Music: {allcanada} THAMES AND SNIDER TO BATTLE FOR JAYS' STARTING JOB IN LEFT

Saturday, February 25, 2012

{allcanada} THAMES AND SNIDER TO BATTLE FOR JAYS' STARTING JOB IN LEFT

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DUNEDIN, Fla. -- There's no confusing Eric Thames and Travis Snider.

The two players set to battle for the Toronto Blue Jays' starting left-fielder job have completely different styles.

Thames is a physical specimen who's quick with a smile and full of pep. Snider has a stockier build and is a calm, casual type whose monotone vibe is at the other end of the excitement spectrum.

Thames was a nice surprise last season while Snider regressed with a campaign he'd like to forget. Thames posted solid offensive numbers but looked rather lost in the field while Snider had decent defensive range but couldn't get on track at the plate.

Both are ready to step up and prove that they deserve the everyday job.

General manager Alex Anthopoulos said several factors will be examined but quality at-bats and defensive prowess will be key.

"The fact that Eric ended the year as the everyday left-fielder, that's going to count for something as well," Anthopoulos said Saturday at the team's spring training complex. "But nobody is going to be handed the job."

Snider struggled out of the gate last April, had injury issues and spent a good chunk of the year in the minors. However, the Blue Jays still believe he has tremendous potential and aren't prepared to give up on him just yet.

Thames, meanwhile, took advantage when he was called up last season. He hit 12 homers and drove in 37 runs in 95 games -- decent numbers for his first taste of the big leagues.

The 25-year-old Santa Clara, Calif., native still has plenty to prove.

"Nothing's guaranteed, nothing is set in stone -- ever," Thames said. "It doesn't matter if you're worth $100 million or the league minimum. So this year I have to bang with the stick and I have to go nutty in the outfield.

"I have to make all the catches and impress these coaches and show them that I am worthy of an opening day roster spot."

Snider, who just turned 24, made his big-league debut as a 20-year-old in 2008. Like Thames, he called the competition with his teammate a "great thing."

"It's the mindset that got us all to where we are today," Snider said. "So I think it's a very natural and welcome feeling when you come into this atmosphere."

Both players felt they learned a lot last season, when the Blue Jays finished fourth in the American League East with an 81-81 record.

"Really believing in your craft is the most important (thing)," Thames said. "Playing up here, we've got studs and the brighter lights and the bigger crowds. The camera is always on you, they see everything. I wasn't used to that."

He changed his mental approach after analyzing tape of his swing and defensive play in the off-season.

"I was like, 'You know what, now is the time to start believing in who I am,"' Thames said. "Start having that conviction and that drive to say, 'OK, this is who I am and I'm a force to be reckoned with.' That's been the biggest difference for me. It's all mental."

Snider had three homers and 30 RBIs in 49 games last season. The Kirkland, Wash., native is confident he'll have a bounceback year.

"There's always going to be challenges, there's always going to be adversity in baseball and in life," he said. "The way you deal with those challenges, the way you overcome those challenges is ultimately what makes you the player that you are."

Anthopoulos said he isn't too concerned with their numbers in pre-season games. The main priority is getting some good cuts in at the plate.

"For those guys, swings are important," he said. "Quality at-bats, how hard they're hitting the ball."

The other outfield positions appear to be set with Colby Rasmus in centre and slugger Jose Bautista in right field. Who joins them in left field may not be decided until the team heads north.

"I look forward to coming here each day and busting my backside with my teammates to get better," Snider said.

Thames is also ready to go the extra mile.

"I have nothing to lose," he said. "I'll give everything I have and make the front office tear this jersey off my back."