Blue Jays mail bag

The Jays will likely finish fourth in the AL East, with the upstart Rays jumping to the top of the heap. But at 60 games above .500 as a combined five-team division, the AL East has been by far the deepest and toughest in baseball and this year was far from a dismal failure for the Jays. However, organizational promises of the post-season have not been met. If the Jays win 86 games for the year, it will be a huge comeback from where they stood after being swept in Milwaukee in mid-June. Kudos goes to Cito Gaston and his staff, but the question remains: “Since this guy was already a member of the Jays’ organization, what took so long for them to give him another chance to manage? If the move had been made earlier in the season, would the wild-card have been possible?” We’ll never know. In any case, on to the mailbag.

Q: Richard,

Love the column, a few questions. For the life of me I cannot figure out why there was a can of non-stick cooking spray at the back of the bench in the dugout of Fenway over Cito Gaston's left shoulder on Saturday night. Any ideas? The same game Cito pulled Brandon League for Scott Downs with the game on the line; League was retiring batters and on fire recently, Downs not so much. I know Downs has done the job all year, but why not go with the hot hand?

Finally, Travis Snider has looked impressive, but has he done enough to keep the Jays from going after a big bat in the off-season?

Really, finally this time - if there is a new GM next year, they should get the right to pick their manager. That means Cito may not be back. Would you put up with another year of J.P. Ricciardi to keep Cito around? Personally, I love Cito, he got the most out of a talented team in the 90's and is well on his way to doing so again, I'd love for him to be back again.

Jason MacDonald, Amherst, Ont.

A: Very observant of you. At first I thought the spray can might have been to non-stick the dugout microwave for Litsch’s seventh-inning stretch-snack, but no, that’s not it. Then I thought it may have been there because the Jays’ goose was cooked, but no, again.

I asked Cito after the Yankee game on Tuesday night what the Pam was for and he had no idea that it was even there over his shoulder, but he said he would be interested to know if I found out. I asked Kevin Malloy, the Jays’ home clubhouse manager. He thought about it and then gave me the answer. It is apparently used in wet conditions to spray the baseball spikes both underneath and on the leather so that mud has trouble sticking to the shoes.

As for Cito’s handling of the bullpen in that game, you cannot manage on a hunch (unless your name is Quasimodo). League has been the seventh inning guy. Downs has been the eighth inning guy. When you get to that stage of the game, players are locked in to their roles. If you all of a sudden ask League to go out again in the eighth, the baseball focus - a very fragile thing – can be lost. He had just exploded though the one inning and left it all on the field. You cannot just add another inning to his role because he’s been pitching well.

In the case of the rookie Snider, he has been very impressive and I can see the Jays in ’09 returning to the same type of DH rotation they had in ’05 and ’06 when Frank Catalanotto, Eric Hinske and Shea Hillenbrand rotated between playing a position and DH, with others mixing and matching whenever they needed a rest from the field. This style could benefit guys like Scott Rolen, Wells, Lind and Snider. If the Jays go after a big bat it should be a position bat.

As for the Ricciardi-Gaston dynamic within the Jays organization, the relationship between GM and field manager has apparently changed dramatically since June 20. It used to be the GM that could save the manager’s job with a wave of the hand and a kind word in the ears of the right people. Now, it’s the other way around. It may have in fact been a generous wave from Cito and a good word to the right people at Rogers that may have saved Ricciardi’s job if indeed he stays. He has no problem with Ricciardi as GM as long as J.P. backs off when it comes to dugout decisions. That’s the way it should be. Even if a new GM came in, the Jays are banking on Gaston as the face of the franchise in the coming year. They would make sure that the new GM is okay with Cito before he was hired. The Jays are almost unique in major-league baseball in that the GM and manager have higher profiles than most of the players.

Q: Hi Richard,

While I understand how Shaun Marcum's injury and A.J. Burnett's expected departure contribute to a gloomy (Jays’) outlook for '09, wasn't the organization already better positioned to contend in '10 anyways? Jeremy Accardo, Dustin McGowan, Casey Janssen, and Aaron Hill may need at least part of the '09 season to get into top form again; Jesse Carlson, Adam Lind, and Travis Snider may have some tough times in '09 as the rest of the league adjusts to them; plus prospects like Brett Cecil, J.P. Arencibia, and Scott Campbell seem to be on player development trajectories that would see them making significant contributions in '10 rather than '09.

Shouldn't the Jays look at '09 as a chance to get players healthy and develop some of their younger talent and then make a big push to contend in '10? I'm quite relieved that J.P. isn't talking about making big moves to acquire players to plug the holes in the '09 roster.

Regards,

Dan B., Toronto

A: The Jays might be well advised to follow your advice and use ’09 as a building year. When Ricciardi took over the reins of the Jays in the winter of ’01, he predicted the team would be contending by ’05. That was reasonable for a team that had won 84, 83 and 80 games in former GM Gord Ash’s final three seasons. He wasn’t handed a horrible roster, although his first mandate was to cut payroll almost in half.

The worst thing that ever happened was that the Jays actually won 86 games in J.P.’s second season at the controls, in 2003. It fed his ego and led Ricciardi, a first-time GM, to believe his master plan could be accelerated. So he went out in the off-season to fill the perceived holes and make a run at the division in ’04. He traded for Ted Lilly, Justin Speier and Jason Frasor and signed free agents Miguel Batista, Pat Hentgen, Terry Adams, Kerry Ligtenberg, Valerio de los Santos, Chris Gomez and Frank Menechino. They proceeded to stink up the joint and win 67 games, setting the organization back several years.

It repeated itself in 2006-07. They took a step forward from 80 wins in ’05 to 87 wins in ‘06. The following season they dropped off, back to 83. Following that twice-repeated pattern, if the Jays manage to reach 86 or 87 victories this year by the end of the O’s series on Sunday, Ricciardi would be well advised from recent history to expect a small step backwards in ’09 – especially given the factors you point out.

Without Burnett, the Jays will have a $70 million commitment to 11 players for ‘09. That leaves about $30 million to spend to get back up to this year’s budget. Maybe they should just bank that money for the future and watch the young guys develop. Real fans would approve. Casual fans would stay away. The toughest sell would be to playoff-starved veterans like Roy Halladay, Scott Rolen, B.J. Ryan and Vernon Wells.

Q: Given the decimation of the pitching staff for next year and the uneven hitting this year, would this be a good time for the Jays to bust up the team and start over (maybe with a new GM), except for key players and look for another 3-5 year plan?

Frederick Duquette, Edmonton

A: The problem with that idea is that so many teams in pro sports have demonstrated that good management can turn things around in a hurry without blowing up a roster. Just because you’re starting over doesn’t mean you’re going to be better. Three and five-year plans are so … yesterday. The Jays’ yearly plan of playing hard, playing their veterans, maximizing the wins to feed the ego and keep the job of the GM, striving down the stretch to win enough games to finish above .500 and remain mediocre has cost them valuable spots in the June draft and has effectively kept them mediocre. I agree with the part about a new GM coming in, but if they ever decided to blow it up, the first move they would be forced to make is to trade their ace Roy Halladay. That would be a sign.

Q: Hey Richard, what is the situation on Dustin McGowan? Lately when the ’09 Jays pitching is mentioned, it does not sound like Dustin is in the picture. Will he be out most of the ’09? Are you aware of any budget plan for the ’09 season? The way things are shaping up for ’09, we must get rid of J.P. this off-season because he will have too many good excuses for not reaching playoff next season.

Davy P., San Jose

A: McGowan had surgery on his right shoulder and is projected to be out until at least May. The problem is that even if he participates at spring training, there is no guarantee of his return to the form that had him battling A.J. Burnett in the first half of the season to be recognized as the No. 2 starter behind Doc.

As for the budget plan, even though they will not finalize anything until the internal questions are answered about the GM, the president and the manager, the Jays should maintain the status quo at just under $100 million for ’09. The Jays in the off-season will sell fans the Cito Gaston bump extended for a full season and the long list of injuries that (sigh!) cost them another chance to beat the Red Sox and Yankees. They, of course, won’t talk about the Rays and their ridiculously small payroll winning the division title.

Q: My question is now that Marcum is gone for next year, Dusty is out till May and probably will not be in perfect form when he returns, what are the chances that the Jays add a guy like Greg Maddux for a year? Also, if Snider and Lind stick around next year does that kill any chances of (Carlos) Delgado coming back as a DH? Please answer this! Thanks!

Matthew Madarang, Scarborough

A: I’m glad you said a guy “like” Greg Maddux. The future Hall-of-Famer will only play on the west coast and for a contender. That leaves the Jays out. There are other short-term starting pitching free agents like Paul Byrd, but some are way past their prime or coming off injury. Otherwise, what I would do if I were GM is to go over the other 29 major-league rosters seeking quality starting pitchers with four-plus years of major league service. I would make a trade using prospects and maybe a major-league roster reliever as bait. The attractive aspect of this strategy is that you find a pitcher in his prime, maybe his late 20s, that you have under control for one or two years until his free agency. At four-plus years, the pitcher has reached arbitration and may be borderline affordable for some small-market clubs. There are trades to be made for short-term help until Marcum returns and guys like Cecil and others mature.

Q: Jesse Litsch was the Blue Jays 24th pick in the 1985 entry draft. He was fast-tracked through the Jays’ minor league system and has won 20 games over his first two major league seasons. What did the scouts miss or what has he changed to enable him to become an above average major league pitcher?

Fred Byfield, London, UK

A: Litsch is the type of young man that would not have scouted well as a high school player. It was the ’04 draft and most scouts have a category for BODY on their report sheet. The reports on Litsch as an 18-year-old would not have been good. Not that he’s got a Michael Phelps type-physique right now - more like Michael Moore - but there are some pitchers that can handle the extra weight and the soft-looking physique and succeed (see C.C. Sabathia, Bartolo Colon, Rick and Paul Reuschel, David Wells, Luis Tiant, Fred Gladding, John Candelaria and Sid Fernandez).

But scouts have one chance to scout a non-premium kid at the high-school level. They would have said “has major-league arm, but will always battle his weight”. Such a report would have dropped him down to the 24th round. Once he turned pro, he added a cut fastball and the ability and toughness to pitch to both sides of the plate. Some young pitchers are never able to add another pitch or pitch inside effectively. He needs more of a track record to be able to label him an “above average major-league pitcher,” but he’s on the right track.

Q: Richard,

Would you agree that Rod Barajas is more valuable to the Jays than people realize? After he was injured earlier this month and Gregg Zaun inserted in his place, the Jays winning streak was stopped and the team went into a slump.

Eddy Mark, Toronto

A: I would not agree that Rod Barajas is more valuable to the Jays than people realize. Zaun has been the main catcher for other successful Jays pitching staffs, but his time off as a backup, his mangled mind set, advancing age and some nagging injuries have cut into his effectiveness. Neither man ranks in the top half of AL catchers and it’s clearly a position that needs to be upgraded before a championship returns to the T-dot.

Q: Dear Richard,

I read your column during spring training and have kept up my reading ever since. I was stunned when I read that J.P. Ricciardi would be back for 2009. I thought for sure Wall Street would be calling him.

To me the year went south when J.P. traded Reed Johnson. In order to provide me with a little peace, could you explain why Johnson was traded and how important do you think the trade was for the Jays? Thanks.

Pat Monette, Penticton B.C.

A: You were stunned? Ricciardi may owe Cito for saving him for another year. Besides, the move with Reed Johnson wasn’t even a trade. Reed was released and signed by the Cubs. Apparently the fan favourite being dumped in favour of Shannon Stewart was another case of ego triumphing over logic.

Ricciardi had what he thought was an agreement with Stewart back in November ’07, but the deal fell through when Stewart changed agents. That meant he was “stuck” with Reed, a guy that had none of the attributes J.P. admires in a hitter – specifically thick legs, an air-conditioning swing and mind-numbing patience. Johnson’s only attributes were a great arm, fearlessness, imagination and teen spirit. Now he’s a Cub and an integral part of the best team in the NL.

The ego part came in for J.P. when he got a call in February from Stewart’s new agents asking of the deal was still on the table. It was, but with less money and one year. As I’ve said before in the mailbag, it seems that J.P gets infatuated with a player and doesn’t give up on acquiring him even after the years have gone by and his skills have diminished (see Frank Thomas, Brad Wilkerson). Look for Ricciardi to go after Jack Cust in the off-season. He used to be infatuated with him.

Q: Hi Mr. Griffin,

I'm a long time reader and I absolutely love your insight on baseball and the Blue Jays. ESPN.com just wrote an article on Lymon Bostock, a player for the Angels and Twins back in the 70s, and was wondering if you had ever met him or had any stories about him? A player who was willing to give back his salary because he was playing too poorly, it's definitely not something you would see today. Do you have any stories or memories of him that you're willing to share?

Dave R., Markham

A: I admired Lyman Bostock from afar in the other league. Our paths never crossed. He broke in with the Twins the year after I joined the Expos. He was with the Angels in ’78 when late in the year he was shot on an off-day in the town where he was born, Gary, Indiana. I remember when Wallace Johnson joined the Expos in ’81, my first impression of the Expos’ second baseman was that he was from Gary, where Bostock had been shot three years earlier. We talked about that. I admired Bostock as a hitter and for some reason can still picture him in his strong left-handed batting stance in my mind’s eye. Another impression of Bostock was when Donnie Moore died and Chico Ruiz died and when Tony Solaita died and when Clifford Young died, all in the prime of their lives, how much the Angels franchise was affected by tragedy.

Q: If I understand the rule correctly if a pitcher puts his fingers to his mouth while on the mound with no men on base, then a ball is issued to the batter. If so, then could not an intentional walk be issued if the pitcher simply touched his mouth four times?

Maurice Feldman, Fonthill

A: The rule is supposed to be called whether there are men on base or not. Logically, you are right. The pitcher should be able to lick his fingers four times and save any possibility of a wild pitch and save his pitch count, but there have been wise guy managers that have tried the strategy and umpires refuse to bite. They have no reason not to call a ball but in this situation they always make the pitcher go through with the four intentional balls. Something about making a travesty of the game. As if some of them already don’t.

Click here to send Richard a question, and he'll answer a selection in his mailbag Wednesdays in this space. **Note: please follow the link above to send a question to Richard. Questions posted in the comments section may not make it to the mailbag. Thanks.**

Blue Jays mail bag

There are real things in real life that put the surreal sports world we cover in perspective. Just as fans were getting excited about the Jays' heroic drive in search of the wild-card, I took a day off to attend a special luncheon in Guelph, organized to recognize a more important type of real-life heroism. A few months ago, a 60-year-old Guelph resident was having a heart attack on the side of the highway, leaning on his car, losing focus and struggling to stay on his feet. My son Matthew and his girlfriend, Laura Briden thought the man might need help. They pulled over. He told them he would be fine and they could leave, but they insisted he get in their car and they drove him to a local hospital. He was unable to communicate and even tell them his name, but they took his cell phone and called whom they assumed was his son and made sure he was rushed into emergency. Doctors said he would have died on the side of the road. Last Saturday, the man, who had tracked the couple down, staged an appreciation luncheon for them, inviting both sets of parents. The Mayor of Guelph issued a citation and the local Mercury newspaper covered the event with a front-page story. The young couple thought what they did was nothing special which, of course, is what makes it so special. Baseball is only a game. Being GM is only a job. Life is what’s important. On to the mailbag.

Q: Richard,

Love the blog. Does this big turnaround from the Jays make J.P. (Ricciardi) even more likely to be fired? Here is my rationale: J.P. brought in a new hitting coach at the beginning of the season. Disaster. John Gibbons is retained and coached too long into the season and was pretty much J.P.’s puppet. Disaster. (Adam) Lind was sent down to the minors too early. After J.P. seemingly loses power, Cito is brought in by someone other than J.P. Cito brought in Gene Tenace and hitting improved. I can guarantee that Cito does not take any direction from J.P. and Lind was called up and given a full time spot and has improved and earned a starting job. J.P. had full control at the beginning - which was a disaster, now that he has little to no power, the Jays are winning more than any other time in the past seven years. Opinion? Is J.P. gone or is he going to get credit for this and be retained?

Brian M., Barrie, Ont.

A: One would think that with all the obvious past disasters in front-office decision-making as you so aptly point out that it would have led to a new captain at the wheel of the good ship Blue Jay for ’09. But it sure doesn’t look like it’s going to be that way. Whereas last year’s many costly injuries saved J.P.’s job a year ago, this season it could be all the late-in-the-schedule wins that briefly got them back in the wild-card race, plus Cito Gaston’s ability to make a tasty chicken salad out of basically the same ingredients as John Gibbons had been handed, that will save J.P. this year.

With Gaston’s clearly stronger dugout presence helping Ricciardi out as opposed to the just-grateful-to-be-a-manager Carlos Tosca or Gibbons, at least it doesn’t look like it’s going to be a one-man show anymore, which may prove to be the needed change for the Jays in 2009, moving forward. We can only hope so, because it certainly wasn’t working out for the organization the way it was with the one-man band that was Ricciardi. It will be interesting to observe the new front office dynamic in the off-season.

Q: I'm really impressed with Joe Inglett's play both in the field and leading off at the plate. Assuming Aaron Hill comes back healthy next year, could a move back to the shortstop position be in Hill's future? To me this would seem to be a cheap way to get a little more pop in the lineup, leaving money available to go after a power hitting DH/outfielder and possibly a veteran starter to replace Burnett when he leaves. Scutaro could platoon at second with Johnny Mac spelling Hill. Thoughts?

Jay M., Markham

A: Inglett has been an eye-opener for sure, but if, as you suggest, Hill moves back to shortstop to make room for an Inglett-Scutaro platoon, then that proposed ’09 infield with Scott Rolen and Lyle Overbay still manning the corners might have the least power potential of any in the American League. Combine that weakness with the 15-homer per year bat of Rod Barajas behind the plate and it would be another year of the Jays relying too heavily on the pitching staff. If Burnett does leave, then the Jays will have about $70 million committed to 11 players, leaving them some flexibility. The Jays can only bring in a slugging DH/OF if one of either Travis Snider or Adam Lind is in the lineup. If both players are on board, then the Jays would have to trade Overbay to make room for a power bat. I think that Rolen’s contract is untradeable because of his physical history.

Q: Hi Richard,

When asked about your favourite Blue Jays last week, you listed Al Leiter as number 5. I hope this means due to some off-field reason and not his pitching contributions. Al Leiter is on my list of the biggest flops in BJ history. We traded the ever-popular Jesse Barfield to the Yankees to get him and he was more on the DL than off for the first few seasons with that pathetic finger blister business and when that finally healed, he pitched three mediocre seasons and bailed the first chance he got as a free agent to Florida.

I have always felt quite cheated by Mr. Leiter. I remember seeing him leave a game after three innings with that blister on the same night that some hockey player got hit in the mouth in the first period of a play-off game, had two root-canals in the dressing room and was back out for the third period. Meanwhile Al Leiter couldn't pitch for his wimpy blister. I know this isn't fair, but to me, that typified his pitching career in Toronto.

David Phillips, Milton, Ont.

A: The question about my personal favourite Blue Jays was asked not on the ability of the players but on how much of a good guy they seemed to be off the field. Sure, the way Leiter left the Jays left many with a sour taste in their mouths, including Jays’ club president Paul Beeston, but that didn’t take away from his likeability factor.

The mediocre left-hander would always greet you by name in the clubhouse or on the street and was always willing to stop and chat. It always seemed your opinion was as important as his and he has parlayed that curiosity into a nice gig with the YES Network in New York as a Yankees TV analyst. Besides, being from New Jersey, Leiter was a huge Bruce Springsteen fan and at that stage of my life, so was I. Besides, his move to Florida ended up gaining him a World Series ring and isn’t that what they play for?

Q: Richard, just wondering with the recent run and at least keeping things interesting in September, is it possible A.J. Burnett will not opt out or will at least listen to an offer to stay? I mean if the Jays continue this play next year, they have just a good a chance to win as anyone else. Halladay played a part in convincing him to come here. Maybe he can sit down with A.J. and convince him to stick it out. What are your thoughts?

John Clark, Whitby, Ont.

A: I’m sure that in the time period before he can negotiate with other teams - specifically for the 15 days after the end of the World Series - that during that time Burnett will allow the Jays to offer him a competitive free-agent type contract to extend his deal – likely for a total of five years and an average of $15-17 million per season. But the Jays should not do it. The money could be spent better elsewhere.

Besides, I think A.J.’s mind is already made up for whatever personal reasons and that he is looking forward to the free agent process. Burnett’s is the first opt-out given to any major-league pitcher, according to his agent, and so he would be a fool not to take advantage of it. I think the fact that the Yankees’ owner Hank Steinbrenner was clearly tampering by talking about A.J. while he was still under contract last month and that the Jays didn’t even think about filing a tampering charge tells you everything you need to know about their desire to hang on to their electric right-hander. They’re ready to pull the plug.

Q: Hi, Richard, as do so many others, I look forward each week to your mailbag responses. The question this week about outfield assists leads to my question. Who had the best outfield arm as a Blue Jay? My vote would probably be for Jesse Barfield. Also, the same question as far as catchers, who was the best at gunning down runners?

Don Jones, Vineland, Ont.

A: The best Jays’ outfield arm clearly belonged to Barfield. Another gun out there was Raul Mondesi. Shawn Green and Alex Rios are strong, but not in the same league as the other two. Reed Johnson was strong and accurate. But Barfield is the clear winner. As for the strongest catching arm, Sandy Martinez might have been the best thrower, unfortunately he was among the worst hitters.

Q: Hey Richard,

While I am not a Jays fan, I've been watching the team over the last month and a half on a regular basis - the improvement in the line-up from top to bottom is like day and night! But if there's one bone I have to pick, it's that the line-up on a day-to-day basis, lacks speed at the top of the order. Rios is not a natural leadoff hitter, but he's not the power-hitter everyone seems to think he's capable of. On a team that’s devoid of any credible power threat, it would make sense to put your best base-stealing threat at the top of the order and play your most reliable hitters at the 2-3 and 4 spots. That would make the top four of:

1-Rios
2-Inglett
3-Lind
4-Barajas/Wells

I'm sure that Cito has realized this, but continues to push Rios in the three-spot on a constant basis. Perhaps I'm just paying too much attention to Rios' lack of power, but he seems to only drive fastballs and nothing else - which would make him a good candidate to take the leadoff spot.

And another thing: Lind has looked awfully good since Cito took over, but seems to be extremely confused at the plate lately. I've noticed he's been chasing fastballs out - it looks like pitchers have picked up on the fact that he's constantly trying to load up on going opposite. Is his pitch identification lacking in comparison to the rest of his teammates?

Chris Aggas, Mississauga

A: I’ve often written in the past about Rios being the Jays’ best option as leadoff hitter. He would be a Bobby Bonds type, with less power and less base-stealing ability (hmm!), but would move into that top-of-the-lineup role with the ability to at least be a 20-20 man in homers and steals. However I would flip Wells and Lind from your suggestion, with Lind batting cleanup and I would drop Barajas completely out of the Top 4 equation. Wells is a better base runner than Lind and I also hate having lefties back-to-back in the order. It makes it too easy for an opposing manager to handle his bullpen in late innings – lefty-righty.

As for Lind’s look at the plate, it’s just the fact that pitchers are adjusting to Lind. Now it’s up to Lind to adjust back. When Lind was up with the Jays earlier in the season, he couldn’t even pull the ball in batting practice. He has come a long way from that 1-for-19 stint. He still has a long way to go.

Q: Present players Excluded, can you make a starting nine for both Montreal and Toronto (no DH) on the topic as most difficult to deal with? From a fans perspective I have some thoughts/opinions but you had to deal with them more closely.

William S., Milton, Ont.

A: I’ll try to make one team, combining the best/worst of both teams. You have to remember that it was a different situation in Montreal as a public relations man than it is here as an often despised columnist. But a pain in the butt is a pain in the butt.

C: Ron Hassey. When the Hall-of-Fame called me to ask for Hassey’s glove to be placed on display in Cooperstown, he tried to parlay catching Dennis Martinez’s perfect game into a new glove contract for himself.

1B: Mike Aldrete. Inexplicably refused to do a phone interview to his hometown of Carmel, California even though his mother and brother were also on the line.

2B: Roberto Alomar. For some reason blamed the media for reporting his famous sulk when David Cone was traded at the deadline in ’95. Has refused to talk to me ever since.

3B: Derrell Thomas. In his short career in Montreal became involved in a news story that accused the Expos of racism in the early ‘80s. Damage control big time.

SS: Jim Mason. Not a very good player and didn’t seem like a very happy man. Tried to spread his misery to teammates.

OF: Kenny Williams. Showed up in Montreal late in his career as a fifth outfielder and made me organize a press conference for him so he didn’t have to speak to all the writers individually…as if.

OF: Devon White. Bought into the Robby line of thinking that I was an idiot. Didn’t even blink when he found out that I too was born in Jamaica.

OF: Ron LeFlore. With his well-known checkered history, scouted by the Tigers in the federal penitentiary, always seemed to be trying to con someone. Still owes me money because on a 1980 road trip, while still in the terminal in Montreal, had run out of meal money and needed to borrow some more. I’m still waiting.

SP: David Wells. Called me Dick, not necessarily an endearing form of my first name. Was constantly annoyed by any reference to his girth. So I constantly made them.

RP: Duane Ward. Was pissed off because I suggested a ’95 rehab stint at Phillies minor-league complex did not go very well and that he may be done. He yelled at me in the Jays’ clubhouse on Opening Day ’95…and was ultimately done.

MGR: Bill Virdon. Flew in the face of all major-league regulations for handling the media. He closed his Expos’ clubhouse in the pre-game to everyone, including his own broadcasters, including Hall-of-Fame outfielder Duke Snider. Virdon was also one of the last holdouts to not allow qualified women reporters into his post-game clubhouse.

Q: Hi Richard: may I get you to put your Expos cap back on for a moment? While admiring the work of utility Jays, Scutaro, Inglett, Wilkerson, etc., during the Red Sox series, I got to remembering a group of Expos extras back in the early 80's who referred to themselves as the "BUS" squad: 'Broke Underrated Superstars'. Who were those guys again, and what did they bring to the Big 'O' in those days?

Best regards,

Peter Williams, Sudbury, Ont.

A: The nickname was coined by the leader of the BUS squad, backup first-baseman Tommy Hutton, now a Marlins broadcaster. He came up with the name in 1979-80 because it seemed that for every spring training road trip, which from Daytona Beach was always at least two hours, it was the same group of guys on the bus. None of the regulars ever went. So all of those bench guys, the spring training road warriors, became the BUS Squad. Other charter members were Ken Macha, who went on to manage the A’s, the late Tony Solaita, the slammin’ Samoan, catchers Duffy Dyer and John Tamargo, the aforementioned sourpuss Jim Mason, Tony Bernazard, now assistant GM of the Mets and Jerry White, now first-base coach for the Twins. The ’79 season was the Expos’ best in franchise history with a 95-65 record. The team played 15 doubleheaders, so the BUS Squad was important.

Click here to send Richard a question, and he'll answer a selection in his mailbag Wednesdays in this space. **Note: please follow the link above to send a question to Richard. Questions posted in the comments section may not make it to the mailbag. Thanks.**

Blue Jays mail bag

The Jays are on a roll and it’s fun to go to the ballpark again. The numbers are still against them, but instead of complaining about not having enough time to catch the wildcards, why didn’t the Jays make the move to Cito Gaston earlier? When they come home to face the Orioles on Tuesday, there should be over 40,000 fans in the building – but there won’t. Why not? Where have all the real baseball fans gone? All of a sudden, Cito Gaston ranks second in Toronto to Sam Mitchell as the longest tenured manager/head coach among the big four pro sports. Who’d a thunk it? On to the mailbag.

Q: Hi Richard,

I've been searching recently for a good Blue Jays forum and I was very happy to find your mailbag. As I write this, Travis Snider just hit his first big league home run. My question actually revolves around Snider and Adam Lind. Do you feel it’s in the best interest of the club for next season to try to develop either Lind or Snider or both into the DH role, or would they be better going after a batter like Aubrey Huff?

I’m a little lost as to why Huff isn't brought up in more conversations about decent hitters that may be available in the off-season. He’s making $8 million this year I believe, and is currently sitting at 30 HRs and 98 RBIs. He'd be an excellent fit to play third base when Rolen's shoulder is acting up, and DH when Rolen can play. Am I out in left field with this?

Scott Huber, London, Ont.

A: The Jays’ outfield dilemma going into 2009 reminds me of the overcrowding issue in the garden that they had in J.P. Ricciardi’s first season, 2002.

There was a youngster named Vernon Wells who had shown late in the ’01 season that he was ready for the next step. But the issue was that the Jays already had Shannon Stewart, Jose Cruz Jr. and Raul Mondesi around the outfield, all well paid and in their prime. Ricciardi announced going into the spring that Wells, at 23, would be the DH. Not likely. Since Wells was the best defender of the quartet, that didn’t seem that it would work. The Jays began the season rotating through the four guys as DH, but mainly with Stewart and Mondesi. In mid-season, they gladly dealt Mondesi to the Yankees for Scott Wiggins. The next year they traded Stewart to the Twins for Bobby Kielty. The point is that everything has its own way of working itself out in the end and there is no way the Jays can keep all four outfielders on the major-league roster for ’09. They won’t trade Snider, but they would listen to offers for any of the other three as long as the move would help them win right now.

As for Huff, he is a great hitter and a shoddy defender, but if you’re looking for a DH, at $8 million for one year, after which he becomes a free agent, it’s a better investment than Frank Thomas. But even though the O’s are loaded with good young hitters and could use pitching of any kind, they would have to be overwhelmed to give up Huff considering they only have one reasonable year of financial commitment left with him. You’re not out in left field, but the Jays already have Jose Bautista under control for the next two years at a reasonable rate that can play third or DH, with some power.

Q: Adam Lind versus Travis Snider. That seems to be the debate now in left field. What's going to happen if Snider hits well in September and then comes into Spring Training 2009 and makes the team? Do you think the Jays could entertain trading Lyle Overbay? Then the Jays could put Snider or Lind at first base. Snider was a first baseman in high school as I recall. Overbay, one of the bullpen guys and maybe someone else could get us a solid number three starter.

Jason Sinnarajah, San Francisco

A: This is a variation on the theme posed by the first question, with the Jays’ issue becoming the availability of Overbay in a winning equation. Lyle is a wonderful guy in the clubhouse and at $7 million for each of the next two seasons, is a reasonably priced piece of the puzzle for any team that already has good power in their batting order from other positions. The Jays are not one of those teams, especially with Scott Rolen’s shoulder turning him into a line drive, alley-type hitter and Wells and Alex Rios failing to break through into 30-homer type performers.

The short answer is “Yes the Jays would entertain offers for Overbay in the off-season.” But the answer at first base would more likely be Lind rather than Snider. Lind is the one with first base experience in high school and Lind is the one that has been carrying a first-baseman’s glove around in the pre-game. Snider is listed at 5-11, but is closer to 5-9 and I can only remember Ron Fairly and Mike Aldrete as superior Smurf first basemen.

Q: Richard,

Upon reviewing the beginning of the shining career of Carlos Delgado, I was surprised to see that he did not begin his career at first base. It would have been a significant challenge, I guess, to uproot the iconic Johnny O at the time. King Carlos bounced from catcher to outfield before finally landing and taking command of bag #1 where he reigned for 10 years. By the way, did Carlos get a W.S. ring for his brief appearance (2 games?) in the ‘93 regular season? I will long remember how Tom Cheek praised this rookie player in ‘94 and if I recall correctly, aptly named him the “Baby Bull” - 9 homers in 43 games!

All this to bring me to my question - in the midst of the calls for him to again don a Jays uniform, are we not missing some hints that he has already returned in the young Travis Snider? Yes, I know, small sample size, but - oh my goodness, the young man can hit and is built like an oak tree! Let the Yanks have their A-Rod and the Dodgers their Man-Ram - we have the Sniderman!

Richard, keep up the excellent work. Your writing has provided some of the best bytes to grace these web pages.

John S., Brussels, Ont.

A: Delgado was a catching prospect when he was first signed at a time when Pudge Rodriguez was just establishing himself as a great catcher with the Rangers from Puerto Rico. Delgado had next. The plan was to have Delgado replace Pat Borders when the time was right, but Delgado had a chronic knee problem that made the transition to another position necessary.

You’re right, at first it was to the outfield because of John Olerud. After Olerud left, the question became whether to move Joe Carter to first to prolong his career, or to give the position to the future of the team in Carlos. In ’96, they split the time at first between Carter and Delgado and went 74-88. After that, beginning in ’98, it was all Carlos all the time at first base. Good choice.

As for the comparisons with Snider, it’s important in more ways than one. You correctly recall the nine quick homers by Delgado in early ’94. The fan reaction was much the same as it is to Snider and his back-to-back three hit games out of the chute, with seven hits in his first 15 at-bats including that bomb to straightaway centre for his first homer. But it took Delgado until ’96 to establish himself as a major-league hitter. Delgado, approaching his stated career goal of 500 home runs, has a Mets club option for $16 million, which after his fabulous MVP stretch run will likely be picked up before the end of October, especially if they hang onto the division. He did get a ring for being a part of the ’93 effort.

Q: Hey Richard:

Last week you commented that the Jays may part ways with Brian Tallet and Jason Frasor. Do you feel this way because of dollars or because of trade value? Also, from a timing aspect, since both pitchers have remained healthy (uncharacteristically healthy by Jays standards) do you think the Jays will defer until spring training so to evaluate the overall health of Casey Janssen and Jeremy Accardo?

John Gil, Chicago

A: The reason for parting ways with Tallet and Frasor is that both men are eligible for arbitration and their contributions to the pen can easily be picked up by younger, cheaper arms from the farm system or that are already on board. If the Jays carry a six man bullpen and make no moves in the off-season, they will already have B.J. Ryan, Scott Downs and Jesse Carlson as lefties, leaving room for three right-handers: Brandon League, maybe a healthy Jeremy Accardo and one other guy – not Frasor. The Jays will likely try and trade the two pitchers, but may end up just not tendering them contracts at the deadline, making them free agents.

Q: Hi Richard,

Just noted your extremely valid comments on Scott Downs and his contribution these last two years. Then I go over to the official team site and read Cito and JayPee are thinking of converting him back into a starter. Now I know relievers are easier to find than starters, but this guy has absolutely no track record in that regard. And they have been throwing numerous names of guys already on the roster/on the farm who could start next year. If it ain’t broke…

Richard Williams, Redditch, England

A: This year especially, it could be argued that Downs has been more valuable to the Jays than Ryan in their respective roles. As for converting him back to a starter, I was in Gaston’s office when he was told about J.P.’s goofy scheme to convert Downs back into a starter and he did not seem convinced or impressed. But, diplomatically, he went along with the line of thinking for the cameras and notepads, seeming quite skeptical if you kept your head up and were paying attention to what he said and how he said it.

The list of potential Jays’ starters for next year, even without A.J. Burnett, includes Roy Halladay, Dustin McGowan, Jesse Litsch, Shaun Marcum, David Purcey, Casey Janssen, Scott Richmond, John Parrish and Brett Cecil. The list of guys that can handle the eighth inning 65 times per season like Downs has is much, much shorter. As they obviously like to say in Redditch, England, “If it ain’t broke…”

Q: Hi Richard,

With A.J. Burnett's impending free agency, the Blue Jays are looking at picking up two compensatory picks in next year's draft from whichever team signs him. Can you provide some clarity as to how the draft pick compensation process works? I know the bottom 14 teams in the league have their first-round pick protected (which is why the Jays drafted Travis Snider at #14 the year after signing A.J. Burnett). At which salary given to a free agent does the compensation kick in? Is it an escalating scale depending on the salary? I know that the recieved compensation picks from the Rangers for Frank Catalanatto's signing a few years ago, too. Just wondering how this somewhat confusing system works!

Brent Birchard, Bowmanville, Ont.

A: The key to the compensation formula for free agents is the Elias Sports Bureau run by the iconic Seymour Siwoff, the ultimate historian of major-league baseball. Players are ranked by position by Elias using their performance over the past two seasons. The complicated formula has as much to do with playing time, games, at-bats, innings as it does with actual statistics. The top 20 per cent at a position makes you a Type A free agent. The second 20 per cent makes you a Type B free agent. If you lose a Type B, you gain a “sandwich-round draft pick” between the first and second rounds. This does not cost the signing team a draft pick, but earns the losing team at least some compensation in the form of a draft pick somewhere in the range from #31 to usually #60.

If you lose a Type A free agent (like Burnett will be) then you get a sandwich pick PLUS the first round pick from the signing team. However if you finish 16th to dead last in the overall standings and have a June first-round pick between 1-5, then you cannot lose that pick. Instead you give up your second round pick – right after the sandwich round, so usually between 61-75 overall. The salary given to a free agent has nothing to do with the compensation. It’s all based on the Elias rankings. Anyone not ranked A or B requires no compensation but usually isn’t the type of guy that will make a difference in next year’s pennant race.

Q: Hi Richard,

First off, thank you for your wonderfully detailed and witty responses to user questions. I look forward to reading your mailbag every Wednesday. I have a bit of a baseball 101 question for you. I personally feel that one of the most thrilling sequences in the game is the (attempted) outfield assist. It is a thing of beauty to see a strong throw from the outfield beat a runner to the bag. I've noticed that a lot of throws one hop to catcher or fielder. Is this due to a limitation in arm strength or are outfielders instructed to one hop the ball to the infielder? Also, who do you feel has the strongest arm in the game?

Naweed Tajuddin, Markham

A: You’re right, nothing brings you to the edge of your seat like a runner hitting third base just as the charging outfielder bends to scoop up the single on the run, then rifles the ball to the plate as the runner begins his slide. Or how about the ball down the line, cut off by the right fielder who spins and fires a one-hop strike to second base with ball and runner arriving simultaneously.

As for the number of one-hop throws, outfielders are instructed on throws from anywhere in the outfield to the plate or from right or centre field to third base to keep the throws low enough, especially on base hits, so that the cutoff man can either cut the ball and throw to another base to nail an advancing runner, or that the man rounding first can be decoyed into thinking the ball will be cut off and so he does not attempt to move up. These lower throws produce the one hop.

At this point in time, I would have to say that Vladimir Guerrero of the Angels has the strongest outfield arm, but not necessarily the most accurate. Rick Ankiel of the Cards is fun to watch, I was fortunate enough to see Roberto Clemente, Dave Parker and Ellis Valentine. Video of the ’79 Seattle all-star game with the batting practice throwing contest between Parker and Valentine is fun to watch to the point of stunning.

Q: Silly question time. I'm trying to recall the last time I've seen a Major League team trying to pull off the hidden ball trick. Are there rules in place that prohibit this? Are first base coaches and players just more prepared and aware? Or is it a case of it not being considered proper baseball etiquette? Sorry for the silliness, but I figured you could use a break from the Riccardi rippin'. Great job with the mailbag by the way!

Jeff Safford, Sudbury, Ont.

A: The hidden ball trick involves a stoppage in play after a base hit. The pitcher gets the ball back and steps off the back of the mound. A fielder comes up to talk to him and the pitcher slips the ball into his glove as they pretend to talk. The pitcher goes through some heavy acting because he’s not allowed to climb back on the mound without the ball. So he takes deep breaths and rubs up an imaginary ball in his glove, looks to the heavens, sighs and looks to the dugout, looking very unsure. Hey, Jason Frasor would be a good candidate for the hidden ball trick. The fielder with the ball hidden in his glove walks back towards his base. The unsuspecting runner takes a step off the bag and the fielder slaps a tag on his butt and shows the ball to the umpire. Voila! Etiquette be damned.

I believe that it does not work as well these days because every time there is a stoppage in play, somebody calls time and the umpire throws his hands in the air until the pitcher is on the mound. The hidden ball needs to come off of continuous play which never happens anymore. Besides, players back in the day were dumber.

Q: I’ve heard that Gene Tenace plans on retiring at the end of the season and that he only came as a short term favor to Cito. Is there any truth to this? Also that being said, I’ve heard rumblings that Cecil Fielder who is currently managing the Atlantic City Surf of the independant CanAm League has been contacted by Mr Gaston about the position. May I get your thoughts on the matter?

Elie, Fortin, Ottawa

A: The fate of the entire Gaston coaching staff when they took over on July 20 was never secure, so, of course, at the time that Cito was getting the group together on short notice, Tenace would have been doing it as a short-term favour to Cito. With the fabulous finish now in progress, things can change.

As for Cecil Fielder, there is nothing unusual about his being in touch with Gaston about a job, but I’m sure it was a case of Fielder calling Cito and not the other way around. Gaston mentioned the other day that he had just spoken with Paul Molitor, but that doesn’t mean it was to offer him a job. No, when a man becomes a manager, there are always hundreds of his former teammates, players and associates that e-mail or call about getting one of his coaching jobs. It’s the way it works in baseball. Fielder has had issues in his personal life and I’m not sure that Ted Rogers would be interested in bringing those issues to his organization. But it’s hard not to like Cecil Fielder as a man and I’m sure that Cito still does. Thus the phone call.

Q: Dear Richard,

I thought I'd lob you two softball questions that you may have answered before: who is your favourite Expo of all time and why? Who is your favourite Blue Jay of all time and why? And I don't mean who do you think is/was the best for each team, but who were your personal favourites.

Geoff Read, Thunder Bay, Ont.

A: Over the course of 23 years with the Expos, I had many favourites, but my Top 5 would have to be: 1-Andre Dawson (Andre is my youngest son’s middle name); 2-Moises Alou; 3-Larry Walker; 4-Tim Wallach; 5-Marquis Grissom. Dawson was my favourite because he was a man’s man. He had two knees that needed to be iced for an hour after every game so that he could play the next night, yet he never complained publicly. He had a great sense of humour and was the heart and soul of the greatest Expos teams from ’79 to the mid-‘80s when he went to the Cubs. He saved Tim Raines career after the cocaine issues and should be a Hall-of-Famer. As for my 14 seasons covering the Jays, my Top 5 would be: 1-Carlos Delgado; 2-Dan Plesac; 3-Pat Hentgen; 4-John McDonald; 5-Al Leiter.

Click here to send Richard a question, and he'll answer a selection in his mailbag Wednesdays in this space. **Note: please follow the link above to send a question to Richard. Questions posted in the comments section may not make it to the mailbag. Thanks.**

Blue Jays mail bag

The playoff races are shaping up in both leagues and the Jays have accepted the inevitable fact that they will be spoilers. They need to find out about Travis Snider, Jose Bautista and Shaun Marcum. The wins and losses down the stretch will have no effect on the fate of GM J.P. Ricciardi. At Rogers HQ the dye is already cast. One thing is certain. There is still plenty of entertaining baseball to be played at the Rogers Centre. On to the mailbag.

Q: Whoa! Did I read that right? Did you mention pitching coach Brad Arnsberg could be leaving the Jays after this season? Is his contract up, because I can't imagine he'd be fired!? Looking at what he has done with this pitching staff over the past few years, especially the young guys when Doc (Halladay) and A.J.(Burnett) were hurt, I can't believe the Jays would let this guy walk. If his contract is expiring, what are the chances he will come back next year? If he goes, who are your top candidates to replace him?

As always, thanks for your insight Richard!

Jon Empringham, Woodstock, Ont.

A: Arnsberg was badly shaken and in temporary shock on June 20 when John Gibbons was fired. In fact, the inside word is he lost his focus so badly in the pre-game pitchers meeting going over the Bucs hitters for the series that Roy Halladay had to hilariously finish up the meeting doing a bang-on impression of Arnie in full lecture mode.

Arnsberg has had a great run in his four seasons as Jays pitching coach. In his first year in 2005, the Jays’ team ERA dropped from 4.91 to 4.06. Since then, the team has been among the AL’s ERA leaders, capped by this season’s tremendous effort at 3.61, the best in all of baseball. When Arnsberg was promoted from Syracuse after one season at Jays’ Triple-A team in ’04, there was method to the Jays’ madness. Arnie had been pitching coach, friend and mentor to a great young Marlins’ pitching staff in 2002. The Jays in that first off-season were looking to sign free agent Matt Clement for ’05. The right-hander instead chose the Red Sox but his first phone call was to Arnsberg to apologize to his friend. Then came another of Arnsberg’s Marlins protégés the next winter, A.J. Burnett. This time the Jays hit paydirt with the close coach-player relationship, parlaying the convincing combo of one Brad Arnsberg and 5.5 million Ben Franklins $55 million into a five-year deal with the electric-armed Burnett.

Arnsberg will have many teams interested in the off-season and if Burnett uses his opt-out clause to test the market, all bets are off. If Cito Gaston returns as manager, he may, in fact, want another man as pitching coach. If J.P. Ricciardi is replaced as GM, which is up in the air, the new guy may prefer another man as pitching coach. In any event, Arnsberg is in the driver’s seat as far as his career is concenred, with the success he has had in Toronto.

Internally, the Jays’ top minor league pitching coaches include Rick Langford, Darold Knowles and Dave LaRoche, but the baseball landscape is littered with solid candidates if Arnsberg does decide to leave.

Q: Mr. Griffin,

In your estimation, what are the chances the Jays would endeavour to acquire Carlos Delgado in the off-season? He's a fan favourite in Toronto, still has lots of pop in his bat, could play a combination of first/DH, and serve as a mentor to young Alex Rios.

John Oatway, Orleans

A: The Jays can’t afford Carlos Delgado given the financial commitments and constraints they are already under. Carlos, one of my favourite people, has a $16 million option for next season. If the Mets choose not to pick it up, they will buy him out for $4 million. That means it would cost over $10 million for one season for any team to secure his services as a free agent. Delgado’s personal incentive to keep playing is that he wants to reach 500 home runs before packing it in. He is at 462 and is the hottest hitter in the NL, with a chance to be within 30 dingers of his goal by season’s end. That’s attainable in ’09.

However, as long as J.P. Ricciardi is GM of the Jays, Carlos would not consider coming back to play for the Jays. When Ricciardi arrived at the Jays, he immediately labeled Delgado’s contract his “albatross”. J.P. should have studied the original poem more closely. In Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s epic, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, the protagonist kills the magical albatross (a big sea bird) and all hell breaks loose on his boat. These words from an opium-addled Coleridge conclude Part the Fourth.

"And from my neck so free
The Albatross fell off, and sank
Like lead into the sea."

That verse, in Jays’ terms, would correspond to about the time that Carlos left T-O to go to the Marlins. From that point on, in S.T.C’s poem, it begins all spiraling downhill for the Ancient Mariner. For J.P. was it a case of life imitating art?

Q: Hey Richard, just have a quick question for you.

The Jays are leading the league in team ERA this year thanks to the likes of the bullpen. Is there a chance the bullpen can repeat its success next year or as crazy as it sounds be even better with B.J. (Ryan) getting stronger and (Brandon) League getting more mature as well as the return of (Jeremy) Accardo? Where will you think their team ERA will be next year?

Antony Yang, Toronto

A: To me, the key to the Jays’ bullpen success this year has been the marvellous work of left-handed setup man Scott Downs. This guy, last year at the age of 31, finally figured out what his best role could be. He went from a middle reliever that could work a couple of transition innings, getting both left and right-handed hitters with equal effectiveness, to a devastating lefty specialist who can pitch to the heart of the order in the eighth and hand it over to Ryan for the save. His three-year $10 million deal through 2010 is one of Ricciardi’s best contracts ever.

As far as the bullpen repeating the performance next year, you’re right about League’s emergence being important. We can’t be sure about how effectively Accardo can come back because his career body of work had not really been established yet. Consider Jesse Carlson as a third left-hander and fill-in with a couple of more right-handers to be determined – maybe Accardo, maybe Shawn Camp, maybe Casey Janssen – then the makings are there for a repeat of the lights-out pen we have seen this year.

Q: Richard, Is it just me or has anyone else noticed that the soon to be departed Burnett is 10-3 since Cito (Gaston) took over as skip - a marked departure from his career track and the projection that track would continue this year with a 6-7 record On June 20. Any insight on what Cito has done different to get A.J. to win - or is this just a coincidence (I also note Doc is a nice 8-3 since Cito's return - so it can't all be coincidence)

Michael Walter, Mississauga

A: Let’s take Halladay out of this equation. Doc could be 8-3 under Rich Stubler, he’s so focused on his own job. But, as for Burnett, there are two factors that have come together to create the perfect storm for his final three months of ‘08.

First there is the impending A.J. opt-out option at the end of the year. Second is the fact that, no coincidence, he began his hot streak at the precise moment the Jays tossed in the white towel of surrender by firing John Gibbons and bringing in a man whose mandate was to build for 2009 while still trying to compete hard in ‘08. When the playoff pressure is off or when a new contract is on the horizon, A.J. shines.

Probably worth noting is that in his six years with the Marlins, the one year they went to the World Series (2003) is the year Burnett sat out with his Tommy John surgery. One of his best statistical seasons in Florida was the one in which he was to become a free agent in 2005. The Fish finished a comfortable fourth in the division and A.J. went home early in a dispute with management.

Q: Richard: Why do teams sign opt-outs that don't need to be activated until season's end? Surely it would make more sense from a management standpoint if the opt-out had to be activated at some point before the trade deadline, no? At least that way, the GM knows what they're dealing with, and other teams know where they stand with trades. It wouldn't seem to make too much difference to the player - the contract would still go to season's end, they'd just need to give notice ahead of time. Am I missing something, or is it just another (of many) Riccardi screw-ups?

Thane BenAngelo, St. Catharines, Ont.

A: It will never change. What would happen if a guy had two years left on his contract worth, say, $24 million. He declares that he is opting out in July and the team does not trade him. What if he gets hurt in August? And what if the manager, since the player is leaving, makes him throw 140 pitches every time out because the team knows he’s gone anyway.

There are plenty of Ricciardi screw-ups without pinning this one on him. Besides, if anything makes sense from a management standpoint, you know very well that it makes no sense from the players’ standpoint, which means that Don Fehr and the players’ association would never allow such a provision to kick in.

Burnett apparently has the first and only opt-out clause ever given to a starting pitcher. Because of that, we think he will use it, even if it is only to pry more cash out of Ted Rogers, his least likely scenario.

Q: Can you see the Jays moving B.J. Ryan in the off-season? I would think that with the re-emergence of Brandon League, along with the hopefully successful returns of Janssen and Accardo, that B.J. would be expendable and that the Jays could use his salary money to go after a young front-line starter - assuming that A.J. opts out. Or how about moving B.J. to Milwaukee for shortstop J.J. Hardy? I read that the Brewers may be looking to move Hardy in light of a very promising prospect in their system. I would love to see Hardy's 20 home runs at short for the Jays.

Thanks Richard!

Eric Ashby, Toronto

A: If the Jays lose Burnett, that’s $11 million available for each of the next two years. They may not have to move anyone else. But if the Jays did not feel they wanted to compete for the post-season in ’09, they might consider moving Ryan, especially if a new GM takes over.

Sure the Brewers are one of the annually contending teams that could use a seasoned closer, but as for Hardy being replaced at shortstop by their hotshot farmhand, the 21-year-old Venezuelan Alcides Escobar is good, but he’s still a full year away from playing in the majors. Escobar is hitting .328 at AA-Huntsville, with eight homers, 34 steals, great defensive skills and a .797 OPS.

For the Jays, trading Ryan would be risky. Statistics aside, when he rounds the corner and sprints through the bullpen gate, he fires up his teammates. He is a big part of the swagger of the Jays’ pen. Removing his presence from the mix would put Scott Downs in the glare of the closer’s role and it might be like when Dorothy finds out the Wizard of Oz is just a regular guy…”Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.”

Q: You talk about Aaron Hill (and Scott Rolen) returning being key to the Jays next year, and I can't argue it, but my question is: what are the chances for that? How bad off is Hill and will he be able to make it back?

Rusty Priske, Ottawa

A: I love Aaron Hill and the Jays are playing it smart. The young man is under contract for a long time and there is no need to rush him back and risk a re-occurrence of the concussion symptoms. Former Jays catcher Mike Matheny was forced to retire from the Giants because he came back too early. He was in Florida a couple of months ago and sent a message to Hill through teammates. “Take your time.” It’s impossible to be certain and would just be a guess for anyone, but odds are that Hill will be able to return at some point at full speed.

As for Rolen, his contract of a guaranteed $22 million for two more seasons would be almost impossible to trade in the off-season. He needs to re-establish himself as an every day third baseman with consistent extra-base power before anyone would be interested in acquiring him. That’s not going to happen before next July. But the Jays have Jose Bautista as insurance at third base. If Rolen is healthy, at the salary they are paying him he cannot sit on the bench. He must play. He’s a solid player when healthy but his contract could become an albatross if not. D'oh, there’s that A-word word again. Pass the opium, Mr. Coleridge.

Q: One of the positives this year has been the Jays' defensive play. As Sportsnet regularly points out, the Jays lead the league in fielding percentage and have the fewest errors. Do you find this surprising, given the line-up changes every game? Also, what do we attribute their solid defensive play to?

Thanks. Garry Sears, Ottawa

A: One of the biggest factors in an errorless streak is the ability of a team’s first baseman to scoop balls out of the dirt and save his infielders. Lyle Overbay has that ability. The smurfs around the current Jays infield – Marco Scutaro, John McDonald and Joe Inglett – are all major-leaguers on the basis of their gloves as much as their bats. They all are used to moving in and out of the lineup and are always prepared when called upon. Then there is the Jays’ attitude of preparation for all situations provided by coach Brian Butterfield.

Q: I had the pleasure of reading some excellent writers in my ten years in Toronto and I sincerely hope the readers and management of the Star appreciate the efforts of Richard Griffin and Doug Smith and others with their daily blogs. The Internet has changed the face of sports coverage and so has blogging. Mr. Griffin is on top of it in the Star. For those who read Richard and Doug on a daily basis you are totally informed of what' going on in an accurate and insightful manner. Here's hoping for a Cubs-Sox World Series!

Sincerely, Chuck Swirsky

A: Thanks Chuck. Nice words. In return as Mr. Swirsky leaves for his new career as the Bulls’ play-by-play man in Chicago, he should know that he clearly had his own tremendous impact on the Toronto and Canadian sports scene. I have three children that are all big Raptors fans (one other who only loves the Yankees) and for whom Chuck was the face of the franchise. They were always so impressed that whenever they sent Chuck an e-mail question or comment on the Raps’ website, he would answer every one. He didn’t have to. It wasn't in the job description but that’s how a franchise builds its fan base. That’s how a broadcaster relates to the community. Toronto will miss Swirsky. Salami and cheese will never taste the same.

Click here to send Richard a question, and he'll answer a selection in his mailbag Wednesdays in this space. **Note: please follow the link above to send a question to Richard. Questions posted in the comments section may not make it to the mailbag. Thanks.**