SARASOTA, Florida – On a pristine, cloudless Saturday morning before his Blue Jays took to the field to play the Orioles, manager John Gibbons assumed his familiar perch behind home plate to watch his charges take batting practice. That time around, the cage is as much a part of baseballs daily routine as a beer and a hotdog is to a fan in the stands. Coaches, scouts, broadcasters and other media hover, tossing verbal barbs, telling stories and sharing laughs. Occasionally, especially in spring when the atmosphere is relatively laid back, the list of invited guests expands and on this day, Gibbons welcomed two men strongly influential in his life. To his left stood his high school baseball coach, Syl Perez and on his right, Frank Arnold, Gibbons high school football coach. The two are spending these early days of camp with the man they mentored. Its a chance for the men to catch up, reminisce about old times, and for Gibbons to share his pro experience with two people whove helped him along the way. "Your high school years are very big years in forming who youre going to be," Gibbons told TSN.ca. "When youre in athletics, if you get the right guys, it can steer you the right direction, teach you discipline, the work ethic and all the right stuff that benefit you in life." Arnold, 72, is a legend in Texas high school football, a state where "football is king," as Gibbons likes to remind the uninitiated. Gibbons played but didnt start at MacArthur High School in San Antonio. He was a running back, although in hindsight, Arnold thinks Gibbons was better suited to play linebacker because he was athletically inclined and had good instincts. Arnold also took notice, almost immediately, of Gibbons upbringing, especially his supportive parents, William and Sally. "Great kid, great family, never had, you know you have some parents who are a little overbearing, his parents were right there to support him," said Arnold. He had a knack for baseball, although Gibbons admits he was a late bloomer, especially offensively. A senior catcher graduated after Gibbons sophomore season, a year in which Gibbons played the outfield, and Perez had someone else pegged as the teams next catcher. Gibbons was still an unknown commodity. The coaching staff tried him at third base. It wasnt the right fit. "I dont care where I put John Gibbons, he was a catcher," said Perez. "I mean, it was in his DNA. He carries himself like a catcher." Perez had Gibbons and the would-be catching successor get behind the plate and simulate throwing out base stealers. "I timed him," said Perez. "From the time the sound hit the mitt to the time it hit the shortstop or second baseman at the bag. The other young man was very accurate but John was kind of like a Nolan Ryan. He was not very accurate, or not as accurate, but he would only average two seconds and sometimes slightly less than that. The other kid was 2.3, 2.4." Funny thing, Gibbons ended up catching that year. The other kid played third base. Both were all district at the end of the season, Gibbons in spite of a batting average below .200. He was that good defensively. His game rounded into form in his senior year, thanks to a scout named Buzzy Keller, who in advance of the baseball season, instructed Perez on a new hitting philosophy featuring a more compact swing. Perez coached up Gibbons and the results were immediate. "John batted .500 in 19 games and he hit 10 home runs," said Perez. "Its not that he hit 10 home runs, its how far he hit those 10 home runs that really got him to be a lot more noticed. A lot of our practices were very, very well attended and of course, he went 24th overall in the first round (1980) to the Mets." A series of injuries derailed Gibbons big league playing career, the nail in the coffin being the Mets acquisition of Gary Carter before the 1985 season. He stayed around the game, coached at various levels over a number of years, and by 2004, was into his first run as manager of the Blue Jays. "Hes old school and the old school way of thinking is, good catchers become good managers," said Perez. "Theyre the only ones looking the other way at the entire defence. Lets face it, he may have been not a starter in his major league life but when hes in the bullpen catching and working with folks like the Dwight Goodens and such, Im sure hes going to learn some things." Gibbons credits Arnold and Perez with teaching him some of the tactics he employs to this day. "You get to this level, its a little different," said Gibbons. "Guys are very successful when they get to this level so theyve got a good idea of what they do. Theres not as much coaching, teaching and things like that and you give these guys a little more leeway because theyre adults. But theres a lot of the same principles that work. I dont care if youre in high school or big league baseball, you have to have discipline. You still have to play the right way." Gibbons fair, jovial but stern-when-he-needs-to-be personality endears him to those who know him best and have known him the longest. "Personally, I think he has the demeanour, the ability to work with people," said Arnold. "I hope he gets lucky this year because last year they had some bad luck, in my opinion, with injuries and other things. I follow him, I watch him all the time and Im very proud to say that I was around him." Arnold continued, "John is going to be the same on the docks with some dock workers as he is at some high class place with the boss. I just think hes a quality person. Hes not flashy, he is what he is but hes always good to people." Coming off a disappointing 74-88 season, a startling and uncomfortable thud after the offseason hype of a year ago, Gibbons knows there is pressure to rebound. His mentors know it, too. "Nobody wants you unless you win," said Arnold. "I dont care what level, what league so I wish him well and hope he has some great luck this year. I hope some of the guys have some great years because I think he deserves it." Gibbons is aware the fan base is angst-ridden, unsure of whether the Blue Jays can compete in the ultra-tough American League East. He knows about the Twitter faction thats popularized the "FireGibby" hashtag, understands and accepts its a fans right to be upset, but wants to be clear about something he says wont change, win or lose. "I want people to know that I care about Toronto, I care about Canada, and nobody wants to win for the fan base more than I do because I know they deserve it." Shoes NZ Sale . 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With pinch-runner Kevin Pillar aboard after Dioner Navarro opened the bottom of the ninth with a single, Anthony Gose dropped down an excellent bunt along the first-base line.When the 2014 iteration of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers hits the turf at Investors Group Field for Thursday nights CFL regular season opener, fans of the Blue and Gold may have their noses buried in their line-up cards more often than they might prefer. The roster changes have been constant and continuous since late last year, but even with their 46-man roster set for the start of the season, the banged-up Bombers will be kicking off Week 1 with a handful of fresh faces and back-ups in the starting lineup. The most noticeable difference on offence will be the yet-to-be-determined starting tailback spot, as 2013 East Division All-Star Will Ford has missed both of Winnipegs preseason games with a hamstring issue that arose early in training camp. Ford has taken in just a handful of practices this past week as he eases himself back to 100 per cent health. Explosive newcomer Paris Cotton will be out a few weeks with a "tweaked knee" according to Mike OShea, so fellow first-year ball carrier Nic Grigsby looks to get the start against the Toronto Argonauts. "Im just going to go do my job," said Grigsby, who has also been a little banged-up as of late but has battled through since the Ford and Cotton injuries. "Coach told me to lock in — lock and load — so thats what Im going to do. Im preparing myself for the long-haul." "Youve got to grow up. Be a pro," added Grigsby, who OShea has spoken admirably of in the tailbacks desire and ability to stay active enough to take full reps through camp despite some bumps and bruises. "Youve got to be a leader out there. Be enthusiastic, and just seize the moment right now... Everybody out here is bumped and bruised up. Everyone from Toronto is out there bumped and bruised up. Come Thursday, Coach OShea is going to get us ready, prepared, and calmed down — our bodies ready to go to play a good game." Starting centre Steve Morley, who worked on snapping the football all winter, shifts to the middle from the right guard spot for the upcoming season. The 11-year-pro didnt practice Monday with a tweaked hamstring and is listed as "hopeful" for Week 1. In his place taking first-team reps at centre this week is 2014 second-overall draft pick Matthias Goossen. Fourth-year national lineman Patrick Neufeld, acquired from the Saskatchewan Roughriders for 2013 sack leader Alex Hall, will start at right guard. Dan Knapp, a former tight end at Arizonna State who joined Winnipegs practice roster in mid-September last year, has won the starting right tackle job.dddddddddddd "I lost the majority of my fat, basically, and worked as hard as I possibly could this offseason and its really, really paying off on the field," said Knapp, whose ultra-muscular build is much more akin to that of a speed-rush defensive end. "I was working out twice a day, five days a week. Speed training... That was consistent all through the offseason. My head was on straight and I knew what I needed to do to come out here to be successful." On the other side of the ball, defensive backs Alex Suber (hamstring) and Marty Markett (ankle), linebacker Korey Banks (back), and national Donovan Alexander (calf) — who is the expected starter at field corner — are all on the one-game injured list to start the season. To keep the ratio, national Matt Bucknor will start in place of Alexander on Thursday night. "Thats my role coming in. If I have to back-up then Im willing to do that. If I have to start Im definitely excited to do that as well," said Bucknor, who will look to make his first CFL start since his 2012 rookie season with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. "Any chance you get to step on the field and put on the jersey is an opportunity to perform and showcase your talents. Definitely, its something that Im looking forward to." A former NFL starting cornerback will line up in place of veteran field halfback Alex Suber. "Im versatile. Im quick. I can move around. I got speed," said Bruce Johnson, who spent the 2009 through 2011 seasons with the New York Giants. "Just getting adjusted to the waggle and the new things like that, it took me a little bit going through the camps, but Ive adjusted very well." 2008 Kansas City Chiefs rookie of the year Moe Leggett has won the starting safety job, while Chris Randle — acquired via trade with the Calgary Stampeders this past offseason — and third-year Bomber Demond Washington will man the boundary corner and halfback spots. The defensive line, which OShea has described as a team strength, has two new faces from the 2013 unit in Jason Vega (back after a two-team NFL stint) and former University of Manitoba Bison, Louie Richardson. The perpetual rotation of Vega, Richardson, Bryant Turner, Greg Peach, Zach Anderson and Jake Thomas has made deciphering the starting unit a near impossibility. ' ' '