Thursday, January 28, 2010 2:01 PM EST
A tip of the cap to Dawson
In early December, while at the airport in Indianapolis waiting to catch a flight home after covering the winter meetings, I was strolling through the concourse looking for another gourmet meal to ring up on my Globe expense account.
Of course, I stopped at a fancy hot dog joint.
It must have been a good spot. I was delighted to notice that Andre Dawson was standing in line in front of me.
It was kind of funny because just the day before at the lobby bar in the hotel where the meetings were taking place, I was involved in a discussion about the baseball great with a number of people, including Mike Shaw.
Shaw is the Blue Jays travelling secretary. He grew up in Montreal and, quite possibly, is Dawson’s biggest fan.
Shaw has committed to memory all of the Hawk’s pertinent stats and even wanted to name his son after the slugger.
“Dawson Shaw, I think it has a great ring to it,” Shaw said earlier today.
“My wife was afraid if we named him Dawson people would think it was after Dawson’s Creek, the TV show. So I lost that battle.”
The lad, who is now three, was instead named Christopher.
But Shaw notes with satisfaction that whenever anybody around the Blue Jays office asks about Christopher they always say, “How’s the Hawk doing?”
When Dawson was spotted at the airport Jay Stenhouse, the Blue Jays director of media relations, was nearby and he surreptitiously snapped a picture using his cell phone camera and emailed it to Shaw.
I regurgitate all this after Wednesday’s news that the Baseball Hall of Fame has decreed that Dawson be inducted as a Montreal Expo rather than his preferred choice, as a Chicago Cub.
Of course, it’s the right choice.
Any baseball fan worth his salt, especially in Canada, will always associate Dawson with the Expos, where he played his first 11 seasons.
“He was drafted by the Expos and it was in Montreal where he really made his mark,” said Shaw, taking up the argument.
“Also, his number in Montreal (No. 10), has been retired. And it’s the only city he played in where that’s been done.”
Shaw also notes that Dawson’s jersey hangs from the Bell Centre in Montreal in homage to those hockey fans who might also have supported the Expos.
“I think it’s great,” said Alex Anthopoulos, the Blue Jay general manager who used to work for the Expos and who also supports the decision of Dawson entering the Hall as an Expo. “I mean, obviously I’m biased and I’m sure that there’s people that can debate with the Cubs and the MVP and all that stuff.
“But I think it’s great, I think it’s exciting. It ensures the name of the Montreal Expos will live on.”
Link to this postWednesday, January 27, 2010 10:29 AM EST
It's That Time Of Year Again
Welcome to 2010.
The Argos are in their normal state of confusion, the Leafs stink, the Raptors, though playing better of late, appear like another first-round playoff casualty, and then there's the Blue Jays.
Spring training begins in just a couple of weeks for the no-name Blue Jays who will officially usher in the Roy Halladay-less era -- and it remains to be seen how the long suffering fans will react.
We'll be provided with a sneak preview of that Thursday night when Alex Anthopoulos, the team's intrepid new GM, will try to sell his vision of the team's future to season ticket holders at the annual state of the franchise meet and greet at Rogers Centre.
It will be interesting to see how the club's hard core supporters will react to the trade of the team's perennial all-star for a clutch of promising minor-leaguers.
Since he was hired, Anthopoulos has busied himself bolstering the team's sadly understaffed scouting department while stocking the team with a pile of young arms, most of whom won't see the light of day at the Major League level next seson.
“Just trying to create some depth," is how the GM put it during a chat on Monday.
Trying to restock a minor league system essentially stipped bare in the latter stages of the J.P. Ricciardi era is a noble venture, but it's not going to provide much relief to the on-field product in the short term.
At last year's state of the franchise address, team president Paul Beeston trotted out the word "reloading" in an effort to give the fans some hope.
Regressive might have been a better choice as the Blue Jays, after a surprisingly strong start, fizzled badly as the summer wore on and fan support dwindled.
Fans are yearning for a winner and with the stench of last season's debacle is still fresh in the minds of many and Beeston is already fretting about how he's going to put bums in the seats in 2010 to watch another rebuilding effort unfold.
"I think it's going to be tough sledding early going," Beeston said when asked about ticket sales. "I think it's going to be tough sledding late going. But I think that's the nature of the game quite honestly.
"Until we show them [the fans] we're a product that they have to come and see, I think it makes it [selling tickets] difficult."
Beeston would not say what word he might use to try to optimistically position the team's status heading into the 2010 season to the cynical hoards on Thursday night.
If you have any suggestions, pass them on.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009 2:46 PM EST
AA strikes again
Just got word from the Blue Jays that the deal to acquire pitcher Brandon Morrow from the Seattle Mariners is officially a go.
Another interesting move by Alex Anthopoulos, the Jays' neophyte general manager who is certainly not shy when it comes to making moves he believes will strengthen the team down the road.
Morrow is a former first-round draft choice with a quality arm whose has struggled with control problems through three years in Seattle.
The Blue Jays are hoping a change in scenery will amount to a change in habits and the price wasn't too daunting.
In exchange for Morrow, the Blue Jays were required to give up Brandon League, a middle reliever whose fastball could top out at around 100-miles-an-hour.
Unfuortunately for League he too was erratic and in the crowded Blue Jays bullpen was deemed the most expendable.
The Blue Jays also had to give up Johermyn Chavez who they have been slowly nurturing through their minor league system.
Chavez is only 20 but is highly thought of in the organization. Hitting 21 home runs at the Single-A level this past season will have that affect.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009 3:07 PM EST
Medicals throwing Halladay deal a curve?
Don't go bemoaning the Roy Halladay trade to me. I like it.
If all the pieces fall together an official announcement should be forthcoming at some point in the near future -- provided all the involved players can pass the physicals.
There's chatter out in cyber space that that's what's holding things up.
When you look over some of the other players out there who were supposedly being dangled to entice the Blue Jays into trading Halladay -- I'm thinking specifically of Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain and Clay Buchholz -- I'm not really blown away by any of them.
In Kyle Drabek, Brett Wallace and Travis d'Arnaud the Blue Jays are adding three young studs whose full impact probably won't be felt until two to three years down the line.
At that point, AA's plan to rectify the moribund franchise to respectable status should be in full swing with all three of the soon-to-be additions believed to have a good shot at being able to contribute at the Major League level.
Wallace, 23, is the closest to being Major League ready.
He carries a big stick and plays third base although it is likely if he does play a position with the Blue Jays it would be over at first.
That would make sense as it would allow the Blue Jays to continue to try to shop incumbent Lyle Overbay, who is entering the final year of his contract with the Blue Jays.
Drabek is only 22 and his numbers this past season playing Single and Double-A ball -- 12-3 with a 3.19 ERA -- are pretty impressive.
He adds to an already deep stockpile of young starting pitchers in the Blue Jays system that includes the likes of Brett Cecil, Jesse Litsch, Shaun Marcum, Brad Mills, David Purcey, Robert Ray, Ricky Romero and Marc Rzepczynski.
Scott Richmond, at age 30, doesn't exactly qualify as a youngster any more, but he's still in the mix.
And who knows what to expct from Dustin McGowan, who will get a close look at spring training to see if his surgically-repaired shoulder will allow him to be a factor.
And don't forget about Zach Stewart, a pitcher the Blue Jays acquired from the Reds as part of the Scott Rolen deal. The Blue Jays also believe he has starter's stuff.
As for d'Arnaud, the Jays have always been hot on him and were hoping to draft him back in 2007 before the Phillies snapped him up with their supplemental first round pick.
He is considered a solid two-way catching prospect, and you can't have too many of them in the organization.
Thursday, December 10, 2009 10:58 AM EST
Rule 5 and we're outta' here
You know things are finally winding down here when the Rule 5 draft comes and goes in about 40 minutes.
Not even Alex Anthopoulos, the newly-minted Blue Jays GM, bothered to hang around for it, bolting on a flight back to Toronto early this morning.
It was left to Tony LaCava, the team's assistant GM, player personnel, and Dana Brown, a special assistant to the GM, to handle the chore.
In the Major League portion of the draft, the Blue Jays plucked right-handed pitcher Zech Zinicola from the Washington Nationals organization.
Zinicola, 24, opened the 2009 season at the Double-A level with Harrisburg of the Eastern League where he posted a 1-1 record with a 1.74 ERA and five saves in 17 relief appearances.
"He's a really good guy to take a shot at to see if we can get a back-end piece for the Major League bullpen," Brown said.
In the minor-league phase of the draft the Blue Jays again raided the Nationals roster, selecting pitcher Duben De La Rosa, who was 4-1 this past year in the Gulf Coast League with a guady 0.96 ERA.
As for the reported acquisition of Joey Gathright, the Blue Jays are denying it is a done deal.
"Gathright's a player that we're interested in and that's all I can say at this point," LaCava said. "We haven't been able to secure him yet. I think a lot of teams are interested in Gathright."
Thursday, December 10, 2009 9:21 AM EST
Gathright a Blue Jay?
There's an unconfirmed report floating around that the Blue Jays have signed outfielder Joey Gathright to a free-agent contract.
It makes sense as the Blue Jays are desperate to add another corner outfielder and Gathright would come fairly cheap.
Gathright has played six years at the major-league level with four teams, most recently the Boston Red Sox this past season where he saw action in 17 games.
He is a lifetime .263 hitter.
Gathright also played at the Triple-A level this year at Norfold and Pawtucket.
The Blue Jays have yet to confirm or deny the move.
More later. Off to the Rule 5 draft.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009 8:30 PM EST
Orioles and Rangers get things done
Day has now morphed into night here at baseball's winter meetings where the Blue Jays remain shutout in their efforts to strengthen their roster.
Not so for division rival Baltimore Orioles who announced they have acquired starting pitcher Kevin Millwood and cash considerations from the Texas Rangers in exchange for reliever Chris Ray and a player to be named later.
Millwood, a former all-star, was 13-10 last season for the Rangers with a 3.67 ERA.
The Rangers, meanwhile, are said to be close to adding Canadian pitcher Rich Harden to their lineup.
The injury-plagued Victoria native was 9-9 with a 4.09 ERA in 26 starts for the Chicago Cubs this past season.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009 5:10 PM EST
Scott Boras touches down
It's always an event when super-agent Scott Boras does his annual scrum here at baseball's winter meetings.
Earlier today, Boras held court just outside the media work area and was surrounded by at least 75 reporters who were straining to hear each measured word the man had to say.
And he didn't disappoint.
On slugger Matt Holliday, the most appealing free-agent bat on the market that Boras is busy trying to drum up millions of dollars for, the agent was profusive in his praise.
"Matt Holliday could play in the NFL, he's that kind of guy," Boras said.
He puts the left fielder almost in the same class of Mark Teixeira, another Boras client who he helped deliver to the New York Yankees this past year.
"Last year with Teixeira I know we said in meetings between the Angels, the Red Sox and the Yankees, we all felt whoever signed Teixeira was going to be the clear favorite to win the World Series," Boras said. "That's how it turned out."
The guy knows how to sell, no doubt.
Johnny Damon, who batted second in the Yankees lineup this year, is another Boras client. He too is a free agent whose future with New York is felt to be in jeopardy now that the Yankees have gone out and traded for Curtis Granderson.
In the world according to Boras, the move actually enhances Damon's value to the Yankees.
"By adding a centrefielder...that allows the strength of the upper tier of the lineup -- the Jeters, the Damons -- to be all the more important to set the table and provide that component where players are in a position to score runs for those bats," Boras said.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009 3:00 PM EST
The silence is deafening
The Blue Jays remain behind closed doors, supposedly busy as GM Alex Anthopoulos tries to work out the details of what will be his signature deal -- the trading of Roy Halladay.
So far no word today on how that might be going.
While the Blue Jays have been quiet here at Day 3 of baseball's great trade show a couple of other teams have remained industrious.
As usual the New York Yankees are at the centre of things with word that the World Series champs have agreed on a new deal to bring back veteran pitcher Andy Pettitte back into the fold for another year.
Pettitte has agreed to a one-year, $11.75-million contract to rejoin the Bronx Bombers.
The Milwaukee Brewers have also been successful in their pursuit of lefty Randy Wolf, who has accepted a three-year deal with a club option for a fourth that will pay the 33-year-old free agent just over $20-million.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009 1:17 PM EST
LaRussa has his fans
So I'm sitting in the hotel bar last night eating dinner and I strike up a conversation with a young lady who is sitting beside me doing the same.
She lives in Indianapolis and is a huge fan of the St. Louis Cardinals and keeps asking me about Tony LaRussa, the Cardinals manager whom she is dying to meet.
All of a sudden Tigers manager Jim Leyland strolls into the establishment and I point out to the lady that there's a real, live Major League Baseball manager standing right behind her.
"Excuse me," she says to the Tigers manager. " But do you know Tony LaRussa?"
Leyland, a smirk on his face, admits he runs into LaRussa from time to time.
"The next time you see him can you tell him Diane says hi?" she asks.
Leyland, edging away, assured her he would.
Kind of quiet over night and later today will be having lunch with Jays manager Cito Gaston. It will be good to get his take on all of the Halladay chatter.
I think I'll ask him who he's planning to bat leadoff for Toronto this season.
There are several reports that the Yankees remain strong in the hunt for Halladay even after their acquisition of Curtis Granderson to become their everyday centre fielder.
The New York Post is reporting that New York is willing to discuss "major prospects" and that one of the players the Blue Jays covet is minor-league catcher Jesus Montero.
As usual the names Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes are also being mentioned.
The Jays are also being linked to discussions with the Pittsburgh Pirates in a trade that would bring catcher Ryan Doumit to town. Rod Barajas most likely won't be back after deciding to give free agency a whirl.
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