Notes from camp: Romero feeling fine

DUNEDIN, Fla.-The Jays pounded six home runs Thursday to defeat the O's 13-3 at Dunedin Stadium, raising their spring training record to 8-5. The Jays continue the Grapefruit League schedule Friday in Kissimmee. Righthander Brandon Morrow will will face Bud Norris for the Astros.

Ricky Romero ran his record to 3-0 with five solid innings, throwing 73 pitches. He used his entire repertoire and was happy with his progress towards the opening of the season.

“Everything feels really, really sharp coming off my hand,” Romero said. “A couple of pitches go away from me, but other than that, everything feels fine. We were more focused on working on some pitches. The curveball was one. The slider was another.”

Dana Evaland pitched the last four innings for his first save.

HITS: Left fielder Travis Snider homered in his first two at-bats, giving him three straight homers over two days and for the spring, raising his average to .290...catcher John Buck homered twice and drove in three...Aaron Hill smacked his first roundtripper of the spring and added his ninth walk, against no strikeouts.

MISSES: Third baseman Jose Bautista started to cool off, going hitless in four at-bats as his average dropped to .524...Adam Lind was hitless in four at-bats.

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In a freak sequence of events in the fifth inning, the O's lost their catcher and then their pitcher on freak injuries on consecutive batters. First it was catcher Craig Tatum leaving with a lefthand contusion followed one batter later by pitcher Koji Uehara with a strained left hamstring.

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Third baseman Edwin Encarnacion is recovering nicely from his injured hand.

“He's really starting to turn the corner,” Jays' GM Alex Anthopoulos said. “We talked to Edwin the other day. He's a guy who wants to play every day. A very hard worker.

“He played with his hand bothering him last year. We said we know you can play through this thing but let's get this 100-percent. If that means missing a week or two weeks, so be it. Let's strengthen the thing and when you're ready to go, you're ready to go. He was fine with it and now (trainer) George (Poulis) says he's really optimistic about the way he's feeling, the way he looks. It's definitely not out of the question that he breaks with us Opening Day. We still have time.”

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Righthander Merkin Valdez has jumped into the Jays' bullpen picture due to a combination of factors. The hard-throwing reliever, acquired from the Giants, has no options remaining, meaning if the Jays want to send him to the minors he must clear waivers.

“I think Bruce Walton, Rick Langford have done a great job with him,” Anthopoulos said. “From what I understad talking to Bruce, they made some small changes with his land leg and he's keeping the ball down in the zone a little bit more and is throwing strikes.

“He's got a great arm and he's still relatively young. He's only got two years of service, so, again, that's a good example of a guy that broke last season as a setup guy for the Giants, the first month or two then fell out of favour, lost his job. Great arm, 28-years-old, controllable for four more years, out of options, so he's a guy that could be an asset for us. We have to continue to evaluate.”

* * * * * * *

Shortstop John McDonald was in the lineup at shortstop Thursday after returning to camp from Connecticut where he attended to his ill father, diagnosed with advanced liver cancer. Johnny Mac was 2-for-2 with a base-on-balls in his return.

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The Jays gave a second straight day off to third base coach Brian Butterfield. Manning third for the Jays against the O's was Omar Malave. Taking over from Malave at first base was Las Vegas manager Dan Rohn.

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Two days after being outrighted to AAA-Las Vegas pitcher Casey Fien was released by the Jays. On Thursday, Rule 5 selection, righthander Zech Zinicola was returned to the Washington Nationals from whom he was claimed at the Winter Meetings in December.

The Jays made five additional roster moves. Sent to minor-league camp for reassignment were pitchers Lance Broadway and Zach Jackson and catcher Kyle Phillips. The club optioned first baseman Brian Dopirak and infielder Jarrett Hoffpauir.

Thursday's moves leave the Jays with 41 players in camp, including eight non-roster.

Mail Bag

Prayers go out to the family of Jays' shortstop John McDonald, one of the most decent men in baseball. Sad news came out on Tuesday that his father Jack has been stricken with advanced liver cancer. John had returned home to be at his father's side. McDonald will re-join the Jays when he is able.

To the mailbag.

Q:Hi Richard,

Enjoy your mailbag every week, please keep up the good work! If Jordan Bastian (of MLB.com) is right, our starting rotation will be Shaun Marcum, Ricky Romero, Brandon Morrow, Marc Rzepczynski, and Brian Tallet to start the season. I have a lot of concern with this group as we seem to have two No. 3 starters (Marcum and Romero) and two No. 4 starters (Morrow and Zep) without a true ace or even a 2-a starter. To make matters worse, the top 4 starters, except Romero, should have an inning limit this year. In your opinion, what should be the Jays strategy in managing the starting rotation this year?

James Ho, Vancouver

A:I've talked about this with pitching coach Bruce Walton already and he, being an organization man, was far more generous with his assessment of the Jays' potential rotation than you or I are. He labeled it “No. 1 and four No. 2s.” In any case if I was handling this rotation with iffy durability beyond 180 innings each, I would not worry about the off days in April or at any time during the season, because you can throw a blanket over the high and the low of the rotation, so close and so unproven, I would go with a truer 5-man rotation and just keep spinning through, even if it means Marcum and Romero and everyone else could be pitching on 5-6-7 days rest. There are no Halladay-like horses that you are riding, so just let it play itself out.

Q:A starting staff of Marcum, Dustin McGowan, Morrow, Romero and Rzepczynski has the potential to produce roughly 70 wins if Marcum and McGowan win 14-17 games, Morrow and Romero win 12-15 games and Rzepcynski get 10-12 wins. Do you believe this is remotely possible? I'm assuming that leads won't be blown by a suspect bullpen with no real closer and that all these guys stay healthy.

Jason Sinnarajah, Sydney, Australia

A:You are being extremely, nay, insanely optimistic. The career highs for the 5-man rotation as you project it are 12 for Marcum and McGowan, three for Morrow, 13 for Romero and two for Zep – that's a total of 42 victories if they all match career highs. Now granted Morrow and Zep have not had a chance for a full season in the rotation, but to project this group at 28 combined wins above their established career highs is a stretch. At the most optimistic, I would say 60 wins from that group which would allow the Jays to challenge the .500 mark. McGowan likely won't be able to rejoin the rotation until some time in May.

Q:Richard,

With the knowledge that this is Cito's last year, are (President Paul) Beeston, Alex Anthopoulos and company proactively thinking about who will take over the reins next year; or will they wait to see who gets fired by year's end? Would it not be prudent to be proactive on this front and maybe give the new guy coming in ample time to learn and observe what he will be inheriting? I say this as it is rare that a team has the advantage of knowing this information so far in advance without having to hide their interests from a manager.

Josh Reed, Toronto

A:The Jays may have someone in mind, but MLB mandates that there must be an interview process with multiple candidates, including at least one minority candidate. The affirmative action part of the process was brought in over 20 years ago at the behest of guys like the late Bart Giamatti, Fay Vincent, Bud Selig and White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf. As such, it's hard to go through a true interview process while the current season is still going on. As such, I could see the Jays beginning the interview process in late September starting with the internal candidates like coach Brian Butterfield, others within the system and former managers that are doing TV. Then finish the interview process in October with current major-league coaches that may apply, making the announcement during one of those inevitably long breaks between series. If history repeats itself, the new manager will be someone that Alex Anthopoulos has worked with before or has admired from afar. He will not fear hiring a strong personalitied big name but could hire a first-timer with tremendous upside.

Q:Hi Richard,

Do you notice a perception change since Beeston took over as fulltime President in regards to Toronto as a "large" market expected to return "large" results? The previous regime would prattle on about the inability of the "small" market Jays to compete with the big boys of the east (regardless of back-to-back World Series only 10 years before). Wasn't it that attitude that led to their small (dismal) results? Dampening your audiences enthusiasm (especially in a "Think Big" town like Toronto) will be felt in the corporate ledgers and then inevitably on the field. No? Shouldn't the suits at Rogers have realized this and muzzled the Worcester Jester?

David Ralph, Toronto

A:Yes. I always perceived embarrassment from club president Paul Godfrey and then Beeston as a couple of proud Torontonians and Canadians whenever the former GM would dis his own city and organization as being "small market” and unable to compete. The new GM Anthopoulos has not used the "small market” defence once in terms of describing the daunting task he faces in the AL East against the Yankees and Red Sox. Part of that new respect for Toronto as a major city is the fact that the GM is a member of the community. The other guy would head home the the Mecca of baseball as often as he could and do interviews in the States from a distance as if he was doing Toronto a favour working there, like he was Beau Geste on leave from the French Foreign Legion.

Q:Hey Richard...love reading all your articles...quick question about Adam Lind and Brett Wallace. I keep hearing that Lind is a liability in the outfield and so he is the DH. There was also talk of him playing first base. Wouldn't grooming him to be the first baseman and leave Wallace on third fill 2 holes and would allow Ruiz to be a DH or have Snider there until they figure out where the want to have him play everyday. If Snider was in the outfield that would even be better. I suppose you would have to find a taker for Overbay but I'm sure someone would take him. He's a good player. Might make for a pretty dangerous offence for opposing pitchers.

Dan Frook, Fergus

A:Even though Lind is a below average outfielder, it's the spectre of Lind in left and Travis Snider in right that made the manager cringe last September. That makes Vernon Wells' territory roughly the size of the Grand Canyon. Combine that with the stats formulas that show Wells losing significant range in centre and you have a problem. The other issue is that Wallace is not yet ready to step into the middle of a major-league batting order and be productive. If Snider makes the Jays, which is not a certainty, he could play left or right with Jose Bautista in right or if Bautista has to play third base due to the Edwin Encarnacion injury, Joey Gathright could play left. Gaston does not want an outfield of Snider, Lind and Wells. If Snider is optioned to Vegas, then that leaves room for Lind to play the outfield.

Q:Hey Richard,

One final Doc question. I'm very surprised Doc took a trade to a National League team because if I'm not mistaken, I heard he absolutely hates batting. Has anyone ever asked him about this? Has he been at the batting cages in the off season?

Thanks,

Mike M., Toronto

A:Halladay was constantly asked the question about his dislike for swinging the bat every time the Jays would get ready for inter-league play. He always carried his bat out to the cage like a kid carrying a garden snake. It was a reason I thought that AL teams had an advantage in trying to obtain Doc in trade this winter. However when asked about it at his first press conference in uniform this February, his response: "I don't like hitting, but if it's something that can help me win a game it's something I will work hard on.” He had not been to the batting cage in the off-season, but my guess is that because of his determination to succeed he becomes a competent bunter and will hit at least one home run this year. The other thing is he knows if he learns to swing the bat at least half-decently it will keep him in more ballgames late and he hates coming out of games.

Q:It was great to hear the news when it was announced a few months ago that Buck Martinez was hired on by Sportsnet. My question for you is: When you're at the ballpark watching the game, are you tuned in to either one of the Jays' radio/TV broadcasts? The reason I ask, is because I'd like to get your opinion on what you make of Martinez's return to the television booth. It was disappointing that Jaime Campbell had to vacate his spot, what with his being an above-par game-caller and a big fan of the sport himself. Martinez will fill Campbell's shoes and then some, but somehow he doesn't strike me as a play-by-play commentator type. Have you also heard who'll be accompanying Martinez in the less prominent interjecting-side kick role? Personally, I prefer a variety and have always enjoyed the rotation of Pat Tabler, Rance Mulliniks, and Darrin Fletcher.

Darrell Holtze, Guelph

A:I like Jamie Campbell as a man and I respect his love for baseball, but it didn't always translate on air. I was very happy for Jamie when he got his "touch 'em all Joe” moment as a broadcaster at the Olympics, calling Canada's first gold medal win on Canadian soil and other memorable moments. As for Buck Martinez, I've spent a lot of time talking to him this spring, first of all because he's always at the ballpark not because he's working but because he's getting prepared to be working. I laugh because he's been like Forrest Gump in the movie when he's forever on camera in newsreel footage peering over shoulders at famous moments in history. Buck is always listening in on group reporter interviews, soaking in info. On TV the term "play-by-play" is overrated. As Rod Stewart says, Every Picture Tells a Story. Therefore Buck's philosophy is going to start out as just him and Rance or Pat Tabler sitting, watching a game and talking like fans in the stands with the audience at home listening in. Even though in a bizarre decision, Rogers has not broadcast any games this spring, Martinez has invited his booth partner to sit with him during a game and pretend they were on TV, meaning they just chat. Buck has worked with some quality play-by-play men and has been paying attention.

Q:Hey Richard,

What's the story on David Cooper? With the Jays picking up Brett Wallace in the Halladay deal and talk of moving Wallace to 1st base, where does this leave Cooper in the overall scheme of things? Will he ever be in a Jays uniform or will he be moved?

Cavan Papp, Summerside, P.E.I.

A:You can never have enough good ballplayers in your organization. Yes, Wallace is the future at first base and yes Cooper was drafted first in 2008 to be the first baseman of the future, but things have a tendency to work themselves out. If Cooper has a good year and develops to the periphery of a major-league career, somebody will spot him and he can be used as inventory in obtaining parts in other areas of need. Cooper is not there yet. Wallace is closer to being ready and according to Jays' brass has a higher ceiling. As for Cooper ever being a Jay, it's tough to predict injuries, development spurts, position changes and the wild-card, the DH.

Q:Given the seemingly large numbers of young pitchers who seem to require Tommy John (not just Jays) surgery, is there any thoughts to changing the rules of control over a drafted player? Compared to a drafted position player, who (in theory) stands a better chance of a series of less serious injuries, clubs lose a large chunk of time which a pitcher is controllable for when they undergo this surgery. Can you see rules being adapted during the next CBA to alter this in any manner, or will it forever be a "it is what it is" scenario?

Graham Harvey, Toronto

A:That's an intriguing thought and one that seems to be win-win for teams and players. It could be proposed that in the case of TJ surgery or shoulder surgery for a pitcher that loses a full season of play while on the major-league roster that he receives credit for the ML service time towards his pension but does not receive credit for that missed season towards free agency. So, for instance, Shaun Marcum with three years-plus of service, instead of being eligible for free agency after 2012, the Jays would retain him through 2013 because he missed the entire '09 campaign. It could be for position players as well even though it applies more for pitchers. Makes sense, won't happen.

Q:Hi Richard.

After reading your thoughts on conference re-alignment, I am wondering if there is any way that MLB could weight the amateur draft to give low end teams an increased edge beyond what now exists and downplay the debate of rich team/poor team chances of success by putting a little more focus on development. I am aware that trades often involve draft choices.

Richard Campbell, Edmonton

A:Baseball is a sport that cannot trade draft choices. Baseball also has no ping-pong balls and lottery picks. The problem with giving more picks to lower ranked small market, financially inferior teams is that the higher draft picks command bigger bonuses. The Nationals could barely afford Stephen Strasburg, much less a second pick in the first round that was another expensive bonus. Some bad teams would draft signable, cheaper players and the big boys would get their good players, just in a lower slot. It's an idea that would not be considered.

Mail Bag

In the mind's eye of any passionate baseball fan are personal images of certain star players that are unique to you. So when I opened up the email from the Dodgers on Tuesday announcing the passing of former great centre fielder Willie Davis at the age of 70, one of those unique, personal images of the player and the man came immediately to mind. It occurred back in December of '73. I was sitting at a small desk in the cramped, dimly lit upper hallway at old Jarry Park in Montreal, working on the Expos '74 media guide as a 19-year-old intern from Concordia U.

The team had just traded its extremely talented player-of-the-year, the prickly reliever Mike Marshall to the Dodgers for outfielder Willie Davis. He flew to town and a press conference was scheduled. Someone tapped me on the shoulder as I hammered away on the old IBM Electric, likely putting together the career stats on the deposed Pepe Mangual or journeyman hurler John Strohmayer, or maybe Bill Stoneman. In any case, I looked up and was bathed in light. There stood this tall, skinny, tightly muscled god-like man with a furrowed, weather-beaten, extremely lived-in face, all dressed in fur from his Cossack mink hat down to an outrageous full length mink coat.

Say hello to Willie Davis. That vision of sartorial splendour became my own lasting image whenever someone would bring his name up. Davis was an interesting character but only with the Expos for that one year before wearing out his welcome via his frustrating L.A. Cool in what was a fiery Gallic town.

For old-school execs, team president John McHale and GM Jim Fanning the decisive moment came on June 3, 1974 vs. the Padres as Derrel Thomas lofted a deep but catchable flyball to right/centre that Davis loped after and turned into an inside-the-park home run. He was voted Expos' player-of-the-year and quickly moved on to the Rangers.

The next time I saw someone that reminded me even remotely of the character that was Willie was in watching an interview with another Los Angeles legend (Compton actually), hip-hop artist Snoop Dogg, in the '90s. I found them both full of the ultimate charismatic cool, not handsome, not ugly, but engaging, funny and self-assured with a slightly dangerous edge. You were forced to stare, shake your head and just smile at the character they had created for themselves.

But Davis was also a great ballplayer. A track star in high school, he could make contact reach base and he could outrun flyballs. The lasting on-field career image is of Willie going from home to third on a triple or first to home on a ball in the alley. It was like watching a two-legged greyhound. He made another long-strider, Hall-of-Famer Andre Dawson, by comparison look awkward and slow. Rest in Peace Willie.

On to the mailbag.

Q: Hi Richard:

So far so good with the young studs. Randy Ruiz and Jose Bautista have kept it going and I am looking forward to this year. My question to you is this, if Ruiz keeps it up, is there a place for him on this club and not as an occasional pinch hitter. I love an underdog, and he's my man this year. Reminds me of Rocky Nelson when I was a kid. What are your thoughts

Thanks.

Marty Greenberg, Toronto

A: Well, if your idea of “young studs” is Bautista at 29 and Ruiz at 32-years-old, then I'll agree with you. I love the Ruiz story too, but there is a caveat here. Ages-old baseball thinking is that the three worst places to evaluate the potential of a major-leaguer are: 1) September when the rosters are expanded; 2) Winter Leagues and 3) spring training games. All three of those are what has made Ruiz, the 32-year-old minor-league star from the Bronx, seem so appealing. What Ruiz does have going for him is an impressive, if under-appreciated minor-league resume, including last year's player-of-the-year honours in the AAA-Pacific Coast League and an obvious passion for playing baseball. Being a righthanded hitter with lefty swingers at first base (Overbay) and DH (Lind) there is room for him to make this Jays team and get some meaningful at-bats. As for Bautista, the biggest thing he has going for him is that manager Cito Gaston does not want to start the year with Lind and Travis Snider playing the corner outfield positions from a defensive standpoint. Bautista can defend, throws well and is Gaston's choice for the top of the order. It seems when asking for volunteers to bat leadoff, everyone else takes one step back leaving Bautista as the man. This Jays season can be “entertaining” without being “winning”.

Q: I have been to the first three games in Dunedin and there has been no sign of Johnny Mac. Do you know what his situation is?

Ted Taylor, Redington, Fla.

A: It's not a case of “me” knowing what the situation is with John McDonald, it's a case of everyone in the world knowing what the situation is. The guy has nothing to prove to Jays' brass so what's the point of having him play a lot early on when you have a chance to evaluate a plethora of other relatively unknown hopefuls, some that will be important in a couple of years when Johnnny Mac is headed into retirement. McDonald will make all the plays in the infield, save your pitchers a few runs with his glove, then hopefully lob a few soft line drives onto the outfield grass at opportune moments or move a runner over for the guys at the top of the order. He's not going to add anything more. He will play more as the season approaches and the minor-leaguers have left.

Q: Who are some of the prospects that have caught your eye and might someday be in the bluejays lineup?

Frank Corea, Kamloops

A: On the pitching side, there's the obvious one in Doc-bought Kyle Drabek, there's last year's No. 1 pick, Chad Jenkins and under-the-radar relieve Dan Farquhar. Reliever Merkin Valdez is an imposing figure on the mound but highly inconsistent. I still like Josh Roenicke's stuff, but he'll probably start in Vegas until his command emerges. As for position players, catcher J.P. Arencibia is trying to show that his physical issues were the problem last year, while Brett Wallace is quietly working hard to impress his bosses and move his mid-season arrival date up in replacing Overbay at first.

Q: Hi Richard,

Love the blog. Just wondering if you were aware of the new Jays pricing strategy. It seems that the price has increased significantly for "premium" games against top teams, and for every weekend game. It seems that the most marked increase has been for the most affordable tickets in the outfield and upper deck. Have the Jays given any reason for this? It seems like a real slight to the fans who actually go.

Jonathan Weier, Toronto

A: The Jays have had different prices for premium games for a few years now. I believe they have just streamlined the process for 2010, meaning more games in fewer categories. One of the big issues was that I have concerned friends who approached me earlier in the winter that some of the real bargain dates like the Star's Toonie Tuesday had not been replaced by anything that would offer the discerning shopper a chance to bargain-hunt for his sports entertainment value. Those same friends later came back and said that the Jays have addressed that concern. If you want to attend 10-15 games there is still value to be had. I would suggest calling the Jays' ticket office and asking for a list of special dates. The upper deck seats at the Dome are still one of the big entertainment values in T-O sports and a great place to take a young baseball player to teach him about the game. Great view of the defence, positioning, reacting without the ball, etc.

Q: Hi Richard,

Are the managers/coaches of the minor league teams with the big league teams during spring training? For example, where do the majority of the Fisher Cats players go to get into shape? And have you seen Sal Fasano and the Fu Manchu yet?

Derrick Crowe, Toronto

A: A select number of the minor-league coaches and managers are with the major-league camp early on before minor-league camp officially opens which in the Jays' case is this week. Its mainly the minor-league guys that live in the Tampa Bay area that volunteer to come over early and hit fungoes to the infielders and throw extra b.p. The Jays' major-leaguers start off at the Bobby Mattick Training Centre (aka the Englebert Complex) for the first few weeks before setting up at Dunedin Stadium when the games start. The 200 or so minor-leaguers then take over at Mattick with some lucky ones being called up periodically to fill in on Jays' road trips and select home games. As for Sal Fasano, you always knew that when his playing days were done that he would be back as a coach. He's one of those guys that has so much to give back to the game. Also, he's one of the guys in all his rotund glory that fans relate to and say, “Hey if Sal can play major-league baseball then there's a chance for anyone. He has not been in major league camp, but with a couple more off days built into the sked, I'm sure I'll be over to the minor-league camp to say hello. He's a hard man to miss.

Q: So, 'splain to me why the heir apparent at first is Brett Wallace? Surely with the deficiencies of Edwin E and the lack of progress of Kevin Ahrens the long range challenge is at 3rd? Surely Ruiz and Dopirak can keep first warm until the right free agent bat comes along and who knows, maybe Dopirak can be the answer. He can't be any worse than Overbay!

R. Murphy, Hacketts Cove N.S

A: Your logic makes some sense and maybe in fact they could re-think the Wallace situation in the immediate future. The original thought was that with Overbayy having one relatively reasonable year left on his contract and Wallace being a hitter more than a glover, that they bring him in, nurture him at first base then bring him up when he's ready with a chance to get something for Overbay at the deadline. However where does that leave the team's No. 7 prospect David Cooper? Where does that leave Ruiz and Dopirak? Behind the one-year of Encarnacion at third, there's only a thin Blue line of Kevin Ahrens and Scott Campbell. But I think they will stay the course with Wallace and he will be the first baseman of the future.

Q: There is something I don't understand. How can a team named the Blue Jays wear black uniforms? It would be like the St. Louis Cardinals wearing blue. Has there been any talk about switching the uniforms to a blue colour? And not the powder blue. The blue jay may be the most beautiful and easily recognized bird there is and yet the Toronto Blue Jays won't use the blue colour from the blue jay. Why not just take a picture of a blue jay, and have that has the Toronto Blue Jay logo. Like St. Louis and Baltimore.

Scott Prentice, Fonthill

A: Many other Jays' fans agree with you. In fact one of the funniest signs at the Rogers Centre is the one just inside Gate 9 (and I assume every other gate) that warns fans entering the stadium that the wearing of “gang colours” is not allowed. Then you enter and see your own baseball team wearing “gang colours”. It's all about national marketing. The Jays were well down the list when they wore blue and moved up when they brought in the more threatening black. Hey, the Reds don't have a third uniform that's black do they? But I guess powder blue is not a cool gang colour unless you're the Johnny Kerr Fan Club Gang.

Q: Richard,

As an observation, I think it would be safe to say that the J.P. Riccardi regime didn't do as well at player development as the Oakland A's given that they had the same drafting process but different player development outcomes. Do you agree? On that same point, AA has talked extensively about improving drafting and player development and we have seen many new scouts being hired. But what is happening on the player development side? Other than hiring more coaches, what is changing? Training techniques?

Ciao,

Duncan Cameron, Mississauga

A: The A's and Jays obviously have had the same drafting philosophy because of the Billy Beane-Ricciardi connection. I think the major difference in this past decade and why the A's have been to the playoffs and the Jays haven't has been the superior use of player inventory effected by Beane. The A's have used minor leaguers developed in their own drafts to trade for necessary parts to maintain a competitive team (albeit in the AL West) and have also traded players that they developed and knew they would not be able to keep like Mark Mulder, Tim Hudson, then Dan Haren and many others. The A's under Beane have been pro-active. The Jays under Ricciardi were re-active.

As for the Jays player development, a big part of the difference is Tony LaCava's desire to place young prospects at levels where they can succeed. That means that the high school crop from the bountiful 2007 draft will likely repeat with their farm teams of a year ago in order to restore confidence and get them back on track to the majors – Justin Jackson, Ahrens, infielder John Tolisano and others. Patience is a virtue.

Q: Love your mailbag even though I may not agree on all aspects. What's with the negative perception of Gaston as a manager. He managed talent laden teams much like Joe Torre or Tony LaRussa but they get lumped in the category of great managers while Cito is sucking on lemons. What's the deal?

Olin Lovely, Yellowknife

PS - Didn't you say the Jays were going to have Chone Figgins on their 10-11 roster?

A: Gaston is a man for whom I have always had great admiration and I felt also that he was not getting enough respect for winning two World Series in the '90s, when LaRussa was getting all the genius credit for managing a bunch of musclebound chumps who won one World Series thanks in part to an earthquake that allowed them to get by with a two-man rotation in a four-game sweep of the Giants. Cito has every reason in the world to believe that public disrespect cost him a follow-up[ job in '98 after he was fired by the Jays at the end of the previous season. However, after 11 years off and with a team that has taken steps backwards since the heady second half of the 2008 season when he took over, Gaston is not the man for this job moving forward. That much has been acknowledged by the Jays in affirming that this is his last season as manager before stepping up to the front office. The negative perception of Cito this spring is because he is throwing off vibes that make you wonder. Gaston hgas always been a better manager with a good team, much like Joe Torre. Development cannot be quantified in the standings and is not his strength. It's not the best situation for the Jays. But I do admire Gaston and like him as a man.

Mail Bag

As the Jays begin what could be a successful Grapefruit League campaign, with a bunch of talented young guys pitching their asses off to make the team, congratulation go out this week to the nine announced recipients of the Henry Chadwick Award, as named by the Society of American Baseball Research (SABR). This is SABR's inaugural class of Chadwick winners. The list includes: the late Lee Allen, Hall-of-Fame historian; the late Bob Davids, founder of SABR; Bill James, this generation's guru of all things mystical and statistical; Peter Morris, author; David Neft, one of the driving forces behind the groundbreaking Baseball Encyclopedia; Peter Palmer, who helped make “sabermetrics” a noun; the late Lawrence Ritter, author; the late Harold Seymour, author and the late Jules Tygiel, whose writings on baseball's integration efforts was a must-read for me when researching the 50th anniversary of Jackie Robinson's pioneering efforts in 1946 with Montreal and then in '47 with the Dodgers. This award deserves to be housed at Cooperstown along with the Spink Award, the Frick Award and the Fishel Award for distinguished service to baseball among non-uniformed personnel. Congrats and on to this week's mailbag.



Q-Richard, 



What was your immediate reaction when the news broke that JP Ricciardi was hired by Baseball Tonight? I think it's safe to say that Baseball Tonight's popularity in Canada just took a nose dive. How can anyone 
take this guy seriously after the mess that he put the Jays through? I'm 
not as familiar with JP's run in Oakland.....but anyone who follows
the Jays would certainly have a hard time watching him provide expert 
analysis when he is still the topic of so much criticism in Toronto. 




Jared Weiss, Ocala, Fla.

A-It was really no surprise to learn that Ricciardi was headed for television and ESPN. The studios in Connecticut are a couple of hours from his home and one guesses that Mike Milbury is his role model as a failed GM who found a solid home on TV. J.P. had said since the first day he came to Toronto that he did not need the GM gig. He said that he would be perfectly happy to go back to what he had been doing for the A's which was scouting major-league teams as they came through Fenway Park. It was all about his family in Worcester. However, the reality is that it would have been difficult to go from the spotlight of being a GM to the relative obscurity of pro scouting. Remaining in the public eye and second-guessing other GMs is the best road back to finding another GM job later on. The rumour is that he will host a Baseball Tonight segment called, “Lie or not a Lie” in which contestants must determine whether what he says is actual fact or whether he knows the truth and you don't need to. “Upper Body Injuries for a thousand, please!” I actually think it will be fun to watch hom on TV and that a lot of people will tune in looking for a car wreck. He will be good...funny, sarcastic, bombastic. 




Q- There has been a lot of talk (particularly in Toronto, but also around baseball) about Roberto Alomar not making the Hall of Fame. Now, aside from the unfortunate spitting incident, didn't Alomar have a reputation for being a bit of a diva, particularly outside of Canada? I know that few in Jays country would say so, but can you speak a little about that, in terms of his experiences with some other teams he's played with? 



Chris Penney, Ottawa


A-I don't understand the question. Alomar was the ultimate baseball player of the first half of the '90s and when you are young, good-looking, flamboyant, a rock star in double-knit, with two World Series rings and mad baseball skills, it's kind of hard to be perceived by lesser mortals as anything but a diva. It's an aspect of personality for successful athletes that many of us find annoying, but it's no different than many others in that superstar category in any other major pro sport or entertainment. As for the spitting incident with umpire John Hirschbeck, I have no doubt that is what prevented Alomar from being a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer. But, as has been well-documented, in the ensuing years, Alomar and Hirschbeck became friends as Robbie helped in the effort to raise money for the illness that took the life of Hirschbeck's son. And it wasn't just a p.r. gesture by Alomar because his efforts with Hirschbeck were under the radar and not guided by a public relations firm. To answer your question, I think the perception of Alomar as diva with his other organizations is a problem not for Robbie but for those that saw him that way. Although, as a point of clarification, I have to admit that between leaving the Jays in 1996 and his retirement with the Rays, Alomar refused to talk to me because he felt he was treated unfairly in The Star on his way out of town as a free agent. Damn long-memoried diva! 


Q- Hi Richard, 



I appreciate your blog, especially when you talk about more than just 
the reported facts. We can get those by other means. What you add is depth and flavour - an appreciation for what's going on behind the scenes. Thanks! I was pleased to see the back of Ricciardi on many levels, but honest to
 Lipton, was really he so bad that we're not just in rebuilding mode, but 
start-from-scratch mode? It sure seems that way from all the published reports. What's left of what he did that is worth much, and what moves
has AA made that you think well of? If we're already saying "wait 'til next year" before Spring Training, is there any reason to be hopeful,
either for '10 or '11? What should a long-time Jays fan look to enjoy
 this year? Or should we root for the Roy and the Phillies? 

Thanks. 



Richard Worzel, Toronto

A- A couple of good points included in that question. Something has baffled me lately. I was an early critic of Ricciardi's because of the way he overstated his team's accomplishments, disrespected the fans of Toronto and made excuses for the Jays' failures (i.e. Injuries, tough division, payroll limitations, etc.). However during the first six years of his failed regime I would constantly get bombarded by nasty e-mails in response to my criticisms claiming: “What do you expect? J.P. was left with nothing on the farm (by Gord Ash) and he has done a great job of rebuilding the system and what do you know you're just a negative a-hole.” And that was just from my wife. Others were worse. In any case, it seems that after he left, there was a great leap of unfaith. Now it is almost universally accepted that Alex Anthopoulos has taken over one of the worst farm systems in the game (according to Baseball America) and needs to rebuild. Where are all the same people that were saying Ricciardi at least had restocked the system? They all seem to have accepted the new “rebuild from scratch” reality without blinking. It's a head scratcher and I'm still waiting for those same people to e-mail and apologize. The fact is there are some good players that Ricciardi drafted, but very few great ones. Consider that five of the Jays' Top 10 prospects ranked by Baseball America were obtained since July 30, 2009 and three of those were obtained in the first 152 days of the A.A. Regime. Anthopoulos said something profound the other day about philosophy of drafting. He said he would rather get two stars every year for 10 years than five serviceable major leaguers every year for 10 years. Ricciardi was the other way. As for what to look for this year. Look for good, entertaining baseball from a hustling, young Jays with mixed pitching results, a lot of blown leads in late innings and a battle for fourth place with the O's. If you're looking for a wildcard move to Boston. And, yes, by all means cheer for Doc. 



Q-

Hey Griff, 



How's Florida? I was wondering why the Jays have not shipped off (Lyle) Overbay
 yet and taken a chance on someone like Hank Blalock? He could play 
first/third/dh. I know he is a gamble, but last year he played pretty 
much a full season and showed his power again (even though his BA was a 
career low)... Less pressure on Brett Wallace too (if he makes the team).....
Plus, Blalock is only 29......He might possibly sign for one year 2-4 million, 
plus dangle a team option for the next. 



Thanks, 



Paul Rudd, Kitchener

A-The Jays are still willing to trade Overbay in a heartbeat but don't need to. The price at $7 million for the final year of his deal is reasonable. They don't want to just hand the job to Brett Wallace before he's ready. If he's ready at mid-season, the Jays can at the deadline can just pretty much give Overbay away for the equivalent of the draft pick they would get as compensation if he finished the season as a Type B free agent. That's what I believe will happen at this point. As for Blalock, he's not a difference maker on this team. If you look at the type of player the Jays picked up in the off-season, they are players with between one day and three years of major-league service time that are controllable for at least three more years. Blalock would not sign a half-assed twop year plus an option deal as a filler. Like all formerly productive middle-echelon stars, he blames the economy of the game and the nation at this point and would likely be looking for a stopgap one-year deal before taking his chances again. That's not what the Jays are looking for. They already have Lyle Overbay and Edwin Encarnacion. As for the question of “How's Florida?” It was so cold I had to come back to T-O to warm up before heading back down in another week.

Q

-

Hi Richard, 



I know it's way too early to tell, but who has the greater potential; OF
Michael Taylor, or 3B/1B Brett Wallace?
 
Taylor's bat/speed and athleticism seemed very intriguing when first 
part of the trade was made. 

Any thoughts? 



Paul M.A. Miller, Waterloo

A-I believe if the Jays had obtained Domonic Brown instead of Michael Taylor from the Phillies in the Halladay deal, they would not have turned him around for Brett Wallace. The thing is the Jays have had their eyes set on Wallace since they were aced out of him in the 2008 draft. Selecting 17th, the Jays watched the Cards take Wallace 13th in a “d-ohh” moment and then had the Brewers take Canadian prospect Brett Lawrie 16th overall. Double d-ohh. The Jays then settled on David Cooper, a first baseman from Cal. Of the two Phillies outfield prospects talked about, they wanted Brown last July, but when Anthopoulos contacted Billy Beane in Oakland before the Doc deal was made in December and said, “If we get Taylor will you take him for Wallace?” as soon as Beane said yes, it was an easy call. I might have stuck with Taylor because that's the kind of game I prefer and the Jays have no top-of-the-order guys on the immediate horizon. 



Q-

Hi Richard:
 
Why don't the Blue Jays try Adam Lind at first base. He is way too young 
to be a full time DH. 



Frank Corea, Kamloops





A-I agree he is way too young to be a DH. That's not just pride talking, but as he nears free agency as a DH he's going to exclude all NL teams from possible negotiations reducing immeasurably his earning powers. I believed they were going to give him the opportunity to play first base, but with Wallace coming on board as the first baseman of the future, it seems left field would be the only alternative to DH and when you're trying to develop young pitchers and give them defensive support and confidence, then having Lind and Travis Snider flanking a slowed down Vernon Wells is a recipe for disaster.

Q-


Richard, 



Love the blog. As reported in the Star, the dome got some new rug. Why
 do they not reduce the height of the outfield wall? One of the more 
exciting plays in baseball is when a fielder takes a home run away from a
 hitter. I think in the 20 years in the dome, I can only recall Griffey, 
Jr as being the only one to ever do it. 



Brian M., Barrie


A-However one of the least exciting plays is a deep flyball in the alley hopping over the lowered fence for a ground-rule double just as your man from first base was about to tie the game. That being said, I don't think the new carpet has the concrete bounce factor of say Olympic Stadium in Montreal where that would be a major problem and I must say that I too enjoy the late-night highlights of outfielders fading back to the fence, reaching out a bare hand to touch the wall then timing a leap and robbing the hitter of a homer. I agree about lowering the fences, but then that might force them to have to replace those annoying video screens that are built into the current wall. How would we survive without knowing the uniform number of a player at bat in the third inning of a game a thousand kilometres away? I believe Junior sunk his cleat into the padding and leaped up to make his catch. If they don't lower the Rogers Centre fences perhaps they could replace the warning track with trampoline. 


Q-I thought that Reed Johnson would have been good choice for fourth 
outfielder why didn't Toronto try to sign him?
 


Brian Sharp, Chatham



A-Reed Johnson was one of my favourite Jays at the time, but the moment has passed. Jeremy Reed and Joey Gathright are cheaper alternatives as a fourth outfielder and Johnson's body is battered from the all-out way he plays the game. That window has closed.

Q-

Hi Rich:

 I am writing you to find out what MLB does in the event that a team goes 
down in a plane crash and everyone passes away. What happens to that
 team, the schedule and the resumption of play. What are their plans in
 case of this type of tragedy?



Marty Greenberg, Toronto


A-That is a truly morbid thought and I don't know what might have prompted the question. MLB after the disaster of 9/11 postponed the season for a week and the World Series was backed up. But there is no doubt that in this case, after an appropriate delay, the MLB season would be played out with minor-leaguers called up to replace the lost big club. Perhaps a dispersal draft after the season is already somewhere in MLB's disaster contingency plan. Let's not even think about it. Hey, the Grapefruit League season has begin and the warm weather is coming back to Florida. Play Ball.