Mail Bag

The saga of Aroldis Chapman is the reason why the annual major-league baseball amateur June draft needs to be universal and include players from around the world. The concept of a universal draft will certainly be prominent in the next negotiations with the major-league players’ union.

Life used to be so simple and predictable. Refugee Cubans seeking a better life away from the oppressive Castro regime would sail off in the dead of night and invariably wash up on a beach in south Florida to start a new life in the land of milk, honey, oranges and opportunity. No more, especially if you happen to have mad baseball skills.

The fact is if you actually land your boat on U.S. soil you immediately become eligible for the baseball draft and Lord knows you didn’t paddle 90 miles to not cash in as a free agent.

The change in travel plans became obvious in one of two ways: 1) at a certain point in time, refugee boats populated by at least one draft-eligible Cuban, would veer off, likely led to the promised land by speedboats teeming with player agents, amazingly but not coincidentally washing up on Bahamian atolls or hunks of land not claimed by America; or 2) they would sneak away from Team Cuba hotels at tournaments in Mexico or central America turning up as residents of that country, also not eligible for the draft. Jackpot!!

But the story of left-handed pitcher Aroldis Chapman takes the Cuban “free-agent” story to another level. Here is text of the triumphant release from his agents:

Athletes Premier International (API) announces that Major League Baseball has declared Aroldis Chapman a free agent following its investigation. The United States Department of the Treasury has also licensed him as an unblocked national of Cuba. Chapman is now free to sign a contract with a Major League club interested in procuring his services.

“I wish to thank Edwin and the rest of the API team for helping me get to this point,” stated Chapman. “It has been a dream of mine to pitch in the Major Leagues and I’m very excited to start the next phase of my life.” “This is a great reward for nearly three months of hard work, but our real objective is helping Aroldis achieve his personal and professional goals,” stated Edwin Mejia, CEO of Athletes Premier International. “We look forward to speaking with Major League teams and other potential partners interested in helping Aroldis attain them.”

Such a heartwarming tale. Where’s Walt Disney? A new ride at Disney World? Free Agents of the Caribbean. With a yo-ho-ho and a bottle of Dom.

Chapman left the Cuban national team at an international tournament in Rotterdam, stepping off the team bus into a waiting car inexplicably still holding onto his passport (their custom is to confiscate players’ passports until they go home) and sped off to a safe house and to freedom. Of course, Chapman had had an earlier chance to do the same thing at the World Baseball Classic but that tournament ended in the U.S. and he would therefore have been draft eligible. Chapman is a 21-year-old left-hander whose fastball tops off at 101 m.p.h. - which is about the same speed at which his driver screeched away from the team bus with the meal ticket firmly buckled in.

After working out at the old ’84 Olympic complex in Barcelona, strutting his stuff for pro scouts and taking Rosetta Stone English lessons, after months of being scared for his safety, he is now a proud resident of … Andorra (?) and eligible for free agency instead of he 2010 draft. For those unaware, Andorra is a landlocked nation renowned as a tax haven nestled in the Pyrenees between Spain and France. The national anthem is Le gran Charlemany, mon pere. The population is 84,000. Hmm, maybe Canada could make sure that we draw Andorra in our group for the next World Baseball Classic and then have Scott Richmond actually pitch.

The scouting report on Chapman is one great pitch, but tough to coach. They are looking for a huge amount of money and a one-way ticket to a major-league roster.

On to the mailbag.

Q: Richard, couple of questions.

Since Vernon Wells is the only speed threat that we have, should Wells be batting 2nd? Also if the Jays want to trade Doc, would it be more logical for the Jays to keep JP and let him pull the trigger. It would be a tough spot for the new GM to come in and trade Doc, so I am expecting JP to finish his contract and you will have more GM jokes and the Jays will have a scapegoat for next season. Everybody wins?

Davy P., San Jose

A: Cito Gaston has already talked about Aaron Hill and Adam Lind batting third and fourth next year. That means Wells would have to bat either second or fifth. If the Jays signed a legit leadoff hitter like Chone Figgins (who has great personal respect for Cito) then, if they re-signed Marco Scutaro, it would make sense that the shortstop bat second. If they had only one out of Figgins or Scutaro that would be their leadoff guy and I believe Wells would be a decent choice (process of elimination) to bat second.

As for keeping J.P. to trade Halladay, that makes no sense. Ricciardi alienated all the GMs that he was dealing with in July by letting the media know virtually every step of the way which teams he was talking to. They will do him no favours in re-bidding for Doc. Besides, J.P. in his eight years has never made a deal in which he has received more than two players back. The biggest players he has traded are Billy Koch, Raul Mondesi, Orlando Hudson, Troy Glaus and Scott Rolen. Why is he the right guy to trade Halladay? As for the offensive term “GM jokes” they are more like “wry observations” and stem from the same frustration that the fans have finally arrived at re the current regime.

Q: When was the last time the Jays had a speed demon, a threat to steal every time he was on base? Has there been anyone since Dave Collins way back when? The Jays have had some guys with decent SB potential recently (Vernon, Rios), but it seems that the SB has not been part of the team’s game. Your comments? Thanks.

Emmanuel Rivelli, Thornhill

A: When he broke in, Shannon Stewart was a speed demon. Then he got bulky. Vernon Wells was somewhat of a speed demon. Then he got bulky. Alex Rios was a speed demon. Then he got balky. Raul Mondesi, Jose Cruz, Jr. and Shawn Green could all steal a base when needed. But chicks dig the longball. The last real, legitimate stolen base threat they had was Otis Nixon in 1996-97, but he was past his prime. The steal has not been important for the last eight years. Neither has October.

Q: Hey Griff,

With the season nearing its end, I thought I'd give you a philosophical question to think about. Currently no Blue Jay is in the hall of fame where the Blue Jays are considered the player’s primary team (ie Molitor is listed as a Brewer). With Robby Alomar and Fred McGriff eligible next year do you think either of them would make it? And if not who do you think could/would be the first?

Dave Fulton, Oakville

A: I would expect Alomar to go in, but maybe not on the first ballot because of his great expectorations with regard to umpire John Hirschbeck. Alomar was the greatest second baseman I have ever seen and an offensive threat that included some power as well as speed and base-running instincts that were unmatched. He will go in wearing the Jays’ hat. I don’t think McGriff will ever get in because the old standards for home runs no longer govern hall-of-fame voters. Of course, I’ve been wrong before.

Q: With consideration for player positioning next season after comments you made yourself, might you offer some insight into the present and perhaps the future of the Jays infield and outfield corners? It has dawned on me the best situation for the Blue Jays might be to move Encarnacion to right field where his arm and range could be maximized whilst his errors minimized? Does Dopirak have the tools to man first next season?

Nick Boileau, Whitby, Ont.

A: Gaston has already said that he can’t see Travis Snider and Adam Lind manning the corner outfield spots in 2010. One yes. Both no. Not enough combined defence. He also said he needs another RBI bat. Something doesn’t add up unless Lind moves to first base and Lyle Overbay is traded. As for Encarnacion moving to right field, I think the only reason he is on the ’09 Jays is because they had to take his salary in order to move Scott Rolen to the Reds. If that is the case, then the RBI bat Cito wants is either a DH or a right fielder. Jose Bautista has shown me more than Encarnacion as a hitter and potential right fielder. They will try to move Encarnacion and maybe even eat some of his ’10 salary. As for Brian Dopirak in the majors as a first baseman with the Jays in 2010 … no.

Q: Dear Richard,

Another frustrated UK Jays fan here. While I agree that it's time to move on from the JP regime, I think your repeated criticism of this era suggests that any half competent GM could have put together a team to jump past the Yankees & Red Sox over a 162 game season. As bad as it seems in T.O., it’s worse in Baltimore. Tampa Bay had seemingly all the pieces in place - but they fell way short. I think history will prove the ‘08 Rays as the Haley’s Comet of the AL East. I’m not making excuses, but I’ve no doubt that if the Jays had been in the Central rather than in the East the last 10 years there would have been at least one playoff appearance. I just don’t believe that if Chicago or Minnesota or Cleveland or Detroit had been in the East instead, that any of those teams would have had the same success. Yet all those teams get to catch pennant fever now and again and they get perceived as ‘mid-market’ successes, while the Jays get tagged as the AL’s answer to the Pirates, which I don’t think is fair. As of the AL standings today (Sep 23), outside of the Yanks/Sox only the Tigers (56-41, 0.577) have a better record against the AL Central/West than the Jays in 2009 (39-29, 0.574). I know every season hasn’t been like this but it illustrates my point. So my question is, do you think baseball would ever try to address this competitive disadvantage? Be it, a balanced schedule - or 2 divisions of 7 with 2 wild cards even. In the ESPN Yanks/Sox obsessed post-strike world, I fear that the rest of the AL East is being left for dead!

Thanks,

Iain Carey, Manchester, UK

A: The least of my worries as critic has been whether a competent GM could have vaulted the Jays past the Yankees and/or Red Sox. The biggest issues I have had with the GM over the years are the way he has treated his players as men, the way he has treated his payroll as the basis for his failures and the way he has treated the Jays’ fans as not worthy of knowing what he’s thinking, in terms of direction, ahead of fans in the good ol’ U.S.A.

Nobody has ever tagged the Jays as the AL answer to the Pirates. When Ricciardi took over he was handed a team that was 22 games above .500 for the previous four seasons. If this is his last season, J.P. will hand off a team that is 16 games above .500 for his final four years heading into Wednesday night. Not the Pirates. Not the Yankees. More like the 1998-2001 Jays.

As for the suggested changes to the league and playoff format, see last week’s lead into the mailbag that would allow 12 playoff teams into a post-season time frame that would be just over a month. Any more than that is too much.

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

Okay, so baseball has almost two weeks left and the only race is for the AL Central between the Tigers and Twins. Will 30 markets be paying attention to that? No! MLB lucked out last year with races all over the place down to the final weekend. This season is providing a reality check. The game needs a revamp. Here it is.

American and National leagues are split East and West:

AL EAST STANDINGS: 1-Yankees 2-Red Sox 3-Tigers 4-Rays 5-Blue Jays 6-Indians 7-Orioles (all seven are in the Eastern Time Zone)

AL WEST STANDINGS: 1-Angels 2-Rangers 3-Mariners 4-Twins 5-White Sox 6-A’s 7-Royals (four in Central Time Zone and three in Western)

NL EAST STANDINGS: 1-Phillies 2-Braves 3-Marlins 4-Astros 5-Reds 6-Mets 7-Pirates 8-Nationals (seven in Eastern Time Zone and one in Central)

NL WEST STANDINGS: 1-Dodgers 2-Cardinals 3-Rockies 4-Giants 5-Cubs 6-Brewers 7-Padres 8-Diamondbacks (three teams in Central Time Zone, one in Mountain and four in Western)

NEW POST-SEASON PLAYOFF FORMAT

(if season ended today):

AL First place Yankees and Angels both get bye

NL First place Phillies and Dodgers both get bye

ROUND 1: Second place in East and West each host wild-card best of three series in their home park starting two days after the season and played on consecutive days. The two league wild-cards are the next two best records. They can come from the same division. Best second place record plays worst wild-card record.

October 6-8 (best of three)

Mariners at Red Sox

Tigers at Rangers

Giants at Cardinals

Rockies at Braves

ROUND 2: Top seeded first place team hosts Games 1-2-5 in a best-of-five vs. lowest ranked winner of wild-card Round 1:

October 10-15 (best of five)

At Yankees

At Angels

At Phillies

At Dodgers

ROUND 3:

ALCS and NLCS (best of seven)

October 17-25

ROUND 4:

WORLD SERIES

October 27-November 4

On to the mailbag.

Q: Read your piece on Johnny Mac - wonderful read! I hope Cito read it too and does give him the start in that last home game; the fans deserve that pleasure as much as McDonald himself. I have two related questions for you. Where do you see McDonald landing next year? Is there a team out there that appears to fit for him more than another? Secondly, while it seems obvious (and positive!) that the Jays will try to resign Marco Scutaro, who do see them turning to in the event that he signs elsewhere? The only name that comes to mind immediately is Orlando Cabrera, someone I know they expressed interest in last year. Thanks, as always!

Jon Empringham, Woodstock, Ont.

A: Obviously McDonald is going to play a more important role down the stretch with the plantar fasciitis (foot) injury to Marco Scutaro. It’s ironic to check the quote in the column from Johnny Mac about his playing time relying on the health of Scutaro and Hill and that thankfully they have both been healthy.

As for where he might play next year, he can play anywhere he wants. The great thing about his situation is that this contract with the Jays at $1.9 million for each of 2008 and ‘09 was the most money he had ever earned in a season. That is extremely affordable for a backup infielder with his mind-blowing defensive skill-set. It was suggested to Mac that his talents would seem to fit better on a National League bench. He pointed out his entire career has been in the AL.

Family is very important to him. He comes from Connecticut and lives in the Cleveland area and so I think the top four five potential employers for McDonald would be 1-Indians; 2-Red Sox; 3-Yankees; 4-Jays; 5-Mets.

The pickings are slim at shortstop on the upcoming free agent market. Realistically at the Jays’ affordability level might try Scutaro, Johnny Mac, Cabrera, Bobby Crosby or Khalil Greene. The best bet is Scutaro who will find that nobody wants to sign him and give up two draft picks to the Jays. He is worth more to Toronto than anywhere else. How about two years for $13 million plus an option for 2012? Justin Jackson is still three or four years away, which would fit in nicely with the timing of a Scutaro deal.

Q: Hi Richard:

In your last mailbag, Sept 16, you said the Jays should field their best defensive team. Given the errors, missed cutoff men and missed defensive opportunities generally I could not agree with you more. In listing the lineup that would provide that defence you placed Lind at DH and Snider in left field. Shouldn't that be reversed? Snider is consistently missing cutoffs and sometimes seems shaky out there. (A ball went off his glove on what should have been a catch this past week.) Isn't Lind currently a better defensive option? This would also allow Snider to focus on how to deal with big league pitching. Keep up the great work!

Tim Rorke, Timmins, Ont.

A: I still believe that for the sake of a) the young pitchers; b) Roy Halladay; c) the fans and d) Cito Gaston’s mental health that playing the best defensive baseball currently on hand is a key for making the Jays interesting in the final two weeks. That means Barajas or Chavez; Lyle Overbay every day (no Millar); Hill; Johnny Mac; Vernon and Jose Bautista in right (who has been amazingly solid). Of course with the injury to Scutaro, Edwin Encarnacion must play every day at third. Besides if you ever want to trade him in the off-season, he needs to be treated with respect as if he’s the Jays’ starter for 2009-10. That leaves left field.

Both Snider and Lind are below average, however, despite the rookie brain farts of throwing to nobody in particular, missing cutoff men, throwing to the wrong base and forgetting how many outs there are, Snider is the better option. Lind is slower, gets worse reads and jumps and is important for his healthy RBI bat. Not ringing endorsements for either man, but maybe if Lind was eventually moved to first base that would allow the Jays to reach out for another RBI bat at DH or in right.

Q: Hi Richard,

I have followed the Jays now pretty closely for several years and read your mailbag with much intrigue. To me the Jays are really not that far off being a contender. We have two great power hitters in Hill and Lind. We have an under-performing star who I believe will no doubt bounce back in Wells. The Jays have a core group of good players. Except for the important win-loss column we are not terribly behind in overall stats with our big spending friends south of the border.

This is a big if, but IF we are able to spend a little more (Paul Beeston suggested we could see a roster worth $120 million given the right business plan) could we not put together a winning team next year? If you had the additional 55-odd million available to spend for next year, what would you do to get us over this bump? Am I in lala land here in thinking this is even possible?

Bryan Freeman, Oakville

A: I was watching Vernon Wells in batting practice on Monday and Tuesday and the ball is jumping off his bat again. He is loose and confident in his swing. That’s good and bad. Does that mean he can only perform at his best when his team has fallen out of contention or does that mean that he has finally got his groove back and we can look forward to him carrying it into next season? It’s up to Vernon.

Here’s some suggestions on how to spend the Jays’ money. Make an intelligent trade for Roy Halladay, sign Chone Figgins of the Angels to play third base and re-sign Marco Scutaro. Either re-sign Rod Barajas for a reasonable two-year salary, or else find another decent catcher (there’s tons of them out there), get a healthy Shaun Marcum back and take a chance on a reasonably priced Rich Harden as a free agent. Move Adam Lind to first base and let ‘er rip in 2010. That would not even take the Jays up to your $120 million if they could find deals to trade away Overbay and Encarnacion.

Top of the Lineup: Figgins; Scutaro; Hill; Lind; Wells etc. etc.

Rotation: Marcum; Romero; Harden; Halladay trade; Rzepczynki or Cecil.

I truly believe that Scott Downs has not been the same pitcher since his first injury. This guy needs to stay anchored to the top of the mound and never leave. Every time he ventures down the hill he strains something – including our credulity.

Into the Valley of Death rode the Jays’ closer … But when he was completely healthy at the time B.J. hit the road, Downs had closer-ability. I would suggest Jason Frasor could do it on a regular basis except he takes so damn long between pitches it’s painful.

Q: Hi Richard,

Question I've been wondering for quite some time now. In pucks, players get paid less in the minors and more in the majors (two way contracts and all that); on the same note, how much do minor league players get paid when they get called up? Pro-rated version of the league minimum? And the same thing with guys who are signed and sent down; do they get their regular major league stipend or the minor league stuff? I tried figuring it out but I couldn’t find it anywhere. Let me know!

Nicholas Hung, London

A: Guys that get called up earn pro-rated major league minimum of $400,000 which is paid out basically over six months. So if a player comes up in September he pretty much earns one-sixth of the minimum. All young organization players on the 40-man are on two-way deals. If they are on the 40-man roster and are sent out at the end of spring training, they earn their minor-league money. If they’re called up they earn their major-league agreement. Veterans and top-tier free agents usually sign guaranteed deals that pay them major-league money even if they are sent to the minors. However there are so many free agents out there now that fringe veteran players don’t have any bargaining power and the major-league guarantees are fewer and further between.

Q: Hi there.

Why isn’t Cito Gaston playing Randy Ruiz on a more constant basis? The season has been over for months now and this is a great time to see what he’s got. From what I've seen, this guy seems to hit a bomb every three or four games. Why isn’t he in the lineup everyday? Ruiz could be in the starting nine next year with the type of power he’s showing.

Dave Roberts, Brantford

A: The choice for Gaston came down to playing Ruiz or Jose Bautista in the starting lineup. When Lind is in the lineup he either is the DH or must play LF. In the case of left field Travis Snider is in right, which means Wells must cover an area the size of Algonquin Park. Bautista has become their best bet defensively in right field. He’s better even if Joe Inglett gets healthy again. If Lind moves to first base over the winter there would be room for Ruiz as a platoon DH and bench player as an emergency outfielder or Millar-like first baseman.

Q: Hi Richard,

Let's say in a wildly altruistic move, Vernon Wells decides to option out of his contract so he can play for a team in the playoff hunt, or close to home or just wants to get rid of the criticism. Would the player's union allow him to do that? At the least, wouldn't they advise him not to opt out? I know their concern is for their players to make top dollar.

Kevin Layman, St. John's

A:You never know. Vernon said that peace of mind and personal happiness are worth more than any amount of money. If he has two bad years between now and 2011 there would be no market for him as a free agent but, on the other hand, by that time his life at the Rogers Centre may be so miserable he might want out no matter what. If he has two great years, he may want a fresh start and may feel like he can still get a pretty good deal somewhere close to home or with a contender. It is possible he could opt out. I don’t think any of us mortals would given the amount of money he would be leaving on the table.

The players’ union would surely advise him not to opt out. Their concern is not so much for Vernon making top dollar as it is for future players earning top dollar and if one of their marquee contracts is torn up and replaced just because a player wants to be happy, what kind of a precedent does that set? Choosing happiness over money? What ever happened to the “American way?”

At much lower numbers, catcher Darrin Fletcher was always hearing about it from the Players Association because he took deals with the Expos and then the Jays that he was happy with when the union said he could earn more. But they didn’t block his decision. They just didn’t like it.

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.**

Cannon Cup: Amateur Baseball Alive in Ontario

The prestigious Cannon Cup, the final tournament of the year for Ontario Baseball Association (OBA) and its affiliates, took place on the weekend in Oakville with 13 all-star teams competing for the trophy named in memory of the late Mike Cannon, an enthusiastic supporter of Ontario amateur baseball, a resident of Oakville and the Jays' first traveling secretary.

Inter-County, trailing 4-3 against Hamilton in the championship game on Sunday, loaded the bases with nobody out in the bottom of the seventh inning. With the game on the line, ICBA received a towering walk-off grand slam into the trees behind the right field fence at Oakville Park by DH Justin Interisano. The 7-4 win was the sixth Cannon Cup championship for Inter-County in the 15-years history of the event.

Interisano in the semis and finals, combined, was 3-for-5 with two doubles, a homer and six RBIs. Starter Michael Gatchene worked six solid innings with no decision. Cudey Howard picked up the win in relief, working out of a jam in the top of the seventh to keep the deficit at just one, setting up the slam.   

Highlighting the 29 games of the Cannon Cup weekend, featuring 13 all-star teams of 18 and under Midgets from around the province, eventual champion Inter-County beat Oakville 7-2 in one semi-final while Hamilton reached the championship game with a 7-3 win over Georgetown. Oakville advanced to the Final Four, entering its own team for the first time in Cup history, competing with two all-star teams from its parent Central Ontario Baseball Association (COBA). 

The quality of baseball in the Cannon Cup demonstrated to me that despite the pessimism of many concerning the state of the amateur game in Ontario, there is still significant talent and enthusiasm for playing baseball across the province. The next step in a baseball renaissance as a game of interest for young teenagers is for the Blue Jays to reach the post-season again and bring back the next tier of young athletes that may have lost interest in the sport at the same time their parents did after the major-league strike in '94 and the Jays' 15-year struggle to repeat their World Series exploits of the early '90s.

Congratulations to Inter-County and manager Jeff Amos and to the other semi-final managers, Hamilton's Larry Wood, Oakville's Doug Stirling and Georgetown's Bill Byckowski. 

Mail bag

It was really nice to see someone on another team go down on Tuesday night in the Bronx, with Jesse Carlson lurching off to the first base side of the mound and throwing a warning shot across his body, all the way behind the right-handed hitting Jorge Posada. Carlson is 160 lbs. soaking wet and did not back down. When Posada stepped in front of the plate and preened his peacock feathers, Carlson stepped towards him and gave it back. When Posada crossed home plate and threw an elbow, Carlson turned and called him out while walking towards a dugout full of angry millionaires. Mayhem ensued. The Jays were hit by a pitch six times in four games back in Toronto including Randy Ruiz in the face by Josh Towers, albeit with the bases loaded, making it unlikely that it was intentional. Nevertheless the Yankees swagger says nobody should be able to send a message to us. Here are some quotes from the Jays’ clubhouse last night.

===

“I was kind of just trying to do what I had to do,” Carlson said of his uncomfortable time at the bottom of the pile. “Things were kind of going so fast. I’ve never been involved in anything like that. It was a fastball in and I yanked it. It was a bad pitch. We’ve been hit a lot, but what are you going to do? What happened, happened. Hopefully it doesn’t carry on and one of our guys gets hurt. I don’t even know if I got tossed. I’m not sure. I’m probably one of the smallest guys in MLB and we were right near their dugout and I was hoping I got out of there all right. Somebody got in a shot and I didn’t get hurt. In the minor-leaguers I was involved in just a few bench-clearers, but nothing serious like that.”

===

“Hell no,” said John McDonald who was one of the first Jays on the scene, when asked if he was the one that landed the telling blow on Yankees skipper Joe Girardi. “It’s important to go out there and separate everybody. The guys that are involved, if they have a problem then they solve it but you just get out there and separate it as quick as you can so nobody gets hurt. That’s the last thing you want to have happen. Emotions ran high and obviously they weren’t happy with the way it played out. (Girardi’s) been in the game a lot longer than I have. Unless you’re the one that’s actually mad, you have to go out there and try and separate the guys. You don’t want to see anybody get hurt and a guy gets lost for the season. I just got a hold of Mark (Teixeira) and pulled him back and tried to make sure nobody else got on the bottom. On the ground is where all the injuries happen.”

===

“I missed it,” Roy Halladay said when asked whether he made it out of the clubhouse for the main event. “I was scrambling to get ready. It’s a shame but I think those are the types of things that could be avoided.”

On a personal note, I disagree with Halladay. I think if he had a bit if a mean streak it would complete him as the best pitcher in baseball.

===

“I was not paying attention, that was the last thing I expected,” Travis Snider said of his participation in the fracas. “I knew Posada was on base but I didn’t think anything was going to happen. I was a little late getting there and was able to kind of separate some things. It’s part of baseball.”

===

“There was intent,” catcher Rod Barajas. “It wasn’t like Jesse was in the way and Jorge was trying to avoid him. Jesse saw where he was and on the way by he threw an elbow. That’s what triggered the whole situation.
“He said ‘Don’t do that, don’t do that,’ ” Barajas explained of Posada’s reaction to the brush-back. “That’s all I heard. I’m standing in front of him to protect my pitcher.
“I’m not going over there to throw punches, be an instigator,” Barajas said of his approach to the fight. “By the time I reached there, you’ve got 15-20 guys on their team right in front of me. Once we got there, I just kind of lost track. I was just trying to get to my pitcher. I had no idea what was going on beside be, behind me. I heard Edwar Ramirez was dragging my chest protector trying to get me out. Basically, I’m trying to keep the peace. He’s my teammate. I’m protecting him. From what I’ve heard there were a few guys over there throwing punches. If two people have a problem you let them deal with it themselves. Everybody else is just there to get people away from each other. You don’t go into an altercation like that thinking you have to do something to hurt somebody. From what I heard there were a couple of (Yankees) that didn’t do that. It’s disappointing.”

===

However the best line of the post-game came from Brandon League. Coach Brian Butterfield used to be a Yankees minor-league instructor and has constantly regaled anyone that will listen regarding his positive influence on the development of at least one Yankee captain superstar middle infielder future Hall-of-Famer. Butter was asked jokingly if he was the guy that punched Joe Girardi. Before he could answer, League walked by and said, “No, Butter was busy hugging Jeter.” then walked out of the room.

On to the mailbag:

Q: Richard,

Is it just me or has JP disappeared off the face of the earth (not a bad thing)? I notice in the past three weeks that Cito is more the spokesperson for the team. Is this an organizational decision and a sign that JP is not going be around much longer? What are you hearing? Keep up the good work on the blog.

Brian M., Barrie

A: It’s not so much that Ricciardi has disappeared off the face of the earth, but he’s become less quotable in the U.S. media. For example when the Jays were on the field for batting practice at new Yankee Stadium on Tuesday, Ricciardi sat in the dugout – as he usually does in N.Y. and Boston – and was approached by one, count them, one Japanese journalist. Usually the way it works, J.P. emerges from the tunnel and is swarmed by his U.S. high-profile East Coast media friends. However since most of these same friends have buried J.P. in the press in the last three weeks, they may feel a little chagrined in coming up and backslapping him now and quoting him about the unfairness of the T-O media and the impossibility of competing against the big boys of the AL East. The organizational dependence on J.P. as its face peaked back in the winter of 2003-04 after the Jays unexpectedly won 86 games. It has now reached its nadir.

Q: So Cito wants fans to come out and support his ball club? Where does this guy live? He puts Jose Bautista out day after day, pencils in Kevin Millar against lefties when his offence and defence is worse than Lyle Overbay’s, waits until pitchers are up to their eyeballs in trouble before getting the bullpen up, rarely moves runners over with a bunt, rarely uses the hit-and-run, etc. If he wants people at the Centre why doesn’t he put out the best he has, play some of the call-ups to see what they have, maybe give Vernon a break (from the boos), maybe show that he cares. Is he to blame for this awful team? No. But doesn’t he share some of the responsibility?

Bill Canale, Brockville, Ont.

A: Cito’s mistake is the same one I hear from many, many players and too many front office people all the time. The erroneous belief that fans somehow “owe” their support to their home team because the players are trying and playing for them and so they should buy tickets and come out to support them. That may be the way it works in some places (e.g. Leaf Nation) but it is not the way it should be. People have a limited amount of money to spend on entertainment, including movies, pro sports, participation sports, etc.

I’m not so sure I agree with you that Gaston should be playing some of the call-ups. At positions, post September 1, that would include only catcher Kyle Phillips and infielder Joe Inglett. The scrappy Inglett has been hurt, but otherwise was playing a lot of right field – which is clearly not his best position. Phillips behind the plate is not a part of the Jays’ future. Instead, I believe that the Jays should be playing their best defenders around the diamond which includes Overbay every day at first base, John McDonald somewhere in the infield, Lind at DH, Travis Snider in left and Bautista in right. But, yes, Gaston does share some of the responsibility. When the team was doing well at the end of 2008 he was given a lot of the credit. When they’re not doing well, he takes some responsibility. But he’s not the guy responsible for what happened to B.J. Ryan, or dumping Scott Rolen and Alex Rios.

Q: As an overseas Jays fan I perhaps a different perspective but I have to say I was slightly bemused by Cito’s call to arms to Jays fans in the face of pitiful attendances as the season comes to a close. Now, no ball club is entitled to success and another season of rank mediocrity does not necessarily justify fans voting with their feet. But how, in all seriousness, can Cito and the Jays management not expect this to happen? The Jays transfer policy this season has been simple. Offload players to lower the salary burden. There is no other aspect to this policy. There is no planned rebuilding, no planned marquee signings, just a steady exodus of talent to generate net profits. In short, there is no intention at all to turn this ball club into a World Series contender. How can they even say to Roy Halladay with a straight face that they intend to be a contender when they ship out guys like Scott Rolen and Alex Rios and replace them with journeymen (or no one)?

The sad reality is that the Jays are now nothing but a triple AAA feeder club for proper ball clubs. An attendance of 11,000 is pretty decent for a triple AAA side so surely management should be pleased. Forgive my very British sarcasm but am I alone in thinking this way?

Arnie Siva, London, UK

A: I honestly feel that Jays management entered the 2009 season with two conflicting, often conflicted trains of thought. One was the desperate call of the GM to give him more money to help him compete with the Yankees and Red Sox that was refused by ownership that had finally come to realize that the plan was not working and that throwing good money after bad in 2009 was not a solution. While J.P. Ricciardi was on his Quixotic mission, tilting at AL East windmills, ownership under Paul Beeston’s guidance just wanted to quietly plod through ’09 surviving as best as possible, finding out which young pitchers would be part of the future while cutting bait with anyone that wasn’t. There are two reasons for doing what Jays’ ownership has done this year. One is to prepare the franchise to be sold. Two is to reach rock-bottom on the field and start building for a run at a World Series. It’s 50-50 as to which one is the truth but I think all fans are hoping it’s option two.

It’s why they can afford to stay with Gaston one more year until he chooses to retire. It’s why they don’t need to go out immediately and sign up a Terry Ryan/Pat Gillick type of GM with an established track record for 2010. Depending on the trade package they get for Halladay, they will be better in 2010 and will start building attendance back up.

Q: Hi Richard. I have been hearing a lot of frustrated fans who are concerned that the Blue Jays could be moved? I know that Jays haven't been doing good over the past 16 seasons, but there are teams that are in worse shape. Do you think they will stay in Toronto for good? I've been a fan for many years. I hated to see the Expos go. Are fans just nervous because of what happened in Montreal?

Chris McGarry, Charlottetown

A: Sold yes. Moved no. I believe that with the size of the Toronto market and with the history of the franchise and its fan base there is no way that the Jays will be moved out of the country. The Jays ownership has no doubt been streamlining the operation over the past 11 months. That may be to sell it internally as viable to Rogers’ shareholders as much as to sell it to any other outside group. But don’t discount the possibility of new Canadian ownership in the next few years. Interim club president for life Paul Beeston is a member of the Order of Canada and as such feels a real responsibility in keeping the Jays in Canada. It was the same patriotic feeling that Charles Bronfman had in Montreal and is why he took a ridiculously cheap offer from the Claude Brochu consortium rather than more lucrative American ones at the time back in the early ‘90s and why there was a clause that the Jays could not be sold and moved for a decade after he left.

Q: Hi Richard,

Well it looks like the only Jays story right now is the dismal attendance at the Dome. How do you feel Toronto fans compare to those in other cities, in terms of team support (attendance, crowd spirit, etc), and team knowledge (knowing something about the game strategy, and the organization besides the starting lineup)? Do you think that this is a bandwagon town that will only support a winner (unless its the Leafs)?

Dave Glen, Toronto

A: I know there are some readers that hate it every time I make an Expos reference, but the fact is I spent 22 years of my major-league baseball life with that organization and am finishing my 15th at The Star. In that light I think I do pretty well in keeping ancient history out of my mailbag answers. But in this case, I digress (again). I always remember the explanation regarding sports fans that the eccentric, obstreperous, cantankerous Expos’ reliever Mike Marshall told writers back in 1973 when he was asked about fans not being supportive enough at Jarry Park.

He said that cheering and booing at sports events are the result of something missing in your own life. The louder the stadium, according to Marshall, the worse the quality of life in the city. Sports fanaticism is the result of a void in your own personal life. Marshall preferred quiet fans because, according to his theories (he was a Michigan St. University graduate in kinesiology) Canadian sports fans were more quiet because they were more well-adjusted…well those that aren’t drunk, anyway.

As for my opinion on Jays fans compared to those in other ballparks, I believe that in terms of percentage, given a similar crowd of 30,000, I would say that there is a higher percentage of “home-team fans” as compared to “baseball fans” than in other parks. There is a core baseball fanbase in Toronto with an intense knowledge of the entire major league scene but there are more fans like that given a similar attendance in other parks. Toronto is not necessarily a “bandwagon” town but it is a “big-event” town.

Q: Please help me understand. Why does it seem likely Marc Rzepczynski will not be in the rotation next year? He has really impressed me, not in the Halladay staff ace way, but in the fact that every time he goes out there, you almost always get 6-7 innings, and three or less ER. I think he more than deserves the fifth spot, no offence to Richmond, but I feel Rzepczynski has been way more consistent. With a 3.67 ERA, 60 Ks and on 30 BBs, and only 51 hits in 61.1 innings, am I missing something? Because I think you can get way more potential out of the 23 year old rookie outperforming the 30-year-old second year player. Again, no offence to Richmond, but realistically…

Alex Lawson, Brampton

A: I believe it’s too early to make any speculation on Rzepczynski’s chances for next year. He and Brett Cecil are spending a month working one-on-one with pitching coach Brad Arnsberg in their own personal Instructional League while travelling with the Jays and not having to worry about pitching. It’s a brilliant concept. Why hand these two guys off to a minor-league instructor that has not seen any of their major-league travails and successes? Instead, Arnie gets to work with them on what they need to correct.

In any case, they have not said a lot about any of their starting pitching guys other than Richmond and Romero because those two guys are being allowed to finish the year in the rotation. Taking Halladay out of the rotation in an off-season trade, I would rate the Jays’ starting candidates for next year as follows: 1-Shaun Marcum; 2-Romero; 3-Guy they get for Halladay; 4-Dustin McGowan; 5-Rzepcyzynski; 6-Richmond; 7-Brian Tallet; 8-David Purcey; 9-Cecil; 10-Zach Stewart. That doesn’t count Jesse Litsch who likely won’t be ready for next Opening Day. McGowan is questionable because of all his setbacks but has started to throw again.

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

The most disturbing aspect of this September for the Jays is the lack of prospects among the organization’s position players that earned promotion to the big league roster during the period of 40-man maximums.

Granted, among players from the June 2007 draft and later, most don’t have to be protected on the 40-man roster until next year. But it’s not just that J.P. Arencibia and Brian Jeroloman, two catchers that were supposed to be in competition for the starting job in 2010, both had mediocre minor-league seasons. It’s the fact that when looking at those guys, you realize the number of hotshot prospects that are struggling down on the farm. And most of the touted position-prospects have not yet even advanced to Double-A making them still a couple of years away.

Next year, the Jays will have to fill with free agents again. Among those with disappointing seasons: AA-New Hampshire – David Cooper (1B); A-Dunedin – Kevin Ahrens (3B), Justin Jackson (SS) and John Tolisano (2B); A-Lansing – Kenny Wilson (CF); A-Auburn – Eric Eiland (OF).

How about the Lansing offence in the Midwest League. They were 54-83 with a .255 team batting average, but the startling stat was 1,176 strikeouts in 4,617 at-bats. That is an average of 153 strikeouts every 600 at-bats (roughly a full major-league season).

Some of the walks-to-strikeouts ratios among Lugnuts were stunning. Third baseman Balbino Fuenmayor had seven walks and 71 Ks. Justin McLanahan (2B) had 25 walks and 11 Ks. The three catchers combined for 45 BB and 174 Ks.

The bottom line here is that for those that are hoping the Jays will get team payroll back up to the $100 million area, don’t count on it until the B.J. Ryan contract is off then books and, more importantly, until some of the team’s top[ prospects are ready to contribute to a winning team. That’s another year away at least. On to the mailbag.

Hey Richard,

I have stood by this (Jays) team for the last several years with the understanding that even though we haven't made the playoffs, that at least management was doing the best it could to make this team better. But this latest inaction has kind of put an end to that. How on earth do we not call up any prospects to at least see what we have with them for this month of September? Why not bring up Fabio Castro (24) and see if he is the real deal or not. Why not call up a guy in Brian Dopirak (25), who for two seasons in a row has hit over .300 and hit almost 30 hrs with over 100 RBI? What about catcher of the future J.P. Arencibia (23)? Instead, they call up Inglett, Wolfe and Hayhurst? These guys aren't prospects that will help shape our organization in the near and long-term future. I am baffled with these moves.

And what the heck has Jeremy Accardo done that was so bad that he continues to get no appreciation for doing what half our bullpen has failed to do and that is get outs? Any insight? I'm almost done here!

Bontley Pootter, Kingston, Ont.

A: I’m with you on much of what you say. I believe that in this, a season of their discontent, fans, as few as there might be at the Rogers Centre, would prefer to see a lineup of: C-Arencibia; 1B-Randy Ruiz; 2B-Aaron Hill; 3B-John McDonald; SS-Marco Scutaro; LF-Jose Bautista; CF-Vernon (for his glove); RF-Travis Snider; DH-Adam Lind. When Halladay pitches, he can have Barajas behind the plate.

As for the callups, the second wave came in on Tuesday and the human yo-yo, Accardo was among them, with the disappointing David Purcey and the unknown backup catcher Kyle Phillips. What amazes me is that even though they now have the flexibility with Phillips on hand to be able to pinch-run for Barajas or Raul Chavez in late innings, there is nobody on the bench with any speed to do that job – even in September with expanded rosters.

As for the pitching callups, the Jays now list 17 pitchers. With Brett Cecil about to make his final start and Marc Rzepczynski already shut down, it leaves four starters (Halladay, Romero, Richmond and Purcey), one closer (Frasor) and 10 middle relievers (although Tallet will start). Guys like Josh Roenicke, Casey Janssen, Brian Wolfe, Accardo and Dirk Hayhurst are praying for blowouts so they can have a chance to pitch.

At the moment, management is not doing the best it can to make this team better. This will be the toughest off-season selling job to Jays’ fans … ever!

Q: Dear Richard,

Please provide a critique of the Jays' scouting department. This team has lost a number of good people in the last few years; the “major league” roster is chronically plugged with over-aged dreck already dumped by other teams (Jose Bautista the most recent example); over three decades all catching prospects (except Pat Borders ) have faded away before reaching Toronto and now Arencibia and Brian Jeroloman seem to be sinking too. Why? Thank heaven the management of this team isn't trying to develop wine since they always pick and spoil good grapes before they ripen (Mills, Cecil, Ray, etc.).

Thanks,

Selby Martin, Toronto

A: It’s hard to say whether any problems lie in the professional scouting itself or whether it’s the sometimes flawed decision-making after the scouting reports have been absorbed by the GM’s office. How to explain Frank Thomas one year too late or David Eckstein in the AL or Dave Dellucci or Kevin Millar ort Matt Bush or Royce Clayton or Brad Wilkerson or Kevin Mench or Shannon Stewart replacing Reed Johnson or John Ford Griffin or Jason Arnold or Terry Adams or Jeff Tam or John Thomson or Tanyon Sturtze. On the other hand there have been some good decisions on overlooked players to balance some of that – like Scutaro, Barajas, Chavez, Tallet, Shawn Camp and Gregg Zaun when he came on board as a released free agent. The problem with that track record is that if you are the Yankees or Red Sox you can afford to make mistakes and just eat the money, but in a market like the Jays, you need to be almost perfect. J.P. is far from it.

The catching situation has been a mess on the farm forever, but don’t give up on Arencibia and Jeroloman. In a couple of years they may team up on the major-league roster like the Angels’ duo of Jeff Mathis and Mike Napoli. But in support of your premise on the woes of catching past, note that the only homegrown catchers to appear for the Jays in the past 10 years are Curtis Thigpen, Guillermo Quiroz, Kevin Cash and Josh Phelps, none of whom were a starter.

As for your suggestion on management’s potential development of bad wine, I beg to differ. The Rogers Estates already features a variety of winter wines, albeit most of them slightly bitter. They ferment all summer and are on display between season. Some of the most prominent of these Rogers Estate wines are issued under a variety of amusing labels: Chateau des Blessures (The Whine - Hey, come on. We did all right considering all the injuries we had. How can you compete when all your stars are always hurt?), Chateau de Malchance (The Whine - Hey, how can we compete when we’re in the AL East. Those guys buy championships. If we were in the Central we would have been in the playoffs several times by now) and finally Chateau de Media Fou (This particular vintage is made largely from sour grapes. The Whine - How can we do our job when the local media does nothing but criticize and poison the minds of our otherwise mindless fans? The public would buy what we were selling without your infernal lies and twisted misrepresentations.) Medias Fous was in fact the favourite wine of Richard Nixon during the Watergate years.

Q: Hi Richard,

I have a question on the responsibilities of the fans in regards to supporting the team. In short, what constitutes a good fan? I consider myself a Jays fan, and try to get to 3-5 games per year, while also watching at least part of pretty much every game on TV, at least while the team is somewhat contending. I've lost interest over the past few weeks as the wheels have fallen off, and have only caught a few innings. We always hear about how Toronto fans don't do enough to support the team, and don't buy enough tickets, so I was wondering, if someone asked you to put a number on the amount of games attended by a "good" fan, what would that number be? I'm getting tired of hearing about how if the attendance was better, the team would be better, how about Rogers improving the product first?

Shaun Q., Oakville

A: I agree with you 100 per cent about improving the product to increase the revenue instead of increasing the revenue then improving the product. Think about if you owned a fancy restaurant. It used to be jammed every night with a great menu and a fine staff of world-class chefs. Then for some reason – competition, the economy, you closed for six months – the clientele started to slip away. Saturdays were half full. Patrons were finding other places to go. What would be your response? It certainly would not be to get rid of your superior kitchen staff, replace them with cheaper chefs still learning the business, then ask all your former customers to come back because you need them. The smart reaction in that restaurant scenario would be to upgrade your menu, hire even better chefs and try and lure back the client base you know is still out there.

As for the definition of a good Jays fan, that’s an interesting question. The first factor, I believe is liking the sport of baseball first and loving the Jays second, that combo allows you to go to games at the Rogers Centre and come away satisfied, even when the Jays lose a well-played game. It gives you a sense that you got your money’s worth even in defeat. Being a good fan involves paying attention to Jays’ televised games and listening to Jerry and Alan on radio when you’re in the car, even if it’s just tuning in and out to check on scores. There is no number of games attended that can make you a good fan. Much of that depends on economic circumstances.

As for your diminished interest of late, I can’t blame you for that. There are too many nights lately where the entertainment value is not there. The offence is flat. The starting pitching gives it up early and there is no fight in the Jays. This has been an unusual Jays second half because usually this is a team that is improving as the season winds down offering hope for the next season. It ain’t happening.

Q: Hey Rich,

Perhaps I've missed a recent mailbag query on the subject, but it is disconcerting to a rotation projection for 2010 without McGowan. I take it the rehab isn't going terribly well?

Ben F., Toronto

A: The McGowan rehab is not going well. But I think that the Jays have learned a valuable lesson from last winter and are trying to downplay the various timeframes for returns from surgery – Shaun Marcum, Jesse Litsch and McGowan in particular. They oversold the “McGowan being ready for May” factor last winter and it burned them. Just because Dustin is not being mentioned does not mean his career is over.

Q: What are the Jays’ plans for Randy Ruiz next year? I think he would make an excellent option (not to mention affordable) for DH. I like Kevin Millar, but he will most certainly not be on the team next year. Why not see what this guy can do for an extended period of time, instead of sitting him on the bench for both games during a double header.

Drew E., Kirkland Lake, Ont.

A: I admire a guy like Ruiz that can take a fastball in the face, spit blood all over the batter’s box and then say he’s ready to go the next day. That’s the attitude you develop after 11 seasons in the minor leagues. Ruiz at this moment is a factor for next year in place of Millar. Ruiz is enthusiastic about his bench role in a sincere way and plans on working on his corner outfield play to go with first base, as well as his conditioning to shed a few pounds in order to increase speed and endurance. Yes, Ruiz sat out the doubleheader in Texas, but he is certainly getting enough of an opportunity this month to impress his manager and be considered a factor for the 25-man rebuilding roster in 2010.

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

The hand-wringing angst seems to be fading for Jays Nation as it comes to grips with the mediocrity of the ’09 Jays. Judging from this week’s questions, fans are already looking ahead to 2010, some even holding onto a true fan’s sense of optimism.

September has arrived and the Jays, despite ending the month with 12 position players, added just Joe Inglett. Unless they add more players after the Las Vegas seasons ends in Portland on September 7 it could be the shortest September bench in major-league history. As an aside, the Vegas ’51s end their home schedule tomorrow with the first pitch thrown by Peep Show star, Holly Madison. Ms. Madison is described as “an American model and television personality, best known for appearing as Hugh Hefner's number one girlfriend with Bridget Marquardt and Kendra Wilkinson on the reality TV series The Girls Next Door. She has appeared in nude pictorials with her Girls Next Door costars and fellow Hefner girlfriends Marquardt and Wilkinson”. Go you ‘51s. On to the mail bag.

Q: How does one market the Jays for next season? Halladay will likely be gone, taking with him his connection to Jays fans. It’s painful watching him lose games now. He deserves a team that's competitive. Popular players such as Rolen and Rios, suddenly raptured out of Toronto, leaving others like Vernon Wells anchored to the turf by the cherubic girth of his contract. I would argue that the owners will keep J.P. around for another year because there's no one else. Who wants to be the fall guy for an inevitable bad season waiting on a possible sale? I wouldn’t blame Cito Gaston if he called it a day after this season, looking forward to a team treading water next year. He'd rather be coaching his grandkids in little league. Is there something to be excited about next year?

Frederick Duquette, La Mirada, CA

A: That is a very good question. How do the Jays market themselves for next season if and when Halladay is traded? Here are the Top 5 most marketable Jays for the upcoming off-season, if all the potential free-agents go free.

1. Aaron Hill

2. Adam Lind

3. Ricky Romero

4. Scott Richmond

5. Travis Snider.

Notice that Vernon Wells is not on the list. As far as the GM situation is concerned, I think ownership has come to the realization it would be a mistake not to buy out the final year of Ricciardi’s contract. He has become very defensive about his role in the current debacle and another season would be painful for all involved.

As for Gaston, recall that his final season the first time around, 1997, resulted in a 76-86 record, fired with a week to go. After back-to-back World Series, he was frustrated in the post-strike Jays’ world, handed a combination of unpolished youngsters and bad veterans to go with Rogers Clemens and Pat Hentgen. Consider that Clemens and Hentgen combined to go 36-17. The rest of the staff was 40-69.

This time around, any decision not to come back is entirely in Gaston’s own hands. Gaston has already indicated that 2010 will be his final season as manager, but the feeling here is that he will finish out his contract. The fates of two of his coaches, Nick Leyva and Gene Tenace, also hinge on his decision to stay or go.

As far as something to be excited about next year…hmmm! How about a comeback year from Shaun Marcum?

Q: Am I the only one who believes in Edwin Encarnacion? I am a true baseball cynic, but this guy hurt his wrist, which makes hitting the rest of the season difficult (Just ask Overbay), because your timing is off. He's got great potential, and if we obviously can't compete next year, give him a chance. It's not like we have the next Mike Schmidt in AAA, so we can wait it out. Your thoughts?

Michael Lawson, Brampton

A: Encarnacion is making $4.75 million in 2010. The Jays were forced to take him to help the Reds balance their own books if they wanted to make the Scott Rolen deal with Cincinnati, getting back the two good young arms they actually coveted. The best-case scenario with Encarnacion is that he plays winter ball in the Dominican and proves he is healthy, attracting the attention of a National League team that makes the Jays an offer. They would take a mid-range prospect straight up for him as long as they didn’t have to pay any 2010 salary. The Jays’ answer at third base – because they truly don’t have anyone close down on the farm – would be to sign a free agent at the position, someone like Chone Figgins of the Angels. If they re-signed Scutaro for a couple of years, the top of the order could be: Figgins, Scutaro, Hill, Lind. Not bad.

Q: How can you say Scott Rolen moved comfortably into the cleanup role? OBP of .370, SLG % of .476, 43 RBIs … those are numbers for a shortstop who is about to go the minors, not a third baseman hitting fourth. But he must be a nice guy to deal with, so that excuses him, huh Rich.

David Isaacs

A: Reader Isaacs is referring to an offhanded observation in a column about trading Rolen to the Reds. Clearly fans that spend most of their time with their heads buried in statistics fail to see much of the beauty of the game. It’s a shame.

Rolen did not ask to bat cleanup for the Jays and in a perfect world would have stayed in the six-hole with Rios and Wells batting 3-4, but it is not a perfect world. Rolen accepted the assignment and handled it seamlessly, not putting extra pressure on himself and changing his approach in clutch situations. As for being a nice guy, Rolen arrived in Toronto with a reputation from his previous stops of being somewhat of a prick-ly character. He does not go out of his way to ingratiate himself to media, but he does appreciate writers that do their job.

Q: Ok, granted I am more a Bill James disciple than an old-school type but still ... why is Scott Richmond the one getting the fifth starter treatment? His WHIP, at 1.29, is easily better than any starter but Doc (at least anyone with any innings) and 91K in 101 IP is a pretty nice ratio. And he's still under 30 so it's not like he couldn't be around for 4-5 years. Why trot Cecil and "Zipper" out there every 5-6 without fail when, at least, the former is clearly fatiguing? Is Richmond's injury holding him back? Honestly I think he's been a better hurler than Romero this year - but because he's older and was never considered a prospect it's been under-reported (and not just by The Star).

Conor McCreery, Toronto

A: There’s no need to apologize for being a Bill James disciple. I remember as a P.R. man with the Expos receiving the stapled together 8-1/2” x 11” James pamphlets annually and being fascinated by this unique approach to baseball statistics. I am a big fan of Bill James but I also feel no need to apologize for being an old-school type. Every team in baseball now incorporates the two sides of talent procurement, the traditional scouting and the data evaluation. It’s those close-minded types (and they exist on both sides) that insist one or the other is the only way to go that will be left by the side of the road.

As for Richmond, as a starter, he is to Roy Halladay what Michael Buble is to Frank Sinatra. Although, come to think of it, thanks to the flat-lining of the Jays lately, Halladay’s nickname in that Sinatra analogy would have to be “the Chairman of the Bored.” Richmond has been better than anyone expected coming out of a spring training where he struggled to secure a starting spot. It’s been a real feel-good story in what has become a feel-bad season. Richmond’s fate as a swingman, missing several starts due to off-days and Halladay’s need to pitch every fifth day, are as a result of Scott’s experience and his ability to pitch in relief. By the end of the year, his numbers will rank third to Halladay and Romero, right where they should be. He has a chance to be a useful 4-5 starter for the Jays for the next several years.

Q: Hi Richard,

Please help me with some math. John McDonald is acknowledged as an excellent defensive player and poor offensively. A good batter hits .300 and a poor hitter hits .200 which means the good hitter gets one more hit every ten at bats. Hitting 9th in the order would mean it would take John McDonald over two games to get his ten at bats and one less hit and therefore one more out. If he can get one more of the other team out than would have happened otherwise in every other game, doesn't that put his team ahead by playing him all of the time?

Tony Bibbings, Hamilton, Bermuda

A: That makes sense to me…and obviously it’s starting to make sense to Cito also because Johnny Mac seems to be getting more and more playing time heading into the final month. I would venture to say that using your very simple analysis, McDonald is worth more than one out every two games on the defensive side of things, while being far better than a .200 hitter. Like I’ve often said, this guy will have a meaningful role on someone’s major-league roster until he’s ready to hang up the leather.

Q: Good Morning Richard:

What are your thoughts on Cito Gaston and will he still be here in 2010? I realize his contract runs until the end of 2010. I know you have to be gentle when answering a question like this. I was just as thrilled as anyone when I read that he was coming back this year but I guess I forgot why I wanted Cito fired in 1994. He doesn't like pitchers, rookies, (Bob McCown), bunting or pinch-hitting for veterans. What he does like is pulling the ball, and I guess that’s it. Cito wants Scutaro to pull the ball more, but he doesn't want Hill to be so aggressive at the plate. I wonder what some of the managers in the other dugouts think of Cito's moves, or non-moves.

Thanks,

Jim Gosleigh, Newcastle, Ont.

A: I am sure Gaston has had some second thoughts about accepting an extension through 2010 when he did last August. But as long as he enjoys his time in the clubhouse, he will finish his commitment. The Jays will not be competing for a playoff spot in 2010, but it will be a season of development with ownership looking ahead to 2011. Using Cito as a bridge to the future is a comforting thought for the GM, because since he has already announced he is leaving after this deal runs out, he will not be trying to prove how good a manager he is by actually trying to win games at all costs in 2010. He will go with the flow of the program as he is doing this year by shutting pitchers down and by playing Travis Snider regularly despite his struggles. As long as he does not lose interest, Gaston is the perfect man for 2010.

As for his likes and dislikes, Cito aired me out for a column earlier in the season that suggested he didn’t like pitchers. I can respect that scolding, but the fact is that he doesn’t like pitchers. In all the spring training visits that Gaston made as a guest coach while he was in managerial limbo, he admits that the only pitcher he ever spoke to was Halladay. As for not liking rookies, he just doesn’t like any player that doesn’t know how to play the game. That could include many veterans. As for McCown, who can blame him. As for not pinch-hitting, the fact is that with 12-13 pitchers all year, Gaston has the shortest, weakest hitting bench in the AL with no special skills. What’s a manager to do? As for wanting Scutaro to pull the ball more, I have never heard that said and concerning Hill, Gaston told him at the start if spring training that he would be his full-time two-hole hitter, but not to hit like a two-hole hitter. He wanted him to be aggressive and attack the ball as he would anywhere else in the batting order. Obviously good advice.

Q: Hi Richard,

I would guess that having to write about what's been going on lately with the Jays is no more fun for you than it has been for us fans to watch (or not watch). True, you get paid for it, but you also have to run your nose in it every day. For either of us, what a letdown this season has been.

Two questions. First, at the beginning of the season, everyone thought that this team would hit a ton, but that pitching would be the problem. Yet, even though there have been a lot of pitching injuries, the pitching has been surprisingly good. Early in the year, the hitting combined with the pitching produced magic - for a time. Now the lack of hitting (and lately the lack of defence) is wearing the pitchers down, and we've got a vicious cycle of losing going. The real key, in my mind is: What happened to the hitting? Especially with Cito at the helm, I would have expected it to hold up better. I was away for the month of July and the record just turned to crap. What happened?

Then the second question: what can a poor, hopeless Jays fan do to get J.P. canned? I've stopped going to games, and can't stand to watch any more, and the horror show they inflected on Doc Halladay was inexcusable.

Richard Worzel, Toronto

A: Guys in 2009 that performed above expectations: Hill, Scutaro, Adam Lind, Rod Barajas, Raul Chavez, Romero, Jason Frasor. Guys that performed below expectations: Wells, Rios, Snider, B.J. Ryan, David Purcey. The first month and a half was when the Jays needed to build a buffer, playing most of their games vs. the AL Central and West. They shone. After that, the schedule got tougher and the lack of offence from the middle of the order killed them. Gaston is slow to make adjustments when it comes to veteran players and he left Rios and Wells in run-producing spots too long.

Consider that all winter the Jays sold their fans on a contending rotation of Halladay, Jesse Litsch, Purcey, Richmond and another youngster. The closer in a deep bullpen was Ryan, with Downs as the setup man joined by Frasor, Brian Tallet, Shawn Camp, Jesse Carlson and Brandon League. The first-half defence propped up the young, improvised pitching staff, but with the departure of Rolen and Rios the D suffered, bringing down the pitching house of cards. But the real problem for the pitching staff has been the disappearance of Halladay in terms of wins. He won eight of his first nine starts and had 10 wins in the Jays’ first 59 games. He has won only three decisions since that time, in 72 team games. Halladay’s season from hell was born on the 4th of July when Ricciardi let it be known he was available if the price was right. He has been miserable in the clubhouse ever since.

Q: Hi Richard,

Love the mailbag. Two things seem obvious - Doc will be traded, and none of our current Doogie Housers have Doc-like stuff. So starting pitching next year will be mediocre at best. But let's accentuate the positive. Hill and Lind are 30+homers/100RBI guys. Snider is a slugger, Arencibia has great power potential, and if Wells starts drinking Red Bull we could retool the Jays into an offensive powerhouse. If ownership peeled off 10 million or so of the sixty-five million they've saved, wouldn't that be enough to buy a couple of big bats to fill third base and right field? In my unscientific research, it seems to me that teams that get early leads tend to win the ball game. And wouldn't it be fun to see some offence again?

Mark Weatherley, Stratford, Ont.

A: Without Halladay next year, if he is not replaced with an established presence, the Jays staff will be in trouble. As even Todd Palin knows, every Iditarod sled needs a good lead dog. When the hounds are all working together in sync with a good bitching coach, you hardly notice the leader as a leader. But take that lead dog out of the harness and you have a bunch of direction-less pooches. They may be good, strong dogs on their own, but…well you know what I mean.

How does a 2010 rotation of Marcum, Romero, Richmond, Cecil and Rzepczynski sound? Consider that in a full season of 162 games, you’re hoping a major-league rotation can eat up over 1,000 innings. If the five starters mentioned were to match their career highs as professionals, it would only add up to about 800 innings. They need a lead dog.

Consider this payroll scenario for 2010. If the Jays let McDonald, Scutaro, Barajas and Kevin Millar go to free agency and trade Halladay, Encarnacion and Overbay, moving Lind to first base, they would have guaranteed salary commitments for 2010 of $39 million committed to Wells, Hill, Downs and B.J, Ryan. Add arbitration eligible players Bautista, Frasor, Tallet, League, Casey Janssen, Marcum and Raul Chavez. That’s now about $50 million for 10 active players, plus Ryan. How about these eight players, Carlson, Richmond, Cecil, Zep, Snider, Joe Inglett, Randy Ruiz and Romero are all under control for well under $1 million for 2010. That’s potentially 18 players plus Ryan for $57 million. If they cowboy up and match this year’s payroll, the Jays could have $23 million to spend on seven players. They could certainly do something creative with that.

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