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.**

Comments

[other mark]

Richard, are you really surprised about the lack of prospects called up in Sept? This is another J.P. legacy. The guy is in love with cast offs/retreads. I think it's ego driven. When he picks up a guy like Scuttaro who turns out to be a very good player, he thinks other GMs in the league are impressed. Of course, his entire body of work leaves nobody impressed. Bad contracts, bad drafts, bad development, lying to fans/media, bad mouthing players (even those on other teams!). This guy has got to go. If Rogers wants fans to show up next year, that's their first step. Do it now and hope the new guys can make some moves in the summer that give a glimmer of hope.

[Erc]

Players like Bautista and Millar are mediocre in every sense. Who would spend money to watch either of them play? The Jays have been way too content to foister this kind of seasoned mediocrity on their fans.
John McDonald is not a great ball player but he is a great fielder and every few games will do something memorable. Ruiz is not a great ball player but he has power and passion. Wells is no longer a great ball player although he is payed like one, but he will still make astounding plays in center field.
Travis Snider is having problems but he's lightning in a bottle and will likely, what? -- GET BETTER.
The young pitchers make mistakes, but most of them WILL GET BETTER.
Real baseball fans can put up with youth and the mistakes accompanying it, or even one-dimensional players who create some excitement, but we want that excitement and/or the promise that things will improve.
Doc, Aaron Hill, Lind and Scutaro are players worth paying money to watch.
Is this too hard for JP to understand?

[Don W.]

We constantly hear what a great sports town that Toronto is and yet the numbers do not bear this out for any of the sports teams. There are roughly 5-6 million people within a very close range of the Dome. If only 1% of the people came to a game the nightly headcount would be in the 50,000 range. Do you mean to tell me that there is not 1% of the population interested in Baseball? Every team that comes in has stars as do the Jays and good baseball fans want to see these players. This problem is far greater than JP (even though he is a weak GM) ---this is a problem for the entire organization. It starts with how you present your product. For those fans watching on TV ---Jamie Campbell is a drone as is Pat Tabler. Get a new crew that understands the game and make it exciting and make it so exciting that people will want to attend. Create some controversy and people will be intrigued. Lets get rid of this mondane approach to selling the game.

[mike]

Why is there local enthusiasm for Ruiz, yet there is local disdain for McGuire, Bonds, et al. Ruiz has been suspended twice for performance enhancing substances, yet there is no discussion about it at all.

When the rumors of an interest in Bonds came up a few years back, it was seen as controversial. He was (arguably) the best hitter in the game at that time, but apparently not good enough to overcome the controversy. Ruiz is hardly good enough to make the majors, yet his performance enhancing past is overlooked.

Why?

[mike]

Do you really think fans want to see McDonald at 3rd base? No one that knows anything about baseball wants to see him at shortstop, let alone 3rd base where defense isn't nearly as valuable. This isn't 2007 when he was a defensive wiz. He's almost 35 now and now a mediocre shortstop, not the defensive player he was just a few short years ago.

Why any fan would want to see him at 3rd is beyond me. Even on the current roster, you've got Encarnacion, Inglett, and Bautista (why you have him in LF over Lind is beyond me) that people would rather see.

And speaking of defense - surely you jest that Vernon should stay in center for his glove. Vernon is arguably the worst defensive center fielder in baseball right now. The closest thing to a CF in the organization is Buck Coats - and coincidentally, after hitting .302/.361/.416 in AAA this year with 25 steals, I'm surprised the Jays didn't put him on the 40-man and call him up.

Similarly, why would you suggest that Arencibia should be in the majors right now? He's struggled against AAA pitching all season long, so what will be gained by bringing him up to the majors? You're implying that you feel major league pitching will somehow be easier for him than AAA pitching and that just doesn't make sense.

And the comment that David Cooper had a disappoint season seems similarly misguided. In his first full year as a pro, he's in AA, which is a pretty aggressive promotion schedule. Even with that, he hit .260/.342/.427 after the all-star break and showed a much better eye at the plate. For reference, those figures aren't too far off from what Aaron Hill did in AA at the same age - .279/.368/.410. Cooper's likely to be in AAA about midway through next year - and anyone that is in AAA two years after being drafted is doing pretty well.

Responses like today's are the ones that make many people wonder if you actually follow the Jays.

[wayne skitt]

I agree with the posting about mediocre players. I went to about 5 games this year but I accurately (unfortunately) predicted after I attended the may 18 game against the chisox a 3-2 win, but listlessly played with no oomph, that this team was basically crap as they had too many players who just don't seem to show a sense of urgency. Since then they have dumped rolen,rios and ryan and sort of demoted wells but in their place I get Inglett and encarnacion. Where is Howie Clark, another smurf for laughs?
Each game I attend costs me about 150 ( 2 seats at 44 plus a stupid admin fee for standing in line! plus 2xtrain fare plus dogs). For what, to see them get 6 ground ball singles, walk 10 batters and lose 6-1?? Id' rather go golfing.

[Erc]

Mike, You sound like the quintessential number cruncher. As long as you stick to your numbers, you make some sense.
When you give unvarnished opinions like John McDonald is a mediocre middle infielder (did you see those two plays at second a few nights ago) or that Wells is the worst glove in cf, it is just dumb. Do YOU even watch the Jays or do you just thumb through your well-worn copy of Moneyball and read the stats like a witch doctor reads chicken bones?

[mike]

Eric, I definitely watch the Jays. Do you understand that there is more to defense than TSN highlights? It's about the number of plays you make, not how you look when you make them.

Vernon Wells has lost about half a dozen steps in the field from where he was a few years ago. Watch the number of balls that go over his head now that he used to get to. He just doesn't have the range anymore. If you think he's still a great defensive centerfielder than I question whether or not you actually watch games instead of just highlights.

As far as McDonald - if he was anything more than average defensively, he wouldn't be with the Jays right now given their cost-cutting at the deadline. Look at it this way - the Jays hardly ever play McDonald and around the league backup shortstops are not easy to come by (it's why Vizquel is still employed). Contending teams looking for middle infield insurance would have snapped McDonald up if he was anything more than average defensively and given the Jays new budget, they obviously would have been happy to shave a couple of million of payroll for someone that hardly touches the field.

It's obviously not just me that thinks McDonald is mediocre in the field - it's all of baseball.

[Erc]

Mike, Wells may have lost a step or two. Great may be a bit much but worst cf in baseball is going in the opposite ditch. He is still a decent outfielder, and my point was he can still do SOMETHING to help the team.
You may have a point with no one picking up McDonald, although they haven't exactly showcased him this season. Again, MUCH prefer his game to Bautista, Millar and others who don't really have a strong suite.
Watched the whole game where he made the two highlight reel-type defensive gems. Also saw him move a couple runners from second to third. He ain't Ernie Banks, but I think his play of late shows he wouldn't be a complete offensive zero if given a few more at-bats.

[Erc]

Mike, Do YOU understand that the number of plays you make isn't ALWAYS a pure indicator of how good a defensive player you are?
Is the pitcher rh or lh? Is he a fly ball pitcher or ground ball pitcher? A lot of factors go into how many plays a particular defensive player is involved in.
Bill James has been working for years to box in defensive contributions to the extent he has offensive ones. He's still working.
Also, veteran players who lose a step or two sometimes make up for it by knowing the hitters and their own pitchers better and not having to make as many 'highlight reel' plays. It's called invisible range.
Again, the hardest position to make plays from is beside the water cooler. McDonald hasn't been given much of a chance this year to show, realistically, whether he's slipped or not.

[mike]

Eric, name the starting CFs you think are worse defensively than Wells and why you think so. Rather than putting down my position with no reasoning / backing for yours, please prove your point.

[Erc]

Mike, Neither of us can prove our point. It's defense. You sound like you follow the team much closer than I do, now. You may be right, but from what I've seen of Wells this season, he still makes the plays you want your cfer to make.
Offensively, he seems lost -- bulkier, less definition, slower reflexes than he had a few years ago. This has impaired his defense some, but not to the extent that he doesn't contribute in THAT area.
He wasn't Jim Piersall, or even Devon White, at his best but to suggest that he's now a defensive liability or the worst in baseball is an opinion I can't agree with.

[mike]

Eric, again, name a starting CFer in baseball who is worse defensively than Vernon Wells. It's a very simple request. If you want to claim that he's not the worst, then name someone he is better than. Otherwise, you're not providing any basis at all for your opinion.

Your claim that "he still makes the plays you want your cfer to make" is meaningless unless you can identify starting cfers who fail to make those plays.

[Erc]

Mike, again, it's opinion. You have your opinion. I have mine. Any ratings we come up with would be based on opinion. If you are polling managers, coaches, GM's, advance scouts and other players, it would have some validity.
Your simple request is just that.

[Hope Caper]

Well Mike, I don't have to name you several vegetables to tell what I like and dislike about them. You have your opinion and others have theirs. Personally I disagree on MacDonald and Wells. Considering the time Johnny has seen on the field this year he has been excellent. He is certainly not the worst batter on the team which distinction he has held in the past. He played as slick a second as you would want to see while Hill was out. Wells still has speed in the field and down the first base line. He can steal on a team that doesn't steal. He is over paid not washed up. Johnny's age is against him but can be a bench player for a while yet. Encarnacion, Bautista, et al couldn't tie Johnny's shoes when it comes to glove work.

[mike]

Amazing Eric - you claim repeatedly (and through insults) that Vernon Wells is not the worst defensive centerfielder in baseball, yet when asked for a list of players he's better than, you can't name a single one.

I'm not asking for the opinions of others - I'm asking you the basis for your own opinion. As such, your claim that this is somehow an invalid question is ridiculous.

It's amazing that you now refuse to defend your position when at one time, you writing contained pure arrogance. Funny how humble you've become.

[Erc]

It's amazing Mike that you keep harping on this like Johnny One-note.
Wells is 17 per cent better than Curtis Granderson and three per cent worse than the kid for Baltimore. It ranks him fifth defensively in the AL and I believe, between 7th and 8th when you factor in the NL. Puts him in the upper echelon.
How would you rate him all-time compared to Bill Bruton, Vic Davillailo, Paul Blair and the big bopper for the Brew Crew?
The world is anxiously awaiting your OPINION. Mine is, that cf defense is not one of the Jays many problems.

[Erc]

Hope, for what it's worth, I agree with your opinions. Of course young Michael will not be pleased but wtf. However,to support your support of McDonald can you name every second baseman who ever played who is worse than he was in the fill-in role.lol.
Mike can.

[mike]

Eric, your lack of logic amazes me.

When you claim someone is not the worst defensive centerfielder, that means you think they're better than someone else. It doesn't mean that person provides value on defense. It doesn't mean that person makes all the plays you want him to make. There is no ambiguity in the statement - when you claim someone isn't the worst, you have to be able to name someone worse than them. If this is too much logic for you, I'm sorry. However, it does shed insight to what was behind your number crunching comment earlier.

As far as needing to name everyone from all time, and whatever other ridiculous exaggerations you made. I don't think I ever requested anything similar to that. You claimed Wells wasn't the worst, so I wanted to know who you felt was worse than him. You didn't have to be right or wrong, but at least it could provide a point for discussion rather than you consistently making unsubstantiated claims.

I'm quite surprised at the people you mention as well. I think Adam Jones is quickly becoming one of the better defensive centerfielders in baseball - his read on the ball is finally starting to catch up with his speed and he's looking really good. In my mind, he's in that group of discussion after Gomez, Cameron, Gutierrez, and Bourn. It's a big group, but I put him in there. As far as Granderson - he's almost a carbon copy of Wells, except his high wasn't as high and he's just really starting the drop off that Wells has began about 3 years ago. Give Granderson a few years and he'll probably look just as bad as Wells does. Although with the grass in Detroit, he probably won't drop as hard due to the lack of wear and tear.

In fact, if I were to name people in the AL other than Wells, it's Ellsbury, who you didn't mention, that I'd say is the worst. I never expected to say it, but they could really have used Coco Crisp this year (of course with his injuries he wouldn't have helped anyway).

All that said, what mystifies me most is your claim that all the good centerfielders are in the AL. I'm not sure if it was pure sarcasm or not, but when you mentioned the 5th best defensive centerfielder in the AL would place someone 7th or 8th overall, that smacks of someone who has never watched the likes of Rasmus, Cameron, Fukudome, Bourn, Victorino, or Young. Outside of Gutierrez and Cameron, there is no one in the AL who is clearly better than those guys. The NL is loaded with solid defensive centerfielders right now.

I don't know why I wrote all this - you'll come back with a witty retort about stats or something, as defending your position is clearly something you're not interested in.

[mike]

Hope Caper - for some reason, my initial response did not seem to go through, so I'll respond again.

When you watch McDonald often enough to know how to spell his name, then I'll start to consider your opinion. Until then, my assumption is that you just know his nickname and nothing else.

[Erc]

No Mike. I have no interest in defending my position to you. You seem like a bright guy and you follow the game closely. Good for you. You just get a little carried away promoting your own point of view.
I guess the most important aspect of Wells defense is that he is the best cf on the Blue Jays and it is far from the Jays most pressing need.
I have watched a few center fielders. I don't see Wells being consistently out-played and I do see him making the plays I expect a major league center fielder to execute. He is still a good defensive outfielder and McDonald is still a VERY good defensive middle infielder.
You may not agree, but that's OK. It's why they play the games.
Adam Jones and Upton for the Rays are players worth paying to watch. Beltran was the last young player I really liked. Thought he'd be better than he's turned out, but that's baseball.
You may agree. You may disagree. It's a free country, buddy. Night.

[TonyF]

Erc, who are you trying to fool? You responded to everyone of Mike's posts and tried, with irrelevant comments, to make your point as best you could. If you weren't interested in defending your position, you certainly put a lot of effort into at least vocalizing it. I'm guessing that most people who read you two are just like me and figure that you got in over your head and rather than stop digging, you just started calling names.

Oh, and Mike, you're not too guilt-free either. Erc doesn't actually use an 'i' in his name, although you use one everywhere, so that simple typo of Hope's isn't something worth discrediting him for.

[WBB]

You guys got me thinking - who IS Vernon better than? He's got to be better than SOMEONE, right?

I'd say Wells is better than Scott Podsednik - he WAS the starting CF for the ChiSox at one point this year. He's also better than Nick Swisher who, although he plays mostly RF for the Yanks, has lots of exerience playing CF as well.

Couple of other notes: VW has ZERO errors this year. Also, I do agree that, relative to the otehr CF's in the game today, he's probably on the lower end of things defensively. He doesn't make highlight plays - never has, really - but he's been solid and reliable, which some managers would prefer.

And please, Jays fans. When you're at the game, please do not boo our own team. Vernon would be the first to say he's sucked this year. Just cheer 'em on and have fun! Boo the YANKEES!

[Erc]

Tony F. Congrats. You've really furthered this discussion. Besides giving your opinion and everyone else's too, you've cleaned up the spelling and portioned out the appropriate guilt.
Mike is egocentric and a bit annoying, but has some interesting opinions when he's only manning one side of the argument.
Your grammar is impeccable.

[JayZ]

Hahahaha - Erc didn't you write a few posts ago that you weren't interested in defending your position. You seem to keep responding to everyone.

It's funny how you say that TonyF didn't further the discussion, let's summarize your last few posts.

To TonyF (Sept 18) - insults, but no information.
To Mike (Sept 15) - insults and repeat some previously posted information.
To Hope (Sept 15) - insults to Mike, but no new information.
To Mike (just prior to post to Hope) - insults and sarcasm, but again, no new information.

4 posts in a row where you're not exactly furthering the discussion. In fact, you're the one holding up the discussion as multiple people have now asked you who is worse in CF than Vernon Wells, but you keep dodging the question.

I'll add my name to Mike and WBB as someone who is interested in knowing who you think is worse than V-dub. I mean, in order for CF defense to not be a weakness, that means that when we play most teams, we have to be at least as good as they are in CF, right? Otherwise, it's clearly a weakness.

But just to hopefully avoid Erc's witless and snarky response, I'll add something here. If given control over the roster and line-up right now, I'd have an outfield (left to right) of Snider, Coats, and Wells. Lind would be the DH. Encarnacion, Scutaro, Hill, and Overbay would be the IF. Coats, for anyone that remembers him from spring training or has been to Las Vegas this year, may be an average defensive centerfielder, which would be a nice upgrade for this team.

I have Wells in right because his arm still looks pretty solid. In my opinion, it's his bat, at least the promise it might return to what it was, that keeps his name in the line-up.