The Bullpen: Gose embraces second chance after tough start

 

From May 21:

It was an interesting roster move made by the Blue Jays on Monday in time for the Victoria Day game against the Rays, promoting struggling centre-fielder Anthony Gose as an extra bench player to fill in late innings defensively for the hobbled Melky Cabrera in left field and, perhaps, as a pinch-running threat off the bench. Interesting because even Gose himself was shocked at the move.

Suspicions are that the Gose move may be short-lived, with Rajai Davis soon ready to return from the disabled list. However, the stint, no matter how brief, was not a bad thing for the 22-year-old speedster in terms of clearing his head of hitting woes at Triple-A Buffalo, reuniting him briefly with hitting coach Chad Mottola who was with him at Triple-A Las Vegas in 2012 and spring training this year.

“It’s like a fresh start,” Gose said. “You wake up and it’s like a new scenery, everything’s new, you-start-from-scratch type deal. It’s one of those things that kind of erases everything, start fresh, deep breath, let’s go. That’s over, it’s done, let’s move on, we’re here, let’s play and be ready to go.”

At the end of the Jays’ season last year, Gose, following a dramatic September improvement at the major-league level, must have, deep in his heart, considered that he had an opportunity in 2013 to take the next step and play in the majors. Then the Jays went out and signed Melky Cabrera to a two-year deal and with Davis already on board as the fourth outfielder and with the versatility of Emilio Bonifacio, that door quickly slammed in the face of the confident California native.

The body blows continued. On Day 1 of camp, the GM Alex Anthopoulos and manager John Gibbons told Gose emphatically that he would be Buffalo bound, barring injuries. After the Jays obtained Gose from the Astros in July of ’09, they suggested publicly that he needed probably another 1,500 plate appearances before he was truly prepared to play in the major leagues. Gose is close to that total, sitting on 1,362 minor-league PAs in the Jays’ system. He’s very close, but Anthopoulos has emphasized all along that when he finally arrives, it’s not to sit on the bench. He will play. This is not that time. Gose needs to understand, but it’s tough for someone that has not suffered failure very often.

“I knew this year because of everything that had taken place, that there wasn’t a spot for me, I didn’t do enough last year,” Gose admitted. “I wasn’t just going to double-jump Triple-A (in 2012). I was going to go there. When I left (last) season, I thought I probably had a chance to compete, then obviously things happened. There was not a spot. I obviously didn’t do enough.”

It was a good thing on a personal basis on Monday for Gose to not only get in the game defensively, with a four-run lead in the eighth, but also to draw his first at-bat as the inning stayed alive with a Mune Kawasaki triple. Even a short fly ball to left field by Gose did not curb his enthusiasm.

“I think that setting in there today, getting that at-bat it was like Opening Day again for me,” Gose said. “Somewhere new, like a fresh start. It was really good for me. It was like something different, something new, let’s pick it back up and let’s go. We’ve got good crowds in Buffalo, but obviously everybody knows there’s nothing like being in the big leagues.”

If this indeed turns into a short term move for Gose, which is likely, it may pay off for him and the organization simply in being able to press that reset button to a staggering season.

THE WEEK THAT WAS

From the Giants to the Rays: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. After crushing the World Series champion Giants in consecutive interleague games on Tuesday and Wednesday, the Jays travelled on another off-day Thursday to New York, where they looked weak and ineffectual in losing a pair to their betes pinstripe the Yankees, with Hiroki Kuroda and David Phelps doing the job.

Luckily for the Jays, Sunday’s series finale was rained out and will be re-scheduled later in the summer. That may not actually seem like a break for the Jays since the Yankees will likely have many of their walking wounded back by that time, but who cares. The Jays have not been able to handle the Yankee fill-ins, being crushed on a daily basis by Vernon Wells, Lyle Overbay, Jayson Nix and others that even the ghosts of Monument Park are checking their programs to identify. The Jays then bounced back and won on Victoria Day to give them a winning long week record of 3-2 and some hope.

The two off-days and the rainout in the space of seven days has also allowed the Jays to regroup in terms of the starting rotation. They now have options for the rest of the week rather than bringing in the best of an unprepared lot to fill in starting roles after the injuries to Josh Johnson and J.A. Happ.

In fact, the 29-year-old Johnson finally got back on the mound on Monday at Single-A Dunedin, pitching three innings vs. St. Lucie, allowing one run on three hits with no walks and five strikeouts. The rainout meant that the Jays did not have to pitch Ramon Ortiz and Chad Jenkins back-to-back on Monday and Tuesday, going instead with R.A. Dickey and Ortiz, who has been a pleasant surprise.

That means the rotation spots that need to be filled are this Friday vs. the O’s and on May 29 at Atlanta in inter-league play. Friday’s viable options at the Rogers Centre are Jenkins, who has now not pitched since May 12 at Boston, a surprisingly effective five innings with just one 2013 minor-league start under his belt and 23-year-old left-hander Sean Nolin, who was on AA’s end-of-spring Top 10 list of Jays’ starting options until he was injured and set back. He’s ready to go now, making two straight six-inning shutout starts at Double-A New Hampshire. The O’s are susceptible to left-handers.

If Johnson makes one more minor-league start, maybe even on his fourth day after Monday’s debut, this Friday, then he could be ready to go vs. the Braves, an opponent and a venue with which he is familiar. Plus he is used to swinging the bat unlike most AL pitchers. With Ortiz being a pleasant surprise, that would help the Jays tremendously as they strive to put together a significant win streak.

By the way, check out this quirky feature from SI.com on Minenori Kawasaki.

THE ESSAY

Affeldt shines spotlight on others: There was a moment in Jeremy Affeldt’s childhood travels as a military brat that would help explain his ongoing passion for battling the blight that is human trafficking.

His military father was stationed in Guam and the Affeldt family was on vacation in Thailand. Jeremy was walking with the innocent curiosity of a tourist, a child, through the streets when a stranger tried to jostle him through an open doorway in one of the city’s sex-trade entertainment districts. His father quickly intervened, potentially saving him from being kidnapped and being sold to slavery.

When Affeldt signed with the Giants as a free agent in 2009, his concern for others turned towards the worldwide fight against human trafficking. That childhood memory stayed with him.

“At the time you didn’t know it, so it wasn’t like I had that memory oh, I almost got abducted, so I had this passion for (fighting) human trafficking,” Affeldt said prior to a Giants game vs. the Jays at the Rogers Centre. “For me it was just when I started doing a lot of poverty stuff in Kansas City and I started doing some stuff with hunger initiatives, then I got into some more things with another organization.”

Affeldt, 33, one of the most effective left-handed relievers in baseball, with two World Series rings to show for a 12-year MLB career, has written a book about his causes and about his life. The title of the book is To Stir A Movement: Life, Justice, and Major League Baseball. As much as being Affeldt’s autobiography, it is the story of his evolution from unaware ballplayer to activist.

“I was just like everybody else,” Affeldt recalled of the light switch being flipped. “It was ‘Wait a minute, there’s slavery? I thought that ended in the Civil War,’ type stuff. You start seeing more and more of it, everywhere we went we’d do food initiatives or well-digging. In any of the poverty areas, we would always see trafficking, even in the United States, there’d be trafficking issues.”

Affeldt began efforts with his own charity in Kansas City and then reached out to other organizations that sparked his compassion. Through his own youth ministry, Generation Alive, the strong, non-judgmental Christian now also works with Not For Sale, an organization dedicated to fighting human trafficking. Affeldt helps the hungry, thirsty and disadvantaged by partnering with groups such as Something to Eat, the Global Orphan Project, Living Water International and One World Futbol.

“We do some hunger stuff, we do well digging, we do orphanage building and as I started putting in wells, in places like Africa and some poverty-troubled countries you could see and when you read about it there’s always trafficking issues in those areas. I didn’t really understand.

“In the U.S., it’s a money deal. There’s a lot of money in it. You go to anywhere where there’s big ports, New York or Miami, Atlanta there’s a huge international airport that gets overseas in a hurry, you can move these women in and out on the black market.”

So the question becomes how can outside groups make a difference with human trafficking when the organizers seem to have all the angles of invisibility figured out?

“Smart advocacy for us,” Affeldt explained. “We don’t want to be in guns a-blazin’. You’re messing with Mafia stuff here, so they’re going to shoot back. There are groups that do it very well. Access Road does it very well. You go in and rescue. We rescue but we try to provide opportunities.

“There’s a woman we met who’s rescuing children at a trafficking centre in Thailand by going into the karaoke bars, running in after the kids were let out and the men would fondle them. She’d run in grab the kids and go out the back door. She’d hide them in the jungle. ‘Let’s do a better job.’ So we built her a village, a home and we gave her a library, a basketball court, she can house about 250 kids. We provide them with opportunities at schooling, food. Kids can come and live there, get out of it.”

Certainly today’s modern athletes can, and often do, improve their sports skills with age and experience, but is it any coincidence that Affeldt’s own career, his personal statistics, his satisfaction with his life, all improved after he threw himself heart and soul into helping to improve the human condition, using his platform as a high-profile professional athlete? He knows there is a connection.

“I finally understood my success, or the reason that I did what I did,” Affeldt said. “If I was just being a baseball player, then that’s a really shallow thing for me. I got really bored in the sense that, okay, I fail I hate it, but it’s a game based on failure.

“You always have a hard time failing, but when you succeed it’s almost like, uhh, for what? You can succeed and be glad you do your job, but then you come off (the field) and it’s like, I don’t understand what I’m succeeding for. When I found I could use my platform of baseball with other initiatives like hunger or well-digging or human trafficking, all of a sudden, my reason to succeed had purpose. If I could help in some way, shape or form, that gave me a reason to go out and play.”

In terms of real-life issues, baseball is just a game with no tangible contributions to society at the end of the day, so Affeldt before his personal epiphany, found himself at a crossroads in K.C. playing on bad teams. Like a good method actor, he kept asking what should be his motivation.

“In Kansas City when you lose 100 games a year, you have no idea why you’re out there and if I didn’t have any thought of doing anything with my career except going to the ballpark every day and getting my butt kicked, you’re not really going to succeed a whole lot.

“When I got traded and I got put on a better team, I started finding reasons to enjoy the game of baseball. My success went up because it was like I had a purpose. Now I understand what I’m doing. Now I’m dedicated to being the best for a reason, not just to say I was a good baseball player, because if that’s all I’m known for, that’s not going to happen.

“If all my kids know me for is as a baseball player, that’s a shallow life for my sons and I can’t allow that to happen. I know a lot of good players and if you retire, five minutes after you retire, they don’t know who you are, so what was the purpose of being out there 10-15 years.”

His three sons were a constant joy for Affeldt throughout our conversation. His legacy of being a difference maker off the field drives him more than winning another Series.

“I took my oldest son, my 5 1/2 year-old; he came with me to one of our food initiatives and helped package meals and I told him why we were doing it,” Affeldt recalled. “He sat with me the other day and said, ‘Dad, I think we need to go feed more people who don’t have food. I like doing that.’

“I take him to these things but I don’t shove it down his throat. Then out of the blue he said that and I said, ‘Oh we will son, we will.’ I’m just trying to get my sons to understand that whatever you’re gifted at, your success is not going to be necessarily in becoming the most successful or wealthiest this or best that. If you think only about yourself, you’ll be a very lonely person.”

For Affeldt, his success on the field now means more opportunities to make a difference, a bigger platform to present his charitable causes to the rest of the world.

“When I succeed out there, the more I succeed out there the bigger the platform is to do what I do off the field,” Affeldt said. “The doors to me now that are open, because of the resume that I’ve been thankfully able to put together. That’s what I enjoy the most.

“I love it out here, don’t get me wrong, but being able to help out and to speak out . . . I mean I’ve been on the same platform as the Duchess of York. I’ve been on the same platform as some of the key iconic spiritual leaders in the U.S. — Francis Chan, (John) Ortberg. I’ve been able to stand with these guys and be able to speak on some of these issues because of the platform that I have.

“That’s why I want to succeed. I want my kids to be able to say, my dad didn’t just play major-league baseball. My dad played major-league baseball, but he used baseball to help people in need and that’s a ‘Love your neighbour as yourself,’ scenario.”

Affeldt has become a man for all reasons.

DOWN ON THE FARM

The Jays made some significant pitching roster moves this past week at the upper levels, promoting some and sending others who are struggling down to levels they are more likely to handle.

Fresh pitching blood at Triple-A Buffalo in the past two weeks include RHP Dustin McGowan, on injury rehab option, RHP John Stilson, a third rounder from the 2011 draft who had been invited to Jays camp, RHP Michael Schwimmer, reinstated from the DL who has MLB experience with the Phillies, and RHP Jeremy Jeffress, promoted from Dunedin to bolster the Bisons’ pen.

At Double-A New Hampshire, the key additions to the rotation were LHP Sean Nolin and RHP Marcus Stroman, with bullpen additions, RHP Dustin Antolin and RHP Scott Gracey. Also sent down to A-Dunedin from the Fisher Cats was starter RHP Austin Bibens-Dirkx.

Once again, we realize that McGowan is battling the odds, attempting an unlikely and courageous comeback to the major leagues at the age of 31. He’s been there many times before and continues to persevere. The former No. 1 pick for the Jays in 2000, has managed just 66 1/3 total innings in four-plus seasons since July 8, 2006 including 21 innings with the Jays in Sept. 2011. The list of surgeries include shoulder (twice), knee and a Tommy John surgery long ago.

Stroman returns with a bang: Dynamic 22-year-old right-hander Marcus Stroman finally ended his 50-game suspension for taking a banned stimulant under the minor-league drug program. On the exact day he became eligible, Sunday, May 19, Stroman made the start for the Fisher Cats at New Britain, pitching five shutout innings, allowing four hits, with a walk and six strikeouts. Stroman made sure that New Britain knew he was back after his 50 games off, drilling their leadoff hitter to open the game before striking out the next two batters and retiring the side in order.

“He’s a starter right now,” Jays’ assistant GM Andrew Tinnish told MLB.com. “He’s shown the ability to throw four pitches. I think there’s a lot of quality on all four of them. His changeup is something that’s developed in the last year. He’s not a tall guy, as we all know, but he’s athletic, and he has a quick arm. When he commands his fastball, which he’s been doing, and keeps it down in the zone, it makes his secondary stuff that much better.”

Stroman was projected at the time of the draft in June 2012 as the most likely to become the first prospect to reach the majors, perhaps even in Sept. 2012, but the suspension in late August ended that dream. Now with his additional command of the changeup, giving him a major-league deep repertoire of four, and with injuries and failures of other organization starters, the Duke University product has a chance to be in the Jays’ mix very soon at the major-league level.

The four levels of the Jays’ farm system already in action have combined for a record of 91-79, with two of the four clubs in first place in their division.

Triple-A Buffalo (25-18): Have slowed down in their torrid pace but still lead the IL North

Double-A New Hampshire (23-22): Remain hot with some impressive pitching and have risen above .500 in fourth place in the EL Eastern Division...but streaking

A-Dunedin (25-16): In first place in the FSL North with a 3.5 game lead over Brevard County.

A-Lansing (18-23): Eight games out in the MWL East. Lugnuts have won 8 of last 10.

The rant: At the start of spring training, some people sincerely believed the 3-4 combo in the Jays lineup of Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion might be on the verge of becoming as potent as any middle-of-the-order pairing in the AL —as sound, even, as Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder. I believe I’m on this current rant because I was one of those. It’s no contest for the Tigers’ dynamic duo.

Using some of the more traditional old-school stats as a gauge, Bautista and Encarnacion have combined in 2013 for 74 hits, 13 doubles, 21 homers and 56 RBIs. Bautista has posted a .878 OPS while Encarnacion sits 26th overall in the AL at .838.

On the other hand, Cabrera and Fielder for the Tigers have combined for 110 hits, 23 doubles, one triple, 20 homers and 84 RBIs. Cabrera’s OPS is 1.116, while Fielder checks on at No. 5 in the AL with .929. The Tiger twosome has produced 119 runs compared to 84 for the Jays. Nolo contendre.

Is that mid-order performance one of the reasons, perhaps, the Jays have not lived up to early-season expectations? Yes, the home runs have been there for Joey Bats and EE, but they need more clutch moments like Encarnacion’s bases-clearing rocket off the left field wall on Monday vs. the Rays.

The good news is that Bautista’s wrist problem from last summer seems a thing of the past. But the heart of the Jays’ order needs to become the heart of the Jays if they want to be seen as contenders again.

THE LIST

With J.P. Arencibia seemingly installed as the catcher of the present and future, here is a list of the Top 5 Blue Jays catchers in games played in club history, since 1977.

1. Ernie Whitt 1159 1977-89

2. Pat Borders 691 1988-94, 1999

3. Darrin Fletcher 516 1998-02

4. Gregg Zaun 483 2004-08

5. Buck Martinez 441 1981-86

Active leader: J.P. Arencibia 261 2010-13

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MLB NOTES April 29 – May 6

Orioles bullpen pulls disappearing act: The O’s were unbeatable in late innings last year, leading to a surprise playoff berth, but this year the magic is not the same. On Monday, close Jim Johnson blew his third straight save on the way to a sixth straight loss for the O’s, this one 6-4 to the Yankees. Manager Buck Showalter continued to show his support for his closer after the game, but Johnson understands he has to be better.

“Well, three of them are my fault,” Johnson told O’s reporters. “The other guys do their job and I do mine, then we’re not standing here (talking to the media). I think everybody’s doing a great job. I’m just not pulling my weight. And I’ll figure it out.”

Danks ready for his closeup: White Sox lefthander John Danks looks ready to return to the ranks of the active on Friday from a left shoulder injury. He has made four minor league starts but has not been on a major-league mound since May 19, 2012 in a win over the Cubs.

“We’ll have a plan midweek and announce what the next step will be,” Chisox general manager Rick Hahn told reporters. “We’ll have him around for the next couple days, probably throw a (side session) with (pitching coach Don Cooper).”

Former Jay Yan Gomes shines: On Monday vs. the M’s, former Jays’ catcher Yan Gomes clubbed a three-run walkoff homer in the 10th inning for the Indians win. It was Gomes’ second homer of the game and his fifth of the season. Gomes, with the Jays in 2012, had become the first Brazilian-born player to reach the major-leagues.

Canadian Kottaras may get his opportunity: The Royals were concerned on Monday when catcher Sal Perez was removed from the game with discomfort in his right hip. He was replaced by backup catcher George Kottaras, a 30-year-old Scarborough native.

THIS DATE IN BASEBALL HISTORY

May 21:1997 -Roger Clemens, 34, recorded win No. 8 in a row for the Jays, also career win 200 ... 1983 – Cliff Johnson of the Blue Jays slams his 18th career pinch-hit home run off Tippy Martinez of the O’s tying Jerry Lynch on the all-time list ... May 23: 1991 – Phils right-hander Tommy Greene twirls a no-hitter vs. the Expos at Olympic Stadium ... May 24:1935 The Reds host the Phillies in the first night game in major league history. President Franklin Roosevelt was invited to flip the switch from the White House. Ben Chapman reached base seven times on two doubles and five walks, setting a record for a night game ... May 25: 1989 – The M’s trade the expiring contract of lefthander Mark Langston to Montreal for lefthander Randy Johnson and a pair of right-handers, Brian Holman and Gene Harris. The Expos were on the verge of signing Langston in August when the season fell apart and they finished at 81-81. He abandoned ship and signed with the Angels ... 1982 Canadian right-hander Ferguson Jenkins of the Cubs records career strikeout No. 3,000 fanning Garry Templeton of the Padres in San Diego ... 1984 Bill Buckner had already lost his first-base job to Leon Durham with the Cubs, so he was traded to the Red Sox for Dennis Eckersley and Mike Brumley. ... May 26: 1993 – The infamous home run off the head of Jose Canseco occurred on this date. The ball was hit by Cleveland’s Carlos Martinez ... 1959 – Harvey Haddix of the Pirates throws 12 perfect innings but Lew Burdette of the Braves matches his shutout innings. The Braves score a run in the 13th to spoil the history setting start ... May 27: 1968 – The NL grants expansion franchises to Montreal and San Diego.

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MLB POWER RANKINGS (as of May 20)

TEAM, Last Week’s ranking, Start of Spring ranking

1. Texas Rangers (1, 6)

2. St. Louis Cardinals (2, 13)

3. New York Yankees (3, 14)

4. Boston Red Sox (7, 16)

5. Atlanta Braves (8, 2)

6. Cleveland Indians (10, 20)

7. Detroit Tigers (6, 7)

8. Cincinnati Reds (11, 9)

9. Pittsburgh Pirates (12, 28)

10. Baltimore Orioles (5, 11)

11. Washington Nationals (9, 4)

12. San Francisco Giants (4, 1)

13. Arizona Diamondbacks (14, 17)

14. Kansas City Royals (13, 18)

15. Tampa Bay Rays (17, 10)

16. Colorado Rockies (16, 25)

17. Oakland A’s (18, 8)

18. Chicago White Sox (19, 19)

19. Minnesota Twins (15, 26)

20. Seattle Mariners (20, 21)

21. Philadelphia Phillies (24, 15)

22. Chicago Cubs (26, 24)

23. Milwaukee Brewers (21, 22)

24. Los Angeles Dodgers (23, 5)

25. New York Mets (22, 27)

26. San Diego Padres (25, 23)

27. Los Angeles Angels (27, 12)

28. Toronto Blue Jays (28, 3)

29. Houston Astros (29, 30)

30. Miami Marlins (30, 29)

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ON THE ROAD AGAIN

There wasn’t much “on the road” news to report in a week pretty much spent at home, after returning from Boston last Monday just as the Leafs and Bruins clashed back in Beantown. But one thing struck me. What seemed like a strange coincidence came to pass after the San Francisco Giants’ visit. San Francisco arrived in town with Pablo Sandoval, their own Kung-Fu Panda. Was it coincidence that when the Giants left town, the Toronto Zoo picked up a pair of giant pandas of their own, Da Mao and Er Shun. In addition, and more eerily, as San Francisco was leaving, a rare earthquake shook parts of the city. Strange days indeed. And the Jays are 3-2 since the Leafs lost Game 7 to the Bruins.

The Bullpen: Mother's Day a time to reflect for R.A. Dickey

From May 13, 2013

On Sunday it was Mother’s Day around the world.

It would have been tough after what R.A. Dickey had observed in his travels this winter, for the Jays’ 38-year-old starter not to be thinking of the sadness, the desolation, the tragic lives of the desperate young women, many of them unwed mothers, that he had witnessed on his trip to Mumbai in January.

It was a mission to deliver the significant funds he had raised for the charity, Bombay Teen Challenge. Sunday was a mixture of happy and sad.

“One of the things that’s hard to do in this life is to hold what’s terrible about the world and what’s beautiful about it at the same time,” Dickey observed. “And a day like today, I have a lot of joy about my own relationship with my mother and my wife and how she’s a great mother to our children, but I also know that (there is sadness) because of what I’ve seen that’s lacking in the lives of other children. Seeing the red-light district (of Mumbai) in particular, there are motherless children running around all over the streets, so it makes you really appreciate what you have.”

More Blue Jays coverage on Thestar.com

As has been well detailed in his autobiography, published last year, Dickey’s life has been tumultuous at times, troubled by rocky moments in relationships with the women in his life that now have become so important and cherished. He appreciates how close he came to losing those influences.

“Oh yeah, 100 per cent, when my perspective was skewed,” Dickey admitted. “I think later in my life I’ve grown to really understand the things that are valuable. But in my youth, I don’t think that I had at all a very healthy perspective of what blessings I really did have at the moment.

“God gave me a real gift in my restored relationships with both my own mother and my wife and that gift was empathy. And so I think more than anything, that it’s that human empathy that breaks my heart for the kids that don’t have what so many of us take for granted, myself included. It makes you sad, but it also motivates me to want to try to help. I think that’s the root.”

Dickey and his wife Anne decided that on his trip to India that he would take his two young daughters, Gabriel, 11, and Lila, 9. It was a difficult decison to make because of the raw view of life he knew they would experience as impressionable children, but he has no regrets five months later.

“I took a risk,” Dickey said. “You’re risking the destruction of innocence when you take an 11-year-old, a nine-year-old into an environment where so much of what’s wrong with the world is evident just by looking out the bus window.

“But I feel like, we had really prayed about it before going over and I feel like God really sheltered my kids from the stuff that really would have destroyed some of their innocence. Instead He gave us the opportunity to see most of the redemption that was occuring and I think that’s good for my daughters to see is that they saw a modicum of brokeness, but they saw a surplus of redemption and that’s the right formula for them.”

Dickey was asked if he had seen a change in his daughters, whether it might be the moment they arrived home and first hugged their own mother again.

“I don’t know if that was the moment for me, if it made me thankful that I took them,” Dickey said. “But there was a moment when one of my daughters turned to me just out of the blue, unprompted, and said ‘Thank you’. It was for what was a seemingly everyday thing. The thing that we did was we went out to eat and my daughter said, thanks without me saying anything.

“I think that’s the real reward in this, maybe it’s not right now, but years down the road they will remember that the world isn’t everything that’s inside that bubble that they live in. Hopefully they will get some of that same empathy for people, feel for humanity that don’t have what they do.”

Dickey on Monday afternoon was scheduled to give a speech and receive an honourary doctorate of sacred letters from the Wycliffe divinity school, associated with the University of Toronto.

THE EVOLUTION OF A CLOSER: Coming off of minor off-season shoulder surgery and with a late start to his spring, even Casey Janssen was not sure whether he would be the Blue Jays closer when the season opened.

But in a bullpen full of power arms, Janssen has been the main man, going 10-for-10 with a 0.69 ERA and a 0.31 WHIP. How does that happen when the man does not boast even one overpowering pitch?

“I think that sometimes baseball people in general focus (too much) on a pitcher’s stuff and not as much on control and command,” Jays bullpen coach Pat Hentgen observed. “I think that Casey’s living proof that his stuff doesn’t have to be off the charts and you done’t have to have the best fastball in the bullpen, you have to be the best pitcher and the most consistent pitcher.”

The typical Janssen save usually involves one inning, with fewer than 15 pitches, no baserunners and most times the ball will be put in play. The young vet understands what he does best.

“Whatever’s going to happen is going to happen fast — good or bad,” Janssen said. “You’re trying to eliminate as many pitches as you can so that you can be available tomorrow and the next day.”

The California-born righthander understands that opponents have scouted him and they know that he brings the battle to them early. But Janssen is mature enough now to know that he can use that knowledge to his advantage, paying attention to what they have done in the early part of the game.

“I don’t walk a ton of guys, I know that, the other teams know that,” Janssen said. “Sometimes they’re taking (the first pitch) and you get a free strike and it puts them in a hole. At the same time, if I see the team’s more aggressive early (in the count), then you don’t necessarily have to throw a strike and they’re thinking that I am. So it’s a mind game. It’s a strategic game and I don’t necessarily throw strikes to the guys that hit the balls, but it all works out in the end.”

Not every major-league pitcher has what it takes to be a closer and pitch the ninth inning with a lead. Hentgen has seen some good ones and knows what they have in common.

Janssen remembers the important lessons he learned sitting around the bullpen with teammates as a young pitcher trying to find his role. The bullpen is a great place for baseball conversation.

“I never forget the day that B.J. Ryan told me, ‘Take the fight to the hitter. Attack them. You want to be the guy in the middle of the ring throwing the punches,’” Janssen recalled. “That’s what I try to do when I’m on the mound. Hopefully, good or bad, it’s going to end quick.”

This year, as one of the more veteran guys in the pen, along with lefthander Darren Oliver, Janssen is one of the leaders in any conversation, a man that is not afraid to share what he knows.

“I’ve become such a better student of the game, not only with my game but also the opponent’s,” Janssen said. “It’s funny because I was talking to (coach) Clayton (McCullough) down in the pen. I pretty much talked him through a whole at-bat before it even happened the other night. I said I’m going to try and do this, this and this and then take my whatever. It happened almost on cue.

“We joked about it after the game. It’s just about having a plan, being able to execute your plan and then, of course, throwing strikes, keeping the ball down. But I think for the most part I’m growing as a student of the game and then being able to use my talents, my strengths against their weaknesses.”

Thus far, Janssen has been the Jays’ best player and his decisions have been good. If anyone deserves to go to the all-star game in an otherwise disappointing start, it’s the Jays’ perfect closer.

THE WEEK THAT WAS: It was a costly week for the Jays that had the seeds of another disaster planted early on, but ended on a high note in Boston, winning two of three with the unlikeliest of rotations leading the way. Lefty Ricky Romero couldn’t get out of the first and J.A. Happ couldn’t get out of the way in Tampa Bay vs. the Rays. Romero was sent to the minors after recording one out on Monday and was shipped out to Triple-A Buffalo the next morning.

Then on Tuesday, Happ was felled by a vicious line drive by Desmond Jennings and carried off the field on a stretcher. Amazingly, the report the next day was no concussion and just a small fracture behind the left ear. However on his way to the ground he hurt his knee and that is the injry that forced him to the disabled list where he will remain until the end of May.

But amazingly the Jays came back to win each of the first two games of the Rays series in St. Petersburg. In the series finale on Thursday, with a chance to win three times in the four-game series, the Jays had the lead, gave it up on a home run by former teammate Yunel Escobar then lost in the 10th inning on a walk-off-walk, as Brad Lincoln issued consecutive free passes to hand Aaron Loup the loss.

It did not look like it was going to get any better for the Jays as Brandon Morrow tweaked a muscle in his back on Tuesday throwing a bullpen session, making him questionable for his Sunday start at Fenway. The Jays entered with Ramon Ortiz, Mark Buehrle and Chad Jenkins scheduled to face the Sox with Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz and Ryan Dempster. Bet the farm?

After Lester shut the Jays out on one hit on Friday night, Buehrle came out with his strongest start of the year, going seven-plus. Then on Sunday in the series finale, the Jays’ bats came alive with five home runs, two of them by Jose Bautista in a 12-4 victory. Emilio Bonifacio had three hits and Mune Kawasaki broke the scoreless tie with a grind-it-out two-run single in the third.

The series win in Boston was just the second of the year for the Jays, both on the road. The other was in Kansas City the series Jose Reyes was injured. It also marked the first winning road trip and even though it was just a 4-3 record, it still was good for the team psyche.

“We’ve been waiting on that all year,” manager John Gibbons said of the solid baseball being played. “We’ve had a couple of stretches, even in Tampa, a couple of comeback games, and then we lost the next two, one was kind of a heartbreaker, but we’ve had a couple of games like that earlier on. It really hasn’t taken off. We’re waiting on that, we know it’s going to happen. But it’s definitely been a long wait. We’ve got that good feeling out there now.”

DOWN ON THE FARM: Jays’ Prospect Roberto Osuna sidelined: One of the Jays’ premier pitching prospects, 18-year-old Cuban-born, Mexican-raised Roberto Osuna has suffered what is likely a season ending elbow injury, according to MLB.com. Osuna was at Class-A Lansing.

Osuna came out of his last start for the Lugnuts with pain and headed for a visit to Dr. James Andrews. The early diagnosis was a tear in his ulnar collateral ligament, however Tommy John surgery, the most likely end result, is on hold for the moment.

“Right now they said just to give him a few days and start playing catch,” GM Alex Anthopoulos told MLB.com. “Right now it’s basically rest and rehab. But there is a scenario if he does have a flare-up again in the next few weeks that ultimately he may need Tommy John.”

Suspension winds down: There is a revised date for the return of RHP Marcus Stroman, the Jays’ top draft pick in June 2012. His 50-game minor-league suspension officially ends on May 19. Stroman has been working out at extended spring camp in Dunedin.

Following is a list of the Top 4 HR hitters at each level of the Jays’ farm system.

Triple-A Buffalo (22-12): Luis Jimenez 8; Ryan Langerhans 7; Mauro Gomez 6; Andy LaRoche 5. AA-NEW HAMPSHIRE (16-21): Ryan Schimpf 7; Clint Robinson 4; Ricardo Nanita 3;

Kevin Pillar 3.

Single-A Dunedin (20-13): K.C. Hobson 5; Andy Burns 4; Marcus Knecht 4; 5 tied with 1.

Single-A Lansing (11-21): Gustavo Pierre 4; Carlos Ramirez 4; Balbino Fuenmayor 3; Lopes/Sweeney 2.

PINK BAT MONOPOLY A MISTAKE: Mother’s Day in the major leagues, for just about the past two decades, has been an opportunity for teams and players to raise awareness for breast cancer, for finding a cure for the dreaded disease that has affected so many mothers, wives and sisters of MLB players and coaches. The theme has always been pink. Players used pink bats, wore pink wristbands and necklaces; maybe some pink shoes and batting gloves. But the key has always been the pink bats, the most visible equipment in baseball.

Well, on Sunday at Fenway Park, in a game between the Jays and Red Sox there was only one pink bat, used by shortstop Stephen Drew of the Sox.

It seems that Louisville Slugger, one of the original and iconic bat companies, had parlayed a major -contribution to MLB charity, to lock up exclusive rights to pink bats with manufacturer logos. Other bat companies could not participate in the awareness raising unless they took all corporate logos off the bats.

Details are outlined in an excellent piece by writer Jeff Passan of Yahoo.com.

The Jays have two players, J.P. Arencibia and Mark DeRosa who use Louisville Slugger bats. DeRosa was not in the lineup and Arencibia wasn’t comfortable with the specialty bats he was sent. So the awareness and the special nature of the Mother’s Day game were blunted by corporate issues.

Is that what charity has come to? That you can lock up something like cancer awareness simply by making the biggest contribution and buying the rights? Louisville Slugger and MLB are both losers in this case. How good would it have been if Hillerich & Bradsby, the parent company, had recognized the problem, the negative perception of their ban on pink bats and allowed other companies to participate, maybe insisting they contribute to the cancer fund at a certain, reasonably-priced level.

Everything in sports seems to be for sale to presenting sponsors these days. But when it comes to raising money for cancer research there should be no such things as exclusive rights.

Maybe by next year, something can be worked out, but for right now, that’s a disgrace.

THE LIST

The Top 7 plus differentials between wins and losses by Blue Jays pitchers in history.

1. Jack Morris 21-6 (15) 1992

1. Roy Halladay 22-7 (15) 2003

3. Roger Clemens 21-7 (14) 1997

3. Roger Clemens 20-6 (14) 1998

5. Dave Stieb18-6 (12) 1990

5. David Wells20-8 (12) 2000

5. Roy Halladay19-7 (12) 2002

MLB NOTES

Joba Chamberlain should show respect: Yankees closer Mariano Rivera is one of the class acts in baseball, so when Joba Chamberlain is in a dispute with Mo, if you’re choosing sides, it’s no contest as to who is in the right. In Kansas City on the weekend, Rivera was being interviewed pre-game in the dugout and Joba was talking loudly to people he knew in the stands over his head. Mariano asked him to keep it down until he was finished. Afterwards, in front of a dugout full of media, Chamberlain demanded angrily that Rivera never tell him to be quiet again. Rivera the next day apologized to media for the incident while Joba said there’s nothing in his life he would change.

How could umpires blow call? How could Fieldin Culbreath and his crew be umpiring in the major leagues and not know the rule that a new pitcher has to face at least one hitter before he can be removed? How can Bo Porter be managing in the big leagues and also not know that rule? On Thursday at Minute Maid Park, Porter, the Astros manager in his first full year after taking over from Brad Mills last summer, brought in lefty Wesley Wright to relieve Paul Clemens, with two on and two out in the seventh. Angels manager Mike Scioscia sent in righthanded hitter Luis Jimenez to pinch-hit for J.B. Shuck. Porter came back out to bring in righthander Hector Ambriz — which is clearly against the rules as anyone that has managed at any level well knows. Porter bamboozled the crew and home plate ump Adrian Johnson with this interpretation of the rule: “Once I made sure he pinch hit for the batter that was scheduled to hit, then I started toward the mound. The home plate umpire kind of stopped me. He’s like ‘Whoa! Whoa!’ Then Scioscia started yelling, ‘He has to face the hitter.’ I just calmly explained to him my interpretation of the rule is that yes he has to face the hitter as long as he’s the hitter that’s scheduled to hit. But the hitter that was scheduled to hit had now been pinch-hit for, which now gives me the right to bring in a pitcher to face the pinch hitter.” Scioscia rightly protested the game right away, but the protest was dropped when the Angels came back to win the game. MLB suspended crew chief Culbreath for two games for allowing the move. It was a bad week for umpires, after Angel Hernandez and his crew had reviewed the video of an A’s homer called a double and even though the tape clearly shows it was a homer, still called it a double.

Wells at the hot corner for Yankees: On Wednesday, in what Vernon Wells called one of the coolest moments of his career, the former Jays centre fielder played the ninth inning at third base and made a smooth play on a groundball in a 3-2 Yankee win over the Rockies. Wells has been hot ever since that game in Denver, slamming a homer in Kansas City for the second straight game on Sunday and for the third time in the last five. It was Vernon’s ninth homer of the season.

Rizzo signs seven-year deal with Cubs: The Cubs have made young first baseman Anthony Rizzo a major part of their future, signing him to a seven-year, $41 million deal with two options that could make it $73 million through 2021.The 23-year-old Florida native entered the season with less than a full year of major-league service, so the Cubs have bought out his first year of free agency plus the two option seasons. Rizzo, a lefthanded power-hitter drafted by the Red Sox in the sixth round of the ’07 draft, was included in the deal with the Padres for Adrian Gonzalez and rejoined Theo Epstein in Chicago in January of 2012.

THIS DATE IN BASEBALL HISTORY

May 13: 1967 -Mickey Mantle of the Yankees slams his 500th career homer off Stu Miller of the Orioles ... 1958 – Stan Musial of the Cardinals rips career hit 3,000 vs. Moe Drabowsky of the Cubs ... May 14: 1920 – Walter Johnson of the Senators records win 300 with a 9-8 decision over the Tigers ... May 15: 1989 – The Blue Jays fire manager Jimy Williams after a 12-24 starts and trouble with star slugger George Bell, replacing him with hitting coach Cito Gaston. The Jays come back ot make the playoffs and four years later win their first World Series ... 1981- RH Len Barker tosses the ninth perfect game in modern history beating the Blue Jays 3-0, striking out 11. His catcher Ron Hassey later goes on to catch Dennis Mnartinez’s perfect game vs. the Dodgers ... 1912 – Ty Cobb rushes into the stands in New York to attack a fan, Claude Luecker. AL President Ban Johnson suspends Cobb ... May 16: 1954 – Ted Williams makes his season debit after a spring training injury. The Splinter goes 8-for-9 in a doubleheader vs. the Tigers ... May 17: 1998 – David Wells pitches the 13th perfect game in MLB history beating the Twins 4-0. It was the first perfect game at Yankee Stadium since Don Larsen of the Yankees in the 1956 World Series. Coincidentally, both men went to the same San Diego area high school and Larsen was in a private box to see Wells ... 1973 – Angels outfielder Bobby Valentine catches his spikes in a fence chasing a Dick Green homer, tearing up his knee and ruining his career ... May 19: 191 – Cy Young of the Indians wins his 500th career game in 11 innings over the Senators.

MLB POWER RANKINGS (as of May 12)

TEAM Last Week Start of Spring

1. Texas Rangers

If they stay here, Ron Washington’s best job

2. St. Louis Cardinals

Wainhouse established as new ace

3. New York Yankees

Mo and Joba kiss and make up

4. San Francisco Giants

Melky gets his WS ring on Tuesday

5. Baltimore Orioles

Proving they weren’t just saved by the bullpen last year

6. Detroit Tigers

Will Valverde’s ninth inning adventures return?

7. Boston Red Sox

Levelling off with two closers on shelf

8. Atlanta Braves

Leading NL East but just 9-8 outside division

9. Washington Nationals

Underachieving considering all the stars

10. Cleveland Indians

Responding under proven winner Terry Francona

11. Cincinnati Reds

Votto .919 OPS but Shin-Soo Choo better

12. Pittsburgh Pirates

Grilli huge revelation as closer

13. Kansas City Royals

Young and talented but still maturing

14. Arizona Diamondbacks

Same five pitchers have made every start

15. Minnesota Twins

Might be Gardenhire’s best job

16. Colorado Rockies

Nice to see Canadian Jeff Francis back and healthy

17. Tampa Bay Rays

Minus Matt Moore starters are 7-11

18. Oakland A’s

Continue to fade with Cespedes a disappointment

19. Chicago White Sox

Chris Sale one-hitter no fluke

20. Seattle Mariners

Jason Bay comeback nice to see even if numbers mediocre

21. Milwaukee Brewers

RHP Marco Estrada 11 homers in seven starts

22. New York Mets

Young Matt Harvey could be great with 0.69 WHIP

23. Los Angeles Dodgers

Matt Kemp gives jersey, hat and shoes to young fan in SF

24. Philadelphia Phillies

Papelbon perfect but just six save opportunites tell story

25. San Diego Padres

Carlos Quentin’s biggest hit was on Greinke

26. Chicago Cubs

Rizzo 7-year deal now big part of future

27. Los Angeles Angels

Scioscia may be first manager to go

28. Toronto Blue Jays

Consider 4-3 road trip huge accomplishment

29. Houston Astros

Snapped up Jays’ reject Edgar Goinzalez; release Humber

30. Miami Marlins

This is a truly bad team

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

After taking a year off of managing baseball in 2012, I couldn’t stand it any more, not being involved with helping any kids, so I signed up as the pitching coach for the Oakville A’s minor midgets under manager Clark Rymal. We had our opener this past Thursday, beating Georgetown 9-4 and for three hours I understood why I missed it so much when I wasn’t doing it.

There are so many subtleties in playing baseball that nobody ever possibly knows everything about how to handle a game, but as long as the kids want to learn, that’s what makes it so rewarding. As the opener started at Oakville Park, built as a practice field for the early Blue Jays, many of the players chose to sit in the dugout away from the fenced in area closest to home plate. But by the fourth inning, I looked around and every player was gathered around, leaning on the fence listening to the coaches and really into the game. Win or lose, seeing the players engaged is its own reward.

On Friday morning I headed to Boston, checking in to a Copley area hotel just around the corner from the finish line of the Boston Marathon, where less than a month earlier tragedy had struck. The finish line has been recognized with a broad yellow stripe across Boylston. I was not that impressed with the city park near the finish line that was filled with rows and rows of Marathon souvenirs and American flags for sale. Hopefully the profits are all going to charity.

Boston is such a great walking city, different than New York, because it’s populated by a sea of vibrant young faces, all filled with hope for the futre, not beaten down and surviving day-to-day. That’s largely because of the number of colleges and univeristies in the area.

But Fenway Park, self-proclaimed “America’s Most Beloved Ballpark” is still basically a dump with some aspects of the clubhouse, tunnel and dugout that likely have not changed since Babe Ruth was a rookie. One of the few changes that should help settle Don Cherry’s concern about women invaders in the clubhouse? The visitors room now has a huge black shower curtain covering the communal shower where previously media used to be able to look in from any corner of the room.

 

Blue Jays rotation boosted by Ramon Ortiz in 5-0 loss to Red Sox: Griffin

BOSTON-It was only the Blue Jays' 37th game of the 2013 season, but it has already come down to a scheduled start by a journeyman righthander named Diogenes Ramon Ortiz, a 39-year-old whose best seasons -- 44 of his 86 wins -- were with the Angels from from 2001-03. It should be noted, historically, Diogenes was a Greek philosopher who pioneered Cynicism -- which is the frame of mind many Jays fans have arrived at. It did not help Friday with the Red Sox 5-0 win over the Jays.

It was no surprise that lefthander Jon Lester dominated the Jays, tossing a one-hitter, carrying a perfect game into the sixth inning before a two-out double by Maicer Izturis broke up the bid. Lester already has a career no-hitter to his credit, May 19, 2008 vs. the Royals at Fenway. He had tossed seven shutout innings vs. the Jays on April 7 and had no decision on April 30.

“He was on and he's their ace and he can do that to you,” manager John Gibbons tipped his cap to Lester. “He mowed us down. We've always seen him good. He's one of the better ones in the game. Especially as those first few innings were going along, from the side it's tough to tell but then you look up at the replays and the balls are cutting, good changeup. He carved us up pretty good.”

But what was surprising was the tenacity with which the Jays' venerable retread, Ortiz kept his team in the contest through five. Ortiz had runners in scoring position in every inning, overcoming two errors, four hits and five walks to keep the game close. The only run Ortiz allowed came on a Will Middlebrooks fielder's choice in the second.

The Sox were 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position facing the crafty veteran righthander. But they added three runs in the seventh vs. Brett Cecil and righthander Mickey Storey in his AL debut, after 26 games with the Astros last year.

“(Ortiz) did a tremendous job,” Gibbons said. “He kept us right there. He did more than we wanted to and expected, so good for him. I don't know how he could have done more. He got some groundballs and that's what you need. A lot of pitches were borderline pitches that I don't think he got tonight. But he pounds the strike zone. That's his game. Those crafty veterans.”

Gibbons claimed that Ortiz had good control, even though the pitching line showed five bases-on-balls. But the Red Sox are known for their patience and grinding at-bats and umpires are awre.

“It's hard pitching here in Boston, the same as New York,” Ortiz said when asked about being more efficient in his pitch count the next time out, if there is one. “The umpire, I throw a lot of good pitches down, inside and we don't get any pitch. It's not excuses, but when the umpire gives me the pitches it's a different story. But today that didn't go and we have to come in tomorrow and win.”

What has happened to the Jays rotation depth? Each spring training, GM Alex Anthopoulos uses the month of March to determine a depth chart of possible starting pitchers should there be injuries or failures at the major-league level. The Jays have averaged 12 different pitchers per year with at least one start over the past three seasons. So why was Oritz number eight? Where's the beef in 2013?

In addition to the Jays' original starting five pitchers coming out of spring training, both Aaron Laffey and Ricky Romero have started games. Now, with Josh Johnson and J.A. Happ both sidelined until at least the end of the month and with Brandon Morrow, Sunday's scheduled starter, remaining in Florida to have his back spasms checked out the Jays are going to have to dig deeper into the shallow end of their starting pool – unless GM Alex Anthopoulos is working on a trade or a waiver claim.

“I'll tell you, (Alex) never sleeps, he's always looking for different ways to make the team better so I'm sure he's looking that route as well,” manager John Gibbons said prior to Friday's loss.

“But it's not easy to do, especially this time of year, teams don't want to give up players because most of them still think they have a shot as well. I would be very surprised if we ended up going that route if (Morrow) couldn't pitch. He was throwing his bullpen and had muscle spasms in his upper back and the next day it moved up towards his neck. Just have to get that out of there. Yeah, until Sunday gets here we won't know for sure but we think he'll make it.”

So who's got next of the Jays have to reach down for another starter by Sunday? Finding veteran help is not a problem for the Jays, even just tapping into AAA-Buffalo. Romero suddenly has become the youngest member of the Bisons' rotation. Anthopoulos would be able to choose from Miguel Batista, 42, Claudio Vargas, 34, Justin Germano, 30 and Edgar Gonzalez, 30.

If you're rounding up the usual suspects in terms of potential starters, you always have to include a pair of former first round draft picks, Chad Jenkins (June '09) and Deck McGuire (June '10). Jenkins was slated to be converted into a reliever, but just now is coming back from inflammation of his right shoulder and has gone into the Double-A Fisher Cats rotation. McGuire, who was not invited to major-league camp this spring, is 2-3, with a 5.11 ERA in seven starts at New Hampshire.

“You know something's going to go wrong, you're never going to get through the season with five guys,” Gibbons said. “They brought in some veteran guys who had success in the big leagues, they've been there. It's definitely coming into play.

“A lot of them haven't had any starts here but they've been on that shuttle back and forth to cover off some of the rough starts earlier. (Jenkins) is throwing well. He's a little bit limited right now but he's on track. He's building himself up right now. But he's a guy the organization really likes.”

If it is determined Morrow cannot make the start in the series finale on Sunday, the Jays will make that decision on Saturday and yet another pitching injury will step up to cost them.

And it's not just the pitchers. Rajai Davis left Friday's loss in the fourth inning with a strained left oblique that he had first felt in Tampa and been getting daily treatment.

“It's just nagging,” Davis said. “It's not progressing like I was wanting to. It was a manager's decision and I think it's a wise decision and it's in our best interest.”

And thus it continues.

 

 

 

A scary moment

 

There are absolute scary moments in every sport where the goal of winning becomes secondary, when everyone in a stadium, arena or ballpark bonds to share a common hope and offer prayers for health and recovery. Such was the case on Tuesday night at Tropicana Field when Jays' pitcher J.A. Happ was felled by a line drive off the bat of Dersmond Jennings in the second inning of an eventual Jays 6-4 victory. The shots of both dugouts and the fans was compelling, hand-wringing television.

Happ lay face down and motionless for a seeming eternity as two Rays runners scored and Jennings ended up on third base. It was a scary, silent 10 minutes as medical personnel hurried out and attempted to stabilize the stricken lefthander. As Happ was taken from the field on a stretcher, he gave a hand wave that allowed all that were there or watching on television to finally take a deep breath.

On Wednesday morning the Jays offered an encouraging update to Happ's medical condition. After spending the night in a St. Petersburg Hospital, undergoing tests for injuries suffered to the left side of his face, the Jays announced Happ was scheduled to be released later in the day after head trauma and a laceration to his left ear. It is likely that the 29-year-old will have to be placed on a disabled list, either seven days for possible concussion, or 15 days, in which case he would miss a minimum of two starts. But he will more than likely miss at least his next outing.

The concern when the dust settles following serious injuries always becom, “What can be done to better protect the athletes?” In the case of baseball pitchers, ever since the game was invented by Alexander Cartwright, pitchers have been vulnerable to hot shots back through the middle. But as players have become bigger and stronger as pitchers throw harder and harder, the danger grows.

The bottom line is that not much can be done short of pitching from behind a screen (which will never happen) or when technology becomes so good that a mini force-field could enshroud and envelop every pitcher's head from an attachment to the cap.

In the meantime, since last summer baseball has been working on a slight forward movement towards protecting pitchers. They are hoping to add a Kevlar insert to the lining of pitchers' baseball hats by next season. Kevlar is a fabric that is used in bulletproof vests and Olympic Stadium retractable roofs. It has not been accepted or approved by the players, but incidents like Happ's will only advance the likelihood. But the bottom line is that wouldn't have prevented a situation like Happ's where he turned his head instictively and was hit in the side of the face, not on the cap. And there is no way that pitchers will ever walk to the mound with earflaps, musch as many hockey players resist visors.

Last year, A's righthander Brandon McCarthy suffered a fractured skull on a similar type injury to Happ and is now back pitching for the Diamondbacks, signing as a free agent. McCarthy's comeback was awe inspiring because of his Twitter updates that showed a tremendous sense of humour and a joy of life during the painful process of recovery. McCarthy's handling of his misfortune was inspiring.

The Jays have not had that many memorable head shots for pitchers in the club's 37 seasons, but pitchers being hit by hot comebackers is fairly common. Recall Roy Halladay suffering a fractured tibia in Texas on a ball hit by Kevin Mench. Players are taught from a young age to drive the ball up the middle and pitchers are taught from a young age to keep the ball away from strong hitters.

There are those that will want a committee to study how to better protect the game's pitchers, but it's a question with no real answers. Balance in the delivery and follow through and focus, awareness and athleticism are all factors in self-preservation, but it's an accident and even though it takes your breath away, line drives off pitchers will continue to happen.

One change that might be made in the enterest of everyone involved is that when a pitcher is obviously stricken, as was Happ, that umpires call an immediate halto to play and consider a ground-rul double with runners advancing a maximum two bases or less depending on the umpires judgment so that immediate attention can be paid to the injured player. Even Jernnings would have felt better.

In the meantime, all we can do is pray for a speedy return to health for J.A. Happ, that he can soon return to the mound and to join his teammates doing what he loves to do.

 

 

The Bullpen: How John Gibbons can be removed as manager without firing him

From May 6, 2013

If Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos ever wanted to make a change at manager, right now, for the good of the struggling franchise, he would not even need to fire John Gibbons.

Recall that when the 50-year-old Gibbons had flown to Toronto in November at the request of Anthopoulos, he believed it was to discuss a different job than manager — either bench coach or for a pro scouting position.

Instead, the young GM who had been burned by the less-than-cooperative attitude of the former skipper John Farrell, a man that we found out later had already told him he would rather be in Boston, Anthopoulos chose Gibbons, a man with whom he knew he could work closely.

More Blue Jays stories on Thestar.com

It’s important that Gibbons never applied to be manager. Anthopoulos said he knew from Gibbons’ first time around as skipper under GM J.P. Ricciardi that he always believed he wanted the San Antonio native back with the Jays in some capacity. He had liked his ability to evaluate talent correctly and he trusted his baseball instinct and judgment.

That being said, Anthopoulos could reset and admit a mistake, going with the original plan for his friend. Don’t fire Gibbons, instead respect his contract, but re-assign him as a pro scout, an evaluator and righthand man in the Jays’ front office.

The mistake that Anthopoulos made in the off-season was following his belief that his revamped Jays roster had so much talent that all he needed was a caretaker manager. The belief that these guys were all somehow self-driven and would merely have to take the field and that talent would take over. It’s why he chose Gibbons, a man that after being fired by the Jays in 2008, has never had another sniff at managing in the majors. He was a bench coach with the Royals and then managed at Double-A.

Gibbons is not the current problem, but neither is he the solution. He seems at a loss for any way out of this Jays’ spiral that has seen the club win just one series all season.

Jose Reyes, the leadoff man and catalyst, was injured after 10 games. Cy Young winner R.A. Dickey has had upper back and neck issues that have caused his knuckleball to be up in the strike-zone, with too many of them driven out of the park. Mark Buehrle has pitched old.

Ricky Romero was left behind at spring training to work on a new delivery (before getting called up again Friday). Jose Bautista was battered and bruised and is off to another slow start. Second base is a defensive nightmare. Josh Johnson was shaky then hurt. Colby Rasmus is a hitter providing all or nothing. Emilio Bonifacio has yet to find a position or his groove as a base-stealer. J.P. Arencibia’s defence is again in question.

None of that is Gibbons’ fault as the decider, but reflects a miss in the judgment of Anthopoulos in what it would take to be Jays manager, to make this roster a winner.

When the GM walked into Paul Beeston’s office in November and suggested John Gibbons as manager, Beeston admitted that Anthopoulos had mentioned that the president himself had success a long time ago in championing the unlikely choice of batting coach Cito Gaston as replacement for Jimy Williams.

Now, Beeston could return the logical favour and point out to Anthopoulos that the Gaston hire was made early in a failing season — 12-24 in 1989 on May 15 — and the team went on to post 89 wins and advance to the post-season. Rogers ownerhip has too much invested in this season.

So, who should be the man to replace Gibbons as he is re-assigned to a scouting role? Even though bench coach DeMarlo Hale was originally considered as manager, it should not be someone already in the clubhouse. Hale is part of the current crisis. No, it needs to be someone that is familiar with the organization, with the players and could become either a short-term or long-term solution.

The best solution as manager among current Blue Jays personnel would be Sal Fasano, presently a roving minor-league catching instructor.

The 41-year-old Fasano had an 11-year career as a major-league backup catcher from 1996 to 2008, including a year with the Jays in 2007. He played for nine different major-league teams and in the five years since he retired, has managed for three years in the Jays’ farm system, including a Double-A Eastern League title at New Hampshire in 2011.

I spoke to Fasano at spring training about the perception that taking a roving instructor role might seem like a step backwards from the perceived fast-track to major-league manager.

“I don’t think so at all,” Fasano said. “A lot of the coaches that you have in the major leagues have at one time been a coordinator. I think it’s a positive step, because I’m learning another aspect of the game. I mean I did everything you could as a manager. I was .500 (at A-Lansing), I won a championship and I was in last place. I feel like I learned more when I was in last place than I did when I was in first place. Now as a coordinator, I’m understanding the organization, understanding and creating organizational policies, how to enforce those policies and really mastering my craft.”

The Jays are not dead yet. They clearly have a lot of proven talent and Melky Cabrera on the weekend showed signs of his dormant bat rounding into form. Brett Lawrie has solidified the defence. Brandon Morrow has taken a step towards becoming a top-of-the-rotation starter.

The Jays do not need to fire John Gibbons, but they could remove him from the line of fire, a position he never asked for in the first place. It would be a course correction by Anthopoulos. Gibbons is in the first season of a two-year contract and would be paid out and could remain in the organization.

THE WEEK THAT WAS

The Jays thus far in 2013 have had a depressing habit of losing two of three games in scheduled series. They are 1-7 in three-game series, none of which has resulted in a sweep. The past week was no different. The Jays came home from being swept in a four-game series in the Bronx and promptly lost two of three to the Red Sox — for the second time this year — and then again to the Mariners.

After a rather fortunate 9-7 win in the opener of the Sox series vs. Jon Lester aided by a two-run throwing error by catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia on which he banged his hand on the umpire’s mask as he threw down to first base on a pickoff attempt, the Jays bats went stone cold.

They were controversially shut down by Clay Buchholz in Game 2. Then following a first-inning homer by Brett Lawrie in Game 3, the Jays went the next 23 innings without scoring a run. In a four-game losing streak, the Jays were out-scored 25-3. In the finale of the homestand, Brandon Morrow stepped up with a strong effort, backed by some offence from Melky Cabrera and the Jays’ bench, including a home run by third baseman Mark DeRosa.

DOWN ON THE FARM

Suspension winds down: RH Marcus Stroman, the Jays’ top draft pick in June 2012 officially ends his 50-game minor-league suspension on May 23 and will be eligible to play with the Double-A Fisher Cats. He has been working out at extended spring camp in Dunedin.

The plan is for the exciting young Duke University star to join the New Hampshire rotation in order to get innings under his belt. If he makes it to the majors in 2013, it will likely be in the bullpen.

Following is a list of the Top Four pitchers at each level of the Blue Jays’ farm system in terms of individual WHIP, with at least 10 innings pitched:

Triple-A Buffalo (19-9): RH David Bush 1.030, RH Neil Wagner 1.091, RH Ramon Ortiz 1.091, RH Mickey Storey 1.163.

Double-A New Hampshire (15-16) : RH Joel Carreno 0.450, Chorye Spoone 1.091, RH Ryan Tepera 1.101, RH Matt Wright 1.125.

Single-A Dunedin (17-11): RH Ajay Meyer 0.764, RH Scott Gracey 0.766, RH Aaron Sanchez 0.920, RH Marco Grifantini 0.929.

Single-A Lansing (8-18): RH Roberto Osuna 0.851, RH Wil Browning 1.020, RH Ian Kadish 1.135, RH Arik Sikula 1.143.

THE ESSAY

Collins a pioneer, but he’s no Robinson

The Jason Collins story is tremendously important for pro sports, with the former Washington Wizard becoming the first openly gay male athlete in North America’s four major professional team sports. But don’t anyone ever attempt to equate it as being the courageous equivalent to Jackie Robinson reintegrating the game of baseball with the Dodgers in 1947. There’s no comparison.

Collins’ act of coming out and declaring his sexuality in a well thought-out personal decision is tremendously important to young men and women in all walks of society that may have been afraid of the consequences of their own sexuality if they were outed. It may even save young lives.

Collins, a 34-year-old product of Stanford University, has played in the NBA for 13 seasons. He came out in a Sports Illustrated piece after his Wizards were out of the playoff picture and his contract had expired, making him a free agent. The worst that can happen is Collins does not get another contract.

What has been amazing is the open acceptance and encouragement Collins has received from most of the major stars in the NBA game, both past and present. For many young athletes today that have lived with a more open society growing up, having an openly gay teammate is no longer an issue.

Will every pro sports team in the next couple of years have athletes come out and declare themselves as being gay? Not necessarily.

Recall that even after Robinson broke the colour barrier in 1947, it was another 12 seasons until the last of the original 16 MLB teams fielded its first African-American – Pumpsie Green, Red Sox, 1959. Sexual integration of North American team sports won’t happen right away, but the door is kicked down and to hijack and paraphrase the great Eminem, “tonight we’re cleaning out our closet.”

THE RANT

Was Buchholz cheating?

There is nothing wrong with a little controversy and animosity among organizations during the course of a long major-league season. Even a rancorous dose of controversy is fun.

As for MLB players cheating, or finding an edge, it’s a way of life for athletes in all sports. Anyone that was bent out of shape or upset by the accusation that Clay Buchholz was applying a foreign substance to the baseball on Wednesday vs. the Blue Jays just doesn’t get it. It’s a better buzz for the game than PEDs.

It started with Sportsnet TV analyst Jack Morris noticing a large discolouration of the left forearm on the hard-throwng Buchholz. Morris suggested he was loading up the baseball and that it was creating added and abnormal movement on his fastball. Of course the Jays had not been hitting anyone, foreign substance or no foreign substance, so when Ryan Dempster, Felix Hernandez and Hisashi Iwakuma all followed up by shutting the Jays down, the Buchholz cheating accusation seemed somehow silly.

Once Morris had his teeth into the issue, he was as tenacious as a pitbull. But somehow the suspicion never got to the dugout, with manager John Gibbons only being made aware of it after the gamegame. Why was that? Aren’t they all under the same ownership umbrella? Don’t they have TVs on in the clubhouse? A message delivered by one of the clubhouse assistants, TV associate producer, carrier pigeon? Somehow the chance to shut down a cheating opposing starter escaped them.

Jays’ bench coach DeMarlo Hale was a coach with the Red Sox at the same time as Buchholz from 2007-11. John Farrell was the pitching coach from 2007-10. If there was a culture for cheating developing in Beantown, shouldn’t Hale have been aware and tipped off his new employers?

But the best part of the whole thing was the broadcast battles around baseball. Poor Buchholz was being accused of cheating. Hall-of-Famer Dennis Eckersley dismissed Morris for being out of work for years and just latching on with the Jays and besides, he’s not even in the Hall of Fame. Snap!

The Indians broadcast team, a couple of guys not even involved in the Red Sox “resin-gate,” claimed Jays’ fans and the organization have become the most hated in all of baseball. I guess they were saying they are too loud and obnoxious.

That feeling likely goes back to opening day 2012 when raucous, fun-loving, mostly-drunk Jays fans took over the opening series in Cleveland, staying in horrible weather to the bitter end of a 16-inning opener, then having fun through the weekend.

This is what team sports is all about. Be respectful of other fans, but be loud and proud. Meanwhile Morris would not retract anything that he said. Buchholz and Farrell suggest the discolouration on the forearm is just resin to help get a better grip on the baseball. While the talented Sox pitcher gets a better grip on the ball, Eck and the Tribe folks need to get a better grip on reality. That doesn’t even count the Boston print media that suggested the Jays are the Astros of the north.

THE LIST

Slam leaders

The Blue Jays lost Saturday’s game 8-1 at the Rogers Centre due largely to Dustin Ackley’s first career grand slam, against R.A. Dickey. Following is a list of MLB all-time career leaders in slams.

1. Lou Gehrig 23

1. Alex Rodriguez 23

3. Manny Ramirez 21

4. Eddie Murray 19

5. Willie McCovey 18

5. Robin Ventura 18

MLB NOTES

April 29 – May 6

Halladay hurt: The 35-year-old former Jays Cy Young Award winner Roy Halladay has admitted his shoulder has been hurting since at least April 24. After allowing nine earned runs in 2 2/3 innings against the Marlins, he will fly to California to consult with Dr. Lewis Yocum to see what his next step should be. There have been concerns about Halladay from the Phils all year since his velocity decreased consistently at spring training.

McCann set to return: On Monday night, the Braves will activate all-star C Brian McCann who had shoulder surgery to repair a labrun tear last October. The Braves are already in first place, but will get a boost as McCann has completed a rehab stint at Triple-A. He replaces former Jays’ farmhand SS Tyler Pastornicky in time for a three-game set vs. the Reds.

This week in baseball history: May 6: 1994 Cubs righthander Anthony beat the Pirates, snapping a 29-game losing streak as a starter . . . 1982 RH Gaylord Perry, a notorious cheater, recorded his 300th career win for the M’s vs. the Yankees; May 7: 1960 Dodgers backup catcher Norm Sherry, later an Expos’ coach, slammed an extra-inning homer vs. the Phillies, giving his brother RH Larry Sherry the win; May 8: 1994 The Colorado Silver Bullets became the first women’s baseball team to lose to an all-men’s team, falling 19-0 to a Northern League all-star team led by RH Oil Can Boyd and 1B Leon Durham. . . . 1968 RH Catfish Hunter tossed a perfect game against the Twins; May 9: 1987 Switch-hitting 1B Eddie Murray — facing the White Sox — homered from both sides of the plate – for the second straight day, the only time that has happened. . . . May 10: 1981 Expos RH Charlie Lea became the first French-born player to toss a no-hitter, beating the Giants 4-0 in the second game of a doubleheader. It was also the first no-hitter at Olympic Stadium. . . . 1959 RH Jim Hearn of the Phillies was the pitcher of record in a suspended game vs. the Pirates. He was released and announced he was quitting the game before it was completed in July, becoming the first player to absorb a loss after he retired; May 11: 1977 High-ego owner Ted Turner of the Braves took over his team as manager in the midst of a 16-game losing streak and lost 2-1. NL President Chub Feeney pored over the rules and relieves Turner of his duties, citing a ban on managers having a financial piece of the club; May 12: 1950 War hero and the greatest pure hitter ever, OF Ted Williams apologizes to Red Sox fans at Fenway Park for giving them the finger after making two errors in a doubleheader loss to the Tigers.

MLB POWER RANKINGS

1. Boston Red Sox

They did say Farrell would make a difference with pitchers

2. Detroit Tigers

No argument this year about Miggy Cabrera over Trout

3. Texas Rangers

Much deeper offensively than we believed

4. New York Yankees

Pinstripe smoke and mirrors

5. St. Louis Cardinals

These guys always there no matter the changes or injuries

6. San Francisco Giants

World Series champions still have grit

7. Kansas City Royals

Changes have made a huge difference

8. Atlanta Braves

Justin Upton staking claim to early MVP

9. Colorado Rockies

Don’t see enough of these guys to really believe

10. Baltimore Orioles

Seem a little less magical than last year

11. Washington Nationals

Are these guys overhyped

12. Oakland A’s

Injuries putting them to the test

13. Pittsburgh Pirates

First half record has not been problem last two years

14. Arizona Diamondbacks

This is a team that will get better as seasons goes on

15. Cincinnati Reds

Are too good to not be there for division at the end

16. Cleveland Indians

Best catcher in AL may be Carlos Santana

17. Milwaukee Brewers

May become Canada’s team by default

18. Tampa Bay Rays

Kelly Johnson gearing up for Jays visit

19. Minnesota Twins

Rotation looks ragged but they give you their best

20. New York Mets

Looking forward to ... hosting All-Star Game

21. Los Angeles Dodgers

Pundits thought they had too many in rotation ... no more

22. Chicago White Sox

This team will be no better than mediocre

23. Seattle Mariners

King Felix makes sure of no lengthy losing streaks

24. Philadelphia Phillies

Halladay talking shoulder woes after pumped by Fish

25. Los Angeles Angels

Seem to be righting the ship faster than the Jays

26. San Diego Padres

Another couple of years from contending

27. Toronto Blue Jays

Tim Johnson best Jays manager in past 19 years

28. Chicago Cubs

Biggest joke is owner’s threat to leave Wrigley if no video board

29. Houston Astros

July home run derby entrants eyeing Astros staff

30. Miami Marlins

Is their modest goal a better record than the Jays?

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

On Tuesday night, while covering the Jays game against the Red Sox, the shocking news reached the pressbox via the social networks, first from family and friends, that former Jays’ second-round draft pick and Newmarket native Jake Eliopoulos had died suddently at age 21.

The Eliopoulos story was a sad tale of exceptional talent and missed opportunities, perhaps reflecting the unfair pressures that we put on young, eager-to-please teenagers to reach the top in sports. It was also a story of decisions and moments that open them to life-long disappointment and failure.

Eliopoulos first made his mark in the Newmarket Baseball Association, then at Sacred Heart Catholic High School and with the Toronto Mets. The 6-foot-3, 205 lb. lefthander was chosen 68th overall in the June ’09 draft by the Jays, the second Canadian chosen, following pitcher James Paxton.

“How could any Canadian, especially someone from the Toronto area, not be ecstatic to be drafted by a team that they’ve been following for years and year,” Jake told Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun following the 2009 draft. “This is a dream come true.”

He never signed. It’s not uncommon for high school players, if they are not happy with the signing bonus offered, to forego turning pro and head to a four-year university or a two-year junior college, taking their chances at being drafted higher when next they become eligible. Eliopoulos is reported to have turned down a signing bonus of $530,000. He headed to Chipola Junior College, the same school as Jose Bautista and fellow Canadian Adam Loewen years earlier.

It did not go well. In that first season at Chipola, Eliopoulos left the baseball team in April, then was drafted in June of 2010 in the 15th round by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Once again, he refused to sign. After bouncing around for the next calendar year, he was drafted for the final time in the 43rd round in June 2011, once again by the Blue Jays, but for a signing bonus that was insignificant.

In 2012, now 20-years old and no longer a hot prospect, the Ukrainian-born lefthander adopted by Jim and Lea Eliopoulos as a child, pitched only for a Michigan summer team and had Intercounty experience with the Brantford Red Sox. He was about to take a year off pitching following Tommy John left elbow surgery and is reported to have had intentions of continuing his education. Then this.

I never met Jake Eliopoulos but I felt strongly for him and followed his saga with interest, as did any Canadian parent who has had sons grow up with dreams of playing baseball at the highest levels. There is always a great deal of interest and pride from the Canadian amateur baseball community whenever one of their own is drafted by a major-league organization in June.

It hits close to home. I have watched my two sons, both catchers, dream the dream, work hard, do their best and then learn to live with their successes and failures.

I have coached and managed dozens and dozens of young baseball players over 17 years in the Ontario Baseball Association, specifically in Oakville Minor Baseball since 1996. I have seen some kids bloom and others retreat but in all cases, I have prayed for the best result for all of them.

The Eliopoulos story should be a lesson to any parent of a loved son or daughter that plays sports at the highest competitive levels, perhaps with dreams of their own of university or professional success. Maybe we do put too much pressure, too much of our own dreams onto their shoulders. Let them live their lives beyond just sports and encourage them in whatever they choose to do with their lives. There is no attempt here to rationalize or judge what happened in Jake’s case. Only his family knows the life path that led to this tragedy, but signs are there that unfulfilled dreams played a part.

Jake’s funeral is Monday and the Eliopoulos family asked anyone wanting to help make a donation to the Canadian Mental Health Association-York Region Branch(CMHA).

Rest in Peace, Jake.

The Bullpen: Ricky Romero begins long road back

 

YEAR 2 VOLUME XII, APRIL 29, 2013

BLUE JAYS CORNER

On Saturday night, left-hander Ricky Romero checked his ego at the door of the clubhouse in Dunedin and began the long road back to the major leagues. Facing Brevard County in the A-Florida State League, the 28-year-old, utilizing newly refined mechanics suggested by the Jays, worked seven innings, allowing one run on six hits, with no walks and four strikeouts. It was a huge success.

Romero had been the opening day starter for the Jays in 2011-12, but after struggling through spring training, the former sixth overall pick in 2005 was told, with mere days to go until the team broke camp and headed north, that he would not be going with them. Romero was optioned to Dunedin to work on revamping his delivery, a huge blow to his ego. It took him more than 24 hours before he was able to address his demotion with the media.

It’s a huge fall. Romero is one of just five pitchers in club history to start for the Jays on back-to-back opening days, joining Jimmy Key, Dave Stieb, Jack Morris and Roy Halladay. That’s an impressive list. Of that group of five, Romero is the only one to be sent to the minors the year after an opening day assignment to work on things and be rebuilt. Jays’ minor-league pitching instructor Dane Johnson is in charge. Halladay had been sent down for a similar makeover back in the day, but it was after just one major-league season and was before even his first opening day assignment.

Among the major tweaks to Romero’s mechanics were a more direct line to the plate, rather than stepping slightly towards first base and throwing back across his body, then there was keeping his hands in front of his chest during the windup, rather than raising them, together, over his head. The belief is that tightening up his mechanics would lead to better command of his pitches.

Romero only made his first Dunedin game appearance on April 27, despite the fact that he is 100 per cent healthy. He had pitched in two extended spring training games, facing young Jays prospects at the Mattick Complex. There was no hurry getting Romero back in games because there is no timetable for his return to the majors. When he returns, it will be as a starter, not as a reliever. The thinking was that with R.A. Dickey, Brandon Morrow, Mark Buehrle, Josh Johnson and J.A. Happ all healthy and pitching well, there was no reason to speed up the process. It seems like Romero bought in.

That being said, with Johnson suffering a triceps strain and with Dickey battling continuing back and neck problems, there might be an opportunity sooner, rather than later for Romero to return to the Jays. Saturday night was a good beginning. His next outing should be on Friday and if his control and command continue to grow and if the Jays suffer any more setbacks in the rotation, who knows.

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THE WEEK THAT WAS — FROM THE O’s TO THE YANKEES

The road trip of seven games in seven days, to Baltimore and New York, was a disaster. The Jays did not play truly awful baseball, but they played just poorly enough to lose. The lone win was in the series finale at Camden Yards on Wednesday, 6-5 in extra innings. The six Jays losses, including being swept four games at Yankee Stadium, showed four one-run defeats and two by two runs. It seemed when the Jays scored early, they were unable to add on needed runs and then sprung enough leaks, either on defence or in the bullpen, to come out on the short end of every score.

There are signs of life, including the renewed power being exhibited by the Jays’ 3-4 hitters, Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion. But even though Encarnacion homered in four straight games on the trip (a total of five longballs) and Bautista added three more, the two players combined for just 11 RBIs to go with the eight homers. The Jays scored a disturbing 23 times in seven games.

How much have the Jays missed leadoff hitter Jose Reyes? The speedy shortstop had a .991 OPS and stole five bases in the first 10 games as the Jays’ offensive catalyst. Since his injury, the Jays are 3-6 in one-run games and 1-3 in games decided by two runs. All teams make errors and fail to execute, but with the Jays, every time they mess up it seems to cost them a game. That’s a by-product of a struggling offence. They need to find a winning formula for the top of the order without Reyes.

The Jays will play Boston and Seattle for six games on the upcoming home stand.

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BLUE JAYS DOWN ON THE FARM

The Jays currently have four farm teams with schedules already underway. The only location change was at Triple-A, where the Jays moved their affiliate from Las Vegas to Buffalo. Great move. The others remain the same, at AA-New Hampshire, A-Dunedin and A-Lansing.

With J.P. Arencibia and Henry Blanco handling the catching duties at the major-league level, following is a list of the early-season catchers at every level of the Jays organization thus far:

AAA-BUFFALO (16-8): Josh Thole (Obtained in trade from Mets, Dec. 17, 2012); Mike Nickeas (Obtained in trade from Mets, Dec. 17, 2012).

AA-NEW HAMPSHIRE (11-13): Sean Ochinko (11th round, June 2009); Jack Murphy (31st round, June 2009)

A-DUNEDIN (15-8): Derrick Chung (31st round, June 2012); Aaron Munoz (34th round, June 2011); Pierce Rankin (38th round, June 2010).

A-LANSING (7-13): Santiago Nessy (Signed by Jays, July 2, 2009); Seth Conner (41st round, June 2010); Aaron Munoz (34th round, June 2011).

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THE ESSAY — UMPIRES ARE HUMAN WHICH MEANS THEY CAN LIE TOO

Every major-league umpire that I’ve ever encountered off the field, I have liked as a person. They are fun, entertaining and normal. Put the same guy in uniform on the field and I often don’t recognize them. Such is likely the case with umpire Tom Hallion, who on Sunday in Tampa became embroiled in an ugly incident with Cy Young Award winner David Price of the Rays.

Price, in the seventh inning, thought he had struck out Dewayne Wise on a 1-2 pitch for the third out and headed off the mound as Hallion called Ball 2. He looked in for the next sign, shook his head subtly and looked generally disgusted. On the next pitch, Wise bounced back to the mound and Price threw him out. Then came the nasty he-said, he-said controversy.

As Price strode off the field muttering to himself and occasionally glancing in, Hallion said something to him that had Price seething even half an hour after the game. The Price reaction had Hallion backpedalling when confronted in the umpire’s room by a pool reporter. Hallion had leaned toward Price, staring him down for his false start off the field and angry body language. In the heat of the moment, Hallion either said: “Throw the ball over the (bleeping) plate,” or “Just throw the ball.”

The Rays dugout erupted angrily as Price reached the dugout and walked the length of it away from the plate, clearly distraught at something — which would lead one to believe that Price was right with his x-rated version of the brief Hallion conversation. In fact, the mild-mannered Jeremy Hellickson was even tossed from the game by Hallion, though it’s unlikely, according to manager Joe Maddon, that he was the actual culprit. That dugout reaction speaks volumes regarding the truth.

After the game, Price vented to reporters about the perceived disrespect, prompting a pool reporter to be sent to ask Hallion about the incident. Hallion called Price a liar. That is not planting the seeds of a great relationship. Price continued the discussion on Twitter using @DAVIDPrice14.

Anti-social behaviour is not unusual for umpires with players and coaches in the heat of the battle. Earlier in the week, Jays’ manager John Gibbons was ejected in Baltimore on Wednesday while trying to step in between Brett Lawrie and Mike DiMuro. Then the next day at Yankee Stadium, Gibbons was ejected again after an out call at first base was overturned in a group meeting of men in blue, suggesting that Edwin Encarnacion did not have full possession of a Lawrie throw from third. There had been no appeal by Yankee skipper Joe Girardi. Umpire arrogance?

But one of the most famous umpire dustups occurred on April 30, 1985 between Reds’ manager Pete Rose and first-base ump Dave Pallone. The umpire slow-played an out call at first base, with the ever-aggressive Rose charging onto the field to bluntly argue the call. During the course of the nose-to-nose, Pallone poked Rose in the face. In response, Rose poked him twice and, of course, physical contact with an umpire, no matter the provocation is unacceptable. Rose was suspended 30 days.

In certain ways, I feel sorry for major-league umpires, and remain puzzled at baseball’s commissioner’s office, with the strike box that has become commonplace on baseball telecasts. What other sport allows TV to embarrass its game officials on a moment-to-moment basis. If a pitch hits the very imprecise strike box and is called a strike, that’s okay, but if it misses the cartoon and is called a strike or hits and is called a ball, viewers get stressed and annoyed. The Jays’ broadcasters, Buck Martinez and Pat Tabler, to their credit, try and ignore the strike box for the most part. That’s good.

Why? Does the NBA have a time clock to count three-second violations in real time? Do they have circles around player’s feet and slow-motion replays to show when an NBA player has taken a step or two before putting the ball on the floor? What is the point of baseball’s on-screen strike box except on an important pitch call that is argued or is key to an inning. No wonder umpires are sometimes grumpy, considering the lack of support they perceive they are getting from baseball.

Anyway, the next time Hallion works a Rays game, he should seek Price out and straighten out the issue, preferably with an apology. Incidents like that cannot be allowed to linger.

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THE RANT

If you’re going to lose, then lose with your best team on the field. It seems like manager John Gibbons is so intent on giving players days off, focusing on pitcher vs. hitter matchups that rely on ridiculously small sample sizes, that he ends up with decisive moments in the middle of key games where he has less-than-his-best players making game-changing gaffes. That needs to change.

Gibbons had Rajai Davis in centre field chasing a Travis Hafner drive off the wall, zigging and zagging to the warning track, misplaying the ball like a bad jai-alai player in a game-deciding Yankee rally. You had Emilio Bonifacio chasing a ball over his head that Colby Rasmus likely would have had. You had Davis at the plate and Adam Lind at first base as the tying run in the ninth vs. Addison Reed of the White Sox instead of the left-hand hitting Rasmus at the plate and Davis running for Lind.

Sure, Gibbons and I had agreed during the winter that a good manager does not win games, as much as a bad manager can lose up to a half-dozen for his team. But the close games, the one and two-run losses the Jays are suffering is alarming. Play your best. It’s April, do guys need days off already?

Who? J.P. Arencibia catching, with Henry Blanco behind the plate for R.A. Dickey. Edwin Encarnacion at first base every day. Lind does not need to play there unless Edwin is hurting. Lind and Davis platooning as DH. Davis does not need to play the outfield unless he has come in as a pinch-runner late in a game or someone has a heart attack. Brett Lawrie at third base and leading off — every day. Maybe Lind and Davis platoon batting second. Mune Kawasaki always ninth.

I don’t care how many times Colby Rasmus strikes out. He needs to be in centre field at key moments in the game as long as he is here. Bat him eighth. Work with him on making adjustments. The Jays are frustrating fans with the wrong people in games at the wrong times. Try playing the month of May with your best players in every day. These guys are in good physical shape. Play Maicer Izturis at second base and keep Bonifacio as a super-sub with tools. But only when the situation demands.

Seven one-run losses and four more L’s by a pair. They Jays aren’t horrible, they’re frustrating. The manager has to take much of that responsibility for the lack of on-field chemistry. His end of spring training clubhouse speech before the season opened was something to the effect that . . . “Much is expected of us. Even if we get off to a slow start we have to believe that we are a good team.” What?

Not exactly “Win one for the Gipper” but the Jays now have a chance to prove Gibby right.

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THE LIST

TOP 7 COUNTRIES FOR MAJOR LEAGUE PLAYERS (1901-2013)

1. United States: 14,131

2. Dominican Republic: 568

3. Venezuela: 291

4. Puerto Rico: 235

5. Canada: 180

6. Cuba: 173

7. Mexico: 114

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MLB NOTES APRIL 22-28

AT LEAST THERE’S NO CROWD NOISE: Earlier in the past week, Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria allegedly altered his team’s starting pitcher for the first game of a doubleheader, strongly suggesting to rookie manager Mike Redmond that he start Jose Fernandez in Game 1 vs. the Twins instead of the scheduled Ricky Nolasco. Loria vehemently denied it although he has a history. At the old ballpark, Loria had seats with a view into the dugout. When Joe Girardi was managing the Fish there was an incident during the summer when Loria was being vocal towards the umpires. The umps came over to Girardi and warned him to have the owner zip it. A witness told me that Girardi looked over at Loria and told him to shut up. Loria was furious and left his seats. After the season, prior to being named NL Manager of the Year, Girardi was fired.

WHO ARE THESE GUYS: Four current Yankees are ex-Jays cut, traded or otherwise rejected in Toronto. The fab four, Vernon Wells, Lyle Overbay, Jayson Nix and Ben Francisco have combined for 59 hits, seven doubles, a triple, 10 homers and 27 RBIs. The power of pinstripes?

A CUBAN’S ANGUISH: The Dodgers were notified that their prized Cuban defector, outfielder Yasiel Puig had been arrested in Chattannoga, Tenn. The 22-year-old was arrested for speeding, reckless driving and driving without proof of insurance, according to the L.A. Times. Puig was signed as a free agent by the Dodgers last year for six years, $42 million. After a great spring camp he was sent to Double-A, where he is batting .333 with three homers and a 1.010 OPS.

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THIS DATE IN BASEBALL HISTORY

April 29: 1994-Expos LHP Kirk Rueter begins his career 10-0 with a win over the Pirates. The previous pitcher to accomplish that was Fernando Valenzuela of the Dodgers 13 years earlier in ’81 . . . 1987-Andre Dawson of the Cubs hits for the cycle vs. the Giants with five hits in 8-4 win . . . 1986-RHP Roger Clemens fans 20 Mariners to set a MLB record . . . April 30: 1997-The Braves become the first MLB team to win 19 games in the month of April . . . 1994-Blue Jays’ OF Joe Carter drives in his 31st run, setting the MLB mark for the month of April . . . May 1: Rangers’ 44-year-old RHP Nolan Ryan fans 16 Blue Jays in a 3-0 no-hitter at Arlington . . . 1951- Rookie OF Mickey Mantle slams his first MLB homer off Randy Gumpert of the White Sox . . . May 2: 1954-Cards’ star Stan Musial homers five times in a doubleheader vs. the Giants in St. Louis. Legend has it that an 8-year-old Nate Colbert was in attendance. Colbert, on August 1, 1972 for the Padres became only the second player with five HRs in a twin bill . . . 1939-The Iron Horse, Yankees 1B Lou Gehrig pulls himself from the lineup ending his consecutive games played streak at 2,130 . . . 1917-Cubs’ LHP Hippo Vaughn and Reds’ RH Fred Toney each pitches nine innings of no-hit ball, the only time it has ever been done in the same game. The Reds score in the top of the 10th on a chopper by Jim Thorpe, with Toney nailing down the win with a 10th no-hit inning. As a sign of the changing athlete, a guy nicknamed Hippo was listed at 6-4, 215 lbs . . . May 3: 1980-Rangers RHP Ferguson Jenkins becomes the first man to win 100 games in each league, beating the O’s 3-2 . . . May 5: 1978-The Reds’ Pete Rose strokes career hit 3,000 off Montreal’s Steve Rogers . . . 1975-The A’s release PR Herb Washington an Olympic sprinter, who in 105 games never played the field or had a plate appearance, he scored 31 runs and stole 33 bases as a pinch-runner, the end of another curious experiment by A’s owner Charlie Finley.

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MLB POWER RANKINGS (as of April 29)

TEAM (with last week’s ranking and start of spring ranking in parentheses)

1. Boston Red Sox (3, 16)

The best team in the best division right now

2. Texas Rangers (4, 6)

Darvish showing no signs of fade

3. New York Yankees (7, 14)

Who would believe they could lead AL in homers?

4. Atlanta Braves (1, 2)

C Brian McCann could be back soon

5. Baltimore Orioles (11, 11)

Nate McLouth at leadoff sparking offence

6. Kansas City Royals (12, 18)

Shields and Santana stabilize rotation

7. St. Louis Cardinals (9, 13)

No organization is deeper in power arms

8. Detroit Tigers (8, 7)

Martinez starts to rebound after year away

9. Colorado Rockies (5, 25)

Weather has been a factor at home

10. San Francisco Giants (2, 1)

These guys will hang around all year

11. Washington Nationals (13, 4)

Nats bounce back to sweep Reds

12. Oakland A’s (6, 8)

Cespedes becoming big-time clutch hitter

13. Arizona Diamondbacks (10, 17)

One of the best cities for a player to play

14. Cincinnati Reds (14, 9)

Lights out at home. Can they win on the road

15. Pittsburgh Pirates (15, 28)

Grilli proving unlikely closer

16. Milwaukee Brewers (17, 22)

Surprising rebound after early woes

17. Minnesota Twins (18, 26)

One of the surprise teams in baseball

18. New York Mets (16, 27)

Coming back to earth after quick start

19. Los Angeles Dodgers (19, 5)

An annual example of how important can be chemistry

20. Tampa Bay Rays (20, 10)

Lefty Moore has carried the rotation

21. Chicago White Sox (21, 19)

Centre field has power but Ks too often. Sounds familiar

22. Cleveland Indians (22, 20)

Hard to see these guys anything but mid-pack

23. Philadelphia Phillies (25, 15)

Starting to creep up through standings

24. Los Angeles Angels (24, 12)

One of top offences in AL but, oy, the pitching

25. Toronto Blue Jays (23, 3)

The spotlight needs to be on the coaching staff

26. Seattle Mariners (26, 21)

Tough April for M’s offence

27. Chicago Cubs (27, 24)

Here’s a fan base that has a good time no matter how bad they are

28. Houston Astros (28, 30)

Weekend vs. Red Sox shows how far ‘Stros must go to compete

29. San Diego Padres (29, 23)

Another great city to live in with not such a good team

30. Miami Marlins (30, 29)

The fans getting used to sleeping with the Fishes

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ON THE ROAD AGAIN

Baltimore is never one of my favourite cities to visit from a tourist’s standpoint, even though Camden Yards is still my favourite MLB ballpark. There’s nothing really appealing in the area around the ballpark, not a friendly place to stop on the way back to the hotel, to wind down and have a couple of brews with the boys in the media. Sure, there’s two places across the street from the park, Pickles and Sliders, but they still insist on serving pints in plastic cups and you can’t convince them otherwise.

With an early Jays-O’s game on Wednesday, it seemed a perfect opportunity to escape from Baltimore that same night and fly home. Colleague Brendan Kennedy was set to take over for the Yankees series. Hey, how’d that go? In any case, the problem is that the last flight out of BWI, just to be sure in case there was rain or extra innings, was a Delta flight, with a choice of connecting airports.

I took an educated guess at Detroit as the best city through which to connect. I guessed wrong. The Delta flight left BWI Airport at 6:55 p.m. and I arrived at Pearson, touching down at 12:40 a.m. Almost six hours of travel for a 90-minute as-the-crow-flies flight. But at least it was home.

Following a day off on Thursday, with the Jays losing again at Yankee Stadium, I was convinced to rent a huge 24’ van on Friday and headed to Guelph to help my daughter Shannon, finishing up her fifth year, majoring in saving the world, move back home. Of course, maybe I should have recruited some manly help. Who knew one 23-year-old could fit that much “stuff” in one bedroom, a living room and kitchen?

Armed only with one stolen dolly that I had kept when I left the Expos in ’95 and a pair of Nike wide receiver gloves that my son used as a DB in high school, we loaded up the van, with not much room for anything else. However, just about hour two, just as I was unsuccessfully stuffing a bed frame into the elevator on the 10th floor of her building, I felt that familiar tweak of the lower back I have felt so many time before. We bravely soldiered on with the move, but by the time I got home sitting up high in the cab, it might as well have been Quasimodo Movers. Thank God for Robax Platinum.

But I was feeling like Homo Erectus once more by Saturday, happy to be invited to the Harry C. Jerome Awards Dinner at the Toronto Convention Centre, where Star colleague Royson James was deservedly receiving the prestigious award for his contributions in the field of journalism. Royson was the brains behind the important Jamaica project in the Star last September, in which I participated.

Coincidentally, when I moved to Canada from Jamaica in the summer of 1963, Jerome, a sublime Canadian sprinter who won bronze in the 100 metres at the Tokyo Olympics, quickly became one of my three favourite athletes, along with Stan Mikita of the Blackhawks and George Dixon of the Alouettes. Jerome passed away in 1982. To attend a banquet honouring one of my three favourite athletes and one of my three favourite columnists somehow seemed fitting.

As for the Jays, it’s not so early any more.

The Bullpen: Casey Janssen takes on leadership role

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The Blue Jays bullpen was expected to be the team’s Achilles’ heel in the juggernaut in blue that was supposed to run roughshod over the rest of the AL East.

But such has not been the case. A balanced group of strong-armed relievers has been led by last year’s closer-by-default, Casey Janssen, who has stepped up in the first three weeks to go 5-for-5 in saves, with a 0.43 WHIP in seven appearances.

Coming off minor surgery to his right shoulder, Janssen has answered the bell and answered questions about his durability and his ability to go back-to-back or three of five days. He continues to come right after hitters, pounding the strike zone and putting himself in position to succeed.

“To get the first guy out is huge in any inning, especially a one-run game,” Janssen said. “They’re going to listen to me to how I’m feeling and stuff, but at the same time there are days, no one’s going to feel great every day. There are days where you’re going to have to push through some stuff.”

More Blue Jays coverage on Thestar.com

At spring training, the closer’s role was always going to fall to either Janssen or righthander Sergio Santos, whoever emerged healthiest and most effective. After a late start, Janssen proved sturdy enough for the role. So far, so good. Santos has now been forced onto the DL with triceps issues. Even minus the strong-armed former closer, there are not many pens as balanced. The top six splits righties Janssen, Steve Delabar and Esmil Rogers with southpaws Darren Oliver, Aaron Loup and Brett Cecil.

“When you looked at our team and you looked at our rotation and the moves we made, you looked at how our offence has done in the past, yeah, our one thing that people could pick on is the bullpen,” Janssen acknowledged. “We don’t have a ton of household names down there.

“But the belief inside of our locker room and especially down in the pen is we’ve got some arms that maybe haven’t broken through onto the national level, but, you take Delabar, Loup, Oliver, his resume speaks for itself. Cecil hopefully finding a home down there. We’ve got a talented group.

“We can throw some righties at you. We can throw some lefties at you. No one’s really the same. Everyone has their own little specialty. At he end of the day if the starters pitch like they can . . . I was down (in the pen) a few years ago with Gibby (manager John Gibbons), he seems to put you in as good a position as he can to help you succeed. All things considered, I think we can do pretty well.”

Clearly, Gibbons has put them in a position to succeed. The six main relievers, plus Santos (minus Dave Bush, Jeremy Jeffress, Edgar Gonzalez and Ramon Ortiz) have worked a combined 59 innings in the first 19 games, allowing 53 hits, with 19 walks, 51 strikeouts and a 2.44 ERA. The Jays are 6-for-6 in save opportunities.

Suddenly, Janssen has become a senior member of the pen in terms of service time with the club. Oliver is obviously senior in age. Can Janssen become a mentor for this important group?

“I try to help when I can,” Janssen said. “Everybody tries to pick and choose when and how they can help. I’m sure Darren’s still learning at some point on a certain day. We’ve been here longer than some so if we can help in one way or another, we’re definitely willing to do it. If I’m here this year and next year, these are my guys. We’re going to need them, so we want them to be as comfortable as they can and pitching as best as they can.”

The breakthrough pitcher, a revelation in terms of his comeback from relative obscurity to an important role with the Jays has been the former starter, Cecil.

“His confidence is there and that’s the biggest thing,” Janssen said. “You can’t really fake confidence in this game. He’s got it. He believes in his ability and at the same time the results have been there. His fastball’s back. His breaking stuff is hard, it’s sharp and he’s able to get righties and lefties out and that helps his role in the bullpen as well.”

The Jays bullpen does not have big names, but it does have big arms. If the Jays are going to settle into a contender’s role with the starting pitching and the offence both rebounding, the role of the relievers becomes even more important. So far they have been better than expected.

THE WEEK THAT WAS: The Jays returned from Kansas City last Sunday to begin a seven-game homestand, going 2-2 in four games vs. the White Sox and losing two of three vs. the Yankees. Not a good record and a disappointing weekend for packed houses against the hated Bronx Bombers led by Vernon Wells.

The week did not start well. After playing third base all weekend following the ankle injury to Jose Reyes, Jose Bautista’s back tightened up post-game Sunday and worsened during the two-hour flight back to Toronto. In addition, he suffered an inner-ear infection. Bautista missed the entire White Sox series.

The most valuable, most important Jay then came back to DH in the first two games of the Yankee series, returning to right field only for the final game. He was originally set to DH all weekend, returning to his position in Baltimore on Monday, but they needed his presence vs. the Yanks to stabilize the defence. Starting pitching has been better than its record. The defence has been awful.

A good way to gauge progress in the Jays’ season is to evaluate the record each time through the five-man rotation. Using that won-lost breakdown, through Sunday, the Jays have been 2-3, 2-3, 2-3 and 2-2. They need to be better. Chemistry counts.

THE LIST

Jays who wore No. 42

Trailblazing Brooklyn Dodgers star Jackie Robinson’s uniform No. 42 was retired by all teams in MLB in 1997. Here’s a list of Jays that had worn it previously:

Jackie Moore: 1977-79

Paul Mirabella: 1980-81

Billy Smith: 1984

Xavier Hernandez: 1989

Galen Cisco: 1988, 1990-95

DOWN ON THE FARM

The Jays currently have four farm teams with schedules already underway. The only location change was at Triple-A, where the Jays moved their affiliate from Las Vegas to Buffalo. Great move. The others remain the same, at Double-New Hampshire, A-Dunedin and A-Lansing.

Following is a list of the early-season Top 5 OPS players, with 20 or more plate appearances:

Triple-A Buffalo (11-4): 2B Jim Negrych 1.342, DH Mauro Gomez 1.300, 1B Luis Jimenez 1.068, OF Ryan Langerhans 1.024, Eugenio Velez 1.005.

Double-A New Hampshire (8-10): 1B Clint Robinson .977, 2B John Tolisano .951, 3B Ryan Schimpf .898, OF Brad Glenn .826, OF Kevin Pillar .837

A Dunedin (13-4): 3B Andy Burns 1.024, OF Matt Newman .867, OF Gabe Jacobo .728, SS Peter Mooney .716, OF Jonathan Jones .708.

A Lansing (4-9): 3B Gustavo Pierre .836, OF Carlos Ramirez .830, 2B Christian Lopes .762, OF Dalton Pompey .641, C Seth Conner .641.

THE ESSAY

Baseball and Patriotism

Once again, as happens so often, baseball as a sport took centre stage when it came to America recovering its national equilibrium, its normalcy in the wake of a grave national crisis.

Recall following the events of 9/11 in New York, that after taking time off to grieve, baseball resumed its schedule, ending in the 2001 World Series between the Yankees and the Diamondbacks. The defining moment of the 2001 recovery was President George W. Bush defiantly strolling to the mound at Yankee Stadium prior to Game 3 of the Series to a huge standing ovation. Bush went all the way to the top of the mound and fired a strike as the crowd erupted again. The fact was later revealed he was wearing a flak jacket under his World Series windbreaker. It was an important, iconic moment.

During both World Wars, major league baseball continued to be played, making important concessions to the war effort, such as having spring training closer to home, shortening some seasons, and sending many star players off to fight. All the while, the administration of the day realized the importance of America’s national pastime to the psyche of a nation.

On Patriots Day in Boston, a horrible act of terrorism was committed on innocent runners and spectators at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. Aafter a day off, baseball, and sports, became an important vehicle for healing.

There were the Yankees importing the Fenway Park seventh inning staple, Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline, to Yankee Stadium to show their respect and love for the people of Boston. There were the emotional, crowd-fueled anthems and moments of respectful silence at all MLB ballparks, bringing the nation together in mourning and, ultimately, healing.

There was Big Papi’s televised rallying cry on the field at Fenway Park on Friday as they specially wore “Boston” instead of Red Sox across the front of their home white jerseys. “This is our (bleeping) city,” Ortiz growled, a politically incorrect faux-pas that was forgiven by the same FCC that saw fit to fine another network for Janet Jackson’s wardrobe malfunction at the Super Bowl.

Too often the world is becoming ridiculous, but always sports remains sublime.

THE RANT

There is a huge difference between sports teams that are athletically gifted and those that are fundamentally sound. For instance, the San Antonio Spurs are fundamentally sound. The Oklahoma City Thunder are athletically gifted. It’s easier for athletic to become fundamental than the other way around. That being said, the Blue Jays have a chance to be better with a little bit of fundamentals.

The Jays have been a mess so far in terms of execution. Maybe it’s because GM Alex Anthopoulos is so young. Maybe it was a case of the fact his first experience in baseball management was a fantasy league with friends in Montreal in the ’90s. But Anthopoulos has assembled a group of players with athleticism, but no early-season chemistry. The opening homestand of six games was an eye-opener. Three passed balls on opening day. Four errors in Game 4. Bad routes on balls in the air. Bad decisions on balls on the ground. Extra outs, extra pitches, extra runs. No amount of athleticism could cover up those weaknesses that were on display the opening homestand.

Guys like R.A. Dickey, Mark Buehrle and Josh Johnson must have been wondering what on earth they had signed up for. This Jays team was supposed to run away with the division and were listed all winter as top three among off-season favourites to win the World Series. The pitching numbers and the offensive history said that was the case. But there’s more to winning.

With Brett Lawrie sidelined early in the season and Jose Bautista out with an ankle and then a back issue, the athleticism was diminished. Combine that with an existing lack of fundamentals and the results were disaster. The catcher was getting used to a new rotation and was already more athletically gifted than fundamentally sound. The first baseman was in his first full season at the position and had early problems scooping balls in the dirt, that could save his infielders embarrassment.

The two second basemen were challenged by off-balance throws and double play pivots and balls that go clank in the night. The third basemen were playing out of position in the absence of Lawrie. The brilliant shortstop, Jose Reyes, was everything that Jays management had hoped for, but, of course he became the second guy that was seriously injured, out through the all-star break. Rajai Davis and Emilio Bonifacio in the outfield looked like they needed GPS.

But the greatest example of the huge gap between athleticism and fundamentals is Lawrie at third base. The Jays desperately needed him back in the lineup at third base because he has as much range and as big an arm as anyone at his position in the AL.

That being said, you understand you have to take the bad with the good. Like his overenthusiasm on a bunt play where he overcommitted to a ball that was clearly going to be handled by Aaron Loup, then tried to scramble back to the bag as the pitcher and catcher J.P. Arencibia anticipated a play that should have been as routine as it gets.

As Bautista gets back to playing right field, as Lawrie continues to learn from his mistakes, as Arencibia gets more of a bond with the starting pitchers, as second base becomes the lone position that Maicer Izturis must concern himself with, then maybe the Jays will come closer to being as good a team as anticipated. But there are more fundamental surprises on the way.

Hey, I know that the Jays will tell me that I didn’t see the early workouts on the back field, the countless groundballs that were taken in the early-morning sessions, the hands-on instruction that defines spring training days in Dunedin. OK, maybe I didn’t. But maybe if the Jays regulars were asked to play more innings in real spring games, played together more to get some chemistry, played most of the last 10 days after the WBC ended, maybe some of those fundamentally-challenged players wouldn’t be scratching their heads at game situations that arise when results really count. Just saying.

MLB NOTES

ALOU DRAWS INTEREST: It was only a matter of time following the Dominican Republic’s dramatic WBC victory in March, that former major-league outfielder Moises Alou would receive interest from MLB clubs to join someone’s front office. Alou was the Dominican general manager that took a disappointing, but extremely talented group from the 2009 WBC and turned them into an undefeated world juggernaut.

Alou, 46, has been retired for four years after a solid career with the Pirates, Expos, Marlins, Giants and Astros. He is now GM of the Escogido club in the Dominican Winter League. His star is on the rise, but he is in no hurry to accept a job offer in MLB if it means moving.

“I don’t want to become a GM or work full time with a major league’s team office,” Alou said in an interview with ESPNdeportes.com. “I want to be relaxed at home, go fishing, hunting. Just enjoy. . . . I played 18 years in the big leagues, plus four more in the minors. Then add another two in college; that’s 24 years away from my country. I love my country, want to enjoy it. Love hunting, fishing, horse-track racing. And I haven’t had the time to enjoy these activities. My aspirations are not to become a GM, because that would imply to leave the country to do something I no longer enjoy doing as much as I did when I was a player.”

The Blue Jays and GM Alex Anthopoulos would do well to be among the group of interested clubs. There are always creative ways to solve any problem, but having Alou onboard as an executive in some capacity, for a team that has so heavily involved itself in the Caribbean, would be smart.

THIS DATE IN BASEBALL HISTORY

April 22: 1970 Mets’ RH Tom Seaver struck out 19 Padres including the last 10 in a row. The 19 tied Steve Carlton’s modern record and the 10 in a row had never been done. ... 1966 The Braves play their first game in Atlanta after moving from Milwaukee. They beat the Mets 8-4.

April 23: 1999 Cards’ 3B Fernando Tatis strokes two grand slams in the same inning, a MLB record. In the third inning of a 12-5 victory vs. the Dodgers, he goes deep twice vs. Chan Ho Park. ... 1954 OF Hank Aaron slams his first career home run vs. the Cards’ Vic Raschi at Sportsmans Park.

April 24: 1945 At an owners meeting in Cleveland, former Kentucky governor Happy Chandler is voted in as commissioner succeeding Judge Kennesaw Mountain Landis. Within a year of Chandler taking office, Branch Rickey had signed Jackie Robinson to his first contract. ... 1965 Mets manager Casey Stengel recorded win No. 3,000 as a MLB manager.

April 25: 1976 In the year of the U.S. bicentennial, Cubs outfielder Rick Monday rescued an American flag in the outfield that was about to be set aflame by a pair of disgruntled protestors. . . . 1995 Opening Day following the devastating 257-day strike of ’94.

April 26: 1941 The Cubs become the first team in baseball to install and in-house organ for the entertainment of its fans. The first tune was not Sweet Caroline. 1986 The first domed stadium to be supported by air, the Metrodome suffesr a rip in the roof from high winds, causing a nine-minute delay while they repair and pump it back up.

April 27: 1996 Svelte Giants OF Barry Bonds homers twice becoming the fourth MLB player in history with 300 homers and 300 steals. He joins Bobby Bonds, Willie Mays and Andre Dawson ... 1983 Astros’ RH Nolan Ryan fans Expos 3B Brad Mills to pass Walter Johnson for the all-time lead in strikeouts at 3,509.

MLB POWER RANKINGS

1. Atlanta Braves

Toughest team, toughest pen in tough division

2. San Francisco Giants

Zito and Lincecum are pitching like they need to

3. Boston Red Sox

Lester and Buchholz pitching to their potential

4. Texas Rangers

A different team than last three years but still very good

5. Colorado Rockies

NL West was supposed to be Giants, Dodgers, Snakes

6. Oakland A’s

The lustre is coming off the young pitching

7. New York Yankees

Retreads seem inspired by pinstripes

8. Detroit Tigers

Victor Martinez slow to contribute after year off

9. St. Louis Cardinals

These guys not the most talented but stay competitive

10. Arizona Diamondbacks

Young athletic and very good

11. Baltimore Orioles

The bullpen just keeps on ticking

12. Kansas City Royals

New rotation revolves around Shields and Santana

13. Washington Nationals

Worried about key starter Zimmermann

14. Cincinnati Reds

Lights out at home. Need to become road warriors

15. Pittsburgh Pirates

Coaching staff convinced second half woes behind them

16. New York Mets

John Buck playing like all-star. Travis D’Arnaud injured again

17. Milwaukee Brewers

Continue to be a work in progress with Braun the constant

18. Minnesota Twins

Diamond back and pitching in surprising Twins rotation

19. Los Angeles Dodgers

Billingsley joins Greinke on DL

20. Tampa Bay Rays

These guys desperately seeking offence

21. Chicago White Sox

An impressive bullpen but offensively challenged

22. Cleveland Indians

Hard to believe in this rotation

23. Toronto Blue Jays

Fundamentally challenged making them look bad

24. Los Angeles Angels

Bullpen for years was their strength

25. Philadelphia Phillies 2115

Voting Charlie Manuel as next manager to go

26. Seattle Mariners

Felix still the one recognizable M

27. Chicago Cubs

Year after year looking for trade but Soriano remains

28. Houston Astros

Brett Wallace shipped to minors. Not a good sign for career

29. San Diego Padres

Unlucky or just plain not ready for primetime

30. Miami Marlins

Hechavarria and Henderson Alvarez both on DL

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

The week began on a horrible and stunning note when the annual Boston Marathon celebration on Patriots Day devolved into a national disaster due to two homemade bombs set off at the finish line at approximately the 4:06 mark of the race, with many of the recreational, more pedestrian runners just finishing up their 26 miles with families and friends waiting to greet them. The terrorist act shut an entire city down for days and was a senseless example of man’s inhumanity to man.

The Jays played out the sad week at the Rogers Centre, leaving following their 8-4 Sunday win, headed for Baltimore. I left earlier on Sunday afternoon, expecting delays at Pearson, but the flying experience was normal, no sign of any extra presence or heightened security, even at the U.S. checkpoints. Of course travel normal has never, ever really been normal snce September, 2001.

The Bullpen: Blue Jays are panicking by trying Brett Lawrie at second base

RICK MADONIK / TORONTO STAR FILE PHOTO

Jays are testing infielder Brett Lawrie at second base because of injuries to the MLB club.

YEAR 2 VOLUME X, APRIL 15, 2013

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BLUE JAYS CORNER

LAWRIE EXPERIMENTS AT SECOND BASE

The Blue Jays are seriously considering the idea of having Brett Lawrie play second base at the major-league level when he returns later this week, at least until Jose Reyes returns from his ankle injury. That would leave Jose Bautista playing third base, with Munenori Kawasaki filling at shortstop — until they can find an upgrade in trade or purchase from another major-league club.

That Lawrie decision seems a sign of panic from the Jays as contenders and an indication that they believe the signing of Maicer Izturis to a 3-year, $10 million contractsigning of Maicer Izturis to a 3-year, $10 million contract was a mistake.

Third base is a position that is not very deep in star power at the major-league level. Lawrie is on his way to becoming one of the best at that position. But he started Sunday’s game, his first on rehab option at Class-A Dunedin at second base, turning two double plays, handling himself well. Recall that his final season in the Brewers’ organization at AA-Huntsville, Lawrie was an all-star second baseman.

If Bautista moves to third base for the next three months, it seems likely that right field will not be handed over on a full-time basis to either Rajai Davis or Emilio Bonifacio. The Jays are understanding the absolute necessity of solid defence if they are to win with this expensive five-man rotation. As such, they would likely call up either Anthony Gose or Moises Sierra and Gose is not yet ready. Sierra showed well in the World Baseball Classic for Team Dominican and in a brief stint with the Jays last year. His arm is accurate, a deterrent, something neither Davis nor Bonifacio provides.

Without Reyes there is no leader on the infield. Bautista showed in Kansas City that he can be that guy. But what does it say about the Jays’ off-season building? They stripped away the major-league ready depth at shortstop in the deal with the Marlins. When they signed Izturis back in November, they still had Yunel Escobar and Adeiny Hechavarria. The $3 million to Izturis is akin to a highly paid reserve infielder, but they now are showing they are not happy with the idea of him starting for three months at shortstop until Reyes returns, or even playing second base every day when Lawrie is back.

Jays’ GM Alex Anthopoulos is diligently working the phones seeking a trade for a major-league defensive shortstop with more offensive upside than Kawasaki. Former fan favourite John McDonald is the type of player that would be a great fit. Anthopoulos may be dangling either Bonifacio or Davis. Bonifacio’s best role is as a versatile super-sub, but Izturis, if he is not to start, is capable of filling in at all three infield positions. With Davis, Casper Wells and if they brought up Sierra or Gose to start, with Bautista capable in right field, they would be plenty deep enough in the outfield.

The Jays’ mistake is in interrupting Lawrie’s development as an elite third baseman and changing his position at the major-league level. It’s not that easy and besides, for an aggressive player like Lawrie, second base would seem to be an accident, an incident waiting to happen. Will he shy away from contact on a hard slide? Will he leave his feet and dive for more groundballs, the thing that led to his latest injury as a third baseman? Will he give way to outfielders on in-between fly balls when he is going warp-speed for the catch? Is he in harm’s way more as a second baseman? Yes. And when Reyes returns, how will that affect the second and third base situation? Would the move be permanent?

It may be a way that Anthopoulos is thinking ahead to the day Gose is ready to play and be a star, a way to get his offensive skills into an outfield that includes Melky Cabrera and Colby Rasmus. But that is likely somewhere down the line. Anthopoulos seems to be calling an audible at the line.

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THE WEEK THAT WAS FROM COMERICA TO KAUFFMAN

The Jays are 1-1 since the devastating ankle injury to Jose Reyes, but have scored just five runs in the two games without their talented, speedy leadoff hitter. Can they score enough runs?

The good news for the Jays is that the starting pitching, even though it still has to get into the eighth inning, seems to have found a comfort level. The first time through the rotation on the first six-game home stand, ace R.A. Dickey struggled with the Dome. He thought he would love the effect the controlled atmosphere had on the intentionally erratic flight of his knuckler, but seemed not to be aware that the ball carries really well with the roof closed. Josh Johnson and Mark Buehrle also struggled.

When the Jays got to Detroit at the start of last week, the cold weather slammed into Brandon Morrow, Buehrle and the warm-weather seeking Josh Johnson. But when they got to the relative balminess of Kansas City, the starters found their groove. The Jays allowed a total of nine runs in the three games vs. the Royals winning the first series, two of three, after dropping the first three series.

The bullpen, considered a weakness by many coming out of spring training, has been a strength, especially with the resurgence of Brett Cecil in a significant role.

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THE LIST: JAPANESE-BORN BLUE JAYS

1. Michael Nakamura RHP . . . 2004

2. Tomo Ohka RHP . . . 2007

3. Ryota Igarishi RHP . . . 2012

4.Munenori Kawasaki . . . 2013

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ESSAY – REVIEW OF “42”

On Friday, April 12, the highly anticipated film “42” the story of Jackie Robinson opened in theatres across North America. It’s more than just a movie about sports. It’s an important work about social change, about the most important figure, in the most important time in baseball history.

On Monday, April 15, major-league baseball celebrates the 66th anniversary of Robinson’s debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field. All players will have the option of wearing the No. 42 on that day. It should be mandatory that all major-league players watch the 42 film. Maybe MLB can mandate it as the in-flight movie for every team charter at least once in the next 30 days.

I took my family to see 42 on Friday and it was an emotional time for those familiar with the story and it was eye-opening for those that were just finding out what Jackie Robinson accomplished.

I never saw Jackie Robinson play, but immersed myself in his story back in 1995 when researching an extensive feature for the 50th anniversary of his one season in Montreal. I interviewed Rachel Robinson in the lobby of the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in that city and, to this day, she remains the most impressive sports figure that I have encountered, strong, intelligent and charismatic.

The actors playing Jackie Robinson (Chadwick Bosman), Rachel (Nicole Beharie) and Dodgers’ president Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford) were totally convincing. Even being familiar with the real-life characters, you become totally immersed in the characterizations. There were a handful of iconic photos featuring Robinson, his minor-league year in Montreal and his rookie season with the Dodgers. What was well done was that the 42 script incorporated action that inevitably ended with the actors arriving at those specific moments, almost posing for a still-shot within a movie. Clever.

The baseball scenes were well done. It was a different game back in those days. The only scenes that I found jarring, wondering about the actors and their baseball skills were not with the players, but when some of the coaches of the Dodgers and Montreal Royals were hitting fungoes for infield and fly balls. Awkward. One guesses they didn’t need stunt doubles for those scenes, but maybe they did.

A couple of other details were somewhat head-shaking. Every time Jackie was stealing a base, he led off with the same finger-wagging lead as Robinson had, but he never seemed to take off until the ball was on its way to the plate. Horrible jumps. The other was redneck pitcher Kirby Higbe wearing a thin silver necklace in an early spring training scene. Players did not wear jewelry in 1946.

What was beautifully handled was the sometimes suspicious relationship between Robinson and Rickey. Never were Rickey’s motives for the Great Experiment glorified or idealized. All the various possibilities from idealist to opportunistic entrepreneur were presented without editorial comment.

He told his Dodgers executives callously that “money is green” as he revealed his plan in the late summer of 1945. Later on, when Rickey was confronted by Robinson asking his real motive, he spun a story about a black college catcher that he encountered at Ohio Wesleyan University that never got a chance and that he felt he hadn’t done enough. Now he could remedy that. The viewer decides.

The director Brian Helgeland never uses his power of script to show which side he himself believes. The fact is the population demographic of the borough of Brooklyn had changed dramatically by the end of World War II and the belief among many was that Rickey wanted to attract a new audience to the ballpark while strengthening his team with dynamic, untapped talent.

There are no car chases in 42, except maybe when newspaper writer Wendell Smith is forced to accelerate into traffic to escape a potentially angry mob in ’46 in Daytona Beach. The true drama of the narrative comes in the gradual evolution of his teammates into accepting a black player as a teammate, as an important figure in their midst, one that can help them win. No punches are pulled.

The evolution of their attitude begins in spring training of 1947 when the Dodgers major-leaguers, training in Panama largely because of the racism in Florida the previous spring, realize that Jackie is scheduled to be their starting first baseman on Opening Day. Led by outfielder Dixie Walker they put together a petition and coerce most of the team into signing it. Rickey has manager Leo Durocher call a team meeting and lay down the law, threatening to trade anyone that wants to go.

Higbe is traded to the Pirates. Dixie Walker changes his mind. The Dodgers start to win games and Robinson is a major contributor. Slowly they come around as teammates and human beings. Pee Wee Reese visits Rickey and is concerned about playing with a black teammate in front of family and friends in Cincinnati across the river from his old Kentucky home. During infield at Crosley Field, with a hostile crowd booing, he walks to stand beside Jackie and wrap his arm around him at first base.

Jackie is hit in the head by a pitch and Al Gionfriddo leads the dugout charge in his defence. Jackie is heckled mercilessly with all manner of racial slurs by Phillies manager Ben Chapman. Finally Eddie Stanky walks across the field to confront Chapman. Ralph Branca asks Robinson why he waits until everyone has showered before he does. Jackie says he doesn’t want them to feel uncomfortable. He then shows up to shower with his mates and the water running down his face seems cathartic.

The movie is well worth seeing for sports fans and for anyone that want to better understand an important part of North America’s civil rights movement. In honour of Roger Ebert, two thumbs up.

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BLUE JAYS DOWN ON THE FARM

The Jays currently have four farm teams with schedules underway. The only change was at Triple-A, where the Jays moved their affiliate from Las Vegas to Buffalo. Great move. The others remain the same, at AA-New Hampshire, A-Dunedin and A-Lansing.

The AAA change works out for them in many ways. For instance on the first weekend when the Jays needed another bullpen arm, they were able to wake David Bush up at 6 a.m. in Buffalo and have him at the Rogers Centre by car in time for a day game. In the same manner when they shipped him back Sunday, he was available on Monday for the Bisons.

Following is a list of the early-season starting rotations for the farm teams:

AAA-BUFFALO (4-4): RH Justin Germano, RH Ramon Ortiz, RH Claudio Vargas, RH Casey Lawrence, RH David Bush and RH Tyson Brummett.

AA-NEW HAMPSHIRE (6-5): RH Deck McGuire, RH Ryan Tepera, RH Marcus Walden, RH Clint Everts, Brummett and RH Austin Bibens-Dirkx.

A-DUNEDIN (7-3): RH Aaron Sanchez, RH Jesse Hernandez, RH Scott Copeland, Lawrence and LH Efrain Nieves.

A-LANSING (3-6): LH Daniel Norris, RH Roberto Osuna, RH Javier Avendano, RH Taylor Cole and LH Alonzo Gonzalez.

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THE RANT

Some players just don’t get it. Carlos Quentin, the outfielder of the Padres who fractured Zack Greinke’s left collarbone when he charged the mound last week is one of them. He has no clue. Greinke, one of the marquee pitchers in the game, is now lost to the Dodgers indefinitely. Why? Because Quentin, who outweighs Greinke by 50 lbs., believed the Dodgers right-hander hit him with a pitch on purpose and he raced out and collided shoulder to shoulder breaking Greinke’s collarbone.

First of all, the right-handed hitting Quentin crowds the dish and dives across in order to cover the outside half of the plate. There are plenty of guys like that. When you can wear armour on your elbow you get brave. The way you pitch a strong, muscle-bound guy like that is inside half of the plate, tie him up and neutralize his power. If you miss your spot there’s a chance you hit him. He hit him.

Here’s where Quentin is somewhat of an idiot. The Padres outfielder believed he was hit on purpose because it was the third time in five years that Greinke has drilled him. Wah. Players have to understand the circumstances of a game and set their egos aside. The Dodgers were nursing a 2-1 lead in the seventh and the count was full. No pitcher is going to drill an opponent in that situation.

I remember in Montreal, Pedro Martinez had a perfect game going with one out in the eighth inning vs. the Reds at Olympic Stadium on April 13, 1994. On an 0-2 pitch, he came inside and hit Reggie Sanders to spoil his own perfect game. Sanders charged the mound because he thought Pedro threw at him on purpose. That is the type of ego-driven idiotic reaction that needs to be curbed.

Yes I loved the WBC brawl. That fight in the Mexico-Canada game at the World Baseball Classic in Phoenix at least had some logic to it. Canada bunts . . . unwritten rule . . . retaliation and all that. Mexico’s third baseman clearly gestured to his pitcher calling for the retribution. Right-hander Arnold Leon missed the mark twice before finally drilling Rene Tosoni. There was no question it was intentional. Fight breaks out. Everyone knew what that fight was about. Quentin’s made no sense.

In fact who could blame the Dodgers — and I say this somewhat tongue in cheek — if they filed a civil suit against Quentin for about one-third of the $17 million they are paying Greinke. It was unnecessary roughness. And is an eight-game suspension enough? Idiot.

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MLB HIGHLIGHTS APRIL 8-14

1. Spurred on by the opening of the Jackie Robinson biopic, baseball commissioner Bud Selig announced formation of a committee to study the issue of why the African-American contribution to major league baseball’s rosters has slipped to just above eight per cent from a high of 19 per cent in 1986. Heading the committee is Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski, a good choice, a sensitive, compassionate baseball executive, a protege of the great Roland Hemond and a student of the game’s history. He is joined by former Mets manager and Expos coach, Jerry Manuel, plus two others, Stanford University athletic director Bernard Muir, and baseball scouting bureau director Frank Marcos. This is good.

2. The Braves jump out to MLB best 11-1 record, sweeping their main division rivals the Nationals led by newcomer Justin Upton, shortstop Andrelton Simmons in his first full season and a terrific bullpen.

3. On Sunday, Phillies’ right-hander Roy Halladay thrilled his many fans by recording his 200th career win, working eight innings vs. the Miami Marlins. The Halladay win followed two terrible starts plus a struggling spring training cursed by a drop in velocity. Skeptics would point to the fact it was the Marlins, but the fact is even the Buffalo Bisons had tonged Doc at spring training. He would need seven more 15 win seasons to reach 300, which seem highly unlikely, but a great career nonetheless.

4. If the Jays fans are concerned about their slow start after all the off-season moves, how about the Angels and owner Arte Moreno? The Angels added Josh Hamilton to a lineup that already included Albert Pujols and Mike Trout and are struggling to score runs, capped by a Hamilton base-running gaffe Friday, doubled off first base on a foul popup. Some are wondering about Mike Scioscia’s future.

5. The Biogenesis anti-aging, pro-PED issue just won’t go away. The latest is the story that MLB has tried to purchase clinic documents from an ex-employee of Biogenesis to keep them out of the hands of certain implicated players that may want to destroy them. MLB and the MLBPA are both involved in a serious investigation of Biogenesis that would likely lead to suspensions and sanctions. There are no names being named as to who might want to purchase, but “round up the usual suspects.”

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THIS DATE IN BASEBALL HISTORY

April 15, 1947:Jackie Robinson emerges from the tunnel at Ebbets Field wearing the uniform No. 42 becoming the first African-American major-leaguer of the modern era. It wasn’t an instant cure for baseball’s unwritten exclusion. The Red Sox in 1959 became the last of 16 major-league teams to integrate with a reserve infielder named Pumpsie Green . . . 1989: Red Sox outfielder Andre Dawson vs. Indians hits his 400th career homer.

April 16, 1989: Blue Jays third baseman Kelly Gruber hits for the cycle in a game vs. the Royals.

April 17, 1976: Phillies third baseman Mike Schmidt homers four times, adds a single and eight RBIs in a game at Wrigley Field with the wind blowing out. He homers twice against Rick Reuschel and once vs. Rick’s brother Paul, adding a final blast off Mike Garman . . . 1969: Expos’ right-hander Bill Stoneman tosses a no-hitter in just the 10th game in franchise history. He walked seven Phillies, a feat he duplicated three years later against the Mets . . . 1947: Jackie Robinson’s first MLB hit . . . 1951:Mickey Mantle’s first MLB hit.

April 18, 1981: Reds starter Tom Seaver fans Keith Hernandez of the Cards for his 3000th career strikeout . . . 1923: Yankee Stadium opens for business . . . 1925: Ebbets Field hosts its first game. That very morning, Dodgers’ president Charles Ebbets passes away.

April 19, 1981: The IL game between Pawtucket and Rochester ends with a 2-2 tie in a record 32 innings. The game is completed later in the year with the Paw-Sox winning in 33.

April 20, 1912: Fenway Park and Tiger Stadium both open their doors to host their first major-league games as state of the art facilities . . . .but nobody cares as survivors of the Titanic arrive back in New York hogging all the newspaper coverage.

April 21, 1984: Expos’ pitcher David Palmer throws five perfect innings at Busch Stadium before rain ends the game. In the only time it ever occurred, PR man Richard Griffin wakes Palmer up from a deep sleep on a training table in the tunnel to shake his hand and congratulate him on his perfect game. Later on, after Pascual Perez also throws a rain-shortened perfect game, the MLB rule is changed and Palmer loses his Perfecto. Luckily the Expos had not given him a car or they would have had to take it back.

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MLB POWER RANKINGS (as of April 14))

TEAM (with opening day and start of spring rankings in parentheses)

1. San Francisco Giants (1, 1)

What’s not to like about WS champs

2. Atlanta Braves (5, 2)

The hottest team in baseball led by Justin Upton

3. Washington Nationals (3, 4)

Swept by the Braves right now no embarrassment

4. Oakland A’s (7, 8)

Injuries to surprising offence will hurt

5. Los Angeles Dodgers (10, 5)

Greinke’s no sumo as he’s out for two months

6. Texas Rangers (11, 6)

No Hamilton, no Young, no Napoli, no problem

7. Detroit Tigers (4, 7)

Austin Jackson and Torii Hunter could be key

8. St. Louis Cardinals (13, 13)

Closer out for year but starters better than expected

9. Arizona Diamondbacks (16, 17)

Young, athletic and very good

10. Boston Red Sox (15, 16)

Farrell is having positive influence on his pitchers

11. Baltimore Orioles (12, 11)

This team could go either way

12. Kansas City Royals (14, 18)

Bullpen throws unbelievably hard

13. Cleveland Indians (17, 20)

Masterson perfect 3-0 but has never held it together

14. New York Yankees (20, 14)

Who are these guys + Cano

15. Colorado Rockies (26, 25)

Another young team with something to prove

16. Toronto Blue Jays (2, 3)

Loss of Reyes will test their mettle

17. Cincinnati Reds (6, 9)

Fast start has stalled

18. Tampa Bay Rays (9, 10)

Need to generate more offence

19. Pittsburgh Pirates (19, 28)

No one will believe until they put a full season together

20. New York Mets (28, 27)

John Buck top slugger in NL? Wow.

21. Philadelphia Phillies (21, 15)

Halladay notches 200th win. Nice going Doc.

22. Seattle Mariners (18, 21)

Offence may be better than people think

23. Los Angeles Angels (8, 12)

Shocked by slow start and loss of their ace Weaver

24. Chicago White Sox (22, 19)

Off to a slow start or are they just bad

25. Milwaukee Brewers (23, 22)

Axford has lost his closing role to fellow Canadian Henderson

26. Chicago Cubs (25, 24)

Signed Kevin Gregg to work his way into closing role

27. Minnesota Twins (27, 26)

Rotation will not scare anyone

28. Houston Astros (30, 30)

On their way to all-world strikeout record

29. Miami Marlins (29, 29)

Fans staying away in droves

30. San Diego Padres (24, 23)

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ON THE ROAD AGAIN

There I was at 1:30 a.m. on Monday night/Tuesday morning parked next to a gas pump of one of those generic OnRoute stops near Chatham on the 401 heading to Detroit, doors open to the rental car searching through a darkened vehicle with unfamiliar nooks and crannies for a lost cell phone. I could have dialed the number and listened for the ring — except I didn’t have a damn cell phone.

Yeah, the glamorous life of a baseball columnist. In any case I had just finished at 10:30 p.m. an indoor practice for the minor-midget Oakville As and was still in track pants and wind jacket, neither of which has a reliable cell phone pocket. Let’s see. Did I leave my Blackberry at the indoor facility? Did I lose it when I stopped at a gas station at Dundas and Trafalgar to check the trunk and make sure I had my bag for the three days in the Motor City? Panic was setting in. How did we ever do this job without cell phones and wireless? Press boxes no longer provide phones.

In any case, I was making the attendant inside nervous. Finally, deep under the passenger seat of my rented Sonata I felt something. It was my missing cell phone. Maybe a White berry would be easier to spot in such dire circumstances. I finally arrived at the Courtyard right across from the mouth of the Windsor Tunnel around 2:45 a.m. to find they had already cancelled my reservation and billed my card for the one night. No problem. Fifteen minutes later it was all straightened out.

Tuesday, Jays lose as Brandon Morrow can’t locate his slider not even close enough to tempt the Tigers into swinging. Tigers win. Wednesday, the Jays rebound from a 6-1 deficit to win, despite a shaky Mark Buehrle start. The bullpen is good. The team is smiling post-game for the first time.

After the game, delayed by rain, there’s time for a bite to eat at Fishbones in Greektown, followed by a mandatory stop at the Detroiter on Beaubien, an establishment that usually leaps out to block my way back to the hotel whenever I am in Detroit.

There are two issues at the Detroiter on this night. First there seems to be a stray dog wandering around out on the street looking lost and alone. The bartender wanders out and comes back concerned. I volunteer to drive the dog to a shelter if it turns up again. Would I have made that offer if the bartender wasn’t long, lean, blonde and lanky? Probably not. Luckily the dog never returns.

The second issue was over control of the jukebox. Seems this local Detroit off-duty DJ kept stepping up and playing Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett, using the “play next” option to override my Rick Ross, Drake and local legend Eminem. Finally we meet at the jukebox and reach agreement that the songs will play in order with no preemptive strikes. Patrons are confused by who’s playing what.

Finally on Thursday, another day game, the Jays lose again. Josh Johnson can’t handle the 34 degree F. weather and the Tigers take advantage. I head home and the Jays take two of three in Kansas City, but are devastated by the severely sprained ankle to their best player, Jose Reyes.

Blue Jays: Jose Reyes injury devastating to best laid plans: Griffin

The Blue Jays may have won the game on Friday night in Kansas City, but if ever there was a sporting definition of Pyrrhic Victory, this was it. The Jays won that battle but ultimately may have lost the war, as during that 8-4 victory their most important player, shortstop Jose Reyes, was lost to devastating injury.

Beginning from Day 1 of spring training back in mid-February, it had already become clear that the one player the Blue Jays could least afford to lose from their revamped, ready to compete 2013 roster was their all-star leadoff man Reyes.

A nightmare scenario of life without Reyes became painful reality on Friday night at Kauffman Stadium after Reyes injured his left ankle, in an ugly, awkward slide at second base caused by indecision. He thought there was a foul ball. He usually goes in headfirst. Amidst tears of pain and frustration, Reyes' ankle was immobilized, he was carted off the field and left the ballpark in a wheelchair talking on his cellphone, likely reassuring family and friends that he would be alright. Teammates were stunned. 

The report following an MRI in Kansas City is that Reyes has a badly sprained ankle that at the moment will not require surgery. The estimate if all goes well is that the starry shortstop will be available after the all-star break in mid to late July. 

Not only is Reyes the best defender on the team at his position, he is the type of prototypical leadoff batter that the Jays have been missing for years, maybe since Otis Nixon -- and he pales by comparison. Reyes brought a passion and joy to the clubhouse that resulted, ultimately, in a similar focus to Jose Bautista once the game started, giving young Jays two role models to emulate at complete opposite ends of the leadership spectrum. And just as the Jays sorely missed Bautista when he was absent and rehabbing in the second half last season, so will they miss Reyes when he leaves to rehab his injury.

Where do the Jays go from here? For the moment, Bautista has offered his services as a third baseman, at which he is above average, but he is also the Jays' right fielder of the present and future and Rajai Davis is less than adequate as an everyday outfielder.

The first thing GM Alex Anthopoulos must do, then, is accelerate his timeline for third baseman Brett Lawrie, who finally had returned to game action on Thursday in Dunedin after a slow rehab of his injured left oblique. Lawrie had suffered the rib injury on March 6 in Phoenix and had surprised people, negatively, with the amount of time that it took him to feel comfortable enough to return to playing in a game.

Lawrie had suffered a similar injury to his opposite, right side in 2012, attempted to play through the pain and then likely attempted to come back too soon. He had reached the point, personally, this year where he preferred be too careful, as he explained, waiting until his left side felt just like his right. The Jays will place their baseball order from the only menu available, and are hoping that two good sides come with their order, even if they have to pay a premium in terms of patience with less than optimum offence as Lawrie's timing at the plate works its way back to normal -- at the major-league level.

That Lawrie promotion will solidify the third base defence that has been struggling with Maicer Izturis and Mark DeRosa demonstrating for 10 days how good Lawrie actually is at the position. Then Bautista would be able to go back to the outfield and Davis can resume as a part-time, platoon DH and explosive weapon off the bench.

As for the shortstop position, after the trading of Yunel Escobar and Adeiny Hechavarria to the Marlins, there is nothing long-term on the immediate horizon within the organization. Mike McCoy is a utility player. Young Ryan Goins showed at spring training that he is not at the level where he can be trusted defensively at shortsop on a day-to-day basis. Beyond that, on March 14, the Jays signed free agent shortstop Munenori Kawasaki, who on a short term basis was the best option to be called up right now -- and was.

Kawasaki, 31, a fan favourite because of his Reyes-like attitude (not ability) about the game, played 61 games for the Mariners in 2012 -- 39 at shortstop. He is a defender, winning a couple of Gold Gloves in the Japanese major leagues. But offensively, despite good baserunning speed, he is inadequate on an all-round basis in the long-term.

On one of the visits to the Mattick training centre in Dunedin this spring, I saw Kawasaki in a game and he carried himself like a man among boys, like he knew he could still play at the next level. He started the season in Buffalo, where he had batted .400 in two games.

So where does Anthopoulos look for help, which he admits he is doing? Television images showed him already on the phone in a press level private box at Kauffman Stadium. He has his go-to GMs and there are some players out there with other teams that could help until Reyes returns, some maybe more. He said he's looking for defence first.

Just a quick survey of shortstops with major-league experience that could be available. The list includes Mike Aviles (Indians), John McDonald (Pirates), Yuniesky Betancourt (Brewers), Jonathan Herrera (Rockies), Ramiro Pena (Braves), Cesar Izturis (Reds) and, what would be a bold stroke move, the demoted Dee Gordon of the Dodgers.  

In the meantime, the Jays can survive the Reyes injury if other players in the batting order step up to produce offensively as had been expected -- guys like Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion, Adam Lind, Colby Rasmus and Lawrie. But what they need more than anything out of shortstop is the defence to allow the starting pitching to find its stride.

It has come to pass that the most difficult man to replace in the batting order now needs to be replaced. Successfully bridging the timeline until Reyes returns will be Anthopoulos' most difficult challenge. Despite the stunning loss of Reyes, there is no Blue Jays excuse for not contending, even with General Pyrrhus leading the charge.    

 

Blue Jays struggling Emilio Bonifacio finds seat on the bench: Griffin

And on the third day, he rested.

The Blue Jays' struggling Emilio Bonifacio has had a tough time mastering the nuances of his new position, second base. The problem came to a head in Game 2 of the Tigers series on Wednesday at Comerica Park, failing to turn a double play with Prince Fielder trundling down the line, booting a grounder by Matt Tuiasosopo, being one of three fielders surrounding a short RBI popup by Jhonny Peralta and allowing a rare infield single to Fielder. No one could argue that a day off in the series finale would not do him good.

“I'm not saying it's a mental thing," manager John Gibbons said. "He's had a couple of games where it's a tough go. I don't know him well enough and I'm not in his head, but he's showed no signs of it really affecting him because he's getting after it. He's playing hard. I don't think he has that personality to really get him down. We'll give him a day off, but I'm not worried about Emilio."

It was another dark, overcast, threatening day with temperatures just above freezing in the Motor City as the tarp covered the infield with a forecast for heavy rain around 3:00 p.m. Twenty hours earlier in the Jays' energizing come-from-behind 8-6 victory on Wednesday, Mark DeRosa had contributed a pinch-hit two-run double and then drew a key bases-loaded walk in the seventh. His reward was a Thursday start at third-base, with Maicer Izturis moving over to his more natural second base position, replacing Bonifacio behind starter Josh Johnson.

“I want to be out there for my teammates," Bonifacio said, refusing to use cold weather or an unfamiliar position as excuses. "I'm going to be available when Gibby wants to use me. It's worse when you put your head down and something happens for that reason. The game's going to continue so you're going to have another chance. That next one can be worse if you let it. So you just have to keep your head up and keep going."

The former Marlins' utility man has made four errors, including a natural hat trick of miscues the first time Johnson started at the Rogers Centre. In addition, the Jays have turned just four double plays, even with the slick fielding Jose Reyes at shortstop. That low total of DP's is tied for 13th with the Red Sox in the AL, just ahead of the Angels.   

"He's playing a position now that he played once in a while,' infield coach Luis Rivera said. "He's moved around but now he's in one spot. I think he just needs to relax. I don't think there's anything wrong with him. I cannot say his hands are like rocks. He's got soft hands. He's got good feel. Maybe it's a little lack of concentration, I don't know what it is. He's got plenty of arm to throw. Sometimes he's just goes back and forth from the outfield to the infield, he throws long, short. I think sometimes he's too short (arm) when he throws."

Gibbons refused to indicate whether this was simply a one-and-done day off for Bonifacio or if the defensive alignment might remain this way with Izturis and DeRosa until Brett Lawrie is ready to return. Lawrie was scheduled to play an extended spring training game at the Jays' minor-league complex in Dunedin on Thursday.

“You get DeRosa in, he had a nice game yesterday," Gibbons said. "He's a good defender over there and you get Maicer in at second base. It'll probably do Bonny a little bit of good to get away from it for a day. Nothing jumps out at me. He doesn't quit playing hard. He doesn't drop his head. But he's got to be feeling it. It's been a tough go for him lately. He's going to be a big part of this team and we're going to need him if we're going to be successful. A day off's not going to hurt."

Or perhaps a few days off. Barring any physical setback, Lawrie should be back with the Jays sometime on the next homestand at the Rogers Centre, before the end of April.