Jays vs. Phillies - Reed Johnson memorial game

First day back and they hit me with this?

Reed Johnson's nine years in the Blue Jay organization ended this morning. The club released him. One minute he was there in his civvies saying goodbye, and then he was gone. He will receive a $546,000 (U.S.) cheque as a parting gift - one-sixth of his planned $3.275 million salary.

The winner in the left-field battle, Shannon Stewart, wasn't doing any crowing. He referred to Johnson as a "close" friend and seemed shocked that he'd been cut. Even GM J.P. Ricciardi seemed rattled by the decision.

"Today wasn't a fun day for me, telling that to somebody I personally like and professionally like," Ricciardi said.

But Johnson will find work quickly, most likely as a fourth outfielder on a National League club like the Padres. Here's wishing him all the best. He was one of the good ones and will be missed.

As I write, we've finished two innings in sunny Dunedin. It's 1-0 Phillies after a solo home run given up to Chase Utley by A.J. Burnett (Surely, not a curveball. Surely not!).

NOTE: Ricciardi let it slip this morning that Rule 5 pick-up Randy Wells has made this team. It's getting awfully crowded in that bullpen. Ricciardi wouldn't list off the people the final roll call, but right now it must stack up like this on Opening Day:

- Accardo
- Downs
- League
- Tallet
- Frasor
- Wolfe
- Wells

This is working under the (safe) assumption that B.J. Ryan starts the year on a rehabilitation assignment and that Armando Benitez needs a little more time in the gym before he makes a major league roster.

TOP OF THE FOURTH: Geoff Jenkins singles into left field. With a Phillie heading home, new part-time left-fielder Shannon Stewart comes up firing. His throw is about thirty feet short of the mark and twenty feet wide. This is what we have to look forward to.

TOP OF THE FIFTH: Oh, the humanity. Bases loaded and one out for the Phillies. Chris Snelling pops one into shallow left. More like deep short. Another brutal throw by Stewart and Shane Victorino slides in safe. 5-0 Philadelphia. Burnett threw 31 pitches that inning. We won't see him for his planned sixth frame, I will wager the house. (Okay, he comes out for the sixth. Who needs me to copy the keys?)

TOP OF THE SIXTH: You want some defence? John McDonald replaces David Eckstein at short and makes a simply stunning play on a Pedro Feliz grounder. Great running get, greater throw to first. Burnett stands for a long time with his hands on his hips silently admiring the best defensive shortstop in baseball (oh yeah, I said it).

After his 88th pitch - an RBI double - Burnett is pulled in favour of Brandon League. He gave up 6 runs, 8 hits, 1 HR in five and a third.

GAME OVER: Phillies romp 15-7. Afterward, Burnett revealed that he'd thrown his first curveball of the spring. That was the one Utley took over the wall in the first.

"I don't care who you are. That's funny," Burnett grinned afterward. Hey, at least he's not kicking over garbage cans after a Grapefruit League game.

Cathal Kelly

Comments

[Kevin Connolly]

Johnny Mac IS the best defensive shortstop in baseball. Aren't there stats that bear this out? Chances per nine innings or something like that? Eckstein better do it with the bat because it's going to wear on us watching his nailbiter routine rainbow chucks over to first base. I don't get that move any more than I understand giving up on Johnson to save money. They must really think they have something in Adam Lind.

[Paul Batte]

What are the Jays thinking? OK, Eckstein starts over Johnny Mac. That experiment lasts about 30 games until the groundball pitchers revolt.

But releasing Johnson and keeping a guy with a lousier arm than I have? Stewart's offensive numbers, other than a .300 average, are less than overwhelming, and Johnson, bad back or not, is lightyears ahead of him defensively.

This was an incredibly dumb move by the Jays braintrust, and they will be regretting this move my mid-season when Johnson is hitting .250 with great D somewhere. It will just take some time for him to recover from the back surgery.

[craig]

Does Ricciardi have a plan or does he make it up as he goes along? First he re-signs Johnny Mac and Scutaro and then adds Eck claiming he needs a scrappy 'winner' even though he can't field his way out of a paper bag and now he keeps an aging singles hitting Blue Jay re-tread who can't throw and cuts a scrappy 'winner' like Johnson? So Stewart can hit 30 points better than Johnson and Eck, might hit 40 points better than Johnny Mac. What's it going to do to the Jay's mind-fragile pitching staff (all except Doc) when they lose trust in the left side of the field?

[Darryl]

Once again, we see the ineptitude of Ricciardi and to suggest that he was taken aback at Johnson's release when he was the one who released him is ridiculous. Johnson was as poorly treated as anyone who's ever played for this team in its history. Ricciardi should be ashamed of himself and in fact should be fired for releasing a superior player to the one he replaced him with. Shannon Stewart's career is definitely on the downside and the man has no arm. What is this clown thinking?

[John S]

Meanwhile over at the other newspaper someone commented that Johnson was over rated. I sure hope Lind or Coats can fill that spot because I can throw better than Stewart.

[Byron Yankou]

I saw Reed Johnson play 3 spring training games. I saw him get hit by a pitch, get the only RBI with a Sac Fly against the Pirates and play all kinds of defence, as well as sub for Wells in Centre Field. JP, I hope to God that Lind or Snider is ready because you've got two defensive liabilities in Stairs and Stewart. Reed Johnson was a gamer, always got his uniform dirty and made stellar plays defensively. He was hitting over .290 this spring to Stewart's .220, and the line that we're fed is we need Stewart's offense. Huh? I'm all for young guys moving up, and the Jays have some studs, but Johnson was a gamer for the ages and will be sorely missed.

I screamed out loud when the released Reed.

Whoever picks him up will Thank God that he was available, because he looked like the Clutch hitting Reed Johnson of 2006 to me.

[Reed Johnson Forever]

Cathal,

Seems kind of sad that Reed Johnson wasn't paid more Props in your article. He will be missed. Stairs and Stewart WILL not replace his heart. The Jays will be a lessor team without his on field leadership and sacrifice. I'm disappointed that you didn't have the balls to say so. Shame.

[Wilf Deeth]

Hi.
I have been a Jay fan since day one but my future status is now in question. I attended the Blue Jays game yesterday and was disappointed with the play of Shannon Stewart. This morning I was really upset to find Reed Johnson had been released and replaced by Shannon. Two outfield plays generously described by Cathal were unbelievable. Stewart's throws one which it appeared was thrown to the pitcher with the speed of a dying quail and the other dribbled towards home plate and in both incidents a major league outfielder would easily have thrown them out. Shannon Stewart is not a major league outfielder and it was abundantly clear that the Phillies coaches as is the rest of the league are aware of this. On both plays the runners would normally have been held at third. No team can win consistantly with this sub par play.