Jays Studs I: Brian Jeroloman Catches Doc

Just a couple of leftover notes from the spring as Opening Day approaches. Somebody in the weekly mailbag back in February asked for details about some of the Jays' top prospects. I said I would have to let him know what I thought after I came back from camp.

DAVID COOPER/TORONTO STAR

Brian Jeroloman is shown in this Feb., 2008 file photo.

In that light, I caught up with the studly catching prospect Brian Jeroloman outside the Jays visiting clubhouse in Bradenton. He was taking off his gear in the bullpen after the game that Doc had pitched seven stunning innings vs. the Pirates of Doc being Doc. After about the third inning of the game, for Halladay it was simply get the sign, rock and Doc. Halladay was clearly in mid-season form. I could have caught him.

Anyway, Jeroloman had made the trip as Rod Barajas' stuntman for the last four innings. Slated for New Hampshire, the rookie caught Halladay for the first time in his life (even in the bullpen) for three innings. I have talked to guys in situations like that where they were glassy eyed and goofy. Jeroloman was neither of those.

"Catching Doc makes a catcher's job easier," Jeroloman shrugged without looking up from removing his shinpads. "He's got electric stuff so that just makes my job 10 times easier. It's an awesome thing. Yeah, I'll remember I caught him, but hopefully I'll be out there catching him for a long time."

You've got to love the cockiness. It wasn't arrogance, which makes a difference. He knows he's got work to do. The 23-year-old Florida Gators product has had some chances to play in A games this spring and everything they have said about him is true. This guy gives great target. Catching Doc, with nobody on base he dragged his ass in the dirt, setting up low and gently framing every pitch with his body as he subtly anticipated the arrival point of Doc's every pitch. His throw backs between pitches were from the same ass-dragging stance allowing Halladay the time to to dictate his own rhythm.

Before the first pitch in the fifth, Halladay gave him a hard "come on out here rookie" gesture. I asked the kid if that was to tell him, "Listen rook. I'm calling my own game." Jeroloman laughed and said it was just to go over signs. Then he laughed again as he caught the implications. Smart kid for a Gator.

Jeroloman's bat is quick enough to catch up to a major-league fastball and pull it to the right side, but not yet smart enough to hit it really hard. That will come with time. He's behind J.P. Arencibia in pure offensive ability, but ahead of him in catching ability. In a few years, they may be able to complement each other in a mutual admiration tools-of-ignorance society.

Power Rankings: Week 1

1. Phillies 92-70 (2008 record)

Champs remain champs until further notice.

2. Rays 97-65

Ditto for World Series runners-up.

3. Red Sox 95-67

Bosox young talent still improving

4. Yankees 89-73

An aging lineup and A-Rod are concerns

5. Mets 89-73

Rotation still a question mark

6. Cubs 97-64

Billy goat cares not for regular season

7. Angels 100-62

Great spring doesn’t always translate

8. Diamondbacks 82-80

Couldn’t sustain great start last year

9. Braves 72-90

Were embarrassed by last year’s finish

10. Marlins 84-77

Always competitive with Han-Ram and no-name starters

11. Dodgers 84-78

Return of Manny and addition of Hudson help

12. Indians 81-81

Need Fausto and Pavano to step up

13. Giants 72-90

Three Cys in rotation and Beach Boy closer

14. Brewers 90-72

Iffy rotation and aging closer

15. Twins 88-75

Forever find a way to hang in top half

16. White Sox 89-74

Rotation and closer

17. Astros 86-75

Contenders in weak division

18. Cardinals 86-76

Any team with Albert Pujols

19. Royals 75-87

Say what??

20. Tigers 74-88

Start clawing out of last year’s hole

21. Reds 74-88

Exciting offence led by Joey Votto

22. Mariners 61-101

Healthy Bedard and King Felix help

23. Rangers 79-83

We don’t need no stinkin’ pitching

24. Blue Jays 86-76

Until they can prove otherwise

25. A’s 75-86

Others playing Moneyball better

26. Pirates 67-95

Pointed in the right direction

27. Rockies 74-88

Rockie Mountain low

28. Orioles 68-93

Score a lot; give up a lot

29. Nationals 59-102

Even Adam Dunn could lose will to play

30. Padres 63-99

Petco Park new Ellis Island

Mail Bag

What an amazing finish to the World Baseball Classic, with Japan edging Korea 5-3 in 10 innings. The Dodger Stadium location for the finale was perfect, with a large Asian community in southern California. And how about the cut-ins of the packed stadium in Seoul showing a live, closed circuit feed of the game. That visual demonstrates the interest the WBC has generated in other countries than the United States. The improved showings of the Netherlands, advancing to Round 2, and of Italy, defeating Canada, show that the concept of “growing” the game overseas is working.

Canada is now ranked 8th in the world by the IBAF governing body. Australia’s pounding of Mexico in a preliminary game demonstrated their ability to compete. The quality of the Asian game has certainly grown over the past decade. But what is forgotten when discussing whether the Japanese are the true World Champions is that this is not the Phillies of Japan. This is an all-star team with players from many different teams coming together. The WBC has its own niche, as does the World Series. Although the world has expanded, the name will never change. Just stay away from calling the World Champions. I’ve been guilty of it. They are the World Series champions. Starting on Monday in this space, look for a weekly major-league power ranking of all 30 teams. Now, on to the mailbag.

Q: Hey Richard,

What's the deal with Dustin McGowan's recovery? No one mentioned the possibility of him being out a full year after the surgery last July. Early reports had him returning by spring training and being ready by opening day. Now, we hear it may be July/August, if at all this year. Was this procedure more serious than first anticipated? I think I speak for most Jays fans that when we heard he had the procedure done last July, that he would be ready to go come April. Is this another classic J.P. downplaying of injury?

Bentley Potter, Kingston

A: The McGowan surgery on July 31, 2008 was for what was termed a “debridement” of the right shoulder to repair a frayed labrum. Shoulders are not elbows when it comes to estimating recovery time. It’s dicey. I believe the original very optimistic estimate was that McGowan might be able to return some time in May of ’09. I never heard spring training or opening day, after the actual surgery had been performed. Perhaps that was before he was examined by the surgeon.

Very rare are the shoulder rehabs that do not suffer setbacks, whether or not directly related to the original surgery. Just look at Casey Janssen and the stiffness he encountered in the back of his right shoulder following a year off from a fully torn labrum.

It’s tough to accuse the Jays of deception in estimating McGowan’s recovery time, but what they are guilty of every winter as part of their sales pitch to season ticket holders, is they tend to promote the very best-case scenario. With McGowan and Shaun Marcum both having had surgery and with A.J. Burnett on the way out of town, this winter they tried to soften the likely loss of A.J. by suggesting that McGowan would be able to re-join the rotation in May. It wasn’t long into spring training before they realized that this would not happen. Fans could stand a little more skepticism.

Q: Richard,

To follow up on last week's question about trading Lyle Overbay. Do you think it is an indicator that Overbay Jersey type T-shirts, which are available on the Jays Shop Website, are priced at the same liquidation level as Frank Thomas and Reed Johnson T-shirts? Coincidence, or not so subtle message from the Jays?

Dave C., Toronto

A: I love “grassy knoll” conspiracy theories as much as anyone I know, but I think there’s a reasonable explanation for this fire sale on Overbay jerseys. An example of your theory in action occurred with the Jays in Cleveland when Carlos Baerga was traded during the season and the next day his replica jerseys in the Jacobs Field gift shop were already marked down to half-price.

But this Overbay situation is more like the Chicago Bulls jerseys when Michael Jordan returned with No. 45 rather than 23 and when Kobe went from 8 to 24. Get rid of the old one with deep discounts. In this case, I’m not comparing Lyle to Michael or Kobe, but Overbay has changed back to No. 35 from 17. That was his original Jays number before he handed it over to DH Frank Thomas. Now after a couple of crappy seasons, he wants to go back to his old number when he had his best Jays season. It makes the 17 jerseys sale items.

Q: Hi, Richard. I follow the Jays very closely from Vancouver Isle and I am more optimistic than most about the coming season! Do you see Scott Rolen coming on this year with his new mechanics, or is he a bust at 12 million? Also I believe he is in his final year on contract, who, other than a trade is ready to take his spot?

Dave Kilmer, Cowichan Valley

A: I agree with you about Rolen’s coming season. You can clearly see the adjustments he has made in his spring show of line-drive, extra-base power. He is now driving the ball hard from right centre over to left-centre field.

Is he a bust at $11 million per year for the next two seasons? In this economic climate, anyone is a bust at that price. But it was either him or Troy Glaus and, personally, I would rather have Rolen. He’s a better defender and a bigger fan of Toronto as a city. It’s easier to live with overpaying Rolen.

As far as the organization’s plans at third base, I believe that the guy this season to play third if Rolen is injured would be Jose Bautista. The long-term solutions? The Jays seem to be grooming Kiwi infielder Scott Campbell to the position. The 24-year-old Gonzaga University product, the first New Zealander ever drafted, doesn’t seem to have the power expected from the corner infielders, but he will likely man the position at Triple A. Down the line, they are hoping switch-hitting 19-year-old Kevin Ahrens will be ready by 2011 or 2012. He was drafted 16th overall in June 2007.

Q: I noticed the other day that Lane was playing at SS. Given his very solid spring, is there any chance he could make the team at that position and provide a (potentially) substantial offensive upgrade from Marco Scutaro there?

Graham Harvey, Toronto

A: Jason Lane has only ever played first base and the outfield. He is a rare player that bats right and throws left. Hal Breeden, a former Braves and Expos first baseman was another one. This non-roster guy has been amazing in other areas of offensive mayhem this spring, but, of course, there have been plenty of spring pheoms through the years for every organization. Recall Mitch Webster. But there is no room on the major-league roster for him. Snider and Lind are the third and fourth outfielders. Bautista can also play out there. Lane is a mature 32-year-old, with four years and 49 days of service with the Astros and Padres. He’s good insurance should one of the starting outfielders be hurt.

Q: My question pertains to the bullpen. I know that B.J. Ryan, Scott Downs, Brandon League, Jesse Carlson, Brian Tallet and perhaps Jeremy Accardo are locks to make the team. Who do you think the last 1 or 2 will be to round out the pen to start the season?

John Kanstein, Groton, CT.

A: The Jays’ pen is going to have an awful lot of work to do, especially in April. Every outing for David Purcey, Brad Mills, Ricky Romero and Scott Richmond this spring has been an adventure, walking the highwire of mediocrity. With a 12-man pitching staff, there is room for seven relievers. Of that group that you mention above, maybe Accardo is the one on the bubble that might have a struggle making the opening day staff.

“If you get five innings out of your starter at this point and give up two runs, we’d be happy in a big-league game,” Ricciardi said on Tuesday. “A guy like League can give you two innings. We might end up using League more like Anaheim uses (Scot) Shields. Our pen will probably get a little bit more action. Tallet will probably be the long guy.”

Ricciardi then reeled off what he felt could be his inventory of relievers at Triple A: Brian Burres, Dirk Hayhurst, T.J. Beam. If Accardo is indeed a question mark that would leave two spots open. It looks like Brian Wolfe is on the outside looking in, with a shoulder issue that has held him back. Shawn Camp is still in camp and could be one of the final two guys in the pen. I get the feeling that Jason Frasor will be moved off the roster due to salary considerations. That leaves Camp and Accardo to make it.

Q: Hey Mr. Griffin,

Love the Blog/Q&A, I read it every week. I'm curious why the Jays, who have a very deep bullpen again, haven't looked into moving some of them for a starter. There are some contenders with shaky 'pens that I'm sure would love to add a Downs or Tallet type pitcher.

Jonathan Rosenberg, Toronto

A: That is a solid theory. But the window has closed in terms of obtaining a serviceable mid-rotation starter for any of these guys. If I were the GM, I would have entered the off-season dangling B.J. Ryan, Brian Tallet and Jason Frasor as bait. There is a point of diminishing returns with regard to B.J. Without a solid rotation, there will be fewer save opportunities. With fewer save opportunities, he gets less work. With less work, he is less effective. When he’s less effective, you get fewer wins. With fewer wins, who needs a stud closer?

As for Tallet, his role as a long reliever could be filled by a right-hander, with Jesse Carlson and Scott Downs ahead of him on the late-innings depth chart. And Frasor has legitimate major-league stuff, especially if he could pitch in the NL, but he needs a change of scenery from the Jays, who have never seemed to show confidence in him.

Q: Richard:

Mike Maroth used to be my neighbour in Detroit, and I see that he has been sent to Triple-A. Do you see him going to AAA Las Vegas and working on his pitches and helping the Jays later this year? He was always a pretty good finesse pitcher who needed pinpoint control. If he got back to his normal self, couldn't he help the Jays? Tom in metro Detroit.

Tom Rady, Beverly Hills, Mich.

A: Maroth was not sure whether he would take his assignment to the minors, but eventually decided that was his best course of action in getting back to the majors. Consider that if the Jays were the only ones that were willing to give him a chance this winter, when his agent went looking, the landscape obviously had not changed. Maroth was set back by his knee problem early on and, as you pointed out, needs to have pinpoint command of his pitches to finesse his way through starts.

The Jays last season used eight different starting pitchers. In ’07, they used 11 starting pitchers. Over the course of 162 games, if Maroth stays healthy and gets it together he will have his chance. As former Expos’ manager Gene Mauch said of his own pitcher Steve Rogers and the Padres’ lefty Randy Jones back in the mid-‘70s after they each lost 20, “You have to be a pretty good pitcher to lose 20 games, to have your manager keep running you out there every fifth day.” Maroth is in that club. He is coming off of labrum surgery to his left shoulder on May 15, 2008. He also had surgery to remove bone chips from his elbow in 2006. He needs to stay the course.

Q: Richard, always enjoy reading your insight into all things baseball and Blue Jays. I noticed that Ben Sheets is still hanging around the free agent world. Is there any reason no one has signed him yet and considering the woes of the Jays rotation, would he be worth the effort of signing?

Howard Averell, Barrie

A: Sheets spent the winter looking for work as a free agent, then had surgery on February 13 to repair a torn flexor tendon in his right elbow. His best-case scenario for a return to pitching is late July. Sheets has been rehabbing in Texas and the Rangers are interested. If the Jays could not afford to match the Astros’ million-and-a-half for one year for Pudge Rodriguez, they are not in the running for Sheets or, for that matter, too many other experienced major-league players.

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 Rotation: And Then There Were Three

As promised yesterday by Cito Gaston, the tussle for the 4-5 rotation spots became a little clearer this morning when non-roster, rehabbing right-hander Matt Clement was sent to minor-league camp for assignment. That leaves three guys, Brad Mills, Scott Richmond and Ricky Romero still in the running.

Clement was busy packing his bags this morning in the Jays' clubhouse and has not decided whether to report to the minors. He is taking a couple of days, talking to his agent and looking for another team that offers an easier road back to the majors. However, that team does not exist.

"Trying to give you any insight would be premature," Clement said, with resignation in his voice.

With the off day tomorrow, Gaston is giving everyone the day off completely. When they come back it will be Mills on Thursday at the Braves, Roy Halladay on Friday, then Richmond on Saturday, with Romero on Sunday in the real game and Jesse Litsch at Triple-A.

They need to see Romero and Richmond in real games against some major leaguers before they decide -- although somehow you get the feeling they've already made that decision but don't know how to tell Richmond he's the odd man out after telling him to go to Team Canada and not worry.   

Blue Jays Roster Moves: Curtis Who?

Including the Clement move, the Jays made five non-roster assignments to minor-league camp today reducing the number of players in major-league camp to 38. Today's assignments included pitcher Brian Burres, first baseman Randy Ruiz, shortstop Angel Sanchez and catcher (if you can still call him that) Curtis Thigpen. What are the plans for the 25-year-old Thigpen?

"He'll go down and (play) wherever (director of player development) Dicky Scott feels he needs to go play," GM J.P. Ricciardi said of his once-prized catching prospect. 

Asked in what city Thigpen was going to play, Ricciardi replied: "I don't know. That's up to Dicky Scott at this point. Obviously (J.P.) Arencibia's going to catch at Triple-A and (Brian) Jeroloman's going to catch at Double-A, so you know, he'll either back one of those guys up or play other positions. He's going to have to hit you know." 

Reminded that that was the same plan for Thigpen last year, J.P. responded:

"Last year? I don't remember last year."

The fact is that when the Jays designated Thigpen for assignment before spring training they must have been really hoping that someone would claim him. When he cleared waivers, they hung onto him and he stuck around this long in camp because Rod Barajas was away playing for Mexico at the WBC.

Thigpen's a guy that just never got it. If he had worked harder last summer at making himself into a good utility man around the infield and with catching as a background, he might be in the majors right now, but he always believed he was the Jays' catcher of the future. The future is then.

BLUE JAYS PECKING ORDER 101

For those that may wonder how the totem pole of seniority works in a major-league clubhouse with regards to the interaction between superstars and rookies, this morning's Jays' clubhouse provided a beautiful, hilarious example.

The Jays' No. 1 everything, Roy Halladay, was on his way out the front door to the field when he was called back. He reached into a loaded bucket of individually wrapped Double Bubble to grab one. As he turned back he inadvertently pulled the bucket and it crashed to the floor sending the wrapped gum scattering all across the entrance like a candy carpet and even under a wire rack.

The next player out behind Doc was rookie Travis Snider who had observed what happened. He stopped and put his equipment bag down, getting onto his hands and knees trying to get all the gum back into the bucket beside him on the floor.

An amused press corps watched as Halladay came back from his brief meeting, passing Snider with a huge grin on his face. "Thanks," he said as Snider reached under the table like Camilo Villegas lining up a putt. Doc stepped over the mess and pushed his way through the door.

As Snider finished his dirty work, he looked up and smiled. "I know my place," he said. "At least Doc will like me today."

Then Snider gathered his stuff and headed out to the field, returning back inside seconds later ahead of (two-year bench coach) Brian Butterfield who had pointed out to him that he, in fact, didn't need to be out there for stretch for another half hour since he was going to Clearwater on the bus.

"D-ohh!" Oh well, at least Doc liked him for a day.

      

LARRY JONES - THE UGLY AMERICAN TOURIST

Why is it that when Chipper Jones rips his experience of seven days in Toronto for Round 1 of the World Baseball Classic, we fall all over ourselves looking to refute?

Okay so Larry didn't have a good time, so what? He was hitless and pulled an oblique muscle in his side -- as opposed to the obtuse muscle in his head. It was the middle of March, not the best month to go wander the streets of T-O looking for a warm breeze, an outdoor patio and northern exposure.

First of all, Chipper is in the NL, so not used to the neighbourhoods of the city. Second of all, he is on a team with unfamiliar teammates that don't really want to go out with a hitless wonder from a city with clearly the worst night-time downtown core in the league.

"I don't know if you've ever stayed in Toronto, but it's not Las Vegas." Those are the words that annoy us. Why do people overreact? It's like someone telling you "your wife is no Charlize Theron." Yeah!

As long as you have places to go that you know you'll enjoy, "vive la difference."

As far as Chipper feeling the WBC format needs tweaking, I'll gladly agree with that. As I wrote in an earlier column, it's easy.

Workout day in Round 1 city; then doubleheader; then the next day winner-winner and loser-loser; then the undefeated 2-0 team moves on to next city. The two teams at 1-1 then play for second place...repeat in next city for Round 2. Then play the same Final Four as now and you have the whole thing wrapped up in 11 days including the workout day in  the first city. Simple.

As for Chipper's comments -- Chill.

Mail Bag

The ninth-inning win by the U.S. in last night’s elimination game against Puerto Rico is what the World Baseball Classic needed to re-invigorate the concept.

The Americans, to make the buzz perfect, will have to win their semi-final match-up at Dodger Stadium and then lose the championship game to create a buzz for 2013. Look out for Canada in four years.

As for the Jays, the starting pitching situation is working itself out, with Roy Halladay, Jesse Litsch and David Purcey guaranteed spots and with Scott Richmond, Casey Janssen, Brad Mills, Matt Clement and Rickey Romero still in camp and, thus, in the mix. Nineteen days left until Opening Day. On to the mail bag.

Q: Hi Richard, Quick question for you on the importance of spring training. I hear commentators say all the time that a spring training record and statistics are completely insignificant. If a team goes 15-0 or 0-15, it does not account for much. Personally, I never understood this logic. Spring training is the most critical time for a team such as the ’09 Blue Jays.

This year, spring training is being used to determine the number 3-5 starters, finalize the batting order, and finalize any fights for positions. Usually, all of these items are determined through spring training statistics, and although I have no proof of this, surely a winning spring training will result in positive vibes entering the season.

Is there truly no impact on an 0-15 spring training season vs. one that is 15-0? I know I’m talking about individual stats here, but one example that bears to mind for me is that great spring training season that John Olerud once had, which he carried into the season and allowed him to bat .400 into August. Thanks!

Zaki Ameen, Mississauga

A: I agree with those commentators that say that spring training records and statistics are completely insignificant. What is, instead, significant about spring training games is the ability of an organization — its manager, coaches, GM and pro scouts — to watch spring games and interpret what they see. I believe that any manager any year could manage his team to a winning record in spring training on purpose if that is the goal. That should not be the goal.

Sometimes, if a team had a bad season the year before, if a team has a lot of young players and needs to sell tickets to fans back home, a winning record is an unannounced team priority. It can be accomplished by giving your veteran regulars more starts, by giving them extra at-bats within games, by saving your closer for the end of the game, by pinch-hitting, especially right-left, in game-changing situations. But what’s the purpose?

You want to allow Roy Halladay to get ready at his preferred pace, not throwing changeups or cutters early in March, taking his lumps making sure he reaches his pitch-count that he wanted to that day. You want to bring B.J. Ryan into a game for his one inning in the sixth instead of the ninth. Many times, your Triple-A hitters that come in to play the final four innings are facing the same Triple-A pitchers they faced the year before. Should their .350 spring average mean they should make your team?

Spring training is important for the Jays this year in determining the 3-5 starters, but the games are just a small part of that. There’s the work ethic, the bullpen sessions, the training room reports on health and bounce-back ability and finally the game results.

In 1985, the year that the young Jays broke through as a playoff team, they were 19-10 in the spring. In 1989, with SkyDome sales on the immediate horizon, they were 21-10. But in 1992-93 when they won the World Series, Grapefruit League marks were 13-18 and 11-19.

Q: Hey Richard, just a quick question. Do you believe the Jays were motivated to send down Brett Cecil to the minors to keep down his service time and foreseeing a good start for him in the minors do you see him as a call up in June along the lines of what Baltimore will most likely do with Matt Weiters? The same goes for Brad Mills; do you see the Jays keeping him down until June for the same reasons? In my opinion it makes sense considering we have next to no chance at contending this year.

Marc Oliver, Paris

A: The service time for players sometimes comes into play as it did with Gustavo Chacin the year the Jays tried to activate him from the disabled list (where he was accumulating ML service time) and option him to Syracuse (where he would not get service time). A grievance was filed and they weren’t allowed to do that. Every day of service time gets a player closer to arbitration and free agency. But in the case of Cecil, it’s not a factor. However, money did come into play, because by sending Cecil to minor-league camp this early they don’t have to pay him major-league meal money and other perks, while still being able to monitor his progress at the Mattick Complex.

As for when he might be called up to the majors, consider the timing of Jesse Litsch. He was called up on May 15, 2007, after 12 successful minor-league starts. If it’s Scott Richmond and Matt Clement at the back end of the rotation, then the competition will be between Cecil and Mills for first guy to be called up. If it’s Richmond and Mills at 4-5, then Cecil should be ready for promotion if there’s an injury or if Richmond fails. If Casey Janssen is in the rotation, with Richmond or Mills, then there will be an opportunity for Cecil by June.

Q: Richard, You mentioned in your last mailbag that Alex Rios has the potential to be a 30-30 hitter (at least if he bats leadoff). Isn’t that a bit like saying AJ Burnett has the potential to be a 20-game winning ace? Sure, it could happen, but how realistic are the chances? Something always seems to get in the way of Rios’s development, so why should this season be any different? I’d just like to hear your rationale, because whenever I think "Alex Rios," I also think "Almost traded for Tim Lincecum," and it makes me weep.

Francesco Paonessa, Richmond Hill

A: Rios doesn’t need to bat leadoff to be a 30-30 player. Batting third affords the same opportunity for that success, but at the moment, the Jays don’t have a true leadoff man. There are some legitimate comparisons between Rios as 30-30 and Burnett as a 20-game winning ace, but pitchers are a different breed of athlete.

I think Rios, with his .290-plus average the last three years, combined with 15-plus in both homers and steals, has a better chance to put it all together under a more nurturing coaching staff.

As for the “almost” trade, don’t lose any sleep over it. It never was going to happen. Lincecum was the object of the Jays’ affections but the Giants were always ready to “bait-and-switch” hoping to reel the Jays in so deeply that when they substituted one of their secondary starters for Lincecum, that the Jays would do it anyway. To GM J.P. Ricciardi’s credit, he held onto Rios and the Jays went on to post the best team ERA in baseball.

Q: Russ Adams always hits well at the top of the order, I believe. Why don’t we just make him the DH and bat him leadoff? I mean, it would be a little untraditional to use a DH as a leadoff hitter, but the rest of our lineup consists of home run hitters who don’t have power (anymore); we don’t need another one as our DH.

Robert B., Oshawa

A: Russ Adams as leadoff and DH would be a waste of two positions. Marco Scutaro is not the answer at leadoff, but Adams has a .314 major-league and a .355 minor-league on-base percentage. The problem for Adams is that, at 28-years-old, if he is sent back to Triple-A Las Vegas, he will be seen just as a veteran fill-in guy making way for any of the Jays’ hotshot prospects on the scene. He has no primary position at this point.

What Russ needs is a change of scenery with another organization. A similar type player, Chris Woodward cobbled together a decent major-league career, leaving the Jays, his original drafting team, at the age of 28 having played just one season of 100-plus games — the same as Adams. Russ is having a good spring at the plate and scouts are at every game.

Q: Hey Richard. Got a quick little scenario for you. Can the Jays sign Pedro, providing the price is right? Look at the situation. Pedro wants to pitch, the Jays need pitching, and a veteran like Pedro in this rotation would be a great help to the young guys. I’m not sure what he’s asking, but from what I saw in the WBC game it looks like he can still be a serviceable starter. I’m not sure of his asking price, but aside from the possible money issue Pedro to Toronto makes sense for both sides, at least from my point of view. So could it happen?

Simon Sharkey-Gotlieb, Toronto

A: I was an early promoter of the Jays signing Pedro Martinez (as long as he was healthy) from among the glut of veteran free-agent pitchers. He has pitched in Canada. He has the incentive of getting his career back on course and making 30-plus starts. He would allow the Jays’ youngsters to develop at the proper pace. The going price of $5 million for one year is within reason. The most likely landing spot for Pedro is now the Dodgers — or else back with the Mets. The Jays’ window of opportunity has slammed shut.

Q: Hello Richard, I was wondering what exactly is going on with Johnny Mac? We all know he is a top-level fielder, so why not let him have the starting job? Is his hitting really holding him back that much, is it his age, or is Scutaro just that much better (or is it something I’m missing)?

On another note, with less than a month to opening day, has anyone competing for a spot in the rotation really taken hold of the opportunity? Also, do you think B.J. will be back to his shut down ways anytime soon?

Adam Allison, Banff, AB

A: The only way that John McDonald becomes the Jays’ starting shortstop again is if Lyle Overbay, Scott Rolen and Vernon Wells bounce back to the offensive levels they have shown in the past and if Rod Barajas provides a consistent offensive presence near the bottom of the order.

An AL team needs at least eight productive bats in the order, because of the DH. Last season, it became clear that McDonald’s notoriously weak bat was at least one hole too many in the batting order. If everyone else rebounds in the Jays’ order, that would allow Johnny Mac’s particular talent of saving runs with his glove, instead of producing runs with his bat, to become more valuable.

Marco Scutaro was never signed to be the starting shortstop. But he is the shortstop and leadoff hitter by default.

As for the rotation, Brad Mills, who is in fact four days older than Jesse Litsch, looks like he has grabbed his opportunity and run with it. B.J. Ryan had a nice efficient inning vs. the Red Sox the other day and should be okay for opening day. The question is how many opportunities will he get to save games in April and May. But he should be alright.

Q: Hello, Mr. Griffin. I keep hearing that the Jays are looking for a trade to get rid of Lyle Overbay and replace him with Adam Lind at first. Should we be concerned with Lind’s defence at first base? He is not known for his glove in left field, and learning a new position may be too tough at the major league level. I also wonder what the Jays hope/expect to get in return for Overbay? Perhaps a shortstop who can bat lead-off, to compensate for the mysterious loss of Russ Adams, I hope.

P.F.H.Lai, North York Ont.

A: Lind was a second-team all-American first baseman in 2003 at South Alabama and was switched to the outfield in ’04. He has never been Baryshnikov in the outfield in any case and a switch, if such a thing became necessary, should be able to work.

If they were going to trade Overbay, it should be for a legitimate DH, or a mid-rotation, mid-20s starting pitcher.

The Jays’ two young guns, Travis Snider and Lind, should be playing a position at their age, rather than settling in already as a DH. That’s a bad career move, eliminating National League teams from their futures. If the right deal for Overbay could be made, I would do it. Before that happens, Overbay needs to prove he is healthy and back to being a doubles-hitting machine. But if he proves that, the Jays may keep him.

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.**

Mail Bag

Well, it’s back to Dunedin with the Jays this weekend after Team Canada’s disappointing showing at the World Baseball Classic.

If one of the goals of the WBC is to grow the game around the world, then the win by Italy over the Canadians and the Dutch advancing to Round 2 with two wins over the Dominican will certainly grow it in Europe. Is Sint-Oedenrode becoming the San Pedro de Macoris of Holland? And Australia looked pretty good against Mexico the other night.

One bright spot for Canada is that Phillipe Aumont, Dave Davidson, Scott Diamond and Chris Leroux look like a pretty good pitching nucleus for 2013 and Brett Lawrie should be ready to shore up the infield. If Scott Richmond doesn’t make the Jays rotation, he might consider retiring his name from any future Team Canada consideration, having missed both the Olympic and the WBC. On to the mail bag:

Q: Richard, real baseball is almost here, you know it starts after the Brier. Can you explain the Jays off-season? Did J.P. Ricciardi hurry hard after any pitchers with an upside such as Carl Pavano and Pedro Martinez? Were there any other pitchers who slid to other teams who the Jays were after? Also, is there any hope another GM will put the hammer down on a trade involving Lyle Overbay or Scott Rolen as there have been rumours involving both? Lastly, if the young pitchers do really well this year, will that leave a full house next year, and then what happens?

Tim Cook, Millbrook

A: J.P. stopped short of any hogline of desperation that would have come if he had checked with David Wells to see if he wanted to try a comeback. When it came to pitching this winter, J.P. pretty much blanked all his ends.

The most attractive asset the Jays have in terms of trade potential is definitely Lyle Overbay, That might happen at some point once Overbay proves he is healthy again, able to go gap-to-gap with extra-base power. His remaining two years at a reasonable salary can be appealing to mid-level contenders.

As for the potential of an overabundance of starting pitchers next year, Cito Gaston, the skip of this Jays crew, would be thrilled if he had seven or eight guys competing for five spots next spring. That could happen in ’10 if Shaun Marcum and Dustin McGowan return and if Brett Cecil, Brad Mills and Ricky Romero develop as expected.

Q: Hi Richard,

I think that Toronto fans have at times been unjustly accused of being “boring” and too “polite” when it comes to attending Blue Jay games. I think the WBC was a true indication of the deep passion that baseball fans have in this city. I think the quietness in the fans’ demeanors these past few years are more of a reflection that this team has not sniffed the playoffs in 16 years and counting. I still believe that if the Blue Jays could start building a consistent winner, then the team could gain a completely new generation of fans - those fans that attend Raptor games and who are rabid, loud, boisterous, and most importantly, passionate.

Zaki Ameen, Mississauga

A: Mike Marshall, a former relief pitcher who had a couple of unbelievable years in the early ’70s, had a lot of different theories about a lot of things. He was a bit of a strange dude, earning a degree in kinesiology from Michigan St. that allowed him to be called Dr. Marshall. In any case he had a theory on rabid sports fans and how it showed that there was something lacking in their lives that they could get so passionate about something over which they had no control. He claimed the quieter and more polite the crowd, the more well-adjusted they must be in their own lives. If Marshall was right, that would help explain Canadian baseball crowds compared to many of their American counterparts. If Marshall was wrong, then I guess it’s the 16 years without a playoff team that accounts for the quiet atmosphere at the Rogers Centre.

As for the WBC opener between USA and Canada, that was a great baseball atmosphere, but then what happened on Monday against the Italians? Same tournament, same goal, but the crowd was flat and Team Canada was flatter. How much of the Raptors’ boisterous atmosphere is created by the wall-of-sound that is allowed to continue being piped in even as play goes on? I love going to Raptors games, but baseball crowds don’t need quite the wattage to be good, knowledgeable, enthusiastic crowds.

Q: Could you please update the status of the rotation. Is there reason for optimism? I have read that the 4th and 5th starter's positions are up for grabs. Do you think that David Purcey is a 3rd or might he be out-pitched in spring training?

Marcus Heinrichsm Stouffville

A: Purcey still has a lot to prove, but he would need to be out-pitched by three other starting pitchers in camp, a couple of them with fewer major-league credentials than he has. I can’t see that happening. With Purcey as the No. 3 guy, I can see Scott (Canadian Phantom) Richmond being a fourth starter, with maybe Brett Cecil being the five.

Personally, I would break camp with Matt Clement in the rotation and ride him until he can’t pitch anymore, allowing my young guys to get a few more innings at Triple-A before throwing them into the major-league fire. It’s looking less and less like Dustin McGowan will be back by June, so there will be rotation decisions to be made all year.

Q: Hello Mr. Griffin, after writing to you a few times from Guelph, I have now ended up in Paris. Unfortunately baseball is not one of the big sports here, but I guess considering what the Jays roster looks like this year, I am not missing much, although I would enjoy having shots of Jack Daniels with Kevin Millar before games to get fired up. Anyways, on to the question. I keep hearing Tony Lacava could be a great GM and has been rumoured or in the running for jobs before, the Pirates come to mind. Going through front office and personnel moves, what do you think the Jays should do heading into 2010, which youngsters could make the leap by then and finally do you see Roy Halladay in a Jays uniform come April 1 2010?

Cheers,

Marc Oliver, Paris

A: Tony LaCava was a strong candidate for the Pirates and the Mariners jobs and may be part of the search by the Nationals. He would become the first J.P. Ricciardi assistant in eight years to move on and become a GM elsewhere. Hmm! Matriculating under J.P. seems to be like going after a CEO job of a Fortune 500 company with a degree from the DeVry Institute.

As for Halladay, I really don’t see him in a Jays uniform on April 1, 2010. That’s the final year of his current contract and I think he will be given the opportunity to pick a list of teams and negotiate an extension as part of any trade. That would also allow the Jays to maximize the return that they get in any deal. Consider A.J. Burnett’s Yankee deal as the starting-off point for Doc’s next contract and the Jays can’t afford that and won’t be able to even in 2011. The 2010 rotation would then include whomever they get in a Halladay deal, plus four from among Shaun Marcum, Jesse Litsch, David Purcey, McGowan, Brett Cecil and maybe Brad Mills. Not bad to build on.

Q: Richard, what is your professional opinion on control pitcher and power pitcher. It seems to me power pitchers have a higher ceiling but they always end up injured and they usually have a higher price tag. On the other hand, control pitchers seem to be more consistent and they have longer careers. So do you think it is better to invest on control pitcher rather than power pitchers. And how many Jays' young guns would you consider as control pitchers and how many control pitchers will you put in your starting five.

Davy P., San Jose

A: I don’t think that being a power pitcher necessarily means you can’t also be a control pitcher. I think a better word than “control” for what you are describing is “finesse”.

I think more power pitchers are drafted early out of high school because scouts can recognize a 93 mph fastball from an 18-year-old and believe if he turns pro that the organization can teach him how to pitch. A lot of the finesse guys out of high school have to go to college to refine their finesse and impress scouts.

As for power pitchers being injured, there have been a lot of power pitchers that have pitched into their 40s, like Nolan Ryan, Randy Johnson, Steve Carlton and others.

Personally, I like higher ceiling guys. I’ve seen too many college pitchers with great NCAA statistics get stuck in the high minors or else top out as 4-5 starters. Given my druthers, I’d rather have five power pitchers with good control than a rotation of finesse guys.

Q: Richard,

Regarding Casey Janssen, you said his best place might be as an inning-eating mop-up guy. If you need somebody to go into the game in the 3rd, your chances of winning are probably very small. Why would the Jays use one of their few decent pitchers in such a role? Isn't that a place to stash your worst major league pitcher, since you probably won't win that game anyways?

Also, classifying Janssen as “always succeeding from the bullpen, seldom succeeding as a starter” is ridiculous. The guy has played 2 years in the majors, one in each role. His successful season as a bullpen arm came in his 2nd year, after he'd gained valuable experience as a starter in his rookie year. If a one-year trend counts as “always,” I guess we can forgo the season as the Phillies will always win from here on out.

Ian Toye, Toronto

A: I don’t believe the term “mop-up guy” was ever used in referring to Janssen’s best role. There is an extremely important role for good middle-men, guys that can enter a game when the starter struggles early and carry a game through the sixth inning. It’s not always in games that you’re being blown out. Recall the game that Ted Lilly and John Gibbons got into their famous dustup. The Jays had built a big lead, but Lilly couldn’t get through enough innings to earn a win, so he was taken out and took exception.

Secondly, Janssen is not one of their few decent pitchers. This is a Jays’ staff that led the league in ERA for both starters and relievers. But there are roles to be filled.

Thirdly, your ability to misquote the printed word is quite stunning. The fact of the matter is that Janssen, according to his pitching coach Brad Arnsberg, is better served at this stage of his career coming out of the bullpen. Until he gets an effective third pitch in his repertoire, once through the lineup may be Janssen’s best role. Just because a guy is making his second marriage work, does that necessarily mean he should go back and try it again with his first wife? Sometimes it takes a while to find something you’re good at and then you move on. Never say never and never say always. Go Phillies.

Q: Ni Hao Richard,

It seems as though the A's are giving up on Bobby Crosby, for the time being at least. I realize that the Jays are short on assets but could they make a reasonable offer for him? We all know how JP loves to make trades with his buddy Billy.

Brad T., Zhongshan, PRC

A: It doesn’t seem as though the A’s are just giving up on Crosby; they have given up on him. He is scheduled to make $5.25 million in the final year of his contract and they would love to have someone take him off their hands. They signed Orlando Cabrera for one year, $4 million and they can’t both play. Crosby has not had an on-base percentage above .300 since 2005. There were plenty of other assets available for $5 million this past winter that didn’t require draft-choice compensation and the Jays didn’t act on any of them, so they won’t on Crosby…and in fact shouldn’t.

Q: Who is going to bat leadoff on this team? Since trading Shannon Stewart in his prime the Jays really haven't had a solid leadoff guy (with one great season from Reed Johnson as an exception). When the David Eckstein experiment failed they were running Rios and even Wells out there in the leadoff spot.

Looking at this lineup I see no good candidates. Aaron Hill might be the best shot, but he's never hit well at the top of the order, and he's coming back from a major injury. One doesn't ponder long before the name Marco Scutaro gets serious consideration (it's that bad!). Does Lind get consideration for this? He didn't hit well at the two spot when he first came up. Is anyone in Dunedin debating this issue? What's Cito likely to do?

Ken S., Toronto

A: Damning with faint praise, Cito will only describe Marco Scutaro as “the best leadoff hitter we have.” He would like to see Aaron Hill bat second against right and left-handers. Then he wants Alex Rios and Vernon Wells, which gives him four right-handed hitters at the top of the order. Very unusual.

Personally, I still like Alex Rios as a leadoff man with 30-30 potential. Then you could bat Lind third and Overbay fifth, protecting Vernon on both sides and making opponents work at managing their bullpen. Do you really want Scutaro getting more at-bats than anyone else on the team?

Rios, Hill, Lind, Wells, Overbay, Rolen, Travis Snider, Rod Barajas and Scutaro.

Q: Hi Richard,

If JP's hands are tied by ownership, at what point does he decide that his future lies elsewhere? As disappointing as his tenure has been in Toronto, I have to believe he has contacts in other organizations or could find some other team willing to buy into the hype.

Scott Shaw, Milton

A: As amazing as it seems, the young GM that arrived eight years ago in Toronto to save the organization on a budget in November of 2001 is no longer considered a young GM in major-league baseball. There are now many more “boy-genius” GMs littering the landscape – some have even won something. As for J.P.’s current situation, there is no doubt that his hands have been tied financially by ownership and, as such, he seems to have thrown them in the air in frustration.

If this is indeed the final season for Ricciardi as GM, it will not be his decision because he is under contract through 2010. It will depend on Paul Beeston’s search for the next president, the leading candidate who I think was spotted playing golf with the real killer in the O.J. case. I would not be surprised if Ricciardi’s next job is not as GM with another team but as a senior advisor to a GM, which would allow him to remain at home in Worcester, Mass. He has always said that he doesn’t see himself as a lifer in terms of being a GM. There was hype surrounding him in ’01. There is no hype now.

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.**

WBC - ARRIVEDERCI SOMEONE

As the Dutch showed the Dominicans on Saturday, anything is possible in the world of sports and the WBC.

As such, manager Ernie Whitt claimed he didn't have much convincing to do of his troops heading into tonight's elimination game against Italy.

For those players that were in the '06 inaugural version of this tournament, the only two words necessary to keep them focused on victory over an apparently overmatched Italian squad are -- South Africa.

It was a reality check listening to Team Italy manager Marco Mazzieri discussing his team. He estimated that 18 of his players were pulled from the Italian professional league that has eight franchises, but that many of those players also have other jobs, some in offices, some of them government employees, but not many fulltime ballplayers.

Mazzieri may not have had as good a team as they fielded in '06 but he's much happier because this time, for the most part, they are all genuine Italian citizens and pro players. The last time, apparently MLB controlled the roster and there were a lot of Americans of Italian heritage, with a manager appointed by MLB. Their manager was merely a bench coach.

The starter tonight for Team Italy, with a 70-pitch limit is righthander Dan Serafini of the Monterrey Sultans of the Mexican Triple-A League. A former first round selection by the Twins in '92, he played for six major-league teams with a 15-16, 6.04 ERA. 

The first pitch is being thrown by Don Cherry who was happy to see in BP that none of the Italians were wearing visors on their batting helmets. He was wearing a Canadian tie with a red wine coloured velour jacket. Justin Morneau and Larry Walker immediately headed over to chat to the grape one. 

LINEUPS:

8-Nick Punto ss

34-Davide Dallospedale 2b

27 Frank Catalanotto lf

37 - Valentino Pascucci dh

19- Chris Denorfia cf

47- Giuseppe Mazzanti 1b

14- Alex Liddi 3b

64-Francisco Cervelli c

45- Mario Chiarini rf

29- Dan Serafini p

CANADA

13- Chris Barnwell ss

55-Russ Martin c

19- Joey Votto dh

33- Justin Morneau 1b

44-Jason Bay cf

12- Matt Stairs rf

24- Mark Teahen 3b

8- Nick Weglarz lf

4 - Peter Orr 2b

The attendance tonight is going to be just under 20,000 which may be understandable considering the uncertainty of Canada playing in this game, but if they win there's no excuse for not having a huge walkup crowd for the 5:00 p.m. game tomorrow night vs. Venezuela. The winner moves on to Miami.

Cheers