Former Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Josh Towers
Photo credit: theScore.com

Sushi Shenanigans? Former Blue Jays Pitcher recounts classic memories

Published April 19, 2024 at 2:27 PM
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In a recent hilarious conversation with his former general manager JP Ricciardi, Josh Towers reminisced about a time when he and fellow starter Ted Lilly enjoyed getting under the skin of the late Roy Halliday.

Josh Towers, a former Toronto Blue Jays pitcher, enjoyed a lively five-season tenure with the franchise, consistently bringing a sense of enjoyment beyond the diamond.


Towers mentioned that sitting in the dugout on days when he wasn't pitching wasn't always his preferred option, given the typical starter's schedule of pitching just once every five days.


Roy Halladay was renowned for his authoritative demeanour within the team, insisting on active engagement in the game, even from the bench. While this expectation may have unsettled some teammates, particularly in the context of lengthy, drawn-out games before the pitching clock rule change, Halladay's insistence prompted humorous acts of rebellion from players like Josh Towers and Ted Lilly. Their antics, such as secretely ordering sushi to the dugout and resorting to eating in bathroom stalls to evade Halladay's watchful eye.

«Roy was like a police officer,» Towers said. «He wanted us on the bench, and we couldn't do it. I remember every seventh inning Lilly and I would go inside and do ads and stuff.»

«When we had Ted Lilly on the team we can't sit there for nine innings and watch the game, it's not gonna happen,»
Towers recalls.

During his tenure with the Blue Jays from 2003 to 2007, Towers compiled a record of 37-42 with an ERA of 4.93 and 316 strikeouts across 108 appearances. He revealed that Halladay emphasized the importance of unwavering focus on the game, even when pitchers weren't on the field.

Towers noted that Lilly had an unconventional sneaky habit of arranging for food delivery to the dugout, especially sushi.

«He would always get like [a staff member] or somebody to order sushi in the stadium and they'd bring it down during the game. He would be [hiding] Roy couldn't find him anywhere, and he'd be on the bathroom stall eating the sushi with his feet up, Roy would be looking for him. Like the sh*t that we would do, like just the little stuff it made me laugh all day. Roy will be looking all over he can't find Ted, while he's standing on the toilets eating sushi.»

The full hilarious interview is available for streaming on Youtube


Source: Daily Hive
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