Erika Gilbert
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National Post
Copy desk, @GlobalNews. Formerly of @npsport. She/her.
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Articles by Erika Gilbert
World juniors 2015: Get to know the tournament’s 10 countries
Canada has finished out of the medals two years in a row at the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship — a surprising set of results for a perennial favourite at the tournament. It’s been a lean couple of years, but Canada still boasts one of the most impressive medal collections at the world juniors and expectations remain high. [np_storybar title=”Are you a Wayne Gretzky or a Sidney Crosby?
Training for the Boston Marathon - in Southeast Asia
My first Boston Marathon wasn't what I thought it would be. I'd planned to set aside any performance goals and just enjoy one of running's great events. Instead, it was about surviving brutal conditions — pouring rain and nearly freezing temperatures, a fierce wind and a very real risk of hypothermia — and getting to the finish line in one piece. But my road to the start line had been full of new and unexpected challenges, too. So I was ready.
Graphic: How the Blue Jays’ offence, rotation and bullpen contributed to their first-half wins and losses
It is no secret that the Blue Jays’ rotation has underperformed and needs to improve if Toronto hopes to get back into contention. First baseman Edwin Encarnacion said as much to reporters prior to the Home Run Derby; so did general manager Alex Anthopoulos in an interview with TSN 1050. This year’s starters were supposed to be a significant upgrade over 2012’s patchwork rotation.
The Blue Jays are the East’s biggest underachievers: Where Toronto stands after the season’s first term
The Major League Baseball season divides nicely into three 54-game segments, but trying to evaluate the first term of this Toronto Blue Jays season is anything but tidy. First there was the historically bad start. Then came the raft of injuries. There was some treading water and then the month of May, in which the Jays were eight games above .500.
The Blue Jays are the East’s biggest underachievers: Where Toronto stands after the season’s first term
The Major League Baseball season divides nicely into three 54-game segments, but trying to evaluate the first term of this Toronto Blue Jays season is anything but tidy. First there was the historically bad start. Then came the raft of injuries. There was some treading water and then the month of May, in which the Jays were eight games above .500.
Blue Jays series preview: Devon Travis just might be the unluckiest batter in baseball
The series Four games at Rogers Centre * not yet confirmed by the teams or news reports Current record 12-21 (5-9 at home; 6-4 in last 10) Projected wins 80 (FanGraphs); 76 (Baseball Prospectus) Current 10-day disabled list SP Aaron Sanchez (split fingernail on pitching hand, expected to come off the DL for Sunday’s game); 3B Josh Donaldson (right calf); SP J.A. Happ (left elbow inflammation); SS Troy Tulowitzki (right hamstring strain), C Russell Martin (left shoulder nerve inflammation); SP...
Can the Toronto Blue Jays rebound from their 1-6 start and make the playoffs? These four teams did
With the Maple Leafs and Raptors in the playoffs, the current fan freakout in Toronto surrounds the Blue Jays’ 1-6 start to the season. “It’s still early” doesn’t cut it as an excuse for some, so we looked for teams since 1977 (when the Blue Jays joined Major League Baseball) who started 1-6 and still made the playoffs. In that span, 14 teams started 0-7 and 64 teams started 1-6, based on our research at Baseball Reference.
Can the Toronto Blue Jays make a third straight trip to the playoffs? A look at what the projections say
By the time the 2016 season began, the euphoria of the Blue Jays’ first playoff appearance in 22 years was mingled with bitterness over Alex Anthopoulos’ split with the organization, and disappointment over ace lefty David Price’s departure for Toronto’s deep-pocketed AL East rivals in Boston. The Blue Jays open 2017 with similar mixed emotions among the fanbase. Last season brought thrilling post-season wins over the Orioles and Rangers and another trip to the American League Championship Series.
Toronto Blue Jays prospect Anthony Alford looks to get back on track after tough, injury-plagued 2016
DUNEDIN — Anthony Alford played football at a high level for years and never got his bell rung, until he started concentrating on a more pastoral sport, baseball. The irony of which makes Alford — ranked the 59th best prospect by Baseball America — laugh and wince at the same time. “You expect (a concussion) to happen in football so you’re more prepared for it,” he said. “You don’t expect that to happen in baseball.
Toronto Raptors have become an upper-echelon team, but still have room for growth
The question becomes what is next for this upper-echelon NBA team. Is there room for growth? Have they topped out? The most likely answers are yes, and no in that order. Despite how well this team has played, losing just eight games in the first third of the season, there are avenues to get better. Three of those losses were to the Cleveland Cavaliers, one each to Golden State and the Los Angeles Clippers, and then a pair of tough-to-explain losses to a mostly poor Sacramento team.
Mitch Marner breaks out, Connor McDavid scores and scores: Key NHL questions at the one-quarter mark
Before the NHL season began, a panel of Postmedia writers answered 10 questions about the upcoming campaign. Which off-season moves would pay dividends or cause disaster? Which Canadian teams would make the playoffs? Who would win the scoring title? The league’s teams are at or approaching the one-quarter mark of the season. We now have data and observations about the season, which gives us a chance to re-examine some of the questions and see where we stand.
Graphics: How the Toronto Blue Jays compare to the other American League playoff teams
The 2016 Blue Jays don’t have the world-beating offence they did when they cruised into last year’s playoffs at the top of their division, and they face a tougher road back to the American League Championship series after clinching a wild-card berth on the last day of the season. But this is also the team that allowed the fewest runs in the AL, and the offence still can be very good.
What makes Andre De Grasse so fast? Breaking down the Canadian sprint phenom
Andre De Grasse burst on to the world stage in 2015 with gold medals in the 100 and 200 metres at the Pan Am Games and bronze in the 100 at the world championships. Four years after the kid with no training but a ton of raw talent took up the sport, De Grasse has continued his rise with a bronze medal in the 100 metres at the Rio Games and a silver in Thursday night’s 200-metre final.
What makes Andre De Grasse so fast? Breaking down the Canadian sprint phenom
Andre De Grasse burst onto the world stage in 2015 with gold medals in the 100 and 200 metres at the Pan Am Games and bronze in the 100 at the world championships. Four years after the kid with no training but a ton of raw talent took up the sport, De Grasse has continued his rise with a bronze medal in the 100 metres at the Rio Games and a spot in Thursday night’s 200-metre final.
Juan Martin del Potro’s tough road to the Rio 2016 final: A graphic look at his comeback
It’s been an emotional ride for Juan Martin del Potro at the Rio Olympics, and understandably so. Formerly a mainstay in the ATP top 10, del Potro entered the tournament unseeded and ranked 145th. The Argentine underwent a series of surgeries on his left wrist starting in 2014; he went two and a half years between majors. “I was close to quitting tennis,” del Potro told the ATP tour’s website in April.
Michael Phelps’ post-race pound of pasta isn’t for everyone: How different sports make for different diets
Michael Phelps may not actually eat 12,000 calories a day, but the Olympic swimmer is no stranger to large portions. “I think I had a pound of pasta and spaghetti,” he said of his late-night snack after the 4×100-metre freestyle relay final on Sunday night. “And I’m not a spaghetti fan but I forced myself to eat it.” A meal high in carbohydrates after exercise is one way some athletes fuel their bodies to stay in top shape. But not every athlete takes the same approach to food.
Zika’s Olympic zig-zag: The search for a balanced message between fair warning and unreasonable fear
In the leadup to the Rio Games, headlines suggested this could be the year predictions of Olympic catastrophe actually came true. Numerous threats to visitors’ health and safety provided fodder for pre-Games fretting: Rio’s sewage-filled waterways were as filthy as ever; the crime rate was a concern for travellers; 12 people were arrested on suspicion of planning terrorist attacks.
Rio 2016 opening ceremony live: Follow along with the Olympic show as it happens
JOIN US LIVE FOR UPDATES DIRECTLY FROM MARACANÃ STADIUM IN RIO AS THE OPENING CEREMONY KICKS OFF AT 7 P.M. EASTERN TIME / 4 P.M. PACIFIC TIME RIO DE JANEIRO — There’s nothing like the unique Brazilian vibe — and the opening ceremony for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro will see no shortage of samba, culture, diversity and history as the South American nation proudly showcases its traditions and environmental wonders.
Hope Solo taunted with ‘Zika’ chants at 2016 Olympics: U.S. goalie a polarizing figure heading into Rio Games
U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo secured her record 102nd clean sheet in her team’s Olympic opener on Wednesday, but the crowd on hand for the 2-0 victory over New Zealand didn’t exactly shower her with praise. Solo was reportedly booed by the crowd in Belo Horizonte almost every time she touched the ball, and she was taunted with chants of “Zika.” The chants presumably stem from Solo’s social media posts in July showing her preparations for Brazil amid the Zika outbreak.
How does the Toronto Blue Jays’ payroll stack up? MLB salaries in graphics
The Blue Jays return to the Rogers Centre for their home opener on Friday night — a game that has been sold out for months. There were many such nights in Toronto last season. Fans turned up in droves to see the division champions, and the Blue Jays’ attendance boost and massive television ratings were a boon to Rogers Communications’ revenues. That jump in the team’s earnings had many fans hoping ownership would consider upping the Blue Jays’ budget in the coming years.
Can the Toronto Blue Jays make the playoffs in 2016? A look at what the projections say
Before fans get too caught up in the question of where Jose Bautista might play in 2017 and how much he’ll get paid to do it, there’s still the matter of the 2016 season. You know, the encore to the Blue Jays’ first playoff season since 1993 with last year’s best offence returning mostly intact. Blue Jays pitchers and catchers are in Dunedin now, with position players reporting on Thursday.
Washington Nationals’ Bryce Harper has breakthrough season to become superstar many predicted he’d be: Post Sports’ People of 2015
Bryce Harper was on the cover of Sports Illustrated as a 16-year-old prodigy hailed as baseball’s next great superstar. He was the consensus No. 1 pick in the 2010 draft — the brightest of several young stars expected to turn the rebuilding Washington Nationals into a winner. He was half of a much-hyped rookie duo as a 19-year-old in 2012, set to be judged against the Angels’ Mike Trout that year and beyond. Both Harper and Trout were named rookies of the year in their respective leagues.
As Toronto Blue Jays welcome Ross Atkins, here is a look at the team’s previous GMs
On Friday, Ross Atkins was introduced as the sixth general manager in Blue Jays history. Below we examine the legacies of the first five people to occupy the job: Peter Bavasi, 1976-1977 Peter Bavasi is part of a front office dynasty; he took over from his father, Buzzie Bavasi, as GM of the Padres in 1973 before joining the Blue Jays. His brother, Bill, served as GM of the Angels and Mariners.
Toronto Blue Jays’ R.A. Dickey says outing in Game 4 an ‘anomaly’ after pitching less than two innings vs. Kansas City Royals
TORONTO — R.A Dickey has not always been at his best over the course of his Toronto Blue Jays tenure. There have been long stretches where he’s been plagued by the long ball. Times when he’s pitched hurt and his performance suffered. But the one thing Dickey has always been able to do is provide the Blue Jays with innings. He has been a dependable presence on the mound for a team that has not always had the greatest bullpen.
Toronto Blue Jays send Marco Estrada to the mound for Game 5 of ALCS with season on the line
TORONTO — No matter what happened in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series, Marco Estrada was sure he would have more fun the next day. “I’m enjoying pitching a lot more than I am sitting back and watching games,” Estrada, slated to start Wednesday’s Game 5 for the Toronto Blue Jays, said on Tuesday afternoon. “I get more nervous watching a game because there’s nothing I can do about it.” Game 4 would prove to be a low bar to clear in the fun category.
Toronto Blue Jays’ offence will have to solve Kansas City Royals ace Johnny Cueto in Game 3
TORONTO — David Price, acquired at the trade deadline, was every bit the ace the Toronto Blue Jays needed him to be as they fought to win their division. Johnny Cueto, dealt to the Royals a few days earlier, was nothing like the star Kansas City thought it was getting as the team readied itself for a playoff run. But the magnifying lens of the playoffs can often change perceptions, especially because their teams were willing to sacrifice prospects to take their shot at winning it all in 2015.
Toronto Blue Jays starter Marcus Stroman ‘excited’ to perform under the Game 5 spotlight
TORONTO — It is the expected, if not always believable, response given by athletes asked to describe their mindset heading into events of obvious significance: It’s just like any other game. Stroman has made just five big-league starts since his improbable return from what basically everyone but the pitcher himself thought would be a season-ending knee injury, suffered in spring training. However short Stroman’s season has been, it has not been lacking in consequence.
Toronto Blue Jays turn to changeup artist Marco Estrada to keep season alive against Texas Rangers
TORONTO — The Toronto Blue Jays had to contend with one of the best changeups in baseball on Friday, when they took on Rangers left-hander Cole Hamels. Now, heading to Texas one loss away from elimination, they’re counting on another changeup artist — one who started the year in the bullpen — to keep their season alive.
Texas Rangers find key contributors outside their ‘core’ in Game 2 win over Toronto Blue Jays
TORONTO — The bat of Hanser Alberto, the rookie third baseman called upon to replace the injured Adrian Beltre, provided little to the Texas Rangers in Game 2 of their American League Division Series. No, the rookie third baseman needed an assist from Delino DeShields Jr. for the hit that drove home the winning run in Friday’s 6-4 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.
The Taylor Swift Toronto Blue Jays Playoff Predictor: Let T-Swizzle tell the story of the post-season
Taylor Swift performed at Toronto’s Rogers Centre, home of the Blue Jays, this past weekend. Her arrival was met with jubilation from her fans — and rumours of a curse. As ESPN explains, the Houston Astros, Washington Nationals and San Diego Padres all played poorly following Swift’s shows in their respective cities. And so, with Swift performing on the Blue Jays’ home turf just days before their first playoff appearance in 22 years, the curse became kind of a thing. Well, we’re not buying it.
The Toronto Blue Jays’ biggest plays of the regular season, as chosen by cold-hearted math
The Toronto Blue Jays’ biggest, most memorable hits are likely yet to come as they get set for their first playoff series in 22 years. But before the first pitch of the Jays’ 2015 post-season is thrown, let’s take a moment to look at the plays that got them there, with our good friend math as our guide.
How Alex Anthopoulos built - then rebuilt - the Toronto Blue Jays into post-season favourites
TORONTO — Alex Anthopoulos was not at his freshest as the Toronto Blue Jays celebrated their first post-season berth in 22 years. “This thing stinks,” the general manager said of his soaked shirt as the players sprayed champagne and beer. “But it’s nice.” Things have occasionally been, to quote pitcher R.A. Dickey, a little “stinky” for the Blue Jays during Anthopoulos’ tenure. But now the GM and his team have come up smelling like roses.
Toronto Blue Jays ride potent offence to celebratory Saturday win
TORONTO — The day before he took the mound against his former teammate, Toronto Blue Jays ace David Price had a word of advice for his current ones: hit Chris Archer’s fastball. Hitters stand little chance against the Rays right-hander’s slider, which Price once called “BY FAR the best pitch in baseball” (emphasis his). The Blue Jays did as they were advised against the Rays on Saturday, taking Archer’s fastball deep twice before the end of the first inning.
The Toronto Blue Jays will play in baseball’s 2015 post-season
TORONTO — John Gibbons didn’t know until he arrived at the ballpark on Saturday morning. Russell Martin only found out when a reporter informed him a couple of hours before the Toronto Blue Jays’ afternoon game. “I bet you could find somebody else that doesn’t know,” Martin, the Jays’ catcher, said before Saturday’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays. “I guarantee you. Somebody doesn’t know that we’ve clinched.” It’s true — the Jays have, indeed, clinched a playoff berth.
Toronto Blue Jays’ bullpen aces trumped by Red Sox hitters in ninth-inning loss
TORONTO — The Toronto Blue Jays’ task for the last few weeks of the regular season is two-fold: first and foremost, to make the playoffs; second, to put themselves in the best possible position to make a long post-season run once there. Manager John Gibbons showed a similar duality of purpose when he pencilled Russell Martin into the Blue Jays’ lineup with knuckleballer R.A. Dickey on the mound for Saturday’s game against the Boston Red Sox.
Toronto Blue Jays’ Troy Tulowitzki feeling better, but no date for his return
TORONTO — Troy Tulowitzki can lift his arm now. That this represents progress for the Toronto Blue Jays’ star shortstop is not ideal, but it is progress nonetheless. A week after fracturing his left shoulder blade in a collision with centre-fielder Kevin Pillar, and days after visiting a specialist in Boston, Tulowitzki says he is feeling “a lot better.” “Before I couldn’t even move my arm,” he said. There remains no set plan or date for Tulowitzki’s return to the Jays’ lineup.
What does it take to be an Olympic bobsledder? Watch a National Post reporter fall ridiculously short
HAMILTON, Ont. — There’s no ice. No sled. And yet this is where it all starts for aspiring members of Canada’s Olympic bobsleigh and skeleton teams — on a rainy summer day at a McMaster University gym, thousands of kilometres away from the sliding centre at Calgary’s Canada Olympic Park. Before they get anywhere near a sled, athletes vying for a spot on the Canadian national team try to make an impression at Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton’s recruitment camps.
Guide to the 2015 Pan Am Games: Everything you need to know about triathlon
Landmark status Medium The venue is part of CIBC Pan Am Park, which comprises all the facilities at Exhibition Place. The Ontario Place West Channel is located along a man-made channel by Lake Shore Boulevard and Lake Ontario and named for nearby Ontario Place (a multi-use site that formerly included a theme park and is now under redevelopment).
Guide to the 2015 Pan Am Games: Everything you need to know about baseball
Click on the logo at right to download the mobile version of the guide to your smartphone or tablet. For iPhone users, tap the icon at the top right to save the file to your iBooks app; Android users can find the file in your Downloads folder. To view the file, you may need a free PDF reader like Adobe Acrobat reader, which can be found at the iTunes store or the Google Play store.
Guide to the 2015 Pan Am Games: Everything you need to know about synchronized swimming
Click on the logo at right to download the mobile version of the guide to your smartphone or tablet. For iPhone users, tap the icon at the top right to save the file to your iBooks app; Android users can find the file in your Downloads folder. To view the file, you may need a free PDF reader like Adobe Acrobat reader, which can be found at the iTunes store or the Google Play store.
World juniors 2015: Get to know the tournament’s 10 countries
Canada has finished out of the medals two years in a row at the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship — a surprising set of results for a perennial favourite at the tournament. It’s been a lean couple of years, but Canada still boasts one of the most impressive medal collections at the world juniors and expectations remain high. How does Canada stack up overall in the medal count? How does Canada’s player pool compare to other countries? And which players should we have our eyes on this year?
What do the Toronto Blue Jays still need? Charting the team, position by position
Major League Baseball’s Winter Meetings begin Monday, and in the words of Charlie Brown-style Jose Bautista, it is a time associated with the signing of many free agents. Alex Anthopoulos heads to San Diego having done his shopping early. The Toronto Blue Jays general manager has already added free-agent all-star catcher Russell Martin and traded for elite third baseman Josh Donaldson and Canadian lefty outfielder Michael Saunders.
How does Milos Raonic stack up at the ATP World Tour Finals?
Milos Raonic achieved a goal years in the making when he booked his ticket to the ATP World Tour Finals on Halloween. And he had to pull out what his manager called a “career-defining win” against No. 2 Roger Federer to do it. The Thornhill, Ont., native will have to bring more of his best tennis if he wants to do more than just qualify.
Alex Ovechkin stares at camera for three minutes in Russian music video
Alex Ovechkin would like to show you his moves off the ice. Only there’s not much moving involved. In the video for Russian pop star Katya Lel’s “Let Them Talk,” you won’t find Ovechkin singing or dancing. You will find him standing motionless while staring at the camera as Lel drapes herself all over him. The video contains “unusual and somewhat provocative images,” with Ovechkin portraying the “build of a serious man.” Serious like a Royal Guard.
Calgary Flames AHL affiliate apologizes for flame mascot that horrifyingly ‘overpowers’ a firefighter
We get that you want to link your minor-league team to its far-off parent club, Adirondack Flames. And we get the appeal of a fun backstory rooted in local lore. But this was not the way to do it. The Flames, the new American Hockey League affiliate of the Calgary Flames based in Glens Falls, New York, unveiled their mascot on Thursday. His name is Scorch. Sure, he looks OK, but his backstory is a bit questionable. He apparently finds his origins in a devastating fire and overpowered a firefighter.
Nationals try to live up to the hype, Yasiel Puig ready for his encore: Storylines to follow in the NL
The 2014 baseball season is already underway, launched last weekend on a repurposed cricket grounds in Sydney, Australia. The Los Angeles Dodgers have a head start on the rest of baseball — and a two-game lead on their National League West rivals after sweeping the Arizona Diamondbacks Down Under. Oddly enough, the Dodgers get to kick things off again when they play the Padres in the now-traditional Sunday night opener.
Blue Jays’ Brandon Morrow looks to bounce back, Angels try to get their money’s worth: Storylines to follow in the AL
The 2014 baseball season is already underway, launched last weekend on a repurposed cricket grounds in Sydney, Australia. The Los Angeles Dodgers have a head start on the rest of baseball — and a two-game lead on their National League West rivals after sweeping the Arizona Diamondbacks Down Under. Oddly enough, the Dodgers get to kick things off again when they play the Padres in the now-traditional Sunday night opener.
Super Bowl 2014: A look back at the Top Five halftime shows
Marching bands. From university campuses and high schools. And drill teams. Before Beyoncé, Madonna, U2 and the glitz and glamour, before Shania Twain and Sting, the Rolling Stones or Springsteen, there were marching bands, and the pride of local school orchestras on the field between the first and second half. With a few exceptions, like that year with Ella Fitzgerald’s tribute to Louis Armstrong (Super Bowl VI), or Mercer Ellington’s Duke Ellington tribute in 1975 (Super Bowl IX).
2013 in Sport: Toronto Blue Jays crumble under the hype
Our 2013 in Sport series: Winning, it turns out, is not everything. Certainly not when it comes to choosing the sporting moments of the year. We will remember the champions — the Chicago the Blackhawks, the Miami Heat, the Baltimore Ravens and on and on — but it is not their victories that resonate. It is the collapses and confessions and clutch shots that captured our imagination in 2013, and in one case an imaginary girlfriend that captured someone else’s attention.
Sara Errani beating bigger players by carrying a bigger stick … named Excalibur
TORONTO — Sara Errani is an anomaly at the top of the WTA rankings. The women’s game has been taken over by the Maria Sharapovas of the world — tall, powerful players. Errani stands 5-foot-4. And while doubles are just an afterthought for most top singles players, Errani is part of the No. 1-ranked pair. Many players show promise young and steadily improve, but Errani made a huge leap at the age of 25.
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