Mail Bag

Things haven’t completely fallen apart yet for the Jays, but you can see the edge of the cliff from here. They are in the midst of the most important two weeks of their season, with 14 games against the AL East, a division that is some 39 games above .500 as a five-team entity. The Jays are closer to the Orioles in last place than they are to the Red Sox in first.

When Roy Halladay loses a start, it’s an open invitation to a losing streak. When he wins a start, it gives the team hope they can win three of the next five. That’s an impossible balance if you want to be a contender. Brad Mills and Casey Janssen had their chances. Brett Cecil earned his recall with a 1-5 record and a 5.69 ERA at Triple-A. Scott Richmond has been responsible for more bombs than Kim-Jong Il. Brian Tallet has delivered more mea culpas than a South Carolina politician and in one of the letters below, a reader compares Ricky Romero to hip-hop icon LL Cool J. If the Yankees want to challenge the Jays to “battle-rap” instead of “ball-game”, they’re down with it. By the all-star break, if the Jays are still above .500, they won’t be sellers at the deadline. On to the mail bag:

Q: As I understand it - the Jays owed a large part of their early success to aggressive swinging early in the pitch count. I don't see that happening as much any more. I attended the first game against Tampa. I saw Niemann throw a first pitch strike again, and again, and again. Why have they stopped swinging at that first pitch? It's like Niemann knew they wouldn't - so he just kept floating in first pitch strikes all night. It's not just this particular game - it's every game now. Why can't the Jays clue-in on this and correlate it with their fortunes having gone south since they ceased being as aggressive early in the pitch count? (How do I get this message to the Jays? I don't see how one would communicate with them.)

Wayne Capancini

A: The biggest part of being aggressive on first-pitch hitting is guessing what pitch is coming and zeroing in on location. If you can guess right and it’s in your zone, then let ’er rip. Earlier in the season when this early-in-the-count slashing was a new Jays’ philosophy, the aggressive hitting worked better because most teams and pitchers were caught slightly off guard. But the preponderance of video scouting has been amazing over the past few years. You can walk through any major-league clubhouse before a game and there is every TV set showing silent video of this game’s opposing starter edited down to show just pitches and swings.

What I’m saying is that opposing teams have caught on. Now it’s a matter of Jays’ hitters adjusting to the adjustments. You can’t just insist that your hitters swing at first pitches, because if it’s not what they’re looking for and in a location they’re looking for, they won’t hit it hard. The cycle of baseball adjustments continues.

Q: "Pretty tough to ask a guy who has already hit two homers to bunt," Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston told reporters. He was referring to Aaron Hill in the bottom of the ninth Sunday. Then with one out he puts on the steal. Go figure. I've never been a big fan of Gaston even when they were winning the World Series. I thought it had more to do with the talent they had. It seems like the players like to play for him and maybe that's all a manager needs to do. Or maybe not. Comments?

Phoenix Rhys, Ottawa

A: Here’s what Aaron had to say about that botched inning this week:

“We’ve run across a couple of situations now where in the back of my head I’ve thought maybe I know I should be bunting or get the guy over. (Cito) comes to me every day and says, ‘Look, swing it. We don’t want you to do that.’ Obviously in certain situations, I look back on the other day and I should have done it myself. They said swing it. I swung the bat (and homered) the first couple of ABs. It’s kind of tough to lay down a bunt there. I know I should have done it myself. Those are situations - I know they’re not going to come up very often - in a big game like that to move the runner.”

As for the steal of third that resulted in a Brad Lidge pickoff, I’m not sure even with Gaston covering for his player, McDonald, that Gaston called for the steal. It’s the same thing he did with Rios on the last homestand, caught stealing third as the tying run in the ninth for the first out of the inning. Sometimes a great notion. At that time, Gaston said, “I can always give him the don’t steal sign.” Sometimes you just rely on the good judgment of your adult baseball players.

As for Gaston’s major asset as a manager, yes, it’s the fact that his players want to play for him and he sticks with them. That’s very important even if in-game strategy is not at the same level. In fact it’s more important.

Q: What have you guys been feeding Rolen? Is it just he is healthy for a change or has he made an adjustment? He was always one of our favorite players here in Philadelphia (but that puts us in a distinct minority).

Larry Stelmach, Doylestown, Pa

A: Rolen is healthier in mind than in body. His left shoulder stiffness will stay with him for the rest of his career, but he has learned in the last 12 months to adjust his swing and still be able to drive the ball hard. He will never be a 25-homer guy with his forced swing changes, but he can still hit 30 doubles and hit for a decent average.

In addition he is the best defensive third baseman in Jays’ history and one of the best in major-league history. Rolen got a bad rap as a bad clubhouse presence both in Philadelphia and St. Louis. He fits in well in Toronto and is an inspiration to younger players with his work ethic and game preparation. Serious about his profession, he said Kevin Millar has made him smile twice on the field this year, a new personal record.

Q: Richard I have a question. Why is no one mentioning that Vernon Wells has been a habitually slow starter. All thru his career it’s been the norm. I'm wondering if you agree, it would seem that lately Vernon has turned it up a bit, and hopefully has started his road to .280, 30 hrs, 100 Rbi's.

Bruce Caldwell, Chatham, Ont.

A: People do indeed mention that Wells is a habitually slow starter – especially Vernon.

However, when does a slow start finish? It’s already July and even though he did start swinging the bat more effectively at the very end of the last homestand, heading into Philly, the games that have already been played and the games that have already been lost count in the standings just as much as games after the all-star break. I have always wondered why guys that recognize they are slow starters don’t try something different at spring training like playing in more games, making more road trips and staying in games for more at-bats. Instead, it’s Jays’ road trips to Fort Myers with guys like Jason Lane, Aaron Mathews and Sean Shoffitt playing the majority of outfield innings.

Q: Hi Richard,

Do you think there's any chance the Jays will outright release B.J. Ryan either this season or next? Assuming some pitchers get back from the DL, it doesn't seem like there's much room for Ryan, even in middle relief.

Mike A, Toronto

A: The Jays would accept an offer for Ryan right now that involved taking next year’s $10 million guaranteed salary off their hands. They would even pay the rest of this year themselves. However that’s not likely to happen because contenders at the trade deadline or down the stretch are looking for starters, impact hitters and solid middle relievers. Ryan is none of those.

But the question coming from the Jays is: “Why release him now?” They owe him the money next year anyway. If he is released, the next team just has to pay him the $400,000 major-league minimum, which comes off the money the Jays owe him. Instead, what they will likely do is hold onto B.J. if nobody takes him and try and deal him in the off-season. They can even afford to bring him to spring training next season, but even if they can’t move him by the end of the spring, I would be very surprised if he is on the 2010 Opening Day roster.

Q: Richard - Ricky Romero has been a pleasure to see come through so far this year. While his competitive instincts and "look of a leader" remind me of Jack Morris, my girlfriend astutely noted that he actually looks like LL Cool J. The nickname LL Blue Jay seems appropriate for this (hopefully) long time Jay. Thoughts?

Andrew Ponsford, Vancouver

A: Here is a line from LL Cool J that wasn’t actually written to describe the act of pitching (ahem) but it somehow seems appropriate for Ricky Romero as LL Blue Jay…

“I’m in the mix now, searching for the right spot

To hit now, get down.”

LL Cool J, “Doin’ It

Q: What's your take on the way the Jays are treating John McDonald (am I the only person who thinks he's being treated despicably?) and now that Russ Adams is on the team and is a shortstop, do you see a trade in McDonald's future?

Eleanor Pakozdi, Port Colborne, Ont.

A: McDonald has admitted that he would like to play more, but at the same time he has talked in awe about the way Marco Scutaro has been playing on both sides of the ball.

McDonald understands that he is caught at the moment between a rock (Scutaro) and a hard place (Aaron Hill). McDonald respects the team concept and is being paid nicely for his limited role. The 34-year-old had a nice chat with his friend and mentor Omar Vizquel who is filling the same role in Texas while teaching young Elvis Andrus the major-league ropes. Johnny Mac’s future as a reserve middle infielder is secure as long as he wants to play. But beyond this season, it will not be with the Jays. McDonald knows that he is an insurance policy and that if Scutaro goes down for a week, he had better be ready to hit and contribute. In the meantime he prepares hard and sits.

Q: I seem to remember Brad Arnsberg being quoted earlier this year saying that Brandon League's stuff could be unhittable. Yet, he seems to be very hittable right now. Can you offer any explanations?

Kirk Mykytyn, Columbus, OH

A: Brandon League’s stuff is unhittable as long as he gets ahead in the count and locates his pitches with good command of the strike zone. If he falls behind 2-0 and they know a fastball is coming, he’s hittable. If Rod Barajas sets up on the outside corner and League comes up and middle if the plate, he’s hittable. His un-hittable-ness is day-to-day.

Q: Hi Richard,

Just read your "5 reasons why Jays won't make the playoffs" article and when I got to #5, I noticed that there was no mention of Travis Snider (aka a top prospect pushing for a job)...I admit I haven't exactly been following Triple A ball, and I know that he hurt his back at some point, but has his stock really fallen that quickly to the point he is no longer an "elite" prospect? He was the starting LF no more than two months ago...what happened!

Nicholas Hung, Hong Kong

A: Snider is still an elite prospect, but not ready to make the difference for the ’09 team. He was sent back to AAA-Vegas in May and played in eight games before suffering a back injury. He had eight hits and a double in those games, but before he returns to the majors he has to learn to cover more of the plate. His current swing has more holes than Myrtle Beach.

As a pro he has averaged almost 190 strikeouts per 600 at-bats. Once he does that, with the raw power that saw him crush two balls into the upper deck at the Metrodome in the same game in April, he’ll be back. But he’s not knocking at the door.

Q: Hi Richard:

I have come from a baseball loving family for years, I am a senior now and I can remember my parents listening to the World Series on the radio and would shhhhh us when we would come home from school so they could hear the game. It was cute now that I think of it. I love the game as well into my old age can you tell me what it means when Jamie Campbell saying double play 4-6-3 or 4-5-3 I just don’t understand this can you enlighten me. Read your blog every Wednesday keep up the good work.

Shirley Kuzyk, Mississauga

A: There’s a lot of things that people don’t understand that Jamie Campbell says, but I think I can help you with this one. Baseball is a game of statistics, so every game since the late 19th century has been scored using a peculiar baseball code. When an out is made, anyone that touches the ball on the way to the putout is given credit by using a single-digit number that corresponds to his position.

1-Pitcher; 2-catcher; 3-first baseman; 4-second baseman; 5-third baseman; 6-shortstop; 7-left fielder; 8-centre fielder; 9-right fielder. Since the DH is not a defensive position, there is no corresponding number. So when Jamie says that double play goes 6-4-3, it means shortstop to second baseman to first baseman. That way looking back years from now, you can effortlessly re-create an entire game.

Click here to send Richard a question, and he'll answer a selection in his mailbag Wednesdays in this space. **Note: please follow the link above to send a question to Richard. Questions posted in the comments section may not make it to the mailbag. Thanks.**

Mail Bag

The big news of the week turned out to be that Brad Pitt’s movie version of Moneyball was cancelled pretty much on the eve of production. What a shock. There is no truth to the rumour that the major issue was in finding someone to play then-A’s vice-president J.P. Ricciardi and that John Turturro and Pinocchio both turned down the role.

Why are we not surprised the project was cancelled? Don’t you need a sympathetic character or two to make a movie work? Who? Billy Beane ripping his scouts and making fun of other MLB team’s drafting tactics? Manager Art Howe being disrespected, bullied then fired by the A’s? The studio indicated that the Moneyball script was re-written several times and nothing seemed to work. Re-written? Isn’t this based on history? Okay, here’s the script:

The small market A’s are forced to compete on a budget, can’t draw flies to a horrible stadium, reach the playoffs year after year and get knocked out early. They then trade some snazzy homegrown starting pitchers for future prospects, come back the next year and do the same thing all over again. The movie’s already been made. It was called Groundhog Day. Finally, other organizations catch on to the philosophy and end up mixing traditional scouting and numbers better than the A’s. Eventually the A’s don’t even make the playoffs because what was once outside the box is now inside the box. Next! On to the mailbag.

Q: Hello Richard,

I have two questions for you. The first is do you ever see BJ (Ryan) back as the closer (or setup man)? Is he getting back to his old form? Also, maybe you could shed some light on the Rogers TV deal here out west? I am a huge Jays’ fan through and through, and since I don't get to any games I love seeing them on TV. I am wondering why Rogers West has more Yankees, Red Sox or Angels games than Jays games? It doesn't seem to make any sense, since the Jays are Canada's only team.

Adam Allison, Banff, AB

A: It’s difficult to see Ryan having even the opportunity to re-establish himself as the Jays’ closer as long as Cito Gaston is the manager. Gaston cares little about the fact that B.J. is earning $10 million for this year and next. He cares about results and what Gaston sees is a left-hander that comes into games and falls behind hitters early in the count. He throws sliders low and out of the zone, then nibbles with an 85 m.p.h. fastball, refusing to challenge hitters, even with his team holding a significant lead. He's only faced as many as three batters in an inning if two of them are left-handed hitters. Then Gaston will stroll out, take the ball and hand it to a right-hander making considerably less money. The conundrum for the Jays is in finding a taker for the final year of his contract even if they have to eat a significant portion because Cito’s not going anywhere in 2010.

As for the TV question, I don’t think the Rogers office tower is crammed with super-patriots. They don’t give a rat’s behind about the Jays being “Canada’s team.” What they see is that if they group different packages of major-league games on different regional networks they can get baseball fans with to subscribe to more than one regional sports network even though most of the other programming is the same. Brilliant marketing, but clearly the maple leaf is tattooed on your ass, not theirs.

Q: Speaking of performance-enhancing drugs - are there any good ones out there that we can suggest to Wells & Rios?

Werner Ott, Thunder Bay, Ont.

A: How about naturally produced adrenaline for Wells with runners in scoring position and some brain food for Rios when he’s running the bases…like fish, maybe flounder. No, wait a second, bad choice.

Q: Richard,

What has happened to David Purcey? Is he hurt? Why wasn't he called up before (Brad) Mills, (Bobby) Ray, (Brett) Cecil?

Thank you.

Scott Cochrane, Niagara-on-the-Lake

A: Purcey was never a legitimate No. 3 starter even though the club was hyping him as such all winter. He had not proven himself in any way at the major-league level yet his name was being thrown out there after Roy Halladay and Jesse Litsch as a sure thing in the rotation. Purcey was winless in five starts with the Jays, posting a 7.01 ERA and averaging five innings per outing. Since being returned to the minors he has struggled with his control in some games and in others he has struggled with his command. Finding good location within the strike zone with more than one pitch is his biggest problem. He also has confidence issues that won’t be helped by the fact that he now looks around and sees other starting pitchers whizzing by him on the way to the majors while he continues to happen in Vegas and stay in Vegas.

Q: Hey Griff;

With the Jays' recent run of 'luck' in terms of injuries to the pitching staff, at what point do people begin questioning the training staff? It just seems odd that so many pitchers, many of them young, seem to be going down. We've heard stories of how wonderful the training staff for the Phoenix Suns are (older, somewhat injury-prone players like Nash, Shaq & Grant Hill not only avoiding injury, but continuing to produce at a high level); does it not make sense that a less than stellar training staff could be playing a role in what's happening with the Jays' pitchers this spring (and over the last season or two)?

Trev Lloyd, Halifax

A: How would the Jays look with a starting rotation including Roy Halladay, Shaun Marcum, Dustin McGowan and Jesse Litsch? All those guys are on the DL, along with Casey Janssen, Scott Downs and Bobby Ray. Starting the year on the DL this year was Ricky Romero. Can you blame it on the training staff? No.

The fact is there is not much to separate training methods of various teams. The financial investments in players from all MLB organizations are so large and the players’ union is so strong that if there were any issues at all in one particular organization’s methods it would already have been noted. Every winter meeting the 30 MLB training staffs get together for a week and compare methods and there is nothing new under the training sun.

More likely is the fact that some organizations that don't have unlimited funds and are in smaller markets or are less appealing destinations (e.g. Toronto) sometimes need to take chances to compete. That includes bringing players on board with a history of arm, elbow and shoulder injuries that may flare up again. When they do, can you blame it on training methods? No.

Q: Could BJ Ryan's problems be related to his Tommy John surgery a couple of years ago? He came back from that quicker than the norm. Could his current problems be some sort of delayed side effect?

Mike Patton, Edmonton

A: The loss of velocity for Ryan has obviously been a perplexing situation for the Jays, but I don’t think that you can blame it on lingering effects of Tommy John surgery or on his returning from his rehab earlier than the norm. If it had been shoulder surgery, I might agree but T.J. surgery to the elbow can sometimes add velocity if a guy had been pitching with a frayed tendon in the elbow.

Ryan’s problems stem from other things. One of them seems to be that he does not seem to be the same physically imposing presence he was than when he was signed. Nobody has a good explanation for what seems like a permanent loss of velocity. At spring training, a thoery it may have been timing but after all this time, the velocity hasn’t come back.

Q: Richard,

I know that the Jays pitching staff has been hurting; I have been following the (New Hampshire) Fisher Cats this year and Marc Rzepczynski had another great game (June 19), any chance he gets called up soon?

Jerry Gunty, Sycamore

A: The 23-year-old lefty, selected in the fifth round of ’07, Rzepczynski has made 14 starts at New Hampshire with a 7-5 record, 2.93 ERA, 36 walks and 88 strikeouts in 76 innings. Recall that Jesse Litsch made the jump from Double-A to the majors. It’s possible, but his walk ratio is a little high and the one thing Gaston can’t stand with his pitchers is walks.

Q: Hi Richard,

Not a question but a couple of comments. First of all, those who are bemoaning the contract extension of Vernon Wells would be the same people who would be screaming "blue, bloody murder" had the Jays not re-signed him and let him go. Yes, Vernon (offensively) is currently not living up to expectations but I believe he eventually will and he is one of the best defensive centre-fielders in the game.

Secondly, I'd be willing to bet if you did a similar analysis of other MLB team's bad contracts you're findings would be similar. Every team offers contracts they later regret... it's a part of baseball and professional sport for that matter.

Steve Vincent, Toronto

A: I recall the winter before the Jays signed Vernon to a long-term deal, GM J.P. Ricciardi explored every trade possibility out there and did not come up with anything that made sense. Signing Wells long term was a fallback option. Wells was not Ricciardi's favourite player at the time. If he could not trade him then, it might be impossible to trade him now. Unfortunately the Jays timing with signing Wells long-term was not good. That was market value and length at the time just as the salaries were about to be reined in. It’s sort of like building the SkyDome just before Camden Yards signaled a new wave of fan-friendly retro stadiums.

Sure, every team has signed bad contracts, but teams like the Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers and Mets can overwhelm their mistakes with more cash and more new contracts. The Jays can’t do that so their bad deals are left out in the spotlight for all to marvel at.

Q: Hi Richard,

Jays’ management should have a look at their strength and conditioning program -- forget the stockpile of arm injuries, but what's with going on the DL by spraining a big toe while swinging a bat? No cheap shot intended but it's a little disturbing -- visions of Otto Velez -- didn't he sit out because of a hangnail? Cal Ripken can sleep at night.

Dave Henry, Toronto

A: Scott Downs’ toe injury leaving the batter’s box qualifies as a freak injury. I remember a catching prospect with the Expos named Bobbie Goodman. He was selected ahead of Gary Carter in the same draft. This guy was the king of freak injuries. Two of his better ones?

1. He hit a home run in AA-Quebec and tore up his knee before he even left the box. DL.

2. He was trying to fix the leather in his catcher’s glove using an awl. He pulled on the leather and the awl came loose and stabbed him right in the middle of the chest. DL. No one could ever say Goodman didn’t give his awl. He never played in the majors.

Q: Richard,

Speaking of the injury to Downs, what is your take on him hitting in that situation anyways? Jays were up five in the 10th inning and it wasn't a save opportunity coming up in the bottom of the inning. Shouldn't Cito be partly blamed for not pinch-hitting in that situation rather than having his closer hit? Cito was quite upset about how inter-league play has the potential for more injuries to pitchers who aren't accustomed to hitting but I think he needs to be accountable in that situation for his decision.

Kyle Verrips, Newmarket

A: Cito shouldn’t be blamed for Downs’ injury. If you’re going to blame someone, blame Downs. He had recorded the last out of the inning before and was the winning pitcher. Having him close out the game with a five-run lead is not a problem; having him swing the bat is the issue. He had stood and watched four pitches and worked the count to 2-2. The Jays did not need any more runs so he should have just stood there and watched strike three. But no, he swung the bat and dribbled a ball to short and hobbled out of the box. Embarrassing.

Q: Griff,

I emailed you a few weeks back about Alex Rios looking apathetic and like he doesn't really have any passion. You defended him. Just watched Rios not know how many outs there were versus the Phillies on night and get doubled off first on a line drive to center, saw him neglect to tag up at third on a potential sacrifice fly. I won't even mention the incident when he wouldn't sign an autograph. Care to reconsider your position?

Jess Bechard, London

A: I defend Rios as an athlete not as a brain surgeon. I think the Rios look that you call apathy is actually befuddlement followed by looking for a hole to crawl into. It might serve him better if he would show some anger at himself whenever he screws up on the bases or in some other baseball fundamental, but instead he looks apathetic by not showing emotion when the TV cameras zero in on a close-up.

One suggestion from a fellow media member is that the birth of one’s first child (for Rios it was less than a year ago) always affects performance on the field because of altered sleep patterns, etc. I don’t necessarily buy that. Another theory is that your baseball instincts are ingrained from a young age and if you had bad coaching growing up you may never change.

Q: Hey Richard!

With (the) news that Sammy Sosa had tested positive for PED's in 2003, it seems as if just about everyone was on the juice during this period of time. We've already seen how the Hall of Fame voters have reacted to such players over the past couple years with players like Mark McGwire getting minimal votes to gain entrance into Cooperstown.

My question is how this impacts players like former Blue Jay Fred McGriff. He was a guy who consistently produced similar numbers season after season and was never suspected of any PED use. While he finished shy of 500 career home runs and was not a high impact player throughout the steroid era, he quietly put together great numbers every year, won home run titles, performed in the playoffs and won a World Series with Atlanta in 1995.

Do continued stories like the ones we have heard about Sammy Sosa, A-Rod, Palmeiro, Manny, etc. help players like McGriff get votes for Cooperstown? A similar case could also be made for another former Blue Jay - Carlos Delgado.

Dan McKinnon, Toronto

A: I honestly believe that the bigger shame should be reserved for players like Manny Ramirez who test positive after 2004 after testing became mandatory and a list of illegal performance enhancers was made known to all players. Yes, the list of 104 failed tests in 2003 likely includes many of the games slugging stars, but I don’t believe that Hall of Fame voters as a group have formed enough of a consensus on how to handle the issue. As such, I think that guys like McGriff will benefit from some votes, but I don’t believe that the difference will be significant enough to get Fred into the Hall of Fame. The same with Delgado.

McGwire is not the best example of how the steroid revelations will affect future Hall voting because to many BBWAA voters, McGwire’s career, especially with the A’s, was fringe-Cooperstown even without the PED issue.

Click here to send Richard a question, and he'll answer a selection in his mailbag Wednesdays in this space. **Note: please follow the link above to send a question to Richard. Questions posted in the comments section may not make it to the mailbag. Thanks.**

Mail bag

It’s amazing how quickly the bloom has come off the rose for the Jays and their fans. The bouquets being tossed their way in April and early May have turned to the slings and arrows of outrageous misfortune here in June. But things are never as good as they seem nor as bad as they seem. A lot of readers are curious about Vernon Wells. Some wonder about Sammy Sosa. Others wonder if Alex Rios could really be as ignorant as he seemed off the field at the charity bash or on the field when he failed to tag up in the eighth. That’s the great thing about baseball. Yesterday’s bum is tomorrow’s hero. On to the mailbag.

Q: Hey Richard,

How many years/dollars does Vernon Wells have left on his contract? Is there any way the Jays can move him without eating a large chunk of salary? Do they put him on waivers to see if someone claims him like the Red Sox did with Manny a few years ago? With the ways things are going I'm sure he would appreciate a change of scene, maybe a new team could get him going. Are significant moves likely or will the Jays be in lockdown mode until the new GM is appointed?

Jonathan Spain, Toronto

A: According to the usually reliable Cot’s Baseball Contracts website, here are the details of Vernon’s remaining years and dollars. On March 1, next spring, the Jays will pay him $8.5 million as the final installment of his signing bonus. Then for 2010 season he gets $12.5 million. In 2011, his salary jumps up to $23 million. At that point he can unilaterally opt out of his contract, leaving the final three seasons of $21 million per year for 201-14 on the table. To do that, he would have to be completely out of his mind. So, the total commitment for Vernon remaining after this season is five years, $107 million.

Can the Jays trade him without eating a large chunk of salary? In one word, no. And say the Jays have to eat $7 million per year in order to trade him, then the man replacing him in centre field is costing the Jays’ his own salary-plus-seven mill, so why bother trading one of the best defenders in baseball. I have a feeling they’re stuck with him – unless he opts out after 2011. But why would he? GM J.P. Ricciardi called Carlos Delgado’s contract an albatross around the team’s neck. Wells’ deal is the elephant in the room. As for waivers, don’t worry. Wells will be on every waiver list from here on out as the Jays look for a dance partner to make a deal. It won’t happen.

Q: I know you have dealt with this question many times, but how much longer can the Blue Jays suffer with Vernon Wells? There is no question about his defensive capabilities, but his hitting is atrocious. For a number three or four guy, he is failing miserably with runners in scoring position and not much better with no one on base. Cito has done a great job with the team, but it’s time to either bench Vernon, move him down in the order, send him down to Syracuse to work on his hitting, or trade him and eat the contract. He adds little value to this team and in fact he probably hurts the team more than he helps and that's disappointing.

Joel Rosen, Toronto

A: How much longer can the Jays’ suffer with Vernon Wells? How about five years, three months and 20 days.

At some point, manager Cito Gaston is going to have to move him down in the batting order. They would love to be able to send him to Syracuse because their Triple-A team is now in Las Vegas and that means he would be with another organization.

Why would they eat his contract? Unlike NFL football, every dime of a multi-year contract is guaranteed. That being said, Vernon is showing signs of snapping out of his funk in the last two games and recall, he is averaging 92 RBIs per season for the seven years since 2002. If he gets hot and produces 20 HR, 80 RBI it will be less of an issue by the end of September – until next year’s slow start.

Q: Hi Richard,

With Vernon being so terrible, when do the questions of Performance Enhancing Drugs start? Looking at the history, its hard not to wonder about him. When he was having his big years there was no testing and baseball clearly didn't even care. Then as baseball starts to look at this issue, he starts to get injured more often and his numbers are in a freefall. Also, the Jays clubhouse has a bit of a history of having guys affiliated with PED's, Canseco and Clemens come to mind first. I'm not accusing him of anything, but it could help to explain some things. Your thoughts?

James Doyle, Tofino, B.C.

A: I am beginning to get over the heretofore obsession with performance-enhancing drugs – but only as they are reported prior to 2004. Anything fresh like Manny failing his test this spring is damning. As you point out, there was no testing back in the day and baseball (especially the union) clearly didn’t care. That, in hindsight, is the biggest cloud over the history of the Players’ Association, protecting and enabling the cheaters for all those years by fighting mandatory testing efforts by MLB.

In any case, there are many players that show the same pattern as Wells in that their most productive seasons were from ’98 to ’03. Mandatory testing kicked in in ’04. In ‘03 there was testing that was supposed to remain anonymous, meant simply as an indicator for both sides whether the union would agree to mandatory testing. The 104 positive results represented a high enough percentage of positive tests to introduce the new mandatory testing policy. The names on that list were never meant to be revealed. A-Rod and now Sammy Sosa are reported to be on that list of 104 cheaters. Nobody seems surprised.

My personal indignation from the pre-testing Steroid Era has been muted through time. If a player, since then, has lied about his use of PEDs to lawyers or to the public, that’s’ more of what I have a problem with - players like Rafael Palmeiro, A-Rod, Sosa and others. All of a sudden, Mark McGwire, who refused to talk about any possible use of performance enhancers on his part, looks like the smartest guy in the room.

Q: Is there any way that Vernon Wells will be traded?

Joe M., Thorold

A: No.

Q: Hi Richard,

In your opinion, what were the five worst contracts ever given out by the Jays? I'm thinking Wells' contract may end up being number one. Not only can't he hit when it matters, he is virtually untradeable unless we can buzz him into a Red Sox vs. Yanks commodity.

Martin Haurilak, Toronto

A: The Jays have given away some dandy contracts over the years. In my mind, here is the Top 7 in terms of squandered cash – relative to the time. I won’t put Wells on that list yet because the jury might still be considered out, given that he has time to regroup.

1. Joey Hamilton (’99-’01). 14-18 in 50 games. Three years, $17.0 million. Hamilton came highly recommended by assistant GM Dave Stewart who suggested the multi-year reward. He wavered between injured and mediocre.

2. Bill Caudill (’85-’86). 6-10, 16 saves. Three years, $4.0 million. The biggest contract mistake by the Pat Gillick regime, he never lived up to the role he was brought in for just as the Jays became an AL power.

3. Randy Myers (’98). 3-4, 28 saves. Three years, $18.0 million. The Jays were in a spending mode and tapped the free-agent market for a fearsome Orioles left-handed closer. After three months of eccentric behaviour, the Jays put him on waivers and the Padres grabbed him out of panic that the Braves might take him.

4. Erik Hanson (’96-’98). 13-20 in 49 games. Three years, $10 million. Injured for much of his tenure, he busied himself as Roger Clemens’ personal valet and golf partner on the road while he rehabbed. It was written in ’98 that only Tiger Woods made more money that year for just playing golf.

5. B.J. Ryan (’06-’09). 5-8, 75 saves. The five-year, $47 million contract was at the time the highest paid to a reliever. B.J. was injured for a year and has lost his closer’s role with another year to go on his deal. Jays like to tap O’s for overpriced left-handed closers.

6. Mike Sirotka (’01-‘02). Never played. Two years, $6.8 million. This trade may have cost Gord Ash his job as Jays’ GM. Sirotka apparently hurt himself on an MLB Japanese tour but the Jays traded for him sight unseen. Since then, physical exams on all players are mandatory before a deal is completed.

7. Frank Thomas (’07-’08). 29 HR, 106 RBI. Two years, $18.1 million. The Big Hurt was as one-dimensional as you can get by the time he got to the Jays. Ricciardi signed him a year too late. He clogged the bases and the lineup and was released after he could no longer play every day.

Mail bag

I’m starting to think that the most important player in Blue Jays history is not Joe Carter or Robby Alomar, Lloyd Moseby, Tony Fernandez or Dave Stieb. It’s Tommy John.

Once again, the Jays have been hit by the news that another of their pitchers, Jesse Litsch, needs the tricky reconstructive elbow surgery first performed on the former Dodgers left-hander by Dr. Frank Jobe wherein the good doctor took a tendon from John’s right wrist and transplanted it into his left elbow. The operation has become more sophisticated and more successful over the years, with a shorter recovery time, with some people actually seeing it as a way to prevent future elbow issues by having it done at the first sign of trouble. Sobering Trivia Question: Which pitcher has recorded the most career wins following Tommy John surgery. Answer: Tommy John.

Why are so many Jays pitchers having elbow problems? Could it be the cut fastball? A healthy Litsch worked on adding the cutter to his repertoire last year, being able to throw it to both sides of the plate at any time. Before that he was a healthy No. 4-5 starter. After adding the cut fastball he became a 2-3 starter, but went down with what was called a forearm strain extending into the elbow in his second start in April.

Congrats to the Jays for taking two Canadians in their first three picks. The 98 m.p.h. throwing James Paxton from the University of Kentucky via B.C. has a nice little slider and is close to being ready for a major-league bullpen. High-schooler Jake Eliopoulos from Newmarket, Ontario is a long-term project. Was the fact that Order of Canada holder Paul Beeston was in the Jays war-room last night a factor? Yes. On to the mail bag.

Q: Hi Richard,

Can you please tell me what is happening with Alex Rios? First he is struggling then he embarrasses the fans and club by having an exchange with a fan. He has too much talent and I think brains to be caught up with the fans that help pay his salary. I can understand the frustrations but answer them back on the field with your play.

Bahama Tonn, Bahamas

A: I agree with you. That was an embarrassment that would not have happened with a mentor like Carlos Delgado still on the team for the young players, especially the Latin kids. Earlier in the day of the incident, Rios had struck out five times and was still stinging from the crowd reaction and the personal failure. But when you attend a charity event, you have to expect autograph seekers and interaction with fans, some of whom enjoy disrespecting players in ways that would not normally happen in normal social situations. But the Jays did not do enough. In addition to the scripted apology that he issued, the team should have suspended him for one game and donated the money from that suspension to the Jays Foundation. This was not the famous “Blue Jay Way”.

Q: Hey Richard,

I know (or think I know) your opinions of J.P. Ricciardi and agree that he's no Pat Gillick, but I've always kind of thought that the job itself (as Blue Jays GM) is a real tough one. What are your thoughts of where Toronto ranks in difficulty for a GM to be successful?

In Toronto's case they have to convince/overpay players because they're in a Canadian market, they have to compete with the Yankees and Red Sox (not to mention that they can't trade their stars to these teams - we can't fleece the Yanks in a trade like other teams can) and they've got a decent but by no means high salary cap.

Expectations might play a factor in that I don't think fans here ever really think we'll be in the playoffs any given year anymore, but aside from that, I don't think there's a more difficult market to win in.

Hmmm, maybe these are excuses for J.P. I just don't think that if Theo Epstein stepped in as Toronto GM that we would necessarily see success in five years. Maybe it was JP's arrogance in setting expectations that is doing him in.

Steve S., Vancouver

A: I think the problems of being a GM in Toronto are over-stated in your question. The Jays did fine luring players to Toronto in the early ‘90s. The secret was in winning. The other secret was in treating the players and their families with respect and affection. The Jays have strayed from those principles over the years.

They fell into the trap, for a while, of throwing in escape clauses to seal deals like the ones they gave to Roger Clemens, Ricciardi and A.J. Burnett. Before he left office, ex-president Paul Godfrey insisted they would never do that again.

Do you think it’s easier to sell a player on Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Cleveland or other towns just because those teams are in the States?

As for being in the same division as the Red Sox and Yankees and not being able to trade with them, when was the last time J.P. fleeced anyone in a trade?

Ricciardi’s job should be easier now than when he arrived because his payroll budget is now mid-pack in the major leagues and that is good enough to compete - if the money is spent wisely. I think fans every winter believe that the Jays can and will compete for the wild card, but it’s difficult when the front office, as they did this past winter, downplays their own team’s chances of reaching the playoffs. When you speak of no expectations for the playoffs, maybe you’re thinking about the Leafs.

I do believe that people are looking for any positives in support of the eight years of Ricciardi. So they point to his drafted guys on the 25-man roster like Ricky Romero, Casey Janssen, Adam Lind and Shaun Marcum; they brag of free agent bargains like Scott Downs, Brian Tallet and Jesse Carlson and they shake a fist in the general direction of those that doubt the direction of the program. Dude, if you’ve been there eight years, you should have guys on the roster that can play. But can they win?

Q: Hi Richard,

By the time this question is posted, Tom Glavine and his 305 career wins may have hooked up with someone already. What's your take on this Jays taking a chance on this future Hall of Famer? Having a seasoned veteran like Glavine will buy time for Ricky Romero to develop in Las Vegas for one more year. In two starts since his return from the DL, Romero has not exactly been impressive. Assuming there are still some miles left in the tank, a rotation of Halladay, Glavine, Janssen, Tallet and Richmond gives the Jays a nice righty/lefty balance. Furthermore, the presence of Glavine will also take some spotlight off from Doc, which is not a bad thing as it seems right now all hopes for the Jays to have any chance this year are squarely pinned on Doc's shoulders. What is Glavine's contract situation, should the Jays decide to pick him up?

Henry Wang, Hong Kong

A: Tom Glavine is a great guy and formerly a great pitcher and this, some time ago, was a great notion, but the window of his AL opportunity closed on Glavine about three years ago. He’s become a total finesse nibbler and needs to finish his career in the NL.

Even if Glavine was on board with the Jays, they would still have room for Romero in the rotation.

I don’t think Doc needs our help in removing the spotlight from himself. In fact, the others in the Jays’ rotation perform better in the dimly lit shadows just outside the spotlight’s glare. Glavine is a total free agent and would require just the pro-rated major-league minimum to sign. It’s totally up to him where he wants to go and the only way he earns more than the minimum is if there are multiple bidders. I would still rather try and sign Pedro if I was looking for one veteran arm to shore up the rotation for a playoff run.

Q: Richard,

With Ricciardi's recent comments regarding the Jays position come trade deadline, that being if they are in a standings position that ownership will allow him to add a player with substantial salary, he made mention of 10 million. So, my question would be what players or type of players would JP trade for? Are we talking a Peavey/Oswalt type or an Esteban Loaiza addition?

Secondly, would JP make a trade with his best trading partner Billy Beane for say Matt Holliday? What do you foresee JP doing if the Jays are in a strong position for the division, or more realistic the wild card?

Scott Cochrane, Niagara-on-the-Lake

A: Ricciardi was only re-stating something that Paul Beeston had talked about a month ago. There is money available. There was also money available this winter that had been earmarked for A.J. Burnett, but ownership under Beeston looked at J.P.’s track record of spending big money on frivolous, new big-ticket items and decided to keep the money in their pockets instead of risking J.P. potentially squander it.

Recall that Ricciardi was hired back in 2001 with the mandate to save old money not to spend new. That was never his expertise when he was hired and he proves it time after time. After a few years he sold the Rogers ownership on the fact that he could win if they would only give him more money. They did and he didn’t.

Ricciardi pulled the $10 million figure out of the air. Remember that cash is pro-rated for the final two months (about 33-per cent). As the trade deadline approaches check out: 1. veteran starters with five-plus years of service; 2. veteran left-handed power bats (either DH or outfield) with free agency on the horizon or with young players pushing them for full-time duty with their current team.

Q: Hey Richard,

I Love reading your column and you do provide some good insight. I was just wondering as a fan how I can try to get an autograph from any of the players? I would love to get an autograph from Roy Halladay. Now I know it is hard to approach them when they are warming up. Any tips would be great!

Benjamin Low, Richmond Hill

A: I would suggest that to get Halladay’s autograph, you would need to run into him on the street. At the ballpark, he’s more reclusive than Howard Hughes. Otherwise, plan a trip to spring training in March and just hang out during the morning workout and again during the game down the right field line at Dunedin Stadium near the Jays’ clubhouse. At some point, the whole world wanders by. Most guys will stop and sign or come back out and sign – if you are polite. If not, blame it on Rios.

Q: Hey Richard,

Just wondering if we might ever expect to see this Brian Dopirak fellow in a Jays uniform. He's been tearing it up in the minors for the last year and a half and is formerly being a highly-touted prospect in the Cubs organization. He's still fairly young too. Could this guy eventually replace Lyle Overated?

Demian R., Vancouver

A: Dopirak cut an impressive figure at spring training, at 6-4, with distinctive tattoos and major-league swagger. Unfortunately that’s where it ended. At 25-years-old, he has bounced back and forth the last seven seasons between low-A, high-A and Double-A for the Cubs and Jays’ organizations, racking up 129 homers and a slugging mark of almost .500. However, he seems like a career minor-leaguer, useful in putting together a minor-league winner, but stepping aside when there’s a hotshot prospect to be looked at in the same position. He’s a product of Dunedin High School in the Jays’ backyard. It makes his travel expenses a bargain for the Jays to keep him around.

Q: Yo Griff.

What's this I hear that Travis Snider is being platooned at Las Vegas and not facing left-handers? How is this going to improve his development and get him back to Toronto? Nothing against Jose Bautista, but he was designated for assignment by a bad Pirates team last season.

DeShaun Kozak, Uxbridge, Ont.

A: At 21-years-old, Snider is just undergoing the natural growing pains of a hot prospect. Burned into my brain are the images of watching Snider take B.P. at the Metrodome in April, peppering the upper deck with home runs, including two in a real game – one off the upper façade and one down an entrance ramp in the upper reaches. That exhibition of power tells me he’s for real. He just needs to find the same truths that Adam Lind did between going 1-for-19 and being shipped out under John Gibbons, to what he is doing under Cito right now. Of course, Lind is four years older than Snider.

If he is being platooned at Vegas it’s a “one step at a time” thing. Figure out how to hit right-handers and then we’ll start you against left-handers. Figure out how to hit right-handers and left-handers and you’ll be back in the bigs. As for the Pirates, maybe it’s decisions like that which keep them a bad Pirates team.

Q: Joe who? Joe Inglett. Please tell me what this guy brings to the table that Travis Snider did not? At least with Snider, you were guaranteed of a dinger, on average, every third week or so. Is it because Inglett's a better fielder? Was this guy tearing it up in the minors? Is this the best the farm system has to offer at this point? Instead of demoting Snider, why didn't the Jays just take some of the pressure off him by simply moving him into a back-up role behind Bautista, until he gets things sorted out, the role that the "hot-hitting" Inglett currently occupies? I mean, we're talking the LF position here. When are we going to see some pop out of that spot? Maybe through a trade? Bautista is not the long-term solution, either.

Darrell Holtze, Guelph, Ont.

A: It’s funny how major-league organizations work. Inglett may not have quite reached his talent ceiling but if he stands on his tippy-toes he can touch it. Meanwhile, Snider’s talent potential ceiling is more like a soaring cathedral-like open space, with a Sistine Chapel paint job still very possible.

Since you already know how good Inglett is ever going to be and this is close to it, then why not bring him up to fill a role as a backup for a month or two? It won’t hurt his development because he’s arrived at the final destination station of his career. The reason it’s Inglett up from Vegas is that you don’t want to bring up a better long-term prospect and have him sit on the bench behind Bautista. Guys like Inglett, Chris Woodward, Tom Lawless, Casey Candaele, Ryan Freel and others of that ilk can forge long major-league careers by accepting that role, learning many positions and not pricing themselves out of the market. Everyone can use guys like that. It’s a role that former No. 1 pick Russ Adams is trying to learn.

Q: Hi Richard,

I was at the Jays game on Sunday and noticed that every time Kevin Millar came to the plate the song Tiny Dancer by Elton John was played. I was wondering if this is a regular occurrence or if maybe he had lost a bet with one of the guys on the team.

Thanks and I love the mail bag,

Brian R., Orangeville, Ont.

A: Yes, unfortunately Tiny Dancer and Kevin Millar will be forever linked. Millar has a tremendous, self-deprecating sense of humour that has served him well over the years. The team at spring training always asks the players for their preferred theme song. For instance, Scott Rolen has Coldplay. For Millar, the rumour is that it was a tossup between Elton’s Tiny Dancer, The Safety Dance by the Canadian mega-group, Men Without Hats and Disco Inferno by The Trammps. He settled on Captain Fantastic.

Click here to send Richard a question, and he'll answer a selection in his mailbag Wednesdays in this space. **Note: please follow the link above to send a question to Richard. Questions posted in the comments section may not make it to the mailbag. Thanks.**

Mail Bag

It sure looks like the Jays are out of their temporary funk. Of course it always seems like it happens whenever Roy Halladay dominates a start like he did on Tuesday. By the way, I’m really looking forward to live-blogging off the Thursday matinee vs. the Angels from the Rogers Centre. Did it once before on May 5 for Brett Cecil’s big league debut vs. the Indians and especially enjoyed the give-and-take with Jays’ fans. Join me at 12:30 p.m. Thursday for the starting lineups and then stay with me online throughout the game.

It seemed amazing to me when they announced that Halladay’s strikeout high prior to Monday’s great 14-K performance vs. the Angels had been just 11. The answer lies in the fact that Halladay, despite his ability to strike people out in certain situations that call for a strikeout, prefers to pitch to contact and conserve his pitch count, looking for ground balls early in at-bats. Why then did he miss so many Angel bats? He insisted following the game that his philosophy didn’t change, but that he was getting ahead of hitters all night - and once he gets ahead with two strikes, he always goes for the jugular and tries to put them away. He also admitted with a big smile that he may have benefited from a sometimes-generous strike zone, but give him full credit, the guy’s a beast of burden. A lot of pitchers are done after 88 pitches. Halladay threw 88 strikes.

We’ll see you again tomorrow afternoon for the live blog, now onto the mail bag.

Q: Richard, I don't feel the last two weeks of poor play tell the tale of the 2009 Blue Jays just yet. It is far too early to call it a season. With tons of ball left, I'm thrilled that even when we lost so many in a row we are right in the thick of things in the east. However, whenever a skid lasts as long as it has, something can be said for the character and maybe lack of leadership on a team? With Gaston being more of a hands-off manager, do they have someone in the clubhouse that is vocal with the boys to help lift their spirits? It doesn't appear to be the loose team we saw coming away from Toronto after sweeping (the White Sox). And am I the only one that found getting swept by Atlanta somewhat embarrassing? Not just that it happened but the way it happened was simply depressing.

Mike Harper, Fort St. John, B.C.

A: I agree with you about the nine days of bad results on the winless road trip not being an indicator of a lost season. What’s amazing is that every contender in the American League seems to have glaring weaknesses. There is no one team that can be pointed to as a clear favourite that can be expected to run away with it in the second half. Start with the Yankees and their middle relief. Move on to the Red Sox at shortstop and DH and the Rays’ year two letdown with young hitting and starters. It may come down to who makes the best additions at the trade deadline and beyond. Can you spell Yanks and Sox?

As for clubhouse leadership, most of that, from a team standpoint, tends to take place between the white lines. For instance, if the same player can come through at the plate and deliver the big RBI with the result of the game on the line twice in one week, that’s leadership. If a starting pitcher can go out three times in a row and work 7-9 innings, allowing just a couple of runs, giving his team a chance to win, that’s leadership. As for guys when they’re in the clubhouse, consider there are 25 players of different ages, with different personalities, backgrounds and personal values. It’s hard for one voice to be a leader, especially when there are still 108 games to go. Nobody has panicked. Baseball is not a rah-rah sport anyway. More likely, there may be many leaders in the clubhouse with small groups of their own followers. It’s whatever works. When things are going well, it always looks like the leadership is there. When a team is on a losing streak, you feel like you could fire a cannon through the clubhouse and not hit a leader. Gaston has not had a general team meeting all season to lead the charge and he likely will not.

Q: Hello Richard,

Having hit absolute bottom in Baltimore perhaps you would comment on the general drift of these questions. Do teams actually have a collective character, team pride, and sense of history that the players appreciate? It certainly seems like some teams do. Where does it come from? Can it help when you are at ten and counting? Do the Jays have it?

Phoenix Rhys, Ottawa

A: What you are describing is a lack of panic that permeates from veteran players and is sensed, if a team is lucky, by the younger players. The younger players at some point become veterans and pass that calm on to the next generation, etc. In baseball, the feeling in the clubhouse is always that momentum is as good as the next starting pitcher, so there is always the feeling that today is another day and that there is no losing streak that can’t be stopped that day. Unfortunately, there are weeks where the bullpen fails for a stretch, or an error always seems to come at the wrong moment, or someone on the other side of the field comes up with a huge hit or defensive play, or Doc gets a no-decision and they go on to lose and a losing streak bubbles to the surface. The belief in history is that the whims of the “baseball gods” are like a strained hamstring – day-to-day.

Q: Well, Richard, I have just finished picking myself up after the extra-inning debacle in Baltimore. First time in club history to be swept in three consecutive series, as I recall Jamie Campbell saying during the broadcast. Let's hope this is rock bottom, and by the time the June 3 mailbag is posted, we will all be enjoying another winning streak.

My question is really a simple one. You've been around baseball for a number of years, and you've seen teams performing at both ends of the spectrum. How does a nightmare like May 27 in Baltimore impact the relationship between the starting pitching, and the bullpen? I mean, it's not like Doc is going to verbally bash anyone (sure doesn't seem like his style) but have you seen these things lead to problems? With contracts today being so incentive-laden, a few of these "drops" by the bullpen can be costly financially, as well as in the standings. I just wonder if they aren't costly in other, less tangible ways.

Thanks Richard! Here's hoping things have improved by the time we read this!

Jon Empringham, Woodstock, Ont.

A: Halladay’s response to the Jays’ bullpen letting him down in Baltimore was not personal. Instead, on Tuesday, coming off a pair of tough no decisions in which he had allowed just three combined runs in 14 innings in Atlanta and at Camden Yards, Roy took the ball and a two-run lead to the mound for the ninth inning and finished it off himself. Scott Downs threw a few pitches when Kendry Morales singled with two out, but that was it. Most pitchers can’t do what Doc does, but if you don’t want the bullpen to blow a lead for you, then don’t keep looking to the bullpen after six or seven with a lead like most of today’s young pitchers do.

As for incentive-laden contracts, most of the incentives in a pitcher’s contract are for appearances and innings pitched, a couple of statistics that don’t rely on the success or failures of teammates. However, that can affect your next contract. Consider that in games started by A.J. Burnett for the Jays last year, the bullpen allowed one run all season, total, for the year. They blew no saves and made all his game results look great. You have to believe that was worth a few million extra for A.J. in negotiations with the Yankees.

P.S. Things have improved by the time you read this.

Q: You didn't just choose Rex Hudler over Vin Scully as a broadcaster did you? I liked Rex as a ball player but Vin is king. I have MLB extra innings and I will listen to Vin Scully any chance I can get.

John Patten, Georgetown, Ont.

A: Sometimes, subtlety and humour are wasted on the overly intense. I received much e-mail in a similar vein of disbelief re the Tale of the Tape between the Angels and Dodgers. In the mailbag answer to which you refer, the one that I picked Rex Hudler over Vin Scully, recall that I also picked the Rally Monkey over Tommy Lasorda as the better mascot and I, tongue-in-cheek, preferred the fact of Dodger Stadium actually sitting on top of the San Andreas Fault over Angels Stadium being situated next to Disneyland. Actually, Hud is pretty damned entertaining and at some point, the octogenarian Hall-of-Famer, Scully must surely lose his fastball. It happens to everyone. But in answer to the original question, yes I did pick Rex and no, I wasn’t (completely) serious.

Q: Richard, after watching Alex Rios walk off second base in the Baltimore game when he was safe, I have totally had it with this clown. How can a renowned baseball man such as Cito Gaston even contemplate putting an idiot like this in his lineup? There's not a G.M. in all of baseball except for that goofball Riccardi who would put up with the defensive and offensive shortcomings of this guy.

To make my point, Baltimore thought they had a can't-miss in Corey Patterson but when it became obvious Patterson would amount to nothing more that a dud they dumped him and moved on. Obviously Riccardi's ego won't allow him to rectify huge mistakes like Alex Rios but what about the president of this organization? Where is Paul Beeston? He used to be a builder of great ball teams here in Toronto. Can you imagine Cito Gaston playing a numbskull like Alex Rios every day on the '92 and '93 Toronto Blue Jays? I can't! Rios is the proverbial "The lights are on, but nobody's home!" Get rid of him!

Rick Wyatt, Cardinal, Ont.

A: Clown…idiot…goofball…dud…numbskull. I thought for a second there I was reading my personal fan mail…that, or else a text-message from home. But in answer to your question, yeah, it was a stupid play by Rios, popping up from his slide and walking off the base. From an early age we teach our young players to stay on the base until an umpire tells you you’re out. Rios did not remember the basic rule. However over the course of a long season, the same brain farts happen to a lot of players, it’s just that when it happens in the middle of Loss No. 9 of a nine-game losing streak, it tends to stand out. On Tuesday night, in the sixth inning, for instance, Angels’ second baseman Howie Kendrick sprinted around second base on a line drive to left field thinking two were out. He was running on contact. Instead, there was one out and Jose Bautista flipped a throw across the diamond to Kevin Millar for an inning-ending double play…numbskull.

Q: Good Day,

Couple of quick questions. Rios overruns 2B after originally being called safe. Why isn't Wells awarded a hit?

Is it a DH or do pitchers hit in the minors?

And lastly, the Jays are now in the PCL a notorious hitting league correct? Should we not worry when ERAs are a tad higher than normal and not get excited when the batting numbers are up as well?

The Wells question is really bothering me.

Matthew Fox, Toronto

A: On the Wells is-it-a-hit question, the play was scored a fielder’s choice, with Rios beating the throw. The scorer’s feeling was that if he hadn’t gone for the out at second, the infielder would have had a play on Wells at first base. That being the case, there is no hit, but neither is there an error scored on a play like that. It’s considered just a poor decision, a mental blunder and a fielder’s choice, so when Rios then strayed off the bag, the putout went to the infielder with no assist on the play since he was already safe.

Question 2, in the minors they used to use the DH only in the park of AL affiliates and no DH in the park of NL affiliates but many years ago, I think it was in the ‘80s, in the minors they all became DH parks. Even the NL organizations thought it better to get at-bats for their position players rather than have their pitchers hit.

Finally, The Pacific Coast League has always been a hitter’s league and therefore, you are right. One must beware of any great batting averages and power numbers and on the other hand don’t fret if a pitcher is working on something and gets lit up in Vegas. For instance, Jays’ pitchers Brad Mills, Brett Cecil, Robert Ray, Ricky Romero, David Purcey, Bill Murphy and Brian Wolfe are a combined 0-13 in 42 games, 24 starts, with a combined ERA of 4.79.

Q: Richard, teach us. Throwing Inside: Penny brushed two Jays hitters back, near their faces, Friday at Rogers Dome. Pedroia was hit in the legs by Tallet an inning or two later. Was it retaliation? What codes now govern this ageless baseball dynamic in the American League with its DH? How would you describe the fine line that divides hitters who try to take away the outside part of the plate by standing close to the plate and those who "cross the line" by being too close? What triggers a pitcher to brush back a hitter?

Charles Novogrodsky, Toronto

A: I don’t think the Tallet plunk of the MVP Pedroia was retaliation. Penny was moving hitters off the plate by working inside with two strikes, an age-old pitching tradition that far too many young inexperienced pitchers have forgotten about. But for a veteran with diminishing skills like Penny, it is an important part of pitching. Tallet had already walked Pedroia twice in the game when he drilled him in the fifth inning. Even Tallet will admit that his biggest obstacle to establishing himself as a top-tier starter is his walk total and sometimes lack of command. He promptly picked off Pedroia.

It’s not the fact of standing too close to the plate that establishes the fine line for hitters, it’s “diving” across the plate to cheat and cover the outside half with power that annoys pitchers. Two of the biggest offenders over the years were both first basemen: Andres Galarraga and Mo Vaughan. These guys would cheat and look for that outside pitch and when a pitcher crossed them up and came slightly up and in, they would be forced to snap backwards landing on their butt, bat flying, making it look like a sniper had got them from the upper deck when in fact, the pitch was not even that close. Cheating and trying to own both sides of the plate is often what triggers a pitcher to brush him back.

Q: Good reporting on the "slump". A lot of pitchers have trouble in the first inning, seemingly too much adrenaline and they talk about "settling down" as the game goes on. Yanks had Joba throw simulated inning before a start. Wouldn't it be a good practice to use 12 extra pitches or so like that to settle down, so as not to throw those 12 extra pitches in the first inning, walking two and trying to be too fine etc. Kind of like spending to save; counter-intuitive, but, perhaps, effective.

David Burkholder, Tatamagouche, N.S.

A: The problem is that like cockroaches becoming immune to bug-spray after a while, once pitchers realize they are throwing those 12 extra pitches before every start, they no longer become 12 extra pitches. They become part of the routine. Then, to be effective, they have to throw 12 more extra pitches and so on and so on. Pretty soon the guy’s got to begin his warmup at 4:30 p.m. for a 7:30 start. I like to think that first-inning woes are sometimes the result of the other team’s top of the order facing the starting pitcher after watching hours of recent video, being on top of a starter’s tendencies. The good starters make adjustments and settle in for a long day. Recall the way the White Sox jumped on Doc’s cutter in the first inning of that game in May. The next time around the order Halladay had made his changes and was dominant. There was no adrenaline, just smarts.

Q: Hi Richard, I love reading your blog. One thing that I've noticed about baseball in comparison to other pro sports is that baseballers rarely celebrate on the field during the game. If a shortstop pulls a miraculous double play, he barely cracks a smile. If a pitcher gets out of a jam by throwing three strikeouts in a row with loaded bases - the crowd goes wild but the pitcher marches off the mound like nothing happened! While I wouldn't like to see the kinds of ridiculous outbursts that occur in other sports, it does seem that baseball is oddly lacking in passion. What do you think is behind this?

Matthew Clark, Sydney, Australia

A: Baseball is definitely different in that regard, although there are pitchers that celebrate at the end of an inning like Hall-of-Fame reliever Dennis Eckesrsley and Yankee youngster Joba Chamberlain. When they do, it is not received well by the hitters, although I disagree. There’s nothing wrong with showing a little real emotion out there. But there is a reason for this seeming stoicism. Unlike many of the other mainstream sports – Australian rules football, rugby, footy, hurling – baseball players are taught that the game is best played while relaxed and focused. You watch the hands of a hitter in the batter’s box. As he stares out at the pitcher, his face is totally relaxed and his hands are playing the bat handle like a piccolo. Tension breeds failure. Tension also breeds bursts of emotional release upon completion of a task, which is why there are fewer such moments in baseball. That is true also for fielders and pitchers.

Q: Can you give me the status on Jesse Litsch. Any estimate on when he will be back.

Vito Maglliano, Martinez

A: Litsch’s recovery from a strained forearm-connected-to-the-elbow has been slow. He went to see Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Alabama and returned to Florida where he resumed throwing from a mound. There is no timetable for his pitching in a game because reports are he continues to feel pain. It’s one of those perplexing injuries that will allow him to return when it allows him to return. Surgery has not been ruled out.

Q: In the last little bit I've been building a theory that a lot of Roy Halladay's earned runs come via the home run. Any idea whether that is true? I wonder how he stacks up in relation to other great pitchers that way.

David Smith, Ottawa

A: Doc has allowed six homers in 91 innings this season. He allowed 26 homers in his Cy Young season and has been between 11 and 19 per year since. Like all great pitchers, Halladay pitches to the game situation and in game where he has a comfortable lead, he challenges hitters and often gives up his homers in those situations. One great example of this was Ferguson Jenkins of Chatham, Ontario. Fergie led the league in homers allowed seven times, yielding 30 or more bombs seven times, capped by a 40-homer season in 1979 for the Rangers. The vast majority of them were with nobody on base.

Q: Hi Richard:

While Brian Wolfe did his best Joey McLaughlin impersonation last Wednesday afternoon in Baltimore (Chet Lemon's Grand Slam in '84), I'm left cliffhanging and perplexed why B.J. Ryan was removed after two batters in the bottom of the 12th inning. Wasn't this situation the opportunity to determine if Ryan has the "stuff" to shut down the opposition and save games? By taking him out, the message was sent loud and clear by Field Management to the contrary and one will never know the answer. It's a lot of money to pay for a situational lefty rather than a closer. No doubt Ryan's days in Toronto are numbered.

Hersh Brenman, Thornhill

A: I’m with you. I wrote a column on the subject last week and Cito thought I was saying that he didn’t like his pitchers and we had a long discussion. But I believed that Ryan over Wolfe in that situation was a no-brainer, no matter what you think of Ryan’s prospects in the future. Cito said his plan was always for Ryan to face two left-handers and then come out of the game. He got one of them out. Then Wolfe came on and couldn’t retire anyone, resulting in the ninth loss in a row. Yes, $10 million is too much to pay for a situational lefty. However, Scott Downs is a bargain as a closer.

Click here to send Richard a question, and he'll answer a selection in his mailbag Wednesdays in this space. **Note: please follow the link above to send a question to Richard. Questions posted in the comments section may not make it to the mailbag. Thanks.**

Mail Bag

Amazing. In the space of one road trip, skittish Jays fans have gone from puffing out their chests with pride and planning an October parade route down Yonge Street, to demanding a dismantling of the roster, looking over their shoulders with fear and trepidation at the Orioles. The fact is, in the world of MLB nothing is ever that good and nothing is ever that bad. Baseball, of all the major North American pro sports, has the most parity of them all. Consider that as of Monday morning, only the Dodgers boasted a win-percentage above .600 and only the Nationals had sunk below .400. What that means mathematically is that 28 of 30 major-league teams win between 4 to 6 times out of every 10 games that they play. Oh, and one more thing. Gaston will eventually change his batting order.On to the mail bag.

Q: Some venting for you Richard. What has been absolutely killing me in watching this losing streak is to see the enormous number of men this team continues to leave on base. I can't even begin to comprehend the lack of hitting with men on base in key situations. I mean it's everyone. Every single player kills rallies, to the point where they can't even get a runner home from third with less than two outs. As a fan, this is actually worrying because this is becoming reminiscent of teams over the last few years - teams that just did not have a killer instinct. As a fan, am I to worry, or is this just a short-term dilemma?

Zaki Ameen, Mississauga

A: Even Cito Gaston has pointed at this lack of clutch as his main bugaboo over the length of the losing streak. The Jays can get 8-13 hits per game and still only seem to manufacture 1-2 runs.

Certainly good pitchers approach hitters differently when nobody is on base and your team has a lead. Challenge the hitters with strikes and make them earn their way one base and earn their way back into the game. Since the Jays always seem to be trailing during the losing streak, the hitters are seeing more hittable pitches – that is until Jays runners reach scoring position. At that point, the savvy opposing pitchers begin to work the hitters and that’s when the Jays struggle.

The problem compounds itself when every hitter tries to carry the load himself. The extra stress and pressure adds extra tension through the hands, wrists and forearms, leading to twitchy swings and dragging the bat through the zone, leading to runners left in scoring position leading to the next guy feeling added pressure, etc. The opposite of this situation is also true. That was called April.

As for short-term or long-term, that all depends on when the first time they can put two games in a row of solid clutch-hitting together will be. It can be bloopers dropping in, or grounder sneaking through. But it just has to be hits on the score-sheet and runs on the scoreboard. That’s when it will change.

Q: Saw Vernon Wells squinting after his strikeout in the seventh vs. Baltimore (Tuesday night). I did the same when my long distance vision was deteriorating. Could his eyesight be the problem?

Andy & Gloria Schwabe, Pickering

A: I don’t know about you guys, but whenever I sense my posterior starting to tighten up, I begin to squint. I don’t think it’s Vernon’s eyesight, because every year on the first day of training camp in Dunedin, players have a full physical, including peeing in a bottle for MLB drug-testers, and an eye test. Coincidentally, I got my hands on a copy of Vernon’s results of this spring’s eye exam. Vision at home 20-30; Vision with nobody on base .300-.300; Vision close and late with RISP .180-.180. No, I think the squinting after the strikeout was part of a full facial grimace or disgust.

Q: Hi Richard,

I was wondering, as the Jays finally returned to their nest and stopped trying to play with the bigger birds, what happened to Tim Johnson? His lying about being in the military was wrong I admit, but he did have the team finish (I think) 14 games over .500. Any reason why he hasn't resurfaced at the Major League level or has that lie just sort of buried him? Considering what he did with that team imagine what he could do with a good team? Is it that managers unlike players never get a second chance to prove themselves after they lie?

Ian Murray, Maple, Ont.

A: First of all, Tim Johnson did not lie about being in the military. He was a Marine Corps mortar instructor at Camp Pendleton, in southern California, training young recruits who were then shipped to Vietnam in the early ‘70s. Johnson was doing his military duty like every other eligible major-league player at the time. Only Johnson was doing more than most of them, who just did reserve National Guard duty on one weekend each month. His lie was that he actually did a tour of duty in Vietnam.

But, knowing Johnson well on a personal basis, visiting him at his home in Montana and spending much time with him as a coach with the Expos, I know he was profoundly affected by the fact that many of the kids he trained and got to know were sent to ‘Nam and never returned, or returned in a wheelchair. There is an actual medical syndrome that accounts for his feelings, like some others in similar situations, who needed to tell people that they actually served over there, themselves to assuage feelings of guilt.

Johnson was actually hired by the Brewers as an advance scout by owner Wendy Selig in the winter of ’99-00 but he resigned the position because of the pressure of ridicule from his still fresh firing by the Jays and the Vietnam lie. He went back to Mexico to manage, where he is a legend. Then, for most of the past decade, he managed in the independent Northern League. What amazes me is that Roger Clemens and Jose Canseco were big parts of that ’98 team and Johnson is the one some consider the biggest disgrace.

Q: Life and love has moved me from the chill of Edmonton to the urban sprawl of SoCal. To the west of La Mirada lay the Dodgers, to the southeast, the Angels. Confronted with such an embarrassment of baseball riches, where should an ex-pat Jays fan find a new home? I like that the Dodger stadium has been renovated to its original 1962 colours, though the loss of Manny, like the overpriced Dodger Dog, makes me Think Blue.

On the other hand, the Angels and their stadium has definitely more of the Orange County vibe, more like Disney than Dodgers with amusements, rides and Vlad the Impaler (though he's only batting .250). The mortality rate is the same at each, murders at both stadiums on opening day. I’m tending towards the Dodgers, but without Manny they lack the glitz that the amusement rides make up for at Angel Stadium.

Frederick Duquette, La Mirada, CA

A: Let’s do a Tale of the Tape to help you make a decision:

	Dodgers	Angels	Winner
Stadium	Dodger Stadium	Angels Stadium	Dodgers
Broadcaster	Vin Scully	Rex Hudler	Rex the Wonder Dog
Manager	Joe Torre	Mike Scioscia	Dodgers
Mascot	Tommy Lasorda	Rally Monkey	Angels
Negative	Over San Andreas Fault	Next to Disneyland	Dodgers

WINNER: Go with the Dodgers…except when the Jays are visiting Anaheim

Q: I am so fed up with Jesse Carlson as our new setup man. I think it is quite evident now that new pitchers with mediocre stuff will eventually be figured out by major league hitters, as evidenced by guys like Robert Ray, Scott Richmond, and now Carlson. Looking at the stats after the Atlanta loss, in Carlson's last 10 games, he has 2 losses, 2 blown saves, 7 earned runs and 1 hold in 9.1 innings. Are you telling me we don't have anyone better than this one trick pony (his unorthodox windup)? This guy is quickly becoming the new Josh Towers. Meanwhile, our highest paid reliever (B.J. Ryan) is being relegated to mop-up duty these days. Has Riccardi forgotten that we had a serviceable setup man/closer combo of Casey Janssen and Jeremy Accardo just a few years ago? Obviously he has because Janssen is now starting when history clearly shows he is better as a reliever, while Accardo toils in the minors after being passed over by scrubs like Brian Wolfe. Simply put, our bullpen is not even close to being reliable, with one good pitcher (Scott Downs), one lucky one (Jason Frasor), and a bunch of fringe major leaguers.

Wayne L., Richmond Hill

A: Just two years ago, 2007, in relief, Janssen was 2-3, with a 2.35 ERA and six saves in 70 appearances. At the same time, Accardo was 4-4, with a 2.14 ERA and 30 saves in 64 appearances. In 2006, was 6-10 with a 5.07 ERA as a starter. So how does getting Casey back in the rotation in 2009 qualify him as an “answer” to the rotation issues? It would make more sense if Janssen was coming back to the majors as a setup man. The biggest problem with moving Downs into the closer’s role was replacing Downs as the setup man. Carlson and Frasor in a perfect world should be the seventh inning guys. Janssen and Ryan (once he finds his 88 m.p.h. groove) should be given a chance to set up in the eighth. In 2008, the organization was very much down on Accardo during his injury-stricken season. Perhaps it was work ethic, but whatever, the negative organization impression has carried over in to 2009. Maybe he needs a new start somewhere else.

Q: Adam Lind has been struggling at the plate since he started playing left field. Is playing the field causing him to lose his focus at the plate?

Jason Sinnarajah, Sydney, Australia

A: It could be the fact of having to focus on defence, or it could be the fact of losing his best friend on the team to Triple-A Las Vegas. Earlier in the season, both Lind and Travis Snider spoke of the joy of having another player of their own age to share major-league experiences, music, conversation and doubts with. When Snider was shipped to Nevada after the Red Sox series, it must have been jarring to Lind. Most young players would rather play a position than DH. After all, since they were 6-years-old, baseball has always been about hitting AND playing the field.

Q: The Jays recent slide notwithstanding, their success this season and failures in the past poses a question: is it better to have strong hitting and weak (chaotic?) pitching or strong pitching and weak hitting?

Frederick Duquette, La Mirada, CA

A: Neither combination is “better”. But if you substitute “young, still-developing” for “weak” then we can discuss the question. Of the two choices, I would rather have strong pitching and “young, still-developing” hitting. You can always manufacture runs with young hitters, by bunting, stealing, hit-and-run, starting runners, taking an extra base, but you can’t manufacture outs as a pitcher. On the other hand, I think fans in the stands like strong hitting and “young, still-developing” pitching – that is until the strong hitters all go into a slump together. Then you get something like today’s mailbag.

Q: Richard, really appreciate your take on the game. I was able to watch the Jays and Red Sox on TSN2. It was tough to have to listen to, but even Dennis Eckersley and Don Orsillo seemed to think that the umpiring was going against the Jays. I was always taught to not blame the umps but I would like to hear your take on their calling of the games. We throw three lightweights up against the mighty Red Sox and they didn't need the help.

Also, I looked a little ways ahead and it seems that we will have the same three guys pitching the next time we face the Red Sox. Do you think that Cito should give Halladay a day off and let him and Richmond pitch against the Red Sox rather than Baltimore? I know that it is early in the year and this has all been a great treat, but my best friend grew up in Boston and he has been a real pain in the neck this week. Thanks.

Pat Monette, Penticton B.C.

A: You were taught well. Don’t blame the umps. No matter the era or the umps, when you have a starry veteran hitter up against a young pitcher, most of the close calls are going to the hitter. It’s human nature. As for the three lightweights up against the Sox, Tallet is emerging as more than a lightweight and once he lost Game 1, it became an easy call that a sweep was in order. The biggest game of the disastrous trip was the Halladay start in Atlanta. He pitched seven shutout innings with no decision. If the Jays score a couple and win that game, the whole trip takes on a different feel. That’s why Halladay is the MIP (Most Important Player) on the Jays.

Q: Albert Einstein defined "insanity" as "doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results". I admire Cito's wanting to not change his lineup, but doesn't batting Rios and Wells 3 & 4 constitute insanity? I see two problems with his thinking. The first being that they are not legit 3 & 4 batters in the first place; Rios seems to be in his position due to his potential only and Wells' skills have deteriorated significantly over the last three years. The second is there are hitters better suited for the 3 & 4 spots within his current lineup. I would rather see Aaron Hill bat third and Lind 2nd and Barajas clean up (to do so he would need to DH every other game). I foresee a basic batting order of Scutaro, Lind, Hill, Barajas, Wells, Overbay, Rolen, Rios plus another depending on who catches and the opposing pitcher.

Thanks,

Mike Swain, Calgary

A: Clearly “insanity” is contagious.

Q: Without his velocity Ryan just doesn't have what it takes to be a major league pitcher. He has to be absolutely perfect with the location of every fastball he throws and the slider will only be effective if he gets hitters to chase. With that said what can the Blue Jays do with B.J. Ryan, can he be released, bought out, or sent down to the minors again?

Kevin Godshalk, Rochester, NY

A: I disagree. Ryan does have what it takes to be a major-league pitcher. He simply needs to adjust to life with an 87-89 m.p.h. fastball. Ryan may need a little more time to finally come to terms with reality, but once he figures it out, he will have a role in middle relief or as a setup man in the majors, with occasional save opportunities. Frank Tanana is a perfect example of a guy that used to be a fireballing left-handed starter for the Angels, serving as Robin to Nolan Ryan’s Batman in the late ’70s. After a shoulder injury in 1979, Tanana changed his game completely, mastering a variety of off-speed pitches to re-establish himself as a winner. There are plenty of guys that have success with less velocity than Ryan. B.J.’s a smart man. He will figure it out.

Click here to send Richard a question, and he'll answer a selection in his mailbag Wednesdays in this space. **Note: please follow the link above to send a question to Richard. Questions posted in the comments section may not make it to the mailbag. Thanks.**

Mail Bag

Opening Day II on Tuesday night was a huge success for the Jays at the Rogers Centre. Conservative Jays’ officials said they had been expecting around 35,000 fans even as late afternoon rolled into evening, but the public surprised the club (but not me) with a huge walkup crowd, swelling the gate for Doc and A.J. to just under 44,000. The game didn’t disappoint with a nice baseball rhythm dictated by two superior pitchers. But in the end, the sublime teacher beat the flaky student. What message could Halladay send to Burnett after out-dueling him in that masterful 5-1 work of art? In the words of pool hustler Fast Eddie Felson (Paul Newman) to his slick young protégé, Vince Lauria (Tom Cruise), in the '86 movie, The Color of Money: “You gotta have two things to win. You gotta have brains and you gotta have balls. Now, you got too much of one and not enough of the other.” On to the mail bag.

Q: Hey Richard,

A couple questions regarding 22-year-old Brett Cecil. Firstly, how does a guy who seemingly can't get minor-leaguers out (an 8-something ERA for Vegas) come up and give us the two performances that he has? Granted they were against the Indians and A's, but major-leaguers nonetheless. Could it be that his focus really wasn't with the 51's and had 'bigger' things on his mind, like the big leagues?

Secondly, in watching his start vs. the A’s, Cecil makes no effort to hide the baseball. The ball is in plain sight (to righties more so) and I was wondering if through tape that teams will figure him out eventually. Pat and Jamie alluded to it in the broadcast, but will Brad Arnsberg have to tweak Cecil’s delivery? If so, what will that do to the development of a 22-year-old?

Marino F., Toronto

A: There are various factors at work in the fairly common cases of a horsebleep minor-league pitcher rising to the majors and excelling, especially if he knew that he was just down on the farm to get some work in and to stretch out his number of innings before getting to The Show. That knowledge of impending promotion if it has been promised by the big club is invariably a deterrent on “focus,” on the task at hand, and focus is always a huge factor for a pitcher.

Then there’s the fact of coming to the major leagues and being helped out by superior defence he didn't have before. The same batted balls that were base hits in the minors are all of a sudden outs in the majors. That’s a fact. Then there’s the adrenaline at work in making your major-league debut and beyond. There’s the sudden responsibility thrust upon youngsters of being treated like a relied upon elite athlete instead of being coddled with baby-step pitch counts as Cecil was all of last year in the minors. They thought they were preparing him for 2010.

Cito Gaston does not baby his pitchers. In fact, he doesn’t even like pitchers as a species. He admitted earlier this year that in all the springs that he came to training camp as a Jays' guest coach in Dunedin, the only pitcher he ever talked to was Doc. So when Cecil, in his debut against the Tribe, reached five innings and 80 pitches, instead of shaking his hand and slapping him on the back and taking him out, Gaston sent him right back out for the sixth, ending up with 96 pitches and a feeling of being a real major-league pitcher.

As for Cecil tipping his pitches, that bad habit of showing his grip to hitters during his delivery has been no secret to the organization. But would they rather have quality pitches coming out of his hand that may be slightly tipped a split second before arrival or a modified delivery that produces lesser quality on his entire repertoire but without tipping. Until they find a delivery that Cecil is comfortable with, he will continue to tip. They are working on tweaking the delivery and it is a problem.

Q: Hi Richard,

I know I'm getting a little ahead of myself here, but humour me for a second if you will. Cecil's sparkling start on Sunday has made me think a little about something that I can't recall ever thinking before as a Jays fan - an abundance of real quality starting pitchers.

When (or maybe if) Shaun Marcum and Dustin McGowan return, the Jays could conceivably have seven solid starters from which to choose. Strutting out a staff of Roy Halladay, Jesse Litsch, Marcum, McGowan, Cecil, Ricky Romero, Scott Richmond is definitely something to flutter a wing at, and that's without even including converted bullpen arms like Brian Tallet and Casey Janssen. If such a situation arises, what do you see JP and his merry men doing? Who gets left out of the Starting 5, and does he package a few for an established position player (power hitting 3rd baseman, maybe)?

Thanks,

Adam G., Mississauga

A: This is just a personal assessment, but if I was building a Jays rotation from among that group of nine for this year and beyond, I would take the healthy quintet of Halladay, Litsch, Marcum, Cecil and Romero as my starters.

I will admit that the late-spring emergence and early-season performance of Romero was an eye-opener. The early season performance of Richmond was also a pleasant surprise, but I’m not sold yet on his long-term viability as an overlooked rookie starter at his age. I think Janssen’s eventual value lies in the bullpen. I think Tallet’s value may lie as trade bait in the off-season. As for McGowan, I think we need to wait and see how well his shoulder recovers before putting him in any of these groups. He still has a chance to be a stud.

I’m not sure that at this moment packaging excess starters is such a good idea. You need at least eight ready-for-prime-time starters at then top of an organization (Majors and Triple A) to handle injuries during the course of a season. The Jays are demonstrating that.

Q: Richard,

I was reading some comments about whether Tallet would return to the bullpen after impressive showings as a starter. Question: Do relievers aspire to become starters, or are they generally content with being relievers? Did Tallet ever hope to be a starter some day?

Don McElroy, Shanty Bay, Ontario

A: There’s a whole stratus of pitchers that aspires just to being in a major-league bullpen full-time. Those are guys that usually have just one or two quality pitches that can carry them effectively one time through the batting order. They are happy being in The Show and comfortable pitching in middle relief. Those guys are delighted to be the 11th or 12th pitcher on a major-league staff, getting major-league minimum and all the perks of ML travel and treatment.

Then there are the other bullpen guys that aspire to using bullpen time as a stepping-stone to the rotation. Tallet is one. Janssen is one. Scott Downs used to be one, but when asked during the past winter whether he would like a chance to start, Downs refused. He was already making good money as B.J. Ryan’s setup man and was quite good (and comfortable) at it.

Pitchers know that they need at least three above average pitches in their repertoire to last as major-league starters. Those bullpen guys that have that minimum usually want to, and are capable of starting. Tallet is one of those. He has been given the chance and has run with it.

Q: Hey Richard,

Love the blog and mailbags! If the Jays continue on this hot start, how do you see JP's future playing out? Would the Jays still let him go at the end of the season (as has been rumored) or do you see him sticking around for another tenure? I'm a believer that its Cito's doing this year and not JP's!

Dave Gosse, Grand Falls-Windsor, NL

A: Whether or not anyone feels Cito deserves most of the credit for the current Jays’ resurgence, the fact is that Gaston was on the team’s payroll all along and available to lead while Ricciardi handed the reins to first Carlos Tosca and then John Gibbons. This thinking in hindsight was more problematic during the later Gibbons years, especially after the Shea Hillenbrand and Ted Lilly dustups when the then-manager's job status was most vulnerable.

Sure, it can be said that 29 other teams also passed on Gaston as manager, but the fact is that in the last few years, Cito had thrown his hands in the air and was not accepting offers to interview for open jobs, feeling he was just being called in as a token. The guy has two World Series rings. What else did you need to know in an interview? If someone wanted to offer him a major-league managing job, he was ready to listen, so it's clear the only team that really didn’t need to go through the interview process was the Jays. He was on the payroll.

As for Ricciardi's personal situation, he is already under contract for 2010, so next year is not the issue if they continue to perform well. But the dilemma will come if the Jays call him in and say “hang around for 2010” and J.P. points out that nobody likes a lame duck GM, so give me five more years. Therein lies the crisis for the Jays. They will not give him five more. With the current upswing of events, if Ricciardi does end up leaving after this season it will be a mutual parting based on not being willing to commit to another multi-year deal. The body of work to be judged is eight seasons (2002-09) not one.

Q: Hi Richard,

Just read that the lawsuit against Roberto Alomar has been dropped. It got me to thinking that he should be eligible for the Hall of Fame soon. Do you think he'll get in on the first ballot and would he pick to go in as a Jay?

Manny Wong, Toronto

A: Alomar was a far better baseball player than Ryne Sandberg and Sandberg is in the Hall of Fame. Robby is eligible for induction the first time this coming December and if he does not make it first ballot – maybe because of the spitting incident with umpire John Hirschbeck or the hissing incident with his ex-girlfriend, the professional arm wrestler from Queens, New York – it won’t be long before he does go in.

As for the choice of the cap that will be cast on his bronze bust at Cooperstown, it is no longer solely the choice of the player. The Hall of Fame itself also has a say. As such and with Alomar already expressing his preference for the Jays colours (although it was at a moment he was being honoured by the Jays) it is very likely that Alomar would become the first player to enter the Hall as a Blue Jay. Phil Niekro, Paul Molitor and Dave Winfield are other ex-Jays in the Hall.

Q: Having just read about Manny testing positive for banned substances and blaming it on a prescription prescribed by his doctor. I wonder if Manny will now sue the doctor for the $7.5 million he will lose during his 50-game suspension? I mean wouldn't you? That’s a lot of money to lose for someone who is innocent of any wrongdoing. I'm sure Manny's phone must be ringing off the hook from all the lawyers calling to represent him in court?

Doug Blacker, London

A: If, as ESPN.com reported, the drug of choice for Manny in his 50-game suspension was indeed a women's fertility drug sometimes used to re-start the production of testosterone following a steroids cycle (which as a masking agent is why it is included on the banned substance list), then that would allegedly suggest a pattern of alleged cover-up that likely and allegedly would have been a regular off-season process for Ramirez dating back to who knows when.

What went wrong this time? As a free agent this past winter, Manny may not have timed his masking cycle as well as he allegedly had in the past. There is mandatory PED testing within five days of all players reporting to spring training. The fact that Manny has not even suggested suing his doctor for lost income suggests that he knows what he did cannot be defended in a court of law. I would sue if I felt I had been mis-prescribed and it cost me $7.5 million. I would be on the line with Cellino and Barnes so fast, my man-boobs would spin.

Q: A technical baseball question, Richard. Friday night, in Oakland, first inning, Scoot doubles, then Hill flies out as Scoot tags and advances to third. An official AB for Hill, and an out recorded. Is the only sacrifice fly one that plates a run? Seems to me that Aaron advanced the runner, but gets no official recognition for it. Am I reading this right? Don't always agree with your opinions, but love your insight! Keep it up!

Bruce Spurrier, Fraser Lake, B.C.

A: First of all, I don’t even agree with the concept of a sacrifice fly at all, but in answer to your question, yes it is an official at-bat for Hill. His teammates appreciated Hill's useful out as can be seen with high fives and fist bumps whenever a player returns to the dugout after advancing his man. But back to the question of a sac-fly. Why reward the guy that lofts a soft flyball to a weak-armed outfielder for a run when you don’t give credit to a hitter who sees the middle infielders playing deep and grounds one out to shortstop scoring the runner from third base. He knew the situation and did his same job. What’s the difference? You’re giving the guy an RBI in both cases. Why reward him further with no at-bat? It makes very little sense. Sac-flies (with no AB) are only awarded when a run scores.

Q: Hello Richard, a friend of mine and I were having an argument and I was hoping for your input. We discussed which top three positional players you would rather have. I believed Adam Lind, Travis Snider and Aaron Hill as a trio was superior to the trio of Dustin Pedroia, Jacoby Ellsbury and whomever the (Red Sox) third would be, maybe Jed Lowrie. Anyways, wanted to know your thoughts; I believe either three is good but maybe being a bit of a homer I chose the Jays trio.

Marc Oliver, Paris, France

A: I assume you’re talking about trios of “young” players. The Jays trio of Hill (27), Lind (25) and Snider (21) are all under 27. For the Red Sox, Pedroia and Ellsbury are both 25. None of their other current starting position players are 27 or younger. Lowrie qualifies but he’s on the DL.

As a duo, I would pick Ellsbury and Pedroia over any combination of two Jays. But they can’t match up when it gets to three. Just as an exercise, going around the division looking for position starters at 27 or younger, the Rays lead the way with B.J. Upton, Dioner Navarro, Evan Longoria and Carl Crawford (he turns 28 in August). The Yanks have Robinson Cano, Brett Gardner and Melky Cabrera The O’s have Adam Jones, Nick Markakis and Felix Pie.

Click here to send Richard a question, and he'll answer a selection in his mailbag Wednesdays in this space. **Note: please follow the link above to send a question to Richard. Questions posted in the comments section may not make it to the mailbag. Thanks.**

Mail Bag

On Tuesday, Brett Cecil became the ninth starting pitcher to toe the rubber for the Jays – and yet they are in first place overall in the AL. That is even more amazing because at spring training they only had three starters considered ready-for-prime-time. And of those, two are not even here right now – Jesse Litsch (disabled) and David Purcey (optioned). It’s ironic that even though Doc is the only one with the same nickname as one of Snow White’s little pals, Halladay is also the starter standing the tallest. The nine Jays’ starters have been Halladay, Litsch, Purcey, Brian Burres, Robert Ray, Scott Richmond, Ricky Romero, Brian Tallet and Cecil. On to the mailbag.

Q: Hey Richard,

In looking at the schedule, it appears as though Doc and AJ might be squaring-off next Tuesday. Could this be the best pitching match-up storyline of the year thus far? Which deity can we thank for this occurrence?

Cheers,

Brian Smiley, Toronto

A: The Jays/Yankees schedule certainly has it set up for a classic early season Roy Halladay-A.J. Burnett pitching match-up. It would feature the understated mentor, Halladay facing his flashy, well paid, sometimes over the top protégé, Burnett. I have done a little research and apparently a silent prayer of thanks should be offered to Our Lady of What Goes Around Comes Around.

Jays fans, to prepare for this beautiful game (and it would be a major upset if it doesn’t happen), some suggestions would be to purchase your tickets right now, practice some clever ad-libs to yell in A.J.’s direction while he warms up, draw up some clever signage to hold up and get yourself on TV (e.g. bunches of $$$ signs, but watch the accompanying language).

Finally, on the off-night when the Jays travel back from the West Coast, rent the movie The Color of Money, starring Paul Newman and Tom Cruise. Check it out. This Doc-AJ matchup is virtually a remake of that 1986 pool room classic with Newman (Doc) as Fast Eddie Felson and Cruise (A.J.) as Vince Lauria. It’s the veteran hustler teaching lessons in life to the young cocky, insecure pool hustler. There’s one review of that movie that says it all: “despite their flaws we don’t end up hating any of these people, because the intentions (even the selfish ones) aren’t really that bad. It’s a real, ‘I do for you; you do for me (but I want more)’ kind of message.”

The Rogers Centre should be rockin’. Only a miracle of weather, scheduling or nerves could prevent this matchup from occurring. Stay tuned.

Q: Jason Frasor seems to be in the doghouse for a couple of years. He started the season 4-0 and had an ERA of 0.00. Did the Jays coaching staff misjudge him? Would they also be misjudging Jeremy Accardo?

Alex Lee, Hong Kong

A: Frasor has emerged as a fairly reliable sixth-seventh-inning option. With the injury to B.J. Ryan, Downs has moved into the closer’s role and Frasor and Jesse Carlson are the co-setup men with Brandon League in the mix. Frasor’s emergence has more to do with his new split-circle change that he perfected in the off-season in sessions with former major-leaguer Doug Bochtler. The former doghouse dweller had a lot to do with Jason’s shaky body language which almost made it seem like he was not happy to be out on the mound in some situations. He’s been much better about that this year, but increased confidence and success will do that for you.

Q: Hello,

I was wondering if the Rogers Centre has a policy about opening the roof in the spring? There have been a few games already, where it has been gorgeous weather, yet the roof remains closed. The fan experience is much better, and could attract more fans to the games.

Mike A., Toronto

AND

Hi Richard,

I have a huge pet peeve and I wonder if you have the answer. I am not a big fan of the SkyDome in general – refuse to call it by the new name. Anyway, it is at least a tolerable ballpark when the roof is open but when the roof is closed it is like watching baseball in your basement – dank, dark and ZERO atmosphere. Why are the Blue Jays so loathe to open the damn roof? A beautiful sunny day like yesterday and the roof was closed! I refuse to go to a game if I know the roof will be shut and at some point I know I am going to have a huge argument with the staff about getting my ticket price returned because I do not want to watch baseball in a basement when it is sunny and relatively warm outside. Why do they not just state if it is not raining the roof will be open? Are Toronto fans such wimps that they can’t stand a little cool weather? Is the climate that much different in Detroit? Or Cleveland? You dress for the situation. I thought the idea of a dome was to keep the game on even in inclement weather. I did not think it would be used on a 15 degree day sunny day in May. Okay so it is cooler down by the lake – agreed. Wear a sweater and or jacket. For God’s sake we are Canadians! This is not the first time I have seen this happen. Baseball is a beautiful game – partly due to it being played outdoors and to it’s signaling a new beginning to the year (spring etc.etc.). With the dome closed it is hard to tell what season it is outside.

Rob Carson

A: The theme of the two questions above has been repeated over and over this spring. There have even been some rumours that the roof is broken and will remain closed all summer. That was shot down by Jays vice-president Jay Stenhouse. He insists that it is a matter of “new software and operating drives” and that the testing has not been completed. Normally I would press the B.S. buzzer on that one, but Jay said that it should be ready by the next homestand. Hopefully the next retraction will be the roof and not that statement.

The question remains, why could the testing not have been done in March between the WBC and Opening Day? It even smells better at the park when the roof is open, with a little spring breeze and some real weather. Someone else suggested there were union issues to opening the roof. I thought there was just a button to be pushed. I remember at Olympic Stadium there were other unique issues during the late spring to opening the roof, especially on weekends. Since the Expos were tenants to La Regie des Installations Olympiques, they were the only ones with les clefs pour le toit. And the catch vingt-deux was that on weekends when the weather was nice in April and May the only guys with the keys for the roof were in the Eastern Townships at their brand new cottages that had been built on the payola from Roger Taillebert’s original over-inflated construction contracts.

But maybe Doc and A.J. will be an outdoor classic.

Q: I was thinking about BJ Ryan's season to this point, and reading and hearing about how he's done, his career is over, his velocity is down and the Blue Jays should get rid of him for whatever they can get, etc. But isn't he still recovering from Tommy John surgery? Isn't it possible that his velocity may still come back? The recovery time for this type of surgery is typically 18-24 months, and although I can't remember exactly when he had the surgery, I know it hasn't been two years yet. Perhaps he was just brought back to the team too soon.

Patrick Lannon, Richmond Hill

A: The accepted recovery time for Tommy John elbow surgery is 10-12 months. Ryan’s surgery was on May 10, 2007. He did regain several miles per hour from the start of spring training until mid-April, but he is still not fast enough (89-91 m.p.h.) to be effective in the closer’s role. It is possible his velocity may come back if it turns out it was mechanical or he was squeezing the ball a little tight.

The Jays are paying him $10 million for the next two years. They owe him nothing when it comes to the closer’s role. If Downs is doing the job, they are not obligated to change. He could earn it again by being effective in the setup role and if Downs was unavailable.

Q: Mr. Griff,

Love the mailbag. Thanks for the insight. I am thrilled to have Cito back, and do believe he has made a difference simply by providing the guys with a leader who commands respect. Having said that, I have 2 major problems with his handling of the lineup.

Firstly, his avoidance of using pinch hitters has me reaching for the Prozac. The fact that he let Chavez hit in the 8th inning of that last game in KC representing the tying run, while Lyle or even Barajas and Rolen were sitting on the bench is inexcusable. Is he worried about damaging Raul's psyche as a hitter? Please don't tell me it is because he had scratched out a couple of hits.

Next, I cannot be the only person who thinks that Alex Rios does not belong in the 3-hole. With Hill and Scutaro getting on ahead of him, Alex is seeing the toughest pitches in every at bat, and he just does not have the discipline or skill set to succeed in that role. He still may be the stud we hope, but maybe he is better suited to batting 6th, or dare I say leading off. He did just steal 32 bases last year!

Here's hoping that he proves me wrong just in time for next week's mailbag.

Cheers,

Darren A., Toronto

A: Cito is not the master of in-game strategy, but there is no manager in history that has ever been great at everything. The Jays needed a psychologist that could get into the heads of the hitters and bring out the best and that’s what Cito brought. Part of that is to reinforce that positive feeling by not pinch-hitting for some guys whenever a pitcher comes in with the opposite hand. It’s impossible to quantify, but Gaston says that he would rather lose a game now and win several down the road. Who can say if that’s true. I agree with you on the pinch-hitting thing in Minny with Bautista and in K.C. with Chavez. He sees Rios as his No. 3 hitter and as long as Scutaro is doing the job at leadoff, there is no need in his mind to juggle the lineup. I see Rios as an eventual leadoff man.

Q: Hi Richard.

I know the Jays are knocking the ball around but what do you think about their stealing bases ability and moving runners along with bunts. The hot hitting will hit a cold front eventually.

Terry Fallat, Espanola, Ont.

A: It’s funny. Gaston at spring training talked about stealing more bases and about Hill bunting more to move runners along. But I have asked him several times about Hill and he said that the way he’s swinging the bat that he doesn’t want to take the bat out of his hands for even one at-bat. Who can argue? He was asked the other day by Mike Rutsey of the Sun about the team’s lack of steals and Cito’s response was quizzical, like he was so caught up in the roll that his hitters have been on that he didn’t even realize that the steal totals were that low. Once again, who can blame him? They are capable of both but have not yet seen the need. Once the bats cool off (if they do) you’ll see more of that.

Q: I know it’s difficult for the Blue Jays to admit because of the huge (probably too huge) contract they gave Vernon Wells, but when will the Blue Jays admit and/or realize that Vernon is a great number 2 or number 6 hitter, but not a number 4? He just doesn't seem to hit with runners on base and especially not with runners on base and 1 or 2 out.

Rob Landau, Toronto

A: I think he’s a 5-6 guy in this lineup. Like with Ryan, the Jays are compensating him well and don’t owe him being the cleanup guy, but Cito doesn’t want to play with his mind at this point.

Q: Hi Richard,

A couple of questions. From time to time I hear on the Jays' broadcasts that the Jays have doubts about Dustin McGowan being able to return as soon as they thought he would. But no medical evidence is ever offered in support of this. So on what basis are the Jays making their assessments of McGowan's readiness to return? Pain? Weakness? What?

Second question. Rios has been struggling at the plate. Okay, that's not good but he's still learning. But what has bothered me lately is that he seems to be regressing defensively. Fumbling catches, not throwing accurately to a base. What do you think is going on?

Arthur Menu, Sidney, B.C.

A: There is no need for medical evidence with McGowan. There is always residue from surgery even in a completely healthy shoulder that comes in the form of soreness, weakness and perhaps a little discomfort the morning after throwing. It does not mean the surgery was unsuccessful. It means that this particular patient is taking longer than another particular patient. The Jays are not making the assessments. McGowan’s shoulder is making the assessments.

As for Rios, I have seen signs of the same thing you’re talking about. It started when he took a rebound off the fence off the face on opening day. The next time a ball hit the fence, he ducked out of the way. But there are other incidents when a ball leaves the bat or you see him tracking the ball, knowing what he has done in the past, you think a play is going to be made a certain way and it’s not. Perhaps, subconsciously, he has been carrying some of his hitting woes into the field.

Q: Hey Richard,

I miss the Expos. Having grown up in Montreal with a passion for the 'spos I have had a chance to see a few great teams and/or players pass through Olympic Stadium. With such a bad reputation the Big Owe had/has in Montreal, was it really all that bad a place to play for the players? I mean, the city itself must have taken away from any of the negatives of the stadium. I even heard BJ Ryan reference Chez Paree just the other day at "Meet the Jays" so you know the famous city night-life must have been a plus to playing in Montreal. What do you think?

Chris Gauvin, Whitby

A: Those stars that played in Montreal still remember the experience fondly. They loved the city. They loved the fans. They loved the stadium access. But the field itself, the surface was always hard and fast. Its amazing Andre Dawson’s knees lasted as long as they did roaming that parking lot of an outfield. It was one of the big reasons he went to Wrigley Field as a free agent.

Like the Jays, the Expos always felt they had to go the extra kilometre in treating families and players well in order to overcome the “foreign country” aspect. I remember one of our team trainers having his wife in town for a couple of weeks in the summer. As he was walking up Stanley St. with his wife on his arm and the baby in a stroller, the regular doorman at the Chez Paree called out a greeting, calling him by name. She glared. That didn’t go over too well at home, of course, but it shows the small town feel Montreal always had for its Expos

Q: Hi Richard, I'm a Blue Jays fan and a regular at the Rogers Centre. In recent years I have made a point of visiting other MLB ballparks when I get the chance. However, since a trip last summer (Wrigley, Fenway, Citizens Bank, PNC, Milwaukee and Toledo), I find the Rogers Centre depressing. It’s not any one thing that bothers me, but it’s a lot of little things that boil down to this: baseball is not the central focus of the Rogers Centre experience. From keeping fans away from players, to charging $5 for an endlessly recycled magazine when all I want is the scorecard, the Rogers Centre sometimes feels like a mini-mall instead of a ballpark. Based on your experience, what your impressions of the Toronto in-game experience compared to other cities?

Michael Paris, Toronto

A: I agree that the Jays in-stadium experience is lacking compared to other MLB parks. I have heard complaints from fans that have been “shushed” by ushers for yelling at the other team’s players or umpires, with no profanity involved. This is not a damn library.

Being able to purchase a scorecard by itself should be an option. There is nothing that builds fan interest and attention more than scoring a ballgame. You’re into the action and understand the nuances, but if you have three people in a family group and you have to buy three magazines to score the game, that sucks.

On Monday, the Jays were rallying in the late innings, the Tribe was making a pitching change and the scoreboard had a 45-second bit with that stupid Ace in a tree, with complete silence except for the annoying occasional tweeting of a bird. Then Ace takes a birdhouse and sucks the birdseed out of it. That’s just plain ignorance of where the game is and what the crowd needs. The place should have been rocking as the pitcher warmed up and the Jays rallied. Instead they were looking around for where that stupid bird noise was coming from. Other parks give their fans some credit for knowing what to do at any given time. The Rogers Centre gives their fans no credit for being baseball fans. It’s insulting.

Click here to send Richard a question, and he'll answer a selection in his mailbag Wednesdays in this space. **Note: please follow the link above to send a question to Richard. Questions posted in the comments section may not make it to the mailbag. Thanks.**

Mail Bag

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

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

Thanks for your comments,

Kevin Preston, Brockville, Ont.

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

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

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

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

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

Q: Hi Richard,

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

Thanks as always Richard.

Lee Denike, Mississauga

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

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

Q: Hi Richard,

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

Angel Martinez, Miami

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

Q: Hi Richard,

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

Adam Lis, London

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

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

Q: Hi Richard:

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

Stu Royal, Erin

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

Q: Hi Richard,

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

Steve Smith, Saskatoon

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

Q: Dear Mr. Griffin,

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

Sincerely,

Matthew Lago, Port Credit, Ont.

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

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

Q: Hey Richard,

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

Adam M., Toronto

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

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

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

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

Jim Dickie, Fredericton

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

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

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

Jonny J., Toronto

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

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

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

Q: Hey Richard,

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

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

Come one. It's an interesting thought!

Paxton aka optimist

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

Click here to send Richard a question, and he'll answer a selection in his mailbag Wednesdays in this space. **Note: please follow the link above to send a question to Richard. Questions posted in the comments section may not make it to the mailbag. Thanks.**

Mail bag

STEVE RUSSELL/TORONTO STAR

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

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

Q: Richard,

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

DeShaun, Kozak, Uxbridge, Ont.

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

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

Q: Hi Richard,

Imagine the following:

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

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

Wayne L., Richmond Hill

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

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

Bruce Robb, Toronto

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

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

Q: Hi Richard,

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

Jon Freir, Toronto

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

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

Q: Hi Richard,

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

Thanks and I hope we can continue to win.

Anton Forde, Freeport, Bahamas

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

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

Q: Hi Richard,

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

Steve S., Vancouver

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

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

Q: Hi Richard,

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

Sean Heffernan, Sunderland

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

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

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

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

Thanks,

Andrew Stewart, Oshawa, Ont.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Christian Robinette, Toronto

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

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

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

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

Q: Hi Richard,

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

Michael P., Toronto

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

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

Q: Mr. Griffin,

A couple of baseball quirk questions:

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

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

Ian Donnelly, Toronto

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

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

Q: Hey Richard,

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

Bryan Willis, Vancouver

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

Q: Dear Mr. Griffin,

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

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

Peter Mendelsohn

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

Click here to send Richard a question, and he'll answer a selection in his mailbag Wednesdays in this space. **Note: please follow the link above to send a question to Richard. Questions posted in the comments section may not make it to the mailbag. Thanks.**