Ross Atkins met the press today in Toronto alongside president Mark Shapiro, giving fans a valuable first look at the man who is filling the role vacated by Alex Anthopoulos. The first impression was a fairly strong one.
After a lengthy introduction from Shapiro in which Atkins sat nervously by, Atkins offered an opening statement and in the strangest of ways, his evident nerves may have appealed him to a Blue Jays fan base that’s already grown frustrated with a more robotic Shapiro. Atkins thanked the Blue Jays for “Welcominnn… Welcomin-inn… Welcomin…ing” him to the organization. A wonderfully humanizing moment.