Mail Bag

There's something about accompanying a major-league baseball team on a West Coast road trip that is soothing and peaceful. The weather always seems more perfect. There are never tarpaulin-covered fields or rain delays. Batting practice seems to unfold in slower motion with the sounds of bat on ball and ball on glove seeming clearer and crisper like listening on Bose speakers rather than Radio Shack. The sun starts to set with always some scenic backdrop out beyond the outfield fence, then it's game time. The flights are short, the days are long. Life is good. Onto the mailbag.

Q: Hi Richard -

Great blog with a wide range of views and subjects. I'm interested in the young rotation the Jays have been rolling with this season, mostly successfully too. I'm wondering what happens when we roll into August/September - will the young starters get "shut down" the way some of them did last season? Do they have annual innings limits? What if somehow the Jays are still in touch with the wild card spot? Finally, do you see Brian Tallet keeping the long relief/spot starter role through the summer or can we expect to see Jesse Litsch or Zep back?

Thanks

Jason Eckmire, St. Catharines

A: Interesting question re the “hitting the wall” theory for young starting pitchers. Last season was the first that the Jays actually shut pitchers down later in the season, but the difference is they were not playing for anything at the time. None of the Jays' five-man rotation has ever worked more than 180 innings in a season – the equivalent of 30 starts x six innings. There is enough depth in the organization where if they are not playing for a wild-card, they could afford to do it again and likely would. However the young pitchers that were also in the majors last season may be at the point where they can climb over that wall and compete in their regular turn in September if need be. GM Alex Anthopoulos has already demonstrated that he would prefer to err on the side of caution as with his decision to put Jesse Litsch on the 60-day disabled list so that he would have the full 12 months of recovery post-Tommy John surgery. As for Tallet, since he is not a part of the Jays' long-term plans, he will fill in at that role as long as needed and until a young home-grown is ready to take that role. There is no commitment to Tallet beyond that.

Q: I've noticed that Alex Gonzalez has this weird ritual. On nearly every pitch, just as the pitcher is in his windup, he quickly looks toward third base / left field, then looks back at the pitcher just in time to see the pitch. I've never seen anyone do this, and it strikes me as a crazy thing to do. Any idea why he does it? Has the coaching staff tried to get him to stop?

Lee Zimmerman, Ottawa

A: Everyone has their own triggers in hitting. It's highly individual, but as long as Gonzalez returns focus to the release point in time then coaches will not interfere. There are certain common themes that Dwayne Murphy and Cito Gaston look for in terms of successful hitting, but quirky little tics and traits are not among them.

Q: You wrote on Monday that the Jays plan to bring back Brian Tallet in the fifth starter slot on June 1st and potentially keep him there for June. This makes zero sense to me. I get having him start on June 1st, but why have him start over Marc Rzepczynski or even Jesse Litsch? Tallet is not going to be a future starter, while the other two are. Why not develop these guys more? What is Jesse Litsch gaining with another month in Las Vegas? Also why call up Purcey when he isn't even used to pitching more than one inning on back to back days. Is he a long-term answer to the 8th inning left handed reliever slot currently held by Scott Downs who is a free agent after this year?

Jason Sinnarajah, Tokyo, Japan

A: I was talking to an AL scout who asked if maybe the Jays had brought Purcey up to showcase him for a potential trade, but my belief is that the Jays are indeed interested in seeing if he could fill that Scott Downs role as lefthanded setup man. He opened eyes at spring training when he cut his repertoire down to fastball slider and went after hitters with his two best pitches for an inning. He can still pitch two innings which makes him valuable in a variety of ways. If he goes more than once through the order he has permission to mix in a few changeups to keep opponents off his two-pitch approach. As for Tallet as spot starter, development takes many forms. It is more than bringing a guy up to the majors and watching him fail when he's not yet ready to compete at the highest level. That's the pitching equivalent of throwing the baby into the pool to teach him how to swim. Some do. Some need to be rescued. Litsch has not pitched in the majors since last April and is not eligible to return until June 4 which with off days the way the Jays see it would mean only two starts in the entire month of June. Why not allow Tallet to fill that role then make another decision in July? Then again in his first Vegas start, Tallet allowed eight runs in an inning and a third.

Q: With some of these international signings, why is there so little mention of players being signed? I'm sure that guys as young as 16 are too far away to talk too much about. It's just odd that a team with its eyes on the future doesn't even mention half the time signings on their own site.

Brett Gill, London

A: There are some signings in Latin America and Asia that deserve recognition like shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria and the sincere Jays' efforts for Aroldis Chapman. There are others that, as you say, are just 16-year-olds that will report to the Jays' academy or to extended spring training and are like any other of the 180 players under the organization's control at any time. I would react the other way if the Jays announced with a press release every international signing. Like what the heck are these guys doing? Patting themselves on the back for doing what every organization does. They have beefed up their international efforts and deserve credit for that, but keeping it low-key is the right move.

Q: Hello Richard,

With the news that Roy Oswalt is looking to be dealt, I wonder if he is a player the Jays would kick the tires on. I know he has a no-trade which could make a deal more difficult, but he seems like a pitcher who could impact the Jays this year if they are to stay in the hunt for the postseason, but has another year on his contract so it wouldn't be a complete rental situation. The Jays seem to be rich with young arms that a team going into a rebuild would covet. If Oswalt is a little too far-fetched, are there any other veteran arms the Jays would look at if they stay in the hunt? Cheers from the real west coast of Canada!

James Doyle, Tofino, B.C.

A: The Oswalt idea is beyond even kicking tires. This guy wants to go somewhere he can win right away and even if Jays fans know that the Jays are headed in the right direction with dreams of an immediate return, that's not good enough to tempt a guy like Oswalt. The Jays have inventory in young starting pitchers, but if Anthopoulos is going to dip into his reserve it needs to be for a talented young veteran player that is controllable for at least three more years. If it costs just money, the Jays will make a move in a heartbeat at the deadline if they are still single digits behind the wild-card lead. There are 18 listed free agent starting pitchers that don't even have an option year attached for 2011. As the deadline approaches and teams fall by the wayside, some of these guys could be available for the rest of their contracts and maybe a fringy type prospect.

Q: Richard,

With Jose Bautista swinging a really hot bat right now and Lyle Overbay still struggling. Why hasn't Gaston done a reorder to move Overbay down in the lineup and Bautista up. How would the current lineup look with a little tinkering of placing Bautista cleanup and moving Wells to 5th and Overbay to 6th? What are your feelings about a line up shift?

Scott Cochrane, Niagara on the Lake

A: I wrote a column about a lineup shift I would like to see last week. It had Lewis batting first, Gonzalez moving up to second, Hill to third, Wells, Lind, Bautista, Overbay, Encarnacion and Buck. Overbay will get a couple of days off because he looked horrible in a couple of games on the road trip and when he returns he should be moved down in the lineup. Loyalty is a wonderful trait that Cito possesses but it needs to be repaid by the player. He has had enough time and it's not working at five.

Q: Hi Richard,

I have often wondered, when the Blue Jays, or other teams for that matter, decide to cut someone, like Randy Ruiz or Merkin Valdez, or send someone down to the minors and call someone up, like Jeremy Reed, who makes these decisions? Is it Cito? Is it a committee of coaches and Cito? Is it the GM like Alex Anthopoulos? How do they decide who to call up? Can the GM veto such a decision if the manager wants it to happen?

Bruce Hutchison, Winnipeg

A: In some organizations, the manager has a more major role in who gets called up, but with the Jays it's really the decision of the GM. The manager can show how he feels about a player by burying him at the back of the bullpen or the end of the bench and when Anthopoulos notices and asks Gaston why, then he can send the player out and bring someone else in. In the Ruiz situation, A.A. was doing Ruiz a favour by letting him go to Japan and make more money in two years than he ever would have made in North America. The Jays received a few yen in return for allowing the move. The decision on who to call up is strictly the GM and his minor-league directors and scouts. All Gaston can do is let the GM know that he needs a player in such and such an area and the GM decides who. More and more the decisions with young players are made taking note of days of service to keep players from reaching arbitration or free agency too soon. Days of service that add up to 172 days count as a full year of service and six full years are eligible for free agency. Jeremy Accardo somehow ended up with three years and 170 days of service at the end of last season which is one reason he was royally p.o.'d.

Q: Hi Richard,

Do you think Brandon Morrow would benefit from taking a trip to AAA to iron out some of his issues. It seems like he's actively trying to improve as a pitcher, but I'd imagine it's really tough in the bigs; especially when the Jays clubhouse feels like they can contend. I'm going to assume he has options and can be sent down. Then I think the Jays could work around him in the rotation. If it's only for a few starts, they could skip him with an off day and maybe do a Casey Janssen/Shawn Camp combo. I did do a look at AAA for a spot starter and that seems like a bad idea. They really need a Dana Eveland type in the minors to call up. I think this idea could help out Morrow and the Jays this season. But, thanks for reading!

Jordan Bisasky, Baltimore

A: Morrow would benefit from a trip to the minors and it may well happen. But the thing is he throw 98 m.p.h. And has shown flashes of genius. However as long as he is working on arm slot and command a trip to the minors would not be the worst thing for him. When Litsch becomes eligible to return on June 4, that would become the best time to consider a move. If the plan is to limit Morrow to 160 innings because of his history, then a couple of weeks in the minors would not do him any harm. With Litsch up in his spot, Tallet could still play that swingman role in June until Morrow comes back and bumps the lanky lefty into the pen.

Q: Hi Richard,

What is your opinion on the DH rule? I am wondering why the players association has not pushed for the DH rule in the NL as it would create at least 16 more high paying jobs in the majors. Personally, I don't want to see a guy hitting a buck ten at the plate.

Donny Rosecity, Toronto

A: I never liked the DH rule because of my NL background for 23 years, but it has grown on me. I think instead of the NL adding the DH the easiest job creation move would be to add two players to the active roster and make it 27. The 25-man roster has been the same going back as far as I can remember and in the meantime teams have gone from 10 to 11 to 12 pitchers leaving benches looking pretty shoddy. The addition of two more players in the next basic agreement would allow 60 more jobs and would allow for a bench to add speed, power and defence that could make games more exciting in late innings when managers' hands are tied because of lack of flexibility and options.

Q: Hi Richard,

I enjoy your column very much. I have two questions of sort. First, I have noticed over many years, when the Jays have made the third out, our first baseman heads towards the dugout and "somebody" throws a ball to him to catch and bring to the dugout. Who is the "somebody" that throws a ball to our first baseman? Second question -- many years ago, when Toronto was in the International league as the Toronto Maple Leafs, I attended a double header in which the Toronto pitcher pitched both games, the year was roughly around 1940, and the pitcher was named Tom Anniz (I think). Do you have any records where a pitcher pitched in two games on the same day? Back in those days the first games of the double-header were only seven innings. Thank you.

William Scott, Fenelon

A: A coach or designated players flips the first baseman the ball and he keeps it inside his glove when he lays it down while his team hits. Then when he goes back out to his position again he has a ball to throw grounders to the infielders while his pitcher warms up. You were watching Maple Leafs six foot three inch lefthander Tom Ananicz who was 25 years old when he pitched in Toronto in 1943. Plenty of guys have pitched in relief in both games of a doubleheader, in fact former Red Sox manager and long-time pitching coach Joe Kerrigan recorded his first and second major-league wins on the same day for the Expos back in 1977. But as far as starting both ends it used to be more routine back in the day when teams went with three or four man rotations and in the minors where doubleheaders are seven inning games, but it has not happened in the majors for a long time.

Q: Greetings from the faithful Blue Jays fans on the west coast. I love reading your insight on the Jays. My question is, do you think the Innings Pitched stat is underrated? I have always thought that I would rather have a pitcher with a slightly higher ERA go 8-9 innings than one of these guys who has a really low ERA, but only goes six or so. Obviously, this would make a pitcher like Halladay so incredibly valuable, because he is not turning the ball over to lesser pitchers for the last third of the game. I really like the fact that the Jays seem to have two innings eaters developing in Shaun Marcum and Ricky Romero. Do you think this mentality of wanting to pitch deep into games is something that rubbed off on these guys from their time with Doc?

Jeremy Johnson, Vancouver

A: I don't think innings pitched is underrated or undervalued in major league dugouts but it is undervalued by Fantasy Players because it does not count for points in any man's league. Funny you should mention Romero in this question because I was impressed with one of his answers on Tuesday night after his homecoming from hell. He said that after his first two innings his only thought was to pitch as many innings as possible to save his bullpen. Some guys would be turning and looking to the pen praying someone would start to warm up but Romero like Marcum, like Roy Halladay wanted nothing to do with that. Yes Halladay has influenced these guys. No Romero did not last more than 5.1 innings Tuesday, but he felt a responsibility and carried a failed outing into the sixth.

Q: Hi Richard:

Many thanks for your Blue Jay reporting...we follow the Jays in Toronto (my youngest son and I attended the great opener with Chicago) and beyond. Nice to read your update tonight after the win @ Safeco. Jays are appearing to be a decent club...really hope folks in TO start attending, as it's an exciting team to watch. My gut tells me T.B. will cool, Yanks will sustain, Sox will improve and Jays wind up very close fourth, but provide excitement...waddya think? Paul Smith, South Delta, B.C.

A: Pretty good analysis. The key is that the Red Sox and Yankees will do whatever it takes to compete at the deadline and beyond even if it means sacrificing a future piece or two while the Jays must stick to their plan if they want to win by 2012. Baseball attendance is all about planning your summer, purchasing in advance and the Jays seem to be ready to accept a dismal attendance record in 2010 in order to set up a future of limited expectations for discounted tickets. An exciting Jays team that plays solid baseball throughout the season will pay off next winter. Hardcore fans can't understand that concept but the economy doesn't help either with baseball playing 81 home games.

Q: Richard,

l love reading your articles and I really learned a lot from you about baseball. Regarding your recent mailbag discussing about pitching with both hands in Major league. I recalled from my memory that more than 15 years ago, there was a pitcher called "Henry" (last name), that switched pitch in one game at Montreal. Was that correct?

Thanks,

Oliver Chiu, Unionville?

A: There was a guy named Butch Henry, a lefthander that was part of the rotation in '94 when the Expos were the best team in baseball. There was Greg Harris, a righthander whop was capable of pitching with either hand but never did it in a major league game although the myth survives that he did.

Mail Bag

The Jays on this current road trip start in Seattle then begin inter-league play with a three-game set in Phoenix against the Diamondbacks. Heading there next, I'm still riled up by baseball's head-in-the-sand stance on the clearly discriminatory Arizona legislation that allows police to stop anyone in Arizona on suspicion of being in the country illegally.

A third of MLB players are Latino and baseball, with a chance to influence the process, is hanging them out to dry. Check out my photo. I know unless I'm speeding past Camelback Mountain at four in the morning riding the centre line tossing beer cans out the sun roof, that I won't be on their list of people to stop as being in the country illegally, if you know what I mean. I understand that Arizona has a long history of misguided legislation, especially since the rise of Sheriff Joe Arpaio, but pro sports if it acts can have an impact and has had an impact.

I recall in the early '90s when Arizona was refusing to recognize the national holiday in the states that is Martin Luther King Day. The NFL to its credit stepped up and threatened to pull Super Bowl XXX. Next thing you know, it was Happy Martin Luther King Day, podner. This is one of the times that MLB has really disappointed me by not taking a stance with the All-Star Game scheduled for Phoenix in 2011.

There were other disappointments, no doubt. There was collusion, wherein Hall-of-Fame in his prime outfielder Andre Dawson couldn't get an offer as a free agent. There was the players strike and cancelled World Series in '94. There was the conspiracy to move the Expos out of Canada in the early part of the last decade. There was the plausible denial of knowledge of steroid use and the passing of blame to the MLBPA.

Now there is this. Baseball has become the moral equivalent of Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods, refusing to speak out on world events in order not to offend present or potential corporate sponsors. In addition, and perhaps most importantly, baseball may feel it has a tenuous relationship with Congress and the Senate in Washington D.C. already. Every time baseball climbs Capitol Hill to defend itself against anti-trust or performance enhancing drug use by its players it must rely on the goodwill of a bunch of non-sports-fan politicians with an agenda.

Baseball may feel it cannot afford to offend any of these politicians but as the self-professed National Pastime with more influence than it believes it has, the game has a bigger responsibility that it has clearly chosen to shirk. The game used to thrill, now it shills. The game used to be America and apple pie, but now it seems only if the apple pie has a corporate sponsor. On to the mailbag.

Hi Richard,

How can the Blue Jays possibly claim that moving their series with the? Phillies was anything other than a cash grab? Detroit's out of town, Buffalo's Triple A team is out of town, Montreal's team has been out of town for a few years now. Why pick Philadelphia? How can Beeston possibly argue that they're doing this for the fans? If you're asking us to bend over, at least don't try telling us its for our own good! When Houston had to move their game to Milwaukee in 2008, they complained that it was too close to Chicago, whom they were playing. The Blue Jays are almost trying to lose their hardcore fans with stunts like this. Beeston is bad for baseball in Toronto, if he approved this idea.

Hari Balasingham, Caledon

A-I can honestly see where the Jays are coming from on this one, but they should have made the decision sooner. They found out about the G20 in December or January and nothing changed. There are still 20 of them coming to town. There is still danger in the world. There will still be protests from activists. There will still be tremendous security with a parameter that takes on much of the downtown area near the Dome. It will still be nigh on impossible getting around town. Jays' fans still complain abut every inconvenience or perceived transgression from the club roof up, roof down. Toonie Tuesday, Flashback Friday, Maudlin Monday. Managers too old, team's too young. It doesn't matter. Whatever happens, people will say that's a reason they're not coming back to see the Jays until they win. Yeah, the great strike of '94 turned me off the game, they'll say. Hey, the NHL had one hellacious work stoppage even more recently than that and fans are still flocking to see a Leafs team that hasn't won since there were six teams in the league. Quit the excuses. If it's solid entertainment, it's worth the price of admission. As for alternate sites. The last start that Halladay pitched in Toronto last September was one of the least attended Jays home games ever. Cleveland was a bad choice. Yeah, combining the ticket selling resources of the two worst drawing teams in baseball. That's good. Buffalo might have been the best option, but if you're asking are the Jays going to make more money by going to Philly, well, yeah. But they're not making any at home, so cut them some slack. Besides, what of Doc doesn't pitch in the series. Then there'll be more complaining. Doctor Detroit? I think not.

Q-Hi Richard,

How long can the Jays continue to give at bats to Lyle Overbay? It might be ok to have his numbers the first few weeks of the season but it's mid May. I know the jays would love to trade him but what team would want a 1st baseman with a .550 OPS? He's not part of the team's future and with Brett Wallace tearing up AAA Lyle is just seems to be holding up the rebuilding. Will the Jays release Overbay soon? They've certainly paid a lot more money to other players to not play.

Joshua McRae, Toronto?

A-Who knows, but if Overbay has a great series in Seattle or even a decent one, how about the team with the worst offence in the AL being interested in a native son of the state of Washington. They have always had an interest in Lyle and with fans becoming disgruntled in the wake of great expectations because of Cliff Lee and King Felix at the top of the rotation, how about the M's? The one bonus to being able to place Overbay's contract with a major-league team rather than having to release him is that the further the schedule moves along, the more willing the Jays will be willing to pay the entire remainder of Overbay's contract just to be able to clear the decks for Brett Wallace.

Q- Hi Richard,

I'm so excited about this year's Jays' team, but I just can't believe their power surge can last, with Alex Gonzalez, Jose Bautista and John Buck (just to name a few) on pace for career years and nearly doubling their previous bests for HRs and RBIs. What do you think? Do you think the clock will strike midnight soon for these Cinderella Jays?

Stephen Ho, Markham?

A-The Jays have indeed kept up the torrid longball pace for two months, I just have to agree with you that it will be virtually impossible to keep that pace going for much longer. History dictates that. But what the Jays have to do to make up for the coming home run drop-off is improve in their other offensive areas, like batting average and keep up their walk totals. Consider that when a player is not performing well, baseball front office people say not to worry, that they have a track record over their careers and that by the end of the season it will even out and you know just about where they will be. The same, then, should be true of players that have taken off like rockets in certain statistical categories where they have a history. But Cito may have been right at spring training when he said he believed they had seven players that could hit 20-plus homers this year. Many of us scoffed.

Q-What's the status of Jesse Litsch and Marc Rzepcynski? After watching Dana Eveland pitch on Monday, we need these guys back as soon as we can.

Jason Sinnarajah, Tokyo, Japan

A-Eveland has done a credible two-month job considering that he was originally acquired to provide depth at AAA-Las Vegas. Litsch has been pitching great first at extended spring and ten on rehab assignment, however he was placed on the 60-day disabled list at spring training and is not eligible until the second week of June. Recall that GM Alex Anthopoulos has stated that he would rather err on the side of caution with his injured players and that June will mark a full-year since Litsch's elbow surgery. He is right on schedule. As for Rzepczynski, his middle finger, pitching hand fracture has healed and he is just biding his time until they call him up. He is a favourite of the manager and would have been there instead of Eveland if he had not suffered the fracture late in spring training.

Q- Hi Richard,

Not to compare Brandon Morrow to Nolan Ryan or Sandy Koufax, but there are similar - to date - career trajectories. Both Koufax and Ryan turned their careers around from 'untapped potential' to 'staff ace league-leading strikeout' guys at about age 25 - Morrow's age this season. Do you (and the Jays' brass) see similar ace potential in Morrow? Also, what caused the sudden changes in Ryan and Koufax (a new pitching coach, change of team scenery and/or infusion of confidence in their stuff)?

Stu Royal, Erin, Ont.

A-I'm glad you started out with not to compare. There are more power pitchers with shaky command through the history of the game that at the critical age of 25, when given the choice of career paths of either emulating Nolan Ryan and Sandy Koufax or of heading south, have headed south and disappeared from the major-league landscape. Thus, it's not fair to even start with that comparison. However Morrow has showed in his short time with the Jays the rare ability to listen to coaches and to good advice from teammates and to incorporate that into his bullpen side sessions and to be able to separate what works from what doesn't and to move forward. He still throws too many pitches in too few innings, but that's all about command and the fact that as a power pitcher who gets a lot of swings and misses he is going to naturally have a higher pitch count. He has a great arm, as do many young pitchers, but what separated Ryan and Koufax was intelligence, work ethic and improved command as they reached their crucial mid-20s. Koufax's career ended too soon with elbow problems that if they had happened in this era might have been fixable via surgery, while Ryan's dominance continued because, some suggest, as he got older he learned how to alter a baseball with the best of them. They are both in the upper echelon of true hall-of-famers.

Q-Hi, Richard.

Last week or so Fred Lewis was interviewed after a game I think he had his first ever AL home run. The interviewer asked how he was adjusting to life in the AL and he responded with "they pitch in reverse in the AL." Can you possibly explain what he may have meant by that?

Thanks so much,

Donna Tunstall, Washago

A-For decades, the NL has been known as a fastball league while the AL has been known as a league where pitchers survive by mixing up the pitch selection in certain counts. That's what Lewis was talking about after coming over from the Giants. For instance, in a hitter's count (2-0, 2-1, 3-1, maybe even 3-2) in the NL you can usually rely on a pitcher challenging you with a fastball to get back into the at-bat. The same thing with the first pitch of an at-bat, NL pitchers more often than not will challenge with a fastball to get ahead. Lewis came over and his first couple of weeks in the league, he found pitchers might start him off with a changeup, then behind in the count 3-1 throw another change and maybe with the count full, they might come in with a slider. That's pitching backwards to what he was used to in the NL. It is a likely evolution because there is no break in an AL lineup with the DH and you can get hurt at any point in the batting order if you're too predictable. Maybe the AL has it right and the NL is simply playing the game backwards.

Q- Hi Richard!

We're in a building year, and we have some players that are playing very well right now. Clearly, some teams will be looking to improve at the trade deadline. Who do you see Toronto trying to move in July? What type of return are the Jays after - prospects, AAA/major league ready guys, or draft picks?

Thanks.

Jon Empringham, Woodstock, Ont.

A-The Jays said before this rebuilding season started that there is no way they would give up any of their future in a trade for the short term even if they were contending. I detect a wavering in that conviction combined with an itchy trade-trigger finger by some in the organization. Will they trade youngsters for a veteran that can help them down the stretch. In March I would have said the chances were zero per cent that they would make a move that would rid them of farm prospects. Now I would say it's 40-60 that if they are still playing well in mid-June that they will start looking for help this year. I think it would be a mistake. But, hell, I've been wrong once or twice before. I could see them moving Overbay, Jose Molina, Jason Frasor, Scott Downs and any combination of two starting pitching prospects not named Zach, Kyle or Chad.

Q- Hi, Richard.

Why do major league teams keep there best prospects in double A ball. You see many times prospects going direct to the majors from double A and by passing triple A.

Frank Corea, Kamloops, B.C.

A-At Double-A ball, the landscape is filled with young prospects all on the fast-track up to the majors. At Triple-A, it is a holding room for gimps and former stud prospects, short-term major-league help in case of injuries on the big-league team. There is a combination of older guys, still considered to be on the way up and veterans hanging around or on the way down. Since MLB teams many times are looking for just short-term pitching help whenever there is a diablement for a minor ding, there are a lot of cagey, crafty, crappy slop-ballers at Triple-A that can fool major-league hitters for 15 days until your stud is ready to come back. So the fact is most organizations don't want their top young hitting prospects facing that type of off-timing pitching as they get them ready for the real in-you-face pitchers of the majors. So the parent organization leaves them at Double-A to face the top prospect flamethrowers who are just learning how to pitch and to manage themselves in a game. On the pitching side, here's a rule of thumb. If an organization is looking for short-term help they'll tap their Triple-A team every time. If it's a move that is for the next 10 years, there's as good a chance he's coming straight from Double-A. If he's coming from Triple-A, many times that young starter of the future will have started the year at Double-A and was promoted and had a couple of starts at Triple-A before his recall.

Q- Hi Richard,

Love your column and read it religiously. My question concerns a foul tip strike. Not just a foul tip at any time, but especially when the catcher holds on to a foul tip when it is the third strike, why is it so important that the umpire declare it to be a foul tip? Why not just call it a third strike and get on with it. Why all the hand signals to show it as a foul tip? Does it translate differently in the stats or box score if it is a foul tip?

Charles Godfrey, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont.

A-Umpires are taught to emphatically signal foul tip as soon as they hear it or see it no matter the count or runners on base. That makes it easier for them if they're not just reacting by situation. The reason is not for any statistical difference, but if there is a runner on base and the catcher drops the ball or if it glances off his glove to the screen behind him, if there is no immediate umpire's call the runner would be off to the next base. Then the umpire would have to call him back and tell him it was a foul tip. That could lead to controversy and confusion. The same thing if it's strike three with the batter. With no immediate call of foul tip, if the ball is swung at and the ball drops into the dirt at the catcher's feet, then the batter would be off and running. But if he sees the umpire's foul tip call, the hitter knows he's either out if the catcher hangs on or has another chance if the catcher drops it. It's such a bang-bang pay that even though it looks like he knows the catcher has hung onto the foul tip, the ump is actually making the call without knowing the end result.

Q-Do baseball rules permit an ambidextrous pitcher from alternating throwing arms during a game? Switch hitters exist, switch pitchers? Is such a thing even possible, or do pitchers depend on repetition of their throwing mechanics to hone their skills, hence developing two throwing arms doubles the number of pitches they must master and the time taken to train muscles. On the other hand, if an injury or age prevents one arm from pitching why not (if a switch pitcher) go with the other arm?

Frederick Duquette, Buena Park, Calif.

A-Former Jays' pitching coach Gil Patterson was able to pitch with either arm, but never did it in a professional game. There was a segment on TV regarding a switch-pitcher and a switch-hitter facing one another earlier this year. Hilarious. You can YouTube it. But no, there is no rule against it. However there is a rule against relieving yourself on the mound. Hey, it's tough enough to make it to the majors pitching with an arm you've worked with your whole life. That would be strictly a novelty act if someone did it in the big leagues. I guess instead of lefthander or righthander, this guy would just be listed as hander.

Mail Bag

Jays fans always seem to get the short end of the stick when it comes to everything baseball, but moving the Phillies games out of town was the only logical decision. And why even talk about Cleveland? You would have the second lowest average home attendance playing at a neutral site where they have the lowest average home attendance. You think Griffey, Jr. was sleepy in Seattle? If I was a travel agency today I would be scrambling to put together reasonably priced weekend packages to Philadelphia for the Jays “home” games June 25-27. Call it the “Bus Man's Halladay”. It's an eight-hour bus trip. Leave after work on Friday, get in at 1:00 a.m. to a nice hotel out near the ballpark. Include Saturday and Sunday tickets and then after the 1:00 p.m. game back in time for work on Monday. Perfect. The Jays are playing their best baseball away from the Rogers Centre and on grass so it may work out better for them. On to the mailbag.

Q: Hi Richard,

A few weeks ago your column mentioned last year's Blue Jays draftee Jacob S. Marisnick. Can you tell me where he is playing? Also just curious about some of the less talked about prospects in the BJ system. Can you give any baseball insights on the prospects listed below? They have interesting stats and Chris Lubanski was the 5th overall pick in 2003. Eric Thames (NH), Darin Mastroianni (NH), Trystan Magnuson (NH), Lubanski (LAS).

Regards, Craig Hicken, Br. Virgin Islands

A: Certainly the Jays have some interesting players in the farm system and more of them at positions than one would imagine. Former GM J.P. Ricciardi actually had better drafts near the end when he got away from the “college players” first philosophy that warped his early attempts at stocking the organization. Jake Marisnick is a raw talent that needs to add strength and a stronger bat to advance quickly. He is currently at extended spring in Dunedin waiting to play for one of the Summer-A teams that begin play in June. Lubanski was a little noticed acquisition as a minor-league free agent invited to major-league camp. He impressed with his bat, but defensively was found wanting. He was always just supposed to be insurance at Triple-A, although his eight homers and .875 OPS have opened eyes. Thames, a Pepperdine University product, is at AA-New Hampshire and plays left field, with seven homers, 26 RBIs and a .892 OPS. He's a lefty hitter with average defensive skills. At 23 he's on the radar. Mastroianni, 24, is an overachiever, drafted in the 16th round of 2007 by the Jays. He has made it the New Hampshire outfield slapping the ball around for a .306 average and stealing an organization high 14 bases. He has worked his way steadily through the organization without a glitch. Magnuson, the nephew of former Black Hawks' defenceman, the late Keith Magnuson, from British Columbia, stood out from the crowd at minor-league camp this spring at 6-8, with an unruly mop of hair and with a uniform hanging on his skinny 210 lb. frame. But he can pitch. Despite a 0-9 record at A-Lansing in his 2008 debut season, he has moved up steadily and is now in the bullpen at AA-New Hampshire. He has two walks and 18 Ks in 19-1/3 innings. The Fisher Cats' rotation includes three of the Jays' Top 20 prospects as rated by Baseball America and has the best record of all the farm teams.

Q: Hi Richard,

You know what I think would bring the fans back to the Dome? Albert Pujols. I have heard that St Louis will not be able to afford the League's best player. Could the Jays put a package together to make a run at him? Travis Snider, David Cooper, Brett Wallace and Brett Cecil? I am not a GM so I don't know what it would take, but I know he would help the Jays put butts in the seats. Is this a pipe dream? Can the Jays afford this?

Jeff, Minden

A: You know what would bring the fans' back to the Dome? A playoff run in 2011 after a building season in 2010. The Jays have no realistic chance of selling season tickets to build the base of tickets sold until the winter of 2011-12. That's just the way baseball works. People purchase tickets off “what have you done for me lately.” That won't impact until after next season. As for Pujols, the worst thing you want to do is sign a reluctant superstar who has had success somewhere else, especially in a baseball Mecca like St. Louis, then bring him in for the money. That's when you get disappointment from player, organization, teammates and fans. Every organization has players like David Cooper so take him out of the mix in any trade proposal for a superstar. It's just not worth the effort in trying to imagine that package because Alex Anthopoulos is not interested in any frosting until he has a cake.

Q: Who do you think has more of a chance to be the ace on the staff? Brett Cecil or Ricky Romero? How many of the current Jays starters do you think will be around when they are trying to contend?

Simon Tran, Toronto

A: Cecil has been a real revelation since mid-spring training when he sliced his finger in a cooking accident and had to ditch his curveball for a couple of weeks. He now has a quality changeup in his arsenal. It's just a matter of staying a developing a major-league brain and staying a step ahead of the advance scouts. He was devastating in Cleveland and devastated in Chicago because the Sox hitters were laying off his change that dropped out of the strike zone. Romero is a more polished product and has shown the ability to compete and win without his best stuff which is what you want in an ace. Cecil's ceiling probably makes him less of an ace candidate than Romero. My guess is that when the Jays are ready to contend, Romero and Cecil may be the only two in the current lot that are still in the rotation in 2012. They need to make room for prospects like Kyle Drabek, Zach Stewart, Chad Jenkins, Henderson Alvarez and probably one veteran guy from outside the organization when the time is right.

Q: This is a question about the policy for the roof at the Rogers Centre. Why not make the policy that the roof is open unless it is snowing or raining. The stadium is a pretty terrible place to watch a baseball game in general but is at least tolerable when the roof is open. Who cares if that means a few cold nights in April ... it's Canada! We're used to a little cold.

Adam Beatty, Toronto

A: That is exactly what I would do. It's too late for this season, but if you let it be known that from Opening Day onwards in 2011, that the roof will automatically be pulled back and open to the elements except if it rains or snows, then fans would come prepared. Right now, especially the veteran fans come out in April or May under-dressed and when the roof slides open and they're in shirtsleeves they howl at the moon and the Jays respond by closing the lid and keeping it closed until mid-May. My son went to the first game where they set an attendance low on a Wednesday in April and was dismayed from the upper deck by the atmosphere and the mausoleum-like quality of the experience. He was looking to sign the guest book and offer condolences to the bereaved when he left. Baseball is an outdoor sport.

Q: Hi Richard,

I noticed in the latest Mail Bag a pair of questions about how the Jays' business policies are affecting the fan experience and had a question of my own. Last season there was Flashback Fridays and I notice the original cap and logo are on sale all over (along with the jerseys). One thing that hasn't made a return to the ballpark is the original "OK Blue Jays" song during the 7th inning stretch - sadly replaced by that jazzed-up, abbreviated version we hear now with "Take Me Out..." squeezed in. I haven't heard it at the ballpark in years. Any chance the organization is thinking about bringing more of the nostalgia back to the park by reinstating the original song? Maybe I'm not the only one who misses it.

Ryan Kirshenblatt, Toronto

A: First of all I want to apologize for one of my answers last week when I suggested that the Jays make it their own policy not to show close or potentially controversial plays on the scoreboard at home games. It is in fact a recommendation from Major League Baseball that teams not show a) close ball-strike replays; b) close plays that may incite the crowd against umpires; and c) plays that are under review i.e. home run calls. Now not every team abides by that rule, although all do on balls and strikes, but the Jays are good, responsible corporate citizens and do not show close calls on the replay board. I disagree because why should fans sitting at home know more about the game than those in the ballpark? With that issue out of the way, let's address the questions of Flashback Fridays and “OK Blue Jays”. First of all, if I never hear OK Blue Jays ever played again in abbreviated or extended play, that would be perfect. I hate that song. Second, the issue of Flashback Fridays was resolved by dumping the concept. In fact, it was an issue in the clubhouse where current players were offended by the fact that the organization they played for seemed to revere its past more than it respected its present. Players near the end of last season were so sick of it they printed up tees that had the sentiment “Turn the Page Tuesday” suggesting the Jays' management get over the back-to-back World Series. Nostalgia is so yesterday.

Q: Hypothetical question: Jim Balsillie goes to Bud Selig and MLB and asks for an expansion team to Montreal AND commits to building a new stadium - would they give it to him? Second part: can you see any circumstance in which MLB returns to Montreal?

Mauro Flammini, Hamilton

A: I love Montreal and Montreal sports fans, but with so many teams struggling to draw fans, MLB is not ready for another expansion – besides in order to schedule properly they would have to expand by two cities, what Montreal and Portland, Caracas, Mexico City, Charlotte? Besides, hockey traditionally seems to accept all forms of scoundrels and scallywags as owners, so if they rejected Jim Balsillie, what would baseball do? Uh-oh, I just lost service on my Blackberry...Montreal would have to build a new downtown stadium, line up ownership with hugely deep poches and baseball would have to be looking for a franchise to relocate for Montreal to have a chance.

Q: I am curious about Chris Lubanski. He was a 5th overall pick by the Royals in 2003 and one of their top prospects until 2007. After taking a step back the last couple years he is now having a great start to the year in Las Vegas. He seems to have both power and speed. Any chance he gets a shot with the Jays in the near future? How good of an outfielder is he?

Adam Steeves, Kitchener

A: Lubanski was at spring training and every morning we would emerge from the Jays' clubhouse in the right field corner of Dunedin Stadium during batting practice to watch Lubanski gliding around right field shagging (not in the British sense of course). He looked athletic enough...until he had to throw the ball in to the screen behind second base, then it was like watching a cross between Shannon Stewart at his worst and Barney the dinosaur at his best. He can swing the bat though. Strictly insurance.

Q: Greetings Richard,

Can't Bud Selig end the widespread disrespect for the baseball uniform? Do ballplayers have to look like street punks? Uniform pants drag behind the heels, a terrible look; elbow pads, shinpads and hockey-sized batting gloves suggest this generation are a sissified bunch. The worst new girly look is little coloured hula hoops around the pitchers' necks, slapping them in the face (along with the silly chains) when they pitch. Halladay didn't wear them. And sure as heck Bob Gibson, Sandy Koufax and a thousand others didn't. And boys, if you can't grow a proper beard, shave. You're at the top of your profession. Try to look like it. What's next? Mink stoles? Whew! Thanks!

Selby Martin, Toronto

A: Thank you for that sentiment. Reading it I felt like I was watching a Weekend Update segment on Saturday Night Live where a guest ranter wheels in and just goes off on something. For those old enough to remember, it was like the best of Gilda Radner's Roseanne Rosannadana. “Never Mind.”

Q: Richard,

I have not read the official baseball rulebook so maybe you can answer this for me. In order to be accepted as a major-league pitcher is it mandatory that you throw overhand? I don't think so. Side-armers are allowed in the game and so are submariners, but what of those that, hypothetically speaking, could toss a horsehide 80-90 m.p.h. underhand and effectively strike out major-league hitters on a consistent basis? Or is there a written specification that would restrict a truly exceptional underhand pitcher from playing in pro baseball?

Darrell Holtze, Guelph

A: There is no rule that prevents an underhand pitcher from pitching in MLB but the configuration of the field works against softball-type deliveries. The mound is constructed to help traditional overhand pitchers because you are cutting down through the strike zone from top to bottom making the moment of impact for a hitter tougher to time. If you are throwing underhand say right off your hip like a fastball delivery, how could you get a called strike at the bottom of the strike zone? It would be very difficult because the harder you throw the more the ball would rise. Umpires already have keyhole strike zones. It would be difficult but there is no rule that prevents it. I would take a look at Jennie Finch...Not as a pitcher, I would just take a look at Jennie Finch.

Q: Hi Richard,

While I realized Slugging Percentage and On Base Percentage are both important, in your opinion does one trump the other? For example, is a player with an OBP of .300 who slugs .320, more or less valuable than a player with an OBP of .250, who is slugging .400?

Francis Prescott, Victoria

A: They are both important and that's why the late 20th century statistic that combined them, the OPS has taken off in recent years and is even now included in team media guides and on many major-league scoreboards. That's on-base percentage plus slugging percentage to give you one number. The OPS actually favours slugging percentage because a hit will count in both Slugging and On-Base while a walk only counts in on-base so you're getting double the pleasure for a hit. If the two OPS numbers are exactly the same, I would suggest that the player with the higher on-base percentage is a better hitter while the player with the higher slugging percentage is a more likely MVP candidate.

Q: Given that balls hit to the outfield remain in play for the next hitter regardless of the state they are in, when and why did it become routine practice to toss pitched balls that hit the dirt or are fouled off at the plate? Seems somewhat illogical but I'm sure there's a "reason" for it.

Thanks. Eleanor Pakozdi, Port Colborne, Ont.

A: Not every ball hit to the outfield remains in the game. It's just that television shows the constant exchange at home plate between catcher and umpire for a ball that even touches the dirt. But if a ball slams off the wall opr bounces on the warning track, there is a chance that it will be taken out of play before the next hitter. Umpires have a constant supply of balls so it's no big deal for them to take every ball in the dirt out of play and if a pitcher wants a new one he gets it. Some balls have a slightly different feel. Some have higher seams or no seams. It's funny because in IOBA baseball I have 17-18 year-old pitchers and we give the umpire three balls for the entire game. They get scuffed, cut, pounded, but the pitchers have no idea how to take advantage. Take me back to the days of Old Hoss Radbourn where men were men and balls were...well, balls.

Mail Bag

Sad news on Tuesday with the passing of legendary Tigers' broadcaster Ernie Harwell at the age of 92. Harwell had been sick with cancer for the past year, so the news was not unexpected but nevertheless, no matter how well prepared you are, it's always a shock. I first met Mr. Harwell in 1984 at the World Series between the Tigers and Padres. He has forever been charming, enthusiastic, inclusive and a great ambassador for the game. He lived the game, loved the players and respected the fans, which is a dynamite trifecta. If you wanted to talk baseball, Mr. Harwell was ever-ready, never making you feel like he had more important places to be. The ballpark, any ballpark, was his most important place to be, other than home with his wife Lulu. The Tigers, the city of Detroit, the state of Michigan and the entire baseball world will miss him badly.

Q-Now that Vernon Wells is playing like he did a few years back, is it safe to say he is back to being tradable? If that is the case, would the Blue Jays consider moving him to a team that can afford his albatross contract?
Farhan Ghori, Oakville

A-That's an interesting concept. The Jays would trade him, but is he tradable? I think he needs more than one good month to undo what has happened to his market value over the last two years. The Jays still owe him $86 million for the next four years, what with the way the contract was backend loaded by former GM J.P. Ricciardi. Even with his improved performance, is he in the same category as other $20 million per year guys like A-Rod, Ryan Howard, Joe Mauer, Manny Ramirez, Miguel Cabrera and Derek Jeter? How about Albert Pujols? For the most part he is not, but if he had a great year this season and another solid year in 2011, then he may become tradable again. But by that time, what if the Jays themselves find themselves on the cusp of contending, would they be better off keeping him? I think another GM right now would have difficulty selling a trade for Wells to his own ownership.

Q-Richard,
Love the blog. In your opinion, do the Jays have the potential to have one of the best rotations in the American League in the next couple years? (Kyle) Drabek, (Shaun) Marcum, (Ricky) Romero, (Brett) Cecil and one of McGowan/Purcey/Mills could mature into a great rotation. What will the rotation look like in 2011?
Brian M., Barrie

A-It is too early to really project this young Jays' rotation for a full season much less project them as one of the best rotations in the American League. Certainly, the new Brett Cecil, with his calmness and ability to change speeds effectively looks like he could become a solid ML starter. Romero has already demonstrated the right stuff. Marcum has made five starts after missing a full season. We need to see him over 30 starts to really judge his comeback a success. Drabek is a solid prospect, but there are others down on the Jays' farm that may eclipse him like Zach Stewart and Chad Jenkins. McGowan is iffy to ever get back to his major-league form. It's going on two years now since he has pitched in a meaningful pro game. Purcey's future looks like it's in the bullpen, while Mills is now down on the organization's depth chart of starters. Don't forget Marc Rzepczynski. As for the 2011 rotation, it will likely emerge from among the current group – minus Dana Eveland – plus Drabek, Stewart, Jenkins and Rzep. That's a pool of eight men and they will select five. It has a chance to be a solid major-league rotation into the future.

Q-Geez. These guys sure know how to hit the ball out of the park but where are the hits? As of May 4, Blue Jays have 223 hits and 42 of them are home runs. That means every fifth hit is a home run!
Are they swinging for the fences and striking out too much? Maybe they have Dave Kingman doing some ghost coaching in the back of the dugout? So what is this indicative of? Is it good or what?
Stephen Sagar, Midland

A-It's both entertaining and frustrating for Jays fans. Consider the fact that the Jays lead the AL in both homers and strikeouts and rank sixth in runs scored. The Jays are two games above .500 with a plus-14 run differential. They have a .235 team batting average and .237 with runners in scoring position. With numbers like that, the spectre of Dave Kingman is a good one and with the way Travis Snider and Fred Lewis butchered balls at the corners of the outfield on Tuesday, there are some parallels. What is it indicative of? For guys like Lewis, Bautista, Buck and Gonzalez it's indicative of maybe why they were available to a team like the Jays in a rebuilding mode looking for affordable guys with an up-side and some built in flaws. Nothing has changed with these guys, it's just that they are now all Blue Jays.

Q-Hi Richard,
Do you think Alex Anthopoulos would be wise to speed up his long-term rebuilding plan, add some impact players and make a bid for the wildcard this year? Is the core good enough to justify free agent signings this year or next?
Chris M., Collingwood

A-No, no, no and no – at least for this year. The time to re-evaluate the Jays' future is in October and November when the actual 2010 progress can be gauged in the sober light of day. Adding expensive players at the deadline, or at least the desire to add impact players and make a mid-season run, was the downfall of the previous regime. They went into each season swearing to build and then were blinded by the light of instant contention at the trade deadline and by a strong finish into the off-season. Instead of going into Year 2 of rebuilding they would take the surprise 85 wins as a sign they were on the cusp of a wild-card and make some sort of ill-advised acquisition with the goal of winning now. It never happened because they were always trying to hasten the process and ended up setting it back.

Q-Richard,
With the Royals demotion of Alex Gordon and the lack of support for Zack Greinke, why wouldn't the Jays approach the Royals for a possible trade. Getting those two players would fill 2 organizational holes, third base and a innings front of the rotation pitcher. The Jays have the pitching prospects to pull this type of trade off. What are your thoughts on this hypothetical trade scenario?
Scott Cochrane, Niagara-on-the-Lake

A-That's the sort of pie-in-the-sky trade that fans talk about strictly from the standpoint of their own team's interests. That move would fill the holes for the Jays and open them up for the Royals. The Royals have two blue-chippers in Greinke and Gordon that they spent a lot of money in signing and developing. What organization would put all that effort in and then hand their top prospects off to another organization for an assortment of players (the Jays' starters) that every GM believes he can draft and develop himself? A GM who would soon find himself in the stands, that's who.

Q-Hi Richard,
Big fan of the mailbag. I was at the game when the Royals were in town and was enjoying the game from the "cheap" seats. There were many close plays throughout the game (at the bases, fair/foul, ball/strike). Each time, I looked up at the Jumbotron to see the replays. Except, the Jumbotron did not show any replays of close plays. What is the policy that prevents close plays from being shown on the Jumbotron. Is this type of censorship consistent with other ballparks or even other major league sports?
Robbie Shapiro, Toronto

A-The Jays have acknowledged that their policy is to not show close or controversial plays on the scoreboard because the umpires would “prefer” it. Most other stadiums will show those plays with the belief that fans that make the effort to attend games in person should have the same access to information and replays as fans sitting at home in their living rooms. I don't agree with the Jays, but if they feel that showing the close plays would annoy the umpires and influence future decisions, that's not giving the integrity of the umpires very much credit. There is no MLB rule about it.

Q-Often fans are taught not to evaluate a player's performance based on a few weeks of playing time, but, as in the case of struggling players in slumps, to give these ones time to work things out. Recall David Ortiz's slow start last year? By the end of the season he had vindicated himself. So what, some Jays' pundits say, if Buck, Snider and Overbay are off to slow starts, when all is said and done, that's when you can properly evaluate them. That said, here you have the All-Star voting already underway, and it's only April, not even a month into the year!
To me this seems senseless and premature. How can fans honestly vote for a player in April or early May when, by the time the All-Star game rolls around mid-season, that same player may have cooled off dramatically to the point of no longer being worthy enough to participate in the event? Is this not a contradiction?
Darrell Holtze, Guelph

A-Baseball is supposedly the most romantic of pro sports, but when it comes to all-star voting, it is as mercenary and numbers oriented as any other. Your argument makes sense. Why would you have voting for baseball's mid-season showcase of its stars commence some 18 games into the season? The reason is that all MLB is looking for is numbers. They want to set a record each year for ballots cast and be able to say it is the biggest non-political election in North America. Whether they pinpoint the right players or not is incidental to the process. Besides, all-star fan voting is largely a popularity contest anyway and whether a player is injured or not performing sometimes makes no difference to his candidacy. They could start at spring training and the results would still be controversial.

Q-Following the April 27 2-1 loss to Boston, I feel compelled to write to ask why Cito insists on taking out the starting pitcher after 7 innings when they are having a good game? I know that he does not want to overwork young or healing arms and that he wants everyone on the roster to get a chance to play but, gee, it is also nice to win some games! I was just about fit to be tied last night when he did that because I then knew they were going to lose the game. Always enjoy your column in the Star.
Linda Rumpf, Brighton, Ont.

A-Gaston believes that 110-120 pitches is enough for any of his young pitchers and 180 innings in a season is enough for his young pitchers. When you have a deep, solid bullpen that's not a bad strategy because you are then using your 25-man roster to win games by asking guys to do what they are paid to do. When the bullpen stumbles, the decisions are called into question, right Jason Frasor? An interesting note for the Jays current five-man rotation is that combined, heading into Wednesday afternoon's game in Cleveland, they have one career complete game. That was by Dana Eveland, May 21 2008 as a member of the A's vs. Tampa Bay. The current Jays' bullpen matches that with one complete game by Scott Downs with the Expos in 2004. You, Linda, trail the entire Jays rotation by just one complete game. Take heart.

Q-Hi Richard
Long time reader, first time writer. Is Brett Wallace on the radar for this season? Is he going to be a June 1st call-up, or potentially a Sept. 1st call-up? Thanks for all the great work that you do for this under-appreciated team!
Aaron Arkin, Toronto

A-Wallace is most definitely on the Jays' radar this year. The Jays are treating Lyle Overbay with great respect and I believe are trying to find a landing spot for him so that he can continue to build personal numbers heading into free agency. They may even be willing to pay another team Overbay's remaining salary in order to take him off their hands. If his numbers were better, he'd be easier to trade. But they're not and so he continues to play every day. It seems oxymoronic. I believe that the latest Wallace will join the Jays is August 1 after the trade deadline. If the Jays could trade Overbay tomorrow I'm sure they would and promote Wallace from Vegas right now. The one big reason for keeping the lefthanded hitting prospect in the minors a little longer is to postpone his arbitration-eligible year from the end of 2012 to the end of 2013. That possibility of being a “super-two” arbitration guy in terms of accumulated major-league service would probably expire at the end of May.

Q-Hi Richard,
Why do the Blue Jays still continue charging a $2.00 "service charge" for tickets purchased at their box office?
I have been to every Major League Baseball stadium and no other team adds on an additional charge. A handful will charge more for tickets bought on the day of the game. I have no problem with this practice as it rewards the true fans that buy tickets in advance. However, those teams that follow this practice incorporate the surcharge in the ticket price. The Blue Jays on the other hand tack on the charge so a ticket that is advertised as $11.00 really costs this fan $13.00.
Perhaps the removal of this "service charge" will help somewhat in the Jays' attendance woes.
John Karr, Toronto

A-It's been a long-time policy of most major-league teams to have a service charge on tickets purchased by phone or online because they were utilizing a professional ticket broker like Ticketron. But I don't understand the policy for tickets purchased in person at the ballpark. Most people just consider it part of the cost of doing business with the Jays but that doesn't make it right. I'll have to check with the Jays and include in a future mailbag because I would like to get the facts straight before ripping the organization for what seems on the surface like a bad policy.

Q-Richard, I have 3 questions;
Question 1: With the contracts of Overbay and Encarnacion running out at the end of the season (approx. 11.75 million) are there any players that are out there that the Jays could trade for to fill the organization's void at 3rd Base, as 1st will be filled by Brett Wallace.
So a potential lineup for late 2010, and the 2011 season would be: F.Lewis LF, A.Hill 2B, A.Lind DH, V.Wells CF, B.Wallace 1B, 3B Open Slot, T. Snider RF, T.D'Arnaud/Arencibia C, A.Gonzalez/A.Hechavarria SS, That seems and looks like a solid line-up with the exception of the hole at 3rd. What will their options be at third base?
Question 2: The Jays have multiple picks in the early rounds, what are some of the potential prospects of who the Jays might draft? How many picks do the Jays have and will they be able to sign them?
Question 3: With A.A. being a young General Manager, how does one get into the Baseball Industry and where would one start in looking to get in with the Blue Jays? As always, a pleasure in reading your mailbag.
Thank you,
Scott Cochrane

A-The type of player the Jays would be looking for to take over at third base is best acquired in the off-season not at the trade deadline. Naming any names would be pure speculation until you see what develops as this season goes on, which organizations will find they have a surplus at third base of young controllable players, the type that Anthopoulos covets. Encarnacion will not be back, while Overbay will likely be gone during this season. As for your projected starting lineup, Lewis will likely not be back (at least as a starter) in 2011, while D'Arnaud, the catcher acquired in the Halladay deal from the Phillies, won't be ready at least until 2012, as with the Cuban defector Hechavarria. But if Hechavarria came on like gangbusters, how about the Jays picking up the 2011 option in Gonzalez and sliding him over to third base where his bat that he has demonstrated this year would not be detrimental. Answer 2: The Jays are working on their Top 100 draft board as we speak. The club has nine picks in the first 113 of the June draft. They choose their own picks at Nos. 11-61-93. They have compensation picks at Nos. 34 (Scutaro); 38 (Paxton); 41 (Barajas); 69 (Eliopoulos); 80 (Scutaro-2) and 113 (3rd round compensation from '09). They insist they will have no trouble signing their selections even if it means going higher than slot recommendation. This is their opportunity to build for the future and they are not inclined to blow it. Answer 3: The best way to get into the game at an entry level is to attend the winter meeting job seekers portion in Anaheim in December and stand out from the rest in terms of personality, presentation and preparation. That means working the lobby while not attending job seekers sessions and sounding professional and ready to start on the ground floor. Either that or have connections to get a foot in the door.