Spring lottery may have a winner

Chilly morning in Clearwater after a frigid drive home from Sarasota last night. The Sun's Mike Rutsey promised - promised, I tell you - to off-set my directional dyslexia with his veteran's knowledge of the Gulf Coast's highways and byways.

When he shrieked "Ocala!" about an hour into the drive back, I realized something had gone amiss. Ruts, I drove you here for one reason and ... but one loopy highway detour later, we were back on track, sitting in Pete & Shorty's a very solid hour before last call.

As I rise this morningtide I see that Ken Rosenthal - who knows all, or at least, everyone - is reporting that Alex Rios is close to a six-year, $65 million (U.S.) extension. Since the club had imposed a "not after spring training" deadline to get this deal done, that makes perfect sense. We'll see if Rios arrives at Knology this morning weighed down by a diamond encrusted crown or driving a Gulfstream jet. (Lenny Dykstra's favourite).

With Toronto facing a seeming power deficit (six regulars have combined for a home run output of six - six! - in 24 spring games thus far), they're going to need Rios to make some strides over the career high 24 homers he hit last year. Cash can be a wonderful incentive.

No word yet on that big extension that Aaron Hill was supposed to be looking for.

SONG OF THE DAY: CP's Shi Davidi is no longer with us, but I think his choice of three weeks is appropriate now. Canadian classic and little people favourite, Safety Dance, by Men Without Hats. With only three games to go in Florida and two chilly pre-season polishers in Philadelphia, this team is just praying that everyone arrives on that bus to New York unencumbered by casts, bandages or other signifiers of catatastrophic injury.

Cathal Kelly

The telltale nail - Part II

Forget trainers. The Jays need manicurists. A legion of the world's best manicurists.

First there was the unfortunate intersection between A.J. Burnett's pointin' finger and the door of a Range Rover. Now Scott Rolen has been undone for the start of the season by a short hopper.

Rolen messed up the middle finger on his right hand during morning fielding drills.

Apparently, a ball caught the slick fielding third baseman unawares, tearing off his fingernail and inflicting a 'non-displaced' fracture to the tip.

Rolen was in the clubhouse after the game with a nasty looking bandage on the finger. He's flying tonight to Baltimore tonight to see a hand specialist. There's no immediate prognosis, but the beginning of the season is obviously shot. Let's hope the nail grows back quicker than Burnett's (three months and counting).

Cathal Kelly

Jays vs. Phillies - Reed Johnson memorial game

First day back and they hit me with this?

Reed Johnson's nine years in the Blue Jay organization ended this morning. The club released him. One minute he was there in his civvies saying goodbye, and then he was gone. He will receive a $546,000 (U.S.) cheque as a parting gift - one-sixth of his planned $3.275 million salary.

The winner in the left-field battle, Shannon Stewart, wasn't doing any crowing. He referred to Johnson as a "close" friend and seemed shocked that he'd been cut. Even GM J.P. Ricciardi seemed rattled by the decision.

"Today wasn't a fun day for me, telling that to somebody I personally like and professionally like," Ricciardi said.

But Johnson will find work quickly, most likely as a fourth outfielder on a National League club like the Padres. Here's wishing him all the best. He was one of the good ones and will be missed.

As I write, we've finished two innings in sunny Dunedin. It's 1-0 Phillies after a solo home run given up to Chase Utley by A.J. Burnett (Surely, not a curveball. Surely not!).

NOTE: Ricciardi let it slip this morning that Rule 5 pick-up Randy Wells has made this team. It's getting awfully crowded in that bullpen. Ricciardi wouldn't list off the people the final roll call, but right now it must stack up like this on Opening Day:

- Accardo
- Downs
- League
- Tallet
- Frasor
- Wolfe
- Wells

This is working under the (safe) assumption that B.J. Ryan starts the year on a rehabilitation assignment and that Armando Benitez needs a little more time in the gym before he makes a major league roster.

TOP OF THE FOURTH: Geoff Jenkins singles into left field. With a Phillie heading home, new part-time left-fielder Shannon Stewart comes up firing. His throw is about thirty feet short of the mark and twenty feet wide. This is what we have to look forward to.

TOP OF THE FIFTH: Oh, the humanity. Bases loaded and one out for the Phillies. Chris Snelling pops one into shallow left. More like deep short. Another brutal throw by Stewart and Shane Victorino slides in safe. 5-0 Philadelphia. Burnett threw 31 pitches that inning. We won't see him for his planned sixth frame, I will wager the house. (Okay, he comes out for the sixth. Who needs me to copy the keys?)

TOP OF THE SIXTH: You want some defence? John McDonald replaces David Eckstein at short and makes a simply stunning play on a Pedro Feliz grounder. Great running get, greater throw to first. Burnett stands for a long time with his hands on his hips silently admiring the best defensive shortstop in baseball (oh yeah, I said it).

After his 88th pitch - an RBI double - Burnett is pulled in favour of Brandon League. He gave up 6 runs, 8 hits, 1 HR in five and a third.

GAME OVER: Phillies romp 15-7. Afterward, Burnett revealed that he'd thrown his first curveball of the spring. That was the one Utley took over the wall in the first.

"I don't care who you are. That's funny," Burnett grinned afterward. Hey, at least he's not kicking over garbage cans after a Grapefruit League game.

Cathal Kelly

GAME OFF??

It was a bizarre scene that unfolded at City of Palms Park just prior to gametime today.

The lineups were announced, the fat lady sang the anthems, an old dude threw out the ceremonial first pitch and the announcer yelled, "Play Ball." Unfortunately, there were no players in either dugout.

Finally Jason Varitek came out sans catcher's equipment, a sure sign the game was not going to start on time. Varitek, the captain, was swarmed by Boston media as he stood down in the dugout. Finally other players trickled out looking not ready for primetime.

In the Jays dugout, an out-of-uniform Vernon Wells eyed the scene curiously, with Mike Lowell finally coming across the field to update the Jays' player rep. Yet there was no firm announcement either way.

Maybe it should be called City of Palms Up and Outstretched Park. Show us da money.

I agree with the players and think baseball has mishandled another delicate affair causing a major P.R. gaffe just one day after the Yankees visited Virginia Tech University to honour the slain students.

The deadline for a game was set at 12:30 p.m. If the game was to be called, the Red Sox were going to come out and sign autographs, likely so the fans would not riot and the players would look good. When the P.A. guy made the announcement, he blamed a dispute between the Red Sox players, the Players Association and Major League Baseball.

No mention of the Red Sox organization. Very inscrutable these Red Sox officials. 

Early Jays-Bucs action

The wind at McKechnie Field was blowing briskly from right to left. In the Jays' first inning, Eckstein fought hard when the count was two strikes and bounced a single to centre. He was eraced on a double play from Wells. In the bottom of the first the wind came into play. McLouth sky-ed one to second, that drifted, drifted drifted until Eckstein had to finalyy make the play falling to his knees and hitting his face on Hill's thigh. He and Aaron looked like two drunken smurfs emerging from a darkened bar after an all nighter looking up into the dizzying morning sun. With two out, A.J. walked a couple of guys in a row and then induced a grounder to Hill to end it. He threw 29 pitches.

The longtime Pirates mascot, the Pittsburgh Parrot went though his mostly humourless routines on the field as BP ended. But it was St. Patrick's Day and he was green and on this day that's what counts. I remember back in the day the original Parrot used to be skinny and  sinister looking with a hooked beak that made him look like he wanted to peck your eyes out. Then he got caught up in the drug scandals of the early '80s. The Parrot was apparently dealing cocaine. "Polly want a toot!" In any case, now the Parrot is fat and jolly looking. It's called evoultion through incarceration. 

No snakes Bradenton, just Jays

It's a snakeless St. Paddy's Day morning in Bradenton today, despite the presence of most of the regular sporting media. I must be feeling generous.

The Jays are taking their bottom-feeding 7-11 record to face the NL Bucs, who are sporting their traditional green hats in honour of the holiday. Speaking of 7-11, GM J.P. Ricciardi chose to foresake any green in his ensemble, favouring a bright red golf shirt with a wide blue shoulder-to-shoulder stripe looking far less MLB GMish and far more like the guy ringing up your slurpy on the register at the 7-11. He signed autographs for several fans as he headed down the line towards the clubhouse at the end of B.P.

In any case, here are the starting lineups:

JAYS
David Eckstein ss
Alex Rios rf
Vernon Wells cf
Scott Rolen 3b
Frank Thomas dh
Shannon Stewart lf
Lyle Overbay 1b
Aaron Hill 2b
Gregg Zaun c

PIRATES
Nate McLouth cf
Jack Wilson ss
Freddy Sanchez dh
Jason Bay lf
Adam LaRoche 1b
Xavier Nady rf
Ronny Paulino c
Jose Bautista 3b
Luis Rivas 2b

Rolen, who lives in the Bradenton area, called in during the morning to explain that he was in a huge traffic jam and might be late. But, hey, it's spring training.

Facing a lefthanded Zach Duke, this was a pretty representative Jays lineup for the regular season. John Gibbons isn't locked into a set linup either way, but one thing he didn't want to do against righties is to have Overbay and Matt Stairs hitting back-to-back.

Dave LaRoche, pitching coach at Double-A New Hampshire, always makes the trip to Bradenton and is in the dugout in uniform because his son Adam is the Bucs' first baseman.

Twins fans: Who are these guys?

The Jays sent a ragtag group of representatives to play the Twins in Fort Myers today, led by Dustin McGowan, John McDonald, Reed Johnson, Marco Scutaro and Rod Barajas. Meanwhile back at the ranch. it was a loose and relaxed morning for the true Blue Jays. It was fun to be around, watching grown men acting like kids. And why not? It is a game.

Frank Thomas seemed to be everywhere, like Forrest Gump. Wherever you looked, there he was looking over someone's shoulder in the money shot. When Armando Benitez threw his bullpen session to Sal Fasano, with Bruce "Pappy" Walton watching, there was the Big Hurt standing in the batter's box with a war club on his shoulder watching strikes buzz by. Hey, that sounds like his game action so far.

"Wow. I thought he was behind," Thomas said of Benitez on his way to hit on the main diamond. "He had good stuff, in and out, hitting his spots."

Then, when Thomas took his hacks, even despite his 2-for-28 struggles, the other guys, showing no mercy, were cackling and howling whenever a Hurt bolt would fail to clear the fence and ohhhing and ahhhing in mock admiration when he crushed one into the trees. He seems to be fitting in much better with teammates this spring. Then, amazingly, there was Frank, shagging in the outfield -- not too vigorously, but present nonetheless.

At the end of the morning, the highlight was Alex Rios bringing his five-month-old hobby out onto the field -- a four foot long, gasoline-powered, remote control helicopter. As Rios set up, refuelling his impressive looking machine on the warning track in front of the bullpen, one of his teammates remarked jokingly, "I'm staying away. I don't trust a Puerto Rican with a sharp object in his hands." This was just men being boys. Rios quickly showed his proficiency, as the copter rose into the air and toured the empty stadium apparently looking for traffic tie-ups or O.J.'s Bronco, chasing a lone jogger on the warning track and alarming the ospreys nesting in the light towers.

Rios, after a 15-minute flight plan, brought the chopper in to land and handed the controls to Roy Halladay who can often be seen flying his own airplanes inside the Rogers Centre late into the post-game night. After Doc had aimed the copter straight at the gathered media corps, veering abruptly off into the sky, we wondered if it was equipped with machine guns. A good way to control the news. Ouch. Standing off to the side, among the half-dozen curious players to come out for the air show was, of course, Frank Thomas.   

Bics vs. Jays II

Good signs for the struggling Jays offence. Rios doubled into the left field corner in the first. Overbay doubled to left-centre in the second. Wells lined a single over second base in the third and Rolen showed his tremendous baserunning instincts in the same inning, lining a ball that was cut off before it got to the corner in left, but hustling into second base when McCutchen looked too long at Vernon heading to third. Rolen didn't hesitate around firstt, making it into second without a throw. Unfportunately the Big Hurt struck out with runners on second and third and one out. His average is now approaching right calf status. Stairs doubled in two runs.

Stairs was ecstatic about Canada's Olympic quialifier, as both a New Brunswicker and a teammate at the World Baseball Classic of Stubby Clapp and some of the others. He knew the team's won-lost record and that they finished first in Taiwan, but wasn't aware how they just edged past Germany 2-1 in 10 innings in the finale. Perhaps the boys had been celebrating the win over Korea all night, which would be understandable.

Speaking of Cuba, it's interesting that Livan Hernandez has signed with the Twins and is facing the Jays tomorrow. Years ago, when Livan was fresh off the raft, he was feted and wooed by Gord Ash in Toronto. Gord took him to the best Cuban restaurant in T-O, which didn't quite cut it with the highly sought after free agent. He chose the Marlins and Miami where Cuban cuisine is on every street corner.  Now late in his career, he signs with Minnesota. I'm not sure the Cuban population is much bigger in Minneapolis or St. Paul than it is in the GTA. But in the words of another Toronto columnist, "It's a living."

Halladay completed his five innings in an efficient 63 pitches. In his final frame, Aaron Hill dove to his right on Neil Walker and to his left on Brian Bixler, coming up with no ball but a mouthful of dirt. Then Doc made the defensive play of the game, fielding a bunt on the third base side, spinning and throwing to Rolen for the force.

Gotta go talk to Doc. Blog at ya later.

 

Jays vs. Bucs

It's the ides of March. In recognition of that, I may go to dinner at Littlle Ceasars tonight. 

The lineup the Pirates sent up from Bradenton may not be a world-beater but it certainly is better than the one the Jays are sending to Fort Myers tomorrow to face the Twins led by Dustin McGowan, John McDonald, Marco Scutaro and Reed Johnson. How does that make you feel, Reed, in your battle for left field. Showcase for a trade perhaps?

LINEUPS:

Bucs: Nyjer Morgan cf; Andrew McCutchen lf, Chris Gomez 1b, Xavier Nady rf, Ronny Paulino dh, Neil Walker 3b, Brian Bixler ss, Raul Chavez c, Josh Wilson 2b...Ian Snell p

Jays: Eckstein ss, Rios rf, Wells cf, Rolen 3b, Thomas dh, Stairs lf, Overbay 1b, Hill 2b, Zaun c...Halladay p.

Halladay breezed through the first inning on just 12 pitches. McCutchen is regarded as a future star at just 21 years old and gave Doc a nice battle including a ball pulled just foul and over the left field fence.

A beautiful day at Knology Park after Allan Ryan headed home, handing off the games on a dark and stormy day in St. Pete yesterday. Scout Bob Johnson the other day speaking of the temperature at the usually still air of the Jays home park quipped: "If the earth is 40 million miles from the sun, then Dunedin is four miles from it." There is usually a couple of faintings per year at the spring home of the Jays. There hasn't been enough offence this spring from the Jays to prompt any heart attacks. 

Rios looks like he's starting to swing the bat, stroking a line drive double to the fence in left. He runs the bases like a gazelle with long loping strides, minus the curly horns. Speaking of good at-bats, Rolen turned one in with Rios on second and two out, forcing Snell to throw nine pitches, drawing a walk, setting up Frank Thomas for a popup to centre. Frank is now hitting .080. That's not even the weight of his right thigh. 

 

Spring Fling

TONY DEJAK/AP

Five strikeouts in four innings for Roy Halladay on Monday. We are pleased.