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Wednesday, October 7, 2009 11:21 AM

Tigers fold feels familiar

I'm sure the pain in Tigertown this morning is widespread following Tuesday night's thrilling victory by the Minnesota Twins over Detroit to win the right to play the New York Yankees in the ALDS.

And I'm sure Toronto baseball fans can relate.

Minnesota's 6-5 win in 12-innings was the capper on a miserable regular-season finish by the Tigers, who had a seemingly comfortable-seven game lead in the American League Central division as recently as one month ago.

But tnen the Tigers started losing while the Twins started winning and Detroit became the first team in Major League history to lose a division title after holding a three-game lead with four to play.

That's what forced last night's tiebreaker where Detroit once again blew an opportunity at redemption.

As I was watching the 12-inning drama unfold in my basement I couldn't help but think back to 1987 when it was the Tigers who were dishing out the pain to the Blue Jays.

As you'll recall, it was the Blue Jays who headed into the final weekend of the regular season with a one-game lead in the standing over the Tigers with three to play in Motown.

The Tigers then won the first two games of the series and then the third on the final game of the season -- 1-0 behind a brilliant complete-game performance by Frank Tanana that earned Detroit the division title.

No doubt last night's win by the Twins over the Tigers is being viewed as just desserts by those Toronto baseball fans with long memories.

 

Tuesday, October 6, 2009 11:23 AM

J.P was a goner regardless

Some left over thoughts on the Blue Jays as they folded their tents on a disappointing 2009 regular season in Baltimore over the weekend.

Even before unnamed sources sounded off on the supposed shortcomings of Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston the verdict was already in on general manager J.P. Ricciardi.

The only question remaining was the timing of his dismissal.

In all likelihood the Blue Jays were going to wait until the season was over before firing Ricciardi and it probably was going to take place on Monday morning.

There was no way the organization was going to allow the GM to have to sit down with the media in Toronto on Monday for his annual season-ending "what went right, what went wrong" news conference only to announce a short time later he was no longer with the team.

Even the Blue Jays couldn't be that cold-blooded.

But when all hell broke loose in Baltimore with players sounding off about their concerns against the manager it only pushed ahead to Saturday the club's announcement that they were firing Ricciardi.

The club had to be seen to be taking some action and Ricciard was the bone who was thrown to the wolves.

And you can expect more changes, including the removal of Brad Arnsberg as the pitching coach before the start of next season.

This afternoon's showdown at the Metrodome in Minneapolis should be fun and I'm thinking the Twins will prevail in the one-game showdown against the Tigers with the winner earning the right to meet the Yankees in one of the ALDS.

The Twins are hot, winning 16 of their last 20 games to force the tiebreaker.

And as good as Rick Porcello has been this season for the Tigers, I'm dubuious about the ability of the rookie pitcher to prevail under such stressful circumstances.

Also, Porcello is 0-2 with a 6.30 ERA against the Twins at the Metrodome this season.

It was obvious to anybody that followed the team closely that a change in leadership had to be made and that Ricciardi's future was determined weeks before interim president Paul Beeston officially pulled the plug on Saturday.

The Blue Jays

 

Tuesday, October 6, 2009 11:24 AM

The times are a-changin'

Paul Beeston, the Blue Jays interim president, told me on Friday before he departed for Baltimore that he had a great line he was going to reveal to the team in connection with the imbroglio surrounding Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston and the players.

I pushed Beeston to tell me but he wouldn't.

In the aftermath of the activities of the last 24 hours or so I'm now thinking that line included the words "You're fired."

After more than a year on the job of trying to locate his successor, Beeston made the first bold move since his rebirth with the team, informing J.P. Ricciardi Saturday morning that he was no longer the general manager of the Blue Jays.

Still wet-behind-the-ears Alex Anthopoulos, an eager 32-yar-old native of Montreal who was brought into the Jays organization by Ricciardi six years ago, has been named as the new GM without the interim tag.

Obviouisly, Ricciardi's ouster will not be the final move for the franchise in what will be a turbulent off-season.

Judging by some of the comments made by manager Cito Gaston over the weekend, you have to wonder about the continued roles of several of his assistants, including pitching coach Brad Arnsberg, bench coach Brian Butterfield and bullpen coach Bruce Walton, who were all holdovers from the regime of John Gibbons.

And what about Tony LaCava, the team's assistant general manger, player personnel, another Ricciardi hire who has general manager aspirations of his own?

And after listening to some of the comments from Jays pitcher Roy Halladay it is becoming increasingly clear that his days in the organization are over.

Halladay said Ricciardi was probably "the biggest reason I've been here for the past eight years" and reiterated that he wants to play for a winning team next season.

Unless Anthopoulos has the ability to walk on water, that's not going to happen.

Ricciardi was supposed to meet with reporters in Toronto on Monday for his annual season-ending press conference.

Now it will be Anthopoulos sitting in that hot seat having to respond to all the hot-button questions.

Welcome to the club, Alex.

 

Thursday, October 1, 2009 10:52 AM

Halladay strikes a blow for Lind

Toronto Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay did what he had to do Wednesday night against the Red Sox when he plunked Boston slugger David Ortiz with his first pitch of the second inning.

It was clear that it was an act of retribution from the night before when Toronto’s Adam Lind stepped into the batter’s box in the ninth inning looking for his fourth home run of the game and was drilled on the right elbow by Boston closer Jonathan Papelbon.

Lind was unable to play in Wednesday night’s game and was watching from the bench when Halladay got even.

Ortiz, one of the few Boston regulars in the lineup after the Red Sox opted to rest most of their starters after clinching the American League wild-card playoff berth, was none too pleased by the development.

After getting hit in the left arm, Ortiz first smiled but then glared at Halladay as he slowly made his way to first base.

Home plate umpire Mike DiMuro immediately issued warnings to both dugouts that any future indiscretions he deemed committed on purpose would not be tolerated.

And he also had a few words with Halladay at the mound.

 

Wednesday, September 30, 2009 02:40 PM

Halladay needs to respond

When Jacoby Ellsbury steps into the batter's box tonight for the Boston Red Sox, he better be prepared to pay the price.

And if Ellsbury is not in the lineup, Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis or Jason Bay had better keep their heads up.

This is the unsavoury side of baseball but it is incumbent on Roy Halladay, who is starting on the mound for the Toronto Blue Jays, to make a statement this kind of treatment won't be tolerated.

He needs to hit a Boston batter. Plain and simple.

And it will be interesting to see if the Toronto ace has the stomach for it.

Jonathan Papelbon, the Boston closer, certainly did when he hit Adam Lind squarely on the right elbow in the ninth inning of Tuesday night's game.

The Blue Jays designated hitter was at the plate with three home runs already in the books and Paplebon obviously did not want to be the one to surrender a fourth when he nailed Lind with his first pitch.

It was just the fourth batter Paplebon has hit this season and now there is a good possibility Lind is out for the duration of the season, depending on how his sore arm has responded overnight.

Lind said Papelbon told him on the field he didn't mean to hit him with the pitch and the mild-mannered Lind said he believed him.

But that shouldn't be the end of it.

For some reason teams have been taking liberties with Toronto batters this season and it came to a head earlier in the month in New York when Blue Jays reliever Jesse Carlson threw a pitch behind the back of Yankees catcher Jorge Posada.

Edwin Encarnacion and Aaron Hill had already been struck by pitches in the game and Carlson's errant toss was an obvious warning.

It led to a wild bench-clearing brawl.

Interestingly enough, Halladay started that game for the Blue Jays and he was still in the game when Encarnacion got plunked, but there was no retribution from him at the time.

Tonight there should be and it shouldn't be left up to one of the relievers.

The Blue Jay hitters need their team leader to step up and show he's got their back as much as they have his.

Interesting note: including the brawl game at new Yankee Stadium, the Blue Jays have gone 9-5 and belted out 27 home runs.

 

Tuesday, September 29, 2009 09:40 AM

Beware Canadian content

Youn can't help but admire Scott Richmond, the irrepressible Canadian pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays who continues to soldier on despite repeated pummellings on the mound.

Monday night, the 30-year-old North Vancouver, B.C., resident had a victory gift wrapped for him by the Toronto offence despite giving up six hits over six innings to the Boston Red Sox -- three of them home runs.

The Blue Jays still managed to win for the first time in seven games this season at Fenway, an 11-5 verdict that was called in the bottom of the seventh when a monsoon threatened to capsize the rickety old ballpark.

For Richmond, it was his second victory in as many outings after losing six straight decisions and he didn't feel that great about it - obviously.

Richmond continues to groove his pitches across the heart of the plate -- not a great strategy against a team that hits as well as the Red Sox in a ballpark with the tiny dimensions of Fenway.

"They're a great offensive team," Richmond said. "They're just solid all the way through and you've got to make all your pitches. And when I missed they hit it out."

Richmond has now surrendered five home runs in his last two outings and eight over his last four.

On the year he has given up a team-leading 27 over 134.2-innings pitched, the highest total on the team.

With five games left in the regular season, Richmond said last night he wasn't sure if he was going to get another start or not. Manager Cito Gaston later said that he would probably call on Richmond to start the season finale on Sunday in Baltimore.

Richmond was asked if he even wanted another start given the way things have gone for him lately.

"Yes, sir, I would," he replied. "I've got two wins in a row here and I'd like to finish strong and try to make adjustments. I feel like I'm gradually getting better, just never been through a slump like that before. I'm tying to answer back."

Should be fun around Boston tonight with the Red Sox needing just a win to clinch their sixth post-season berth in seven years.

When out to Charlies this morning for a nice breakfast consisting of blueberry pancakes.

Boston is a great place to walk around. Is it just me or are the curbs in this burg incredibly high?

 

Monday, September 28, 2009 06:07 PM

A Red Sox nation breaths easier

While the Blue Jays are playing out the string on the season baseball on this city remains a hot topic as the Red Sox charge toward their sixth post-season berth in their last seven season.

Boston heads into tonight final home stand of the season needing a win against Toronto and then hope for the Los Angeles Angels to defeat the Texas Rangers in Arlington later on in the night to clinch the A.L. wild card berth.

And you can tell the Red Sox already believe the playoffs are already a done deal.

Sixteen-game winner Josh Beckett, who was supposed to start tonight, was a late scratch after experiencing mild back spasms. Rookie Michael Bowden will start in Beckett's place.

In reality, the move is just manager Terry Francona setting up his rotation heading into the post season.

And the city was heaving a big sigh of relief with the news yesterday that starter Jon Lester threw a bullpen for the first time since taking a line drive off his right leg against the Yankees last Friday and later said he felt fine.

A healthy Lester and Beckett provides Boston with as good a one-two punch as any team in the game and will make them a formidable playoff foe.

Lester was asked if he realized how much of a panic all the fans in Boston went into after he was sent writhing to the ground in pain after he took the shot off his leg and had to come out of the game.

"Absolutely," he said, before shooting a glance at the 20 or so reporters who were clustered around his locker in the cramped Boston clubhouse. "You can't tell?"

Lester said he threw about 50-55 pitches in his bullpen and felt absolutely fine.

"Everything's good," he said. "Like I say, there's no issues that I kinow of right now."

Lester said he expects he won't have to miss his next scheduled start on Thursday.

 

Friday, September 25, 2009 05:33 PM

Doc's last (home) stand?

A cluster of Blue Jays, including Vernon Wells, Rod Barajas, Casey Janssen, Travis Snider and Jeremy Accardo were cavorting on the field here this afternoon a good four hours before the first pitch.

Accardo even had a video camera in tow.

Inside the Blue Jays clubhouse and the rap music was blaring when Kevin Millar strutted in sporting a new haircut. Nice highlights, Kev.

Tonight's game may be the 153rd of a looong season but it could have extra significance.

Roy Halladay will be on the mound tonight for Toronto in what very well could be his final appearance at home as a member of the Blue Jays.

Speculation is rampant that the big right hander will be traded in the off-season so the Blue Jays ensure themselves of getting something in return before Halladay is able to play the free-agent card at the end of the 2010 season.

It is a possibility the entire team is aware of and trying to come to grips with.

"We'll just see," said Jays pitcher Brian Tallet. "There's nothing guaranteed whether he'll be here or not. So you can't look at it as he's not going to be here. You just look at it as Doc going out there and giving us a chance to win."

Manager Cito Gaston said he has no idea which direction the organization is leaning in regards to Halladay's future with the team.

"I think that it's going to be a special night either way because it's the last time they'll see him pitch this year," Gaston said.

Here's hoping a decent crowd bothers to show up to make the sendoff -- whatever it is -- a proper one.

.

 

Thursday, September 24, 2009 06:39 PM

Trouble on the farm

It was a relaxed and engaging J.P. Ricciardi who sat back in the Blue Jays dugout during batting practice this afternoon and patiently took questions from reporters on all things baseball.

If this guy is about to lose his job it didn't show.

The general manager dropped a couple nuggets, including the news that minor league catching prospect J.P. Arencibia recently had surgery on his kidney.

Brian Jeroloman, another another minor league catcher the Blue Jays have high hopes on, is slated to have surgery on his hip in the near future.

."They were both headed for the Arizona Fall League but now won’t be able to," Ricciardi said.

Ricciardi didn't have the exact details surrounding Arencibia's issue, only that it wasn't serious.

“It was something that was detected in spring training," he said. "It’s not anything life threatening or anything like that.”

Ricciardi said both players should be ready to go by spring training.

Ricciardi also said that he believes that Scott Downs and Jason Frasor could wind up sharing the closer's duties next year and that pitcher Dustin McGowan, who has missed all season after shoulder surgery, is progressing well.

“He’s letting it fly," Ricciardi said of McGowan, who has been throwing on flat ground.

Ricciardi said McGolwan is pain free and will start throwing off a mound next week and appears to be in tremendous physical condition.

The GM also did not rule out the possibility that all-star second baseman Aaron Hill might have a future at shortstop, dependent of course on Hill agreeing to the switch.

 

Wednesday, September 23, 2009 03:21 PM

Hill's comeback is complete

His "Aw-shucks" attitude is a welcome relief in the testosterone-charged atmosphere of the baseball clubhouse.

And Aaron Hil was true to form after he struck a double in the bottom of the 11th Tuesday night that scored Jose Bautista that provided the Toronto Blue Jays with a walk-off 6-5 victory over the Baltimore Orioles.

For Hill, the 27-year-old second baseman, the run-batted-in was the 100th of a special season that should climax later this year with his winning the American League's comeback-player-of-the-year award.

And, as usual, Hill tried to downplay the moment of reaching 100 RBIs for the first time in his career. His previous best was 78 he managed two years ago.

"It's something you're not really trying to get to but it's one of those things, it's in the back of your head," he said. "It's nice to get it over with so just play, you know. It wasn't that big of a deal for me, it was just one more.

"Now everyone will stop talking about it."

Not likely.

It is a remarkable accomplishment in a remarkable season for Hill, who earlier in the game struck his 33rd home run of the season, almost double his previous best for home runs in a year.

It wasn't supposed to be this way for Hill, whose career was nearly permanently derailed a year ago when he missed most of the season after suffering a severe concussion.

Last night was just another feather in his cap in a season where he has put up career offensive numbers across the board while playing a sound second base that helped earn him a spot on the A.L. all-star team.

Lyle Overbay, the Toronto first baseman, had the presence of mind to chase down the ball that Hill struck for his 100th RBI and presented it to him after the Blue Jays swarmed the hero in celebration on the field.

The momento will join the baseball he struck for his 30th home run of the year in Hill's trophy case.

"Walk-offs are great," Hill said. "That's a great part of baseball. It's fun to see everyone run out of the dugout coming to get you. That's what you work for."

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Rob MacLeod

Robert MacLeod blogs on all things baseball