JEFF BLAIR
Globe and Mail Update Published on Friday, Jul. 28, 2006 9:21AM EDT Last updated on Wednesday, Apr. 08, 2009 3:40AM EDT
Blue Jays approach Royals
General manger J.P. Ricciardi said Thursday that the Toronto Blue Jays have contacted the Kansas City Royals, who have made veteran left-hander Mark Redman, their All-Star representative, available.
The Blue Jays are looking to bolster their starting pitching by Monday's non-waiver trade deadline. Ricciardi said before the first game of a four-game series against the Oakland Athletics that right-hander Dustin McGowan will be up with the major league team "soon."
That could be as early as tomorrow, when he would replace Casey Janssen in the starting rotation. The Blue Jays continue to monitor other starting pitchers that are on the trading block: Jon Lieber and Cory Lidle of the Philadelphia
Phillies, Rodrigo Lopez of the Baltimore Orioles and Tony Armas, Jr., of the Washington Nationals. Ricciardi has also told the Florida Marlins that he wants to be part of any trade discussion involving Dontrelle Willis. (*)right-fielder Alex Rios was scheduled to re-join the Blue Jays in time for Friday's game, but that schedule could be altered as a result of the postponement of Thursday's game between the Triple-A Syracuse SkyChiefs and Ottawa Lynx. Rios was scheduled to get five bats in the game and play right field.
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Updated Friday July 28 at 9:23 p.m.
Jays have eye on Lidle, sources say
Sources with both teams confirm that the Toronto Blue Jays are one of a half-dozen teams interested in Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Cory Lidle (http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/team/player.jsp?player_id=117756.)
The Phillies will move Lidle, who is eligible for free agency, before Monday's non-waiver trade deadline and expect to receive no more than a mid-level prospect in return. The Blue Jays, who as of now expect Gustavo Chacin back in the rotation by Aug. 9, would like a veteran arm to allow them to demote Casey Janssen to Triple-A Syracuse.
Tony Armas, Jr., of the Washington Nationals and Rodrigo Lopez of the Baltimore Orioles are other pitchers in which that the Blue Jays have a degree of interest.
The Blue Jays had Vernon Wells back in the starting lineup Wednesday night for their series finale with the Seattle Mariners. Wells missed the first two games of the series with back spasms. Manager John Gibbons listed Wells as the starting centre-fielder, although going into batting practice he reserved the right to make a last-minute move of Wells to the DH spot.
Meanwhile, the club announced that Chacin and Ty Taubenheim were both sent out to Syracuse on injury rehabilitation options. Chacin (left elbow strain) will start Sunday and Taubenheim will pitch out of the bullpen.
Chacin's elbow responded fine to a simulated game on Tuesday, but the Blue Jays will carefully watch Sunday's outing. "He's not going to be out of the woods until after a couple of starts," a club source said.
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Updated Thursday July 27 at 5:27 p.m.
Lugo's price still too high
The Tampa Bay Devil Rays asking price for shortstop Julio Lugo remains too high. They want one of the Toronto Blue Jays premier young bullpen arms — Shaun Marcum, Brandon League or, down at Triple-A Syracuse, Dustin McGowan.
The Blue Jays are thinking more along the lines of David Purcey, the 16th choice in the first round of the 2004 draft, and sources say they have given the Devil Rays a list of pitchers from which to choose.
That should come as no surprise, since the Blue Jays face issues with their middle relief next year. Both Justin Speier and Scott Schoeneweis will be allowed to leave as free agents and the Blue Jays would rather not spend much time this winter scouring for middle relievers. Purcey, a left-hander, is expendable because he's stagnated a bit.
Lugo is eligible for free agency and the Devil Rays have no interest in retaining him. The Blue Jays, for their part, would only view him as a short-term proposition and let him go this winter in return for compensatory draft picks. The addition of Lugo would give the Blue Jays a deep lineup from top to bottom and also mean that manager John Gibbons won't have to walk a late-inning line strategically — something he has to do with nifty-fielding/light-hitting John McDonald, his current shortstop.
The Blue Jays have had some conversations with the Chicago Cubs about Todd Walker, but he's a second baseman and they'd rather leave Aaron Hill at second. Among the starting pitchers that J.P. Ricciardi is said to have some interest in is former Blue Jay Corey Lidle, who is expected to be dumped on the market by the Philadelphia Phillies.
* Vernon Wells was a late scratch from the Blue Jays lineup Monday night with what a club spokesman said was a "tweaked muscle" in his back sustained during batting practice.
Reed Johnson, who was originally in right field, took Wells's spot in centre field while Eric Hinske, who was on the bench in part because of a 2-for-16 lifetime mark against Seattle Mariners started Joel Pineiro, started in right.
* they remember Blue Jays hitting coach Mickey Brantley in Seattle. Brantley is one of five players in the past 20 years to hit an inside-the-park home run at home in a Mariners uniform - a list that grew Sunday when Adrian Beltre accomplished the feat. "Yeah, that was 20 years ago ... and about 35 pounds ago," Brantley laughed on Monday. Brantley's next big task will be to help Alex Rios hit the ground running when he rejoins the team in Oakland possibly as early as Thursday, after the conclusion of his injury rehabilitation. "We had a chance to work with him in Toronto, but it's all about timing and feel in the game and there's only so much we can do about that," said Brantley. "Alex is going to have the biggest say, there ...."
* Mariners all-star second baseman Jose Lopez rejoined the club Monday and was in uniform for the first game of the three-game series against the Blue Jays. But he was not in the starting lineup. Lopez rejoined the team from Venezuela, where he returned to attend the family matters.
* how about A-Rod playing for the Cubs?
MONDAY NIGHT'S LINEUPS
Blue JaysRF Reed Johnson
LF Frank Catalanotto
1B Lyle Overbay
3B Troy Glaus
DH Gregg Zaun
C Bengie Molina
RF Eric Hinske
2B Aaron Hill SS John McDonald
SP: RH Casey Janssen
Mariners
RF Ichiro Suzuki
2B Willie Bloomquist
3B Adrian Beltre
LF Raul Ibanez
1B Richie Sexson
DH Carl Everett
C Kenji Johjima
SS Yuniesky Betancourt
CF Adam Jones
SP: RH Joel Pineiro
Updated Monday July 24 at 10:00 p.m.
Things looking bright for Jays, bright enough to start spending
It's official: for the immediate future, the Toronto Blue Jays are buyers.“We're going to need some help catching the (Boston) Red Sox, but we're playing so hard right now and – I don't know – maybe we're getting ready to play our best baseball of the season,” general manager J.P. Ricciardi said Sunday, after the Blue Jays hammered the New York Yankees 13-5.
“No way we're a seller. There's too much baseball left to be played.”
Taking three out of four games from the Yankees hasn't made much of a dent in either the American League East Division or wild-card race but at few points in his tenure as G.M. has Ricciardi been able to sit back and rattle off as many positives as he did Sunday. That's notable, because the non-waiver trade deadline is one week from Monday.
“Vernon (Wells) is hitting the ball well, Eric (Hinske's) hitting the ball well and Troy Glaus' leg is healthy … Doc (Roy Halladay) has given us a good start, so has A.J. (Burnett) and our young guys – well, they've given us a chance. (Shaun) Marcum gave us a chance and that's what we're asking.”
Ricciardi traded malcontent Shea Hillenbrand on Friday night along with Vinnie Chulk and received, in return, a young right arm that some within the San Francisco Giants' organization had tabbed as the teams closer of the future, Jeremy Accardo. And Sunday, Ricciardi pronounced that he is not interested in trading any of his position players – no Bengie Molina, Gregg Zaun or Hinske. In fact, he said, his biggest position acquisition could very well turn out to be a return to health by Alex Rios.
“I like what we have in terms of position players. Now, I want to see guys like Eric get some at bats,” said Ricciardi, just before boarding the Blue Jays bus from the Rogers Centre to Pearson International for the trip here to Seattle, where the Blue Jays open a three-game series Monday night against the Mariners as part of a 10-game, 11-day road trip to Oakland and New York.
The Blue Jays have been the focal part of trade rumours recently linking them with shortstop Julio Lugo of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, and it's true that finding someone to take Hillenbrand off their hands frees up about $2-million (all figures U.S.) in salary.
Accardo may not be the next Joe Nathan; he's a converted shortstop who one scout says will “only go as far as his cutter takes him ... if it keeps developing, he can close.”
Accardo's acquisition would allow Ricciardi to move one of his young power arms, such as Shaun Marcum, Dustin McGowan or Brandon League and use that as the basis for trade for Lugo – who would upgrade the Blue Jays middle infield. But he won't be silly about it, because with Justin Speir and Scott Schoeneweis not coming back next year (they're free agents) and Jason Frasor in purgatory, cheap middle relief will be vital. Asked if he would still be more inclined to trade for an established pitcher than a position player, Ricciardi reacted in the affirmative.
* Funny man Ray Ratto of the San Francisco Chronicle gives his take on the Shea Hillenbrand deal.
* Reggie Jackson was, is and always will be the man. He discusses Alex Rodriguez's situation with Mike Lupica.
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Updated Sunday July 23 at 6:54 p.m.
Gibbons explains his showdown with Hillenbrand
He had heard his general manager, J.P. Ricciardi, call out his third, fourth and fifth-place hitters on the eve of the All-Star break and was asked then if he felt that wasn't his job. Catcher Gregg Zaun would later say the team seemed to lack a sense of urgency.
“Nah, J.P.'s the G.M. and he's an emotional guy and I've known him for a long time,” Toronto Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said of Ricciardi. “There's nothing like that.”
So Thursday morning, when he was asked if he felt that his showdown with Shea Hillenbrand was a way of seizing control of a lackadaisical clubhouse, Gibbons responded with a terse “No.” Fair enough. Does Gibbons think, however, that he surprised a few players with his challenge of Hillenbrand? “Yes,” he said, “I bet I did.”
Few professional sports teams spend as much time together as Major League baseball teams, a product of spring training, long travel and a long season with few off days. So not everyone is going to get along all the time. But Hillenbrand needs to be better than other people, because he already carries the reputation of being a bit of an odd bird, if not an out and out malcontent. There are people in baseball who were willing to overlook his derogatory comments about Boston Red Sox's G.M. Theo Epstein (Hillebrand used a derogatory term for homosexuals in what he says was one of those “unguarded moment” things) but knowing now that a perceived lack of playing time can become an issue with him, you wonder how many contending teams will be interested in his services.
“It's a small game, and Shea made some pretty disparaging remarks when he left Boston,” said Ricciardi. “But he has value. I'm optimistic I can make a deal for him.
By designated Hillenbrand for assignment following Wednesday's game, the Blue Jays gave themselves a 10-day window to trade or release him. That dovetails, more or less, with the non-waiver trade deadline and there are teams (the San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers, Cincinnati Reds, San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim) that have at least some need for an offensive corner infielder.
Ricciardi also felt obligated Thursday to respond to some bizarre on-line rumours circulating in the U.S. that had Gibbons' job in jeopardy.
“I know there are some rumours out there about Gibby's job and I'm here to say that it's never been more secure than it is now,” said Ricciardi.
* The Blue Jays purchased the contract of catcher/first baseman Jason Phillips from Triple-A Syracuse to take Hillenbrand's place on the roster. Phillips was in uniform for Thursday's first game of a four-game series against the New York Yankees.
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Updated Thursday July 20 at 7:48 p.m.
Jays had to make Adams move
I don't believe that John McDonald can play every day on a team contending for a post-season spot, but the simple fact is that Russ Adams didn't hit enough to overcome his defensive deficiencies and therefore the Toronto Blue Jays had no choice but make the move they made Saturday, installing McDonald at short and shifting Aaron Hill back to second base.
If Adams hit the way the team thought he could, this move isn't made.
There are issues with the move, of course. McDonald's bat will be a late-inning weakness -- there's a reason he's been a bench player for this long -- and the spectre now exists of Adams finishing a game in the field because he's come in to pinch-hit for McDonald. Will manager John Gibbons then use Adams at second and shift Hill to short? Either way, the Blue Jays will be weakened defensively.
Adams' left-handed bat, when productive, gave the lineup a better balance than McDonald's righty bat -- but that's overcome a bit by Eric Hinske's re-emergence.
The Blue Jays want McDonald to be a steadying influence on the infield, because the sense around baseball is that general manager J.P. Ricciardi still wants to address concerns he has about the teams pitching as opposed to dealing with positional issues. The Blue Jays have in the past inquired about the pitcher who beat them this weekend, the Seattle Mariners Gil Meche, and they will monitor the Chicago White Sox's apparent interest in moving Freddy Garcia. They do not have as much interest as they've had in the past in Javier Vazquez, having seen his act in the American League East Division with the New York Yankees.
The White Sox dumped Cliff Politte on Saturday, which only increases the likelihood that they'll try to trade for bullpen help.
* lost in the shuffle during commissioner Bud Selig's question and answer session with the Baseball Writer's Association of Americon Tuesday was his feeling that the chances of the designated hitter ever been adopted by the National League are just short of zero. In fact, Selig seemed to indicate there was a better chance of the DH eventually disappearing, although he did say that it would take "some sort of cataclysmic, geographical divisional re-alignment" for that to happen;
* here's a shock! The Athletics Milton Bradley appears to have made a less-than-favourable impression on those racially-sensitive Red Sox's fans this weekend at Fenway Park (http://redsox.bostonherald.com/redSox/view.bg?articleid=148556)
* Meet the 'Friends of Barry.' Talk about a motley crew (http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/story/435451p-366922c.html)
* George Steinbrenner said, by our count, 37 words on Saturday. And the presses stopped (http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/story/435530p-366980c.html)
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Updated Sunday, July 16 at 11:58 p.m.
Lopez puts Jays' days behind him
Felipe Lopez doesn't care to hear about the Toronto Blue Jays middle infield woes, nor was he in a mood to be reflective Friday night after his first game with the Washington Nationals. Since he's been gone, the Blue Jays have mixed and matched at shortstop with Chris Woodward, Mike Bordick, Russ Adams, Chris Gomez, John McDonald and now Aaron Hill and there still could be more to come.
"Nah, why should I care about the Blue Jays?" Lopez asked, after going 0-for-4 in the Nationals 7-4 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates — a game in which Lopez committed his 15th error, leading to the Pirates third run. "That's all in the past. What do I need to worry about the past for? They did what they felt they had to do."
Lopez and Austin Kearns started for the Nationals Friday at PNC Park after being acquired along with minor league pitcher Ryan Wagner Thursday in a trade between the Cincinnati Reds and Nationals that saw Washington send Royce Clayton, Gary Majewski, Brendan Harris, minor league right-hander Daryl Thompson and the 13th pick overall in the 2004 draft, lefty Bill Bray to the Reds.
Conventional wisdom is that the Nationals pulled off a coup, although I think Bray may be the player with the most upside in the whole deal.
Both Kearns and Lopez are 26 years old. Lopez has fallen a bit offensively from last year when he was a National League All-Star and won a Silver Slugger Award with a .291 with 23 home runs and 85 runs batted in. Considered soft and prone to the odd brain cramp, scouts noted a deterioration in his defence. But the acquisition of he and Kearns appears to set up the Nationals to move Jose Guillen, if not Alfonso Soriano.
Lopez was a former first-round pick of the Blue Jays who was traded at the winter meetings in 2002 as part of a four-team deal that saw the Blue Jays get pitcher Jason Arnold in return. Lopez hit .227 with eight homers and 34 RBIs after being given the Blue Jays shortstop job full-time with the trade of Cesar Izturis. The position has been a black hole for the Blue Jays, with the current occupant — Hill — still deemed by most to be a better second baseman. Various websites have the Blue Jays tabbed as a club that will deal for Adam Kennedy, Julio Lugo, Craig Counsell or Jhonny Peralta - all either second basemen or shortstops.
A few more games like Friday night's clunker against the Seattle Mariners may make the point moot. But for now, the Blue Jays seem fixated on trading for pitching — not middle infielders - if they still feel they're in the race at the July 31 deadline.
Both Lopez and Kearns were out of sorts Friday. Lopez admitted he took his eye off the ball off the bat of the Pirates Ronny Paulino, but he refused to use the whirlwind past couple of days as an excuse.
"I'd rather be traded now than in the winter, because in this case I know the guys (Nationals general manager Jim Bowden brought Lopez to Cincinnati originally) and because it's easier to just get to a new place and start playing, instead of waiting around to see what they want from you."
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Updated Friday, July 14 at 11:49 p.m.
Godfrey fine with J.P. speaking his mind
The question put to Paul Godfrey was a direct one: did his general manager, J.P. Ricciardi, overstep his boundaries when he took the Toronto Blue Jays 3-4-5 hitters to task last week and suggest that some on-field effort was lacking? Isn't that the purview of the manager? Isn't it John Gibbons' job to light a fire under his team?
"I think that depends on how you look at the organization," said Godfrey, the Blue Jays president and chief executive officer, who knows of which he speaks from years of public and back-room politicking.
"Each organization has individuals who sort of fill the role of spokesman. Who say things when they need to be said. I mean, with the New York Yankees it's usually Joe Torre — unless George (Steinbrenner, the Yankees owner) has something to say. You look at the St. Louis Cardinals, and it's Tony La Russa, the manager. Looking at the Oakland Athletics model, it's (G.M.) Billy Beane that people go to.
"I just think that's the way it is with us. This is very much J.P. Ricciardi's team, especially with all the work that was put in during the off-season."
Ricciardi and Godfrey did discuss the G.M.'s verbal poke at his team when they met Monday in Pittsburgh at the All-Star Game, but only on a polite level.
Indeed, Godfrey has said in the past that Ricciardi's temperament is one of the reasons he enjoys working with him — and it's interesting that no less a figure than Roy Halladay as much as said the G.M. was well within his right to say what he said when he said it.
Gibbons wasn't put out, either. Remember, this is a guy who was once Ricciardi's roommate in the minors. "I know what J.P.'s like — he's emotional and he wants to win," Gibbons said. "He did a lot of work putting this team together. He should feel strongly about how it does."
* The feeling around baseball is that the Tampa Bay Devil Rays have ceased to be laughing stocks and their move of B.J. Upton to third base following Wednesday's deal of Aubrey Huff is intriguing. Friend Keith Law, formerly an advisor to Ricciardi and now one of ESPN.com's analysts, says the deal helped both the Astros (who sent two minor leaguers to the D-Rays) and Tampa Bay because the players the D-Rays received, pitcher Mitch Talbot and shortstop Ben Zobrist, are the kind of "depth prospects" that the organization lacks and every organization needs;
* Bill Madden of the New York Daily News, who knows Lou Piniella as well as anybody, says he thinks Piniella is more likely to return to managing with the Philadelphia Phillies than the Chicago Cubs because Piniella would prefer to stay on the east coast. The Phillies train in Florida, the Cubs in Arizona;
* Of course, when he reads stuff like this Piniella could be forgiven for wondering why on earth he'd want to hook up with the Phillies;
* Vernon Wells was quick with a quip after Tuesday's All-Star Game when a Japanese reporter asked him what it was like to play in the same outfield as Ichiro Suzuki and then wondered what Wells thought about Ichiro's odd, fidgety habit of continually stretching, which usually culminates in him placing both hands on his hips while standing in the outfield and twisting his torso from side to side. If it worked for Ichiro, Wells was asked, why didn't he do it. "I can only dream of being as flexible as that," said Wells;
* Don't know how it was handled in Canada, but in the U.S. telecast of the All-Star Game FOX broke away for a commercial during the playing of the Canadian national anthem then hustled back for the playing of the U.S. national anthem. Tasteless, but predictable;
* Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano was injured before the All-Star Game when he was hit by a bat being wielded by White Sox's coach Joey Cora. Those lovable Cubs!
* Nice marketing idea they've come up with at Knology Park -- a baseball-themed wrestling match before a Dunedin Blue Jays game.
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Updated Wednesday, July 12 at 8:49 p.m.
Blue Jays coach takes third base in All-Star Game
John Gibbons took a red carpet ride all the way to the third base coaches box last night.
Gibbons, the manager of the Toronto Blue Jays, has been given third-base coaching responsibilities for manager Ozzie Guillen's American League team at Tuesday night's All-Star Game.
"I don't know how many signs I'm going to have to be giving the hitters," Gibbons said before the game. "Somebody told me I should make sure that I stick my foot out and trip A-Rod or any of the Yankees or Red Sox's guys when they go around the base."
Like the rest of the All-Stars, Gibbons and his family were driven to the game across the Roberto Clemente bridge, in an SUV which travelled along a red carpet running the length of the bridge. Pittsburgh, which is one of the hidden gems of the NL circuit, has done a bang-up job playing host to the game at a ballpark that has supplanted Camden Yards and some of the other new facilities as perhaps the best-liked park in baseball.
Gibbons, incidentally, was not impressed to hear that commissioner Bud Selig is considering mandating that pitchers named to the All-Star Game not be allowed to pitch on the last day before the break. Selig wants to stop the last-second lineup changes and restrictions on the use of pitchers that have cropped up at recent All-Star Games.
"How can you do that?" Gibbons asked. "This game's important, but it's not that important. I mean, c'mon: you can only re-invent so much of this game.
"If it's an issue, than push the (All-Star Game) back a day."
* General manager J.P. Ricciardi is here but many of his peers skipped the game, so he described trade talk as "practically non-existent." But Ricciardi did find time these past two days to have a chat with Vernon Wells, who criticized Ricciardi after Ricciardi ripped into the Blue Jays 3-4-5 hitters for a lack of production. "It's all taken care of," Ricciardi said Tuesday. "It's over. No big deal." Ricciardi also dismissed suggestions that the relationship between himself and Wells has been damaged so much that it is now likely that Wells will not sign a contract extension at the end of the season. "That's just not the case," said Ricciardi …
* The announcement that major league baseball had reached seven-year broadcast agreements with Fox Sports and TBS, Inc., represents a shift in the sports' television landscape. Both NBC and CBS are reported to be ready to make a play for the share of games left over and that means that ESPN could find itself squeezed out of the picture. The new contracts start in 2007 and as part of FOX's exclusive rights to the World Series, baseball has decided to start the first game of the Series on the Tuesday following the conclusion of the American and National League's championship series. In recent years, the World Series has started on a Saturday. As part of the re-working of the post-season schedule, baseball will likely conclude the regular-season on a Thursday instead of a Sunday. Consideration is also being given to starting the regular season on a Saturday and giving all teams an off-day on Monday, which is usually when baseball goes head to head with the NCAA men's basketball championship. Any changes to the schedule must be negotiated with the Major League Baseball Players Association, but many will see this as the first step toward the gradual reduction of the schedule from 162 games to 154, something that has been bandied about in the past.
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Updated Tuesday, July 11 at 7:39 p.m.
Glaus, Rios fail to cash in
It's interesting that in these days of bonuses and contractual quirks, Troy Glaus will not receive a bonus for making the American League All-Star team.
Neither Glaus, who was voted on to the team in a poll of players, managers and coaches, or Alex Rios — also voted on to the team by his peers but not eligible to play because he is on the 15-day disabled list — will receive any additional money for making the all-star roster.
Roy Halladay and B.J. Ryan will each get $75,000 (all figures U.S.), while Vernon Wells will receive $25,000.
Elsewhere …
* It's been a smooth ride for the Mets but reliever Pedro Feliciano blistered manager Willie Randolph following Monday's hammering by the Pirates and now there is uncertainty about the health of Pedro Martinez. I still think the Mets are the only team with a shot at landing Dontrelle Willis if the Marlins decide to trade him;
* word is that Trail, B.C.'s, Jason Bay has decided to take a pass on the Home Run Derby during next week's All-Star festivities at his home park (PNC Park) after going homerless last year in Detroit;
* my sources are telling me that the Blue Jays and Cubs could figure in a deal after the All-Star break. The Cubs are going to dump infielder Todd Walker and might also look at moving Michael Barrett — whose omission from the NL All-Star team, even though it owes much to the justifiable presence of pitcher Carlos Zambrano as the Cubs representative, is one of the injustices of the All-Star rosters. Surprising, considering his knockdown of A.J. Pierzynski was universally cheered in most clubhouses. Barrett has his fans in the Blue Jays front office ….
* Dayn Perry of FOX sports has an interesting read on the hiring of Paul DePodesta by the Padres although his shot at L.A. Times columnist Bill Plaschke is wrong-headed.
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Updated Tuesday July 4 at 2:10 p.m.
Burnett's message is what the Blue Jays need to hear
The numbers on the field were gruesome — 41/3 innings, 97 pitches, three walks, 10 hits and seven runs against a bad baseball team — but I saw something in A.J. Burnett after Sunday's 11-6 loss to the Phillies that I liked.
Standing in front of his locker, Burnett bristled when asked by a reporter about his health. "I'm not going to answer any more questions about my injury," he said, "because I am not injured. I'll go anywhere you guys want ... but I won't go there."
It's a message that ought to resonate throughout the clubhouse.
This is really all the Blue Jays need to hear from Burnett, after his stutter-step start to his first season with the club after signing a five-year, $55-million (U.S.) free-agent contract. They know they have a gunslinger equally prone throughout his career to flights of brilliance and stumbles into the depths of pitching madness. They can manage that. He is what his track record says he is. What they need most are innings.
All manager John Gibbons said after the game was that "he didn't pitch badly, we didn't help him out either."
Meanwhile, Vernon Wells told me after the game that he was still unsure whether he would start Monday night's first game of a three-game series against the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Tex. Wells left Friday's game with a mild left hamstring strain and didn't play on Saturday or Sunday.
"I'd like to play," Wells said, "but let's see what it's like when I get to the ballpark."
The Blue Jays sent down Jason Frasor after Sunday's game and recalled Shaun Marcum. As for Alex Rios? He remained in hospital with an infection in his leg, but a club spokesman said there was a chance he would be released on Monday.
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Updated Sunday July 2 at 11:46 p.m.
Jays put Rios on the 15-day DL
Vernon Wells' nagging leg injury isn't expected to keep him out of the lineup Monday when the Toronto Blue Jays open a seven-game road trip to Texas and Kansas City with the first of three games in his hometown of Arlington, Tex.
But with Alex Rios still in the hospital Sunday batting a leg infection, Wells' uncertain status forced the Blue Jays hand and Rios was placed on the 15-day disabled list following Saturday's game. Chad Mottola's contract was purchased from Triple-A Syracuse.
Blue Jays manager John Gibbons visited Rios Saturday morning. Rios is on the DL retroactive to June 28, meaning he will be eligible to come off the DL for the Blue Jays first game after the break, July 14, when they play the Seattle Mariners at the Rogers Centre.
General manager J.P. Ricciardi already said on Friday that Rios would not play in the All-Star Game if he was chosen. Rios is expected to travel to Pittsburgh for the game if he is selected, and take part in the ceremonies around the game. Mottola hit .278 with 12 home runs and 52 runs batted in at Syracuse.
TODAY'S LINEUPS
Philadelphia Phillies
Jimmy Rollins SS; Chase Utley, 2B; Bobby Abreu, RF; Pat Burrell, DH; Ryan Howard; 1B; David Dellucci, LF; Shane Victorino, David Bell, 3B; Sal Fasano, C
Toronto Blue Jays
Reed Johnson, CF; Frank Catalanotto, LF; Troy Glaus, 3B; Shea Hillenbrand, DH; Bengie Molina, C; Lyle Overbay, 1B; Aaron Hill, SS; Eric Hinske, RF; John McDonald, SS
* the Rangers were said to have had scouts in Toronto this weekend to see the Phillies David Dellucci;
* one reason Yankees fans are starting to get so down on Alex Rodriguez — other than the palpable lack of World Series rings — is the fact that five of his 17 home runs have been hit either when the Yankees were leading or trailing by fives runs or more. Shades of Jesse Barfield. Only Alfonso Soriano (seven of 24) and Travis Hafner (six of 21) have as many meaningless homers;
* Joe Mauer is all the rage these days, and Kevin Kernan of the New York Post spoke to Tony Gwynn who said 'Hey, why can't Joe Mauer bat .400?' Considering the wear and tear that being a catcher takes on a guy's body, it would be a truly remarkable feat. Improbable, too.
* Dusty Baker's status as Cubs manager is shaky and it will provide grist for the rumour mill during the All-Star Break. More and more, we're hearing the name of Lou Piniella as a possible replacement;
PITCHING MATCHUPS FOR TEXAS/BLUE JAYS
Monday: Blue Jays LH Ted Lilly (8-7, 3.87) vs. Rangers LH John Rheinecker (3-2, 4.35)
Tuesday: Blue Jays RH Roy Halladay (10-2, 3.22) vs. Rangers LH John Koronka (6-4, 4.79)
Wednesday: Blue Jays RH Casey Janssen (6-6, 4.38) vs. RH Juan Padilla (7-5, 4.47)
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Updated Sunday July 2 at 2:04 p.m.
Rios won't be available to play in All-Star Game
Alex Rios' return to the Toronto Blue Jays lineup is expected to become clearer Saturday but general manager J.P. Ricciardi said Friday that whatever the date, Rios would not likely be available to play in the All-Star Game.
Rios remained a long-shot to make the AL team even healthy, but the sizable number of write-in votes he had received made him at least warrant consideration. But with his admission to Mount Sinai Hospital on Thursday with an infected leg, it is possible that he will not play until after the All-Star Break even if he were to be released Saturday.
The All-Star Break begins a week from Monday.
"We're going to play short-handed through this right now," Ricciardi said, when asked if Rios would be placed on the 15-day disabled list. "It's the bullpen that would normally be a concern short-handed, but it's pretty well-rested right now."
Ricciardi described Rios' infection as "scary stuff." Rios, who was hitting .330 with 15 home runs and 53 runs batted in, fouled a ball off his lower left leg on Wednesday.
THE LINEUPS
Philadelphia Phillies
Jimmy Rollins, SS; David Dellucci, DH; Chase Utley, 2B; Bobby Abreu, RF; Ryan Howard, 1B; Aaron Rowand, CF; Shane Victorino, LF; David Bell, 3B; Sal Fasano, C
Toronto Blue Jays
Eric Hinske, RF; Frank Catalanotto, LF; Vernon Wells, CF; Troy Glaus, 3B; Lyle Overbay, 1B; Shea Hillenbrand, DH; Bengie Molina, C; Aaron Hill, SS; Russ Adams, 2B
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Updated Friday June 30 at 5:58 p.m.
When will Reed Johnson get to second base?
"This basically is an idea that Butter (infield and third base coach Brian Butterfield) had," Toronto Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said Wednesday. "Butter thinks that Reed can he what he called a 'super utility guy,' a guy who can play any position. So, Reed just worked out at second base the other day. There's nothing more to it than that."
Johnson worked on turning the pivot during an early session on Tuesday, which raised some eyebrows considering the issues that have surrounded the Blue Jays middle infield all season long. But Johnson, who has made 30 starts in left field, four in right and two in centre, leads the Blue Jays with a .463 on-base percentage and is batting .364 with four home runs.
Russ Adams has moved to second base and Gibbons is diplomatic when questioned about his progress. But there's little doubt that the manager feels the middle of the infield needs shoring up.
The Blue Jays played the second game of a three-game series against the Washington Nationals without right-fielder Alex Rios, who fouled a pitch off his left foot on Tuesday. "It (the foot) ballooned up on him so we're going to get him to stay off it for a day and go from there," said Gibbons.
THE LINEUPS
Washington Nationals
Alfonso Soriano, LF; Royce Clayton, SS; Jose Vidro 2B; Nick Johnson, 1B; Ryan Zimmerman, 3B; Jose Guillen, RF; Marlon Byrd, CF; Brian Schneider, C; Damian Jackson. Pitcher: RH Shawn Hill.
Toronto Blue Jays
Reed Johnson, RF; Frank Catalanotto, LF; Vernon Wells, CF; Troy Glaus, 3B; Lyle Overbay, 1B; Shea Hillenbrand, DH; Bengie Molina, C; Aaron Hill, SS; Russ Adams, 2B. Pitcher: LH Ted Lilly.
* How dare they sully the House That Ruth Built by letting the NHL stage an outdoor game at Yankee Stadium;
* Buster Olney, a charter member of The Gammons Youth, has written a nice piece on ESPN's Peter Gammons who is in hospital after surgery for a brain aneurysm. Gammons has helped just about everyone in the baseball writing business at one point.
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Updated Monday June 28 at 7:34 p.m.
Towers sent down to minors
The Toronto Blue Jays ended the agony that is Josh Towers Tuesday when they out-righted the 1-9 right-hander and his $5.2-million (U.S.) two-year contract to Triple-A Syracuse but the major news of the day was the fact that Dustin McGowan appears to be back in the plans at the major league level, possibly before the All-Star Break.
Ty Taubenheim will take Towers' turn in the rotation Saturday against the Philadelphia Phillies but manager John Gibbons said before the first game of a three-game interleague series at the Rogers Centre against the Washington Nationals that "we might dig down to the minors after Saturday for McGowan.
"We could wait and make an adjustment after the All-Star Break," Gibbons said. "But ideally, I think all of us would prefer to see Ty pitching out of the bullpen." That mirrors the thinking of general manager J.P. Ricciardi, who is on record as saying he believes Taubenheim can be more effective out of the bullpen.
As for Towers? It will be a surprise if he's back this year. He's been lopped off the 40-man roster and pitching coach Brad Arnsberg put Towers' dilemma in simple language: there is nothing wrong with his work ethic. He's healthy. "Sometimes you see the light at end of the tunnel and, like they say, it's an oncoming train," said Arnsberg.
"Josh is ... well, he's a true martyr.'
"I mean, at some point you need to pick up a couple of wins. Or at least take away a couple of no-decisions."
Towers' demotion allowed the Blue Jays to bring Pete Walker off the 15-day disabled list.
THE LINEUPS
Nationals
Alfonso Soriano, LF; Jose Vidro, 2B; Royce Clayton, SS; Nick Johnson, 1B; Ryan Zimmerman, 3B; Jose Guillen, RF; Marlon Anderson, DH; Brian Schneider, C; Marlon Byrd, CF
Blue Jays
Alex Rios, RF; Frank Catalanotto, LF; Vernon Wells, CF; Troy Glaus, 3B; Lyle Overbay, 1B; Shea Hillenbrand, DH; Bengie Molina, C; Aaron Hill, SS; Russ Adams, 2B
* It makes sense that the Blue Jays and Nationals might be trading partners, but Ricciardi said before Tuesday's game that "right now, we have nothing going with them;"
* The Nationals, incidentally, have just nine players remaining who have played a major league game in the uniform of the Expos. They are: Chad Cordero, Livan Hernandez, Shaw Hill, Nick Johnson, Gary Majewski, John Patterson, Jon Rauch, Brian Schneider and Jose Vidro;
* I like the Dodgers acquisition of Mark Hendrickson and Toby Hall for Dioner Navarro and Jae Seo but the big winner is Dodgers Canadian catcher Russell Martin, the last man standing in his two-man showdown with Navarro for the title of Dodgers catcher of the future/present;
* That's good news that Trail, B.C.'s Jason Bay has taken over the lead among all outfielders in National League All-Star balloting. Bay is bidding to become the first Pirates player voted to the starting lineup since Andy Van Slyke in 1993 and is also on the verge of becoming the first Pirates player to start in an All-Star Game in Pittsburgh since third baseman Bob Elliott started the 1944 game at Forbes Field;
* As bad as the Braves 4-20 June record is — and it stinks — it won't be the worst monthly record in baseball history. That mark belongs to the 1988 Orioles (1-22 that April.) The 1916 Philadelphia A's were 2-28 in July and the 1943 Philadelphia A's were 3-26 in August of that year, the same record that the 1982 Minnesota Twins had in May.
* Inclement weather on the east coast prevented two of the Nationals, Mike Stanton and Daryle Ward, from arriving in Toronto in time for Tuesday's game (the Nationals had an off-day Monday and both players were given permission to travel on their own.) Ward was originally scheduled to be the Nationals designated hitter, but his spot was instead taken by Marlon Anderson.
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Updated Monday June 27 at 6:34 p.m.
Market makes it tough for Ricciardi to deal
Maybe it's just a coincidence. Or maybe J.P. Ricciardi really, really likes the Washington Nationals. Or, maybe, he's playing around with the guys in the pressbox who keep glancing over to the general manager's booth and can't help but notice that — yep — he has the Nationals game on the big-screen TV again ...
"Cost-effective scouting," Ricciardi said one day recently, winking.
This much is known: the Nationals, who open a three-game series at the Rogers Centre Tuesday, are hankering to make a deal. So, too, is Ricciardi, who knows his Toronto Blue Jays cannot keep going on with this cut-and-paste starting rotation even if A.J. Burnett actually manages to make, say, three or four consecutive starting assignments.
The problem is that two pitchers who interest the Blue Jays — Tony Armas, Jr., and, to a lesser level, Livan Hernandez — are hurt. Armas's history of arm and shoulder troubles has resurfaced. Hernandez, meanwhile, has a gimpy knee and you wonder how much longer it will go on before all those innings he's logged catch up to him even if he has the strength of a plough-horse and the heart of a lion. John Patterson is of some interest to the Blue Jays, too.
Baseball's relatively strong economic performance in recent years has had a profound impact on the trade market. Simply put, fewer teams are losing great gobs of money — or any money at all - and that means they are less likely to embark on a fire sale. Sure, there are variables in each market, but at this stage of the season it appears as if teams want value in return for players.
That mitigates, slightly, against the Blue Jays most impressive area of depth: owner Ted Rogers's wallet and payroll commitment. The Blue Jays have some minor league pitching depth but do not, frankly, have a pitcher that can blow another teams prospect out of the water and that's why dealing for somebody such as, say, Dontrelle Willis (if he becomes available, which I've been told he won't) is not likely in the picture.
Ricciardi appears to have wisely decided that until he gets a better read on Burnett's durability, he really doesn't know how far he can go in making a big deal. If there is some kind of blessed convergence in this next week, with a healthy Burnett and Ted Lilly and a settled-down Casey Janssen suddenly in lock step with ace Roy Halladay, well, then he can do some serious trading.
One team that Ricciardi might be able to do business with, the Pittsburgh Pirates, reached something of a crossroads this weekend and now their franchise player, Jason Bay, is publicly calling for a move to be made . The Pirates are an interesting potential partner, since in addition to veteran pitchers and players they have some young pitching that is the stuff of multi-player deals.
Elsewhere:
* rightfully, a Philadelphia-area group that fights domestic abuse is outraged that the Phillies let Brett Myers pitch on Saturday at Fenway Park after he was arrested for allegedly punching his wife twice in the face on a Boston street in an incident that was witnessed by several bystanders. The Phillies ought to be ashamed for their cowardice, and Bill Conlin takes them to task. What is this, the NFL?
* The spat between Chicago Sun-Times columnist Jay Mariotti and White Sox's manager Ozzie Guillen has some of Mariotti's co-workers - or, at least, columnist Rick Telander - saying it's time that Mariotti start showing up in the clubhouse (columnists dodging clubhouses after writing something critical has long been an issue in this business.)
Meanwhile, according to Daily Southtown columnist Phil Arvia, the White Sox's Ross Gload has his own beef with the media - albeit a much quirkier one.
* this minor league manager's meltdown was all over ESPN and the internet. Unbelievable.
* Finally, congratulations to Blue Jays manager John Gibbons, who has been named to Guillen's American League coaching staff for the All-Star Game next month in Pittsburgh. It's been a long haul for Gibbons, who had knee problems when the Blue Jays hired him as a bullpen catcher and will admit he was helped mightily by the likes of Ken Huckaby while trying to keep it all together and stay in the game. About time Guillen did something right.
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Updated Monday June 26 at 3:14 p.m.
Jays stick with Janssen
Casey Janssen sweated through his usual bullpen session late Sunday morning with manager John Gibbons and J.P. Ricciardi both professing continued faith in the rookie right-hander, who is still scheduled to make his next start Friday against the Philadelphia Phillies.
After Sunday's ineffective four innings against the New York Mets in a 7-4 loss to the New York Mets, Josh Towers' start Saturday appears in doubt. But the Blue Jays will stick with Janssen.
"We haven't scored a lot of runs for him," Gibbons said of Janssen, whose run-support (4.0) is among the lowest of any pitchers who've taken a regular turn in the Toronto Blue Jays rotation. "But, you know, he's a young guy and I think he's just sort of naturally fallen into trying to do too much. He's falling behind hitters. Nobody can do that on a regular basis."
The Blue Jays spent a great deal of time in spring training trying to get Janssen to hone his change-up. He is, clearly, a work in progress and Gibbons, Ricciardi and pitching coach Brad Arnsberg are both aware that he has been rushed up on an emergency basis.
They're keeping this in mind as they work with him.
Meanwhile, Ricciardi said the Blue Jays don't expect to have Gustavo Chacin back until the first week of August. Chacin has been on the 15-day disabled list since June 10 with left elbow soreness.
The Blue Jays were hoping for much more on Sunday than what they received from Towers. It was his second start since having his contract purchased from Triple-A Syracuse, but after giving up six hits and four earned runs in a so-so start against the Atlanta Braves, this most recent outing was a big step back. With Pete Walker due to to be activated off the 15-day DL on Tuesday, his timing was not good.
"Josh is struggling, that's obvious," Gibbons said after the game. "He competes. He gives it everything he has." Gibbons eventually cut off any further questioning about Towers. Politely, but firmly nonetheless.
* Troy Glaus and Alexis Rios were both non-starters Sunday and made pinch-hit appearances in the ninth inning. "Nothing more than a day off," Gibbons said.
* B.J. Ryan's 21 saves are one behind the Blue Jays record for a pitcher prior to the All-Star Game. The mark is co-held by Randy Myers (1998) and Duane Ward (1993.)
* two teams with outfielders ready to move, the Nationals (Alfonso Soriano) and Milwaukee Brewers (Carlos Lee) had scouts watching Yankees prospect Philip Hughes's recent start for Double-A Trenton.
* the Post's Joel Sherman has people telling him the best closer in the AL East might not be found in the Bronx any more. In fact, neither may the second best closer in the division.
* sounds like it's time for Ozzie Guillen to shut up if he wants to keep his job.
NEXT UP: THE WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Tuesday: RHP Ramon Ortiz (5-5, 5.27) vs. RHP A.J. Burnett (0-1, 5.06)
Wednesday: RHP Shawn Hill (1-2, 4.26) vs. LHP Ted Lilly (7-7, 4.15)
Thursday: RHP John Patterson (1-1, 3.41) vs. RHP Roy Halladay (9-2, 3.07)
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Updated Sunday June 25 at 5:02 p.m.
Glaus heads back to short
Troy Glaus will see his share of duty at shortstop in the Toronto Blue Jays next six games as they embark on a six-game interleague road trip against the Florida Marlins and Atlanta Braves, beginning tonight in Florida.
With National League rules in effect, the Blue Jays will lose the services of the designated hitter.
"I want to keep Shea Hillenbrand's bat in the lineup and that's the way to go about doing it, except when Doc (Roy Halladay) pitches when we'll go with our best defensive infield," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said Thursday. "It's going to mean Aaron Hill (now the Blue Jays shortstop) is going to play a little second base. We're just going so well offensively right now, that I really don't want to start eliminating guys."
Glaus, a third baseman, has started one game at shortstop this year but played there in college.
This trip is a landmine in the schedule. With NL rules in effect, the pitchers will have to hit — and that means that Gibbons, whose bullpen has been taxed because of the inconsistency and injuries of the starting rotation, may find himself forced to remove a pitcher for a pinch-hitter. He'll have his hand forced, in other words, by offensive considerations. "Really, that doesn't worry me all that much because I see some things being ironed out in the bullpen," said Gibbons, whose bullpen went into Thursday afternoon's matinee against the Baltimore Orioles having allowed just one earned run in 12 2/3 innings, including Wednesday night's tag-team effort against the Orioles.
"I just think Justin (Speier) and Scott (Schoeneweis) are picking it up. Jason Frasor's getting it back … and Francisco Rosario, for a young guy going through a learning experience, has been really nice for us. Scott Downs isn't that far away, either. I just think he needs to be a little more aggressive with his fastball and set guys up for that big breaking pitch the way he did last year."
Meanwhile, neither Gibbons or general manager J.P. Riccairdi have been told when or if they will be asked to appear before George Mitchell's committee investigating the use of steroids and other performance enhancing substances, although Orioles manager Sam Perlozzo will be called on the carpet to do so and every other Major League team is expected to follow suit.
The New York Yankees seem to have other worries. But Randy Johnson finally stepped up and backed up his teammates Wednesday night in a beanbrawl incident with the Cleveland Indians and maybe that will help right the ship at a time when the vultures are circling and the relationship between Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter is again a topic of discussion.
Oh, and don't put much stock in those rumours first reported in the Orange County Register about the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim sniffing around after Vernon Wells. The Blue Jays are still waiting for Angels general manager Bill Stoneman to get back to them about a Shea Hillenbrand-for-Adam Kennedy proposition. When teams talk to Ricciardi about deals, he said, the name Alex Rios still comes up most often ...
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Updated Thursday June 15 at 1:53 p.m.
Adams deserves another chance
For now I'm willing to go along with J.P. Ricciardi's assessment of the virtues (and difficulties) of trading for pitching help, and also the necessity of not breaking up the Toronto Blue Jays offence.
And, frankly, I like the fact that Russ Adams was brought up before Monday's game against the Baltimore Orioles because I believe his status as Ricciardi's first first-round draft pick has made him a convenient scapegoat for the glass-is-half-empty crowd. I also like the mature and professional manner in which he addressed his demotion to Triple-A as well as the news he was going down to play second base. It's too early to give up on this guy, people, especially with interleague play on the horizon.
"Russ was actually hitting the ball pretty well when we sent him down anyhow - we really did it just to back him off a bit," Ricciardi, the Blue Jays general manager, said Monday. "At the time we sent him down, we'd hoped he'd spend a good month there. Sort of like spring training. But we speeded that up a bit. We've found our shortstop (Aaron Hill) but we also need Russ' bat with inter-league games coming up."
The Blue Jays recalled Russ Adams from Triple-A Syracuse before Monday's game at the Rogers Centre against the Baltimore Orioles and also activated infielder John McDonald off the 15-day disabled list. Edgardo Alfonzo, who had four runs batted in and one extra-base hit in 37 at bats, was released was Luis Figueroa was out-righted back to Syracuse.
Adams played in 17 games at second base for the SkyChiefs, hitting .338 with six runs batted in in 68 at bats, after appearing in 36 games this season at shortstop. He will play second in the Majors.
The Blue Jays pitching staff needs a pick-me-up tonight from Casey Janssen and with Roy Halladay due to start Tuesday this could be the "pause that refreshes" for a Blue Jays bullpen that is badly overworked. Ricciardi told me that he had conversations with four or five of his peers but not expect anything in the way of pitching help. Asked how often he heard the name "Alex Rios" from those G.M.'s, Ricciardi snickered and said: "Today, everybody wants Alex Rios."
The Blue Jays aren't the only team in the division with issues. Have you seen the New York Yankees middle relief? After the Yankees were swept by the Oakland Athletics on a weekend that included a broadside from Johnny Damon and a closed-door meeting, straight-shooter Joel Sherman of the New York Post put in print what is often whispered about Alex Rodriguez .
Bill Madden of the Daily News, meanwhile, might as well be talking about the Blue Jays in this piece.
And, no, I can't let you get away without at least talking about HGH or steroids. ESPN.com's Gene Wojciechowski has suggested an amnesty program to get to the bottom of matters. I think the idea has some merit, although it won't satiate the thirst of those who seem to think a pound of flesh is needed to help clean up the mess. That's Pound, as in Dick Pound.
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Updated Monday June 12 at 3:45 p.m.
It's getting drafty around here
What do Shea Hillenbrand and Tuesday's draft have in common? For one thing, the paucity of early draft picks available to the Toronto Blue Jays as a result of their off-season free-agent spree makes it incumbent on the organization to maximize their position in 2007.
That's because part of general manager J.P. Ricciardi's plan involves a steady stream of cost-effective contributors out of the minor league system — think Casey Janssen — and that in turn puts a premium on compensatory draft picks.
My sources tell me that part of the reasoning behind the Blue Jays readiness to trade Hillenbrand to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for Adam Kennedy — and make no mistake, they would have done the deal in a heartbeat had the Angels not demanded that the money even out - is that there is concern that the team is heading into a no-win free-agency situation with Hillenbrand.
The Blue Jays have no interest in bringing back Hillenbrand in 2007, because he's precisely the type of offensive player who quickly becomes over-priced — and because there is no guarantee that the Hillenbrand the Blue Jays are seeing this year would be the same Hillenbrand they'd get with the comfort of a multi-year contract in his back pocket.
It's nice that Hillenbrand, who makes $5.8 million (U.S.) likes his teammates so much. But every time the Blue Jays brass hears that, they cringe because the only way they'll get compensation from a team that signs Hillenbrand next winter would be to offer him salary arbitration. And what if he likes Toronto so much that he accepts it, thereby forcing the Blue Jays to overpay a player they don't really want?
Kennedy would present no such concern, since he would probably prefer to return to the west coast as a free agent. Presto: there's your compensatory draft picks! Just something to keep an eye on as the trading season heats up - yet another element in the decision-making process.
Speaking of the draft, Tom Verducci of CNNSI.com has nothing but good ideas to overhaul the silly thing.
You'll remember him as the larger than life umpire with the larger than life strike zone but that's not entirely fair. In a previous life, I used to have a few cocktails now and then at the Missouri Bar and Grill in St. Louis and sometimes Eric Gregg would be in there. Jim Salisbury of the Philly Inquirer has a nice piece on Gregg, who passed away on Sunday. And, please, would all you out there give Lastings Milledge a break?
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Updated Tuesday, June 6 at 5:12 p.m.
Wells injures shoulder
How remarkable was Vernon Wells' three home-run performance on Tuesday night?
Considering that he hit the last one with a shoulder injury that kept him out of Wednesday night's finale against the Boston Red Sox, pretty remarkable.
Wells was examined following Tuesday's game and diagnosed with swelling of the AC joint in his left shoulder.
"I have no earthly idea how I hurt it," Wells said. "Maybe somebody did something to me in the dugout, I don't know.
"I felt it in the on-deck circle before the last at bat. I stopped swinging and hoped it would go away. But it was still there when I was at the plate so I told myself: 'Stop crying. Stop being a baby.'"
Wells' usual third spot in the order was taken by Alex Rios.
Meanwhile, the Blue Jays had positive news on catcher Bengie Molina, who was hit on the hand by a Josh Beckett pitch. X-rays were negative, and while manager John Gibbons said he didn't want to use Molina Wednesday night, he also held open the possibility of using him on an emergency basis.
The Blue Jays have a day off Thursday before opening a three-game series in Tampa Bay, part of a seven-game road trip that includes four games in Baltimore.
"The shoulder felt pretty sore when I woke up this morning," Wells said. "So, I'm hoping it will feel better Friday. If it does, I'll be in the lineup. They (the Blue Jays) have trusted me in the past with nagging injuries."
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Updated Wednesday, May 31 at 5:23 p.m.
The tease continues
The tease continues. A.J. Burnett threw 40-45 pitches in a bullpen session Monday afternoon and Toronto Blue Jays pitching coach Brad Arnsberg said: "He was better than I thought he'd be. He threw hard. I thought he'd walk through it — I expected 70 to 75 per-cent — but it looked like he was 85 or 90.
"That's a nice sign."
Which means what, exactly? The Blue Jays made a paper move before Monday's game against the Boston Red Sox, placing Burnett, who has a right elbow sprain, on the 60-day disabled list and moving John McDonald to the 15-day disabled list with a groin strain. That cleared room for infielder Edgardo Alfonzo to join the club and he was scheduled to start at second base and bat ninth.
Arnsberg said that Burnett threw fastballs and changeups. Tuesday, he will incorporate his curve while throwing from flat ground. The plan currently is for Burnett to throw a three or four-inning simulated game on Monday, then make two or possibly three rehabilitation starts on his regular schedule.
If there are no setbacks, Burnett could be ready to pitch at the end of June, when the Blue Jays will be in the interleague portion of the schedule.
That would give Burnett the bonus of facing National League teams he's seen before with the Florida Marlins.
Arnsberg said he was "excited" by what he saw out of Burnett but that after the earlier false alarm this season, the team will err on the side of caution. As he told Burnett in the bullpen: "Don't try to climb the mountain in one day.' "We want to have this guy all of July, August and September — three good months and hopefully more," said Arnsberg. "If it takes an extra week to do that, that's fine."
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Updated Monday, May 29 at 6:35 p.m.
The middle infield picture
Relax. Manager John Gibbons hasn't lost his mind.
Starting Troy Glaus at shortstop Friday night was simply a way of maximizing the Toronto Blue Jays offence against the ChicagoWhite Sox's Freddy Garcia, who went into the game with a 7-1 record and a 3.92 earned run average.
The Blue Jays middle infield picture has taken on a shade of grey with the demotion of Russ Adams to Triple-A Syracuse. All indications are that Aaron Hill will be moved to shortstop — although John McDonald and Luis Figueroa will initially handle most of the duty — even though a trade with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for Adam Kennedy (which sources say general manager J.P. Ricciardi had been confident of making) has been hung up, likely for good.
In fact, Ricciardi is now talking about the possibility of Adams being back before the All-Star break and starting at second base. If he hits in Triple-A, the timetable will be moved up.
So while there was some anticipation that Friday would be a day of significant development in the Blue Jays quest to settle down their infield, what happened instead was a completely unforeseen move. Glaus played shortstop at UCLA but has only played 15 innings at the position spread over 10 games at the major leagues. He has six assists and no errors at shortstop and last filled the role in 2002 while with the Angels.
"We (Gibbons and Glaus) talked about it and I have no problem with it," said Glaus, whose body language and tone of voice backed up the sentiment. "I played it growing up and in college and in the majors I've mostly done it in late innings — double-switches in interleague games, that kind of stuff."
Glaus is 7-for-42 against Garcia. Shea Hillenbrand, who started at third base, is 2-for-9 while Eric Hinske, who is 6-for-10, started at designated hitter and Bengie Molina (8-for-31 with two home runs against Garcia,) started behind the plate.
Ricciardi admitted that he questioned Gibbons about the move, particularly the risk of injury. Gibbons was ready to change his mind if Ricciardi objected, but the lineup stayed as it is. "I'm just looking at tonight's game," Gibbons said. "This guy is one of the better pitchers in the league and we need offence. These guys (the White Sox) are going to score a lot of runs and we're going to have to keep pace."
Gibbons said his decision was made easier by the fact that the Blue Jays starter, Ted Lilly, is a fly-ball pitcher. "I wouldn't have Troy there if I expected a lot of ground balls," he said.
Gibbons added that people "shouldn't get used to seeing Glaus at short." Then, he added with a deadpan look: "Of course, if this doesn't work out, don't get used to me, either."
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Updated Friday, May 26 at 5:37 p.m.
Alfonzo signs, Kennedy in works?
One day after optioning shortstop Russ Adams to Triple-A Syracuse, the Toronto Blue Jays signed veteran Edgardo Alfonzo to a minor league contract on Thursday in a move that sends out signals that Aaron Hill is due a shift to shortstop.
A further signal could come as early as today, as source said the Blue Jays were continuing to talk to Alfonzo's former employers, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, about a trade that would send Shea Hillebrand to the west coast for Adam Kennedy.
"Right now the sides are trying to make it work," a source told me Thursday afternoon, referring to the fact that there is a $2.45-million (U.S.) difference in the 2006 base salaries between Kennedy ($3.35-million) and Hillenbrand ($5.8-million.) The Angels want cash or another player to make the deal work and the timing of Alfonzo's signing isn't an accident: it's a way of the Blue Jays telling the Angels that they are prepared to move on very soon if a deal for Kennedy isn't completed by the weekend.
Alfonzo was a low-risk move by the Blue Jays, who will be on the hook for a pro-rated portion of the major league minimum ($327,000) if he is brought up to the majors. The Angels, who released Alfonzo on Saturday, are picking up the remainder of the $7 million owed Alfonzo under the terms of his contract.
Alfonzo will report to Double-A New Hampshire. The 32-year-old right-handed batter, who was hitting just 5-for-50 (.100) with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim when they released him on Saturday, is a career .285 hitter with 146 home runs and 740 runs batted in.
"We'll give him seven to 10 days down there, let him get about 50 at bats in, and go from there," Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi said. "I spoke to Edgardo (on Wednesday) and the guy just wants a chance to play somewhere. So it's a shot for us. If he gets his swing back, he could be a productive guy and we know that he can play the position."
Ricciardi said that Adams will play second base at Syracuse and that Hill will work out at shortstop in the majors — although for the time being, he will play second base during games. Journeyman Luis Figueroa was called up from Syracuse to back up John McDonald.
"Russ is going to be a good player for us," Ricciardi said of the player who was his first first-round pick as Blue Jays G.M. "Going down to Syracuse will let him take a deep breath and playing second base will let his natural talent take over."
One thing Adams needs to do is pick up the pace offensively, because for all the emphasis on his defence his bat could have kept him up in the major leagues.
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Updated Thursday, May 25 at 3:41 p.m.
Jays mull muddled middle
It is now possible that Aaron Hill could make a mid-season position switch as a means of straightening out the Toronto Blue Jays muddled middle infield picture — something that management would have found unthinkable in spring training.
The Blue Jays are sufficiently concerned about shortstop Russ Adams' throwing that the team is now giving active consideration to moving Hill from second to short and trading for a second baseman. With few major league teams in desperate financial straits any more, clubs are less inclined to dump salary in recent years and that has led to a tight player market. If the Blue Jays can't add another shortstop which would allow them to option out Adams to Triple-A Syracuse — nobody in the organization is under the impression that John McDonald can be an everyday shortstop, and rightly so — it is possible that they would add a second baseman instead.
Fox Sports' website reported a few days ago that the Blue Jays and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have talked about the possibility of a deal that would send Adam Kennedy to the Blue Jays, ostensibly for Shea Hillenbrand. That seems like an overpayment on the Blue Jays part, but Kennedy is the kind of cost-effective acquisition that general manager J.P. Ricciardi would like to make. The Blue Jays have had internal discussions about Mark Grudzielanek of the Kansas City Royals, but he has another year on his contract after this and Ricciardi does not want to get locked in on what would be a stop-gap measure.
Ricciardi would only say that he has had some discussions with Bill Stoneman, his Angels counterpart.
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Updated Tuesday, May 23 at 7:29 p.m.
Adams presents a dilemma for Jays' brass
DENVER -- Forget the fans and call-in show types. Is Russ Adams finally under the gun as the Toronto Blue Jays shortstop?
Depends who you talk to. While it's apparent to many in the clubhouse that Adams no longer enjoys manager John Gibbons' full confidence, general manager J.P. Ricciardi, who made Adams his first first-round pick in 2002 told me that acquiring another shortstop isn't on his to-do list.
"I can think of only one game Russ cost us this year — a game against the Oakland Athletics where he blew a double play," Ricciardi said. "I still think it's too early to make an assessment on him. Look at what we've ended up having with Alex Rios," he added, referring to the fact that at one point this winter he had a deal on the table with the Pittsburgh Pirates for Craig Wilson — despite what you've read and heard elsewhere, the most serious expression of interest in Rios from any team.
"Look," Ricciardi continued, "you're going to have ups and downs with young guys. That's just the way it is. I guess what puts Russ in the heat is that he plays up the middle."
Gibbons, of course, is faced with a dilemma. John McDonald is a major upgrade defensively, but he's not the offensive player that Adams shows flashes of being. Plus, Adams is a left-handed hitter and adds nicely to the balance in the Blue Jays lineup and as he showed in Thursday's 8-4 win over the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim — when he drove in two insurance runs — he still has a knack with men on base.
But despite winning two of three games against the Angels, the Blue Jays showed some fraying defensively that could be mortal late in the season. Catcher Bengie Molina continues to be sloppy behind the plate and while Adams made a nice diving stab in the eighth inning of Wednesday's 3-0 win and threw to second to get Dallas McPherson for the forced out, but it was closer than it should have been and Gibbons noted with mild concern afterward that he appeared to be initially uncertain about where he'd throw the ball.
Meanwhile, the Blue Jays have been connected in recent days with a spate of trade rumours involving starting pitchers — including the Pirates Oliver Perez (like pitching coach Brad Arnsberg doesn't spend enough time playing amateur psychiatrist) - but Ricciardi said he's loathe to trade for a pitcher right now until he gets a better read on A.J. Burnett's status.
"I'm still waiting for that day when we get all our pitching lined up," he said.
The Blue Jays open a three-game interleague series Friday night in Coors Field, where Josh Towers should provide the acid test for the conventional wisdom that the ballpark is no longer a hitter's park. A shouting match inside the Angels clubhouse on Thursday shows the Blue Jays apparently left the Angels in a steaming, smoking, pile of rubble.
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Updated Friday, May 19 at 3:53 p.m.
Glaus humours training staff
Anaheim -- Troy Glaus humoured the Toronto Blue Jays training staff Thursday night.
Glaus, who missed Wednesday's 3-0 over the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim after leaving Tuesday's game as a result of a bruised left elbow caused by a pitch from Ervin Santana, was back in his usual cleanup spot wearing a protective pad over the elbow. "Armour," in baseball parlance.
"I'm not the kind of guy who likes to wear a lot of armour," he said, chuckling. "But the training staff wants me to think about it. Maybe to appease them, I'll try it, for a couple days at least."
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Updated Thursday, May 18 at 11:08 p.m.
Taubenheim to take the mound
Anaheim -- Ty Taubenheim is still expected to take Gustavo Chacin's turn in the Toronto Blue Jays starting rotation on Saturday when the team faces the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field.
But in the meantime, the Blue Jays added some bullpen depth for the three games between now and then by recalling Shaun Marcum from Triple-A Syracuse. Marcum arrived in time for Wednesday night's game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Angel Stadium.
Marcum has been moved back into the starting rotation at Syracuse but will give the Blue Jays another bullpen arm on the heels of a subpar outing from Justin Speier and Scott Schoeneweis on Tuesday in an 8-3 loss to the Angels. Marcum will be sent out to make room for Taubenheim.
Glaus to undergo tests
Anaheim -- Troy Glaus will do some flexibility tests on his left elbow Wednesday afternoon before he is cleared to play in Wednesday night's game at Angel Stadium against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
Glaus left Tuesday night's 8-3 loss after the second inning. He was hit by a pitch from Ervin Santana in the top of the inning and was taken to hospital for precautionary x-rays of a contused elbow. The x-rays were negative and general manager J.P. Ricciardi said on Wednesday afternoon that he'd be in contact with the teams training staff and was told that Glaus "seemed to have a lot better flexibility.
Even though Glaus asked to play Wednesday, Blue Jays manager John Gibbons is leaving him out of the starting lineup. Glaus will be back in the lineup Thursday.
"But I'd like to see him give it another day off," said Ricciardi, who is in Worcester, Mass., and will rejoin the team in Denver this weekend en route to some last-minute scouting before the June 1 draft.
The Blue Jays don't need any more health concerns. They are already without pitchers Gustavo Chacin and A.J. Burnett - although Ricciardi maintains that any suggestion that Burnett's injury could drag on to the all-star break (something that's been talked about sotto voce by people close to the team) are off-base. "A.J. will be back before the All-Star break," said Ricciardi. "If he isn't, there's something seriously wrong with him."
Shea Hillenbrand was a late scratch as the Toronto Blue Jays third baseman left less than half an hour before the first pitch of Wednesday night's game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim apparently suffering from flu-like symptoms.
Hillenbrand, scheduled to bat fifth and take the place of Troy Glaus (swollen left elbow), was instead replaced by Eric Hinske at third base. Hinske was originally scheduled to be the designated hitter but that spot was filled by backup catcher Gregg Zaun.
The Minnesota Twins also have pitching problems and they came to a boil Tuesday night, courtesy of Kyle Lohse. The Twins sent a message to him, shipping him and his $3.95-million (all figures U.S.) out to Triple-A.
Meanwhile, over at CNNSI.com Tom Verducci has an insightful analysis of what ails Randy Johnson.
Chacin put on disabled list
Despite optimistic reports to the contrary, the Toronto Blue Jays did the expected Tuesday and put left-hander Gustavo Chacin on the 15-day disabled list with a mild elbow sprain and forearm strain.
A corresponding move will be made Wednesday to bring up a starting pitcher from Triple-A Syracuse, likely Ty Taubenheim.
Bart Given, assistant to general manager J.P. Ricciardi — the latter of whom is not with the team but will rejoin it Friday in Denver — said that the move was "just precautionary."
"He hasn't had a setback," Given said.
Manager John Gibbons said: "It just makes sense to give him the next start off. At this time, you have to ask yourself, 'Why push it?'"
Chacin played catch at Angel Stadium of Anaheim during Monday's off-day.
Chacin developed elbow stiffness during a start against the Oakland Athletics last Wednesday, and although a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination revealed no structural damage, Chacin has been carefully handled by the Blue Jays, who already have one pitcher (A.J. Burnett) whose status is questionable because of elbow problems.
Chacin is eligible to return on May 26 at the Rogers Centre against the Chicago White Sox.
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Updated Tuesday, May 16 at 8:01 p.m.
Chacin's injury revealed
Gustavo Chacin's MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) examination on Thursday morning revealed that he had a minor sprain of the ulnar collateral ligament and a forearm strain — an injury that will likely see him placed on the 15-day disabled list.
"We have to let it calm down and re-assess it, but I'd be leaning that way," manager John Gibbons said Thursday, after an 8-3 win over the Oakland Athletics. "We could start (Francisco) Rosario or maybe dip down into the minor leagues."
Before the game, the Blue Jays optioned Dustin McGowan back to Triple-A Syracuse and recalled Jason Frasor. McGowan, who had been moved into the bullpen this year, will start at Syracuse in order to get back on a routine and Gibbons said the next time he's up with the Blue Jays it could be either as a starter or a reliever. The Blue Jays already have problems in their starting rotation, what with A.J. Burnett expected to be out for a month and Josh Towers sporting an 0-7 record.
On Wednesday, Blue Jays sources indicated that Towers would not make his scheduled start on Sunday. Now, however, it appears as if he has received a stay of execution.
Chacin lasted just three innings on Wednesday night and after his MRI he was cautious — saying only that he didn't expect the exam to find anything serious, but that his schedule to resume throwing was not yet set in stone.
* the Blue Jays have passed the 500,000 mark earlier than any other season since 1999. Thursday's crowd of 23,974 raised their season total to 557,326. The team has already sold more than 1.5 million individual tickets, and club officials believe the Blue Jays could come close to 2.3 million, a figure that hasn't been reached since the Blue Jays drew 2,454,283 in 1998.
* Vernon Wells was given the day off. "Nothing wrong, just an off-day," Wells said. "I'm good,"
* Russ Adams started at shortstop after being benched on Wednesday night and made two plays in the field, including a tough turn of a potential double play off the bat of Dan Johnson. Adams stood in at second base with Jay Payton bearing down and almost turned a 3-6-1 double play, with Ted Lilly hustling over to cover first. Adams has developed a habit of dropping his elbow on his throws. "You like to get that first one out of the way right out of the gate," said Gibbons. "Just get it and throw it."
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Updated Thursday, May 11 at 4:21 p.m.
Towers's tumble has Jays looking
Publicly, the Toronto Blue Jays are saying that Josh Towers is still scheduled to make his start Sunday afternoon at Tropicana Field against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
I'll be surprised if that happens.
The Blue Jays seem set to stick with left-hander Scott Downs and right-hander Dustin McGowan in the bullpen and that could mean that Francisco Rosario will get the call to replace Towers, whose record fell to 0-7 (10.09) on Tuesday night. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Towers is the first pitcher to lose his first seven starts while posting an earned run average of 9.00 or better since 1912, when the National League first began keeping track of earned runs (the American League started in 1913). The Blue Jays do not have options left on Towers, who is guaranteed $5.25-million (U.S.) these next two years, but general manager J.P. Ricciardi knows he can't run out Towers again.
Ricciardi, I'm told, is now actively in the market to add another starting pitcher and, as Russ Adams' defensive woes show signs of becoming habitual, is also keeping his eye out for a shortstop.
The Blue Jays, sources say, expect to be without A.J. Burnett for up to a month and with the team already committing so much money to its payroll in the off-season Ricciardi is said to be prepared to add either a younger, established starter or a more expensive veteran.
Ricciardi is dangling Shea Hillenbrand as trade bait and might even consider moving a young pitcher.
Keep an eye on the Kansas City Royals, Florida Marlins and, especially, the Pittsburgh Pirates.
"We're not sitting here not doing anything," Ricciardi said last night.
As expected, the Blue Jays benched shortstop Russ Adams for Wednesday night's game against the Oakland Athletics, after a streak of four errors in four games. John McDonald started at short. Adams' problems seem mostly mechanical — he's dropping his elbow on throws — and everybody seems to realize what needs to be done to correct it.
The real concern for Blue Jays brass is that Adams's difficulties are becoming more of a mental issue. Tough to address that in mid-season when you are trying to win — even more so when Adams isn't swinging his bat with the type of authority that would make it easy to overlook his defensive deficiencies.
* Ann Killion of the San Jose Mercury-News sees the AL in Barry Bonds's future and so do I
* guess the invasion of Iraq is going OK - Congress has time now to worry about a provision in the MLBPA collective agreement Hey, dudes. What about gasoline prices?
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Updated Wednesday, May 10 at 7:39 p.m.
Jays give Rios some tough love
Boston - Talk about tough love. Alex Rios's reward for going 2-for-4 in Wednesday's 7-6 win over the Boston Red Sox and posting a team-high .386 batting average? A spot on the bench for Thursday night's game against Matt Clement.
Eric Hinske started in right field for the Toronto Blue Jays, with Shea Hillenbrand at first base and Lyle Overbay at designated hitter. Rios' spot atop the order was taken by Russ Adams, bumped out of the lead-off spot against right-handers on the weekend. Adams' double was the game-winning hit Wednesday.
"I don't want any of the guys to sit out too long," Gibbons said, referring to Hinske, who has 33 at bats in 16 games and has 11 hits - all singles. Then, he put on a deadpan expression. "C'mon," he said, "the guy's hitting .300."
Gibbons had another reason for starting Hinske: he's hit Clement, going 8-for-17 with a pair of doubles.
Rios, incidentally, said he has heard the comparisons of his new crouched batting stance to that of Bernie Williams, another native of Puerto Rico. "But that's not why I've done it," he said. "It was just something suggested to me and it's worked for me."
WHAT WE HEAR
* for those who are wondering why Blue Jays manager John Gibbons elected to use Justin Speier in the seventh inning of Wednesday's 7-6 win over the Red Sox — and ended up having to go with Dustin McGowan in the eighth — Gibbons has a simple explanation. "I wanted 'Spy' to face the heart of the order," he said, noting that the Red Sox were sending Mark Loretta, David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez to the plate. As it turned out, Speier walked Ramirez and lefty specialist Scott Schoeneweis had to come in to pitch to pinch-hitter Dustan Mohr. Gibbons' thinking was clear: other than closer B.J. Ryan, Speier has been his best reliever. Gibbons wanted his best against the Red Sox's best. It just happened earlier in the game because Roy Halladay couldn't go more than six — and, with Vinnie Chulk having one foot in the minors, Gibbons had choice but to start mixing and matching;
* Gregg Zaun, whose calf muscle tightened up noticeably late Wednesday and likely contributed to his throwing error that put the tying run at third, did not catch Josh Towers last night. Bengie Molina received the nod;
WEDNESDAY'S LINEUPS
Toronto
Russ Adams, SS
Frank Catalanotto, LF
Vernon Wells, CF
Troy Glaus, 3B
Lyle Overbay, DH
Shea Hillenbrand, 1B
Bengie Molina, C
Eric Hinske, RF
Aaron Hill, 2B
LHP Josh Towers
Boston
Kevin Youkilis, 1B
Mark Loretta, 2B
David Ortiz, DH
Manny Ramirez, LF
Trot Nixon, RF
Jason Varitek, C
Mike Lowell, 3B
Wily Mo Pena, RF
Alex Gonzalez, SS
RHP Matt Clement
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Updated Thurdsay, May 4 at 6:00 p.m
Rios smacks of a young Williams
BOSTON - Some New York Yankees observers took a look at the slightly more crouched stance used by Alex Rios during the first two series against the Toronto Blue Jays and saw visions of a younger Bernie Williams.
Wow. Too early to make that conclusion, but Rios' sizzling start has done more than simply lay waste to any notion of a right-field platoon with Eric Hinske. It's also knocked Russ Adams and his quiet, left-handed bat out of the lead-off spot against right-handed pitching.
Rios led off Wednesday night against Boston Red Sox's right-hander Josh Beckett, the third time in as many games against righties that he has done so. Adams, mired in a hitting funk, batted eighth.
"I like having Alex up there, because he's getting on base and there's guys behind him who are pretty hot right now," said Blue Jays manager John Gibbons.
Gibbons said that Rios's new crouch, coupled with his long arms, gives him a better chance to get to more pitches. "It's made him harder to pitch to," said Gibbons. "It's given him a chance to handle a few more pitches than he could have last year."
WHAT WE HEAR
* Blue Jays president and chief executive officer Paul Godfrey might need to install a personal hot line to the commissioner's office. Godfrey complained at the manner in which a rained out game against the Chicago White Sox was handled last month, and on Monday he called the commissioner's office to complain about the work of home plate umpire Adam Dowdy in Sunday's loss to the Yankees. Dowdy missed two strikes on Alex Rodriguez with the bases loaded, the final call walking in the go-ahead run. Both Yankees manager Joe Torre and Gibbons were ejected for arguing balls and strikes. "The Blue Jays got an apology out of it — sort of," a source said
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Updated Monday, May 3 at 8:00 p.m
Steinbrenner still wants to kill the ump
Baltimore- New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner was all over some of the New York newspapers Monday morning, criticizing Major League Baseball for its decision to use fill-in umpire Adam Dowdy behind home plate on Sunday.
The Yankees beat the Toronto Blue Jays 4-1 in that game at Yankee Stadium and both managers, Joe Torre of the Yankees and John Gibbons of the Blue Jays, were ejected for arguing balls and strikes.
Gibbons was tossed after Gustavo Chacin walked in the go-ahead run on two pitches to Alex Rodriguez that were strikes for most umpires. Dowdy's run-in with Gibbons came after Torre berated Dowdy in front of a crowd of over 52,000.
"I think it is a crime that the league would assign a rookie umpire to a crucial series like this," Steinbrenner said. "It is just stupid."
Steinbrenner also used the word "terrible" to describe the umpiring and said he would call the commissioner's office. "I'm really [mad] at the league for sending those kind of umpires, a rookie umpire in here to do the series."
The Blue Jays have the Yankees' attention. Not only did Steinbrenner describe the series against Toronto as "crucial," one New York newspaper referred to them as the Yankees "new rivals."
* the Blue Jays' position players had a meeting before Monday night's game. New Blue Jay Troy Glaus was one of the most vocal;
* pitcher A.J. Burnett did not accompany the Blue Jays on this current seven-game road trip. Instead, he is in Toronto where Dr. Mark Scappaticci, the teams chiropractic specialist, is using massage therapy on his sore arm. "Sometimes it helps to get a guy out of the environment," said one Blue Jays official when asked if it wasn't unusual for an injured player to not be travelling with the team;
* the Orioles were without Kevin Millar and Javier Lopez, both of whom are day to day after suffering injuries on Sunday. Miguel Tejada, who is also hurt, started at DH and kept alive his consecutive games streak at 944, tops among all active players;
* Scott Downs is expected to rejoin the Blue Jays Tuesday. He is on the bereavement list after leaving the team to be with his wife and one-month-old daughter, who was released from hospital after developing a viral infection;
MONDAY NIGHT'S LINEUPS
Toronto Blue Jays
Reed Johnson, LF
Alex Rios, RF
Vernon Wells, CF
Troy Glaus, 3B
Bengie Molina, C
Shea Hillenbrand, DH
Lyle Overbay, 1B
Aaron Hill, 2B
John McDonald, SS
Pitcher: Ted Lilly, LH
Baltimore Orioles
Corey Patterson, CF
Melvin Mora, 3B
Miguel Tejada, DH
Jay Gibbons, RF
Ramon Hernandez, C
Jeff Conine, 1B
Chris Gomez, 2B
Brandon Fahey, SS
Pitcher: Erik Bedard, LH
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Updated Monday, May 1 at 6:24 p.m.
Hillenbrand back in Jays starting lineup Sunday
New York - Shea Hillenbrand was back in the Toronto Blue Jays starting lineup Sunday afternoon, after a precautionary CAT scan as the result of a collision with the New York Yankees Gary Sheffield on Saturday.
Sheffield ran into Hillenbrand (who was playing first base at the time) and needed assistance to leave the field. He was diagnosed with a bruised wrist and knee and Sunday afternoon underwent an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) examination on the wrist.
Sheffield was not available for Sunday's game, and will be day to day when the Yankees visit Fenway Park for a two-game series beginning Monday.
Hillenbrand took a knee to the side of the head and was experiencing dizziness when he came out of the game.
NEED TO KNOW
*Normally the lead-off hitter against right-handed starters, Blue Jays shortstop Russ Adams was dropped to the ninth spot for Sunday's game against Mike Mussina. Adams's batting average entering the game was .239. Alex Rios led off;
*the Blue Jays made their third pitching moves in as many days prior to Sunday's game, optioning Shaun Marcum to Triple-A Syracuse and bringing up left-hander Brian Tallet. Marcum was one of the pitchers roasted in Saturday's 17-6 loss. Meanwhile, manager John Gibbons says he is becoming concerned about Vinnie Chulk's slow start. Chulk and Jason Frasor were important parts of the bullpen last season and Frasor was sent out Friday.
"Vinnie and Frasor are in the same boat," said Gibbons. "The stuff's there, they just need to get back to pitching the way they can. Neither one of them is hitting their spots."
*Johnny Damon makes his return to Boston today and one of the hottest-selling items at Fenway Park is a t-shirt with the slogan: "Looked Like Jesus, Acted Like Judas …. Throws like Mary."
*Lefty Scott Downs is set to rejoin the Blue Jays on Tuesday in Baltimore. Downs was put on the bereavement list on Friday in order to return to Kentucky where his one-month-old daughter was admitted to hospital.
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Updated Sunday, April 30 at 3:26 p.m.
Louisville always makes more bats
New York - Do not expect to see any carryover Sunday from an incident between Toronto Blue Jays centre-fielder Vernon Wells and New York Yankees catcher Jorge Posada in the top half of the sixth inning on Saturday.
Wells accidentally hit Posada with his bat as Wells started running toward first base on a grounder that would turn into the third out of the inning.
Posada picked up the bat and angrily slammed it against the ground, snapping it in half and earning a lecture from home plate umpire Bruce Dreckman, who appeared ready to eject Posada from the game until Yankees manager Joe Torre intervened. Good thing for the Yankees, because Posada led off the bottom of the inning by homering on the fourth pitch.
Wells was oblivious to the incident as he ran out to take his spot in centre field. But his teammates saw it and it was right-fielder Alex Rios who pointed it out to him. Posada managed to relay an apology to Wells.
"He basically said: 'My bad, I let my emotions get carried away,' Wells said later. "He knows I would never do anything like that on purpose.
Anyhow," added Wells, "it's no big deal. Louisville makes more bats."
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Updated Saturday, April 29 at 7:29 p.m.
Shuttle kicks in
New York City --The Syracuse Shuttle spit out another passenger Saturday, as Shaun Marcum was called up from Triple-A by the Toronto Blue Jays to take the place temporarily of left-hander Scott Downs.
Downs was placed on the bereavement list to give him more time with his young family in Kentucky. The Downs's one-month-old daughter was admitted to hospital on Friday. Downs is eligible to come off the list on Tuesday, when the Blue Jays are in Baltimore. The maximum time a player can be on the bereavement list is one week.
Marcum joined the team in time for Saturday afternoon's game against the New York Yankees.
The Blue Jays were forced to make a late lineup change, switching Bengie Molina from designated hitter to catcher and switching Gregg Zaun from catcher to DH. Zaun is still hampered slightly by a calf injury that he developed in spring training. Lyle Overbay was given the day off against Yankees left-hander Randy Johnson, with Shea Hillebrand getting the start at first base.
GIBBY'S SESSION
"He's been pretty consistent for us. We have a running joke with Butter (Brian Butterfield, the Blue Jays third base coach and infield instructor) that one of the reasons Russ is so good on those slow rollers behind the mound is because he (Butterfield) smothers so many of the drives he hits to Russ in fielding practice. Ernie Whitt (the Blue Jays bench coach) hits the ball harder because, you know, he was a major league hitter."
-- Blue Jays manager John Gibbons comments on Adams' defence to Yankees broadcaster Michael Kay during Gibbons' pre-game media session.
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Updated Saturday, April 29 at 2:09 p.m.
'Down goes Frasor!'
New York City -- Jason Frasor picked a bad time to go through a bad time. Roasted for 11 earned runs and 13 hits in 9 2/3 innings, the diminutive right-hander and erstwhile closer was sent to Triple-A Syracuse before Friday night's game against the New York Yankees. As a result, we can all now use the phrase we've been hankering to use for some time.
Say it like Howard Cosell:
"Down goes Frasor!"
"Down goes Frasor!"
Frasor, who has walked seven and struck out seven, did not comment as he left the clubhouse. His place will be taken by Dustin McGowan, who was pitching out of the bullpen at Syracuse.
"We're beaten up in the bullpen right now and we need a fresh arm," said manager John Gibbons, shrugging. "Jason's not pitching well. He's missing his spots. He's pitching from behind and he's getting hit.
"Bullpen guys have got to be able to let it go. He needs to get his confidence back."
The Blue Jays will be short-staffed in the immediate future. Left-hander Scott Downs had to fly back to Toronto Friday afternoon due to the illness of his one-month-old daughter.
Hill's climb
Second baseman Aaron Hill was back in the starting lineup last night. He and hitting coach Mickey Brantley have been tinkering with the positioning of his hands, in an attempt to help him snap out of his 3-for-26 funk.
"Aaron's hit a lot of atom balls," said Gibbons. "He's hit a ton of balls hard. But he's scuffling, and he and Mickey are just trying to see if they can 'load him up' a bit."
Brantley wants Hill to hold his hands farther back. Hill, who has a short stroke, has held them closer to his chest. "It's pretty comfortable, actually," Hill said of the new position, giving a demonstration of it in front of his locker. "I'll give it a try."
Tonight's lineup
Toronto Blue Jays
SS Russ Adams
LF Frank Catalanotto
CF Vernon Wells
3B Troy Glaus
1B Lyle Overbay
DH Shea Hillenbrand
C Bengie Molina
RF Eric Hinske
2B Aaron Hill
RHP Roy Halladay
New York Yankees
CF Johnny Damon
SS Derek Jeter
RF Gary Sheffield
SS Alex Rodriguez
1B Jason Giambi
LF Hideki Matsui
RF Bernie Williams
2B Robinson Cano
C Kelly Stinnett
RHP Jaret Wright
Burnett's elbow problem started in spring training: doctor
The man who rebuilt A.J. Burnett's elbow in 2003 on Monday confirmed the diagnosis this weekend of the Toronto Blue Jays medical staff and went a little further, telling Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi that the ligament and elbow of his $55 million (U.S.) free-agent signing are "structurally, really strong."
Dr. James Andrews examined Burnett yesterday at his clinic in Birmingham, Ala., and confirmed that it was a recurrence of a spring training injury that caused Burnett to take himself out of Friday's start against the Boston Red Sox after four innings and 78 pitches.
Andrews said the pitcher has a mild sprain of the ulnar collateral ligament and a breaking up of scar tissue in the area around the elbow.
Burnett is on the 15-day disabled list for the second time this young season and his spot in the rotation will be taken by 24-year-old
Casey Janssen, who will be called up Wednesday and start on Thursday.
Ricciardi said after Andrews' examination that Burnett "will probably need rest. If it takes 12 weeks, 20 weeks or three weeks, we'll give him the rest and treatment that it will take to get him back on the mound for us." Ricciardi added that in hindsight, the Blue Jays should have left Burnett on the DL a little longer than they did at the start of the season.
"There's no doubt the guy is feeling pain," Ricciardi said of Burnett. "And it's one of those things where if you don't know what causes the pain, you're going to worry about it.
WHAT WE HEAR
* Keith Hernandez was one of the first visiting players I ever did an extended interview with when I started covering baseball in 1988 and I've always had a soft spot for him ever since he apologized for an extended answer to a post-game question by offering a group of us some beer from a cooler near his locker. (We declined.) His "no play for Mr. Gray" line that he shares with Walt 'Clyde' Frazier in that hair-colouring commercial the pair do is a classic. But he really stepped in it by making sexist comments during a recent Mets telecast
* Wow. Turns out people really do care about steroid use in baseball
* Newsflash: Barry Bonds is again contemplating what it means to be Barry Bonds
* Jose Mesa's feud with Omar Vizquel is weird and Giants manager Felipe Alou must be having flashbacks to the days when he managed the Montreal Expos and had to put out fires every time Pedro Martinez plunked somebody
To comment, click here, or email me at jblair@globeandmail.ca
Updated Monday, April 24 at 6:33 p.m.
Jays likely to test young arms in Burnett's absence
Just a hunch, but more and more it seems that for all their off-season spending the Toronto Blue Jays success or failure in 2006 may be determined by their minor league pitching depth.
With A.J. Burnett on the 15-day disabled list and manager John Gibbons saying Sunday that Roy Halladay will start Friday at Yankee Stadium, the club is leaning toward bringing up Casey Janssen to start Thursday against the Baltimore Orioles. There had been some thought of moving Halladay up to Thursday, but the Blue Jays would rather have his experience on the mound against the New York Yankees.
Janssen, a 24-year-old right-hander who piched three innings Sunday was selected in the fourth round of the 2004 draft, started yesterday for the Triple-A Syracuse SkyChiefs after his start on Saturday was rained out. Going into the game against Scranton Wilkes-Barre, Janssen was 1-2 (4.76) in three starts and hadn't walked a batter in his 17 innings.
SUNDAY'S LINEUPS
Boston Red Sox
20. Kevin Youkillis, 1B
3. Mark Loretta, 2B
34. David Ortiz, DH
24. Manny Ramirez, LF
7. Trot Nixon, RF
33. Jason Varitek, C
25. Mike Lowell, 3B
2. Willie Harris, CF
11. Alex Gonzalez, SS
PITCHER: RH Matt Clement, 1-1 (7.00)< P>
Toronto Blue Jays
8. Russ Adams, SS
27. Frank Catalanotto, LF
10. Vernon Wells, CF
25. Troy Glaus, 3B
35. Lyle Overbay, 1B
9. Gregg Zaun, C
11. Eric Hinske, DH
15. Alex Rios, RF
2. Aaron Hill, 2B
PITCHER: RH Josh Towers: 0-3, (9.24)
GIBBY'S SESSION
"I just see him coming off the ball a little bit. When he's going good, he hits the ball gap to gap and if there's a mistake made, he'll pull it. But there's no real mechanical thing wrong."
- Manager John Gibbons has an explanation in his pre-game media session for Shea Hillebrand's unusually slow start.
To comment, click here, or email me at jblair@globeandmail.ca
Updated Sunday, April 23 at 12:10 p.m.
Burnett seeks elbow room
What will the Toronto Blue Jays do if Dr. James Andrews tells A.J. Burnett that there's nothing wrong with his right elbow — again — when the right-hander visits Birmingham, Ala., on Monday?
The same thing they did in spring training. Give Burnett lots of room, a little bit of tender loving care — and wait for him to find his $55-million (U.S.) comfort zone hopefull sooner than later.
"The thing about this game is that it doesn't wait on you," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said Saturday.
Not in the American League East, certainly. And — how to put this delicately? — time's a-wastin' for Burnett.
The club believes he over-reacted (OK, panicked) in spring training when he felt soreness near his surgically-reconstructed right elbow. But they shut him down, ran a battery of tests, sent him to Andrews (who did the surgery in 2003) and waited him out. Burnett set the pace of his recovery, which saw him start the year on the 15-day disabled list. Friday night, he pulled himself out of a game against the Boston Red Sox after four innings and 78 pitches.
He didn't tell Gibbons about it. He told pitching coach Brad Arnsberg. After x-rays and strength tests revealed nothing, Burnett walked into Gibbons' office and told his manager "something's not right."
Gibbons said he didn't detect any problems in Burnett's 1-2-3 fourth inning. But in truth, his velocity was down noticably from 96 miles per hour to 91-92. And some of the Red Sox said later they detected a little less cockiness in his approach.
Television replays at one point clearly showed him shaking his arm in discomfort.
The Blue Jays placed Burnett on the 15-day DL yesterday and called up Shaun Marcum to bolster the bullpen for the weekend.
Burnett's next turn in the rotation is the 27th and Gibbons did not know yesterday how he would fill it. With the off days, Roy Halladay could be moved up and make the start and still be on his regular rest, but Gibbons would only say that was one option.
What is unspoken in all this is the concern that the problem with Burnett is as much in his head as his arm. The diagnosis this spring was that the discomfort was caused by scar tissue breaking loose from his 2003 Tommy John ligament transplant surgery. At the time, he was told it could be a recurring problem and asked yesterday if he felt Burnett might be simply erring on the side of caution, Gibbons said: "He might be guarding things a little bit … but he knows his arm."
One of the reasons Burnett signed with the Blue Jays was the presence of pitching coach Brad Arnsberg, who worked with him in Florida and who made several phone calls over the winter to persuade Burnett to come north. Yet publicly and more importantly privately, Arnsberg has told people he is in the dark as much as anyone about Burnett's situation.
Know this: if Andrews gives him a clean bill of health, it will come to a head this week. It can't be any other way.
SATURDAY'S LINEUPS
Boston Red Sox
20. Kevin Youkilis, 3B
3. Mark Loretta, 2B
34. David Ortiz, DH
24. Manny Ramirez, LF
7. Trot Nixon, RF
84. J.T. Snow, 1B
18. Dustan Mohr, CF
23. Alex Cora, SS
77. Josh Bard, C
Toronto Blue Jays
3. Reed Johnson, LF
15. Alex Rios, RF
10. Vernon Wells, CF
25. Troy Glaus, 3B
1. Bengie Molina, C
29. Shea Hillenbrand, DH
35. Lyle Overbay, 1B
2. Aaron Hill, 2B
6. John McDonald, SS
WHAT WE HEAR
- You've no doubt noticed that Troy Glaus sometimes wears a band on the outside of his pants around his knee. Not to worry: according to the Blue Jays training staff, it's a tensor band that he always slips on when he's running the bases;
- Tough crowd: some St. Louis fans are on Albert Pujols' back.
- Newsflash: Josh Beckett wasn't throwing at Aaron Hill Friday night. No ... really...
To comment, click here, or email me at jblair@globeandmail.ca
Updated Saturday, April 22 at 12:10 p.m.
Time to bust the Jays?
11.m. Friday
Do the Toronto Blue Jays cheat?
A few years ago when he was pitching coach of the Boston Red Sox, Joe Kerrigan thought there was a camera in centre field at the then-Rogers Centre that helped the team steal signs. It was the height of paranoia. I think. But there is no doubt that this year's hard-slugging edition of the team has already caught the attention of the Red Sox and New York Yankees for a different reason.
When the Blue Jays played the Red Sox in Fenway Park earlier this month, Red Sox's catcher Jason Varitek said he believed Blue Jays baserunners were tipping off their hitters - relaying signs - about pitch location and selection, through a variety of physical signals.
It's one of those quirky, inside-baseballish things that annoys some players and managers and humors others (when F.P. Santangelo was with the Montreal Expos, he was accused of practising the black art so often by the San Francisco Giants that games between the teams acquired a nasty edge, culminating in the mid-90s with in a very public spat between Felipe Alou and then-Giants manager Dusty Baker) and there are people who will tell you that knowing the type of pitch and its location is actually a hindrance to a batter.
Or, that it isn't any use, anyhow, if the pitch is executed properly.
Still, it's something to keep an eye on Friday night when the Red Sox open a three-game series at the Rogers Centre against the Blue Jays. Certainly, the Yankees did during their two-game series here on Tuesday and Wednesday. One Yankee believes the 'culprit' — if that's the word — is bench coach Ernie Whitt.
"It's on the scouting report with them (the Blue Jays)," Yankees catcher Jorge Posada said Wednesday. "You have to be careful, because they're really trying. It's the pitch, it's the location, it's everthing. They're really watching close."
Posada and Mike Mussina spent an inordinate amount of time worrying about it on Wednesday. Certainly, given Mussina's pin-point control, there was little other reason for Posada's trips to the mound.
"Somebody must be teaching it in their system, because these guys have been good at it since Cito (Gaston) was here," said Mussina.
"Somebody down there is teaching them: Watch the sequence and get the pitch. So, you just have to keep changing things on the fly, because you don't want to have to keep going out to the mound and talking about it every pitch."
WHAT WE HEAR ...
* the Yankees might be getting ready to dial 1-800-ROGER says a reporter who has good sources inside George Steinbrenner's inner circle
* former Blue Jays infielder Cesar Izturis isn't thrilled about playing the outfield
* Major League Baseball could announce a new owner for the Washington Nationals by the end of the month, and with long-time baseball executive Stan Kasten having throw in his lot with developer Theodore Lerner, the group has now upped its visible minority quotient
* Forbes magazine takes heat for their methodology from baseball owners every now and then, but I'm guessing the Blue Jays are OK with the news contained in the magazine's annual franchise valuations.
To comment, click here, or email me at jblair@globeandmail.ca
Updated Friday, April 21 at 10:48 a.m.
Jays patient about catching woes
The platoon situations in left and right field seem to have settled into some kind of comfortable predictability for the Toronto Blue Jays. Less comfort can be found behind the plate.
This is not a crisis situation yet by any stretch of the imagination — and, let's face it, the 24 home runs given up by Blue Jays pitchers heading into Wednesday afternoon's game against the New York Yankees can't be laid at the feet of Bengie Molina and Gregg Zaun. Are the Blue Jays worried about Molina's erratic defensive work? No. Are they aware of it? Darn straight, simply because it appears to add credence to the whispers in the off-season that in part resulted in Molina settling for a contract that was under market value.
But for now, it appears as if manager John Gibbons — himself a former catcher — is more concerned with doing what he has to do to get his pitching staff in order. That means crossing his fingers for the next few A.J. Burnett and Roy Halladay starts and, in the case of 0-3 Josh Towers, letting Gregg Zaun catch his next outing on Sunday.
The fact that Boston Red Sox are starting right-hander Matt Clement alone would give Gibbons reason to go with the switch-hitting Zaun over the righty-hitting Molina. But Gibbons made the decision before knowing who the Red Sox's were starting — and while he said yesterday that he was not yet ready to make Zaun Towers' personal catcher, don't be surprised if that's a situation that develops.
WEDNESDAY'S LINEUPS
New York Yankees
18. Johnny Damon, CF
2. Derek Jeter, SS
11. Gary Sheffield, RF
13. Alex Rodriguez, 3B
25. Jason Giambi, DH
55. Hideki Matsui, LF
20. Jorge Posada, C
22. Robinson Cano, 2B
12. Andy Phillips, 1B
Toronto Blue Jays
8. Russ Adams, SS
27. Frank Catalanotto, LF
10. Vernon Wells, CF
25. Troy Glaus, 3B
35. Lyle Overbay, DH
29. Shea Hillenbrand, 1B
9. Gregg Zaun, C
15. Alex Rios, RF
2. Aaron Hill, 2B
GIBBY'S PRE-GAME SESSION
"You can twist numbers any way you want, because a guy may not have hits against a pitcher but you can tell he's right on him. Eric's got four hits in 29 or 30 at bats against (Yankees starter) Mike Mussina and a lot of strikeouts … and Mussina can do that to you because he throws a lot of off-speed pitches."
- Blue Jays manager John Gibbons elected to sit lefty-swinging Eric Hinske yesterday afternoon against Yankees right-hander Mike Mussina. Hinske was 4-for-29 lifetime against Mussina with five walks and 12 strikeouts. Alex Rios, who was back in right field, was 2-for-6.
To comment, email me at jblair@globeandmail.ca
Updated Wednesday, April 19 at 12:11 p.m.
Halladay expects a quick return
Roy Halladay played a quick game of catch at the Roger Centre Wednesday afternoon after being examined by Toronto Blue Jays medical staff, and according to general manager J.P. Ricciardi "said he felt really good.'
"Like I've told everybody: if we were trying to make the playoffs, Roy would be out there taking his regular turn in the rotation," Ricciardi said before Wednesday night's game at Fenway Park against the Boston Red Sox.
The Blue Jays announced on Tuesday that Halladay would miss his next scheduled start, Friday at U.S. Cellular Field against the Chicago White Sox, because of a right forearm strain. An MRI examination in Boston revealed the strain to be minor and a followup examination in Toronto re-affirmed the diagnosis.
Halladay, who noticed the discomfort throwing his cut fastball, is expected to return to the starting rotation next weekend.
"If we left it up to Roy he wouldn't miss a start," Ricciardi said. "So what we're doing is being done in spite of him. The thing is, no matter how you slice it, we're going to get 35 starts out of Roy and A.J. Burnett (who is scheduled to make his Blue Jays debut on Saturday.)"
WHAT WE HEAR …
*Bengie Molina moved up into the fifth spot in manager John Gibbons' order against Red Sox left-hander David Wells last night and that's going to be manager John Gibbons' strategy for now against left-handers. "We want to take advantage of Bengie's bat against lefties," said Gibbons. Molina led the American League in hitting against lefties last year with a .393 average. Lyle Overbay, who batted fifth in the Blue Jays first three games against lefty starters, batted seventh last night.
* Guess what: Philly isn't Toronto. Pat Gillick's reputation as a genius doesn't appear to have impressed the folks in Philadelphia impressed the folks in Philadelphia who are already dusting off the panic button a panic button and wondering if it isn't time to fire Charlie Manuel as manager. Know what? It is ....
* oh, those nasty Blue Jays! According to Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek, they steal signs and Josh Beckett was miffed that Shea Hillenbrand was a little too eager to take a first-inning walk;
* so what happened when anti-Iraq War "protestor" Carlos Delgado saw U.S. vice-president Dead-Eye Dick Cheney walk into the New York Mets clubhouse on Tuesday? New York Mets clubhouse on Tuesday? Good for you, Carlos - and good for Washington Nationals fans for booing their doddering vice-president ...
* it's always good to praise Derek Jeter, just because he does it right does it right
To comment, email me at jblair@globeandmail.ca
Updated Wednesday, April 12 at 3:30 p.m.
Jays not concerned about slow start at gate
Why isn't Paul Godfrey worried about the Toronto Blue Jays slow start in terms of attendance?
Because the team has already sold 1.2 million tickets for 2006 - 250,000 more than last season at this time. And because on the day after Opening Night, when a crowd of 50,449 showed up at the Rogers Centre, Godfrey said that the team sold $344,000 worth of tickets - the largest single-day sale since Ted Rogers purchased the team in September, 2000.
"That sales number is just based on in-bound calls, so that tells you that there was a great deal of excitement after the Opener," Godfrey, the Blue Jays president and chief executive officer, said Monday.
The Blue Jays play six games this week on the road: three in Boston and three in Chicago. They then return for an eight-game homestand that includes a weekend series against the Boston Red Sox and two games against the New York Yankees. The Blue Jays drew 26,885 fewer fans to their first six games than they did last year. But, as Godfrey points out, that total last year included a weekend series against the Red Sox and a visit by the Yankees.
The Blue Jays drew 2,014,987 last season, the first time since 1999 that they've gone over the 2 million mark. After a five-year span in which attendance declined four years, the Blue Jays have seen attendance growth in each of the past three years.
Is 2.5 million a possibility for 2006?
"That's still a real reach," Godfrey said.
WHAT WE HEAR …
* the Blue Jays love Bengie Molina (as long as he isn't clogging up the basepaths) but I'm thinking that the presence of catcher Gregg Zaun in the clubhouse had something to do this weekend with the improvement in the performance of relievers Jason Frasor and Vinnie Chulk, both of whom found Zaun to be a willing resource tool last year;
* Micheal Keaton hammered the Pittsburgh Pirates ownership Monday before throwing out the first pitch at PNC Park. Hurray for Batman;
* Ken Rosenthal of the Sporting News has a bad idea. Thinking like that would have kept the Expos in Montreal …. or the Renegades alive.
* the Blue Jays didn't put in a waiver claim on catcher Koyie Hill, a one-time prospect with the Arizona Diamondbacks who figured in trade talks last year, because they're comfortable with Mike Mahoney, who played in 26 games with the St. Louis Cardinals last year and is at Triple-A Syracuse. Hill was claimed by the New York Yankees. The Blue Jays believe their top catching prospect, Curtis Thigpen, can contend for a job some time next season;
* we told you that the Oakland Athletics have the pitching to win it all in 2006
*baseball is worried about a carryover of last weeks contretemps between Pedro Martinez and Jose Guillen
* Kenny Rogers: once a jerk, always a jerk
To comment, email me at jblair@globeandmail.ca
Updated Monday, April 10 at 3:22 p.m.
Brass want Burnett to stick to rehab plan
A.J. Burnett met with general manager J.P. Ricciardi and pitching coach Brad Arnsberg before Friday night's game against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and was told the team wanted him to stick to his rehabilitation schedule.
That means Burnett, who took himself out of a Grapefruit League game on March 18 after developing soreness near his right elbow, will make another start for the Single-A Dunedin Blue Jays (likely Tuesday) and rejoin the major league team for a start at U.S. Cellular Field on April 16.
Burnett — who has suggested he might like to make his next start in the majors, which would be in the Blue Jays visit to Boston for the Red Sox Home Opener, rejoined the Blue Jays yesterday after a 61-pitch outing on Thursday night. He will throw his regular bullpen session under the eye of pitching coach Brad Arnsberg, then return to Florida.
Catcher Gregg Zaun accompanied Burnett to Toronto. He is eligible to come off the 15-day disabled list Saturday and sources say the Blue Jays will make room for him by putting catcher Jason Phillips on waivers. Phillips had two runs batted in on Thursday night and if he clears waivers he will be asked to go to Triple-A Syracuse.
Phillips, who started last year as the Los Angeles Dodgers catcher, is "a major league catcher," in the words of both Ricciardi and Gibbons. He signed with the Blue Jays over the winter before the club thought it had a realistic chance at Bengie Molina. After signing Molina, the Blue Jays called around to see if any other team had interest in Phillips and came up dry.
The Blue Jays will not send out a pitcher and carry three catchers, because lefty Brian Tallet — who has options left — could be valuable at Fenway Park, since as Ricciardi said: "That team (the Red Sox) always sees a lot of pitches. That's not a place to be caught short."
FRIDAY'S LINEUPS
Tampa Bay Devil Rays
13. Carl Crawford, LF
3. Jorge Cantu, 2B
31. Jonny Gomes, RF
19. Aubrey Huff, DH
21. Ty Wigginton, 3B
16. Travis Lee, 1B
44. Toby Hall, C
18. Nick Green, SS
27. Damon Hollins, CF
Blue Jays
3. Reed Johnson, LF
15. Alex Rios, RF
10. Vernon Wells, CF
25. Troy Glaus, 3B
35. Lyle Overbay, 1B
29. Shea Hillenbrand, DH
1. Bengie Molina, C
2. Aaron Hill, 2B
6. John McDonald, SS
To comment, email me at jblair@globeandmail.ca
Updated Friday, April 6
Zaun's return creates problem
During the normal course of a season, managers and general managers do not always agree on personnel moves. Trade-offs are made.
Spots are picked. Political games get played.
So it will be interesting to see what happens when Gregg Zaun is ready to return from the 15-day disabled list. Jason Phillips, who made the Toronto Blue Jays roster after Zaun pulled a calf muscle, had a key two-run double Thursday night in a four-run sixth that powered the Blue Jays to a 6-3 win over the Minnesota Twins at Rogers Centre. He also earned kudos from manager John Gibbons and starter Gustavo Chacin for his work behind the plate.
"I've always been a fan of Jason's," manager Gibbons said later. "He played for me at [Triple-A] Norfolk in 2001 and he's played in the major leagues in tough towns -- New York and Los Angeles -- with some success. He's a major league catcher. He's not a minor league catcher. He doesn't strike out much. He puts the ball in play. I've seen him get some big hits." Zaun, who was in Florida to catch A.J. Burnett and is also on the 15-day disabled list with a pulled right calf muscle, should be ready to join the Blue Jays in Boston on Tuesday, according to general manager J.P. Ricciardi. The Blue Jays could send out a pitcher to make room for Zaun -- who lost his everyday job when Bengie Molina signed as a free-agent during the winter -- or they could put Phillips on waivers and send him to the minor leagues if he cleared. But it's doubtful he'd clear.
The Blue Jays have 12 pitchers on their 25-man roster currently and must make a move to get A.J. Burnett back in time for his start next weekend, and even with four offdays in the next 18, Gibbons still likes having a dozen pitchers in tow.
Zaun is a proficient switch-hitter and his patience at the plate dovetails nicely with the Blue Jays approach. Some in the organization and on the staff have had philosophical issues with his handling of pitchers, but that, too, is part of the normal given and take of a 162-game schedule.
Phillips batted .238 for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2005 with 10 homers and 55 runs batted in. Zaun hit .251 with 11 homers and 61 runs batted in, but he's a better hitter against right-handed pitching than Phillips and that's important with lefty-killer Molina due to handle the everyday job.
Phillips was the Dodgers primary starting catcher for the first half of the year but fell out of favour as the teams season spiralled into confusion that resulted in the firing of G.M. Paul DePodesta and saw Jim Tracy become manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Dodgers are, Phillips said, "an organization that doesn't know what it wants to do --whether go old, or young."
Phillips, who also played with the Mets, said he called other organizations during the off-season, including the Seattle Mariners who ended up claiming the Blue Jays Guillermo Quiroz on waivers.
"All I heard was how I was just kept here as a favour to Gibby," said Phillips. "All you can do is just work hard and try to change people's perceptions."
To comment, email me at jblair@globeandmail.ca
Updated Thursday, April 6 at 11:10 p.m.
Phillips's days behind the plate may be numbered
Jason Phillips started behind the plate Thursday night for the Toronto Blue Jays but his spot on the roster will soon be called into question when catcher Gregg Zaun returns.
Zaun, who was in Florida to catch A.J. Burnett and is also on the 15-day disabled list with a pulled right calf muscle, should be ready to join the Blue Jays in Boston on Tuesday, according to general manager J.P. Ricciardi.
Because of the addition of Phillips to the lineup for last night's series finale against the Minnesota Twins, manager John Gibbons moved Eric Hinske up to the seventh spot in the order.
Last night's game was the third consecutive start for Twins designated hitter Rondell White, one of the most popular former players in Montreal Expos history. White signed a free-agent contract with the Twins, where he joined another former Expos outfielder, Jerry White, who is the Twins first base coach.
Jerry White was a bench player on those good Expos teams of the late 70s and early 80s, so he's given the younger White an interesting perspective on the lineage of outfielders produced by the organization — Dawson, Raines, Valentine, White, Floyd, Grissom, Walker …
"Jerry talks to me about how much he liked playing in Montreal, and also about Hawk (Andre Dawson) and all those good outfielders they had," White said before last night's game at Rogers Centre. "I tell him I played with some pretty good outfielders. He tells me he could show me some highlights, too.
"It's been fun. Seems like all of us — anybody — who played in Montreal has good things to say about it."
White is in a good place. He likes the Twins clubhouse, which has a solid African-American presence in the persons of Shannon Stewart and Torii Hunter. And although White's history of nagging injuries is in no small measure due to all those games on Olympic Stadium's horrible artificial turf, White isn't worried about playing games on the artificial surface at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome.
Hey, there was a time when starting three consecutive games on artificial turf, as he's done here, would kill his knees.
"Knock on wood, I hope I can stay a little healthier just being used as a designated hitter," said White, who needs 13 home runs for 200 career homers. "That's the thing with me: it's always been about health."
TONIGHT'S LINEUPS
Twins
23. Shannon Stewart, LF
1. Luis Castillo, 2B
48. Torii Hunter, CF
24. Rondell White, DH
5. Michael Cuddyer, RF
3 3. Justin Morneau, 1B
77. Tony Batista, 3B
55. Mike Redmond, C
8. Nick Punto, SS
Blue Jays
8. Russ Adams, SS
27. Frank Catalanotto, LF
10. Vernon Wells, CF
25. Troy Glaus, 3B
35. Lyle Overbay, DH
29. Shea Hillenbrand, 1B
11. Eric Hinske, RF
47. Jason Phillips, C
2. Aaron Hill, 2B
UPCOMING PITCHING MATCHUPS
Friday: Devil Rays LH Casey Fossum vs. Blue Jays LH Scott Downs, 7:07 p.m.
Saturday: Devil Rays RH Doug Waechter vs. Blue Jays LH Ted Lilly, 1:07 p.m.
Sunday: Devil Rays: LH Scott Kazmir vs. Blue Jays RH Roy Halladay, 1:07 p.m.
Hinske hears from the fans
Controversy reared its ugly head at the Rogers Centre Wednesday night.
OK, so that's over-stating things. One night after slugging a two-run home run as part of a three-hit night in the Toronto Blue Jays season opener, right-fielder Alex Rios was on the bench last night against Minnesota Twins right-hander Brad Radke. Starting in his place was lefty hitting Eric Hinske - just as manager John Gibbons promised.
Frank Catalanotto replaced Reed Johnson in left - the second part of the Blue Jays double platoon outfield. Johnson also had three hits on Opening Night. The difference is that Catalanotto did not receive boos during pre-game introductions, as did Hinske.
"Mixed," general manager J.P. Ricciardi said last night. "It was a mixed reception for 'Ski. There were cheers, too."
Hinske was prepared for questions about the platoon going into last night's game. "Yes, I like Alex Rios ... no, it's not a competition,"
Hinske said, rolling his eyes as he handled a second and brief set of interviews about the matter.
Asked about the fan reaction, Hinske shrugged and said: "No comment. I didn't hear it. Did you think they booed?"
Hinske deserves some lee-way from fans. He moved positions (again) without whining and apologized during spring training for his sometimes bitter response to losing a full-time job last year. He hit six solo home runs in 19 Grapefruit League games and looked better in right than Catalanotto has ever looked in left.
But those are small Grapefruit League ballparks. Last night was an acid test for him - tracking balls out of the stands.
For the record, Gibbons did not think about going back to Rios - who put on a remarkable power display during batting practice last night and appears to be locked in.
"Ski had a very good spring," Gibbons said of Hinske. "He deserves this."
The start, that is - not the boos.
TONIGHT'S LINEUPS - JAYS VS. TWINS
Lineup
Twins
23. Shannon Stewart, LF
1. Luis Castillo, 2B
7. Joe Mauer, C
24. Rondell White, DH
48. Torii Hunter, CF
33. Justin Morneau, 1B
77. Tony Batista, 3B
16. Jason Kubel, RF
17. Juan Castro, SS
Blue Jays
8. Russ Adams, SS
27. Frank Catalanotto, LF
10. Vernon Wells, CF
25. Troy Glaus, 3B
35. Lyle Overbay, 1B
29. Shea Hillenbrand, DH
1. Bengie Molina, C
2. Eric Hinske, RF
2. Aaron Hill, 2B
GIBBY'S SESSION
A.J. Burnett threw off flat ground yesterday and is expected to pitch in Instructional League in Florida on Thursday. All indications are his rehabilitation from a right elbow scare has come along quickly, but the Blue Jays are still saying they will not bring him back early, as has been suggested in some quarters.
"I suppose we could bring him back and let him pitch in Boston (next week) but he only threw 32 pitches the other day (against Triple-A Syracuse) and I don't think he'll throw a whole lot more (Thursday)," Gibbons said during his pre-game press briefing. "I like keeping him on track to pitch on the 16th (at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago) without messing it up."
NEED TO KNOW
Tuesday's crowd of 50,499 was the fourth largest for a Blue Jays opener and was standing room only, with the new seating capacity at Rogers Centre now 48,900 after seats were removed as part of renovations. It was the first home sellout for the Blue Jays since 50,436 showed up on Canada Day, 1997, to see the Montreal Expos ... Ted Lilly said he expects to make his start Saturday against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. "We had an understanding, I guess you'd call it, on Tuesday that if I felt well after I threw my bullpen session, I'd be back in," Lilly said yesterday. "Well, I feel well."
THURSDAY'S PITCHING MATCHUP
Twins RH Carlos Silva vs. Blue Jays LH Gustavo Chacin.
WHAT WE HEAR
* it's disappointing to hear an announcer that I admire, Dan Shulman, talk about how he'd rather not be the one doing the home run call when Barry Bonds ultimately passes the career home run record. Dan's enough of a journalist to know better than to be that maudlin. And while Tom Verducci of SI has a thoughtful piece on the aftermath of the syringe/turkey baster incident in San Diego my feeling is we all ought to sit back and watch this whole thing for what it is: a weird mix of reality TV and morality play, knowing full well that in the minds of fans who care about these things the asterisk is already forever beside Bonds' name. The rest of us - who don't look for any particular deep, philosophical meaning behind things like career records or sports - are just going to watch it with a gimlet eye. The sense here is that Bonds won't be the only one looking like a jackass before this is done;
* Dodgers pitcher Derek Lowe walked out on his wife last year to hook up with an L.A., uh, TV 'journalist' and now some of the details of his divorce and assorted other off-field problems are public
* Good news: Rich Harden of Victoria, B.C,. is back. Harden finished his outing hitting the mid-90 miles per hour range on the radar gun on a chilly night;
* Meet Jimmy Rollins, AKA The Man Who Might Save Baseball
* the line forms on the left for the services of free-agent to be Barry Zito, with none other than the New York Yankees (naturally) at the front
(*)14 Canadian-born major leaguers are among the 27.4 per-cent of players on Opening Day rosters who were born outside the U.S.
To comment, email me at jblair@globeandmail.ca
Updated Wednesday, April 5 at 7:35 p.m.
Opening Night, Blue Jays vs. Twins
Somehow, somebody got some kind of message through to Ted Lilly Tuesday afternoon. The Toronto Blue Jays had become increasingly frustrated with Lilly in recent days, as the left-hander took what might politely be described as a "deliberate" approach to rehabilitation from a very slight, nagging muscle injury in his upper back.
So what to make of the fact that Lilly not only threw some long toss before last night's Opener — he actually threw in a bullpen session, as well, that caught some of the Blue Jays braintrust off-guard?
Perhaps someone whispered the phrase "15-day disabled list" to Lilly, who is in a contract year.
Lilly was guarded afterward. But the Blue Jays left the session thinking it is now more than likely that Lilly will make his start Saturday against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays …
Tuesday's lineups Jays vs. Twins
Twins
Blue Jays
3. Reed Johnson, LF
15. Alex Rios, RF
10. Vernon Wells, CF
25. Troy Glaus, 3B
35. Lyle Overbay, 1B
29. Shea Hillenbrand, DH
1. Bengie Molina, C
2. Aaron Hill, 2B
8. Russ Adams, SS
GIBBY'S SESSION
Blue Jays manager John Gibbons starts the season with two clear platoon arrangements: left field (Reed Johnson and Frank Catalanotto) and right field (Eric Hinske and Alex Rios.) Johnson and Rios will be late-inning defensive replacements.
"It's not ideal," Gibbons said Tuesday during his regular pre-game media briefing. "As a manager, you always want to see how the game develops, but you also always keep in mind what your best defence is going to be late in the game — especially when you have a lead.
"We'll start off the year sticking to the platoon. We need to give it a go but if somebody takes the bull by the horns at either position …"
NEED TO KNOW
The Twins pitching staff had the lowest ERA among American League teams this spring (4.23), ahead of the New York Yankees (4.26) … the Twins enter the season as one of four AL teams to have a winning record in each of the last five seasons (Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees and Oakland Athletics) … this is the first time since 1991 that the Blue Jays have opened the season with three left-handers in the rotation (Gustavo Chacin, Ted Lilly and Scott Downs.) In 1991, the lefties were David Wells, Denis Boucher and Jimmy Key.
WEDNESDAY'S PITCHING MATCHUP
Twins RH Brad Radke at Blue Jays RH Josh Towers.
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Updated Tuesday, April 3 at 7:00 p.m.
Back to Plan B for Jays
DUNEDIN — Plan B almost went out the window for the Toronto Blue Jays Tuesday afternoon when left-hander Scott Downs left an 8-6 Grapefruit League loss to the Minnesota Twins with irritation in his right knee.
But according to general manager J.P. Ricciardi, preliminary examinations showed it was simply a flare-up of patellar tendinitis - 'Jumper's Knee' - and while a further examination will be needed, it is not anticipated that Downs will miss his scheduled start on April 8.
Downs is in the rotation replacing A.J. Burnett, who threw off a mound for the first time yesterday since developing soreness in his elbow a week ago Saturday.
"We'll have to see tomorrow how it feels, but right now it looks O.K." said Ricciardi.
Downs felt a twinge in his knee while throwing his warm-up pitches in the top of the third inning. He hunched down in obvious discomfort, and was removed as a precaution.
Burnett will start an exhibition game Saturday against the Triple-A Syracuse SkyChiefs.
"It felt really good," Burnett said yesterday, after a session off the bullpen mound that lasted less than 15 minutes, during which he threw at approximately 80 per-cent. "It was a good day. It was a big step forward."
Burnett underwent Tommy John tendon transplant surgery in 2003.
* the Blue Jays will take a relief pitcher north with them when Burnett is placed on the 15-day disabled list, but the team has some other health-related decisions to make, too. Catcher Gregg Zaun's status, in the words of manager John Gibbons "doesn't look too good right now," as he rehabilitates slowly from a pulled calf muscle injury. Infielder John McDonald has a sore back and will be evaluated after he plays today or tomorrow.
* one of the most popular Montreal Expos of all time has called it a career - and a good one, at that
* baseball seems more inclined to make a big deal out of Barry Bonds passing Hank Aaron than passing Babe Ruth
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Updated Tuesday, March 28 at 5:35 p.m.
Jays sing a different tune this year
DUNEDIN — It's 11 a.m. and from some place down the hallway near the Toronto Blue Jays clubhouse comes the unmistakable riff from Metallica's hit "Enter Sandman."
Strange to hear the signature song that heralds the entrance of New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera? Not if you know this year's edition of the Blue Jays. Aaron Hill on guitar. Eric Hinske on drums. Russ Adams providing the vocals … John Gibbons, do you know where your players are?
"Those guys," notes new catcher Bengie Molina as he walked by, "are pretty good."
The Blue Jays travelled to Fort Myers, Monday, for a Grapefruit League game against the Minnesota Twins but Gibbons, the Blue Jays manager, left most of his starting lineup behind. So there was a quick morning workout, punctuated by some meetings and individual workouts … and an impromptu show by some of the more musical Blue Jays.
In and around all this, pitcher A.J. Burnett shuttled back and forth. Burnett, who left a game a week ago Saturday after complaining of soreness around his elbow, was close-lipped about his game of long toss saying only that "it went OK." So will he throw a bullpen session Tuesday or Wednesday? "Um, either one," he answered. "Just depends. It's day to day."
Meanwhile, Troy Glaus rejoined the Blue Jays Monday after spending the past two days helping his wife Ann, who suffered a leg injury in an equestrian accident that resulted in one of her horses being put down. Ann Glaus is considered an Olympic-calibre rider.
"Physically she's fine but mentally, it was tough," Glaus said, noting it's the first time the couple, which owns several jumping horses, had to have a horse put down because of an accident.
WHAT WE HEAR
* I think Toronto's going to like Lyle Overbay and MLB.com's new Toronto correspondent, Jordan Bastian, has an item on a frightening close call Overbay suffered three years ago
* friend Ken (Junior) Rosenthal of Foxsports picks the Blue Jays to win the World Series, I think
* Leo Mazzone gets a tatoo and - surprise! - it's self-promoter extraordinaire Kevin Millar who had a hand in it
Send your comments on this item to jblair@globeandmail.ca
Updated Monday, March 27 at 7:59 p.m.
Burnett likely to be back on the mound soon
DUNEDIN — A.J. Burnett should be pitching from the mound on Tuesday or Wednesday, according to Toronto Blue Jays manager John Gibbons.
Burnett played catch for a third consecutive day on Sunday without experiencing any discomfort, eight days after taking himself out of a game with soreness near his right elbow.
Burnett is scheduled to long-toss Monday, and if all goes according to plan he will get a session in the bullpen and be ready to pitch in one of the two exhibition games the team has against their Triple-A Syracuse affiliate, on Friday and Saturday."
He will probably miss his first start of the season, but right now it looks like just one start," Gibbons said Sunday.
The Blue Jays will likely put Burnett on the 15-day disabled list coming out of camp. A player put on the DL coming out of spring training must miss at least six days of the regular season and can't have pitched in a paid-admission spring game in the previous nine days. Burnett fits that criteria, and Gibbons said the team might use the extra spot to carry a position player depending on how soon catcher Gregg Zaun recovers from a pulled right calf muscle.
The Blue Jays have already said that lefty Scott Downs will take Burnett's spot in the rotation coming out of spring, and likely pitch against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays on April 8.
*Eric Hinske hit his sixth home run of the Grapefruit League yesterday -- all have been solo shots.
*Ted Lilly gave up five homers in five innings in yesterday's 9-8 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates, two of them by Jason Bay of Trial, B.C. and two more by Craig Wilson. The homers were all back to back. "I was throwing strikes, but they were right down the middle," said Lilly, who has one more start down here before the regular season. "The fastball wasn't jumping out of my hand as well as normal, and I guess I was forcing it in a bit that made my control kind of erratic. It's tough to get away with mistakes when you're making those mistakes consecutively."
Send your comments on this item to jblair@globeandmail.ca
Updated Sunday, March 26 at 7:59 p.m.
Glaus excused to be with injured wife
FORT MYERS — Third baseman Troy Glaus was given permission to leave camp Saturday after his wife, Ann, was slightly injured in an accident at an equestrian competition in Georgia.
was originally scheduled to travel here for a Grapefruit League game against the Boston Red Sox. His place in the starting lineup was taken by Shea Hillenbrand.
Meanwhile, A.J. Burnett breezed through another session of catch in Dunedin, this time watched both by Dr. Steve Mirabello and pitching coach Brad Arnsberg. Burnett, who left a game one week ago after experiencing pain around his surgically reconstructed elbow, made 25 throws from 60 feet and 25 from 90. It was the second day in a row in which he's played catch and if he is still pain-free Sunday he will throw again, this time from 120 feet.
Arnsberg said that Burnett could be pitching from a mound by mid-week.
"We have to let him make the calls from now on," said Arnsberg. "It's up to him to accelerate his rate. We want it done right the first time."
Send your comments on this item to jblair@globeandmail.ca
Updated Saturday, March 25 at 2:01 p.m.
Jays wait for Burnett's reexamination
DUNEDIN - Now they wait. It was seven minutes and 35 tosses from 60 feet. No big deal ... but for A.J. Burnett it was something to build on.
Six days after leaving a Grapefruit League game against the Boston Red Sox with soreness near his surgically reconstructed right elbow, Burnett played catch early Friday morning with pitching coach Brad Arnsberg at Knology Park and later said he felt "no pain, no discomfort."
Burnett, who signed a five-year, $55 million free agent contract this winter, will be examined Saturday morning by Blue Jays Florida-based orthopedic specialist Dr. Tony Mirabella and might play catch again. But he and Arnsberg made clear they had no time table beyond that.
"I just want to get stretched out, get the long-tossing done and get back on the mound and take it from there," said Burnett. "It feels good, feels great. It's like a step forward every day. I kind of knew I'd feel decent today, thought, because I didn't have any pain the last couple of days. If I miss one start ... I think that's better than anything."
Arnsberg said that Burnett, who had Tommy John tendon transplant surgery in 2003, was throwing with 50 to 60 per-cent strength.
"He didn't feel anything at all. Nothing. That's what he told me and that's encouraging," said Arnsberg.
"Early on it looked like he was trying to get a feel for it, but then he got into his fluid motion," said Arnsberg. "It will be a day to day thing, and to speculate where we'll be a week from now is not worth talking about.
Scott Downs will take Burnett's spot in the rotation coming out of spring training. Since most of the Blue Jays games on the road in the month of April are in cold weather cities, the team will be extra careful with Burnett.
WHAT WE HEAR ...
* Lisa Novak is stepping down as senior VP of operations and corporate development, effective at the end of the month. Novak, who was heavily involved in the Blue Jays purchase of the Rogers Centre, sent out an e-mail to club employees earlier this month announcing she will step down at the end of the week;
* USA Today had a story Wednesday that will send the alarmists in the Toronto media scurrying for their "the Blue Jays are in financial difficulty and about to move to Portland" leads. According to the newspaper, the Blue Jays are second only to the New York Yankees in long-term contractual commitments over the next five years . Remember, though, that Ted Rogers paid cash when he bought the Blue Jays and as recently as last year commissioner Bud Selig was lauding the team as doing one of the better jobs of managing debt;
* the Pirates came to Knology Park Wednesday which meant it was time to catch up with manager Jim Tracy, former skipper of the Ottawa Lynx and Expos bench coach and one of my favourite people in the game. Tracy's son, Chad, is a catcher at Pepperdine who was a pre-season All-America pick and could go in the top two rounds of the June draft. Tracy's team has a player that is coveted by several organizations including the Blue Jays — Craig Wilson, who can play first base or either corner outfield — but even though the Pirates don't have a starting spot for him, Tracy doesn't think the organization will rush to move him. "He's been very professional about this right from the start of spring," says Tracy.
Send your comments on this item to jblair@globeandmail.ca
Updated Friday, March 24 at 9:16 p.m.
Burnett's elbow problem
SAN DIEGO — Three years ago Sunday, A.J. Burnett was with the Florida Marlins and was handed the result of a magnetic resonance imaging examination performed by Dr. James Andrews which was called "good news" at the time because there was no ligament damage in Burnett's elbow. Sound familiar?
Andrews gave Burnett a cortisone injection after diagnosing him with synovitis, an inflammation in the elbow area. He was going to be shut down for five days, maybe miss an Opening Day start, but that's it. On April 26, Burnett's season was finished and he underwent Tommy John surgery. It was the third time in four years that Burnett went on the disabled list early in the year.
None of this means, of course, that Burnett's elbow problem on Saturday -- which also necessitated an examination by Andrews -- will require additional surgery. During that spring, Burnett was tinkering with a new delivery, one similar to a twisting delivery used by Kevin Brown. But it is a cautionary tale and a reflection of what life with Burnett is going to be for the Blue Jays, who signed him to a five-year, $55 million (U.S.) free-agent contract in the winter. It's part of the bargain, in other words, and ought to mitigate against too many flights of fancy regarding the teams position in the AL East pecking order.
During the 2003 incident, Burnett removed himself from a game against the Baltimore Orioles in the third inning, complaining of tightness in his forearm. At the time of the MRI, Andrews ruled out ligament damage, but he did locate the source of irritation as being in the elbow - not the forearm as the Marlins originally said. Burnett's velocity was down noticeably in his first four starts that season and after a 111-pitch outing in St. Louis, he went on the 15-day disabled list for the second and, ultimately, last time that year.
WHAT WE HEAR
*After seeing the Cubans for just one game, it's no surprise why most of the successful defections have involved Cuban pitchers or why Orlando (El Duque) Hernandez is still pitching at an advanced age. "You think of the pitchers who have come to North America, and most of them have been able to make immediate contributions in the major leagues," said Manny Acta, the New York Mets third base coach and manager of the Dominican Republic. The reliever run out by Cuba in their 3-1 semi-final win over the Dominican Republic, Pedro Lazo, featured a devastating sinker and slider. Yet Cuban manager Higinio Velez says that Cuban pitching can still improve, and says that one of the things Cuba needs to work on is developing closers or, as he called them, bullpen stoppers."
Our pitchers are all starting pitchers," he said. "Something we have to work on in Cuba -- and this is something that I have to admit and recognize when I compare what the Cuban team does compared to what the major league teams do -- is we need to work more on our relief pitchers. The culture that we have is we use our starting pitchers to close." So the learning goes both ways at the WBC;
*the Cubans have quietly broached the possibility of Havana playing host to a round of games the next time the WBC is held with the Major League Baseball Players Association and the commissioner's office. The Cubans have said publicly that they would like to see the event played every two years;
*Percy Allen of the Seattle Times raises the matter of race and the reaction to the performance of past NBA Dream Teams compared to the U.S. team that took part in the WBC
Send your comments on this item to jblair@globeandmail.ca
Updated Sunday, March 19 at 6:50 p.m.
Japan's loss would be the U.S.'s.
gainTeam U.S.A. manager Buck Martinez will know later tonight (early this morning in Toronto) whether Thursday's World Baseball Classic game against Mexico has any meaning. But he already knew Wednesday afternoon that he would be without arguably hit best hitter, Derrek Lee, for the game.
Lee, the National League batting champion, jammed his left shoulder in Sunday's 4-3 win over Japan when he dived for a ball. He sat out Monday's 7-3 loss to Korea even though he thought he could play, then suffered more pain on Tuesday after the U.S. workout. He underwent a magnetic resonance imaging examination by Dr. Lewis Yochum, one of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim team doctors, and received a cortisone injection. He can not do any physical activity involving the shoulder until Friday.
Martinez, whose team needed a loss by Japan in last night's game against Korea to remain in contention for a berth in the semi-final (or a Japanese win in which the Japanese scored eight or more runs in a nine-inning game), has seen his handling of the U.S. roster questioned. Now, he's without Lee and Johnny Damon, who is restricted to pinch-hit duties after developing tendinitis in his shoulder.
It's less than an hour before game time here and people are sitting in the top rows of Angel Stadium, amid suggestions the game between these two bitter rivals - politically, militarily and athletically - could draw upwards of 35,000. That's no surprise, since southern California is home to large Japanese and South Korean communities. The games in Anaheim were worrisome for major league baseball.
Fans in Arizona and Florida are already conditioned to spring training baseball, so it made sense to play WBC games there. San Juan is just crazy for the sport, period. But southern Californians aren't used to baseball this time of year, and there was some concern whether they'd turn out. But the Asians and Mexicans have done so and total attendance for the four games played so far is 113,754.
In San Diego, the site of the semi-finals and finals, all three-game strips of tickets were sold out. The organizing committee has a few thousand tickets left for each of the three games for walk-up purposes.
Korea beat Japan 3-2 in their first-round matchup. The game was played after Japanese star Ichiro Suzuki urged his team to beat Korea so badly "they won't think they can beat us for 30 years."
WHAT WE HEAR
(*)with the World Baseball Classic finals and semi-finals set for this weekend, the tournaments drug-testing program has serious loopholes, according to Amy K. Nelson of ESPN The Magazine
(*)a group that includes Stan Kasten is said to be the front-runner for the Washington Nationals. Meanwhile, the team that Kasten used to be synonymous with - the Atlanta Braves - are up for sale
(*)oh, stop it already. Braves third baseman Chipper on Roger Clemens' presence in Team USA. "He's more like Jesus than I thought. Guys would be huddled around talking smack in the clubhouse, Roger would walk in, and it's like the parting of the sea."
(*)friend Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports went looking for the gyroball
Send your comments on this item to jblair@globeandmail.ca
Updated Wednesday, March 16 at 10:00 p.m.
Expect a very different WBC next time around
ANAHEIM -- Commissioner Bud Selig thinks he has a success on his hands with the World Baseball Classic and now the question is what to do with it.
One idea that has picked up steam in the last week is the possibility that the next event - and there will be one - will be split up, with Rounds 1 and 2 starting a week later in spring training and the semi-final and final being played during the All-Star break in July.
Baseball is sensitive to over-shadowing what it refers to as its jewel events, of which the All-Star Game is most assuredly one. But think about the impact of having the top four teams from the WBC playing over a two or three-day span, perhaps even in the same city that hosts the All-Star Game.
Most baseball people now agree that the game has, in the WBC, found a forum to increase its focus internationally. But major league general managers and some owners still worry about injuries, a lack of preparedness on the part of participating players and the interruption of training routines created by taking players away from Major League spring training for two or three weeks.
Count Toronto Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi as being one of those who would be open to the change in format. "That makes some sense," he told me, "because the idea of the WBC is great."
Donald Fehr, the executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association, seems favourably disposed to the idea and the matter might be dealt with more substantially in negotiations on a new collective agreement. The current agreement expires in December and Fehr said there have already been informal talks.
"I don't think this is the type of thing where we'll have a formal announcement of formal talks, like the United Auto Workers calling a news conference or something like that," Fehr said Sunday, before the U.S. played Japan at Angels Stadium of Anaheim.
Fehr also acknowledged that the next step in the expansion of the game will be the playing of regular-season games in Europe.
"Right now, baseball is a sport of the Americas and the Pacific Rim," Fehr said. "We've talked about trying to do something over there from time to time, as far back as the 1990s."
Fehr said that travel issues will remain one of the stumbling blocks, particularly when it comes to staging international games. But he quickly said there was one much more over-riding point:
"You can't sell your product unless you show it," he said. "If we're interested in getting into Europe, we'll have to play in Europe. We'll have to let Europeans see it for themselves."
WHAT WE HEAR
* Toronto Blue Jays fans would be wise to monitor the developing situation with Gold Glove centrefielder Vernon Wells, who told a newspaper in Fort Worth that he would like to be reunited with Michael Young, who was drafted with Wells by the Blue Jays in 1997 and who was traded to the Texas Rangers by Gord Ash in July, 2000. Wells, who went to Bowie High School in Arlington, Texas, responded with "Maybe," when asked by the Star-Telegram's Kat O'Brien if that reunion could conceivably take place in Texas. Wells has two years left on his contract with the Blue Jays and the sides have had no discussions about an extension. Wells might have to make the first move to initiate the discussions, or it's possible the Blue Jays will deal him next winter because general manager J.P. Ricciardi has intimated that he will not allow himself to get roped into a similar situation he dealt with two winters ago involving Carlos Delgado. One Blue Jays source described persistent rumours about Wells being shopped to the Rangers and Philadelphia Phillies this winter as "overblown," but my sense is there's some fire behind this smoke;
* one area in which baseball needs to do a better job for the next WBC is ensuring that more non-American umpires work for the event. Sunday's disputed appeal call at third base — which cost the Japanese the go-ahead run in the eighth inning of what would turn out to be a 4-3 loss to the U.S. — looked wrong from the vantage point of television replay, even though the split-screen replay doesn't always guarantee accuracy. Still, Japanese baserunner Tsuyoshi Nishioka didn't leave egregiously early — certainly, not enough to warrant the result. For all the talk about umpires mechanics (how second base umpire Brian Knight, who correctly ran to third to cover the play, was wrong in making any call at all - let alone a 'safe' call - because the call was Davidson's to make.)
According to the Kyodo News, Japan Football Association chief Saburo Kawabuchi blasted the call on a radio show in Japan, saying it "left an ugly blot" on the inaugural competition and he wondered why neutral umpires were not used, as if the case in soccer. ''In soccer it's a matter of course that the referee is from a neutral country. He was an American umpire so you can only think that's (the reason) why he made an inexplicable call like that,'' Kawabuchi, said of home plate umpire Bob Davidson, who now works as a fill-in umpire and was nicknamed 'Balking Bob' while he worked in the Majors because of his over-zealous enforcement of the balk rule. Three of the four umpires working the Japan-U.S. game were American, with the exception being third base umpire Neil Poulton, who is Australian. Davidson and second base umpire Brian Knight, the initiators of the drama, are both American as are 22 of the 32 umpires working the tournament. Umpiring figured to be an issue to begin with, since tournament organizers were unable to come to agreement with the World Umpires Association, the governing body for big league umpires, and is instead relying on minor league, amateur and fill-in or "vacation" Major League umps. The WUA wanted money set aside for retired umpires and their families and wanted Davidson, Tom Hallion and Ed Hickox immediately restored to full major league salaries and health care, since they were among a group of umpires who list their jobs during a labour dispute in 1999. Baseball has agreed to hire them back whenever there are more openings, and even though no agreement with the WUA was reached the three umpires in question are working this event.
* Los Angeles Dodgers catching prospect Russ Martin was criticized when he pulled out of Team Canada to concentrate on impressing new manager Grady Little, but is it working out for him even with his .400 Grapefruit League batting average?
* One more installment in that on-going saga: Curt Schilling, What A Guy!
Send your comments on this item to jblair@globeandmail.ca
Updated Monday, March 13 at 3:18 p.m.
It's cool to be Canadian
During a Montreal Expos trip to Atlanta a few years back, my friend Mark Bradley of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution wrote a column on how cool it was to be Canadian — since he figured that any nation in which a Scott Young could be the father of a Neil Young was, well, something pretty special.
And Team Canada's 8-6 win over Team U.S.A at the World Baseball Classic on Wednesday made all of us stay like that, for a day at least. In fact, when I parachuted in on Team U.S.A.'s workout at Scottsdale Thursday, catcher Michael Barrett — one of the class guys in the game — walked over and said: "I lived in Old Montreal. Think that would make me Canadian?"
Barrett is now with the Chicago Cubs but he broke in with the Expos and you better not slag the city or the team when he's around. Yesterday, he asked about the city — the economy, politics, the whole thing. And while he admitted a sick feeling in his stomach as he watched Canada beat the U.S. he also, he said, felt a little bit of pride.
"I was really proud for the guys in their dugout, because I know how much that win meant to them," said Barrett, who is expected to catch Roger Clemens Friday in the U.S.'s game against South Africa.
"Pete (Pierre Luc Laforest, Canada's catcher), I've known since the late 90s when he was playing for Baseball Canada and I was with the Expos and I felt really good for him.
"I thought what he did behind the plate for them (Canada), with the young pitchers they ran out, was one of the keys to the game. I mean, we got all our runs in one inning. That means he caught a lot of shutout innings against a pretty good lineup."
Barrett and the rest of the U.S. team will be openly cheering for Canada tonight against Mexico.
"I like the way that they've come together as a team," said Barrett. "You watch them, and it's like they're all playing on the same level — whether you're talking about their major league guys or their minor league guys or their independent league guys, whatever. They look like a team."
* Canadian manager Ernie Whitt ran out the same lineup last night against Mexico as he did against the U.S.: SS Peter Orr; 2B Stubby Clapp; LF Jason Bay; 1B Justin Morneau; DH Matt Stairs; 3b Corey Koskie; C Pierre-Luc Laforest; RF Aaron Guiel; and CF Adam Stern;
* Is there a loonie hidden some place at Chase Field? Hmm, I suspect there is. "No comment," Clapp told me yesterday, as he scurried away to sign autographs;
* because Canada has two days off if they advance, Whitt said the only two pitchers he definitely won't use tonight against Mexico are Adam Loewen and Erik Bedard.
* snapshots from batting practice: Canadian pitcher Steve Green autographing a picture of himself on the sports front of the New York Times; Jeff Francis preparing for his start against Mexico by casually leaning against the batting cage during BP.
Send your comments on this item to jblair@globeandmail.ca
Updated Thursday, March 9 at 7:25 p.m.
Canadian relievers draw concern
PHOENIX - Sleepy-headed Team Canada arrived at Chase Field in Phoenix Wednesday afternoon, just hours after needing a ninth-inning rally to beat South Africa 11-8 in the first game of the World Baseball Classic.
Canada's victory on Tuesday night in front of 5,829 at Scottsdale Stadium came in a sloppy game.
And while from my point of view the good news for Canada was that it's two best hitters, Jason Bay and Corey Koskie, were locked in, of greater concern was the inability of Canada's relievers to navigate their way through a lineup of amateurs that only included three players with even a smidgen of minor league experience.
Canada's relievers gave up seven hits and three walks. But they fell behind often and needed 109 pitches to put the last five innings away. Particularly ineffective was Chris Reitsma — the native of Calgary who is a candidate to be the Atlanta Braves closer — who walked one batter, gave up two hits and allowed three runs. One of his walks was to tiny, Grade 11 student Kyle Botha, South Africa's backup catcher.
Larry Walker, the former major league star who is Canada's hitting coach, told me he thought it was simply a matter of the South African hitters taking advantage of whatever mistakes were made by Canadian pitchers. Denis Boucher, who pitched in the majors briefly and is Canada's pitching coach, believed that one of the issues might have been the fact that the pitching mound in the bullpen at Scottsdale Stadium is flat, while the mound on the field is raised. It's an interesting notion, especially since members of the Scottsdale Stadium grounds crew spent a great deal of time after an exhibition game on Sunday between the San Francisco Giants and Team USA measuring the height of the mound and its distance to home plate.
They did so after Roger Clemens started the exhibition game — and it is Clemens who will face South Africa on Friday back at Scottsdale Stadium.
Wonder if Clemens had a word with the grounds crew?
"Our guys were talking about the difference," said Boucher. "Nobody used it as an excuse. But at a time of the year when guys are trying to work on things, it might have been a bit of an adjustment for them — especially since some of them knew they were only going to be in for one inning, and especially for a tall guy like Reitsma."
Send your comments on this item to jblair@globeandmail.ca
Updated Wednesday, March 8 at 3:23 p.m.
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