Howell: Blue Jays fans are 'pretty cutthroat'

One of the Toronto Blue Jays' new bullpen additions hasn't always been welcomed with open arms by the team's faithful.

When asked what led him to sign a one-year, $3-million deal in Toronto, 33-year-old J.P. Howell mentioned the Blue Jays passionate - and sometimes vulgar - fan base as one of the primary reasons.

"I've always loved it there," Howell said, according to Gregor Chisolm of MLB.com. "I love the fans, the people, it gets rowdy. It's tough being an opponent in there. They're pretty cutthroat, they do their research. I'd love to be a home guy there. I want them to do that, keep it up, keep breaking them down.

"They say some personal things. They know Google, they check it out. They definitely do. It's interesting going there. I don't want to say it's a hockey vibe, but it's a rowdy vibe."

The left-hander has experience pitching in the American League, including in the AL East as a member of the Tampa Bay Rays from 2006-2012. Although he was on the receiving end of some nasty cat calls, it didn't seem to affect his decision to sign north of the border.

"(The comments are) all rated R," Howell said. "A lot of them. Plenty of them. They get to you and it makes it a little wavy out there. It makes you a little emotional and that's what we want. We want those guys to feel it."