Remembering J.P.

For eight seasons, J.P. Ricciardi was the guiding light of the Blue Jays. Where that light was leading changed, it often seemed, with the Blue Jays initially projected to be Minnesota East, canny and resourceful and mindful of the pennies, and then a team that swerved between expensive free agent options in a desperate hope to get back to winning.

Opinions vary on the success of Ricciardi in Toronto, but the fact is the team never won more than 87 games and four times lost more games than it won. There will be those who slag those years as years of darkness, like the Gerry McNamara years with the Leafs, and Ricciardi's refusal to live in Toronto and penchant for playing fast and loose with the truth didn't help him make friends and influence people.

But he did do some good. A big part of that good, in fact, may be en route to greatness, as left-handed starting pitcher Ricky Romero is beginning to become the staff ace he was projected to be when he was drafted out of Cal-State Fullerton in 2005. It's a decision that it's worth remembering as the Jays and their fans gauge the team's inability to sign first round pick Tyler Beede, another pitcher, this week.

It was a talent laden draft, and as Justin Upton (1st), Troy Tulowitzki (6th)i, Ryan Braun (5th) and Jacoby Ellsbury (23rd) have established themselves as big-time major leaguers over the ensuing years, the discussion has been over which one of those players was the best player in the draft.

And why the Jays erred in taking Romero sixth. Well, the others may have accomplished more, but in the wake of Romero's superb performance against Oakland on Thursday night, one in which he lowered his ERA to a level not seen for a Jays leftie starter since the days of Jimmy Key, Romero is making the case that he wasn't just another Ricciardi mistake after all.

The numbers are great, particularly in the last handful of starts. But more than that, the 26-year-old Romero is quite clearly part of this young team's leadership group behind unofficial captain Jose Bautista as it tries to move from being a club of promise to one that can challenge for the post-season.

Would the club be further ahead without one of those other players, particularly Tulowitzki, who went right after Romero? Perhaps. Tulowitzki is one heck of a ballplayer. But assessing the value of a shortstop versus a top lefthanded starter is tricky, and in the post-Halladay era, Romero's ability to become the team's ace is particularly noteworthy. As well, Yunel Escobar is turning into a pretty fine shortstop in his own right.

Maybe at the No. 6 pick that year, Ricciardi was in a golden position and couldn't have done wrong. But after years of saying he screwed up that pick, or didn't get the best player and in general did a mediocre job,, it's worth noting that he was the GM who brought Romero to town.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Good, Small Idea

You watch the traffic light countdown as you cross the street, letting you know just how many seconds you have before you're into a danger area, and you think, "Boy, that's such a good idea and such an obvious one, why did it take so long?"

No explanation, really. Just one of the quirky things about life, that the most obvious answers, the ones staring you in face, seem the most elusive.

The proposed "verification line" the NHL is toying with this week at the Mastercard Centre in Etobicoke would seem to fall into that category. An easily detectable green line just over three inches inside the net would allow NHL hockey ops to more easily determine whether a puck has legally crossed all the way over the goal line, which is one of those age-old debates you get into in hockey.

Was it in? Was the puck all the way over the line, or just mostly, or on its edge? Is there a little white ice visible between the goal line and the puck, or isn't there? With the verification line, the concept is dead simple, that if the puck is touching that line it has to be in because the distance between the goal line and the new line is the width of the puck.

Basically, it's easier to determine if a line is being touched as opposed to if a line isn't being touched. Makes sense, and this seems an idea which would be both sensible and very easy to implement.

And there's the value of this R and D camp. It doesn't have to come up with ideas that change the game, just ones that help to make the current version of the sport a little better, a little clearer and a little easier for fans to digest.

 

 

Looking at Changes

The NHL game is getting more defensive again, and that's something the NHL has to be looking at when it holds it's R and D session in Toronto this week.

But there's nothing on the agenda that's going to make much difference.

There seems to be an inordinate focus on icing, both the rule in general as it pertains to racing for the puck and the way in which it's allowed during shorthanded situation.

The first element is about danger. But the so-called "hybrid" rule would simply force officials to guess which player is going to win the race at the face-off dot, and I'm pretty much against any rule that forces more judgement calls. The most effective NHL rules changes in recent years have been the black-and-white ones. Players do very occasionally get injured on icing calls, and sometimes badly. But if reducing injuries is the goal, there are other areas that could be addressed with greater results.

What about forbidding penalized teams to ice the puck? I see the logic, except they'll likely ice it anyway, producing more whistles and more faceoffs. Icing the puck while penalty killing has long been part of the game, and a more skilful part than say, fighting.

Better to force the offending team to kill off the entire two minutes. However, the problem with anything that makes it tougher on shorthanded teams will almost certainly have the effect of motivating officials to call fewer penalties because minors will become more costly.

Quite frankly, there is no magic pill for the NHL right now. The game is generally excellent, and the biggest alteration in the ability of teams to score is the incredible amount of shot-blocking that takes place. But in the Cup final, the last hockey we saw, there were low-scoring games and high-scoring games. Goals were hardly a problem there.

So I'd expect nothing significant to come out of this week. That said, the attitude that everything is always worth looking at is admirable.

 

 

 

 

In the Wake of An Upset

MONTREAL--For Rafael Nadal, the worst part was that he couldn't say he played the worst match of his life. Not even close.

Indeed, Nadal played fairly well and competed hard in his stunning loss to Ivan Dodig of Croatia at the Rogers Cup late Wednesday night, perhaps demonstrating that the difference between the very best players in the world and the next 50 isn't as large as you might imagine.

"Well, seriously I didn't felt that I played bad.  But that's true.  In the decisive moments, I didn't play well.  That's the true," said Nadal after his three-set defeat, including a third-set tiebreak. "He played well.  Little bit of everything.  Little bit of long time without competition.  Little bit of I started one week and a half ago playing tennis. He played very well, very aggressive.  He didn't feel the pressure in the important moments.  And at the end of the match, probably I was a little bit unlucky today, no? 

"I felt I played enough well to win that match.  But that's tennis."

The most remarkable feature of the thrilling match was that Nadal led 3-0 in the third set and then served for the match at 5-3, and lost. Very un-Nadal-like, possibly a by-product of his inactivity since suffering a foot injury at Wimbledon.

Still, the former world No. 1 showed some humour when asked about playing in such an "incredible" match.

"Well, for me wasn't that incredible," he said with a broad smile. "Was an emotional match and bad for me.  Is not the first lose in my career when I had an advantage.  That's happens.  Not going to be last time for me.  I have to accept these losses exactly the same like the victories and keep working.

"You know, the worst part on a loss like this is all the work that you did, that I did the last week.  I arrived Thursday to prepare well the tournament.  I arrived probably today being competitive.  Lose a match like this when I didn't felt that I was playing bad.  We talk about tennis.  That's tough because you have to start another time right now. 

"In the beginning, everything is hard because you think remain one week to play another time.  Everything is hard.  You cannot come back home, so you gonna be here. 

"The beginning, everything is tough.  But, you know, tomorrow day off.  I didn't stop playing tennis for two weeks.  I will have one day off tomorrow.  Friday I will be in Cincinnati practicing. When I gonna start practicing there, I gonna try my best.  I gonna try to thinking positive.  I gonna try to think what worked well here, what didn't work well, and work on that.  I'll work on be ready to play well in Cincinnati."

He said losing five finals in 2011, all to Novak Djokovic, is much more difficult to deal with than an upset defeat to a player like Dodig.

"You don't have to play well every week.  You don't have to be all the time at your best.  It's not an obligation win or be in the final every week.  That's what I want to do all the time.  That's what I try all the time.  But is not possible, no?," he said.

"This year is been fantastic year for me with tough moments.  Today probably is a tough one.  But worst when you lose five finals.  I lost five finals this year.  I'm playing well.  You know, after long time without strange lose, I lose today.  Let's work hard to try don't to repeat that in Cincinnati."

Dodig, naturally, was elated by the triumph. He has had moments this year, taking a set off Djokovic at the Australian Open and beating both Robin Soderling and Milos Raonic on clay in Barcelona, but even he seemed surprised at how well he played.

Asked if he could believe he had upset Nadal, he said. "I cannot."

Dodig pounded 19 aces past Nadal and kept coming hard to the net all night, even in the third-set tiebreak when his aggressiveness paid off, particularly on match point when his spectacular cross-court backhand ended the contest.

"If I get some chance, some small chance, I have to be aggressive, I have to try to make point myself, otherwise I cannot beat a guy like Rafa waiting to him to make mistake," said Dodig.

"On match point, I think I did it.  I make like a winner.  I think that was the key of this match.  I know it's very tough when you play these guys to be aggressive.  Sometimes they doesn't allow you.  But today I had some chances and I think I use it.  I finish match by myself.  I didn't wait for his mistakes." 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Something to Build On

MONTREAL--How close was it?

Not that close.

So while Canada's Vasek Pospisil can take enormous pride today in hanging in there on Centre Court at Uniprix Stadium and trading punches with Roger Federer, neither Pospisil nor anyone watching the match should fool themselves into thinking the 7-5, 6-3 Federer victory was close.

This was Federer's first match since Wimbledon, so sure, he was a little rusty in the early going, particularly in tracking Pospisil's serves. But the masterful Federer, now 30, got the service break he needed late in the first set and then the one he needed early in the second and cruised to the win. 

The Swiss has never been much bothered about destroying players early in tournaments, just in managing his game and energies to the point he's ready to give and return serious fire by the quarterfinals and semifinals. He didn't face a break point against Pospisil, and was never threatened.

Still, it was a nice stepping stone for Pospisil, who will move into the top 150 in the world for the first time with his Rogers Cup effort.

"I felt pretty calm out there, to be honest," said Pospisil afterwards. "I knew he played fast, but that's another level of fast. I've never felt a ball go through the court like that, especially his forehand."

As the match wore on, Pospisil was pushed further and further behind the baseline on rallies.

"It's not easy to get on the offence against him too often," said the 21-year-old Canadian. "My plan was to concentrate on my game, hit my targets, play the ball rather than the occasion or the player.

"Obviously, that's easier said than done."

Along with Milos Raonic, Pospisil makes Canada the only tennis country in the world with two players 21 years of age or younger in the top 150.

The key for Pospisil, just as it was for Rebecca Marino after her strong effort in a defeat to Venus Williams at last year's U.S. Open, will be to build upon both his first round upset of Argentina's Juan Ignacio Chela and the experience of going toe-to-toe with Federer.

He has the serve and forehand, and he has a world class volley. Pospisil clearly benefitted from his play for Canada in a Davis Cup tie against Ecuador last month, and he'll likely get another opportunity next month against Israel with a World Group berth on the line.

Before then, he'll try to qualify for the U.S. Open singles later this month. Right now, he's at about the same point Raonic was a year ago. Now the question is whether we'll be talking about a Pospisil surge upwards in the rankings this time next year.

 

 

Tennis and Drugs

MONTREAL--Having Richard Gasquet first on Centre Court today at the Rogers Cup inevitably brings up stories of Gasquet's brief drug suspension, more newsworthy after American player Robert Kendrick was handed a one-year ban by the International Tennis Federation last month.

Gasquet's story is one of more than a few from the tennis world that strains credulity. He was suspended in 2009 after testing positive for cocaine, but he appealed and later had his suspension dropped after a two-and-a-half month period when the ITF accepted his explanation that he had ingested the substance after kissing a woman at a nightclub.

Honest.

These days, Gasquet, once rated the best junion in the world, is the third-ranked player in France and pushing back up the ATP rankings. He plays Germany's Florian Mayer today.

Kendrick, 31, was suspended late last month after testing positive for a banned stimulant at the French Open. He claimed the substance was in a capsule he took to combat jet lag and is appealing the suspension in hopes of having the suspension reduced. He's ranked 110th in the world. His best result this season was a quarter-final appearance at Memphis where he was beaten by Canada's Milos Raonic, who then went on to lose the final to Andy Roddick.

Earlier this month, American player Wayne Odesnik returned to the tour after a one-year ban for importing human growth hormone into Australia, which he admitted. The 25-year-old, born in South African, has ranked as high as 77th in the world.

Other tennis suspensions for drug use have been equally odd. Petr Korda was suspended for using steroids in 1998, which he claimed got into his body by eating too much veal. Martina Hingis, most famously, was banned for two years in 2008 when trace amounts of cocaine were detected in her system. She has never stopped proclaiming her innocence, and tests of her hair follicles found no evidence of cocaine.

 

The Problem of Promise

MONTREAL--People love promise in sports. It's better than an I.O.U., for it requires an emotional investment in the imagined result.

Blue Jays fans, looking at Colby Rasmus, Ricky Romero, Brett Lawrie, J.P. Arencibia, Yunel Escobar, Henderson Alvarez and others, are feeling it. Leaf fans, with Phil Kessel, James Reimer, Dion Phaneuf, Luke Schenn and the youngest team in hockey, are banking on it.

At some point, however, promise has to turn into reality. We'll see if either the Leafs or the Jays will get to the promised land, and for Canadian tennis fans, it's been about waiting to see if the great promise of Milos Raonic and Rebecca Marino will translate into the country's first big-time singles competitors in a long, long time.

Raonic looked to be well on his way before being injured at Wimbledon. He's not at this week's Rogers Cup in Montreal, he might be ready for the U.S. Open later this month, he might not be. Patience is a virtue, and all signs remain good, but there's a way to go yet.

Marino? Her loss to Russian veteran Ekaterina Makarova on Monday night in Toronto has to go down as a major disappointment. Yes, she was 0-2 against Makarova lifeitime, and Makarov, as a leftie, is a rarity on the women's tour, and therefore a problem to deal with for most players.

But Marino was on her home turf playing in front of a big Rexall Centre audience pulling for her against an opponent with a lower world ranking. She had her moments, nearly fighting back from a huge deficit in the first set tiebreak, but the mobility issues resurfaced and her big serve and forehand game were exposed as incomplete as she went out in the first round.

"I am disappointed losing my match here, especially first round.  Not many people enjoy that, I think," said Marino afterwards. "But, you know, I do put it in perspective.  I think about where I was a year ago and how far I've come.  I don't want to sound sort of egotistical when I say this, but I'm very proud of myself just how far I have come. 

"You know, yes, it's disappointing, but just so long as I stay positive about it, I can move forward and hopefully have a better showing next year."

Three more Canadian women - Eugenie Bouchard, Alexsandra Wozniak and Stephanie Dubois - take their swings today, as will Vasek Pospisil on the men's side. Lots more promise on the way, but will results follow?

And when is it fair to demand results from promise? That's a harsh question, but one Jays fans will start asking next season if this doesn't become more than a .500 team, and Leaf fans will surely start asking if next season delivers yet another non-playoff team.

Canadian tennis fans, meanwhile, want to believe, particularly in Raonic and Marino, both of whom are only 20 years of age and have delivered promising results in 2011. They know it takes time. Like fans of the Jays and Leafs, they'll hang in a while longer.

 

 

 

 

Not About Fairness

So the Blue Jays blow saves twice in one game, and naturally the reaction is to send outfielder Travis Snider back to Las Vegas.

Huh?

Well, of course that's not why Snider was demoted, but from his point-of-view, the disappointing events of the day from a team perspective and from an individual perspective must be frustrating when juxtaposed.

Fair? Maybe, maybe not. Three weeks ago, Snider was so hot Blue Jays management wouldn't have dreamed of demoting him. But some of the old troubling swing habits were appearing again, the production had dropped and the Jays needed room to bring up Brett Lawrie. With options left, Snider was the easy one to move, and the hardest one for whom a case could be made to stay.

That's four times down in two years, and while it's easy and natural to wonder if it's time for Snider to try his luck elsewhere, it's also worth pointing out that's why players have all these options and smart teams are the ones that use them to effectively in order to manipulate their rosters and not lose players for no reason.

It's intriguing that the Jays fancy themselves as a team capable of identifying young players stalled in their development with other clubs - Jose Bautista, Yunel Escobar, Colby Rasmus - and then helping them reach their potential in Toronto. Yet in Snider, they have exactly that kind of player themselves, so they should know giving up on him before they have to, or before they can gain something useful in a trade, isn't smart baseball. If they can provide a better home for Escobar or Rasmus, shouldn't that same environment work for Snider?

It's not a straight curve upwards for every young player. Paul Goldschmidt may look like precious commodity this moment in Arizona, but a year from now he might be working on his swing in the minors again. Imposing first baseman Chris Davis once looked to be a Texas Ranger of the future, so much so the Rangers felt comfortable moving Justin Smoak to Seattle just a year ago in the Cliff Lee deal. Now, Davis is a Baltimore Oriole, unable to break through in Arlington and used in a trade to acquire reliever Koji Uehara.

So it's not over, necessarily, for Snider in Toronto. He may come back having adjusted his approach at the plate again. Still, it's hard to shake the feeling that he's simply being squeezed out of a roster position with the Jays, and that even if he can regroup, there may be no room for him.

 

 

 

 

Hockey Interfering With the Boys of Summer

EAST LANSING, Michigan--The future of the Blue Jays, it's fair to say, is being played out at various levels of professional baseball, and on this glorious summer night it was being played out on Ladies Night at the Cooley Law School Stadium between the Lansing Lugnuts and South Bend Silverhawks.

That's A-Ball, Midwest League style, and while the chatter for much of this season has been about the prospects the Jays have at AA New Hampshire, Alex Anthopoulos and Co. are similarly pumped about four very good looking players at Lansing.

That group includes outfielder Marcus Knecht of Thornhill, the cleanup hitter for this 6-1 romp over South Bend. It also includes B.C.'s Michael Crouse, son of former B.C. Lion player Ray Crouse, and another outfielder, Jake Marisnick. Less highly regarded might be K.C. Hobson, son of Butch, the former Red Sox third baseman, but against the Silverhawks he flashed some mean leather at first base and hit an opposite field double.

We'll see how all this pans out, both this year under Lansing manager Mike Redmond, the former major league catcher who just finished playing last year in Cleveland, and beyond. But the possibilities added spice to a superb night at a minor league ballpark, never a waste of time.

Of course, hockey and business of hockey has a way of intruding at any moment and any time of year, and so it was on Wednesday with the news that Shea Weber had been awarded the largest arbitration stipend in NHL history, a one-year contract worth $7.5 million.

So what does the Weber award mean, aside from the fact that the 25-year-old will be the fifth highest paid D-man in the NHL next season?

Well, it means he's now getting paid market value for his services, much to the chagrin of the Preds who have never had to pay a player anything close to that salary before. It also means that he and the team have bought a year to see how the Predators deal with impending unrestricted free agents Ryan Suter and Pekka Rinne. Both Suter and Rinne are free agents July 1st, and Weber will know have the luxury of observing whether the Preds are serious about winning, which likely means finding ways to sign both Suter and Rinne.

Suter and Rinne, of course, will want to know what Weber's plans are, as well. Weber was always going to get paid - the $4.5 million arbitration offer of the Preds had nothing to do with reality - but the greater issue is how Nashville GM David Poile will juggle his finances to keep all three players, or how he'll choose between them.

Conceivably, by this time next summer all three players could be Predators for the long-term. Or Suter and Rinne may have signed elsewhere, and Weber may be heading into one last year in Tennessee. 

Now, Weber can sit back and watch what Poile does before he commits. Or, theoretically, he can sign a multi-year deal and hope that convinces Suter and Rinne to stay as well.

The intrigue in Nashville, really, is just beginning.

 

 

 

 

Mid-Way Summer Thoughts

One month, almost exactly, has passed since the last post here on the The Spin, and I'd like to tell you that refreshed and rejuvenated, I'm ready to correct all past mistakes (Florida Panthers were a BADDDDD choice to win the '97 Stanley Cup) and take a new, non-cynical and open-minded look at the world of sports.

But none of that is true so let's move on. Can't imagine trying to catch up on all that was missed in July - Jo-Jo Reyes, we hardly knew ye - so we'll start with bits and pieces from the past weekend. We've got three weeks of this before a mid-August Mediterrean cruise, so let's get to it:

--I'm the only one who passes even remotely for a baseball fan in this household, but had the wife and older daughter openly pulling for Colby Rasmus to get his first hit as a Blue Jay after several miserable days. Can't tell yet what the Jays have picked up here - he kinda reminds me of Grady Sizemore - but that sweet swing on a 3-2 count against a very good leftie in C.J. Wilson on Sunday sure suggested there's terrific raw talent here.

--Fair to say Brent Burns had the San Jose Sharks over a barrel. Having dealt Devin Setoguchi, former first rounder Charlie Coyle (watch for this kid) and another first rounder to the Wild to get Burns, the Sharks could hardly risk losing Burns after one season, and his contract was due to expire after this coming season. That is, until he signed a new five-year, $28.5 million pact on the weekend. This was a bold move by GM Doug Wilson, and he needs to be right on this one. Unlike the failed addition of Dany Heatley, the Sharks actually gave up significant pieces to get Burns, and he needs to demonstrate he can be a put-the-team-over-the-top kind of player.

--David Braley's two CFL franchises are a combined 1-9, with no home wins between them. You'd feel bad for the guy except for the fact he owns the rights to the next two Grey Cups, which means two big pay days are a-coming. Still, that's thin gruel for fans of the Argos and Lions. Neither team has an established quarterback, and in the CFL, that means you don't have much. As far as the Argos go, it's been easy to slag Cleo Lemon and Dalton Bell, but this team just doesn't have big-time receivers. Makes it tough on the guy slingin' the ball.

--Seeing the Montreal Alouettes lose two consecutive football games is something remarkable, at least in recent CFL history. Look, no offence to the Als, but watching them mow down all comers in the east year-after-year has become a yawn. The last two weeks suggests that there may be much less behind the brilliance of Anthony Calvillo to this year's squad, but we'll see. Winnipeg looks tough and Hamilton looks entertaining. A change to the usual script would be welcome.

--I get the debate over J.P. Arencibia's defence, and sure you want him to improve. But there's no debate over his qualities as a major league hitter with significant pop and he's done well to shoulder all the physical and mental burdens of being a full-time catcher in the bigs with a pitching staff that is like Behemoth up at Canada's Wonderland, a rollercoaster ride every time through the rotation. He's tough and talented, with a chance over time to be one of the best in the game.

--Gotta tell you, Canadians get much more hyped for the NHL trade deadline than than baseball's non-waiver deadline, but the latter, at least this year, involved more impact players and more significant deals. Unlike hockey, you also see good youngsters moved, and the absence of a salary cap allows teams with an eye on the prize to be even more aggressive.

--So maybe Randy Moss is retired. Maybe. If so, he gets to be in the conversation over who is the second-best receiver in NFL history behind Jerry Rice, which means he will be in Canton one day despite being, on and off, one of the bigger boors in recent NFL history. Never won a Super Bowl, which certainly doesn't sit solely on his shoulders, and there were times during his career when he was unstoppable and could not be covered by even the best defensive backs in the game. But he wasn't reliable like a Hines Ward. He lacked Steve Largent's toughness, Michael Irvin's raw physicality and Cris Carter's smarts. He was a highlight-reel receiver, but anything but a complete player.

--And on the same day Moss "retired", did the career of Canada's Matt Stairs also come to a close at age 43? Washington didn't want him and released him today, with the Nationals being the 13th MLB team for which Stairs swung his efficient bat, a major league record. Two stats stand out for the New Brunswick-born Stairs; 23 career pinch-hit home runs, a MLB record, and 265 career dingers, making him and Larry Walker the only Canadian-born players with more than 250 career home runs.

--Needless to say, Stairs' release isn't the biggest news these days for the Nationals. Former phenom Stephen Strasburg, coming off Tommy John surgery, is expected to make a minor-league start in the next 10 days with an eye to being back in the big leagues in early September. 

--Over the summer, have read Neil Peart's fine travelling/grieving book, taken his suggestion to scour some Jack London novels, dipped into Nick Hornby's collection for Juliet, Naked (thumbs up) and am now 30 pages into Roger Kahn's Boys of Summer. Already, I don't want it to end. Summer, too.