Blue Jays manager: 'I've noticed a huge turnaround' in the clubhouse

Toronto Blue Jays manager John Gibbons has taken notice of the atmosphere around the clubhouse early this spring and is pleasantly surprised with the change from years past. 

"The season hasn't started. When things get hot sometimes, you find out about your club," Gibbons told John Lott of the National Post. "But I've noticed a huge turnaround in here. For a short period of time, it's turned into a tight group. They seem to all get along. It's not always necessary, but it never hurts."

The Blue Jays brought in a pair of well respected players in Josh Donaldson and Russell Martin this offseason, something that the manger believes has played a role in the change. 

"First off, you admire the way they play the game," Gibbons said. "They're both hard-nosed guys. They play hard. They're all-out all the time. Not everybody's like that in the big leagues. That right there gets everybody's attention. They're the kind of guys everybody loves because of that.

"They've played on winners and you can see why. They say the right things. Both of the guys really talk the game up. In between innings, they're not just sitting in the dugout just bullshitting, they're talking baseball. That always helps. They're talking to different teammates about what the (opposing pitcher) is throwing, things like that. 

"They're ballplayers. They're very talented guys, but they're baseball guys."