Mail Bag

This is fun. Recall that the Jays had a good start last year, but not quite like this. The ’08 Jays under John Gibbons were 31-26 on May 30 after the first game of a series in Anaheim. Then B.J. Ryan stumbled and the Jays found out Aaron Hill was concussed and would miss significant time. The Jays then went 4-13 the next 17 games and Gibby was fired. Now, with a healthy Hill in the lineup again, the Jays are in first place overall in the AL. So is the key to Jays’ success Aaron or Cito? In any case, the next significant date for the Jays will be May 12, when they play their first game of the season vs. the Yankees and any of the big three in the AL East -- Rays, Yanks, Sox. That’s when we’ll start finding out more about the ’09 Jays. On to the mailbag.

Q: Talk about the stunning, unbelievably helpful comeback of Aaron Hill. He is a huge reason the jays are winning and why I enjoy watching them win. If the Blue Jays are still contenders in early July, and the Red Sox and Yankees are underperforming (which, to be frank, due to age and injuries is going to happen) who would you like to see the Jays pick up to bolster the rotation? Maybe a closer? And I'm sorry to say it because he's contributed a few good years and seems to be a good guy, but B.J. Ryan's career in Toronto has to be over.

Thanks for your comments,

Kevin Preston, Brockville, Ont.

A: I’m not sure whether the word “comeback” applies to what Aaron Hill is accomplishing as much as the expression “return to health”. Hill is still just 27-years-old and has never really had an underperforming statistical season from which to come back.

Hill, as we all know, in ’08 suffered a serious concussion delivered by the pointy elbow of David Eckstein on May 29 in Oakland. He never doubted he would be able to return to action, he just never knew exactly when. In the meantime, his appreciation of what he always had as a professional athlete grew. Now, every day, he leaves everything he’s got on the field and it’s showing in his offensive numbers and his defensive enthusiasm.

I agree that Aaron’s presence in the Jays’ two-hole every day is a huge factor in the Jays’ improved offence. Hill had a nice offensive season in ’07 with a .291 average, 47 doubles, 15 homers, 87 runs, 78 RBIs and a .792 OPS. That is a floor with his not ceiling yet defined. He is likely to improve on most of those ’07 numbers. It’s not a comeback as much as resuming “career interrupted”.

As for the possibility of the Jays still being in a contending position in July as the trade deadline approaches and doing something, interim-president-for-life Paul Beeston indicated that the folks at Rogers would be receptive to spending money if needed, but it is unlikely. And don’t look for Beeston to reach out to his old golfing buddy Roger Clemens for a quick injection of talent. By then, Casey Janssen should be healthy and one of the two young lefties may have developed enough to contribute. The big factor at the trade deadline - if they are contending – is that the issue of whether Roy Halladay stays or goes will be moot. He stays.

The Jays’ bullpen without B.J. Ryan is more stable than with him. Perhaps when he’s ready to return, Scott Downs will not be ready to hand back the closer’s role and Ryan can pitch in middle relief until he proves he can set up. Perhaps if that happens, with the Jays’ constantly dangling him like a worm on a hook on waivers for the big-market sharks in July and August, someone will grab him in a panic the same way the Padres in ’98 took Randy Myers and his bulky contract off their hands.

Q: Hi Richard,

Again, I'm loving the columns & mailbag. Just curious if you might agree with a theory I've got. With an experienced coaching staff that has Cito Gaston and Gene Tenace, who've done it all here, with guys in the locker room like Scott Rolen & Kevin Millar, who've done it all or been close, wouldn't that keep the young guys’ level and the others wanting to do more? You have said that the room is not the problem, but maybe, the quality of the room is that much better?

Thanks as always Richard.

Lee Denike, Mississauga

A: I will reiterate that the players say the clubhouse has never been the problem. The Jays, and we’ll stick to recent history, have always had veteran leadership in the clubhouse, going back to Carlos Delgado, Mike Bordick, Frank Catalanotto, Corey Koskie, B.J. Ryan, Reed Johnson, John McDonald, Rolen and Millar.

A winning record always makes a clubhouse look like it has “chemistry”. The real secret is winning. Players show up earlier, hang out more, talk baseball constantly and smile all the time. It’s not rocket science. Cito Gaston was the missing chemist, mixing all the right ingredients to create a spontaneous combustion of talent. The young guys see the success and are a part of it, able to work their way into significant major-league roles without having to do much of the heavy lifting.

Q: Hi Richard,

The past couple of years, we have had all these injuries, from Vernon Wells to, now, the pitching staff. Is this a conditioning problem? If it is, why haven't we replaced the conditioning coach? A couple of years ago, when the Yankees had injury problems, they fired their conditioning coach. We gave ours an extension. It doesn't make any sense to me.

Angel Martinez, Miami

A: Never go with what the Yankees do with their off-field personnel as the template for a major-league “how-to” manual. If you closely follow only one team, it might seem that the injury woes of that organization are worse than anywhere else. The fact is that most teams have deep injury woes that are similar, one to the other. In this day and age of multi-year guaranteed contracts, erring on the side of caution has become an obsession. A mid-market organization like the Jays tends to gravitate to pitchers and players with a history of injury, taking a chance that they can capture lightning in a bottle. Often, with a reoccurrence of chronic injury problems, a finger is pointed at the current organization when, in fact, the seeds of disablement were sown elsewhere.

Q: Hi Richard,

What are the chances that the Jays bring up Wade Miller to replace Brian Burres? Granted Burres only has had one opportunity, but Miller's AAA stats are stronger than Burres'. What is Miller's velocity at? Could he provide a contribution to the Jays?

Adam Lis, London

A: Burres is not the answer even on an interim basis in the rotation. He was let go by the Orioles at the end of last year. That’s a resume buster. The 28-year-old has allowed 232 baserunners in 134 major-league innings since Opening Day last year. In Chicago, the White Sox after an inning realized that Burres could not get a pitch past them and he was gone in the fifth. He is interim.

However, the 32-year-old Wade Miller is not the answer at this point. In his first 19 innings at Triple-A Vegas, Miller has walked 13 hitters. Maybe he can help later, but the right-hander underwent shoulder surgery in ’04 and has not pitched much since, making just eight major-league appearances in the last three years. At this time, there are answers other than Miller.

Q: Hi Richard:

Besides being anxious to see how the sluggin' Jays fare against the AL East, I have a question. What is it, specifically, about the skills of Bruce Walton and Brad Arnsberg that has led to the success of pitchers such as Jesse Carlson, Shawn Camp, Accardo, Downs and Brian Tallet (compared to what they did with other teams)? Are BW and BA simply able to zero in on individual strengths? Is it something else about the mental and physical approach to pitching? Are there other coaches who deserve kudos, as well?

Stu Royal, Erin

A: The Jays’ bullpen has been a strength for the team since ’06 when B.J. Ryan arrived and Scott Downs evolved into a lefty specialist. A big factor has been the consistency of the personnel over the past three seasons, creating an esprit de corps. Bruce Walton has been a big part of that as the den mother during games. Guys that were there in ’06 that are still members of the Jays bullpen, in addition to Ryan and Downs, include Jason Frasor, Brandon League and Tallet. The Jays coaches know what every member of the ‘pen can do and in which situations they thrive. Every day, Arnsberg gives Gaston a list of bullpen guys that are available to pitch that day. Nobody gets overworked and there is no panic because of the depth out there. Players know their roles and that may be the greatest strength of what Walton and Arnsberg are doing with the bullpen.

Q: Hi Richard,

As long as I have been watching baseball I always notice that after the third out a coach will throw a ball to the first baseman as he approaches the dugout. I assume this is some sort of tradition, but how and why did it get started?

Steve Smith, Saskatoon

A: The first baseman has forever kept a ball in his glove lying on the top step of the dugout between innings so that when he goes back out in the field for the next inning he can warm up the infielders as the hurler takes his eight pitches. It used to be that if the inning ended with a groundball, the first-baseman would already have his ball in and the coach wouldn’t need to throw him one. But in the last 10 years, it’s become universal that every time the fielding team comes to the dugout to get ready to hit, someone from the fielding team flips the inning-ending baseball into the stands, whether it’s Lyle Overbay, Vernon Wells or the catcher. Therefore, now, after every inning the first baseman needs a new ball to keep in his glove. Thus the coach’s flip.

Q: Dear Mr. Griffin,

I am a huge fan of your columns and your mailbag. I like to pore over minor league statistics quite often trying to see who is in the Jays' system. Checking over the Jays Single-A squad in Dunedin I stumbled over a tiny pitcher named Tim Collins. It really seems like he can pitch, judging by his statistics. The Jays picked him up as an undrafted free agent last year and he has done nothing but mow guys down since then. He is averaging over 2 Ks per inning this year after striking out almost 1.5 per inning last year at Lansing. His WHIP this year is 0.45. I know it's early, but who is this kid? Does he project as bullpen pitcher or a starter? Noticed he was from JP's hometown of Worcester, they also look to be about the same size, which made me laugh. I saw his stats and his size and I instantly thought of Tim Lincecum. I know that's unlikely, but I would be interested to know what you could dig up and let me know if he could be a legitimate prospect. All the best and thank you.

Sincerely,

Matthew Lago, Port Credit, Ont.

A: The guy that recommended the undrafted Tim Collins to the Jays is apparently John Ricciardi, J.P.’s dad who had seen him pitch in American Legion ball in Worcester, Mass.

Collins would be a great story of he was able to ever make it to the majors. The 19-year-old stands about 5-5 (he’s listed at 5-7) and throws 93 m.p.h. with a nice overhand curve and a needs-work changeup. At Dunedin, he has walked just four and struck out 26 batters in 14 innings with a 1.29 ERA. In three pro seasons, he has fanned 131 in 88 1/3 innings. The last pitcher that Ricciardi signed out of Worcester was Tanyon Sturtze. Collins signed in ’07 and has amazed pro personnel at three levels. He projects as a short reliever….literally. It’s a nice story.

Q: Hey Richard,

The Jays have now called up two relievers to fill spots in their bullpen (Bill Murphy and Bryan Bullington). Why have they not summoned Jeremy Accardo?

Adam M., Toronto

A: That is a very good question and one that I’m sure Accardo would like an answer to as well. I asked Brad Arnsberg about that on Tuesday afternoon and he got very defensive about the decision, asking me why I thought Accardo should have been called up. He claimed that there were three candidates put forward at the time of Ryan’s injury and that Bullington was the one that was having the best year.

Accardo has more success at the major-league level than the other guys and is clearly healthy. At Vegas he has pitched eight innings, with eight hits, two walks and four Ks. The Jays’ organization is clearly down on Accardo. They have been that way since the 2008 season, when after a bad start and an injury (forearm soreness), he was sent to the minors and never brought back. His season was shut down on August 20.

There has been an organizational perception of Accardo that he does not work hard enough. It is difficult for me to say, but it’s a head-scratcher that he was passed over in April behind Murphy and Bullington.

Q: Hi Richard, I was just wondering what happened to Joe Inglett. He's a career .304 minor league hitter who finally got a chance last year and made the most of it. I realize he doesn't have as much power as Baustista, but he's much more valuable defensively, is a better average and on base guy, and a better base runner. Surely he's a better option than Baustista?

Jim Dickie, Fredericton

A: The 30-year-old Inglett is a good utility player, but at this stage of his career does not need to play every day in the minor leagues to maintain his value. It’s a good thing because he’s got just 24 at-bats in six games at Las Vegas. The 51s have Scott Campbell, Howie Clark and Russ Adams that can all play second base, plus a solid outfield.

The way Cito uses his bench, Inglett’s assets as a defender and baserunner would go to waste. Bautista has more power and the Jays need a reserve third baseman for when Rolen gets a day off. The corners should have more power than Inglett provides.

Q: Richard, I would love to get Brian Butterfield's take on the NFL draft that took place this (past) weekend. Any word on who was running back and forth from the clubhouse to the dugout in Chicago to fill him in on the picks?

Jonny J., Toronto

A: I asked Butter on Tuesday what he thought and how he handled the draft and his beloved Patriots. Apparently as he prepared for the game on Saturday in Chicago, he would glance up at the TV screen and check out the ticker scroll across the bottom. As soon as he saw the Pats turn was coming up as one of the next three picks, he would take a break and watch.

A big admirer of Bill Belichick’s career in New England, the Jays’ bench coach did not anticipate several of his team’s selections, although he did have DB Patrick Chung (Oregon) as the top defensive back on his own draft list.

Butter, who has a personal relationship with several executives in the Pats’ front office, explained how Belichick works his draft. He and his aides pinpoint players that can make the Patriots roster that coming season, even if they are special teamers. Those are the guys they draft, especially in the later rounds. Butter talks about the Pats like it’s a cult.

Q: Hey Richard,

If we ever see Halladay, Litsch, Romero, Purcey, Richmond, Janssen, Marcum, McGowan, and even Tallet (looking like a bona fide starter) all healthy, would the Jays bring up Brett Cecil as a starter to make it a 10 man rotation?

In all seriousness, how much can be said for teams not getting much looks at starting pitchers? If you're sending different arms out to the mound every day, giving teams very little opportunity to learn the pitchers throughout the year, could this not be a competitive advantage? These young starters clearly seem to be embracing every opportunity to shine. In a Tony LaRussa-esque attempt to change the way the game is managed, is there an argument for having a 10 man rotation? There is the obvious issue of starters getting used to pitching every fortnight, sure you only have so many spots on the team, and let's be honest, this pitching bubble will burst, but why not try it? I mean if it ain't broke....

Come one. It's an interesting thought!

Paxton aka optimist

A: The only problem with a 10-man rotation and a seven-man bullpen is that leaves just eight position players to form a lineup. Maybe you could have each starter pitch until he loses and then disable him, giving the next guy the same chance. Then again, maybe not.

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.**

Griff's Power Rankings, Week 3

(Last week's power ranking in parentheses)

1-Red Sox (4)

Finally, Youk for MVP

2-Dodgers (2)

Manny makes other L.A. hitters dreaded

3-Marlins (1)

Congrats Dave Van Horne 40 years in radio

4-Blue Jays (9)

Like ranking KCriss Angel on most powerful men list

5-Cubs (3)

Accursed Goat is getting cocky already

6-Yankees (5)

C.C. + A.J.= SNAFU + S.O.S.

7-Mariners (12)

Healthy King Felix and Prince Eric make a difference

8-Cardinals (15)

Albert Pujols can carry a team; he’ll tell you

9-Mets (6)

New stadium blues but don’t pine for Shea

10-White Sox (7)

With Obama and Chavez now BFF Ozzie ready for White House visit

11-Tigers (17)

These Tigers trying to change their ’08 stripes

12-Phillies (8)

Hamels admits off-season as Series MVP was changeup.

13-Braves (13)

Tomahawk chop going the way of the Twist

14-Royals (16)

Zack Greinke, Don Drysdale, Orel Hershiser??? Who does not belong?

15-Twins (14)

They’ll hang around mid-pack all year then make a move

16-Pirates (21)

Young rotation is steering this high-powered Bucco skiff

17-Angels (11)

Bullpen is better than it’s showed.

18-Reds (19)

This team speaks softly (Votto soce) and carries big stick

19-Padres (18)

Pads are like Robin Hood stealing wins from the rich with buddy Friar Suck.

20-Rays (10)

One year later, purged Devil having his due

21-Orioles (20)

Zaun struggling for playing time

22-Rangers (28)

Rotation needs Chuck Norris - Walker, Texas Ranger

23-Diamondbacks (22)

Tough because as you know Snakes have no shoulders

24-Giants (25)

These Giants will grow taller as year goes on

25-Indians (23)

Tribe is falling-off-a-Cliff Lee year after Cy Young

26-Brewers (26)

Rough start for Kenny Macha in deeply mediocre division

27-A’s (24)

Moving in the Coliseum fence might help

28-Astros (27)

Left field warning track not only uphill climb

29-Rockies (29)

Everyone talking Nuggets

30-Nationals (30)

Not even Pedro can turn this ship around

B.J. Ryan: A View From the Grassy Knoll

After watching closely and paying attention to the whole afternoon and evening as it unfolded at the Rogers Centre tonight, it seems like there is more than meets the eye surrounding the disablement of closer B.J. Ryan. There is a distinct feeling that the Jays are more comfortable with Ryan out of the closer's role the way he is currently throwing and, at the same time, Ryan would not be happy pitching middle relief, which the Jays likely suggested to him in a closed door meeting this afternoon.

The move that needed to be made right now was to get Ryan off the firing line until he returns to throwing at least 89-91 m.p.h on his fastball. At spring training he was 83-86. In April he has been 84-88. This has led to trying to overthrow, which has produced a lack of command, leading to the ratio of 14 baserunners and 17 outs. The amazing thing is the Jays had won all six games in which he had appeared. It was time to stop pressing their luck and they knew it. They are styarting to believe they might actually contend this season. Giving him 16 games to prove himself was the next step once they had decided not to place him on the DL at spring training and leave him in Florida to work out his problems which was suggested here.

Here are some reasons for thinking there may have been a puff of smoke from behind the Jays' fence.

1-The Ricky Romero DL and the Ryan DL were announced completely separate from one another when the easiest thing is always to announce them at the same time.

2-Cito Gaston insisted he heard about the Ryan injury after Wednesday's game; Ricciardi said he heard about it a few days ago. Maybe the truth is they both heard about it Thursday after they told B.J. in a meeting he would be giving way as closer to Scott Downs.

3-Both Cito and J.P. claimed they didn't know when the injury happened. Wouldn't it be logical to have asked B.J. when it did to see if that could explain his loss of spring training velocity.

4-After the Romero DL news was already out, Ricciardi was seen on the field talking with Brad Arnsberg on an empty field out near the bullpen while Roy Halladay threw his side session. Shortly after that, Ryan and Arnsberg huddled in a hallway in the clubhouse talking animatedly. Shortly after that Ryan was announced as on the DL. There was no e-mail or press release. It was clearly not expected because the official lineup cards handed out in the pressbox included Ryan on the active roster. 

The, Jays with an unexpected hold on first place in the AL East, really dodged a bullet while Ryan was active, because Gaston, as he always has been, was loyal to his veteran closer. But enough was enough. This may be one of those injuries of convenience. Besides, who goes on the DL with a knot in the back of your shoulder if it just occured and without confirmation of an MRI?

We patiently await the findings of the Warren (Cromartie) Commission.

R-Griff 

   

Darren O'Day-Joel Youngblood: What's in a Name

On Wednesday night in Toronto, the side-arming right-hander Darren O'Day made his Rangers' debut in extra innings against the Jays. What's so unusual? To the amusement of his new teammates, O'Day warmed up and pitched to Kevin Millar in the 11th wearing the No. 30 jersey of Kason Gabbard.

The problem was O'Day had been claimed off waivers from the Mets earlier in the day and had reported during the game at the Rogers Centre, meeting and greeting his new mates in the bullpen as the game progressed. His name had been on the lineup card submitted to umpires in the pre-game meeting at home plate, replacing the disabled Kris Benson, so he was eligible to compete. (Millar singled home the winner, scoring Vernon Wells from second base.)

O'Day's night immediately reminded me of Joel Youngblood and the unique day he had with the Mets and Expos back in 1982.

Youngblood became and is still the only player to collect a base hit for two different teams in two different cities in one day. The difference is that on that special day back in '82 he had the name "Youngblood" on the back of his uniform for both hits thanks to some conscientious leg-work by an Expos' equipment manager thinking outside the sewing machine. 

On August 4, 1982, Youngblood started his day in centre field for the Mets at Wrigley Field. That was back in the day before lights on the North Side for the Cubs. Facing future Hall-of-Famer Fergie Jenkins, Youngblood singled in the third inning. In the bottom of the fourth (around 3 p.m. EDT) Youngblood was replaced by Mookie Wilson. He had been traded to the Expos for journeyman lefty reliever Tom Gorman. After talking to Expos' GM John McHale, rather than taking a full day to report, Youngblood threw his equipment into a bag, went back to the team hotel, packed his suitcase and caught a flight to Philadelphia, arriving at the start of the Expos game vs. the Phillies. 

Even Youngblood was surprised when he reached his locker at Veterans Stadium and found a jersey with his name on it. The Expos' equipment manager, now with the Marlins, the brilliant John Silverman, found out about the trade right after it happened. The path of least resistance would have been to simply hand him a jersey with any number, but Silverman proudly claimed he had never had a player enter a game in a generic uniform without his name on it since teams started putting names on jerseys and he wasn't about to start now. One of the visiting clubhouse guys at the Vet suggested his wife could sew the name on, so the jersey was driven over to the house where the seamstress for a day quickly stitched the name on the back. It was hanging there when Youngblood arrived.

The Expos' newcomer entered the game defensively for Jerry White in the bottom of the sixth and singled off lefty Steve Carlton in his only at-bat of the game in the seventh. His line for the day was 2-for-3 against two future Hall-of-Fame pitchers, Jenkins and Carlton, who combined for 613 career wins.

Plus, he had his name on the jersey in both towns. Take that Darren O'Day.       

  

Mail bag

STEVE RUSSELL/TORONTO STAR

Richard Griffin explains the many things Scott Rolen brings to the table.

Make no mistake, the Jays have been putting on a good show for the fans, but there are still areas of concern that will require constant monitoring in order to finish with a winning record. Start with Dave Purcey, B.J. Ryan, Alex Rios, the injury to Jesse Litsch, the fact that they have played all but three of their games in domes, with a controlled environment and that they have yet to play a game within the division. These are all reasons for concern, but don’t worry, be happy. the baseball’s been fun. On to the mailbag.

Q: Richard,

Is it just me or did someone (see Paul Beeston) roll up your newspaper, smack J.P. Ricciardi across the nose and tell him to behave this season? He no longer does the Wednesday post-game Q & A on the Fan590, and has been persona non-grata on TV thus far. It seems that he was told that he's not the show, so step out of the spotlight that his ego clearly craves. Is this the beginning of the end for the slickest G.M. to never lead a team to the playoffs?

DeShaun, Kozak, Uxbridge, Ont.

A: In 2002 when Ricciardi was hired, Buck Martinez and Carlos Delgado were the public faces of the Jays. He fired Martinez in May and chased Delgado out of town after 2004. At that point, Ricciardi became the one and only face of the Jays. They wheeled him out and put a mic in his hands for every major Jays event. Fans were gushing. It was like a six-month pep rally with an assistant GM (now a blogger) and an Ivy League stats guy off on the side waving the pom-poms.

It’s hard to pinpoint the day the music died, but my best guess is the day when B.J. Ryan’s aching sacroiliac turned into Tommy John surgery and lying became an explainable philosophy of dealing with the unwashed fans. Beeston may have had something to do with the lowered public presence, but I think a growing and welcomed humility may have had something to do with it.

Q: Hi Richard,

Imagine the following:

1) A-Rod's hip continues to hurt, Jeter/Damon/Matsui show their age, Wang continues to struggle while Burnett makes his annual non-contract year DL appearance, and the Yankee bullpen reveals its lack of depth outside of Nick Swisher.
2) Big Papi shows he's past his prime while joining Mike Lowell and Jason Varitek, the Penny/Smoltz experiment fizzles out, and Pedroia and Youkilis come back to earth after unsustainable breakout seasons.
3) Pat Burrell is a bust, the Rays’ young arms get figured out by AL hitters, and the kids down south prove last season was a fluke.
4) Baltimore plays to their potential: A team with one good Canadian, a solid CF prospect, and an overpaid second baseman.
5) The Scutaro/Hill combination makes us forget Fernandez and Alomar, Rios and Wells start earning their money, and the league's best bullpen, with mid-season arrivals from Dustin McGowan and trade deadline acquisition Erik Bedard, along with The Doc carries us to our first AL East championship since '93.

Is this possible? Do you realize that we haven't seen the playoffs since people started using the Internet?

Wayne L., Richmond Hill

A: The Red Sox had the Curse of the Bambino. The Cubs have the Curse of the Billy Goat. For the Jays, it seems like Facebook isn’t the only Curse of the Internet.

Q: The one thing about 162 games is, what is supposed to happen, usually does. And that means that sports writers are usually right with their predictions. My question is, can you remember in recent history, any teams that completely surprised everyone. I'm not counting Tampa Bay because they were less of a surprise than the current Jays would be if they made the playoffs.

Bruce Robb, Toronto

A: I disagree that Tampa Bay was less of a surprise than the Jays would be this season if they overcame all odds and advanced to the World Series. Consider that the Rays had never ever finished even at .500 in any season before winning the AL East last year. Sure, in hindsight you can analyze and rationalize the Rays’ unlikely rise to the top. Their young starting pitchers came together at once and the long streak of high draft picks finally paid off. But the Jays won 86 games last season and even though they have had to replace three starting pitchers, their team ERA was the AL’s best last year.

As for recent surprise the scope of the Rays last year, recall the Rockies in 2007. They had not finished above .500 since 2000 and had to make a dramatic drive down the stretch to even reach the post-season before being swept by the Red Sox. Or how about the ’06 Tigers who had lost 119 games just three years earlier and had just 71 wins a year earlier. How about the ’97 Marlins? Two of the classics in World Series history, though, are the ’67 Red Sox and the Miracle ’69 Mets. The Jays would not be a bigger surprise than any of those unlikely Fall Classic rags-to-riches stories.

Q: Hi Richard,

I know this can be answered with a simple “they have committed to not adding salary” but Pedro Martinez is still out there and with Litsch's injury and the 'promising start' could he be had?

Jon Freir, Toronto

A: It seems to me that the window of opportunity for signing Pedro Martinez has slammed shut on the Jays. It would be a no-win situation to give him a contract at the moment. He would need a full, personal spring training that would carry him into June. After a certain number of minor-league starts for Pedro, a decision would have to be made on calling him up. If the Jays had faded by that time from this jackrabbit start, his presence in the rotation for 18 starts would likely not be enough to get the Jays back in the race. If he joined the Jays major-league staff in June and they started to run in reverse, it would be blamed on disrupting the chemistry. No win.

Besides, Martinez at this stage of his career is looking for a team that can carry him to another World Series, not a team that he can carry. That was the Roger Clemens modus operandi when he chose the Yankees after leaving the Jays in ’99.

Q: Hi Richard,

I am an avid reader and could not wait until the season to get your insight on all things Blue Jays. So far the Blue Jays have played outstanding baseball and I am impressed with the hitting. Do you think we can keep up with the hitting and how much credit does Cito and his deserve in changing batting stances and most importantly the culture in the clubhouse?

Thanks and I hope we can continue to win.

Anton Forde, Freeport, Bahamas

A: It already looks like the Jays’ hitting is settling in to a more realistic level of production. It was silly to expect the Jays to stay as hot as they had showed through the Twins series. Beginning with the A’s series, the Jays heading into Wednesday night had averaged 3.5 runs per game for the last four. That’s a little low by about a run, but more like what we’ll see for most of the season.

Gaston and his staff deserve credit for improving the approach of the hitters, but there was never anything wrong with the “clubhouse culture”. This has always, always been a Jays’ clubhouse full of guys that get along. It may be a little like the criticism of the Raptors where everyone is too nice with one another and there is not enough of a visible “edge”. What Gene Tenace and Cito have corrected over the Gary Denbo and Gibby era is that instead of working deep into pitch count as the first option, the new philosophy is to look for the best pitch to hit, the one mistake, that you are going to get in every sequence and jump on that pitch. Sometimes it will be the first pitch. But if you are going to go after the first pitch, you had better have a good swing at it and hit it hard. Otherwise you shouldn’t be swinging at it.

Q: Hi Richard,

Though I'm sure it won't last, it's sure been fun watching the games this year. What do you think about locking in Travis Snider to a decent contract (but potentially cheaper than in the future) now like the Rays did with Longoria? I always worry about keeping these assets long term with bigger clubs eventually buying our prospects out. Is it not a better strategy to invest early once you know you've got something good (though maybe 10 games is a little too early to tell)?

Steve S., Vancouver

A: It would be a mistake to lock Snider up to a long-term deal, even this winter. He is under the Jays control through 2014 and is not eligible for arbitration until after 2011. The proper course of action if Snider continues to progress is to lock him up to a long-term deal following the 2010 season.

Don’t point to the Evan Longoria deal as the benchmark. Give credit where credit is due. The Rays stole the framework of the Aaron Hill deal that was constructed by Jays’ assistant GM Alex Anthopoulos as their prototype. The Hill deal was signed at the start of the ’08 season (exactly corresponding to the end of ’10 for Snider). It replaced his final four years before free agency, bumping up his early years in return for making years 5-6 of his Jays tenure more reasonable. In addition there are two option years for a total of $18 million covering the first two years of what would be Hill’s free agency. Very fair, very smart, very classy.

Q: Hi Richard,

First of all love the mailbag. I have a question regarding Jason Frasor's change up. Is it circle change or is it a splitter? I also seem to remember in his rookie season he had a curve a nasty one at that. Am I mistaken? Also why is it do you think Roy does not use his devastating curve ball as strike out pitch that often any more?

Sean Heffernan, Sunderland

A: Good question. It is a circle change that he worked on on his own this past winter, replacing the splitter that he threw the past couple of years. He is having good success with it. The problem with the splitter is that Frasor has small hands and had trouble spreading his fingers enough and getting full control of the pitch. Jason is generously listed at 5-10 in height. He’s more like 5-8. If you saw him on the street and somebody said he was a pro athlete, you might think harness racing or darts.

Q: Hi Richard, I'd like to get your opinion.

I can understand not wanting to pinch hit a rookie for a veteran, but when the rookie is Travis Snider who hit two home runs in his first game against the Twins, and the veteran is Jose Bautista, why wouldn't you? Why would Cito not want to see how the rookie reacts to being inserted into the ball game to break a tie in the eighth inning?

I think for Snider's development he should be placed in to all sorts of situations, especially when it's relieving a utility fielder with the game on the line.

Thanks,

Andrew Stewart, Oshawa, Ont.

A: I agree with you 100 per cent. After that game in the Metrodome, I went back into Cito’s office to ask him if he had considered batting Snider for Bautista trailing by a run in late innings. He said at the time that he didn’t want to do it then for the reasons you mention, but also that he might have done it the next time up in that same game of the situation arose again. I don’t see why the next time up (which never happened) was any more important than having Snider represent the game-tying run in late innings vs. a right-hander when there was no left-hander warming up in the pen as a deterrent. My honest feeling is that he regretted not doing it at the time and just couldn’t say so.

Q: Hey Richard a couple of things I just wanted to touch on.

1. Does it bother you that David Wells still holds a grudge?...Check out Sportsillustrated.com where he gets interviewed about his new job with TBS, he takes a big time shot at you even after all these years! Any Boomer stories you would care to unearth?

2. At what point do the Jays get serious about the ’09 season? I know that 7-3 isn't a HUGE deal but with a guy like Pedro Martinez a free agent and Jake Peavy on the trade-block, how far into the season do we need to get before that magical payroll increase Godfrey spoke of becomes reality?

3. If you were the owner of the Blue Jays how long ago would you have fired JP? Personally I would have canned him right after he released Frank Thomas or at the latest when Gaston was brought back.

Looking forward to an answer, especially on the Boomer front. Thanks for the great column/mail bag and keep up the good work

Christian Robinette, Toronto

A: The David Wells thing I find amusing. I was alerted to his SI.com rant by a couple of readers. My daughter Shannon called me in the press box from her dorm room at Guelph University and she couldn’t stop laughing. She had just read the Boomer interview and couldn’t believe that nine years later, he’s still obsessing about her father.

The thing about Boomer is he couldn’t stand anyone making reference to his ample girth, even in jest, especially in print. It seems that in Boomer’s world he is the only one allowed to be flippant and insulting in a humourous way. As evidence see his best (kept in the) cellar autobiography in which he disses Jays’ fans, media and the city in very unflattering terms. This is a guy that liked to present himself as a broad-minded renaissance man, yet was a regular guest on Florida shock-jock Bubba the Love Sponge’s radio show. In one of those sessions, he made fun of his manager, Tim Johnson, and his sad lies about Vietnam in his first Jays spring training, from the training room in the clubhouse at the Bobby Mattick complex. That was Boomer’s boss and there were no repercussions, but when I said he “emerged from the shower wearing an extra large towel” he got bent out of shape. As for his association with Bubba, his regular shtick was to make fun of and humiliate four groups - women, the mentally challenged, minorities and those that didn’t agree with him. Sponge was eventually fired for slaughtering a wild boar in studio. Boomer is more of a Dark Ages Man and good luck to TBS.

As for part two of the question, we’ve covered the Pedro situation and unless there’s another team that steps up for Derek Lowe to A.J. Burnett type money, it looks like the Cubs would be the logical Jake Peavy landing strip.

As for Ricciardi’s past and future with the Jays, there were plenty of opportunities to let him go, but when the Jays decided to cut payroll by $15 million this year and without a full-time president and CEO, there was no way to convince a primo candidate that this is where he wanted to be. That and the fact that there was nobody, other than Paul Beeston (who is still convinced he is interim) to conduct the GM search and interview. Look for the end of this current year to be the moment of truth for J.P. There will be candidates available. There are a couple already here. A new president will be in place. The payroll should be going up. The team looks like it’s headed in the right direction. Simply, with all GM skills of the position aside, Ricciardi is the wrong guy in the wrong town.

Q: Hi Richard,

When Jesse Litsch got injured and was put on the DL, I was a bit disappointed. That’s three of our top four starters on the DL but then I got excited because I thought this would mean Brett Cecil would get an early call up to show what he's got! Why didn't the Jays call him up? Should I expect him to get a call up this year?

Michael P., Toronto

A: I would expect Cecil to get a call-up later this year. But there are technical reasons in the Basic Agreement for holding a guy back other than the fact that his first start in Vegas stays in Vegas.

Consider that a full season of major-league service is anything that adds up to 172 days in the majors, whether you were on the roster the entire year or not. If the Jays had called either Cecil or Brad Mills up the day after Litsch was hurt, the new kid’s service time on the roster for the balance of the year was 174 days, through October 4. That would mean that unless you shipped him out for a period later in the year - and if he was pitching well that might be tough - Cecil or Mills would earn a full year of service and be eligible to become a free agent a year sooner. Thus, in that light, it became easy to bring a guy like Bill Murphy up and throw Brian Tallet into the rotation. If and when it’s determined that Litsch’s injury is longer-term than first thought, then that will be the day that Cecil or Mills gets the call.

Q: Mr. Griffin,

A couple of baseball quirk questions:

1. After a runner(s) is/are stranded, and knowing that many athletes are superstitious, is there any rhyme or reason as to who brings the stranded batter his hat and glove? (Hopefully it's not as boring as simply who’s closest to them in the field)

2. Follow up on the around the horn after the strikeout (which you answered last season). Why is the 1st basemen left out of the fun? (I think I've seen the opposite vs. lefties where the 3rd basemen is left out)

Ian Donnelly, Toronto

A: Usually if a middle infielder is the final out, his double-play partner brings him his glove. If it’s an outfielder, another outfielder brings his glove. If it’s the first or third baseman, it may depend on which dugout you are in, first or third base. Make no mistake, the guy’s glove is never forgotten. Somebody is always on it. That’s teamwork.

There has to be a routine for the “around the horn”. If it’s a routine groundball, which the majority of outs are, then the first baseman receives the throw and fires it to the shortstop to begin the sequence. He turns away and goes back to his position. After a strikeout, the throw usually is snapped down to third base and ends up at third base so the pitcher can consistently get the ball back from the same player. It’s an important part of routine, walking off the mound to the third base side to receive the ball back, that pitchers like Roy Halladay require.

Q: Hey Richard,

In last week's mailbag you note that Scott Rolen has rebounded. As I've watched him this spring, I have been very impressed with his seriousness - he has a look of fire about him when fielding and hitting. What a great example for Adam Lind and Travis (Boom Boom) Snider. Do you see a difference in him this year, besides his obvious return to good health?

Bryan Willis, Vancouver

A: In Minneapolis, Snider cited Rolen’s influence on him as far as how to play the game right, as in not watching his upper deck home run, flipping his bat and strutting around the bases. Rolen obviously seems more comfortable and relaxed in the clubhouse because in addition to being his second year around these guys, he is also contributing with the bat. There has never been a Jays’ third baseman with a more accurate arm. Every throw no matter Rolen’s body position when fielding, arrives at the same spot. Amazing.

Q: Dear Mr. Griffin,

I feel like the batting approach put forward by Cito and Gene Tenace has worked very well for the majority of the players. Being aggressive and looking for a fastball to drive as opposed to working the count has improved the batting of many Blue Jays this year, most notably Aaron Hill. However, I feel with regards to Alex Rios, that he hits best when he works the count. He was extremely good at working the count, and you were confident even if there were two strikes on him, that he'd find a way to foul off enough pitches, until he got a good pitch for him. He just seemed to get more comfortable as the count progressed.

I just really feel like this new approach does not work for him, and has made him a much worse hitter this year. Obviously part of it you could say that he's struggling, and he'll snap out of it, which is true. But the bottom line, I just feel like Alex Rios needs to ignore the new batting philosophy of Tenace and go back to doing what he did best. Do you agree?

Peter Mendelsohn

A: I think that the philosophy worked for him last year when the new coaches arrived, so it’s not what they are telling him, but how he is implementing it. If you are going to swing at the first pitch, it had better be the pitch you were looking for and you had better hit it hard. Rios is not doing that. His timing is off and that is how slumps happen. When he break out of it, he will get his numbers back up to reasonable levels.

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.**

Griff's Power Rankings, Week 2

(Opening Day ranking in parentheses)

1-Marlins (10)

Every six years from ’97 on they win it all

2-Dodgers (11)

Hudson cycle has GM Colletti pimped

3-Cubs (6)

Early season cruise control

4-Red Sox (3)

Dice-K with WBC hangover

5-Yankees (4)

Wang not wight. A.J. the new ace?

6-Mets (5)

Bullpen suddenly a strength

7-White Sox (16)

Despite frigid weather Quentin-Dye hot

8-Phillies (1)

RIP the great Harry Kalas.

9-Blue Jays (24)

They are proving otherwise

10-Rays (2)

Shaky start for AL Champs.

11-Angels (7)

Adenhart death weighs heavy

12-Mariners (22)

Junior’s return settles clubhouse

13-Braves (9)

Chipper thinks Atlanta no Vegas

14-Twins (15)

Interesting little team…again

15-Cardinals (18)

Albert Pujols forever the key

16-Royals (19)

Yeah that’s right

17-Tigers (20)

Leyland embarrassed last year

18-Padres (30)

Division must really suck

19-Reds (21)

Team on the rise

20-Orioles (28)

Nobody wants to pitch vs. O’s

21-Pirates (26)

Somalia’s favourite team

22-Diamondbacks (8)

How can this rotation rank this low?

23-Indians (12)

Pavano’s the man…oops, I meant Sizemore

24-A’s (26)

Rotation is crazy young

25-Giants (13)

Production from infield a problem

26-Brewers (14)

Absence of Sabathia thins out rotation

27-Astros (17)

Pudge not making impact

28-Rangers (23)

Kinsler awesome offensive force

29-Rockies (27)

Off to Rocky start

30-Nationals (29)

Bullpen is Happy Squanderer (Expos ref.)

Today is the 62nd anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking baseball’s colour barrier and players all around the game wearing uniform No. 42 to honour his memory. It was April 15, 1947 when Robinson, after a 1946 season with the Royals in Montreal, was in the opening day lineup for the Brooklyn Dodgers. It’s one of the most important events in sports history.

Jackie’s wife Rachel is still one of the most stunning people I’ve ever interviewed. Without her presence and calming influence, the whole experiment would have failed. It’s an important part of the history of the United States and the civil rights movement. My three oldest children read some stuff about Jackie Robinson and ended up doing a major school project on his story. If you have children, have them go to the library and read a book about the great experiment that changed sports and society. On to the mail bag.

Q: Do you think it’s time to give a shout-out to the Jays scouting department? I know JP got ripped over and over for bringing in new people and for selecting Russ Adams. But Adam Lind, Shaun Marcum, Jesse Litsch, Brett Cecil, Brad Mills, J.P. Arencibia, David Cooper, Travis Snider, Casey Janssen, Ricky Romero, David Purcey are some good finds. I think it’s an impressive lot.

Doug Hereshko, Buffalo

A: First of all, Ricciardi was never ripped for brining in new people to his scouting department. He was ripped for the ungracious way he dispatched the good people who were in place when he arrived, many of whom have gone on to win further MLB scouting awards and recognition. His “cupboard is bare” comments with regard to the farm system he inherited were ill advised and later on in his Jays’ career, he even admitted to his lack of social graces and finally half-heartedly apologized.

Ricciardi has come a long way in toning down his ego through the years. Shout out to that. Seven straight years of missing the post-season helps. His drafts have even been better as he came down off his high (school) horse and decided that it was actually okay to take a talented kid, even though he wasn’t a collegian (see: Travis Snider).

As for the 11 players that you mention in your question, four of them have yet to play in the majors. Wait and see. The seven pitchers named have totalled 56 ML wins. In seven June drafts, those 11 players, plus Aaron Hill is not shout-out-able. Maybe a whisper-out is more appropriate. If by the end of ‘09, some of those pitchers have done some solid work in the majors, there is a shout-out due.

Q: Hi Richard,

I'm a long time fan of yours and anxiously look forward to your mailbag each week. With the Jays putting the jinx on prognosticators with their quick start in the American League, I'm wondering how much of this has to do with Cito Gaston's management style? Is this quick start a glimpse of better days to come (a year or two down the road)? When I glance at the standings it seems like the American East teams are upside-down; and what's with the Mariners' quick start without Ichiro?

Thank you!

Jason Tan, Toronto

A: A lot of this quick start has to do with Gaston’s management style. Some of it has to do with playing three straight series vs. teams in the AL Central that are still feeling their way into ’09. Last year the Jays were 24-12 vs. the AL Central, playing two games under .500 against the rest of their opponents. But Cito has definitely had an impact on the Jays, especially the offence, especially Lind and Snider.

In addition, Scott Rolen has bounced back, while Hill’s return to health has been a factor. A year or two down the road for the Jays is too hard to predict, but there is a nice young influence on this club, that if some free-agent pieces were added could turn into something good. They need to jump back into the free-agent pool as soon as they know where they stand in 2010.

As for the M’s quick start without Ichiro, they added a couple of pieces in trades and some of their veteran pitchers have rebounded. It’s a long year.

Q: It is great to see the Jays back on the field, and off to such a positive start! I have a couple of quick questions for you, Richard. First of all, what is going on with Jesse Litsch? He didn't look comfortable, to my unprofessional eye, in his first start against Detroit, and I know he struggled at the end of spring training. Given the problems of Marcum, McGowan and Janssen, should I be worried?

My second question is about Ricky Romero. He has looked very relaxed and confident, especially late in spring training and in his first start against the Tigers. He took his time getting here, but it appears he is ready to run with his opportunity. What is your take? Have the Jays put a plan in place for his innings, so HIS arm doesn't get into trouble like those mentioned above?

Jon Empringham, Woodstock

A: I’ve got to assure readers that this question came in before Litsch’s Monday start vs. the Twins in which he hurt his forearm/elbow and was placed on the disabled list and before Romero’s Tuesday start in which he established that he may finally be ready to compete at the next level.

Those are two pretty good observations. Even Litsch when speaking to reporters on Tuesday afternoon thought that adding the cut fastball may have contributed to his physical woes. Litsch, McGowan, Marcum and Janssen all on the DL have really hurt the Jays, but the repercussions have not yet caught up with them thanks to the relentless offensive production on many nights.

One caveat on Romero, he has not had a winning record in any professional season. His status as the sixth overall draft pick in 2005 and the first pitcher chosen were unwarranted, but finally he is beginning to pay off and look like a major-leaguer. He’s a good kid and his attitude has matured.

Q: Why is Travis Snider batting ninth? Hasn't he already proved that he can handle the bat with last year's stint and his strong spring training? And why is Marco Scutaro, frequently mentioned as a borderline starter, batting leadoff?

Wayne L., Richmond Hill

A: I also have questions about Scutaro batting leadoff. Do you really want to end the season with Scutaro having the most at-bats of anyone on your team? As for Snider in the nine-hole, I have no problem with that – for the moment. The kid is just 21-years-old and working him in slowly in terms of responsibility is good. He will not stay there all year. The next question continues the discussion.

Q: Richard,

Good win by the blue birds on opening night with a huge offensive output. I had a question about the starting lineup though. Currently, with Scutaro, Hill, Rios, Wells, they have all right-handers in the top half of the lineup. Would it not make more sense if they put Hill as the leadoff hitter and slide Snider into the two-hole? Watching Scutaro strike out looking twice in his first two ABs make me think that we would be better off with Hill as the leadoff hitter and it would create a better righty/lefty flow in the batting line up. Would dropping Scutaro into the nine-hole create a sense of demotion for Scutaro?

Louis K., Richmond Hill

A: As I said, I hate Scutaro batting first, but I like Hill batting second. I do think it’s a problem having the top four in your batting order all being right-handed hitters. Sure, from Wells on down to the nine-hole, Gaston on most nights against a right-handed starter will go right-left-right-left-right-left, but the four righties at the top makes it too easy for an opponent to manage his bullpen in late innings.

By mid-season, in the wake of the quick start by certain players, I would amend earlier suggestions and I would like to see Rios-Hill-Lind-Wells-Snider-Rolen-Overbay-Barajas-Scutaro.

I don’t believe that Scutaro would at all be affected by a drop to the nine-hole. He’s a major-league starter and that’s more important. It would also allow for John McDonald to get some starts at short without completely disrupting the batting order. As of now, with five pinch-running appearances while earning $1.9 million, Johnny Mac, among guys earning money for just running, he ranks second behind Usain Bolt.

Q: Richard, your answer to last week email sounds like you are not objecting to trading Halladay.

Have you changed (or lost) your mind, or maybe you just talk to JP too much. I think next year should be a very good year for the Jays because many of the Jays are on the last year of contracts and that is when career year happens. Therefore, we should keep Doc till the end of this thing. BTW can you ask JP to answer mailbag for one week and let us know ahead of time.

Davy P. San Jose

A: I bought the first season boxed set of the TV-show Lost, thinking it was indeed about the search for my mind. No such luck. It’s still lost. As for talking to J.P. too much, hey, I said I’ve lost my mind. I haven’t changed it. Any trade for Halladay would be with his cooperation. If he believes the Jays are headed in the right direction into a playoff position by next year, then the Jays’ brass would likely be looking at the same picture and he would not be traded at the deadline.

I am interested in what’s best for Doc. The Jays will go on whatever direction they are headed, but if that direction later this season is “south” then it would only be fair to Halladay and probably the best thing for the team, to explore a trade for two major-leaguers and a top prospect.

I love Doc, but as he heads into 2010, the final year of his contract, he does not want to be on a team still rebuilding. He was promised the last extension that the Jays would contend by 2008. He took less money that year to allow Ricciardi to bring in more players. The Jays owe Halladay more than he owes them. He’s already fulfilled his part of the deal.

Q: Hi Richard,

Like many baseball fans in Southern Saskatchewan, I was very happy when I found out that Scott Richmond was going to be with the team on opening day. I still remember watching him play with Moose Jaw a while back. What do you think his chances are of sticking with the Jays for the entire season?

Dwayne Walter, Regina

A: Richmond is on the razor’s edge of being a major-leaguer. He’s like a Yugo in NASCAR. Everyone’s pulling for him but he doesn’t have all it takes to compete in the long run. At 29-years-old, the Jays may have been his only chance to make a rotation, marching in place while all the other spring candidates were moon-walking off the stage.

I believe that when Gaston told Richmond to go play for Canada in the WBC and not to worry about his spot, that Cito felt morally obligated to include Richmond in his season opening rotation. Now it’s up to Richmond to keep it. In the last half of March, the North Vancouver native did nothing to prove he belonged in the rotation but made it as the fifth starter anyway. Unless he begins to throw some quality starts on the board, as soon as Litsch returns and one of the young lefties develops enough, I fear Richmond may be the first casualty. He has minor-league options left.

Q: Hi Richard, love the mailbag, keep up the great work.

My question may be more fantasy than reality. You've mentioned numerous times that the Jays appear to be holding out for the 2010 season and that '09 is a 'development' year for lack of a better term. Should the Jays be only a handful of games out come the trading deadline do you see Riccardi being a buyer or will he stand pat? Sounds like there could be some pretty good fire sales at the end of July this year.

Tim McDonald, Marysville, WA

A: The Jays were the first ones to mention that 2010 was the realistic target, to claim that this was a development year. We are just the reporters. Interim prez Paul Beeston claimed earlier in the month that if they were in contention at the deadline that the Jays could be buyers. They are not pleading poverty as an ownership by going with the $80 million payroll. They are admitting that they are not planning on winning this year.

Q: Richard,

With the upcoming 92/93 reunion weekend coming up and so many past Jays heroes in attendance, do you think there is a chance the jays might bring our old friend BJ Birdy back? I’m sure Ace could stand aside for a few moments so BJ can get the recognition he deserves and a proper chance to say a goodbye that we fans were denied after the ‘99 season.

Stuart Stark, Toronto

A: The beginning of the end for BJ Birdy came during the ’93 World Series when he invited the Philly Phanatic to Toronto to join him on the field at the SkyDome during games. I don’t know if BJ at the time was suffering from a bad back, bad elbow, strained wishbone or what, but the Phillies’ mascot kicked his tail-feathers. It was embarrassing and I don’t think Birdy ever recovered from the humiliation deep down in his bird-brain. Besides, the rumour is that Birdy left the Jays’ organization under less than friendly circumstances and any return to the nest would be a longshot. I tried Tweeting him.

Q: Baseball like all sports has changed dramatically since its early days. I don't believe it's fair to try and compare players of yesteryear to today's players but so many numbers from the early years of baseball are hard to make sense of. The numbers put up by pitcher Cy Young look ridiculous. How was he able to record 511 wins, pitch 749 complete games and pitch over 7300 innings? How fast was his fastball if he was able to toss that many innings? Did pitchers back then just throw junk to ensure their arms didn't give out? Any help you can be in figuring this out would be much appreciated.

Jacob Bestebroer, Chilliwack, BC

A: It’s impossible to say how fast Denton True (Cy) Young actually threw his fastball. The first attempt to determine a pitcher’s velocity was in the ‘40s with Bob Feller of the Indians. They took a motorcycle and revved it up to 100 miles per hour. As it approached the back of the mound, Feller began his windup, releasing the pitch just as the motorcycle passed him on the left. If his pitch arrived at home plate before the motorcycle then he was throwing 100. If it sounds bizarre, check his book. Luckily there was no backstop.

You’re right. Pitching back in the 19th century was different. The same ball, scuffed and dirty was used until they lost it. It was the deadball era. The spitball was legal. I believe Cy and his fellow Hall-of-Famers threw mostly fastballs. There were no pitch counts, a two or three-man rotation. No Tommy John surgeries. In fact there was no Tommy John. It was a different, simpler time. Don’t even bother comparing any of the stats.

Q: Wow you grew up in Jamaica as well. I am a big fan of the column and was quite amazed to hear you grew up in the Caribbean. How did you end up first getting exposed to baseball?

Jason McFarlane, Upton, Barbados

A: In the late ‘50s and early ‘60s when not listening on the Motorola shortwave radio to John Glenn in space we sat in our living room on the north shore of Jamaica, overlooking Duncans halfway between Montego Bay and Ocho Rios and listened to every World Series game each October. It seemed the Yankees were always playing somebody in the Fall Classic, so I listened in awe and Mickey Mantle became my hero. I attended several Test Matches between the West Indies and international cricket opponents before ever setting foot in a major-league ballpark.

Q: Hi Richard,

Just two quick questions:

1) I'm going to see a Tigers game in June, do you have any suggestions on what to do while in Detroit?

2) What, in your opinion, would be a great road trip for a baseball fan to take in games?

Rob Kirsic, Brampton

A: Walk softly and carry a big stick. No, seriously, I would recommend staying at a hotel in Greektown and walking to the ballpark. After the game there’s the Hockeytown bar and restaurant across the parking lot that’s a must see, plus the old theatre district surrounding Comerica Park. In Greektown there’s a street called Monroe filled with Irish pubs, cute eating places and a great hip-hop club called Marilyn’s on Monroe.

A great road trip for me would involve driving to Detroit for a game, going around the lake to Cleveland for the Indians, south to Columbus for a Triple-A game, then to Cincinnati to see the Reds. From there to Louisville for another minor-league contest, then across to Pittsburgh for a visit to one of the best parks in the majors, then up I-79 and across to Buffalo for another Triple-A game then back to Brampton capped off by a Jays game the next day. Seven games in seven days. The schedule would have to cooperate.

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.**

Litsch on DL; Tallet in Rotation

The Jays today placed Jesse Litsch on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right forearm/elbow. He underwent an MRI this morning and will not pick up a baseball for two weeks before the injury is re-evaluated. Litsch began feeling pain after striking out Justin Morneau in the first inning on Monday night. He pitched two more innings and two batters into the fourth, unable to go any further after throwing a second strike to Delmon Young.

"I pretty much had pain on every pitch, but I tried to battle through it," Litsch said prior to tonight's game. "It was probably not the right thing to do, but you're going to learn from your mistakes. Hopefully, I get back here with the team sooner rather than later."

Litsch has never had any arm or shoulder problems in his life and did not know how to react properly to the pain. There is no firm prognosis on his return, until the two weeks of total rest are over. But he feels that if he's back able to contribute later this season, he wants to be completely healthy.

"Whatever I have to do to get healthy is what I'm willing to do," Litsch said. "It's a combining of all your pitches. The cutter, I throw that a bunch, that could be the main cause. It could be the sinker or the four-seamer. I felt it on the four-seamer, but after that I felt it on every pitch. Most likely it is the cutter, but it's a strain and I've just got to work through it.

"This is the first time I'll ever miss anything. It's the first time I've ever pulled myself out of a game. It's troublesome, but at the same time, I've got to be smart about it. It's a long career. Hopefully I've got a long career ahead of me. I'm only 24-years-old, so I have to be smart."

His replacement in the rotation will be lefty reliever Brian Tallet, who will go on Saturday vs. the A's at the Rogers Centre. He is expected to throw about 70 pitches. 

Recalled from AAA-Las Vegas was lefty reliever Bill Murphy, a 28-year-old selected off of waivers from the Diamondbacks last spring. He was an invitee to spring training. Murphy made one appearance in Vegas, pitching two innings. He will fill Tallet's bullpen role.

"It was a shock," Murphy admitted of his promotion. "It's early and there are a lot of great guys down there in Triple-A. We were in Salt Lake and we were on the way back to the hotel when manager (Mike) Basso gave me a shout and told me to come back to the field."

The logical step might have been to call up either Brad Mills or Brett Cecil and give them a chance to start, but neither one has really earned a recall in his first start. Besides, putting them on the roster now and if they stayed for the year, would give them a full season of service time and could move their free-agency up a year. Instead, they will fill with Tallet for the moment.

"We discussed it last night," assistant GM Tony LaCava said. "There's quite a few left-handed hitters here (with the Twins). Oakland has quite a few left-handers as well. We felt (Murphy) gave us the best option. Tallet (as a starter) gives us the best chance to stay in games and win games.

R.G.

Roy Johnson R.I.P.

On the same day the tragic news of the death of Angels' rookie Nick Adenhart arrived, I received a note from a friend, ex-Expos beat writer Danny Gallagher that former major-league outfielder Roy Johnson had passed away in Mexico of a heart attack back in January at the age of 49. Very few people would remember Johnson and the circumstances of his death were not as dramatic, but 49 is still too young. 

Johnson's was almost a tragic life. Selected out of high school in the projects of Chicago in the fifth round of the June 1980 draft, the 6-4, 205 lbs. outfielder had all the raw skills of a major-league star. But he played just 36 major-league games in six years in the Expos' organization, moving on to the White Sox minor-league system, finally establishing himself as a star in the Mexican Leagues. 

The reason I remember Johnson so vividly and so fondly is that he was physically intimidating, but personally gentle, humble and naive. He was a lost soul with very little family support in Chicago, which made it difficult to go home in the off-season. That led to lingering problems with drugs.

These were the days when organizations treated many of their young players that found trouble like family. The players, in turn, did not turn to their agents for help as they do today. It was a much closer relationship, so when the Expos realized Johnson was struggling, they tried to help him out.

I recall that the late John McHale, the president and GM at the time, lived in the West Palm Beach area. Instead of sending Johnson back home where he might drift and hang with a bad crowd, McHale found him an apartment near the spring training site and gave him a job on the construction of the Expos' new minor-league complex. The first Christmas Johnson was in town, the late Patty McHale, a marvelous woman and the conscience of the organization, made sure that Roy was invited over for the family's Christmas dinner. Johnson was truly touched.

There were some memorable Roy Johnson stories, stemming from his unique circumstances. That first winter he saw a basketball court on the other side of a chain link fence. He went back to his apartment, got a ball and climbed the fence to shoot some hoops. As he went to climb the fence after he was done, some guys in white jackets came running over to stop him. He had trouble talking his way out of the psychiatric asylum. One day at srping training, Johnson didn't show up for work. Travelling secretary Peter Durso received a call from the Lake Worth police. Roy was in jail. It seemed that he was doing his laundry at a laundromat the night before. He threw his stuff in the dryer and stepped out onto the mean streets of Lake Worth for some fresh air. He started to chat up a young woman on the sidewalk. It turned out she was an undercover cop. His attempt at pleasantries turned into a night in the slammer as his laundry continued to spin dry.

My favourite though was the late Larry Bearnarth's re-telling of the three Johnsons. Bearnarth was managing the AA-Memphis Chicks in 1981. As best I can recall, he had Roy Johnson on first, Wallace Johnson on second and Anthony Johnson batting. Anthony smoked a drive in the air down to the left field corner. Wallace went half way to third. Roy went to second and stopped to make sure the ball dropped in. Anthony broke from the batter's box. In the gloom, the ball looked like it was caught, but it dropped in on the track. Wallace headed back to second, Roy headed back to first where he was passed by Anthony cruising into second. Wallace saw Anthony as he came back to second, then turned and headed to third where he beat the throw. Somehow the batter was on second and the runner was on first. The bases were loaded. The opposing manager was screaming. As Bearnarth recalled the conversation, it went something like this:

Umpire: Who's on second?

Bearnarth: Johnson.

Umpire: Who's supposed to be on second?

Bearnarth: Johnson.

Umpire: Who's on first?

Bearnarth: Johnson.

Umpire: Who's supposed to be on first?

Bearnarth: Johnson.

Umpire: Play Ball.

Rest in  Peace, Roy.

    

       

Mail bag

It’s great to have baseball back in town again in a city where the pro sports teams seem to be doing their bit for the environment by not having to stage any of those pesky playoff games that use up that oh-so valuable energy to heat and light their buildings. The Leafs, Argos, Raps, FC and Jays all seem to believe in taking a carbon footprint to the keister for the team. Al Gore would be proud.

On the positive side, baseball seems to finally have figured out that if you have some domes and other warm weather teams, why not take advantage and open the season in those cities. But the fact of the matter is the Jays need to get off to a quick start in ’09 to maintain the attention of Toronto’s sports community with NHL playoffs opening next week. So far so good for the local nine as far as scoring runs, with many of the missing pieces from last year, like Aaron Hill and Scott Rolen, combining with the newer kids on the block, Adam Lind and Travis Snider, to make it fun to be at the ballpark again. On to the mailbag.

Q: Hi Richard,

Last season I went to two Jays games at Rogers Centre. Both of them surprisingly were 1-0 wins for the Jays. The first against the Atlanta Braves, as A.J. Burnett had 11 strikeouts in July. The second was against the Tampa Bay Rays with David Purcey pitching his best game of his career last September. He went eight innings, seven strikeouts, three walks, no runs. Do you see Purcey being a legitimate No. 2 starter and coming up with several performances similar to this during the 2009 season, replacing Burnett?

Jon Yaneff, Newmarket

A: I’m like you. I would much rather see a great pitching battle than a loosely played slugfest. But first of all, it should be noted, Purcey is really only in the No. 2 slot in the rotation to start the year in order to separate Roy Halladay from Jesse Litsch in the rotation, so that you don’t get two right-handers in a row with (vaguely) similar features.

As far as Purcey being even a true No. 3 guy for a major-league team, Tuesday’s start vs. the Tigers shows that he has the potential for it, but the fact is it was only his 13th start in the majors and it takes more of a track record than that to prove that you can be a reliable mid-rotation guy. Thus the jury is still out on Purcey. He pitched great for the most part in his season debut with no decision.

A winning team really needs three of five starters working on all cylinders. The Jays need Litsch and Purcey to step up and join Halladay. It’s possible by the end of the year, but hasn’t happened yet.

Q: Richard,

Assuming the development of Brett Cecil, Brad Mills, Ricky Romero and Scott Richmond goes along as planned and they all become quality major league pitchers, what happens to them in 2010 when McGowan and Marcum are back in the rotation? Also, Is it just me or could Scott Richmond be Ernie's (from Ernie and Burt) long lost twin?

Colin Rabyniuk, Newmarket

A: It never ever happens that any organization will go four-for-four in developing young starters into major-league rotation pieces all in the same year. I would venture, instead, that the best chance for a significant five-man rotation next year, assuming everyone returns healthy and assuming Halladay is still on board would include: Doc, Marcum, McGowan, Litsch and one of the four left-handers, either Purcey, Cecil, Romero or Mills. And don’t forget Casey Janssen.

As we’ve pointed out previously, you have to look at more than five starters for a winning organization. The Jays last season used eight different starting pitchers and the year before, in ’07, used 11. But it’s realistic to believe that even if the full allotment of starters were ready by 2010, whomever the Jays GM is by then would package at least one, maybe two of them in a trade for help in other areas. By next season, the Jays may need a first-baseman, and definitely a shortstop until Justin Jackson is ready to take over by the 2011 or 2012 season.

Q: Hi Richard,

Love the column! We have all heard that J.P. is likely near the end of his time here in Toronto. My question is what happens next? When a new GM is brought in (any idea who?), do you see him clearing house and changing over the roster? I draw the comparison to the Leafs. When Cliff Fletcher and Brian Burke came aboard, it was immediately clear that the new regime would buy-out/trade as much of the old roster as possible so that the team could be rebuilt from the ground up for long term success. I'm concerned that the Jays are not bad enough to completely rebuild but at the same time not good enough to really be competitive in the AL East.

Marcus Gordon, Stouffville

A: The Jays’ next GM most certainly still is working at another major-league job for another team right now. Besides, his identity will all depend on who the next president is that eventually enters stage right to replace interim-president-for-life Paul Beeston. It will be the new guy’s candidate.

Luckily for the Jays’ they have a couple of men already on board that could easily serve as interim GM while the search for a Ricciardi replacement goes on – Tony LaCava or Alex Anthopoulos. Both will likely become candidates for the full-time position. But don’t look for anything similar to the Leafs situation of buyouts and extensive roster turnover. First of all, unlike what the sartorially resplendent Dutchie suggested on TSN last week when discussing Ricky Romero over Troy Tulowitzki in 2005, in baseball there is no trading of, or for draft choices. That’s important to consider when trying to deal unwanted major-league talent. In addition, in baseball there are no partial buyouts of contracts. For example, if you wanted to buy Vernon Wells out, you would have to pay him the entire value of his guaranteed contract. That would not work in terms of being a rebuilding tool.

Your final statement is also very wise and very true. The Jays are not bad enough to completely rebuild and not good enough to really be competitive in the AL East. The Jays like to point to the Rays in ’08 as the role model, but the fact is the Rays didn’t just drop from the ceiling with draft choices developing all at once. They made sage moves obtaining Matt Garza and their shortstop in trades and signing a veteran clubhouse leader in Cliff Floyd as a DH.

Q: Hi Richard,

Like one of your readers in the last mailbag, I am also a transplanted Jays fan living in Sydney, Australia. While still a huge baseball fan, after 17 years here I am also a big fan of cricket. In fact, I have come to the opinion that it is a far more skillful game than baseball. The batsmen may have a larger, wider bat surface, but they have to play the ball on a bounce at speeds that rival MLB pitching speeds. Their eye-hand co-ordination is phenomenal as they can bat the ball in a 360 degree direction. Some of them have extraordinary power.

So my question is why aren't any of the star cricket batsmen trialed as potential DH's? Do you know if this has been tried before? I can't really find anyone down here to answer that question. As you and JP are good friends, perhaps you could suggest this idea to him?

Rob Brander, Sydney Australia

A: I asked my friend JP and my interpretation of his decidedly quick response is he was suggesting I take that “cricketer-to-baseball” idea up to the Yukon in late December – something about sticking it where the sun don’t shine. Besides, I didn’t even know they played baseball in the Yukon.

In any case, one of the other parts of your question in which you describe the phenomenal hand-eye coordination of cricketers, batting the ball in a 360-degree direction. In baseball we call that a “foul ball”. Besides, there is no tea break in baseball. It’s called the seventh-inning stretch. And as for an ability to hit balls that bounce first before reaching the plate, that might only be useful against guys like former Jays starter Victor Zambrano, which I believe makes you too much of a specialist to be carried on any 25-man roster.

Don’t take this as disrespect for cricket. I grew up in Jamaica a fan of the West Indies with my heroes being guys like Sir Garfield Sobers and Wesley Hall. It does take tremendous skills – but unfortunately they don’t translate.

Q: I was kind of shocked that Jeremy Accardo was optioned to AAA. Jeremy had 30 saves two years ago and was probably top three in their bullpen. Was this a temporary move to make sure Accardo has recovered 100% from his injury or is the Jays' bullpen that superior? What happens to Accardo's future now that he isn't able to make the Jays pen?

Harpaul S., Waterloo, Ont.

A: Shocked? So was he. Accardo’s surprising ’07 performance with 30 saves for the Jays was followed up by injuries and a disappointing sequel season. He got himself into the Jays’ doghouse in 2008 and is still digging his way out. The reason Accardo was shipped out at the end of this spring was that only he and Jason Frasor had any options left and Frasor at this point has the ability to pitch multiple innings in middle relief, while Accardo is still regarded as a one-inning guy. He will be back and at 27 years old still has a chance to make an impact.

Q: Hi Richard,

I have three questions. First who do you see as the frontrunner for the job as president of the Jays? My Second question is do you see the Jays possibly moving Vernon Wells for a starter and prospects? And is it possible they are thinking of moving Roy?

Sean Heffernan, Sunderland

A: Personally, my choice, unless he otherwise chooses to become president of the Pac-10 in the NCAA or some other significant offer in sports, I believe Sandy Alderson could have the Jays’ job if he wanted it. He has extensive experience in baseball including as former GM of the A’s credited with hiring Billy Beane and as an early proponent of what came to be known as Moneyball. Alderson was previously hired by Paul Beeston when he was MLB president and worked with him for five years in New York. He is just coming off a gig as president of the Padres, an organization with similar issues to the Jays. He would be able to step in and already be familiar with the inner workings of ownership meetings and would be comfortable being responsible for running the stadium at the Rogers Centre.

As for Vernon Wells, his contract is becoming virtually radioactive. There is no team in baseball that would give you a starter and prospects for Wells, who now ranks middle of the pack as a major-league centre fielder and near the top of the class in financial compensation. That’s a bad combo in this economy.

And yes they would be willing to trade Halladay but don’t need to even think about it until the season has unfolded to the point where they can project that they have no post-season hopes in ’09 and they can see enough development from some of their young starting pitching that they would not be scared to enter 2010 without their ace. Doc, with another season left on his contract, would fetch a nice package of players at the deadline.

Q: Hi Richard. I haven't asked you anything in a long while because my questions stopped appearing on the blog. So here they are in point forms. 1. Ryan's situation (can't trade him now), 2. Development year...League (I see him as a future K-Rod) for closer. 3. Stick with Snider till the end of the season no matter what he does. 4. Halladay not to have five days rest (skip a starter when an off day occurs). Your comments please and thank you Richard!

p.s My Wins# for Jays this season, 85!

Kam Hooshmand, Richmond Hill

A: I have an editor who’s a hardass when it comes to screening my mailbag. I apologize. As for B.J. Ryan, the window of trading opportunity for J.P. slammed shut after this winter when Ryan’s velocity dropped in the spring even though he was healthy. He was back up to 87-88 m.p.h. on Tuesday night vs. the Tigers, but left a pitch up and out over the plate for Brandon Inge who tied the game with a homer.

As for League becoming another K-Rod, time is running out on that dream. He does not have that one devastating pitch like Francisco Rodriguez and has not had the glimmer of success on a closing stage to suggest that at 26-years-old, it’s even around the next corner.

I’m not sure that if Snider starts to really struggle that the best thing for him is to stay the course in the majors, no matter what. I think you have to be flexible, but so far, especially against right-handers, Snider remains very confident for a young hitter of 21.

I agree with you about Halladay. I don’t think that it’s necessary to pitch him on short rest, but if I was Cito I would look at my schedule and pitch Doc every fifth day caring not whose feathers I ruffle in the rest of the rotation. That would give him 36 or 37 starts. As for your predicted win total, perhaps a bit optimistic. I would say 75.

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.**