces in the ninth, including the wild pitch that would plate Giancarlo Stanton for the winning run. Immediately after Stanton crossed, the Marlins mobbed Alvarez â€" who was standing in the on-deck circle - to celebrate the achievement. When was the last time you saw a pitcher relish a no-no with a batters helmet on? Texans #24 Jersey . Chris Wroblewski added 11 points and grabbed seven rebounds in the win for Cornell (10-18, 6-8 Ivy), while Anthony Gatlin finished with 10 points. Greg Mangano posted a game-high 18 points to lead the way for Yale (15-13, 8-6), which also saw 11 points from Austin Morgan. Brandon Brooks Texans Jersey . Canada and South Korea played in the Page 1-2 playoff game. South Korea will now face Sweden in the semifinal. Rocque, of Edmonton, finished tied with South Korea atop the overall standings with identical 7-2 records.SAN DIEGO -- The San Diego Padres think so much of second baseman Jedd Gyorko that they gave him a hefty raise and hes only 13 games into his second full big league season. Gyorkos agreement, announced Monday, is a six-year deal that adds $35 million over five seasons through 2019. It replaces a one-year deal agreed to last month and includes a team option for 2020. San Diego essentially buys out one year of free agency and possibly two. "These contracts make a lot of sense for both sides," general manager Josh Byrnes said. "In this case we potentially buy out two years of free agency. Its rare to do it so early, but Jedd, I think, he answered all the criteria you look at. First of all, character. This guy is a baseball player. I think hes going to be a part of us establishing the kind of winning tradition we want to have here. Hes always hit and hes handled things that have been thrown at him." Gyorko proved himself with a big rookie season, hitting .249 with 23 home runs and 63 RBIs. "I wanted to be a Padre," Gyorko said. "When they came to me and kind of showed the vision of what they have looking forward, its something I want to be a part of. Be a part of a championship team. I think thats what were going to be, hopefully soon, if not, definitely by the end of my contract." Gyorkos previous deal called for $510,900 this year in the major leagues and $294,000 in the minors. The new contract eliminates the lower minor league pay and adds salaries of $2 million in 2015, $4 million in 2016, $6 million in 2017, $9 million in 2018 and $13 million in 2019. Texans #45 Jersey. San Diegos 2020 club option is at $13 million with a $1 million buyout. The option can escalate a maximum of $2 million, and the buyout can escalate by up to $750,000, based on All-Star appearances and Top 10 MVP finishes by Gyorko between 2014 and 2019. He also gets a suite on the road. "Its good to have the possibility and potential to pencil Jedd into the lineup for a long time," manager Bud Black said. Gyorko, 25, was a second-round pick out of West Virginia in the 2010 amateur draft. While the Padres like Gyorko at second base, he played third base in the minor leagues and could move back to that position if Chase Headley leaves via free agency at the end of the season. Gyorko said hell play wherever the team wants him. "I think he adjusted very well and people didnt realize how good hed be there, so now its a matter of maintaining that level," Byrnes said. "You never know how our rosters going to shape up. We like him at second base. We like the competitive advantage of a second baseman who gives us this much offence. That was part of the attraction on the front end, and for now, Id say thats the way we want it to end up as we go through the contract." "Its a big commitment, but I think Jedd is worth it," Byrnes said. "When you place it through the age 30, 31 view, its a risk we felt was worth taking." The deal was negotiated by agents Sam and Seth Levinson. AP Sports Writer Ronald Blum in New York contributed to this report. ' ' '