TORONTO -- Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro was the Cleveland Indians' minor league director when he first met Ross Atkins about 20 years ago.
Shapiro was quite impressed by Atkins, who was a pitcher at the time and took a keen interest in what was happening on and off the field. Atkins moved into the Indians' player development department in 2000, and both he and Shapiro would rise up the ranks of the team's front office.
On Friday, they were reunited when Shapiro proudly introduced Atkins, his longtime colleague and good friend, as the seventh general manager in Blue Jays history.