Bleacher Report - Articles by Ed Schultheis

The Toronto Blue Jays Are More Than Just One Player

Ed Schultheis — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 00:03:10 -0400

I have been a Blue Jays fan for as long as I can remember. And that means something, because I grew up in Baltimore, amongst a family of Baltimore Orioles fans.

I'm not going to lie. I think I was drawn to the powder blue uniforms of the mid-80s that did it for me.

But whatever "it" was, it stuck.

And I got to enjoy the great years of Blue Jays baseball. I coaxed my parents to drive up to Toronto multiple times just so I could see the Jays play in person, many of those times while they were taking on the Orioles.

Sure I go to see the Jays every time they come to Camden Yards, but there is something about rooting for the home team. That and I still get ridiculed at Oriole Park when I wear my Jays jersey. Yeah, I get it, "Cito Sucks," you don't have to keep yelling at me over something that happened 16 years ago.

I lived through the great times, when the Jays were drawing fifty thousand people a game, and the team was a powerhouse in the American League.

And I've lived through the bad times, when the Jays boasted 3 consecutive Cy Young Award winners, but still finished well out of the playoff picture. We'll just group all those years as the wonderful Gord Ash era of Blue Jays baseball.

Then along came J.P. Ricciardi, a man who I thought was going to continue the Jays upward climb that had been started in the early 2000's. And by most accounts, he did for awhile. But before long, you couldn't tell if they were rebuilding or making a run for it.

In the end, Ricciardi seemed not to be truly shooting for the top of the AL East, but was merely content with not being last or just shooting for .500. I mean the way that he and the players talked, you would have thought we had won the Series when the Jays finished in second place in 2006, only to continue to tread water in the following years.

So when it became public a few weeks ago, that Ricciardi was willing to listen to trade offers for Roy Halladay, I was devastated. Here we have one of the best pitchers in all of baseball, a true number one starter, and Ricciardi is going to sell him away.

I vowed, right then and there, that if they traded this guy, that I would be taking a break from the team that I had loved these twenty-some years. I mean we are talking about the first player that could actually make it into the Hall of Fame as a Toronto Blue Jay.

But then, after the emotion had died down, I realized that as stupid as it sounds, the Jays need to trade Halladay. In fact, if the Tampa Bay Rays have taught us anything, it is that you can't tread water and expect to get better.

The prime example of what the Blue Jays are destined to become is the Baltimore Orioles. Since they went wire-to-wire in 1997, they haven't had a winning season. It took them until 2008 to realize that they weren't going to win treading water, or taking on stupid contracts (Sammy Sosa, anyone?), but they would have to start over from scratch.

They traded away Erik Bedard and Miguel Tejada, and those young prospects are set to be the base of the franchise for years to come. The Orioles learned from their mistakes, and they are continuing to improve, even to the point where Baltimore fans are getting excited about Orioles baseball again.

The Jays need to do this, and quick, before they start taking on too much water.

I hate to say it, but the Jays need to fire Ricciardi. He has had the job for seven years, and not a single playoff appearance to show for it. Sure, you can't blame the injuries on him. But you can blame the contracts of AJ Burnett, BJ Ryan and Troy Glaus on him.

All of them were signed in a mad dash of spending to push the Jays over the top. All of them are no longer playing for the Blue Jays, even though they will be paying for Ryan next season as well.

Today, even with one of the greatest pitchers in baseball today, the Jays are three games under .500 and 12.5 games out in the East. What does this tell us? That the Jays are over-performing!

Think how bad their record would have been without Roger Clemens or Pat Hentgen those Cy Young years. How bad would the Jays have really been without AJ Burnett and Roy Halladay last year? They accounted for 44% of all of the Jays' wins last season. If that isn't an inflated winning percentage, I don't know what is.

The Blue Jays and their fans have been insulated from seeing how bad the team has become because they have had a pitcher or pitchers that hid the imperfections better than anyone else could.

So what will happen if the Jays trade away Halladay? They'll fail, of course. No one has the ability to step up and win 20 games as the ace of the squad.

But in that failure, changes can be made.

Prospects can be brought in and a rebirth process can actually start, as opposed to the dumping water out of sinking ship that the Jays have been doing these past 5 or 6 years.

Sure, it will be painful, for me, and for all other Jays fans, but hopefully, in a few years, we will be able to reap the benefits, just like the Orioles did with Bedard and the Indians did with Bartolo Colon, a few years before.

But at least we could then have hope. Hope that we could become the Rays and emerge from the "pit of suckage" with a solid core of young players to shock the Yankees and Red Sox.

What we shouldn't have to settle for is hope that we can play .500 baseball for a season. And then be happy when we come in third place, 16 games out of first place.

I don't think that is what hope is supposed to feel like.

You Know You Have One...Just Admit It. Who's Your Man Crush?

Ed Schultheis — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 23:44:37 -0400

I think of myself as just your ordinary, run of the mill, heterosexual man. I love a few sports, watch most of them, and consider myself a pretty devoted sports fanatic.

But it took just a little while for me to realize, as un-heterosexual as it may sound, that I have quite a few so-called, "man crushes."

But I actually found out, amongst my circle of married and single male friends, that they were dealing with the exact same feelings. Some were obviously more willing to "crush" than others. Others were on their way to cheating on their significant others with their mental man crush.

It certainly doesn't help when your wife is making fun of you and your infatuation with another dude.

But here I was, looking at these men, and thinking..."man, if only I could get them in a room alone!" To sign stuff and talk about the shot they pulled off, or the home run they hit, or what it felt like to do whatever they did to make them the object of my fascination.

Why? What did you think I was going to do in the room with them? No, see sentence number one!

For me, as a die-hard Blue Jays fan living in Maryland, I count down the days for when Roy Halladay and company come to town. I'll buy prime seats along the Jays dugout, just so I have the chance to yell to "Doc." Maybe he'll look my way, probably he won't. But just give me a little look, a wave, something, and I'll call it a day.

I know his stats, his repertoire of pitches, his real name. Heck, I've got one of those posters of him in my computer room. And, as weird as it sounds, I'm not a 12 year-old boy anymore. Haven't been for 16 years. But when it comes to my various "man crushes," I might as well be.

But I don't just "man crush" on anyone, I'm not a man crush player here. I'm not out there man crushing on Prince Fielder. Although, I think there are definitely some people out there right now, crushing on Prince. Or even King Felix while we're at it.

No, I reserve my most deeply felt man crush for someone much more hated. A person that people hear his name, and their first reaction is a combination of: "I hate him" and "Why would you like him?"

Sergio Garcia.

That's right. El Nino. Sergio "stop gripping the damn club" Garcia. Sergio "Mrs. Martina Hingis" Garcia. Sergio "Mrs. Greg Norman's daughter" Garcia. The list goes on.

But while my girlfriend's desktop photo is a picture of us smiling it up at a wedding reception, mine is Sergio Garcia blasting out of a bunker at this year's Masters. And I'm totally cool with that. I think she has become very accepting of my crush. Or at least pretends well.

Did I also mention that he is the background on my iPhone too? So what if my girlfriend has a picture of us on her cell phone? I'm sure it all balances out somewhere!

All I know is that since I have verbally committed to having these "man crushes," to my friends and golf partners and anyone else I feel like telling, I feel free. Maybe a little more vulnerable, but free from the shackles that were keeping my feelings locked deep inside.

Maybe you completely disagree with my entire note and feel just a little more metro-sexual after reading this post. But maybe, somewhere in there, you feel exactly the same about Tom Brady or Roger Federer or even, Prince Fielder.

So, who are your "man crushes?" Don't be afraid or shy to write them down here, let those crushes out and remember that the truth will set you free!

American League All-Star Pitchers: Who Ya Got?

Ed Schultheis — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 23:36:21 -0400

This year, the American League has a vast assortment of pitchers who are all deserving of receiving the nod to start the Midsummer Classic. Unfortunately, there can be only one pitcher that receives the acknowledgment as the best pitcher in the AL for the first half of the season. We'll look at all the contenders who have a chance of starting against the National League at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. We'll also look at why each of the pitchers is deserving of the starting job, and why they aren't guaranteed the spot.

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The Father-Son Golf Challenge: Reminding Us What Golf Should Be About

Ed Schultheis — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 14:06:31 -0500

When I call my dad to ask him to go play a round of golf with me, most of time, he is busy with a variety of household projects that suck up the weekends like a vacuum. He has to mow the lawn, build the deck, put in a new shower, etc.

He has responsibilities that he can't put off...unlike my batch of tests which seems to pile up, begging to be graded.

On some occasions though, he says yes. The times that he has has said yes have accounted for some of my most fun and memorable rounds of golf in my life.

How can I forget my dad driving over my golf ball with a golf cart for about the 10th time? Or how about the time I was playing so badly, I decided to play an entire par 5 with a 6-iron. When I got to the green, I bet my father that I would make the 10 foot putt with the 6-iron. "I'll take that bet," he said. Drano! Five bucks richer.

I think this is the reason why I thoroughly enjoy events like the Father-Son Golf Challenge. Sure you aren't going to see Fuzzy Zoeller driving over his daughter's golf ball during the round. But you'll definitely see Bernhard Langer laughing it up with his son during the walk up to the green.

And while I am sure there are tons of people out there who either A) Stop paying attention when Tiger isn't playing or B) Stop paying attention after the Ryder Cup/Presidents Cup, they are missing some of the "best" golf of the season. Some of the most fun of the golf season.

Can you imagine though when Phil Mickelson has one of his children out there playing with him? Or how about Tiger and one of his children? Are you gonna watch then?

Certainly, I know that as a golf tournament, there is money involved and prizes to be won. There are nerve-racking putts and expletives muttered under one's breath. There are crowds and people watching your every move (like Paul Azinger apparently striking out on a tee shot).

But there are also smiles, high fives, pats on the back and being able to tell your dad, "don't worry, I got this." Probably, just as Nick Faldo's son did right before he hit in close for a tap-in birdie at the 18th.

That is what I am going to remember about golf. And I think that if you ask any of the PGA and Senior PGA members who participate in the Father-Son Challenge, if it is one of their best memories, I think they would say the same thing.

So thank you PGA of America, for mixing it up a little, and having a tournament every year where we get to see golf the way that it was meant to be played. With smiles, hugs, and bragging rights galore.

And so for you dads out there, when your son or daughter comes to you with golf clubs in tow and a smile on their face asking for you to take them to the range or a quick nine, take them up on that offer. You never know what great memories you could be making.

And while the adage says, "the great shots bring you back," I think that being able to play a round with your father will make even the worst rounds, worth every single excruciating shot of it.

An American Golf Fan: The British Open is My Favorite Major

Ed Schultheis — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 13:19:34 -0500

Give me brown grass, fescue and rain blowing sideways. Give me a random, no-name winner every couple of years. Give me wind that looks like it could blow Craig Stadler's moustache away. Give me the British Open.

That's right. I said it. I love the British Open. I love it more than the U.S. Open, Masters, and PGA Championship combined.

Now that wouldn't be a strange thing coming from a European. You know they love their European golf over there, although maybe not Nick Faldo after the Ryder Cup. But I'm an American. Born and raised in the country that holds three majors all by itself.

Don't get me wrong. I love me some other Majors. I'll never forget watching Phil Mickelson drain that putt on 18 to win the Green Jacket. I'll never forget his little jump too.

I'll always remember watching the entire playoff for the 2008 U.S. Open, watching Tiger Woods and Rocco Mediate go back and forth for 18 grueling holes.

There are things that I will never forget about the other three Majors. From the burnt greens of the U.S Open, to the ace that David Toms made en route to winning the PGA, and all the azaleas in between.

But there is something special about the Open Championship. There is something perfect about it.

For one, I love golf that makes you think, makes you really play the game. Driver, wedge at the PGA Championship just doesn't do it for me. Hitting the driver 14 times at the Masters doesn't do it for me.

Driver, hit your ball so far left or right that you avoid the 10 inch rough right next to the fairway, at the U.S Open doesn't even do it for me. But 2-iron and then hit your putter for 135 feet...now that's golf!

Secondly, with maybe the exception of the PGA Championship (Shaun Micheel, anyone?), does any major produce a more varied crop of winners than the British Open? I think not.

Has anyone seen Open Champion Todd Hamilton recently? How about Paul Lawrie? Ian Baker-Finch, anyone? Heck, Jean Van de Velde almost was an Open Champion!

Greg Norman, the lovable loser at Augusta, was in the thick of the 2008 Open Championship. Norman, at 53, was holding the lead late against Padraig Harrington at the British Open. Where are you going to see that? Not at Bethpage Black. Not at Augusta. Not at Whistling Straits.

I love that the British Open rewards the imaginative shot-maker. Ones that can deal with the wind and rain and can play a variety of shots. Ones that can conquer the elements and realize that they aren't going to beat the course up, but rather that the course will humble them that day. Why do you think that Phil Mickelson can't play well there?

Lastly, I love it for the most American reason of all. Convenience!

I mean, what other major can you wake up in the morning/noon on a Saturday and Sunday and watch the leaders play their round while you eat your favorite bowl of cereal?

What other major can I sit in my pajamas and watch David Duval try to escape the Road Hole's pot bunker? Please, you can't tell me it gets better than that!

Well I know that as an American, I should prefer the majors that we have on our home soil. But I'm sorry, if I could watch only one major in any given year, the Open Championship would be on my television all four days.

Now, let's start taking bets on the random Open Champion for 2009 at Turnberry. I already got dibs on Steven Webster!

Sergio Garcia's Putter Finally Comes Through in the Clutch

Ed Schultheis — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 14:25:21 -0500

Lip-outs? That was sooo 2007 British Open! Bad decision-making? That was sooo 2008 PGA Championship!

This is the new Sergio Garcia, the one that channels Gary Player when he wears all black on Sundays (think Players, PGA, HSBC, etc.). This is also the new Sergio Garcia that made all the right decision en-route to winning the HSBC Championship on Nov. 10.

Over the past 10 years, the golfing world has watched Sergio evolve from a rising star, a threat to Tiger Woods, to the second-ranked player in the world.

Along the way, Garcia has had a multitude of painful stops along the way. We've watched him battle a balky putter as well as battle fans and golfing gods and so on.

It was only a little over a year ago, that Garcia missed the eight-foot putt that would have won him the 2007 British Open. I watched at home as the putt looked perfect for the entire time before it hit the lip and failed to find the bottom of the cup.

He then fell apart against Padraig Harrington in the playoff, even watching his perfectly struck tee shot bound off the flag and roll some 30 feet away. It could have just as easily dropped in for a hole-in-one.

When it was all said and done, Garcia had a lot of blame to give away:

Blaming the attendants for taking too long to rake the bunker on 18 before he hit his shot into one.
Blaming the golfing gods for not giving him the bounces (does he not count Harrington hitting into the water twice on 18?).
But never placing the blame on himself.

However, when his second shot found the water on the 16th hole at the PGA Championship, he no longer had anyone to blame but himself. That and his putter. This guy could not make a putt to save his life, especially when an individual win was on the line (obviously, the guy can make it from 50 feet away when he is playing in the Ryder Cup).

Finally, Garcia has ditched the old-man belly putter in favor of a Rossa putter that is more similar to the one of his youth. With his new found confidence in the flat stick (and his channeling of Gary Player), Garcia finished 2008 with a flurry of stellar performances.

To top off the 2008 season and kick start the 2009 season, Garcia faced down a solid field at the HSBC Championship.

Using his excellent ball-striking and much improved putting stroke, Garcia finished solidly, even making putts to keep himself in the heat of battle.

On 18, he forced the playoff by making a five-foot birdie putt. Then, on the second playoff hole, he made a seven-foot birdie to win the tournament.

In years past, those balls would have hung on the outside looking in, and Garcia would have had someone else to blame. Now, those putts are finding the bottom of the cup, and Garcia can thank his putter.

Let's hope for that kind of putting in 2009.