Bleacher Report - Articles by David Allan

Rollie's Follies: A Hall Of Famer Speaks

David Allan — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 13:41:41 -0400

**The Quotes as presented are direct from Rollie Fingers courtesy of an interview that he was kind enough to grant me in conjunction with his new book.**

When people approach professional athletes, they are usually looking for a career retrospective or a biography. That is exactly what Yellowstone Ritter had in mind when he contacted Hall of Famer Rollie Fingers.

With the idea on the table, Rollie said no. So Yellowstone went back to the drawing board with Rollie, and what they came up with was Rollie’s Follies: A Hall of Fame Revue of Baseball Stories and Stats, Lists, and Lore.

When discussing the book, I was treated to a conversation that covered many facets of Rollie’s Hall of Fame career, and the stories and opinions were as diverse and colorful as the book that he helped author in his name.

After bypassing the notion that talking about himself for 250 or so pages was a good idea, Rollie did start to hash out a plan with Yellowstone, who he credits with doing a lot of the interesting research in the book.

“I don’t want to get into autobiographies, I don’t want to talk about myself.”

Fingers explains, “We started hashing it out, and decided he has done a lot of research on baseball. So why don’t we do a book on basic baseball itself. So we decided that’s what we were going to do.

"We went through a bunch of statistics and facts and came up with a bunch of things that you might not know about…different crazy stats of things that happen, who are the best hitting pitchers of all time, you don’t know that.

"People think of the greatest home run hitters of all time and think of Babe Ruth, they don’t think about that Warren Spahn hit more than anybody.”

In 1958, Warren Spahn, in just 108 at bats, hit .333, and also mustered 35 home runs, 189 RBI’s in his career.

The book, as Rollie and I discussed, is really about expanding on what people love so much about baseball.

As Rollie said, “That’s all baseball is, is numbers, it’s run by numbers, averages, percentage and odds. Managers make their decisions based on the numbers.

"If this guy hits the ball seven out of 10 times to the left side then they’ll play a shift to the left…there is more books on statistics than you can think of and we just brought out some of the ones that we thought were the most interesting.”

To look back at Rollie’s career by the numbers, one American League Cy Young (1981), one American League MVP (1981), 341 Career Saves (10th all-time), 944 career games (17th all-time), 709 career games finished (5th all-time) and 81.1% (the total number of writers hall of fame ballots he was elected on for the Hall).

(He appeared on 349 of 430 Hall of Fame ballots, getting him over the 75% required for enshrinement)

We talked a little bit about his place among baseball immortals. I asked Rollie about his engagement two weeks ago to see his peers Rickey Henderson and Jim Rice take their place in Cooperstown.

“I’ve been back every year since 1992 when I went in. I have been there a few times before that, they used to have the Hall of Fame game, and I played once with the A’s and one game with the Padres.

Then I was there in 1964 when I was named I was the American Legion Baseball Player of the Year, I received my award at Doubleday Field in 1964, that’s the first time I was there.”

When I asked why Rollie returns with such frequency, he answered me as if there was no other option.

“I think it’s important because when I went in there was a lot of guys there.” He said. “They supported my induction into the Hall of Fame and my career. I felt that I should be there for the new guys coming in,” Rollie continued.

He also let me in on a little secret; “it’s nice seeing the guys go through what you have to go through to get in.”

The first trip to Cooperstown is the hardest.

“That weekend is a hectic weekend, getting ready for your speech, taking care of all your family members making sure everything is done right, people wanting you to sign autographs going the dinners, going the parties. The easiest time is the following year.”

“The hardest thing in the world to get through is the speech,” said Rollie, and remember this is a guy with three World Series rings and 314 career saves.

As for his description of this year’s inductees, “Rickey Henderson was a pain in the butt. You don’t want to walk him; it’s like walking a triple. I had a real slow motion to the plate, so I knew if he got on base within two or three pitches he was going to be standing on third.”

On Jim Rice, “The two scariest things in the world are standing on the mound at Fenway Park looking over your right shoulder and seeing the wall there, and the second scariest is looking in and seeing Jim Rice. Those were the two scariest things about Boston when I played.”

Ironically enough for the nightmare that was the wall a disputable 310 feet away.

Fenway was not Rollie’s least favorite place to pitch. Counted among his least favorites were the domed stadiums.

“I didn’t like The Astrodome, or any of the Astro-Turf fields. Probably my worst ballpark was The Met in Minnesota, I hated that place, I was so glad when they tore that place down, you have no idea. My first big league start at the Met I threw a five hit shut out, and my lifetime record at The Met is one win and 11 losses.”

Fingers went on to recount a move this his manager used to save him the horrors of The Met on one occasion.

"It was really bad, nothing went right for me at that ball park. Actually Alvin Dark with the Oakland A’s, we had a double-header and he didn’t even want me in uniform, he put me in street clothes in the stands for a double header and this is when I was the closer.

"Crazy stuff would happen there, and I’d always end up having a bad game. So he just decided, what the heck I might as well throw you in the stands so I won’t be tempted to use you.”

Rollie Fingers was part of multiple transactions in his career. He was a free agent, he was traded, and he was even sold once by Charlie Finley to the Boston Red Sox.

As it turns out, Joe Rudi and Rollie, after being sold to the Red Sox for a million dollars apiece, were promptly returned after the commissioner's office ruled that the transaction would not stand.

Luckily for Rudi and Fingers, the Red Sox were the visiting club and they simply packed their bags and walked through the bowels of the Oakland County Coliseum to set up shop in the visitor's clubhouse.

After three days, Bowie Kuhn, Major League Baseball's fifth commissioner, told Charlie Finley he couldn’t do that, although Rollie does believe “if Joe or I had gotten into that game, there wouldn’t have been anything they could have done. I warmed up but never got in the game.”

Rollie then signed with the Padres, where he spent four seasons before he was shipped to St. Louis in the off-season, where he ironically once again spent three days, matching his stay with the Red Sox. The Cardinals then moved him out to play with the Milwaukee Brewers.

Speaking of the team that would be Harvey’s Wallbanger’s, “Paul Molitor was about a three or four year man up, Robin Yount was six or seven year guy…I was happy to be going to Milwaukee, I was just happy to be wearing the same uniform as those guy.

"The line up we had there was unbelievable: Ted Simmons, Molitor, Yount, Cooper, Ben Oglivie, Gorman Thomas, I mean wouldn’t want to face that line up, I was just happy to have a Milwaukee uniform on that year.”

Rollie and I had a little fun as I mentioned former Major Leaguer and Fingers' teammate, 1982 Cy Young Award winner Pete Vuckovich.

Following Pete’s playing career, he probably best known at “The Biggest Indian Killer of them All” Clu Heywood according to Harry Doyle (played by longtime Brewers announcer and Major League Catcher Bob Uecker).

So I asked Rollie, “Who would play Rollie Fingers?”

“Oh golly, I have no idea who would play Rollie Fingers, you’d have to be able to grow a handle bar mustache, who that person would be I have no idea, or whether in the future they’d put me in a movie.

But a guy that looks like me and can grow a handle bar mustache is the way they’d have to go I guess, like the movie 61, they cast those two guys who looked pretty much like Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris…I don’t think about that stuff.”

You hear the words dynasty thrown around; when you won the first World Series in Oakland did you know you had something special?

Rollie is much like the other major leaguers I’ve talked to, when they talk about things they are incredible focused in the moment and recall it as such.

“At the time you don’t. After we won the first year it was the first time we’d ever won and sure you want to win two and we knew we had a pretty good team. We played together, we all played together in the minors because it was before free agency and we basically had the same line up for eight years at the time we played in Oakland.

"Winning three in a row, it was great; you don’t think about how great it was then, you know I’d like to have kept winning. That’s what it’s all about, we had a chance in ’75 but we got beat in the playoffs by Red Sox, I think we’d have had Catfish Hunter that year, that was the year we lost Catfish Hunter…we had a chance to be a dynasty there if Charlie Finley kept us together.

"He wasn’t about to do that, he didn’t want to pay the salaries, so when Free Agency hit, he lost all of us, he could’ve kept us that team together if he’d have just paid us.”

I asked him specifically about the fans in his career, and the fans in Milwaukee, “Milwaukee is a great baseball town…they’ll open their arms up to you.

"I enjoyed playing there, I enjoyed the fans, I did a lot of charity when they had stuff going on at the ballpark it was fun…I had a lot of fun because I was getting guys out and we were doing good.”

We talked a lot about Rollie’s contemporaries so I decided to ask, if there was anyone now that he enjoys watching pitch.

I asked is there anyone that if you know that they are pitching you’ll throw the game on?

“There’s a few players, I don’t mind watching a good pitched ball game, Randy Johnson, Halladay in Toronto, that’s the way I was when Greg Maddux was pitching, I would sit and watch him, because he knew what he was doing. He wasn’t over powering; he moved the ball around, hit spots. That’s pitching.

"I don’t watch ball games on TV anymore cause I hate to see a pitcher go zero balls and two strikes and lay one right down the middle and the guy hits it out of the ballpark.

"What’s he thinking about? That’s not pitching to me; that is throwing. I get too upset watching those types of games, so I don’t watch them anymore.”

He continued, “I don’t go to games anymore, but if I know a certain guy is pitching, Beckett with Boston, I’ll watch him pitch, or Santana, he’s got a pretty good idea.”

I asked what the best innovation or change in the game has been since Rollie left the game, and all he came up with was, “guys are making money,” he laughed.

As far as detriments to the game, he listed harder balls, harder bats, smaller ballparks, home runs are up, umpires have taken away the inside part of the plate from pitchers and the way pitching staffs are used.

Rollie clearly pitched in a different era, but he makes a lot of interesting and valid points about pitchers use and their health in recent years.

Most major league teams carry 13 pitchers on their 25-man roster, when Rollie pitched, “you’d break training camp with eight or sometimes nice pitchers.”

Because of that we talked strategy and how the game has changed he talked about the difference in the way that bullpens are handled across major league baseball.

“Guy in the bullpen should go longer distances instead of being a one-inning pitcher.”

I asked him if it is frustrating to watch a guy get pulled after one inning or in sometimes one batter.

Rollie definitely had some strong opinions in this area, “The biggest problem I have with the way bullpens are run is a set up guy will come in, in the eighth inning and strike out the side in a four to one ball game and then he is taken out and the closer will come in to finish the game.

"Why don’t you let the guy that just struck out the side go back out and start the ninth innings? You still have your $10 million dollar man in the bullpen get out of jam. Give that guy an opportunity to get a save. He did his job in the eighth and give your closer a day off.

"If he struck out the side he probably has his good stuff that day…I see ball games that are 2-1 ball games and I look at the box score and there was 12 pitchers used.”

He continued, “I needed a lot of work to stay sharp, I don’t think I could’ve done when they are doing today.”

Name	Avg. Inn/Year	Career High Innings	Season Plus 100 Inn
Mariano Rivera	80	107	1
Trevor Hoffman	72	90	0
Rollie Fingers	118	148	11

We talked about another of Rollie’s peers in Nolan Ryan. We didn’t talk about Ryan’s Hall of Fame credentials, but the success that he had thus far in rejuvenating the Texas Rangers pitching staff this year.

I asked Rollie if that was the way to go, if we’d see starters going deeper into games and potentially less pitching injuries?

“I pitched for the Oakland A’s for eight years, we’d complete 45 or 50 ball games a year with Catfish Hunter, Vida Blue, and Kenny Holtzman. In the eight years I was there I don’t remember any of these guys being on the disabled list. Eight years in a row, I never remember them going on a two week DL or one month DL.

"They were out there doing their 40 starts a year; they pitched 275 to 300 innings each year, Catfish Hunter would complete 20 ball games himself, and you just see that anymore.

"Why these guys are getting hurt, I don’t know, I think if they got stronger and pitched more they would have less injuries.

"I was down in Texas talking to Nolan and he said yeah that’s what we want to do, we want to see if we can get our starting pitchers into the seventh and eighth inning and if they are still going good get a complete game. I don’t see any problem with that at all, I think you’re going to get fewer injuries.”

(In 1975 Catfish Hunter had 30 complete games in his 39 starts.)

One of the more intriguing points he made was about pitch counts. Rollie’s thoughts on pitch counts really showed the difference between baseball now and 25-30 years ago.

He began when I asked him about tie games where people are taken out.

“Even if it’s a tie, let them throw their 130 and 140 pitches. They are strong enough and capable of doing it, but you have to get used to it. These guys go out now, five innings that’s a quality start, and 100 pitches.

"I’d like to know who the animal was that came up with his 100-pitch rule. I guarantee you he wasn’t a pitcher, I’m sure he was a doctor that doesn’t know anything about pitching. That’s my guess, because 100 pitches is nothing.”

To put it in perspective in a conversation Rollie had with follow Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax he asked, “What’s the most pitches you’ve ever thrown in a game?” Sandy’s response was 230.

We talked about a game that pitted Juan Marichal vs. Warren Spahn, the Hall of Famers combined to each go 16 innings and throw over 200 pitches a piece.

We talked about 1976 Hall of Fame inductee Robin Roberts who completed 28 straight games, a feat that would unthinkable with today’s managers.

“If you have good mechanics and you are strong and you know what you’re doing out there you can do it. Manager’s won’t let starting pitchers do that because they are afraid someone is going to get hurt, they’re going to have answer the questions. They are going to get second-guessed.

"You have a lot of money sitting there and you don’t want it on the DL, but the thing is more starting pitchers are going on the DL than are not.”

We talked about Halladay’s last start before the trade deadline; Doc had a stat line of one earned run, nine innings and got no decision after 115 pitches.

“He’s old school, pitchers go out there thinking they’ve got to five or six, he’s thinking about going nine. He’s thinking nine more than any pitcher in baseball today. He’s big enough and strong enough he could go 140 pitches.

"If Nolan Ryan had been on a 100 pitch count he’d have never got a decision, he threw that many by the fifth inning. You could watch Nolan throw 170 pitches, strike out 14, and walk 10 in a complete game.

"But he was strong and could do it. Tom Seaver was another guy, he’d throw a lot of pitches, but he was strong and had great mechanics.”

Rollie is a wealth of pitching knowledge about the history of the game and Rollie’s Follies: A Hall of Fame Revue of Baseball Stories and Stats, Lists and Lore expands on that.

The book covers everything from the best hitting pitcher, to Milwaukee Sausage Race and it’s on field of imitators, to Hall of Fame and not so Hall of Fame profiles and the Kenny Lofton curse (you’ll have to read that one yourself).

In Rollie’s Follies, Fingers and Ritter managed to put together a baseball book that I am not sure it starts or ends more debates but it allows fans of America’s past time to do what love best.

Wow, their friends with the most obscure, interesting and odd facts and stories about the grand old game.

Rollies Follies is co-authoured by Rollie Fingers and Yellowstone Ritter, it is published by Clerisy Press, available at www.clerisypress.com

Pete Rose Deserves the Hall of Fame: Why Can't We Wake Up and Smell The Roses?

David Allan — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 18:47:49 -0400

So once again Cooperstown, New York played host to thousands of baseball fans that flooded into the small rural town in upstate town. On Sunday, June the 26th, two more legends of the game took their spots among their peers.

Jim Rice finally received what many of his team mates and fellow hall of famers believed was a hard earned and well deserved call to Hall after 15 years on the ballot.

Standing with Jim was first ballot entrant Rickey Henderson. Even the bombastic Henderson, known for his third person speak and thinking only of Rickey, was humbled by the experience of being elected to the Hall of Fame.

Every year we stream down to Cooperstown and see one or two extremely deserving individuals admitted into the hallowed halls of baseball's immortals.

Once again, 20 years after the commissioner's office handed down a lifetime ban on Pete Rose, he was by-passed for election to the hall. “Of course he was,” you’re saying, “he’s not even eligible."

Touché. The all-time hit king is not on the ballot and not allowed to be selected to sit among the greatest players in history with a plaque in the hall.

For some, if not most of you, this is a black and white dead issue. Pete Edward Rose bet on baseball, he broke a rule of the game and therefore is never allowed to participate in Major League Baseball again, and that includes the hall.

Some of us here at the Bleacher Report are like Burton DeWitt and think this is an open and shut case of not now, not ever for Rose. Of course this has become an issue because Allan “Bud” Selig has said that he will review Rose’s case for reinstatement.

I, on the other hand, think that the hypocrisy of fans has to stop.

That's right, I said it. Fans have done it again. They are hypocrites and should be called out for it.

Here we sit in the midst of a steroid epidemic that has gripped the game for 20 years, and they are willing to allow the Baseball Writers of America to cast votes on known steroid users. To me, this isn’t about whether Mark McGwire, Manny Ramirez, Barry Bonds or Rafael Palmerio get into the Hall of Fame, it is that they have the opportunity to, but the all-time hit king does not.

I can hear it now: Betting on baseball is forbidden, whereas steroids in baseball weren’t until testing began in 2003.

WRONG!

The federal government made PEDs (aka steroids) illegal in 1990 through the Anabolic Steroids Control Act of 1990. Then, in 1991, the commissioner Fay Vincent released a memo that clarified that, “the possession, sale or use of any illegal drug or controlled substance by Major League players or personnel is strictly prohibited...This prohibition applies to all illegal drugs...including steroids.”

So we can get Bonds, McGwire, Palmerio, Sosa, Rodriguez, Manny, and others on the ballot, but why does Charlie Hustle have to suffer? Is it because he has a lifetime ban?

Not true.

Pete Rose signed off on a ban that said that his suspension could be re-visited once a year, at which point the commissioner could re-instate Rose at any time.

There are guys that will tell you it’s about the integrity of the game, but isn’t that exactly what the steroid users attacked when they smashed through Henry Aaron’s 755? Or Roger’s mythical 61?

Doesn’t the demolition and cheapening of some of the most hallowed records in sports diminish the integrity of the game?

If that’s the case, I can’t understand how Rose and his 17 all-star appearances, NL Rookie of the Year, three world series, 2165 runs scored (most by a switch hitter), 746 doubles (most by a switch hitter), 44 game hit streak (NL Record), 7 hit streaks of 20 games or more, 1973 NL MVP, and 4256 hits (most all-time) have yet to appear on the ballot for the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Should we let steroid users in? Well, that’s up to the Baseball Writers Association of America to decide. Why is it we struggle to allow them to decide Charlie Hustle's fate as well?

Some highly respected sports writers like Jeff Blair from the Globe and Mail in Toronto think this is black and white, but I can’t help think it’s gray.

I can’t believe people are trying to rationalize which of these guys are bad. Baseball fans need to realize that they are all bad guys. So was Ty Cobb, so was Gaylord Perry.

I could even argue that George Brett cheated when it was determined that the pine tar on his bat was too high.

The hall of fame is full of spit-ballers, ball-scuffers, and bat-corkers.

I guess I don’t feel self-righteous enough to be the moral authority that determines whose offense is worse. These are all people that knowingly broke the rules of the game and stabbed holes in its integrity.

I wish I had the ability to stand behind the hypocrisy that is the BBWAA, but I’d rather have Hank Aaron in my corner saying, “He deserves to be there, his record speaks for itself.”

Blue Jays Trade Deadline Analysis, Part 2: Pitching

David Allan — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 14:02:03 -0400

You can’t talk Toronto Blue Jays without talking pitching.

On opening day 2008 their five man starting rotation consisted of Roy Halladay, AJ Burnett, Dustin McGowan, Shawn Marcum, and Jesse Litsch.

Fast-forward to opening day April 2009 and Burnett is a Yankee, McGowan, and Marcum were on the long term DL. Here we are coming up the trade deadline and according to the Blue Jays, McGowan is barely playing catch from 60 feet and Marcum is eyeing a return ahead of schedule from Tommy John Surgery.

So the starting five in 2009 was Roy Halladay, Jesse Litsch, David Purcey, Ricky Romero and Scott Richmond.

Since then Jesse Litsch has been sent to see Dr. James Andrews for Tommy John Surgery. David Purcey has been banished to Triple-A Las Vegas after posting a 7.01 ERA in five starts.

Since then, 48.4 percent of all games involving the Jays have been started by rookies as they have sent Halladay, Richmond, and Romero to the disabled list at one point or another.

So far in 2009, the Blue Jays started 12 different pitchers, Halladay and Brian Tallet over the age of 30.

We all know about the talk surrounding Halladay.

If the Blue Jays are to make a run, are they better served with Doc or trading him for talent?

Well let’s start with Halladay, because quite frankly, he is what he is. In league where six innings and three or less runs is now considered a quality start, Halladay has got seven complete or more in all, but two of his starts. In those other two starts, he had a six-inning effort and he left after three when he pulled his groin against the Marlins.

In his 18 starts, Halladay has given up more than three runs only four times. Of those four occasions, never did he go less than seven innings and one of those was a complete game victory.

So lets look forward to and project who could start for the Blue Jays in 2010. Rickey Romero, Shawn Marcum, and Brett Cecil look like they could eventually be joined by some of all of the following: Jesse Litsch, Shawn Marcum and Dustin McGowan, whose health or lack their of could ultimately play a role in the success or failure long term of the Jays pitching staff.

Since we all know the Halladay story, let’s look at three of the kids that we’ve seen show us something this year.

First is potential rookie of the year candidate Ricky Romero. The 24-year-old former first round pick has gone from back of the rotation hopeful this spring, to future staff Ace in a matter of 15 starts.

Romero looks to be making a strong case to be the 2009 MLB Rookie of the Year. As a rookie, Romero sports an impressive 3.44 ERA, and has yet to give up more than five earned runs in a single outing. He has been touched up for four earned in each of his last two starts, but an 8-4 record speaks the amount of progress Romero has already made as a first year Major League starter.

Brett Cecil is a 22-year-old that was like so many others rushed the Majors to cover injuries to several of the Blue Jays expected starters. Like so many Jays prospects before him you can’t help but like what you see.

Cecil has been touched up for 15 of his 26 earned runs in two of 10 appearance this year. (one vs. The Red Sox and one vs. The Yankees.) In his other eight starts thus far, the youngster has fashioned a 2.27 ERA over eight starts. He also gives up 1.4 home runs per nine innings pitched, but we must remember he has only given up eight home runs this year and five of them came that ill-fated start at Fenway in May. So, although the WHIP and ERA of the 22-year-old might be questionable, they are deceptively high, as he has managed six quality starts and has shown brilliance so far in his young career.

Final bright spot in the starting rotation doesn’t have a huge body of work so far, but say it with me, Marc Rzepczynski…the R is a silent, has been nothing short of a pleasant surprise. The 23-year-old from Yorba Linda, Calif. has managed to look very solid in three career starts. He went exactly six innings in each against quality competition in the Rays, Orioles, and Red Sox. Can we say he is can’t miss? Of course not, but the Polish hurler has definitely given the Blue Jays a reason to be optimistic.

The back end of the Jays Bullpen has bounced back of late with the likes of Scott Downs, a rejuvenated Jason Frasor, Jeremy Accardo, and a surprise in Dirk Hayhurst. Now that the BJ Ryan experiment has finally been put to rest, and seeing Brian Tallet go back to the long reliever role for next season should solidify a bullpen that through the 2007 and 2008 season was among the best in baseball.

Next year is full of several question marks. JP Ricciardi has indicated that Roy Halladay if not moved will go to free agency at the end of the 2010 season and has expressed as much to the GM already.

The health and return timelines for Shawn Marcum (possibly 2009?), Jesse Litsch (May-June 2010…based on regular Tommy John Rehab), and Dustin McGowan (hopefully?) will certainly play a part in the Blue Jays future.

Currently the present situation is not ideal, but has unveiled a couple of talented youngster and obviously the questions surround Halladay may be answered in the next week or may play out for as long as the next 14 months.

*since I started this the other day and just posted it, Dustin McGowan has been shut down and had knee surgery, clouding his future further*

Blue Jays Trade Deadline Analysis, Part One: Defense

David Allan — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 08:20:53 -0400

In my life, there have been a few constants. One of those, the trade deadline, almost never fails to disappoint, as most teams are so scared to fail that they won’t step up in order to succeed.

So let’s start here. I’ve been on the Roy Halladay watch along with most of my fellow Bleacher Creatures since the day J.P. Ricciardi announced that the quick-working, right-handed horse could be had for the right price.

Let's back it up and see if we can’t take a more objective look at the Jays and see how we got to where we are as far as their results this season.

The other thing that “I know” is that pitching and defense wins championships. So let's look at this as part one of the confusing summer that has thus far been the Toronto Blue Jays.

In each of these articles between now and Friday, July the 31st, we will look at the three facets of the game, examine what Toronto currently has cultivating in the system, and finally make a series of recommendations as to what I think Toronto might do, as well as what I think they should do at the 2009 trade deadline.

Since pitching and defense are paramount to the long-term success of a team, let’s start there. As a matter of fact, let’s talk defense right out of the chute. If there is one thing the 2009 edition of the Blue Jays have done, it is pick baseballs.

The Blue Jays as a unit have committed the fewest errors (32) over the course of 93 games played. They also lead the majors in fielding percentage and putouts and are second in total chances so far this season. Also, the 258 double plays they have turned rank them fourth out of 14 American League teams.

That is the good news; the bad news is what the rest of the numbers tell you. Well, not so much bad; more ho-hum, if you will. The Jays are 46-47 thus far, and although the traditional stats may be deceiving, defensively they look to be only slightly better than that.

Position	Fielding %	Range Factor
BJ Catcher	0.991	6.88
Catcher	0.989	6.79
BJ First Base	0.998	9.82
First Base	0.988	9.21
BJ Second Base	0.988	5.09
Second Base	0.984	4.80
BJ Short Stop	0.977	2.74
Short Stop	0958	2.73
BJ Third Base	0.993	4.53
Third Base	0.973	4.40
BJ Left Fielder	0.987	1.59
Left Field	0.987	2.09
BJ Center Field	1.000	2.38
Center Field	0.993	2.73
BJ Right Field	0.995	2.18
Right Field	0.981	2.10

(The Chart represents the play the Blue Jays have gotten defensively at each position other than pitcher vs. the American League average at each position.)

Based on fielding percentage and range factor, the Blue Jays are above average at every defensive position except left and center field.

As for individuals at each position, this table contains their rating and major league ranking among qualified starters in parentheses.

	Range Factor	Fielding Percentage	Zone Factor
Rod Barajas	7.78 (7)	.986 (14)	3.228 (9)
Lyle Overbay	9.96 (5)	.999 (6)	2.533 (20)
Aaron Hill	5.08 (5)	.987 (8)	4.909 (19)
Marco Scutaro	4.54 (5)	.993 (1)	5.518 (17)
Scott Rolen	2.69 (12)	.977 (4)	9.064 (12)
Adam Lind	1.63 (14)	.981 (12)	14.981 (3)
Vernon Wells	2.33 (19)	1.000 (3)	10.816 (4)
Alex Rios	2.17 (8)	.995 (2)	11.587 (15)
Average	8.333	5.55	11

= Lyle Overbay had the fewest total chances of the five first basemen tied with a .999 fielding percentage.
= Adam Lind does not have enough outfield starts to actually qualify; those rankings are where his numbers would fit him among qualified outfielders.
= Vernon Wells is third based on total chances.
= Alex Rios is tied with Hunter Pence at .995 for first but has five fewer chances in right field.

In the traditional area of fielding percentage that simply accounts for the number of balls touched, divided by the number of plays made, the Jays are a very respectable group.

The Blue Jays average sixth in the major leagues per position in fielding percentage (5.555). If you put Alex, Vernon, and Lyle in the spots they are tied for, it drops to fifth or 4.6666.

Even when you use less traditional stats like Range Factor to determine the Blue Jays' defensive prowess, they come in at eighth in the bigs.

(For those that don’t know or have never heard of it, here is a quick side lesson in range factor. For those of you have never heard of it before, it simply states that the number of outs made by a player is more important than how many balls he handles cleanly. The stat is created by adding putouts to assists and dividing by the number of innings played.)

When using Zone Rating, on the other hand, the Blue Jays look very average.

(Zone Rating is determined by the balls played in a predetermined zone, as well as those plays that are made by going outside the zone. So it in theory measures both the reliability and the range of a player, or to simplify, plays made divided by balls put in play in their zone.)

Here is where there is a slight conflict with the high fielding percentages of the Blue Jays. The Blue Jays' fielding percentage is No. 1 in the bigs. The Zone Rating of the Blue Jays being a number that the Blue Jays are clearly struggling with shows a lack of team speed and quickness, as they are not covering their zones as well as many other starting major leaguers at the same position.

It is clear that former Gold Glove center fielder Vernon Wells has rounded back into form. A player that has been long struggling at the plate looks to be back in the groove in center field. The Blue Jays' staff has developed into a group of ground ball pitchers, as they try to follow in the mold of Roy Halladay, and this will clearly affect the number of outs that Vernon, Rios, and Lind can participate in.

(Ground ball to fly ball ratio, Blue Jays = 1.25, League Average = 1.04. Ground out to air out, Blue Jays = 0.82, League Average = 0.77)

From what we can see, the Jays are a mediocre defensive team that is masquerading as a solid defensive unit. They are sure-handed but slow of foot.

Can the Jays upgrade their defense to a playoff-caliber unit? We'll talk about potential additions and subtractions at the end of this series, but for now we are going to leave it at that.

Up next, pitching...

The Meek Shall Inherit Nothing...GM's Need To Grow a Pair!

David Allan — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 17:05:14 -0400

Admittedly some of the packages being mentioned for Roy Halladay since JP Ricciardi had announced that the Blue Jays would in fact listen potential trades offers have been pretty steep.

But what are we talking about here? Well we are talking about the best pitcher available, and what I would argue is the best pitcher in baseball.

He is 32 years old and the concern seems to be that he is close to 2000 innings pitched in his career.

Luckily Roy has been remarkably healthy, only missing significant time in 2006 due to a pitching related injury.

He was also out in 2005, due to a line drive that broke his leg, and 2007 when he missed only 20 days after having his appendix removed.

So the non-waiver trade deadline, you know the one that matters is coming up and we are hearing two sets of rumors. The first set comes from the fans, which have proposed trading everything for Halladay. I’ve seen deals that include everything from blue chip prospects; current major leaguers, a five-year supply of big league chew, and the kitchen sink on message boards thus far.

After the good doctor stepped up to the microphone during the all-star break the talk about the potential trade kicked into high gear.

Now in typical MLB GM fashion, everyone that could be identified as a potential trade partner came out and screamed… “These prices are OUTRAGEOUS!”

Who might you add?

Well the Dodgers, Phillies, Cardinals, and Angels seem to be the putting on their poker face and shuttering at the thought of parting with prospects.

Can I make a suggestion? Somebody buckles themselves in for the ride and add the best pitcher in baseball to their roster for rest of this season and next?

So let me get this straight you have to part with a bunch of kids you think are going to be really good some day. First and foremost that isn’t what this deal is about, this deal isn’t about teams that are going to be good in five years. This deal about teams that are on the verge of winning now and subsequently trying to find the piece that makes them the favorite to be standing at the end of the post season.

Pitching and Defense wins World Series Championships…sorry for letting the cat out of the bag. I know today’s GM was holding his cards close to the vest, like JP Ricciardi (whom I have personally accused of a lot.) doesn’t know that he has the biggest chip in play.

So I ask why not take the chance. Isn’t this all about winning a World Series after all? What do we value most of all in sports? It’s winning.

So we know that Roy Halladay gives you the best chances to win right now.

The only thing holding major league General Managers back from pulling the trigger on this deal is the amount of young talent you’d have to pony up to pry Doc away from the Blue Jays.

Why isn’t anyone mentioning that Halladay is not only signed through 2009, but 2010 as well? If I am a General Manager making this deal, it puts me in the position to do three things by parting with some of my coveted kids.

First and fore most it puts me in the driver seat and makes me a clear front runner to be fitted for rings that say World Champion.

Second it means you get time to evaluate Halladay and his fit long term, as he seems to have one more contract left in him. If you can get the inside track on signing the best pitcher in the game today, I feel that you’ve done a service to your team far greater than worrying about whether a young starting pitcher will become the next Roy Halladay.

The third part of this deal is that if you don’t win the World Series and can’t get Halladay signed to an extension he doesn’t loose massive amounts of value during the off-season. So as I understand it, unless that GM is a complete goof, he would have the ability to turn that player into several prospects for himself next year at the trade deadline if they are out of contention.

So I guess what I am saying is if you are a great GM. If you think you can win, and believe you have a situation where you can pay and keep the best pitcher in baseball quit hiding behind maybe and probably and go get the real deal. The Boston Red Sox traded the best young short stop in the game to get Josh Beckett. Why because Theo Epstein believed it was worth it. Every time someone reminds Theo of the great player he gave up he must only look at his 2007 World Championship ring to remind him why you have to take a few chances when quality is involved.

We all know you never get roasted for the move you didn’t make.

To all those GM’s looking at his as one of those times, it’s time to start thinking about this as a win-win, where you can give up the kids, and add “The Ace” of your staff. The worst thing that happens is to flip Halladay a year from now and put some blue chip talent back into your farm system.

The best-case scenario is after 162, and three playoff series you’ve put together enough to talent to be called Champions of the World.

Then again…what do I know; I’m just a writer.

Steroids: MLB = Bad, NFL = Good (Or So the Media Would Have You Believe)

David Allan — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 17:52:57 -0400

Last night was Monday, July the 13th. We managed to have a night where seven of the best home run hitters in baseball and Brandon Inge got together in an attempt to put on a power display where batting practice pitchers grooved balls at 70—75 MPH and in turn the likes of Pujols, Fielder, Cruz, and Howard deposited them deep into the St. Louis sky.

None of these performances was close to those put on in the past by the likes of Abreu, McGwire, or Sosa during the steroid era.

Can I ask why baseball is the only sport with a steroid era? Now we can clearly discern that the game had and, some will argue, still has a steroid problem.

So the witch-hunt will continue around the steroid issue, but worse for baseball is once a year they come back to the scene of the crime. The day before the mid-summer classic they showcase and event that has a history that is reeking with the smell of so much Deca-Durabolin and Andro.

So instead of trying to figure out if it’s Winstrol, HGH, or Primobolan that’s to blame, let's take a giant step backwards and give baseball a bit of a rest.

Yeah, I said it: give it a rest already.

This is the part where you tell me that they don’t deserve a break and baseball has put itself in this position. Admittedly, I am not able to defend any of that, as you would be 100 percent correct.

Cause steroids are BAD!! That’s right they are the devil in sports, they are the single biggest evil facing sports today. Even worse, baseball highlighted and showcased these cheaters, liars, and all-around bad guys, right? I mean, they are quite simply the worst athletes and role models on the planet. I don’t need to explain the vilification of baseball to you.

You know the story all too well.

Over 100 positive tests, multiple all-stars and dare I say it, there might even be a guy or two in the Hall of Fame, although thus far we cannot prove that.

What I can say is that baseball isn’t the only sport with a steroid issue.

See, we all remember the Mitchell Report. The one where baseball spent $20 million to have senator George Mitchell basically talk to the trainers from the Mets and Yankees and identify that baseball players were in fact doing steroids.

After 20 months, on December 13th, 2007 the senator released his 409-page report that named 89 baseball players. It was released to much fanfare and media coverage. The report drew five conclusions:

Major League Baseball's 2002 response to steroid use resulted in players switching from detectable steroids to undetectable human growth hormone.
The use of performance-enhancing substances by players is legally and ethically "wrong."
While players that use illegal substances are responsible for their actions, that responsibility is shared by the entire baseball community for failing to recognize the problem sooner.
An exhaustive investigation attempting to identify every player that has used illegal substances would not be beneficial.
Major League Baseball should adopt the recommendations of the report as a first step in eliminating the use of illegal substances. (Credit: Wikipedia)

For all those reasons, baseball became the whipping boys for steroids in America. Everywhere you turned was a picture of a baseball being jacked up my a syringe full of a toxic goo that looked like it may have come from the Toxic Avengers.

So why was it when the San Diego Union Tribune dropped a steroid bombshell that includes Pro Bowlers and Hall of Famers, the issues was it quickly swept under the rug?

In their September 21st, 2008 addition Brent Schrotenboer dropped the list the Tribune had compiled.

Just so we are clear the performance enhancing drug list in the NFL goes back to 1962 and includes 185 names since then, it includes at least one player from each position (that’s right even kickers were doing it), and at least one player in each season over the past 47 years.

Some would argue that baseball's list was full of heavy hitters, including several players that would have gone to the Hall of Fame if not for the cloud of performance enhancing drugs.

Don’t worry though, in an attempt to not be left behind, the list of 185 contains 52 Pro Bowl players.

Also included on the list are four guys with their busts in Canton, Ohio.

When Manny tested positive for a female fertility drug (commonly taken to mask steroid use), and Alex Rodriguez was identified as one of 104 names that tested positive, the entire world pointed the dirty end of the stick back at the MLB once more.

Yet these same people stood by Pro Bowlers Shawne Merriman, Todd Steussie, Shaun Rodgers, Todd Sauerbrun, Marcus Stroud, David Boston, Byron Chamberlain, Rodney Harrison, Barrett Robbin, Bill Romanowski, and Dana Stubblefield, as each one of these all-stars tested positive in the NFL long after it introduced testing. By the time these guys tested positive, even baseball had a testing policy in place.

So as I hear the likes of Gregg Doyle over at cbssports.com lament the long ball and throw out accusations like, “Eventually, in months or years, someone from this year's group of eight Derby sluggers will land on the wrong list of names. That's damn near a lock,” forgive me if my stomach turns or my blood begins to boil.

This after he informed us that his outrage had played out back in February of 2009.

"Listen, steroids such as those used by Rodriguez—and by Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens and so many others, allegedly—are wrong," he began. "They're illegal, they're unfair, they're awful.

"My outrage is gone, sapped after 21 years of being angry about Ben Johnson and then Marion Jones and the Pittsburgh Steelers and Jose Canseco and Ken Caminiti and Shawne Merriman and Bonds and Clemens and—done."

"My outrage is done. You can have yours, and that's good, because athletes and society need the outrage of everyday people to keep them in check. So be outraged. Me, I'm depressed about the steroid scandal. Just not outraged. Not anymore."

So instead of being outraged, Doyle simply blasted eight guys, and predicted their guilt with no proof, but hey, who needs proof? This is Major League Baseball; they simply must be guilty, right?

This is the hypocritical nature of our media. That’s right, I said it. MLB gets killed at every turn when steroids are mentioned. Shawne Merriman tested positive and made ESPN’s All Pro Team, and then received six votes by the Associated Press, yeah the AP, for Defensive Player of the Year.

Hopefully the day will come when our press decides to report the facts, instead of speculating in the interest of creating a story.

Come to think of it, considering what they allow to be swept under the rug, there should be plenty of stories to go around.

Toronto Blue Jays Pitching Development: The Definition of Insanity

David Allan — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 15:40:09 -0400

Let's start with a spot I am very comfortable with: The Toronto Blue Jays are terrible at developing young pitchers.

While they continue to send arms to the hospital, can I suggest that they schedule J.P. Ricciardi and pitching coach Brad Arnsberg for a mental exam?

I am not saying they can’t spot talent. That would be an out-and-out lie, with the likes of Marcum, McGowan, Litsh, and Romero. And then there is their newest find, the young Polish left-hander, Marc Rzepczynski. The Jays clearly know what blue-chip talent looks like, even early in its development.

So why is it that it seems like every time you turn around, one of these youngsters is making a trip to the disabled list?

I could rant and rave about the Blue Jays and the irresponsible nature of their preparation, but that’s been done, quite honestly, by better writers than myself. What I’d like to do is establish who in fact is most responsible for this disaster.

The only guy that J.P. really gets a pass on is A.J. Burnett, as he wasn’t the only guy that wanted the big right-hander and he was a walking Band-Aid before he appeared on the scene in Toronto.

But here we are at the All-Star break, and although not remarkable in his inconsistency, Allan James has been surprisingly healthy, don’t you think? He's made 17 starts through the All-star break. To put that in perspective, his teammate CC Sabathia has made 19 and leads the major leagues.

So clearly worshiping at “The Altar of Roy Halladay” worked…right?

Not so fast, my friend.

After a couple of adult beverages the other night, myself, along with a couple of other baseball fans talked our way into a solution that may surprise you. There is no doubt that A.J. Burnett is talented, and even looks to have learned a thing or two from All-Star starting pitcher Roy Halladay, but I am not so sure there isn’t a huge factor that has been overlooked.

If I were looking for the fastest way to clean up this problem with the Jays, I would be saying goodbye to Brad Arnsberg.

Why? Arnsberg is a solid and well-respected pitching coach, you say.

He may be technically sound, but he has also been the head pitching instructor for the Toronto Blue Jays since 2004. Since October 2004, there has not been a single man more responsible for the Blue Jays pitching success.

In 2005 it was a fairly quiet year, except for a freak line drive that broke Roy Halladay’s leg before the All-Star break. Other than that, there were a couple of trips to the 15-Day DL that limited Ted Lilly to 25 starts that year.

Lilly went on to be remarkably healthy as a Blue Jay and then Cub, after that averaging a little less than 33 starts over the next three complete seasons.

On April 16, 2006 the Jays took A.J. Burnett off the 15-day DL. Seven days later, Burnett was back on the DL again, ciring a sore right elbow.

On June 11 of that year, left-hander Gustavo Chacin was headed to the 1- day DL with a strained left elbow. The same day the Jays, activated Chacin, they placed Pete Walker on the DL with a shoulder injury. Walker came off the DL on June 28, and was back on it by July 8 with a right shoulder strain.

On August 9, Justin Spiers went to the DL with tightness in his right forearm.

In April 2007, pitchers that went to the DL with arm injuries included Brandon League, B.J. Ryan, and Gustavo Chacin. In June, AJ Burnett took his usual position on the DL. On August the 13, Brandon League again hit the DL in time for Burnett to return. Reliever Casey Janssen also suffered an injury that wouldn’t see him return until early 2009.

In 2008, trips to the DL with arm related issues included Brian Wolfe, Shawn Marcum (2), Dustin McGowan (2), and Brian Tallet. With the Jays playing better baseball the management team offered two-year contracts to the entire coaching staff under Cito Gaston, including hold over Brad Arnsberg.

In 2009, the wheels have completely come off the Blue Jays pitching staff, including McGowan projected to miss the entire season, and Marcum and Litsch undergoing Tommy Johns surgery in late 2008 and early 2009 respectively.

Others that have made a stop on the DL this year include Ryan, Ricky Romero, Bobby Ray, Casey Janssen, Scott Downs, Scott Richmond, and Roy Halladay.

I constantly hear about how the Blue Jays have hit a run of bad luck in trying to develop these pitchers. This includes J.P. Ricciardi in a recent article in the National Post defending his pitching coach.

“They’re not indicative of our trainers, our strength guys, our pitching guys at all, they just happen,” said Ricciardi. “Actually in Richmond’s case we’re being proactive instead of reactive. We’re going to say ‘Okay, let’s shut him down and this should give him about three weeks off so he should be okay.’ ”

If that is the case, why does it seem like this epidemic started in Florida upon his arrival in the majors?

That year alone saw Josh Beckett make multiple trips to the DL, as well as infirmary stops for A.J. Burnett, Brad Penny, Julian Tavarez, and Oswaldo Mairena.

Again in 2003 we saw AJ Burnett heading off the roster and onto the DL multiple times with elbow problems. He was joined as varying times by Toby Borland, Mark Redman, Tim Spooneyberger, Kevin Olsen, Josh Beckett, Tommy Phelps, and Armondo Almanza throughout the season.

In 2005, 10 different Marlins pitchers made trips to the DL, including Burnett and Beckett on multiple occasions.

Beckett left after 2005 at which point he had never started 30 games in a season. In three full seasons with the Red Sox, he has averaged 30 starts per season and has put in 18 starts at the All-Star break in 2009.

I’ve often heard the phrase, "Once is an accident, twice is a coincidence, three is a trend." If that’s true, what do you call a guy that has been producing consistent results for eight straight years, even if those are consistently undesirable results?

For some reason, J.P. has once again ignored the signs in an attempt to defend the indefensible.

They say that insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. I think it’s about time to call for the guys in the white jackets to have a talk with J.P. Ricciardi and Brad Arnsberg.

Time for Blue Jays to Fold JP Ricciardi's Hand for Him

David Allan — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 18:17:06 -0400

JP Ricciardi reminds me of myself, although maybe not in the way you think.

The world in the last three or four years has seemingly been swept up in the craze that is competitive poker. I, unfortunately for my social life, have not. Thus the reason I sit home and write about baseball.

I can clearly predict my poker game with striking accuracy. Hour one: play slow and see some hands. Hour two: Add to your chip stake. Anything after hour two: give away your chip stack like it has the plague because you’re bored and have lost the desire to play the game what so ever.

The Blue Jays have publicly stated that they are willing to listen to offers centered on former Cy Young Award winner Roy Halladay.

Now, in the coming weeks this will be dissected to death. Who has the prospects to make the deal? Who has the money to pick up the rest of Roy Halladay’s contract, as well as offer a very lucrative extension? I am sure an extension will be part of any deal.

Whichever team potentially lands Halladay will quite honestly, have to be a contender as Roy has stated he likes playing in Toronto and if he is to be moved, winning is paramount for the big right-hander.

It won’t be the first blockbuster involving a stud pitcher we have seen lately. Actually quite the contrary, as in recent years we have seen similar deals, such as when the Indians netted four prospects for CC Sabathia, including top prospect Matt LaPorte, who has seen a little time with the Indians thus far in 2009.

In January of 2008 the Twins and Mets engineered a deal to ship ace Johan Santana to New York. In return the Twins received their current young center fielder Chris Gomez as well as pitching prospects Phil Humber, Kevin Mulvey and Deolis Guerra.

I am not about to rate these deals and talk about their successes and failures, but most would be hard pressed to say these weren't high-pressure deals. If you are any one of the GMs involved in these deals, you have to make sure that you get full value for the star, or that you don’t give up too much in the process.

In the case of Roy Halladay, if the Blue Jays make a deal they will be leaving it in the hands of JP Ricciardi. The same JP Ricciardi that has indicated that no matter what the outcome he may walk away from Toronto organization that has been under his watch since 2001.

So you have to wonder, is a guy that told a room full of season ticket holder, “my number 1 priority is to be a father, it’s not to be a GM” the right guy to be evaluating the trade that may make or break this franchise?

If everyone thinks back real hard, they’ll remember that the Cleveland Indians were in a similar situation with another veteran hurler in Bartolo Colon. When they shipped Colon to the Montreal Expos, they managed to get a king’s ransom back in the form of Cy Young award winner Cliff Lee, All-Star and Gold Glove winning outfielder Grady Sizemore, and Reds Gold Glover second basemen Brandon Phillips.

That’s the kind of deal the Blue Jays should get and their faithful following will look for. Unfortunately JP Ricciardi will not commit to the team past 2010 and does not have the track record of his mentor and friend Billy Beane when it comes to collecting prospects that become big time major leaguers.

My problem comes in putting complete faith in Ricciardi to pull off this major deal. He hasn’t shown that he has the ability or foresight as a GM to make this deal. He also has mentioned earlier that he is not committed to the Blue Jays as is indicated by his lack of interest in being the GM after his 2010 contract expires.

In 2001, JP Ricciardi arrived in Toronto fresh off being the Director of Player Personnel for the Oakland Athletics for four years. At the time, the Blue Jays were eight years removed from a playoff performance and Rogers Communications were looking to remain competitive well cutting payroll.

With Michael Lewis’ Moneyball all the rage and $1 American costing $1.5922 Canadian, Rogers turned to Ricciardi on November 14, 2001. They thought he could replicate Beane’s magic act of getting more for less out of the Oakland A’s through statistical evaluation.

In 2002 JP Riccardi’s Jays finished the season with a mark of 78-84 with a pay roll of $66,814,971 which was good enough for 13th in payroll and 3rd in the American League East. By 2005 Ricciardi had the Jays payroll down to $45,698,000 and still in third place with an 80-82 team.

Over the next three years Rogers loosened the budget constraints as the dollar rebounded, getting all the way up to $98,343,520 in 2008. In the seven years of Ricciardi he has managed to up the payroll over 100% and average 81 wins.

Although looking at JP the mistakes may not seem obvious, it becomes abundantly clear the ability to evaluate talent and make the big deal escapes him.

He has had little to no luck in the trade market in completing deals that clearly made the Blue Jays better in the long run. He has dealt away the likes of Jayson Werth and Orlando Hudson and in return managed to collect some decent parts, but clearly nothing that will make you sit up and go "wow."

In resigning his own free agents he has some how continuously convinced Roy Halladay to come back for extensions consistently below market value.

He followed that up with the seemingly poor assessment that allowed him to dole out $126 million over seven years to ex-superstar centerfielder Vernon Wells. The Jays are now in their second year of that seven-year deal and Vernon has an OPS of a .729 and is more than two years removed from his Gold Glove form.

He also handed out a lucrative contract extension to Alex Rios, who is looking at having his batting average and OPS fall for the fourth consecutive season.

Other baffling extensions include the one given to Lyle Overbay for four years and $24 million. Since signing that deal in January of 2007, Overbay has played 349 games, in which he’s managed 79 doubles and 34 home runs, while producing a sad stat line of .255/.345/.417 in the process.

Probably the worst of JP’s talent evaluation has been seen in the free agent market. His largest success to date has most certainly been versatile lead off man Marco Scutaro.

Unfortunately that is more than eclipsed by the buyouts of Frank Thomas and BJ Ryan. He also structured a deal that allowed AJ Burnett to walk away from the Jays after an 18 win season, going into a season where the Jays were already missing 40% of it’s starting rotation to injury.

I am not even so sure that JP Ricciardi is horrible general manager. I have to question the judgment of the Toronto Blue Jays allowing a guy that clearly has stated he is not committed to you beyond 2010, and doesn’t have a track record of brilliant deals, to make a trade that includes the best player on your team and one of the best players in your franchises history.

Clearly the Blue Jays have the most valuable chip in play during the month of July…I am just not sure allowing JP Ricciardi to do his job like I play poker after two hours is your best option.

For the Blue Jays, Wins are Too Important: Can We End the BJ Ryan Experiment?

David Allan — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 23:50:07 -0400

So eight isn’t enough in the cause of the Toronto Blue Jays.

Although if you’d like to make the case that eight isn’t enough in the New Yankee Stadium, I would certainly have to listen.

That being said, you have to start somewhere and that somewhere was by touching up Joba Chamberlain for eight runs before the end of the fourth inning.

On the other side of the diamond, the Bronx Bombers were slapping around Brett Cecil for nine hits and seven runs over three and two thirds of an inning.

Now at this point, you would be looking at a battle of the bullpens that would seemingly be fairly equal.

Team	W-L	Saves	Blown Saves	ERA	Opp BA	K	BB	HR
Yankees	16-11	21	8	4.22	.230	228	100	44
Blue Jays	10-12	13	11	4.05	.248	194	96	24

The Yankees have a better record, convert more saves, and hold the opponents to a lower batting average. The Blue Jays, on the other hand, have given up 20 fewer home runs (The Yankees 44 is the most in the MLB thus far this season, Cleveland’s 37 is second most, only six teams have 30 or more.) and have an ERA that is .17 lower.

Are the pens perfectly even?

No, they certainly are not.

To the credit of Aceves, he pitched a masterful and unheard of in this day and age, four inning save at the Stadium, and helped to elevate what has been seen as a team weakness with a tremendous performance.

Aceves’ line ended with a save, four innings, five strikeouts, and one hit. If you add in Johnathan Albaladejo’s effort, the Yankee pen went five and a third, giving up three hits, allowing no runs, while striking out seven of the 16 outs, and walking no one.

The Jays, on the other hand, almost matched them pitch for pitch. Hayhurst, Carlsson, League, and Fraser went three and two thirds, giving up zero runs on four hits, walking one, and sitting down four on strikes.

So, what is the problem?

Well here is where it gets a little sticky.

In the Blue Jays line, the work of the bullpen and starter only accounts for seven and one third innings.

The home team was leading with no reason to bat in the bottom of the ninth, so that gets our count up to eight and a third innings.

So all things being accounted for, we are left with two outs. Quite simply two outs for the Blue Jays pen to get, and with it being the case to stabilize the game. Those two outs were as the Blue Jays were sitting on an 8-7 lead.

Cito was awoken early from his mid game slumber and signaled for the once reliable left-hander BJ Ryan. What followed was what anyone who has watched the Jays in 2009 could’ve predicted, except for the Jays themselves apparently.

If Cecil had forgotten to put out his campfire, Ryan continued to do his best “dry winds of Malibu impression,” spreading it into a wildfire. BJ Ryan continued to do what he does best lately, and burned that mother down.

Since opening day 2009, BJ Ryan has become the living, breathing, and eating argument against guaranteed contracts in sports. Coming out of spring training, it had become obvious that Ryan had lost some of his velocity, but the Blue Jays didn’t seem to mind and stuck with Ryan anyway.

Over his first month of the season, Ryan was called on six times and pitched five and two thirds innings. In that period of time, with Ryan occupying the closer role, he went 1-0 with two saves and a blown save.

More important than his mere mortal velocity, he gave up eight hits, seven runs, while walking five and striking out four.

It was at this point where the Blue Jays decided to shut Ryan down to see if they could work out the issues that they had clearly been ignoring. If they couldn’t, it was a heck of a lemon to have on their hands as BJ played out the final two seasons of his five year, $47 million contract.

Upon his return, Ryan made three scoreless appearances. Unfortunately, not a single one of them was confidence inspiring as BJ managed to give up a base runner in every single appearance, none which lasted more than an inning.

By the end of May, Ryan had tossed 11 and a third innings with 15 hits, and had posted 11 earned runs for an ERA of 8.74.

Since Jun. 1, BJ Ryan’s ERA has been better at 3.86.

As usual, that does not tell the entire story.

In his last 12 appearances, Ryan has managed to get in the game for nine and a third innings, and cough up only four earned runs. When you look at the other numbers, in that time he has given up seven hits and eight walks.

Players are getting on base at a .385 clip against the former closer.

Yet somehow, Cito Gaston, against what I must assume is his better judgment, feels a loyalty to exhaust every possible opportunity when it comes to the big-ticket former closer.

Unfortunately, the team that was posting six or seven runs a night earlier in the season, has severely cooled and is in need of the bullpen to pick it up.

Luckily, for the Blue Jays, several of their relievers have shown the ability to convert in tough opportunities, which will be more and more important as the division races down through the dog days of summer.

If the Blue Jays are to stay in this race, they are going to have to hold leads. And if they are going to hold leads, then they are going to leave BJ Ryan and his big fat paycheck in the pen.

Adam Lind: To Be an All-Star Selection Casualty?

David Allan — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 21:07:12 -0400

In baseball, everyone is talking about Albert Pujols, and rightfully so.

“The Machine” is once again setting his sites on the first Triple Crown since Yaz in 1967. With less than 24 hours left to make your pick, Pujols clearly looks to be heading for the highest vote total for this go at the mid summer classic and deservedly so.

I constantly hear about how the fans get it wrong. In the case of Pujols, I’d like to give my brethren a round of applauds because they clearly got it right.

Now let’s talk about an instance where they got it wrong and why. The American League outfield is a dumpster fire and the fans continually poor grease on it. I’d ask why? You’d probably ask me why I have such a problem with the results.

Let’s look at it real quick. I’ll give you the top 15 and the number of votes received, and the one guy I was completely snubbed by the MLB and subsequently the Fans.

Name	Votes	Team	Avg	Homeruns	RBI	SB
J. Bay	2 609 913	BOS	.262	19	69	5
Ichiro	1 802 826	SEA	.368	6	18	16
J. Hamilton	1 635 781	TEX	.240	6	24	3
T. Hunter	1 490 800	ANA	.305	17	59	13
C. Crawford	1 442 175	TB	.320	8	38	40
J. Ellsbury	1 355 133	BOS	.304	4	26	33
K. Griffey Jr	1 204 863	SEA	.219	10	26	0
J. Damon	1 175 539	NYY	.292	15	47	8
N. Cruz	1 171 354	TEX	.264	19	47	13
J.D. Drew	1 050 112	BOS	.265	10	35	2
A. Jones	1 022 041	BAL	.305	12	44	5
N. Markakis	850 150	BAL	.298	8	52	2
C. Granderson	798 786	DET	.257	18	43	13
B. Abreu	733 329	ANA	.296	4	44	17
G. Sizemore	714 902	CLE	.219	10	40	7
A. Lind		TOR	.315	16	53	1

So there you have it, your top 15 vote getters in the American League as far as outfielders go.

Now in defense of the fans, Lind is a mediocre defender, and because of that Cito Gaston started him as the team’s DH. As fans are not allowed to vote on DH’s for the All-star game they would have to write him in.

So out of sight, out mind means that fans in 29 other major league cities have almost no chance of voting for Lind. At this point, when people think Toronto Blue Jays, they think of Roy Halladay, and rightfully so.

Also the hype that surrounded fellow youngster Travis Snider managed to over shadow the potential that Lind had show in 2008. In 24 games last year Snider managed to post a stat line of .301/.338/.466 and completely set people worlds on fire as a 20-year-old prospect.

At the same time Adam Lind was posting an 88 game performance that resulted in .282/.316/.439, which although nice wasn’t nearly as interesting as Lind was now an “ancient” 24 years old.

We all know that in a world of instant gratification, scoops and tabloid journalism, we’ve become a society that will proclaim the 20 year old the next heir to the thrown 10 times out of 10 before we’ll give the due credit to a prospect developing on schedule.

It’s this need to be first that causes us to make irrational decisions; we have been convinced that being first is more important that being right.

While Snider started his season in the big leagues, he was sent to down after just 32 games in the midst of a slump, from then on Lind has put himself in a position to seriously be considered for this year’s mid summer classic in St. Louis.

He caught fire in April and has been unrelenting ever since, wearing out opposing pitching at every turn.

Among the top 15 American League outfield vote collectors Lind would rank third in batting average, fourth in home runs, and third in RBI.

On the other hand he does have his defensive short comings including taking what can only be described as questionable route’s to the ball.

That being said it’s certainly more than offset by Lind’s 95 hits that means he is tied for fourth in the majors. He has managed 25 doubles a total that puts him first in the American League and trails only the 26 tagged by Hanley Ramirez and Miguel Tejada in all of baseball.

Let me take a page out of the sabermetrics book and see if I can put the type of the under the radar Lind is having. So far through 78 games this year 51 at DH, and another 27 in left field Lind has managed to contribute 61.3 runs created. That places him eighth in the major leagues.

	Names	Runs Created
1	Albert Pujols	84.3
2	Prince Fielder	67.9
3	Ryan Braun	66.7
4	Chase Utley	66.0
5	Hanley Ramirez	65.9
6	Justin Morneau	63.7
7	David Wright	61.6
8	*Adam Lind*	*61.3*
9	Mark Teixeira	61.3
10	Victor Martinez	63.2

Digest that for a second, not only has Lind put him among the offensively elite players at his position, but he quite literally after half a season stacks up against the best players in the game. That list, minus Lind, has 48 years of Major League experience or 5.3333 years per player.

In that time they have racked up four MVP awards, an additional 12 top ten finishes in MVP voting, 22 all-star games, 17 silver sluggers and three rookie of the year awards.

As far as runs created Lind is cashing in 0.785 runs per game. What does than mean? Well it means a line up of nine Adam Lind’s would produce 7.07 runs per game.

So far the Tampa Bay Rays lead the majors with 442 runs score through 80 games. (Other than the Rays only the Red Sox, Yankees, and Cleveland have scored more than 400 runs.)

Through 78 games that line up of Adam Lind’s would have generated 552 runs. Now think about that for a second. This line up would put you on pace for 1145 runs scored over a 162 game season. Since 1900 only seven teams have scored more than 1,000 runs, none of them more than 1,100.

Statistically Lind has been as good, if not better than in his contemporaries, unfortunately it doesn’t look like 2009 will be the year that he is recognized for it. Luckily for Adam, although he may never be Albert Pujols, I predict that he’ll have plenty more years just like this.

Not The Usual Steroid Suspects: David Ortiz is Hot in June

David Allan — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 21:48:31 -0400

So now that David Ortiz has found his stroke again, all the murmurs will start.

This will certainly mirror the talk that surrounded Jason Giambi a couple of years ago.

You all remember, don’t you? Giambi admitted to doing performance-enhancing drugs before the 2004 season, and followed that up with an 80 game, 12 home run season. The murmurs, in that case, became a roar of laughter.

It didn’t get any better in 2005 when he came out of the gate with five home runs in the first 60 games of the season, but Giambi would finish that season with 32 homeruns.

Now follow me here—

The screams of indignation came the loudest in July of 2005, when Giambi belted out 14 bombs in 26 games. You remember that, right?

When the Giambino started smashing homeruns again, the first thing everyone said was, "well, he’s clearly on HGH because they can’t test for that."

I don’t buy it for one second.

He then managed to post three more 30 home run seasons in his career.

Earlier this year, we heard all the rumblings about Ortiz. His slow start this year came on the heels of Papi proclaiming that he had never done steroids.

So predictably, the rumors started, where people without proof—except what they think they know about steroids and steroid use—drew a correlation between Papi’s performance and a lack of use.

Now after two months of slumber, David Ortiz seems to be shaking off the early season slump, and with almost 100 percent accuracy, I can say that those same people that jumped all over Jason Giambi without proof will do the same to Big Papi.

I have several theories as to Ortiz’s slow start; unfortunately, I'm not a hitting coach, and thus have as much proof of them as the above-mentioned steroid accusers.

Here's what I do know—

David is batting .218 with eight home runs on the strength of a June that has seen him go on a tear, hitting .311 with seven of those eight home runs.

So what changed?

Let start here—

Confidence and pressure. It's certainly clear that Papi has always taken on the responsibility of being a key cog in the Red Sox lineup. After being moved out of the third spot in the Sox lineup, it seems as if Ortiz has had the weight of the world taken off his shoulders.

I think it is completely reasonable that in dealing the pain of his wrist and knee injuries, Ortiz had altered his swing to a more comfortable and less effective plan. It would explain why Ortiz has seemingly rectified his inability to catch up the inside fastball. It's Ortiz’s sudden resurgent power stroke that has people talking, after his noticeable drop off in the early 2008 and 2009 seasons.

In April 2009, David Ortiz struck out once in every 3.95 at bats. In May 2009, David Ortiz struck out once in every 3.50 at bats. Then in June 2009, that rate went to one in every 4.625.

His career strikeout rate is one in every 4.69 at bats.

The other stat that I think is tied into David’s new found success, is his BAbip (Batting Average on Balls in Play.)

In April 2009, Papi’s BAbip was .290.

In May 2009, it was .188.

Then, in June 2009, the BAbip for David Ortiz went to .317.

His career numbers would say that his career Babip is .302.

So what we see in June is a guy who has fallen back into the norm with his career numbers. June is actually more the exception than the rule. Ortiz is striking out less and putting more balls in play.

Combine that with the fact that he is taking good, confident cuts at the ball, and you see his average on balls in play go up, and his strike out rate gets better—certainly more in line with the Big Papi that the Red Sox came to know and depend on.

It is certainly not a surprise to anyone that at the same time Ortiz's average has heated up, his power stroke returned, as well.

So as we come the end of June, everyone will wake up and realize that Ortiz put up a monster month out of the five hole in the order, and we will once again here the murmurs about Papi. We will once again be subjected to people discussing why they think David Ortiz is once again on fire.

Now certainly, with the vocal nature of Ortiz as it relates to steroids, there would be people out there that would love to expose Ortiz, if he was in fact not telling the truth.

Such was the case with Sammy Sosa right around the time he said, “I calmly await my induction into the Hall of Fame…It's all about timing and this is not the moment to discuss that topic [drug tests].”

It was shortly after that quote in his retirement interview with ESPN Deportes that an anonymous source decided it was in fact time to draw back the curtain and reveal Sosa’s behavior and his name on the list of 103 remaining major leaguers who, along with Alex Rodriguez, tested positive for steroids in 2003.

If that is the case, why were we not confronted with David Ortiz’s guilt when he so adamantly denied the use of performance enhancing drugs so many months ago? You could reasonably assume that it’s because Ortiz didn’t appear on any such list.

As I have said previously in the case of A-Rod, we live in a society that takes as much satisfaction in unmasking our heroes and exposing their flaws as we do in rooting for them.

Some of my colleagues here at the Bleacher Report instantly went to speculating about Performance Enhancing Drugs as early as February of 2009.

It seemed obvious to them that a decline in power was instantly linked to his body falling apart because of steriods.

If that's the case, maybe could someone explain to me why Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire and Rafael Palmeiro became better hitters as they aged (and not the old, broken-down players people would have you believe steroid users become)?

On the other hand, greats like Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle and Jimmie Foxx saw a massive decline in their numbers following their 30th birthday.

Name	Career Homeruns	HR Before 30	HR 31 and beyond
Barry Bonds	762	267	495
Mark McGuire	583	238	345
Rafeal Palmeiro	569	184	385
Willie Mays	660	367	293
Mickey Mantle	536	404	132
Jimmie Foxx	534	426	108

If David Ortiz is the steroid user that everyone claims he is, he should be showing improvements at this advanced stage in his career. If it was, in fact, true that Papi was on the juice, he’d have surely been smoked out by the same anonymous source that wouldn’t let Sammy Sosa’s dance routine stand as he addressed (or failed to address) his steroid use.

The truth of the matter is that David Ortiz is an aging ball player who was trying to recover from two injuries in the last year—two injuries that I am sure caused him to adjust his swing to deal with any pain or discomfort.

Now that he has been removed from his customary three spot in the lineup and has had the time to work out the bad habits he developed, he has re-emerged as a force in the Red Sox line up.

Sometimes life is simpler than people think:

“To a cop the explanation’s always simple. There’s no mystery to the street, no arch criminal behind it all. If you find a body and you think his brother did it, you’re gonna find out you’re right.”

Sports are the same, ladies and gentlemen. You are all looking for Keiser Soze (PED’s), when you really just need to weigh the facts.

A Glove of Their Own: Real Heroes Teach the Art of Catching

David Allan — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 09:50:42 -0400

Whenever you get the chance to talk to someone that has been there, it’s always special to see it through their eyes.

On June the 19, 2009, I was given the pleasure of an audience with Brent Mayne, a 15 year Major League Veteran. My connection with Brent was made through a gentleman named Bob Salomon, one of the driving forces behind A Glove of Their Own.

Bob had originally connected with Brent by reaching out to him through checkswing.com. Which is a social networking site for former and current players and coaches.

As we slid into the interview, I asked Brent what his first impressions of A Glove of Their Own were, and he opened up with a great answer. You can tell this book continues to go that extra mile to touch people.

“You know it’s a really neat thing” he said, “the point it is getting at is, if you do things correctly, you do them the right way and for the right reasons that success kind of comes. For me playing baseball that was a real big concept…if I did things correctly and didn’t worry about the results, than the process would take care of the results.”

As I would come to learn, process is a staple for Brent. He is a big believer in being part of things for the right reason. In the case of Brent the there are many right reasons, and one of them he mentions when talking about why he wrote the art of catching, is giving back.

Now to better understand Brent’s journey and thought process you really do have to start at the beginning. “I grew up in a baseball family, my dad was a high school baseball coach, and I’ve been around the ball park since the time I was in diapers.”

When I asked him where his equivalent of the Old Oak Tree stood. Brent paused, “That’s a great question…the first baseball park that I remember was at Eisenhower High School in Rialto. That was my place; I didn’t play in front of anybody there. But I spent a good portion of my young life there.”

It’s funny how 15 years in the majors or 40 years in the mailroom all start out with a similar story. Whether your David Allan or Brent Mayne, and whether it’s Eisenhower High School or the Back Stop at Rose Schymanski Park the lessons are the same.

The other thing that doesn’t change no matter who’s answering the question is, “Did you have any quirky rules? What were they?"

Brent paused (with what I took as a where to start?). For a moment before answering, “Anybody who’s in their 40’s or late 30’s definitely is going to have stories about that. I don’t think kids now days play baseball that way. It’s not so much the over the line or three fly’s up or sock ball or rock ball or whatever the heck games we’d make up.”

I really think Brent gets the heart of why A Glove of Their Own has been so successful in connecting with adults. It really takes them to a place isn’t about Little League as he described it today.

As Brent went on is more about todays game he described, “year round baseball, uniforms, and competitive, but back then when we were playing you name it, there were all kinds of rules, there were ghost runners, missing bases, their were rules about what were home runs and not home runs, where you could hit the ball and where you couldn’t hit the ball depending on how many players you had in the field."

"We had eight billion rules and that was half the fun.”

Talking to Mayne there is certain ownership, a responsibility to his youth playing days to pass that along and let every child feel like George Brett or Todd Helton. You feel that he and his friends on their own field, own a little piece of baseball. They had their own rules, a set of rules that were universal and yet universally different.

Geography or not, if you were 8, 10, 12 year old Brent Mayne, or future team mates like Todd Helton in Knoxville, Tennessee, Mark McGwire in Pomona, or George Brett who years earlier made up rules from West Virginia to El Segundo there is a tie that binds in baseball, organized or otherwise.

Just as each of the 30 major league stadiums has it quirks, the short porch in right as Yankee stadium, the Monster at Fenway, the huge outfield at Dodgers stadium, or the thin air of Coors, so did each neighborhood. So did each and every different version of the fields of their youth.

During his transition from high school to Orange Coast College was where he made his move from the middle infield to behind the dish.

I asked him if it was a difficult transition. He was more told that college was in his future and if he was doing that he might as well be playing baseball for his Dad while he did it. As Brent mentioned though it came with a catch, “The caveat he (Brent’s Father) said, is you have to start catching, you are too slow, too weak and too small to play any other position.”

Brent had told me he was 5’6 and 135lbs. upon graduation of high school.

To Brent it offered a fresh start because the truth as his father laid it out was, “whether it be with me or much less at a four year school, you’re going to have to start catching and to be honest with you, not having any success at any other position I was eager to play the catching position and explore it, their was no downside for me.”

Now right around the time Brent said yes, as he described, “A couple of things happened, he (Brent’s father) along with a couple of other guys were reinventing the catch position…trying to take it from a 1970’s Johnny Bench style position to something that could deal with the speed of the modern game.”

From there he went on to spend a couple of years at Cal State Fullerton and then on to the major leagues.

It is that change from the stocky Johnny Bench, Carlton Fisk, or Thurmon Munson style catcher that has helped facilitate the change in catching that we have seen in recent history. Mayne points to Bob Boone as a bridge between what a catcher was and what he was going to become.

It’s the principles that his father was experimenting with using his son as a “Guinea Pig” that not only carried Brent to the Majors. But it is these principles that Brent Mayne is promoting with his book The Art of Catching and at his website www.BrentMayne.com

When I asked Mayne about his time at Cal-State Fullerton and his fond memories of playing their, you can tell he still feels an attachment to the young men that are currently playing at the College World Series. He also mentioned his dad Mike was the pitching coach for the 2008 NCAA Champion Fresno State Bulldogs.

So it is clear that teaching is in the blood.

When talking about the joy and excitement he felt for his father as he got to watch him enjoy the Bulldogs win, and his son getting to be the team’s bat boy. I am brought back to the children, everywhere, the thrill of victory.

So I asked, “Is there anyone you played with, whether it was in the minors or the majors that had that level of joy or excitement that we talk about with little kids?”

His answer was as refreshing as it was instant.

Almost before I could finish the question he responded, “Almost without a guy (sic), every great player is like that. To a guy about every great player, for me uh, George Brett, Mark McGwire, to Todd Helton were great players, and almost to a man the really good players are the guys that approach the game like little kids.”

He continued on in describing how that child like mentality allowed them to stay in the moment and brush off failure without being rattled by it. He continued, “This game will crush you if you take it too seriously or get too down on yourself when you do poorly because that’s the way the game is designed.”

He then went on to acknowledge, baseball is a game of failure and bounce back, a quality we definitely have more of in our youth. Brent continued, “If you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it a Billion times, if you get a hit three out of ten times you get to go live on a Yacht."

"But you have to be able to deal with failing seven times, or striking out seven times out ten which is a tremendous amount of failure.”

As he talked I wandered back to A Glove of Their Own. It maybe the reason we stay connected to baseball so long, the game is full of great lessons. It was at that point that Mayne had planted one right in front of my face, which I hadn’t even thought of.

Of course I had understood failure, but where had I learned to deal with it more effectively than on a diamond where you weren’t allowed to hit it right because there was a bee’s nest?

Where had failure been more obvious than the fly ball I didn’t hit to score the run from third base?

He explained an innocent quality to the greats, “there is no ulterior motive, and they aren’t playing to make money.”

He went on to explain that for 90% of big league rosters that is the case. Brent doesn’t have his head in the sand. He knows there is an exceptional living to be made from playing baseball, that being said, “Their main motivation is that they love the game, and they love competing.”

He went back to a point that he made repeatedly from the beginning of the interview, “it goes back to what we talked about in the very beginning, in letting the process take care of the results.”

We have seen a couple of managers use position players in relief this year, but while with the Rockies Brent managed to get a relief win. When asked if he could pitch, he responded, “Absolutely!” the result from a stat line that year 1 – 0 with an ERA of 0.00.

Mayne did admit that the competitive nature of athletes is such that they all think they can pitch, and every pitcher thinks he can hit. He mentioned it certainly gave him a new perspective and respect for pitchers to go out there and actually do it.

When I asked him later about what he tried to impress on young catchers, he said, “Try every position.” In this respect you’d have a hard time convincing me that Brent Mayne didn’t practice what he preached.

“You know the funny thing about baseball,” he continued, “the way baseball is, it’s so upside down, I spent my whole life trying to be a great catcher but the thing I’ll probably recognized most for when I die is that I won a game as a pitcher, that’s so like baseball.”

We continued on down memory lane, discussing a night in 1991 when he was behind the plate with Brett Saberhagen on the mound pitching a no hitter, I asked, "what does it feel like to be the catcher in that situation?"

He quickly found the words, “As a catcher you take it personally ...you have a portion of that win or that loss that you are responsible for.”

“In my mind I am right there… I am just as nervous and just as anxious as he probably is”, said Mayne.

Now what came next amazed me, as you hear about their being something special in the air. It’s a term that really relates to those great nights in sport. It’s that intangible that you can’t put your finger on.

As Brent was telling the story, he mentioned that he had done something that night, something different that he hadn’t done before and hadn’t done since. What caught me off guard was not that he had such a moment, but was how direct it was.

“It was a unique, experience, I don’t know how to explain it other than it was really intense and pins and needles, but it was also very enjoyable because coming out of the bullpen that particular game (after the 10-15 minute warm up session) I said he’s going to throw a no hitter today, because it just felt like it was that kind of stuff.

Brent also made the point, “to succeed at that level you have to do it more than 99% of the people in the world, and if you are doing something more than 99% of the people in the world, you probably enjoy doing it.”

To further address the process, he went on to say, “the money is simply a bi-product of approaching your craft the right way.”

As I listened to Brent my brain took me back to the start of the interview. His credo, of “take care of the process, and the results will come” is as powerful a message as A Glove of Their Own’s, Play it Forward. Both are about setting yourself up for success. One is the hand you’re given, and the other is the one you use to pull yourself and others up.

There are plenty of times in life we could take a short cut, we could leave someone out, or off the list. It’s when you talk to a guy like Brent Mayne you realize the only way to get to the top is to have tremendous support and to go after your goals and your dreams with dedication.

I know it seems obvious, but he makes the point that it is about more than time spent, it’s about quality time spent, and I think that can be applied to parenting, teaching and learning.

When you’re young they tell you to go practice, be it the piano, algebra or hitting the cut off man. What they don’t tell you is to practice correctly, and that is the proactive approach that Mayne has taken.

It is a lesson that once learned can help and individual excel in all aspects of his or her life. It is the correctly part, that Mayne is trying to address with The Art of Catching.

When we finally got around to talking about The Art of Catching, you realize that Mayne simply saw as he called it, “a void in information” around this particular position.

As he said it, “is not true for any other position.” He goes to talk about the importance of catching, “arguable the most important position on the field is just slipping through the cracks.” (In regard to readily available info.)

Mayne goes on to describe it as, “mistaught, if it is taught at all, and more often than not it’s just take the biggest kid and throw him back there.”

As he mentioned not only the way he was taught, but the knowledge he gained over 1279 games behind the plate in the big leagues. (He ranks 75th all time.)

The intention of the book was simply explained by Mayne, “it’s a lot of information that I had and I thought I’d share it, that was my main motivation.”

The book is being followed with instructional videos, as well as his website.

We got a chance to discuss the style he brought to the game; the style which he describes in The Art of Catching has what has become the norm, the standard in today’s Major Leagues.

With the aid of ESPN Classic he mentioned, “It’s really easy to see the progression if you click on an ESPN Yankee game and watch Thurmon Munson catch, and compare that to the way Jorge Posada catches, its light years different.”

When I asked Brent about The Art of Catching, he spoke about the book audience and how diverse it could be.

He mentions that that whether you be a little leaguer or a major leaguer he doesn’t treat or teach anyone any differently. He feels the concepts are straight forward, and it not only makes you a better catcher, but considering, “the catcher touches the ball on almost every play.” It gives you a chance to enhance your team’s chances of winning.

Mayne was very candid about catching opportunities, whether it be in the MLB, little league, or college stating, “The truth of the matter is that catcher, that is the easiest position to play in the big leagues, or to go on and play at any level is catching because their just aren’t that many good ones.”

As he first talked about the book it seemed obvious that coaches and players would be interested in the book but he then made the point, “even as a curious fan, if you just want to know what the heck is going on back there….I think it can totally enhance your enjoyment of the game.”

As players and fans, isn’t that what we all strive to do, is enhance our enjoyment of the game? To better understand it strategy? Luckily along the way we are able to gather some life lessons.

To go back to excellence, you have to be doing whatever you’re doing more than 99% of the other people out there.

I asked Brent about the 12 month, 365 days sports cycle that Americans have fallen pray to, and he made some very interesting points about the structure of practice and the opportunities to practice you craft.

He used the example of the kids that are coming from, The Dominican Republic or Mexico, where they have other priorities in life, but nearly all of their experience in life mirrors that of the kids in a glove of their own.

Most of those future major leaguers coming out these countries are currently playing, rock ball, sock ball, over the line, or a version of three flies up. Most of these young men and women play a game that was more common to American before the invention of the 12 month sport cycle.

They and treasure a baseball, because it means they get to play tomorrow, and it doesn’t matter if their backstop is a half broken down fence, and home plate is a bicycle rim. In front of that fence, stepping up to that rim they may take 25 or 50 swings a day.

When these children along with so many others practice and play, they aren’t coached to use two hands, they are forced to. Maybe one had that won’t be the case in Mexico, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Florida, Texas, New York, California, or anywhere else for that matter, but one at a time people are trying to make sure they have A Glove of Their Own.

Brent Mayne is a former major league catcher that spent 15 years playing amongst the best in the world. He was drafted 13th over all in the first round by the Royals. He also played for The Mets, Athletics, Rockies, Giants, Diamondbacks, and Dodgers. He can be reached at www.BrentMayne.com.

It contains information regarding his career, catching tips, and a link where you can pick up The Art of Catching.

Bob Salomon is a father, little league coach, and one of the driving forces behind the message in A Glove of Their Own. www.agloveoftheirown.com

And I am David Allan, your fellow Bleacher Creature, available for free lance work. mr.david.allan@gmail.com

Johan Santana Vs. Roy Halladay: The Answer Is Obvious...Isn't It?

David Allan — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 00:31:43 -0400

Is Johan Santana good? No, he’s better than good. He’s great.

He holds a career mark of 117–55 with an ERA of 3.12. He is 8–4 with an ERA of 3.29 in 13 starts here in 2009. That being said, I have been hearing a lot of talk this season about facts that made little to no sense to me. After Zach Grienke came out of the gates flying, the debate was on. At least it was for a little while.

Grienke, Kansas City’s first round pick in 2002, is now 25 and started the 2009 campaign by posting a 5-0 record with a 0.50 ERA in the first month of the season. He also managed two complete games in April and then another three in May.

On June the 15th, with Grienke sitting with an 8-2 record with an ERA under two, who is better?

Well here is my problem with the "who is the best" debate that rages on. Not enough people are talking about Roy Halladay, who I believe to be superior to both Grienke and Santana.

Please don’t take this to the extreme and start with the non-sense that some of you are thinking. I am not saying Santana isn’t great. I am not saying that Grienke isn’t showing he has the kind of special talent to be a top-flight pitcher.

What I am saying is, and let me say this very clearly, Roy Halladay is the best pitcher in baseball.

Before I get too far into the discussion, I am removing Grienke from the discussion. Why you ask? Simply because as good as he has been over the last two and a half months, I am talking about guys that not only do this night in and night out, but year in and year out.

So let me concede all the arguments that the Santana fans are going to come up with straight away.

If we compare the career numbers, Santana leads Halladay in winnings percentage, earned run average and WHIP.

Career Numbers:

Name	Win	Loss	Win %	ERA	WHIP
J. Santana	117	55	.680	3.12	1.108
R. Halladay	141	67	.678	3.46	1.199

Seems like a pretty open and shut case. Especially when you then compare some other stats:

Name	H/9	HR/9	K/9	BB/9	BB/9
J. Santana	7.5	1.0	9.3	2.5	3.73
R. Halladay	8.8	0.7	6.5	2.0	3.18

I present all these numbers because I was trying figure out the fairest way to compare these two pitchers.

Other than complete games where Halladay is dominate (completing 43 starts in his 11-year career, compared to only nine by Santana in his 10 years in the big leagues), it looks like a forgone conclusion that anyone arguing on Docs' behalf would be barking up the wrong tree.

If this were the cause, there would have been no reason to write all of this. I would be simply confirming what is generally accepted as truth and wasting your time. Now that wouldn’t be very nice now would it?

So I ask you what’s wrong with these numbers? Why don’t they produce a definitive answer to “who is the best pitcher baseball?”

My answer to you is now clear. All you need to do is look into the schedule. Roy Halladay plays in the gold standard of baseball division in the American League East. The way the schedule is drafted each year, the Blue Jays play 72 games against the Rays, Red Sox, Yankees and O’s.

You don’t think the AL East is an absolute beast? They have accounted for 10 of the 14 wild card winners since the divisions were realigned in 1994. That includes 1994 when there were no playoffs and technically would’ve been won by the Indians based on the day the strike was called. So you 10 of 13 or 77 percent of all wild cards since its inception has been out of the American League East.

Now with that in mind, I am not ready to discount the talent of Johan Santana, but I would say that the numbers that Roy Halladay has been posting are against better line-ups year in and year out.

Whether it’s the American League Central, where the Twins were the dominate team partially because of Santana, and partially because of the inconsistency of the division, or the National League where Johan gets a free out every trip through the order with the opposing pitcher, it’s easy to see where some of those numbers could’ve been inflated.

It would be unfair of me to simply draw a conclusion.

Although the lead up seems a little long, this isn’t exactly easy to prove. So let us look at the numbers in his career vs. the AL East for Roy Halladay and Johan Santana.

Name	Win	Loss	Win %	ERA	WHIP
J. Santana	18	13	.581	3.90	1.165
R. Halladay	58	28	.674	3.51	1.208

Now remember Johan’s career winning percentage against all opponents is .680, his ERA is 3.12 and his WHIP is a filthy 1.108. Halladay on the other hand has a .678 winnings percentage, an ERA of 3.45 and a WHIP of 1.199.

What does this tell me? Well, both players have an inflated WHIP, which is to be expected in the AL East, who is notorious for working counts and taking a ton of walks. Beyond that, Halladay’s winnings percentage is slightly down (.004) and his ERA is inflated but only marginally (0.06).

Santana on the other hand has his winnings Percentage fall close to 100 points (.099) vs. his career average and his ERA jumps 0.78 over his career average when he faces the AL East.

With their respect, each player's per-nine averages both matchup with Roy's career averages, where Johan sees his hits per nine jump by over one (1.2) and his K’s per nine up 0.8.

Names	H/9	HR/9	K/9	BB/9	K/BB
J. Santana	8.7	.99	10.1	2.7	3.74
R. Halladay	8.8	.80	6.3	2.0	3.15

Other than those, with the two stats that I pointed out earlier, both pitchers are fairly consistent across the board. Although Santana does strike out more batters per nine, it’s the ability to get ground balls and keep pitch counts down that gives Halladay the opportunity to work deeper into baseball games.

In one additional start this year, Doc has throw 21 innings more than Johan this season.

What we have in this debate when you control for the teams and talent played against (at least as much as is possible in this situation) is two pitchers that are very good against the best offensive division in baseball.

The difference is that Johan is very good, but not as dominate against the rest of the competition he faces. On the other hand, Roy Halladay is able to maintain his dominance and produce the same results against any lineup.

Everyone is constantly impressed with Johan’s dominance, but if you look at his record and ERA against a higher level of competition, it suffers noticeably. Even though he produces against the National League East, it’s clear by his 18-13 record he doesn’t have the ability to go to the next level.

To further confirm Johan’s inability to gear up to face better teams, look no further than his playoff record of 1-3 with a 3.97 ERA and 1.324 WHIP.

On the other hand, the only scenario we would have seen the Doctor in where he would have to step his game up to operate is within his own division. He is able to elevate his game enough to produce almost identical stats whether it be ERA, WHIP, winnings percentage or per nine stats.

To be the best, you’ve got to beat the best. Start in and start out Doc Halladay consistently beats the best.

Maybe I don’t have the street cred to be saying these things, so let me pass it over to a guy that would know.

"Everyone talks about the great pitchers in the game. They need to start talking about (Roy) Halladay because he's as good as they come." -New York Yankees Captain Derek Jeter

If you don’t believe me, maybe you’ll believe him.

Ask Cito What Is Wrong with AJ Burnett?

David Allan — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 11:30:51 -0400

Blazing Fastball: check.

Sweeping curveball: check.

Two-cent brain: check and double check.

Allan James Burnett has been the same guy since the day he entered the league, a live arm with a knee-buckling curveball and not enough sense to know how to use it.

After yet another loss to the Red Sox on Tuesday night manager Joe Girardi was making excuses for the big right hander from Little Rock Arkansas.

The Yankee manager was saying all the right things to pad the ego of a faltering star. Joe stated that Burnett going on extra rest was his problem and his fault.

I know that the Yankees have a lot of pull, but for the manager to insinuate that he has any control over their game getting rained out and thus pushing the starter back seems a little egotistical to me.

Joe then went on to explain that he was not yet ready. If that is the way that Joe prefers to disillusion himself with that kind of thinking, who am I to judge?

Unfortunately for Joe, the facts are what they are.

In Miami when Burnett was young and raw, he was 49-50 with a 3.73 ERA. Before the arrival of Cito Gaston in Toronto he was 26-23 with a 4.22 ERA. It wasn’t until Cito started guiding the good ship Blue Jay that Burnett showed he had what it takes to live up to this massive unrealized promise.

Last season after Gaston began managing the Blue Jays again Burnett went 12-3 with an ERA of 3.12. To put that into perspective, in 2008 BC (before Cito) AJ was sporting a record of 6-7.

So, if he “got it,” as he claims, by learning at the alter of Roy Halladay, why was he 6-7 after almost three month in 2008? Why was Allan James a combined 20-16 the two years previous? Did it suddenly click, as AJ claimed?

AJ is currently on pace to go 10-8 with 202 innings and 181 strikeouts. To compare and contrast that, for his carrer he is 91-79 in 11 seasons or 12 games over .500 (he was a plus eight in 2008 in Toronto and plus nine under Cito Gaston from June through September).

Do the Yankees have a superior offense to the other teams that Burnett has pitched on? Sure they do.

Is Burnett is a little older, a little wiser and a little more mature? I don’t think so.

That 10-8 I mentioned is based on his current pace and him making 32 starts and pitching 202 innings.

Burnett has managed to make more than 30 starts twice and threw over 200 innings three times in his now 11 year career.

Am I blaming the Yankees? A little bit, because they are investing $82.5 million over the next five years in Burnett.

Are they the only team in history that continues to sign players based on potential? Certainly not, but the aggressive nature with which they went after Burnett in the offseason proves to me thar they, like Burnett, simply don’t get it.

Do I understand the shield that the Yankees manager attempted to throw up with the media? Sure Burnett has proven to be hyper sensitive over the years and Girardi is looking to defuse that situation.

Unfortunately for Girardi, this song and dance following an inconsistent Burnett start will continue for the rest of the season.

Everyone is asking about what Burnett could’ve learned from Roy Halladay, whether he got it or not. With an up and down personality like Burnett, Joe might want to make a phone call to his fellow AL East skipper and see what can be learned about AJ Burnett, rather than what AJ learned.

Cito arrived in late June and look at the numbers for Burnett in July, August, and September.

Jul. 6 starts: 4–2
Aug. 6 starts: 4–1
Sep. 5 starts: 2–0

Maybe the Yankees should’ve signed Cito, too. Other than that three month stretch, Burnett has been consistently inconsistent in his 11 years in the Majors. He is what he is; five days rest, seven days rest—there is no need to make excuses.

A Glove of Their Own: Redefining Heroes

David Allan — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 17:18:28 -0400

Sometimes things happen in life that cause you to reevaluate definitions.

Last week an incident with a professional ball player popped up on YouTube.com; I am sure that individual, whose name I will not be using, wishes he could take back what he said and did that night.

The entirety of the footage lasts for about 30 seconds, but in that period of time, the player denies an autograph to a young man that looks to be around eight to 10 years old. Then, when a passerby calls out to the player to get him to recognize the young man, the player proceeds to get in a shouting match with this man and drops several regrettable phrases before getting in his car and leaving.

I only mention that so that I can mention this.

Who’s your hero? Where do your role models come from?

Just when I was at the peak of my frustration, fate delivered me a note. It was short and sweet and to the point, basically saying, “Call me when you have a second.” Now I had been previously introduced to what this individual does by fellow B/R author Todd Civin, but I had never before spoken to him myself.

So, after a quick deliberation, I did just that. Not 100 percent sure on what I was about to hear, I picked up the phone. After a ring or two, a guy so full of life and excitement that I couldn’t help but smile answered the other end of the line.

We ask a lot of the athletes and celebrities in today’s society. We brand them as heroes and role models, and as this man on the other end of the phone and I discussed what I had seen on YouTube, I could tell he was just as concerned as I was about the behavior I had witnessed.

But what impressed me more was that I was listening to a guy who was setting an example, was being a role model, and is most certainly a hero. That day when I picked up the phone, I could not have been more impressed with Bob Salomon. I was immediately drawn to his personality and his cause.

Bob is one of the driving forces behind the success of the book A Glove of Their Own. Written by three wonderful women, Debbie Moldovan, Keri Conkling, and Lisa Funari-Willever, and illustrated by the talented Lauren Lambaise, it is a story that connects a life lesson to a moment in time that most, if not all of us can relate to.

If this were about the promotion of a great story it would be more than worth it. That night Bob asked if I had read the book. I had to admit I had not. The first thing he did was to introduce me to the book and ask me to read it with him. You know that someone is sitting on something very special when they will let it talk for itself.

I managed to get two full paragraphs in before stopping and laughing, and Bob asked why. But he already knew the answer. He knew what was going on the other end of the phone. He knew because it is going on all across the country. If I could get my fellow Canadians in on this, I’d like it to go on all across the world.

What happened to me on the phone was exactly the reaction that Bob could’ve predicted. This story is your story, it’s the reason you ran home after school, it was the reason you tried to skip breakfast on a weekend morning. Your childhood is probably full of memories of organizing a game with your own rules, and all the quirks that went along with your own sandlot.

As I connected with the book, I realized it’s even more than that. So you ask, where are the role models? Where are the heroes?

Heroes come in all shapes and sizes, and in A Glove of their Own they come in the shape of a lesson taught by their lone spectator. A lesson well learned by Bob Salomon as they attempt to carry on the wishes of the old man behind the fence and “Play it Forward.”

This is not to say that we should discard “traditional” heroes, as Bob has been supported by numerous current and ex-major leaguers in his quest to promote the book and the lesson outlined in it.

That being said, the lessons that are brought to the table with every baseball game a child competes in are well learned and not easily forgotten.

So although heroes may hit 500 home runs, and they may win 300 games, the truth is a hero, and a role model, can be someone with a ton of drive and big heart. That’s what Bob Salomon is, that’s what A Glove of their Own promotes.

Most of today’s eight-year-olds will never win 288 games like Tommy John, and will never collect 3060 base hits like Craig Biggio. The partnership of Good Sports, Pitch in for Baseball and Sports Gifts and the support of quality people like them have helped put this movement closer to Bob’s ultimate goal.

I’d ask that everyone I can touch with this please take the time to visit www.agloveoftheirown.com. If everyone could only realize that, no matter how many autographs a major leaguer may sign or deny, none of those experiences will ever mean more to a youngster than playing center field like Griffey, DiMaggio, Puckett or Mays. Imitating the swing of Mattingly, Pujols or Bay. Tracking down that long fly ball for the final out to win their version of Game Seven with A Glove of their Own.

On the Fifth Day the Yanks Should Joba? Hughes? How about Both?

David Allan — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 19:14:57 -0400

Joba Chamberlain pitched a gem against the Indians on June 1, 2009.

His stat line was one that would make any starting pitcher proud:

IP	Pitches	Hits	SO	BB	ER
8.0	106	4	5	2	2

Yet some how the debate still rages in New York City whether the former Justin Chamberlain is better serving the Yankees as a starter or a reliever. I still can’t figure out how a four-pitch guy better serves a team pitch one or two innings rather than start every fifth day.

I am not familiar with all the New York Sports personalities, but I do know that Mike Francesa has been ranting all year about Joba and nsisting that he should be moved back to the pen.

It was just announced that Phil Hughes is headed back to the Yankees pen to open a rotation spot for Chen Ming Wang, a sign that Joba isn’t going anywhere.

Now, you aren't going to get eight innings out of Joba every night out, at least not yet. Who knows? He may one day be Roy Halladay, but clearly that's going to take some time. So let me suggest something radical. Why aren’t the Yankees looking at pair Joba Chamberlain together with Phil Hughes as their fifth day starter?

What the hell is he talking about? Great question, and I am sure this is much too radical for most baseball people to try, but I think that Joba/Hughes could be a day five two-headed monster. So good in fact that it may build a new theory for how to develop young arms in the future.

Let us start with the rash of young pitchers that have gone down because of improper training over the past couple of years. The most complete list I have found includes 139 major league baseball players that have undergone "the surgery", you know which one, the named for a former Yankee hurler. Tommy John first had his ligament reconstructed in 1974, a surgery that bares his name. The surgery has become so popular the people now think of it, and not the career of a pitcher that won 288 games between 1963 and 1989.

Of those 139, only 19 were position players (That counts Rick Ankeil had his surgery done while still pitching, and Jose Canseco injured himself while pitching.) and 11 players had the surgery multiple times. (The only position player to have the surgery done more than once was former Met, Tiger, and now Royal farm hand catcher Vance Wilson.)

Now realize what a small sample size that truly is, Dr. James Andrews was interview on July 20th, 2007, from his Birmingham, Alabama office where he told the New York Times he has performed more than 1200 Tommy Johns surgeries in his career.

Andrews admitted to performing five to ten of these surgeries in the late 1990's on high school pitchers. By 2006 he estimated he would perform 75 this year, including operating on a 14-year-old pitcher.

Dr. Damon Petty in the same article mentioned that, “I don’t think that there’s as deep a talent pool anymore.” He also remarked in reference to over use that kids are coming out high school with, “100,000 mile arms.”

Why did I go through all of that? I put that together with the fact that the Yankees have been very vocal about keeping Joba in the 140 to 150-inning range. Joba was rushed to the major leagues.

Not from a pure stuff stand point, but from a strength and condition, stamina and durability stand point.

Gary Armida has been able to speak candidly with Rick Peterson (Former Mets and A’s pitching coach, and Director of Physical Conditioning for the 3P Sports Program.)

During those interview Peterson revealed, “60 percent of amateur pitchers surveyed complained of chronic elbow pain.”

In an attempt to properly train Joba and Hughes I suggest that the Yankees go to an unusual system. Gary Armida has mused on occasion, that he would build an entire staff of middle relievers, but after seeing a number of bullpens go up in flames, I am not willing to go that far. Especially as team after team has proven evaluating bullpen talent is inconsistent at best.

My proposal would be to take the two youngsters and turn them into a two-man platoon to fill the fifth spot in the rotation. Do I mean start each of them every 10 days? No.

My plan would be to start Joba every fifth day. I would tell him that he was pitching four innings maximum. I would them tell Phil Hughes that he will pitch at least three innings following Joba out of the pen on that day.

I would tell them both that my goal for the rest of the reason would be to get them both stretched out safely over the next 20 games. If Joba can average four innings per over his next 20 starts, that would put him at 133 innings for the season, and although that doesn’t sound like much you have to understand Joba had only thrown 212.2 innings since 2007. (That includes his minor league innings.)

He has never pitched more than 112 innings in a season, and that was in 2007, combining his minor and major league experience.

So although my theory sounds out of whack it helps to keep Joba in line to pitch the number of innings that were set out for him, without returning him to the pen and allows him to continue to prepare as a starter. It also allows you stretch out Phil Hughes and prepares him to take a rotation spot in 2010.

Hughes himself only has only compiled 471 professional innings in the last six seasons.

So it allows you to protect the young arms as far as pitch counts and innings allowances go. It also gets these two young pitchers the Major league seasoning that they will need to make the next step in their major league careers.

We also know that they both are capable of having lights out stuff on any given night. It is their immaturity that keeps them from being elite front of the rotation starters. They aren’t ready to face and consistently best a veteran like Roy Halladay, but against a traditional fifths starter they will be able to over match him with raw talent.

Also if you get three to four quality innings from each on that respective day, it means that out of your fifth starter you’ll get six to eight quality innings every fifth day, and no team in baseball can boast that kind of production. Imagine being able to save your bullpen and use only two or three pitchers on the day your "worst" starter takes the mound.

Sure it seems like a radical idea, a little off the wall even.

Considering the importance of keeping young pitching healthy, the development of those pitchers, the ability to protect your bullpen, and the competitive advantage of having two guys with great stuff give you six, seven, eight or even nine innings on a day that most teams are happy to get anything makes a lot of sense to me.

All Hail the "Boy" King?

David Allan — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 18:46:22 -0400

I might be in the minority here, because this will be the second Anti-LeBron James article I have written to date. (The first was in jest.)

That being said, I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt after the young and talented superstar made his way off the court the other night without congratulating the victorious Orlando Magic after game six of the Eastern conference finals the other night.

Maybe I see the world through a different set of glasses than some, King James included, so I decided to wait on his response to what was going to be a flurry of questions regarding his behavior the other night.

Let me start right now with a few quotes out of the mouth of The King himself.

"It's hard for me to congratulate somebody after you just lose to them," he said.

Really, LeBron? It is hard for you to congratulate somebody after they beat you? I didn’t realize you were the only one. I, as well as my fellow mortals tend to jump for joy and be absolutely giddy about the prospect of being defeated.

LeBron’s attempt to redefine his childish and immature behavior as a move that is made by a proud man is insulting to my intelligence.

What’s more is that at the tender age of 19 years old, LeBron said this, "Of course I'm a role model," James said. "Any pro athlete that plays basketball, plays any sport, is automatically a role model. I'm happy to be one, too."

Well, if that is the case then LeBron, the 24-year-old man, should’ve realized that those moments following game six were in fact a teachable moment.

I am glad that LeBron has figured out that kids look up to him. I am glad he takes that seriously.

Others will slough this off and remind us that Charles Barkley said that Athletes are not role models and feels it then absolves him of poor judgment and bad decisions.

That being said, LeBron James took on his role as a role model in the community, almost from day one.

So when he didn’t shake hands with the Orlando Magic at the end of his season, and instead chose to walk off the court I didn’t over-react to his behavior, even though I didn’t agree with it.

I waited like everyone else to hear LeBron’s explanation for what I initially thought was odd behavior considering what he has told us about how he wants to be remember at the end of what has started out as a very bright career.

Unfortunately in this case I think that LeBron has under-estimated one thing. How insulting it is to be talked down to.

LeBron completely missed the point of shaking the victors hand after the game. You do it to congratulate them on a job well done, you do it show that you’re a person of strong character that can hold his head up, even in defeat.

You do it because when you talk about leaving it all out on the court, it symbolizes that you have. From the opening tip or puck drop to the shaking hands. You did everything you could to win.

Nobody doubts that, but when you walk off the court without that finality, it stinks of resentment, it looks like you're saying, "that you feel you should’ve won." When clearly Orlando handled you over the 6 game series.

It makes you look like the type of entitled crybaby that I am sure LeBron doesn’t want to be catagorized as, especially if that some one stands up and says, yeah I want to be like LeBron.

It's says I don’t have to show respect for my opponent, I don’t have to give them their due. I tried really really hard, and this loss was because of me, not because of them.

This reeks of the selfishness that extends to every corner of society, the type of spoiled brat behavior that I would hope a role model wouldn’t promote.

Mere days after we saw someone do it wrong. We got to enjoy the startling and refreshing contrast that was Rafael Nadal do it right. He walked off the clay at the French Open for the first time in his life with the bitter taste of defeat in his mouth.

He looked every bit the competitor that LeBron James was. After four straight titles and 31 straight matches, where Nadal was beaten in only 7 sets, Nadal dropped three of four sets to the 23rd-ranked player in the world.

Robin Soderling, a 24 year old Swede, a player that he does not have a warm and fuzzy relationship with Nadal, became the first player to oust Nadal from red clay courts of Roland Garros.

Through all the hooting and hollering and emotional outburst, the first thing Nadal did was head to the net and congratulate his opponent.

Not because he is happy about the loss, but because it was the right thing to do. Then the four-time champion faced the media with equal parts frustration, humor and grace.

He held court on a Q&A period that no one expected. He did it because it was right. He did it because that’s the kind of example you should set.

Not only did LeBron James drop the ball so the speak for the first time in a series where he averaged 38 points, 8 assists, and 8 rebounds, but he then proceeded to return with a chance to speak to the media in a patronizing manner.

So after collecting himself and addressing the media in Independence, Ohio, King James offered this insightful quote.

"It's hard for me to congratulate somebody after you just lose to them," he said. "I'm a winner. It's not being a poor sport or anything like that. If somebody beats you up, you're not going to congratulate them. That doesn't make sense to me.

"I'm a competitor. That's what I do. It doesn't make sense for me to go over and shake somebody's hand."

This statement reeks of immaturity and selfishness.

Let’s break it down: “It’s hard for me to congratulate somebody after you just lose to them.” First things first. You didn’t just lose to them. You got beaten by a better team.

That series was 4 – 2, with Cleveland managing two wins at home, one of them on a miracle three-point bucket by James himself. Orlando was clearly the better team throughout this series.

Secondly, it’s not just hard for you, LeBron! It’s hard for anyone that has an ounce of competitiveness in their body.

That being said, because something is hard, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it. Making the NBA isn’t easy, but LBJ put in the work.

When he arrived in Cleveland six years ago there were all kinds of holes in his game. It would’ve been easy to coast on the reputation he has built.

He didn’t go the easy way then, why take the easy way out now?

Part two: “I’m a winner.” Really? Kobe is a winner, Jordan is a winner, Magic, Bird, Shaq, winner, winner and winner. What on LeBron James' resume says, I’m a winner? LeBron is such a winner that he doesn’t have to follow the same rule of etiquette as others?

Then there is the qualifier, “It's not being a poor sport or anything like that. If somebody beats you up, you're not going to congratulate them. That doesn't make sense to me.”

Basically it is LeBron acknowledging that he made a mistake. He knows people see him as being a poor sport, and you know why, because he is. To try to justify his poor behavior he compares it to a fight.

That being said, in hockey they legitimately fight each other and they have determined it to be the greatest show of respect. As for the fight analogy, I see those guys shake hands all the time.

Baseball even took a cue a few years ago.

Finally – “I'm a competitor. That's what I do. It doesn't make sense for me to go over and shake somebody's hand." Somewhere a long the line throughout his life, King James forgot there are other people out there.

Other people that play basketball, that play sport with passion, and have already shown that a grown up can handle both.

As I mentioned earlier you need to look no further than Rafael Nadal for an example of an intense competitor that no only gets it on the court…but off of it as well, time to put on your big boy pants and own it.

Paging Tim Wakefield...It's the Hall on Line One?

David Allan — Fri, 22 May 2009 08:07:14 -0400

*It is fitting that my 49th article is about No. 49*

TIM WAKEFIELD FOR THE HALL OF FAME!!!!

God, I love shocking discussion to life.

Wait, wait, wait...before you scroll to the comments section and blast me, hear me out.

I am not saying that today, May 21, 2009, Tim Wakefield is a lock for the Hall. I am not even saying that Tim-ah, as the locals call him, is worthy.

My thoughts began to wander last Tuesday as Wakefield worked his way through eight innings of five-hit, one-run baseball. My first thought was, how does a guy 42 years old pull this off?

Then my next thought was, who had done it better?

Well, the truth is Phil Niekro holds the record for most wins after the age of 40 with 121.

Phil is a Hall of Famer on the strength of a 318-274 record and 3,342 strikeouts over the course of his 24-season career. I am not here to debate the Hall of Fame standing of Phil Niekro after all.

There are 72 pitchers in the Hall of Fame, from Don Drysdale and Nolan Ryan, to Cy Young and Hilton Smith. Nobody has more wins than Cy Young—or losses, for that matter—nobody has more strikeouts than Nolan Ryan, and nobody has a lower ERA than Ed Walsh. I am not suggesting that Tim Wakefield will pass any of them.

So as I sat in my seat at Fenway behind home plate—Section 21, Row 07, Seat 15, entered through Gate A in case anyone wanted to know—I couldn’t help thinking that Wakefield looked better than ever. Then I looked at what Wakefield has done in 2009 when I got home, and here was what I learned.

In eight starts, Timmy is 6-2 and has fashioned an ERA of 3.59. Now as is the mystery that is the knuckler, he has given up 21 earned runs in eight starts, 12 of them coming in just two outings that accounted for 9.2 of 52.2 innings this year.

Why do I bring this up?

Well, because I think you can compare Phil Niekro and Tim Wakefield.

Sure, the eras were different, but are they all that different when they are dealing?

Through the 1978 season, Knucksie had won 197 and lost 171.

Wake, on the other hand, had fashioned a record of 151-134.

So Niekro going into what would seem to be the twilight of any career was 26 games over .500. From age 40 through 48 he was an additional 18 games over .500

Now I mentioned this because, Wakefield since hitting the big four-zero has gone 32-25.

Now the first thing people will notice that Phil is plus-46 in the win column and is also plus-37 in the loss column.

Under the age of 40, Phil Niekro made 86 additional appearances, and 83 of those were starts.

He had an additional 83 decisions, which is not surprising when you see that as a product of his era Niekro had 245 career complete games to Wakefield’s 62.

I would submit to you that part of the strength of Phil Niekro’s case is that he is one of only 16 players with 3,000-plus strikeouts. But when you look at Phil vs. Wakefield in a head-to-head comparison, Wake strikes out 6.1/nine for his career, Niekro only 5.6/nine innings of work.

For the record, Wakefield, who is not known for the K, would be 16th among Hall of Famers in strikeouts per nine. That stat places him in front of Don Sutton, Bob Feller, Warren Spahn, Phil Niekro, Walter Johnson, and Gaylord Perry.

Remember that stat of 72 pitchers in the Hall? Well, if Wakefield is able to duplicate Niekro’s 121 wins after the age of 40, he will have more wins than 36 of them.

Since turning 40, Wakefield has won .561 percent of his decisions, which is actually 26 points higher than his career average.

Over the 17 years so far, Wakefield has mustered an average of 13 wins per year and a percentage of .535. To put that in perspective, Niekro’s winning percentage is .537, and he averaged 14 wins per season.

Wakefield has never led the league in wins, which Niekro did on two occasions, in 1974 and 1979 (age 40). On the other hand, Timmy has only led the league in losses once, compared to Knucksie’s four times, each season from 1977 through 1980 in fact.

What about walks? Great question: 1,809 for PK and 1,095 for WK, so both turn in an average of 78 free passes per season.

Now that only puts him ahead of Rich “Goose” Gossage and Hal Newhouser in the walks per nine category, but again, throwing the knuckleball does exactly increase your stats that indicate control.

We’ve seen the signs around the ballpark: Wake for President, Wakefield for Mayor.

Consider that we are in the era of the reliever and closer, an era of fewer starts and decisions.

121 wins after the age of 40 may seem more difficult to catch than the knuckleball itself. Considering his strikeout per nine ratio, it’s not unreasonable that Wakefield could get to 2,600 to 2,800 strikeouts, or between 25th and 17th. I’d ask, is it that unreasonable?

I can hear it now; he’s a compiler.

Only in baseball is longevity a curse.

He started, he relieved, he closed, he was on the mound to give up the Aaron Boone home run—you know, when it mattered most. He also has two World Series Trophies in his pocket.

As he was putting the finishing touches on an eight-inning gem at age 42 and Fenway was starting to sway to "Sweet Caroline," I couldn’t help but wonder—Wakefield for the Hall of Fame?

If the NHL's Discpline Is Supposed To Be a Joke, I Am Not Laughing.

David Allan — Mon, 11 May 2009 20:29:05 -0400

I have finally reached my breaking point with the NHL.

I have defended her from all challengers, and all critics.

Today, that changes. I am ashamed of her: the brass, those handing out discipline, and a large group of my fellow fans that seem to think victims are more at fault than criminals.

In a 4-0 game that was clearly over, Carolina's Scott Walker sucker punched Boston's Aaron Ward. I refused to put sucker punch in quotations, and before you start to tell me it was Aaron Ward’s fault for getting punched in the head in a fight he clearly wasn’t a willing participant in, please stop. Blaming victims is a sad, sad practice. It’s like Walker shooting Ward and then arguing it was Ward’s fault for getting hit by the bullet.

From now on, before a hockey fan tries to defend a cowardly or gutless act, say what you intend to type out loud and realize how ridiculous you sound.

I see hockey as a proud game, played by strong, physical, and proud men. I refuse to let a great game that prides itself on doing the right thing twist that into some distorted logic where the perpetrator is the hero.

The NHL is consistently inconsistent. They simply cannot process the information in front of them. They lack the ability to enforce their own rules and further their own player safety agenda.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCNqgbNg2WQ

There is the link to the act in question, just in case anyone has yet to see what I am talking about. Let us start at the beginning of where this goes off the track.

Not only has Colin Campbell managed to not find Walker’s gutless cheap shot to the head as worthy of an extended absence, it is quite to the contrary. He is, in fact, such a dolt that he rescinded the mandatory one-game suspension that is called for in conjunction with NHL rule No. 56.

In case you are unfamiliar with Rule 56, it is the instigator rule, the same instigator rule that Gary Bettman has vowed to keep in the game, even against his strictest critics. Bettman has taken heat from hockey purists for years now regarding the controversial rule. Now, when the rule calls for a one-game suspension, the league allows Colin Campbell to back off and take the teeth out of it.

So just so we are clear, the league that refuses to suspend Scott Walker for what is clearly a shot to the head against a defenseless player is the same league that suspended Donald Braschear for five games and Milan Lucic one game earlier in the playoffs using the exact same justification.

I hope we are on the same page when I say hits to the head are unacceptable, and should have cost Lucic one game and Braschear five. The frustration comes from the NHL’s trademark blundering style, in which it once again has rationalized an unacceptable act and its lemming fans have followed suit in defending the indefensible.

I hear people piping up with the ridiculous notion that Aaron Ward should’ve been aware of Walker being on the ice and it is his fault for not holding his hands up to defend himself.

I would contend this thuggery is unwarranted and unacceptable, and that Ward, who was clearly engaged with Matt Cullen, shouldn’t have had to defend himself against a third man piling in and proceeding to punch him while Ward was clearly not a willing participant in the confrontation with Walker.

So offensive was the act that the referee, knowing full well that a one-game suspension would be applied, still assessed a two-minute instigator penalty in the last three minutes of the third period.

So sad and pathetic is the NHL brass that they overruled the referee and instead imposed a stiff $2,500 (tongue firmly planted in cheek) fine to punish the offender.

The $2,500 fine is even more insulting, as it is the NHL recognizing that the act was in fact punishable. So they now make up the rules as they go along, stumble their way through discipline meetings, and make up fines and suspensions when the discipline for this situation was clearly on the books.

So when it’s all said and done, the NHL has once again got it wrong. An aggressive act against a player who was clearly not expecting it and they downgrade the suspension and allow people to blame the victim.

With the lack of enforcement, they are supporting the notion that Ward should have put his hands up to fight and responded to a gutless attack by Walker.

Let’s break down what really happened.

Like I said, say it out loud.

Scott Walker was clearly frustrated, after three games where the Canes had taken it to the Bruins they were getting it handed back to them.

With time running out in the third period facing a 4-0 deficit, Walker irresponsibly let his frustrations boil over and sucker punched a player that was unwilling to fight him.

It is bush-league acts like Walker’s and the poor handling of the fallout that are the reason that a great game like hockey wallows in mediocrity. My words may in fact be harsh, but I have chosen them carefully.

The NHL talks about expanding its brand and taking on new fans. I am not sure how you are supposed to do that when the ones you currently have are starting to consider you a joke.

(In an informal poll of 20 players by TSN's Darren Dreger: 14 said the act in questions was a cheap shot, and of the 6 that said it wasn't a cheap shot, 2 responded with it was a dirty play that was a suspendable offense.)

Manny Ramirez Fallout: If You're Shocked, Realize This Is a "You" Problem

David Allan — Fri, 08 May 2009 09:42:46 -0400

So, Manny being Manny included Manny being on the Juice.

Now it’s Manny being suspended.

So what?

If we aren’t going to demand that accountability for this fall at the feet of someone that can do something about this, then what does it matter?

So let me start with us, the fans. In all honesty, so far we have been complacent in the destruction of the records and numbers that mean something in our game. That’s right, I said it.

Our game.

I’ve written about wanting to pass along the game of baseball to another generation in the condition we found it. Instead of looking for changes to the game that benefit us as well as others, we have looked to it to be bigger, faster and stronger. We marveled at 500-foot home runs.

We turned our eyes blindly to the chase of Maris. Why? Because it allowed children to talk about McGwire, father’s about Maris and grandfather’s about Ruth. It was a single strand—a lineage that connected generations.

From the Model T to the Bentley, from the Prop plane to the Lear Jet, from the AM Radio to the HI-DEF plasma, we spanned generations. From an era when 60 and then 61 seemed untouchable to one where 70 was quickly replaced by 73, we didn’t ask any questions.

We simply lived in the naïve bubble where men were super human and that was fine.

We then acted outraged and indignant when we found out that the numbers being produced by chemically enhanced athletes.

Really, were we that mad? I don’t think so.

If we were, we would have demanded more than the half—hearted effort by the house competition committee and later Senator George Mitchell that did little to expose the depth of the problem and less to address and correct the issue.

Let me address that for a minute.

George Mitchell spent months upon months compiling names, digging into the deepest cracks and darkest corners of baseball. What did he come up with?

Gregg "with three G’s" Zaun, Chuck Knoblauch and Ron Villone?

Are you kidding me?

Sure he came up with Roger Clemens, but he managed to whiff on A-Rod and Manny Ramirez. As fans we waited 20 months and let baseball spend in the neighbor of $20 million dollars to compile the results and Senator George Mitchell managed to miss out of on two guys that have launched over 1,000 (that’s right, 1000) home runs combined.

So what are our options?

Your option is to be a better fan. Don’t fall in love. If you never fall in love, you never get hurt. Love your wife, love your parents, love your kids, and your pets. Like your team but be a smarter fan, a better consumer. Your other option is to fall in love with baseball, not the home run, but baseball.

Debate the designated hitter, marvel at a player taking an extra base, get excited about a steal of home, a well executed bunt or a flawlessly turned double play. Learn to enjoy the finer points of the game like a pitcher that can get a much needed ground ball or a relay to the plate that gets the runner by a step.

As a fan is a fan of the entire game and not the long ball, quit trying to break down baseball into the simple act of the home run and make it about what it is, which is so much more.

THE PLAYERS' ASSOCIATION

Let's talk players' association for a minute. The group that, for its part, allowed a generation of players to take, inject and ingest whatever it took to raise the pay checks of baseball players everywhere.

The players association, through pure greed, was allowed to distort the priorities of players across baseball. As the steroid scandal reached a fever pitch, the players association did nothing but bury their head in the sand and deny that the problem existed.

No one person is responsible for the issues of baseball, but the players association are certainly one of two groups that have the power to impose real change on the game. Instead, they have opted to ignore the issues in favor of fat pay checks.

They don’t act remotely embarrassed when their largest stars are outted. They simply don’t care and refuse to do anything about the problem. So what is a fan to do?

It is clear to me that 50 percent of the power in this debate lay in their hands and they don’t recognize there is any problem. I am starting to believe we will continue to follow the game as they see fit.

THE OWNERS

Just as culpable in all of this are the owners. When Mark McGwire blew up to the size of an NFL linebacker, nobody brought it up. When Barry Bonds allowed his head to expand from melon to basketball-size, their only concern was how many could he hit into McCovey’s Cove.

That number translated into butts in seats and “saved” the game of baseball. The owners would promote these juiced-up behemoths on posters, magazines and cereal boxes.

Instead of wondering why, the owners blindly dolled out the fattest paychecks to the worst offenders and now in some sense of bonus self-righteousness, are acting like the guardians of the game.

MANNY RAMIREZ

Where does Manny fall in all of this?

Well I have said before, A-Rod doing steroids was like your girlfriend cheating on you and then you taking her back. You have given up the right to be shocked by any level of disrespectful behavior she displays from that point on.

So save me your anger because it makes you look stupid.

Manny Ramirez is responsible for what he took, and his 533 home runs certainly are tainted in my eyes. I will say this as someone who has defended Manny: I am, at worst, disappointed.

But who do we believe is clean?

Pujols? I’ll believe it because there is no evidence to the contrary. But I certainly won’t be “blinded sided” or “flabbergasted” if that is not the case.

Manny’s job is to perform at the highest level and if steroids are part of that performance I can honestly say I am not bent out of shape about it.

Did he break the rules? Yes. Did he know he broke the rules? Yes (He may say he didn’t, but his withdrawal of his appeal tells me something very different). As it says in the rules, Manny will now serve 50 games.

SO WHAT DOES ALL THIS MEAN?

Well, I go back to the fans perspective through our jaded view of the world. Let's look at some of the guys that may have been forgotten and marvel at just how good they are. I am not talking about Willie Mays or Roberto Clemente. We know how good they were.

But how about...

Will Clark

Fred McGriff

Don Mattingly

Larry Walker

Robin Yount

George Brett

Ichiro Suzuki

Brooks Robinson

Some of them are already all-time greats and hall of famers. Some of them become more and more deserving of our admiration and respect as it becomes obvious that they must be compared to their peers and not a generation of athletes with clearly inflated egos and pay checks.

For a generation we lost our grip on reality.

Fans once celebrated Tony Gywnn, and Cal Ripken Jr. with as much zeal as George Bell and Kirk Gibson. I am not interested in the Manny story because it holds zero new information for me. It once again shows that we haven’t learned our lesson.

In the end, ratings were up, gates were up, profits were up. Not just chicks were digging the long ball.

I'll leave you with this and maybe it helps you to reframe what is important as a fan:

"I believe in the soul. The c***, the p****, the small of a woman’s back, the hanging curveball, high-fiver, good Scotch, that the novels of Susan Sontag are self-indulgent, overrated crap, I believe that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone, I believe there oughta be a constitutional amendment outlawing Astroturf and the designated hitter. I believe in the sweet spot, soft-core pornography, opening your presents Christmas morning rather than Christmas Eve, and I believe in long, slow, deep, soft, wet kisses that last three days. Good night."

– Crash Davis Bull Durham

It’s time again to be a kid—to throw your hands over your ears and scream, "NA NA NA NA NA, I’m not listening." Maybe it’s time to BELIEVE.

Not in Manny or A-Rod, but in baseball.

It Has Been Unseasonably Hot in Toronto: Blue Jays' April Review

David Allan — Tue, 05 May 2009 08:50:45 -0400

After a month of tempered excitement, the Blue Jays' bats have remained fairly hot. They put a 15 and 9 stamp on April and opened with three straight in May to run their record to a collective 18 and 9.

This puts them two games ahead of the Red Sox, who were getting slapped around in Tampa over the weekend by the Rays, including a couple of four-RBI performances by Longoria, and Carl Crawford ripping six bases in the Sunday matinee.

Although the storyline of the past month has most certainly been the bats, it should also be noticed that the Blue Jays are continuing to injure young pitchers at an alarming rate.

Although getting huge innings from Roy Halladay as per usual, a pleasant surprise thus far this season in Scott Richmond and a couple of good starts from long man Brian Tallet before an absolute stinker in KC. Watching some of the other arms they have run out there to cover key injuries tells me that the pipe line may to have run dry.

Can you blame them? From a year ago they are down their two, three, four and five starter with Burnett leaving and injuries to McGowan, Marcum and Litsch. They have also lost Rickey Romero for the time being, in his few starts this season the rookie looked like he belonged with the big club this year.

They have since found out that Scott Richmond has developed into a nice back-of-the-rotation starter.

On the other hand, David Purcey has proven beyond a shadow of a doubt, to me at least that he in fact is what he is, a guy that will never live up to the lofty status of being picked in the first round of the draft.

For the most part some of the bats have started to pick up where the others left off, and in other cases they have continued at their torrid pace. After a month, I think it’s time to assign some grades for April and wax intellectual about the potential for the Jays season.

Many people still doubt the Blue Jays ability to survive the 162 games grind a top the American League East.

Starting Pitching

As mentioned the Jays starting pitching has surprised thus far, especially considering the injuries to some of its key members that will likely keep them out all season. Fortunately, the top of their rotation is 250-plus-inning horse Roy Halladay, and so far posting a 5-1 record Doc has done nothing to disappoint.

Youngster Ricky Romero came out of the gates with guns blazing and the lefty posted an ERA of 1.71 in his first three starts before an injury put him on the 15-day

DL. He followed Jesse Litsch, and closer B.J. Ryan, some of those injuries more devastating than others to be sure.

Along with the pleasant surprise that was Romero, Scott Richmond has posted a 4-0 record, an ERA of 2.67, with a K/BB ratio of 2.16/1 and a WHIP of 1.220.

With inspiring starts to the season from Halladay, Romero and Richmond, and Brian Tallet doing an admirable job, except for one shelling in Kansas City has held down the fort a midst the rash of injuries.

Bullpen

How many teams have their closer go down and their pen gets better. That is the case with the Blue Jays. B.J. Ryan came out of spring training with more than his share of doubters. He did nothing to dispel those opinions when he managed to blow two of the four save attempts that were granted to him, posting an 11.12 ERA in 5.2 innings of work.

Other than Brandon League, the rest of the bullpen has been outstanding. Justin Frasor is 4-0 and has yet to give up an earned run in 10 appearance totaling 10.1 innings. Scott Downs is three for three in save opportunities and has fashioned a 0.66 earned run average thus far in 2009.

Jesse Carlson has also been lights out giving up two earned runs in 14.2 innings this year.

Grade: A -, the Bullpen has been the best in baseball, and A + + unit, of their 15 wins in April half were fashioned by Roy Halladay and Scott Richmond. Although a 4-1 month of April is very Halladay-esque, a 3-0 effort by Richmond most certainly won't be repeated.

Beyond that I question the health of Romero and Litsch as the Jays have proven time and time again, that they are incapable of keeping young pitching healthy.

(On a Side Note: Shawn Marcum (Tommy John’s Surgery – Sept. 10, 2009) was throwing bullpen sessions in KC. If we add up the debacle that is Ryan after coming back to early, the Jays poor record with pitchers. (Brandon League last year, Casey Jansen, McGowan, Marcum, Litsch this year, Romero this year, Ryan) Wouldn’t it make sense to protect this young arm?)

The Lineup

The bats have been outstanding since an opening day trashing of the Tigers. They are in the top three in the majors in average (first), on base percentage (T-third) and Slugging percentage (second).

They also lead the league in hits, RBI and total bases. To go with that they have nine come from behind nine times, and already produced four walk off wins.

So far this season the Jays have been pleasantly surprised by veteran Scott Rolen, youngster Adam Lind, second basemen Aaron Hill and catcher Rod Barajas.

Vernon Wells has been serviceable but not spectacular. He continues to produce an unusually high number of double plays 19 percent in 2008 and 18 percent in 2009. (The Major League Average is 10 percent.)

Marco Scutaro started the year on a massive role and has since cooled off. Early in April he was batting around .370, and has seen that tumble to a very Scutaro .267 to end the month.

Alex Rios continues to be the worst number three hitter in all of baseball. In a prime spot in the hottest line up in baseball Rios has been nothing but disappointing. Like clean up hitter Wells, Rios has hit into in an above average number of double plays.

He ended the month of April with exactly one home run. He was also batting a measly .248 with a .366 slugging percentage.

“Rookie Sensation” Travis Snider has not been anything close to sensational. If you listened to Blue Jays fans you’d think they were talking about Duke Snider. Some how a two-bomb effort in the middle of the month has struck a cord with fans.

That night in Minnesota, he hit home runs number two and three of the year and was batting .316 and topped out at .348 the two nights later. By the time Apr. 30 had rolled around an early hot pick for rookie of the year was batting .258.

Since Apr. 16, Snider has one multiple hit game and only eight hits in 39 at-bats (.205).

The real engine thus far for the Jays has been second basemen Aaron Hill in the two-hole. Hill returning from a concussion that knocked him out after only 55 games in 2008 has been on fire.

So far this season Hill leads all major leaguers in hits with 38 through the end of April. A second basemen with a career line of .289/.343/.419, Hill already has 12 extra-base hits, including six home runs to go along with his 38 hits. To start the 2009 season Hill hit .361/.412/.567 and has driven in 20 RBI.

Rob Barajas has been having a career year thus far. A major leaguer since 1999, Barajas bats .244, with 162 game average of .244/.292/.413 with 17 home runs and 68 RBI. So far this season the Ontario, CA native is hitting and astonishing .299/.333/.493 and is on pace to drive in 90 runs this season.

Grade: Even without the heart of the order beating, the Jays sticks have been the hottest in baseball, they’ve earned an A + this month.

The overall grade for Cito Gaston’s squad is an A as they finished the month of April with a 15 – 9 record and a lead in the American League East.

Yankees Ticket Price-Slashing Fallout: PR Is Only an Issue If...

David Allan — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 23:41:31 -0400

Permit me to put on my tin foil hat for a minute. Nothing says conspiracy theorist like tin foil on your head.

Are the New York Yankees brass just like you and me, only richer? Do they make decisions based on the airwave mouth pieces that fill the New York A.M. dial?

I know what you’re thinking, that’s impossible. Is it really? From what I can tell Hank, Hal, Brian, and the rest of the crew up in the Bronx are playing real life fantasy baseball and listening to way too much sports talk radio. (OK, I think what they are doing is way smarter than that, but the fans aren’t looking hard enough.)

My first assertion isn’t completely out of the question. Brian Cashman is clearly getting his scouting report from our friends a CBSSports.com Eric Mack or Scott White.

Here we have a guy that dropped serious cheddar to sign fantasy baseball's No. 4 first basemen, and No. 3 and 12 start pitchers. According to cbssports.com, these are additions to a lineup that already boasted fantasy baseball's No. 3 closer, No. 3 third basemen, No. 4 shortstop, and the No. 7-ranked second basemen in baseball.

Unfortunately for Yankee fans in Fantasyland, there are very few points for relief pitchers that don’t close, so Cashman didn’t bother to worry about his bullpen again this offseason.

Also like most fantasy teams the Yankees are a little thin on the bench. After pressing their top utility man outfielder, first basemen and relief pitcher extraordinaire Nick Swisher into action the Yankees are left with a bench that features Berroa, Gardner and Molina.

Now Yankees fan can say what they want about Cashman’s attempt to recreate a fantasy team in pin stripes. So far it looks like his attempts to do all of his scouting at the All-star have failed to pay dividends and the Yankees are a mere one game over .500 after 21 games.

Who could’ve predicted that?

Now that alone wasn’t enough to convince me that the chaos that was the Yankees front office wasn’t just a collection of stiffs with a penchant for my life but with more bread to spread around.

Then this happened: Yankees announce new ticketing plan. (This is where the Yankees true brilliance shows through, this move goes against every free market principle in their collective Steinbrenner bodies. Follow along.)

What did my eyes and ears deceive me?

Had the loud-mouthed callers and sports talk radio hosts in New York City been loud enough and obnoxious enough to cause the 2009 New York Yankees to bend to their will?

The New York Yankees—as in the team owned by George, the team now guided by Hal “Needless to say my dad is a tough act to follow” and Hank “You tell him to hit the damned ball...and hit it when it counts” Steinbrenner—are now bending to the will of the airwaves.

We are all more than familiar by now with the issue of empty seats in the Legends Suite, and Delta Sky 360 Suite.

In case you're not, the Yankees were struggling to sell about 2,000 seats per game at the new stadium. "So what?" you might say; well, those 2,000 seats happen to be the $2,500 seats located directly behind home plate and therefore directly in the middle of your TV screen as you watch the game.

Now the Yankees just this week have decided to slash those seats by between 35 and 50 percent, depending on the seat. So the $2,500 tickets are now going to retail for $1,250, and the $1,000 seats for $650.

I roast the Yankees for a lot of things; this is not one of them. Lowering tickets to adjust to the market demands makes sense to me. We do it every day in our lives. Baseball tickets being particularly time sensitive, I even give them credit for making this decision in a timely manner.

You know as well as I do, that no matter where you live a ticket price goes something like this. A seat with $50 at the box office, $85 on stub hub, $100 from a scalper 30 minutes before game time, $25 after the first innings and whatever they can get for it by the third. If that isn’t 100 percent accurate, it’s pretty close.

So Hank and Hal good for you. Sitting down and realizing this, realizing you misread the market. Don’t take it personal, it’s not like you’re the only one. Warren Buffet looks confused and he knows more than the rest of us, or so it would seem.

My issue comes with the rebates described in a press release by Hal from the other night.

I know this going to sound weird, but I spent every day for as long as I can remember hearing that sports is a business. Then for as much as we malign that phrase shouldn’t it teach us to be better consumers?

People will see this as a good PR move by the Yankees. You know why the Yankees need a good PR move? It is because after spending $425 million on free agents in the offseason they are 11-10 on the 29th of April.

If the Yankees were 17-4, there wouldn’t be this need to buy a little time, so to speak.

I can’t believe we live in world where the New York Yankees, an organization that says you should be allowed to spend your money however you see fit, is going to reimburse people for paying the market rate on tickets. Maybe they are still waiting on their Carl Pavano check?

I would contend that if I went out and bought a new Lexus the day it hit the lot, there may be 19 different cars there loaded with different options and in different colors. On that day, the cost on that car is $90,000. A year later I return to the same car lot, there are two left, my options are between a green and a blue Lexus. My options are chosen for me. That being said for giving up the options, I’ll probably pay $70,000.

Why do I use this example? I do it because the free market says that 85 percent of Yankee stadium sold at the market price. The remaining 15 percent of people had to take the seats that were left. On the other hand the Yankees had discovered that they must take action to sell the remaining tickets.

So one of two things is going on here, and I am not buying the Yankees have become like a hooker with a heart of gold.

I think the truth lies in the fact that playing fantasy baseball has finally caught up with the Yankees brass and this ticket rebate is like a prematurely balding man buying a Cherry Red Porsche, it takes the attention off the real problem. All it does is serve to distract from the fact that Teixeira is batting .206 and Burnett and Sabathia in nine starts have surrender 32 runs and combined for a 3-2 record.

You know who doesn’t need to manufacture good PR by rebating tickets? Teams that win!

Romero Comes Through Big Time: Blue Jays Weekly Review

David Allan — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 10:59:58 -0400

OK, so the kids have cooled down.

It doesn’t look like Adam Lind is going to bat .400 in 2009.

That being said, the Blue Jays have kept it rolling through the second week of the season. They are headed into an off day leading the American league East with a scorching 10-3 record.

The Jays much to the surprise of many pundits including myself have been getting quality starts from many of the question marks they had to begin with on the mound.

Young Ricky Romero has started strong this season posting two wins, no loses with an ERA of 1.71. In what is becoming a very Romero-like effort, he pitched seven complete shutout innings on Sunday to cap the week. The rookie struck out six and only walked two. That brings his season totals to 14 strikeouts against only four walks in 21 innings.

That was critical as it followed an afternoon game where the bullpen tossed six-and-two-thirds of one-hit scoreless baseball to hold down the fort until Lyle Overbay blasted a two-run walk-off home run in the 12th inning.

The solid starts the Blue Jays have been getting seems to have gone unnoticed throughout most of the start of the year as the focus has been on the offense and it’s ability to score runs in bunches.

During a four game set in Minnesota the Jays offense proved they don’t need to be in their dome to be hot.

From Tuesday to Thursday, the Blue Bird scored more than eight runs three times and combined to score 31 runs in four games. What few people were paying attention to was the fact that the runs against were six, three, two, and two. So other than one rough outing by Jesse Litsch that landed him on the disabled list until late May, the pitching has been stellar.

How long the kids can keep it up for is unclear as Purcey, Richmond, and Romero don’t have any track record to go on. What we do know is that we said the same thing about Marcum, Litsch, and McGowan.

The Blue Jays pitching staff has been severely underrated so far in this young season. Opponents are batting a combined .233 vs. The Starters and the Bullpen. They have an ERA collective of 3.75 and a staff WHIP of .856.

The Blue Jays have been excellent thus far, so why are people not buying into the results?

Two issues have come up but they haven’t really hurt the Blue Jays yet.

Save conversion: The Jays have managed to convert only three of five save opportunities in 2009. BJ Ryan was a concern coming out of spring training. So far he has converted two of three saves, but his ERA is a whopping 7.71 and opponents are batting .389 against the closer in four-and-two-thirds innings work. Also a cause for concern is the fact that Ryan has walked more batters (four) than he has struck out so far (three).

The Blue Jays keep towing the company line with Cito Gaston repeatedly saying that Ryan was his guy and that his closers job is safe. If the Blue Jays keep handing the closer leads of five runs every couple days just to get him work that may be the case. That being said, Ryan hasn’t looked the same since he tried to convince everyone nothing was wrong after blowing back to back saves to the Yankees last July.

The other issues are the lack of production out of Alex Rios in the No. 3 hole. Rios is batting a scary .207 with a .277 OBP. In 58 at-bats, Rios has generated only four extra base hits, and 12 hits overall. He has managed only six RBI, and some would argue that the hot stick of Aaron Hill has artificially lowered this number, but I would look back at Rios for the answers. He’s also struck out 14 times in 14 games and walked only six times. That makes no mention of the ball he flat out dropped yesterday and the one that hit him in the glove in Minnesota.

The Jays have definitely been the class of the American League thus far. They have had some tremendous performances out their young players. The only question marks so far have been Rios and Ryan but so far so good because the Jays are sitting on the top of the AL East.

Ten Years Ago, We Lost a Great One

David Allan — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 11:19:18 -0400

In Golf, Jack walked away from the game and now Tiger is rewriting the record books.

In the NBA, Jordan finally hung up his kicks for the final time, and we have Kobe and LeBron to take of the mantle.

In the NFL, great players like Favre and Marino are replaced by Brady and Manning.

In baseball, the lineage is Ruth, Mantle, Mays, Bonds and now we watch Pujols and A-Rod.

But hockey has been predicting the next great player to come along, and we have some special talents in the game: Ovechkin, Malkin, and Crosby. We’ve had Spezza and Lindros were both labeled for greatness at a young age.

But 10 years ago today, The Great One skated off an NHL rink for the last time.

Today on the anniversary of his departure from the game the rinks in Edmonton and Los Angeles sit dark, as a result of missing the playoffs.

St. Louis is making their first playoff appearance since 2005 and the Rangers currently hold a 1–0 series lead over the Ovechkin-led Capitals.

Nothing about Gretzky was overwhelming physically, as an 18-year-old, he entered the league at 6 feet and 160 pounds. He wasn’t the obvious physical presence of a 6-foot-4 and 240-pound Eric Lindros.

In 1978, Nelson Skalbania signed Wayne to a personal service contract. The contract ran three years for a total of $1.75 million. Gretzky lasted all of eight games in Indianapolis, recording three goals and three assists.

He was then sold to Peter Pocklington of the Edmonton Oilers for $700,000 (although Pocklington reported the figure at $850,000). The Racers, with their debt piling up, survived another 17 games before folding.

As a rookie, Wayne would finish the 1978-79 season playing 80 games and collecting 46 goals and 110 points. He then managed another 10 goals and 10 assists in 13 playoff games that year.

The following year, the Oilers, with Gretzky now signed to a 10-year, $3 million personal service contract would enter the NHL, and Gretzky although not eligible for the Calder Trophy would announce his presence by potting 51 goals and 86 assists in his first 79 NHL games.

He would collect 50 or more goals each in nine of next 10 years, including his record-setting 92 in 1981-82.

To put that in perspective, the most dynamic goal scorer we have seen since is Alexander Ovechkin has scored 50 goals three times in his first four years and topped out, lighting the lamp 65 times in an 82 game schedule.

Oh, yeah, and Gretzky, we were told, wasn’t a goal scorer.

To further show how far ahead of the curve Gretzky is, we can compare his first four years to that of Sidney Crosby, a player many felt would be the next to carry the mantle of greatness.

In his first four seasons, Crosby has assist totals of 63, 84, 48 (in 53 games) and 70. In the same four-year span, Wayne’s numbers are staggering, posting 86, 109, 120 and 125.

If you combine Ovechkin and Crosby’s best seasons (for Ovechkin 2007-08, Crosby 2006-07) to date in the NHL you come up with 232 points, 101 goals, and 131 assists.

Gretzky scored over 200 points on four occasions. In 1981-82 alone, the Great One posted 92 goals and 120 assists for 212 points.

So we are clear, to put this in perspective, combining the best year of two players we have debated are the best in the game, and they managed to out score Wayne’s single season by nine goals and 11 assists.

Twice in a single season, Wayne would top that 131-assist total (135 in 1984-85 and 163 in 1985-86).

None of this takes into account Wayne’s ability to be the greatest ambassador the game had ever seen.

Back injuries began to hinder and limited Wayne in 1992-93. He only mustered 100-point season two more times in his career.

Even with his health failing and his game in decline, from 1992-93 to 1998-99 Wayne played in 486 games or 69 games per season, and managed 594 points, or 1.22 points per game.

Then on April 18, 1999, the Great One exited from the game as a player. Madison Square Garden roared as Wayne circled the ice several times bathed in the spotlight.

Not a person left the building; his teammates as well as the overtime-victorious Penguins remained on the ice to watch as Gretzky politely waved goodbye the game.

Ten years ago today, Wayne Gretzky stepped off the ice, and as hockey fans, we are still awaiting the Next One.

Until then, thanks for the memories Wayne, you truly are The Great One.

Not a Moment Too Soon: John Madden Steps Out of the Broadcast Booth

David Allan — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 11:34:11 -0400

It’s finally over, and it couldn’t come a moment too soon for this sports fan.

After 30 years in the booth, there will be fewer "Boom!" moments. Gone are also the descriptions that sound like this, "You’ve got one big guy, and another big guy, so ultimately what you’ve got here is two big guys."

In breaking news, John Madden released a statement saying that the Hall of Fame coach will not be in the booth for NBC Sports with Al Michaels going forward.

Madden, the voice of football for many over the last 30 years, pointed to his age and desire to be home with his wife, two sons and five grandchildren.

In a statement released by the network Madden said, "It’s time. I am 73 years old."

Madden is probably just as visible to a younger generation for being on the title of EA Sports' yearly football game, and in recent years, the game had clearly passed by the former Raiders head coach and became Madden's most notable accomplishment.

Madden has been honored with 16 Emmys, easily making him the most decorated NFL announcer on television.

But in recent memory, I can’t recall an insightful comment or interesting tidbit of knowledge being referenced by Madden on a telecast. I can’t recall ever feeling like he could provide the type of in-depth analysis that improved the game as you were watching it.

As an NFL head coach, Madden was 103-32-7, and he led the Raiders to seven AFC West titles and a victory over the Minnesota Vikings in Superbowl XI. Madden was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame at age 70.

Based on his dominance of an era, the accolades are well deserved.

That being said, as an analyst, the game had long since evolved to a point where Madden could no longer recognize it.

Every week it became clearer that his only reason to break down tape was to figure out which offensive lineman would sweat most violently through his trousers. Madden would then make sure to make use of a tele-strator to circle the sweat line in case you hadn’t noticed it on your own.

Many people were more than happy to listen to John drone on and on about the size of offensive linemen and chuckle hardily at a folly, fumble or big hit.

Possibly as famous for his Man-Crush on the gun slinging QB from Kiln, Mississippi (aka Brett Favre) in recent years as anything, it is more than time for the jolly Analyst to step away from the game.

Madden probably started to think long and hard about his options when he realized that, with Favre legitimately retiring this time, he’d have little to nothing to add to a broadcast.

Heaven forbid he should describe the play on that field, rather than what the play might have looked like if Favre had been playing quarterback, defensive tackle, tight end and safety on the play.

I am sure, in Madden’s eyes, this scenario would have been infinitely better.

I am also sure there will be a ton of articles today singing the praises of the most recognized voice in football. I, for one, won’t miss the mind-numbing obviousness with which John has resorted to when describing things even the causal fan like myself could clearly see.

Hopefully this signals a new beginning for the NFL in the booth, and a situation when analysis is about the information and not the personalities. Although, by staring into the Monday night football booth and seeing Tony Kornheiser...I doubt it.

So John, I wish you the best of luck in your retirement. Hopefully now I can get back actually enjoying a football game without listening to the equivalent of my grandpa laugh about the good old days and how fat offensive linemen had gotten.

I just hope it's like when Madden walked away from coaching, and this is for good.

Quotes courtesy of NBCSports.msnbc.com

What Would Jackie Think of the Guys Currently Manning Two Bag?

David Allan — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 01:00:22 -0400

Every generation likes to believe that it is better than the one that came before it. Some would like to argue that in today’s game Willie Mays would be an average center fielder. Some would say that Babe Ruth who looked like a giant in his day would be nothing more than a bench player.

On Apr. 15 every year we celebrate the contributions of one of the legends of baseball. A contribution infinitely larger than a home run record, a contribution immeasurably bigger than a stolen base or base hit could ever be.

Jackie Robinson was that special individual that was not only physically gifted enough, but mentally tough enough to be the first African American to step over the color barrier and onto a Major League field.

He paved the way for generations of minorities on that day, Apr. 25, 1947. Not only that he paved way for all of us to just play ball. He allowed us to step forward out of the shadow of black and white and into world of color, where talent is the currency of the times.

He went on to win the MLB Rookie of the Year that year, become a six time All-star; he won the 1949 NL MVP and a 1955 World Series Champion. On this day when we celebrate a legend of the game, an iconic human being, let’s look at what the young men that now pivot the double play in the majors.

To look at those who he paved the way for regardless of whether they are black, white, japanese, jewish or christian.

We now deal in a world that is not perfect but ability trumps race, and the skills of the modern day second basemen are second to none.

Let’s start with the reigning AL MVP Dustin Pedroia. The Red Sox spark plug from Woodlands, California has managed to take the American League by storm. In two years in the big league Pedroia has managed a Rookie of the Year, Gold Glove, a Silver Slugger, an All-star Selection, a World Series win and an American League MVP trophy.

What Pedroia has managed in two season sounds like enough accolades for to describe a solid MLB career in most cases.

To go with all the hardware Pedroia boasts 398 hits, 99 doubles, three triples, 28 home runs, 140 RBI and 28 stolen bases. His career offensive line is .311/.368/.458.

In his MVP season, he batted .326 with 216 hits, 118 runs scored, 54 doubles and 20 stolen bases.

In 1949 Jackie batted .342 with 203 hits, 122 runs scored, 37 doubles and 37 stolen bases.

To follow the theme of great young second basemen in New York City, the Yankees have been cultivating a young superstar of their own. Robinson Cano wears 24 in the Bronx. The second-generation superstar was named after the baseball Legend and Cultural Icon.

So far, Cano has done the name proud 682 hits in his young career, he finished second in the 2005 voting and in 2006 won his first of looks to be several silver sluggers.

Then there is Aaron Hill, after back-to-back years of batting .291 he was side lined for most of 2008 with post concussion syndrome. But before that he smashed 17 homeruns, 47 doubles and produced a line of .291/.333/.495 in 657 at bats in 2007.

In Baltimore, the crafty veteran of the AL East at two bag is Brian Roberts. In 2004 Roberts announced his presence as a premier lead off man with 50 doubles and posting to that point career high .344 OBP. At 31 Roberts has now stolen 229 bases in 288 tries, while twice knocking out 50 plus doubles in a season.

This week we have seen two second basemen hit for the cycle. The first being the O-dog, quite possible the best defensive second basemen since Roberto Alomar. Hudson has been called “the best team mate I ever had.” By perennial Cy Young award contender Roy Halladay.

After the O-dog was let off the chain Ian Kinsler at 27 years old became the fourth Texas Ranger to hit for the cycle. He did it as part of a six for six effort where he managed two singles, two doubles, a triple and a home run. Kinsler also stole a base drove in four and scored five runs out of the lead off spot for the Rangers while wearing Robinson’s 42 on his special day.

Chase Utley is the kind of nose to the grind, no complaining no questions asked, put in the work athlete that every fan would be proud to call his own. Utley has cashed in on 20 plus home runs and more than 100 RBI each of the last four seasons. Chase is a three time Silver Slugger that has received MVP consideration in each of the last four years.

Take all of that talent and add in Dan Uggla, Howie Kendrick and Akinori Iwamura and you realize that the second base position is as deep as it has ever been.

He was never just a ball player, but I bet you he'd love to watch these guys patrol his spot. It is become he wasn't just a ball player that people like Orlando Hudson get to be.

I wonder Jackie would say if he could see the position played like this?

Cause I know what we would say to him if he were still alive at the age of 90. We’d simply say “Thank you Mr. Robinson.”

Good, Bad and Ugly: Blue Jays Weekly Review

David Allan — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 11:54:50 -0400

Oh Canada! The Jays come out of the gate flying.

With a country that is now focusing on a playoff run that includes three of the six Canadian squads trying to end Canada’s 16 years playoff drought, the Blue Jays are soaring, taking their first two series of the 2009 season.

Unfortunately nobody seems to be noticing. The Jays fans were their normal loud and loyal selves on opening night. Unfortunately a few bad apples decided that with the bases loaded and a seven run lead in the eighth on opening night to participate on a level of stupidity that caused the MLB to threaten forfeit. That was the Ugly. Even more predictable was the dramatic drop off in attendance over the next couple of days.

The Good:

The kids started off scorching hot and were looking to prove that the 12 spot they dropped on the Tigers on opening night was more indicative of the potential offense that they have. With 46 runs score in the first week and twice knocking out double digits, Cito and Gene Tenace seem to have the boys in blue swinging hot sticks right out of the gate.

Adam Lind: Has been on a tare to open his second full big league campaign. He’s managed 12 hits, five for extra bases in just seven games. He’s also shown a knack for the five spot driving in team high 12 runs.

Aaron Hill: Returning from post-concussion syndrome that kept him out of a large chunk of 2008, Hill looks to be back on track to be the player he was becoming, by batting .300 with three doubles and two long balls. Not to mention he has already knocked in eight RBI from the two spot. Not a prototype two-spot hitter, Hill generates a lot of excitement with his ability to generate runs.

Vernon Wells: Looking to the guy they gave all that money to, Wells has started the year batting .321 and has also knocked around three doubles and a home run in his first seven games.

The Bad:

Alex Rios: Although Rios seems to have learned the value of a walk with five in his first seven games, he hasn’t exactly been on fire in the three spot. The Jays have scored a league high 42 runs and Rios has driven in six. Combine that with Vernon Wells and you have nine RBI out of the three and four spot. Luckily Hill and Lind has book ended them with 20 out of the two and five spot.

The Pitching: Everyone is enamored with the offense, but people shouldn’t turn a blind eye to the false promise that is this Blue Jays pitching staff. The Jays rank 17^thin the majors in ERA. In the American League alone, the Jays rate in the top three in average, runs, slg, OBP and OPS. On the reverse of the 14 teams in the AL they are ninth in WHIP, ERA and tenth in OPS.

The Ugly:

I’ve discussed my disappointment in the opening day crowd already with their behavior. Lets talk about the fact that on the night the Blue Jays were attempting to take their third straight from the Tigers to start the season and drew 12,145 or 24 percent of capacity. Cito Gaston showed measurable improvement in this teams offense last season and opening day did nothing to dispel that. But 24 percent capacity by the third game of the season is nothing short of embarrassing.

After one week the Jays are mashing and their pitching is right on track with what we might have thought. The glut of runs has allowed them to get into the pen with a lead. Camp, Carlson, Downs, and Fraser have held down the late innings. The Jays have gotten one quality start out of rookie Rickey Romero and Roy Halladay is 2-0, but Litsch, Purcey, and Richmond have been the weak link accounting for the team’s two losses. In four starts and 21 innings the trio has surrendered 14 earned runs.

So what do we know?:

Are the Jays for real? Well as long as their two, four and five hitters keep up this pace they should be fine, even with this below average pitching. Unfortunately for them I just don’t seem Adam Lind being the first guy in 68 years to crack .400, and knocking out approximately 70 bombs.

Are the Jays better than most thought, it sure looks that way, but their team ERA and WHIP are cause to be concerned that what we have seen so far can not be maintained.

The Black Knight: A "Player" Unlike Any Other

David Allan — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 17:58:13 -0400

There is no doubt that Tiger Woods continues on his trek up the golf mountain. He has Nicklaus and his once thought untouchable 18 Majors squarely in his sights.

On his way to that dominance his skills have been proven to exceed that of each and every one of his peers. But more often it’s not Tiger’s skill that we marvel at. For as often as I hear anyone talk about an aspect of his game, I also hear someone bring up his fitness regiment.

It’s Master’s Thursday and I hear the experts once again taking Tiger against the field.

Although I don’t take issue with any of that, there is something I’d rather talk about. In the late 1950s through the early 1980s we went through a golden age in golf.

I want to talk about the PGA’s original fitness junkie.

You know the list.

Nicklaus.

Palmer

Trevino

Floyd

Norman

Ballasteros

Watson

Miller

Irwin

If greatness is judged in Majors these nine players account for 55 titles between them, all of them multiple Major winners.

Over the past several years we have seen several of these Legends take their final stroll up Holly and exit stage right. In 2005 it was The Bear, in 2004 The King putted out for the final time; due to health issues 2007 was probably the last time we’ll see Severiano Ballesteros depart to sign a scorecard.

This year a man that quietly went about his business differently than those that came before him adds his name to the list of departed former champions. After 52 Masters Appearance, 73 year old Gary Player will take a final walk up the 18th at Augusta National.

Although Player’s impact is seen in the rise of his fellow country men, The Iron Goose and the Big Easy, his measure of influence runs much deeper.

Although I am sure he’ll receive the appropriate roar, I am just as sure that the Black Knight will depart down Magnolia Lane for the last time as a competitor leaving a generation of golfers with little or no understanding of how great he truly was. How much of the game as they understand was created by following his lead.

Player has quietly amassed a resume that even upon first glance would make all but a few professionals blush with jealousy.

The South African made his professional debut 1953 and joined the PGA Tour in 1957. Along with Nicklaus and Palmer he sometimes included in the group that brought professional golf to the masses via television in the 1960’s and 1970’s.

Although Player is now 73 and continues to be a great ambassador to the game I am not sure people realize that he was the Tiger Woods of his era. Player’s work out routine defied the logic of his time.

When Player at the age of 26 he won his first Masters, and second Major Championship they said he’s never last.

Then seventeen years later he put the finish touches on Master’s number three, and Major number 9. So there went that theory.

The Black Knight, one of the games true gentlemen and every bit the quiet contemporary of the giants of the sport has won 163 (ranking him third all time behind Roberto de Vicenzo (230 –best can tell) and Sam Snead (165)) events over the course of his prestigious career.

Lets put that in perspective shall we, I know it was a different world and do I by no means look to belittle others. But Tigers Woods has won 90 times in his career. I am not making the argument that Player is better than Tiger Woods simply showing you how good Player was.

In fact Jack Nicklaus who competed in Player’s era and until Tiger was clearly regarded as the greatest of all time has 113 professional wins.

Now clearly the 18 Majors are what distinguish Jack. But Player to his credit trails only the Legends of the game named Nicklaus, Woods, and Hagan when it comes to Majors.

The South African has put his name on the board with nine to equal the Great Ben Hogan. He has more of the most coveted trophies in golf than Watson, Palmer, Miller, Nelson, Trevino, Snead and Jones.

If you look at today’s game, his finger prints are all over it. The best players in the world have followed suit in training their bodies as well as their swings. No longer do golfers that resemble Craig Stadler take home weekly checks for first place.

Even his dress has been copied and mimicked. The tight fitting shirts of today’s PGA stars all got their start on the back of the South African dressed in black. What was once seen as exotic flare, is now common place. Even if you’ve never seen Gary Player on the golf course his effect on the game is right before your eyes.

This week he tips it up for his 52 and final time at Augusta National. Even Gary has said he’d like to live to 100, but let’s make sure we give him the respect he deserves, during “A tradition unlike any other,” let’s celebrate an individual that paved his own way and defied convention as well, he was undoubtedly “a Player unlike any other.”

MLB 2009 Breakout Team

David Allan — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 10:13:54 -0400

Last Year Joey Votto knocked out 24 bombs in the Canadians MLB coming out party. Hanley Ramirez continued to improve on his 2007 out coming out party. So who will it be in '08? Who's the one guy at each position you're going to wish your team had? Before we get started - Honorable Mention goes out to Cameron Maybin as being the last cut on this years squad. Maybe next year Cameron....actually I'd bet on it.

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Blue Jays-Tigers: The Kids Are Alright!

David Allan — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 09:28:02 -0400

Like a good heavyweight fight, last night, the Toronto Blue Jays came out swinging.

By the end of the first round they had battered and smashed their way to a 4–0 lead. No sooner had the sportsnet commentator let slip that Justin Verlander led the majors in 2008 with 17 losses and the Jays were on the board with a two out rally.

Curtis Granderson showed that the visitors were still had some fight left in them when he drilled a Roy Halladay offering into the second deck in right field. Unfortunately for the Tiger the Blue Jays answered in a big way in the bottom of the fourth, making it 9-1 for the home side.

When it was all said and done, the Jays posted 12 runs on 15 hits, both totals one shy of an opening day record.

The offense was potent as the young sticks of Adam Lind and rookie Travis Snider managed to go a combined 6-for-9 with three runs scored, a double, two home runs, and seven of the twelve runs batted in.

Unfortunately it seems that the drinks were as strong as the bats. It’s too bad the only balls flying past Tiger’s left fielder Josh Anderson weren’t off the bats of Blue Jays. It’s seems that a couple of fans had to ruin the party for everyone causing a 10-minute delay when Jim Leyland for the safety of his team pulled them off the field.

Anderson who along with Curtis Granderson was the Tiger most affected by the incident was quoted as saying, “"If it hits you in the head, it could do some damage. After the second one I said, 'That's enough."

It was clear of Leyland’s intention to protect his players when he approached the home plate umpire after the first incident.

Leyland was very calm while trying to put the incident behind them after the game when he said the incident was, “no big deal.”

He later went on to describe the opening day crowd with a charm that only an old veteran like Leyland could muster in trying to defuse the situation but keep it in perspective he said, “"There were thousands of great fans here tonight," Leyland continued.

"Ice-cold Labatts and a big win for the Blue Jays—they were having a great time. But you can't endanger any players, whether they're you're players or someone else's. You just can't do it."

Cito Gaston seemed to be even more disappointed by the fan he has managed in front of on two separate occasions now. Cito was quoted as saying, “I've never seen that here before," Gaston lamented. "I apologize to those Detroit players, a couple of those balls came really close to hitting those kids out there."

Doc making his seventh opening day start described the fan experience and crowds that are drawn on opening day as a “different animal.”

"You get a lot of people and a lot of excitement and I'm sure a little bit of beer in there and you never know," Halladay said.

Even with the late inning distractions Alex Rios managed to seal the game with a running stab on a hard hit ball in the Bottom of the ninth.

Halladay looked sharp through six innings giving up only the home run to Granderson. He then struggled through the seventh innings giving up four runs including a two run home run to Brandon Inge.

After seven complete with a 9-5 lead Halladay remained in the dugout as the bullpen was called on to start the eighth. The same 'pen that was among the best in baseball in 2008. The Jays' 'pen shut the door, four relievers combined to get six outs. Only Brandon League allowed a base runner, allowing two hits.

Although, it’s not expected that the Jays will put up a 12 spot very often this year, it’s clear that Travis Snider and Adam Lind have given notice that they fully intend to build on the momentum that they gathered in the second half of 2008 and spring training 2009.

Toronto’s 15 hits, eight of them for extra bases signals a tough start to the season for Verlander and the Tigers who were hoping he would recapture his 2006 and 2007 form after a tough 2008.

"I'm always somebody who's going to try to take away positives," Verlander said. "I know tonight that I had good stuff and made pitches that I wanted for the most part. Just, some things got compounded and it ended up not looking very good."

A number of times Verlander looked to be in control and then made a critical mistake. It also looked like he might still be getting used to how Gerald Laird calls a game.

The Jays hit a number of two strike pitches very hard including a two-strike change up to Rios that went for a double, and a 1–2 fastball that Adam Lind turned into a pair of RBI.

With two outs in the bottom of the first the Blue came off the stool swinging, and I’ll tell you kids look alright.

**The Blue Jays are 17–16 all time on opening day.

Thanks to cbssports.com wire for the quotes.