Jays need Darvish for a whole lot of reasons

So you’re all up on this Yu Darvish thing, right?

The Japanese pitcher who is in the “posting” process (Griff’s got it all laid out here so we can all understand) and the Jays are in on the bidding. In fact, there are “sources” who say they made the highest bid and will get a chance to negotiate with him after Tuesday, if in fact that’s true.

Now, I don’t know Yu Darvish from Darvin Ham (you try and find a better line?) but I do know this:

If I read that he’s got some magical gyroball up his sleeve, I’m gonna be quite skeptical of his talents.

(Go google that one, non-seamheads).

Anyway, the thing with Darvish, from this angle at least, is that it is exactly what the Blue Jays need in so many different ways, landing him would be the biggest boost for the franchise in I don't know how long.

He is, by all accounts, a singularly gifted pitcher who would fit perfectly with Ricky Romero and Brandon Morrow at the top of the rotation and would hasten the TOD's rise to American League prominence.

But it's more than that.

It would be a signal, a much-needed public signal, that, yes, Alex Anthopoulos is able to spend oodles of money on the right guy at the right time. Forever, we've heard that ownership would spend when it had to and that story's been getting old. Fans see the Yankees and Red Sox and now the Angels spending like drunken sailors and wonder when it might happen here.

If it does? Well, those complaints will stop if they win the right to spend upwards of $100 million on a piece they so desperately need.

There was some angst when AA came back from the winter meetings without having made a big splash. Everyone expected something, it seems, and got very little.

This? This would be huge.

I don't know if they'll win the posting battle -- suggestions are that they have -- and, if they do, they simply have to find a way to get a contract signed, almost regardless of the cost.

The Jays seem primed to do something good with an excellent young group; this will be the message the fans need to hear.

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There is a guy we shall call Mr. X and he gets to see almost every minute of every Raptors practice unlike we grunts who see a whole lot of the third-floor concourse at the ACC and a whole lot of free-throw shooting each day.

Anyway, I’ve known Mr. X for a number of years, have come to rely on him for some insight, some inside information, some guidance on what’s actually going with the HOTH.

Hadn’t talked to him in a while but ran into him the other day in a private moment and I’ll share the start of the conversation, almost verbatim:

Me: How’s camp?

Mr. X: It’s really good, everybody’s working hard, getting a lot of stuff done. Don’t know how good we’ll be but they’re really working.

Me: Oh yeah? Who’s been the best?

Mr. X: Hmmm. Amir’s been good, Jerryd, Jamaal’s been banging people. Best guy in camp? Andrea.

Me: Andrea? Bargnani? Tall kid?

Mr. X: Seriously, I know. Yes. He’s at least trying to play defence and rebound, he’s banging people, he looks really good.

Now, I can hear you scoffing and snickering already but if in fact what I’m hearing is true – and I have no reason to believe it isn’t, Mr. X has been known to rip a player or two privately over the years – that’s got to be good, right?

Before you all start laughing, let me say this for, oh, the billionth time: Andrea is not going to get 10 rebounds a night; hell, he might not get seven. But if he can be a better help defender, box out more effectively and simply be more engaged on the defensive end, he has a chance to be a huge part of that team.

Whether he does or not is entirely up to him but it would appear – and, again, this is from someone who often provides brutally frank assessments of players – that he’s working at it harder than perhaps he ever has.

And that’s what Dwane told us the other day discussing Bargnani’s play:

I think age has something to do with that, maturity, understanding when you can get in there and how you can get in there. I think that has a lot to do with it …

I’m going to stay on him, he’s going to get tired of me telling him to go rebound but until a player decides to improve that area of his game at this level … it’s on him. I do believe he’s going to make an effort to do that …

I told him we need two (rebounds) a quarter, you’re up to eight and you can fall into a couple more. That’s our goal with him and he’s made a concentrated effort of doing that, we had diner the other night and we talked about that extensively.

We, as they say, shall see. This is training camp, after all; it’ll be a whole different ball of wax starting Sunday. The enigmatic Bargnani has teased coaches, teammates, writers and fans before, I have no idea whether this time it’ll stick but there are those who think it will.

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Driving the Smelly Ford Focus down the highway to practice, passed a car with – get this – faux antlers sticking out of the windows.

Really?

Don’t they get in the way of the Leaves flags?

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Hey, remember the movie scene from the other day – Lost In Translation as a response an Irregular’s list request?

Where’s this one fit?

-

Just when you thought you were out, they pull you back in.

Chris Paul gets traded and one NBA mess seems cleared up at least and that comes a day or so after, or maybe on the same day since they all seem to meld together, there are breathless reports and Dwight Howard is off the market.

Peace in our time?

Hold your horses, cowboys.

Now the story is that, yes, Dwight still wants out this is going to hang over the Magic and the league like the stench from a stinkbomb until it’s resolved.

Personally, I hope it drags on right until the trade deadline in March because it’ll make the all-star weekend in Orlando a whole lot of fun.

-

Speak of the devil …

Walked into the end of practice yesterday and who’s standing there? Alvin Williams. Was in town for a chat with the bosses, heading back out to do some scouting soon and quite likes the fact he’ll be on the road a bit doing some NBA scouting because player personnel is where he sees himself ultimately ending up.

-

Ho, ho ho.

It’s that time again.

(Thankfully, there are more than enough ditties to get us through another week or so).

This one’s kinda catchy if you can get past the 1980s hair.

-

Yes, I know, the subject matter is a shame and the world has lost a great one but this is a very good and, um, entertaining obituary.

And for a guy whose two must-reads in the magazine world are The New Yorker and Vanity Fair, the fact Christopher Hitchens will no longer grace the pages of the latter is a shame.

-

Seriously, all I’m doing is sitting around puttering on some mail when ace photographers walk by and suddenly it’s picture time.

Randy Risling’s one of the best; kinda captures me, don’t you think?

-

Okay, have to monitor practice (Cathal’s got the writing duties for tomorrow unless something big happens and we need two guys) and then do a chat with the wonderful Irregulars (noon, be there or be square) and then roll on down the highway Niagara-bound for a Super Grandpa thing (hello, Mick and Angelo’s, will stop by and pay my respects for a minute).

But …

There’s always time for mail.

Do. It. Here. Please.

 

 

 

Comments

[GK]

As an east coast reader I'm loving the early blog postings so far. Keep up the good work!

[Blake Kennedy]

"We shall see," indeed. Andrea's been having great practices or great training camps or great preseasons each of the past four years; somehow it hasn't translated to the floor. I expect no differently; he is, after, Andrea Bargnani - and that's all he'll ever be.
.
Good to hear good reports about Jerryd (in particular) and Amir (no surprise, that boy doesn't need a road map to get to the weight room).

[Tom]

Now, I don't know Yu Darvish from a Whirling Dirvish...

[AT]

Doug,
It's hard to believe that the ink is not even dry on the new CBA and this thing with Chris Paul happens and now Dwight Howard.
There are rules for what owners/players can;/cannot say, otherwise they are fined.Why doesn't the league at least try and put a stop to this and if I guy is under contract, fine him if he starts saying publicly that he wants to be traded?? What will happen is that contracts will only be about the player and the money. There is no more certainty if a team signs a guy to a long term deal if he only turns around and starts demanding to be traded.
My memory is not a good as yours Doug, but I think even when HWSRN wanted out, he did not say it publicly the way these guys do so casually ...EVEN THOUGH THEY SIGNED A CONTRACT!! For whatever its worth, I always thought a contract was a contract and until it is done, just hold up your end of the deal. Then when it has expired, they can do whatever the heck they want.. isn't that what Free Agency is all about?

[Angelo]

Doug, have you heard anything about where Jamario Moon might be headed? It would seem that Moon and Reggie Evans would fit well with the Clippers now.

Blogger's note: Reggie more than Jamario; have heard nothing of him.

[kball]

Baseball, movies, Mellancamp, Hitchens and pork products (how do you cook a Darvin Ham?) ... I come to this blog to get news about the Raptors and Raptors only!

Hopefully that satisfies the quota for blog complaints.

Keep up the great work, Doug.

[sam]

$50 plus million seems like a heck of a lot of money for the right to negotiate with any player - Darvish may very well be the real deal - let 's hope AA and the Jays tall foreheads have done their due dilligance.

Andrea's having a good training camp? Perhaps the new coaches have taken him out of comfort zone and made him realize to earn your keep you have to - you know, work. Could be he fianlly realized there is a difference between the Europeon leagues style of defence and the NBA. I'm not certain defence will ever be his forte, but I'm certain he can improve, grab a few more rebounds and silience his critics.

Looking forward to Sunday's first kick at the can and see what a 10 days of practice can do....

[jimt]

The only reason barney will get better defensively this year is because of the influx of rookies he can stomp and the aging/slowing of the garnets...
Dont be fooled people the only way this guy gets to 10 boards is if he spends his cash and time to hire the dream in the off season.

Blogger's note: I cut the stereotyping/racist rant. You're warned.

[JHK]

I had a chance to see Darvish live in LA back is 2009 during WBC and this guy is dynamite!
He's got some amazing pitches up his sleeves with a lot of charisma.
Loved him since and would love to see him here!!!

["Kobayashi"]

"Now, I don’t know Yu Darvish from Darvin Ham (you try and find a better line?) "

How about

"I don't know Yu Darvish from U2"?

I think this should be a make-it-or-break-it year for Bargnani in terms of defensive and rebounding improvement, if Dwane can't instill it in him then they should give up hope that anyone can.

[Stephen]

Now, I don’t know Yu Darvish from Yul Brynner...

[Peter]

Thanks for the blog Doug!

Whether you loved him or hated him, it is hard to argue that Christpher Hitchens will be missed. I know he got famous for his attacks on religion, but he was such an interesting and thoughtful writer on a variety of subjects, I hope, if anything, his death prompts people to examine his other works more fully.

[Chris Kelly]

Hello to those who do not know who Darvish is!

I have been living in Japan for the past five years (born and raised in Toronto) and have been a baseball fan.
I can ABSOLUTELY GUARANTEE that Darvish is the real deal! If Toronto gets him, it will be like getting Pedro Martinez back in the day (yes, I just compared him to Pedro in his prime!)
Better than Matsuzaka by a lot (always was) in case you are wondering.

He just posted an ERA of 1.44 this season and has not had an ERA over 2.00 in the past 5 years!!!
This is in a league where guys are not trying to get homers nor barely care if they wiff...this is where they sprint out every grounder and will do whatever to get a bat on the ball.

Serious heat and hook on the kid!

Norichika Aoki (CF) is another gem (who should had jumped YEARS ago!)

[Peter]

If we get Yu... this would be cool... but this seems like the type of thing to happen in Boston... and never in Toronto.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKuzwTuyyLE

[Lorie]

Morning, Doug:
Thank you for the mention of Christopher Hitchens. I can add no words to the many more eloquent ones that have been offered today. I know I will miss his writing tremendously. And, it was only last evening, when I had time to curl up and read what was to be his final Vanity Fair essay. This is it:
http://t.co/UlqH6OB

[kball]

If the reason the Raps have been dismal since their inception was that ownership didn't spend the big bucks, I wish Peter McKay bought the Raptors instead of Rogers/Bell ... he seems to have no problems spending money.

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2011/12/16/peter-mackay-spending-scandal-grey-cup_n_1153532.html?1324050665

[Jack]

It's too early to tell and it's only the training camp but if there is really a miracle on Front Street and Bargnani suddenly turns into a defensive monster during the regular season, can we blame Triano and his coaching staff for his performance in the last few years?
Me? I'll reserve my judgment until I see the proof. I believe in the saying 'Can't teach old dogs new tricks'.

[Mitch]

Now, I don’t know Yu Darvish from Me Darvish.

[Mfdc5]

@ Jack
You can actually teach old dogs new tricks. Myth Busters proved it.

[doug]

this is a well written article by Charley Rosen on why NBA coaches are superior to NCAA coaches and i concur with all the points he makes...that is why to me to force these kids to play for these NCAA coaches is not in their best interests they learn far more in a lot of different areas in the NBA , and the past atrocious record of NCAA coaches in the NBA means we will not see many making that transition again...college coaches plug players into systems, pro coaches need to adapt on the fly....their far superior...good reading/insight for any b-ball fan

http://blogs.hoopshype.com/blogs/rosen/2011/09/19/college-success-doesnt-translate-on-nba-benches/

[jc]

the first few pages of VF will never be the same. As much as I come here longing for basketball news, I can pass on thanks as this was the first place I came across that unfortunate news (spending too much time following chris paul)

[Rick from Mississauga]

Now I don't know Yu Darvish from Ed Mirvish.....