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"It's kind of one of those things, where you know how traditional baseball people are," Zaun said. "Sports nutrition, sports medicine, training regimens now are so much more sophisticated than they were 20 years ago. So I think a catcher can still be very productive into his late 30s, early 40s, simply because guys are taking better care of themselves these days."

it didn't take long for Blue Jays reliever Casey Janssen to discover that fame is fleeting.

Janssen, in his second season with the Jays, is a converted starter now working out of the bullpen.

On Monday, Janssen was one of the game's stars. He retired all seven batters he faced after coming into the game to start the seventh inning in relief of Roy Halladay in a game tied 3-3.

For Overbay, spring is a time to do some things he would not try in a regular-season game, getting used to what he calls "not having a clue."

"You're walking that fine line, taking some pitches you wouldn't normally take, getting a good look at things."

Q: Richard, if you could add any current positional player (no pitchers) to the current Jays roster for nothing, who would it be and why?

Also, if you could pluck any prospect in the game from another organization/farm system, who would it be?

Kyle Smith, Burlington

A: The one player I would add would be shortstop Jose Reyes of the Mets. This guy would fill many of the current needs of the Jays, including a speedy leadoff man, a shortstop with great defensive skills and more range than Amana. There are better offensive players in baseball like Albert Pujols and Ryan Howard, but none that would fit as nicely into the Jays' situation, both offensively and defensively.

As for a prospect to covet, how about Philip Hughes of the Yankees. The Bombers are bringing him along slowly, despite their needs at the major-league level. I think that by September this guy will be in the Yankee rotation and contributing to another post-season run in October. The Jays could use Hughes in the opening day rotation.

Frank Thomas's prodigious talents hitting home runs throughout his illustrious 17-year Major League Baseball career have been well celebrated.

However, the sight of Mr. Thomas, nicknamed the Big Hurt, swinging a pillow at a child in a commercial for the Toronto Blue Jays is not being as well received, at least by officials who regulate advertising on Canadian private television.