Tim Lincecum Is Good

Do you remember that Tim Lincecum guy? Starting pitcher, San Francisco Giants? You know, the guy Toronto Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi tried to acquire over the winter, by offering San Fran Alex Rios? Yeah, that guy. He's, uh, doing pretty well this season.

With Lincecum's freakish delivery set to be on the cover of Sports Illustrated this week, and rumours flying around that he's going to be the starting pitcher for the National League at the All-Star game, I thought it might be interesting to see how he's doing over in the Bay Area. Things might certainly be different in T.O. had the Lincecum/Rios trade gone through.

First of all, this post is not meant to demean Alex Rios. I heart Rios. I think he's one of baseball's best up-and-coming stars, and he's got a bright, bright future in the game. I'm more than glad we got his name on a long-term contract.

But Rios, like the rest of his Blue Jays brethren, has severely underperformed this season. His struggles have been well documented. We're 85 games into the campaign and Rios has only four home runs and 33 RsBI. I know, home runs and runs batted it aren't everything, but this was supposed to be Rios' breakout season, where he entrenched himself into baseball's upper echelon of star players. It's been extremely disappointing, as he's looked lost at the plate on too many occasions.

Want to know just how bad it has been for Rios? He's hit one more home run than Frank Thomas in a Blue Jays uniform this season.

And Frank Thomas was released on April 20th.

It simply hasn't happened for Rios this year, and I don't know why. Both his batting average (.284) and on-base percentage (.337) numbers are down from '06 and '07, and he's struck out 77 times already this season, most on the team by a comfortable margin. While he has stolen an impressive 21 bases, at the end of the day his .734 OPS simply isn't cutting it. Rios must improve his numbers in the second half.

As for Tim Lincecum, he's dominating the senior circuit. With all signs pointing to A.J. Burnett being traded before the July 31st trade deadline, or opting out of his contract come season's end, Timothy LeRoy Lincecum would look awfully, awfully, good in a Blue Jays uniform right now, and in the years to come. Oh, what might have been.

In only his second year in the big leagues, Lincecum is making Giants general manager Brian Sabean look like a smart man for holding on to him. And this is the same Sabean who threw a ton of money at Barry Zito. Barry fucking Zito.

Here are Lincecum's 2008 stats:

W-L: 10-1
Innings pitched: 115.2
ERA: 2.49
WHIP: 1.24
Strikeouts: 122
Walks: 44
Opponents batting average: .236

The Ks really stand out. For a scrawny kid with a strange delivery, Lincecum can throw some serious heat.

After his rookie campaign in which he showed so much promise, Lincecum is proving he's the real deal. You've simply got to tip your cap to Sabean and the Giants. They thought long and hard over the Rios deal, but in the end, it looks like they made the right decision.

I leave you with a link to Tom Verducci's excellent Sports Illustrated piece on "The Freak." Verducci is good people. Check out the layout.

Steroids!?!? What Steroids!?!?

It's time to weigh in, my friends. Here's what's on the dish, and it's baseball heavy: the Mitchell Report, Greg Zaun, Alex Rios, Josh Towers, David Eckstein, T.J. Ford and our dinosaurs of the hard court the Toronto Raptors, and Bates Battaglia. And maybe some more. You'll have to read on to find out!

The Mitchell Report (cue dramatic music):

So, uh, baseball's got a steroids problem. Who's surprised? Who cares? This isn't news. Every one's known for quite some time that all baseball players are, or have been, on the juice. A most credible source - one Jose Canseco - told all of us years ago.

So why all this fuss over the Mitchell report? Leave it to baseball to let a director of the Boston Red Sox lead an investigation into drug use in the sport. In an absolutely shocking turn of events, no Red Sox were named on the list.

If you haven't seen it already, here's the report. It was actually a rather enjoyable experience to skim through it. If you're looking for a list of names, here you go.

Long story short - baseball players have been juicing for years and the Mitchell report named some names.

A few big names did come out of the report. Barry Bonds took steroids?!?! Like, no way! On a more serious note, the real big names were: Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte, Eric Gagne and Miguel Tejada. And Toronto's own Greg Zaun! Give it up for Zauner!

Clemens, it was reported, took his first injections, in the buttocks no less, in our great city of Toronto, while he was dominating the American League for none other than the Toronto Blue Jays. I feel, kind of, honored. I always thought Clemens was some sort of freak of nature who could pitch, pitch and pitch some more. But now it's come to light that he's a steroid-using douche bag. Oh well, his couple of years in Toronto were still great, although he does deserve a swift kick to the nuts.

As for Gagne, Pettitte, and Tejada, I can't really say I'm surprised. If you were surprised by the Mitchell report, you've been living under a rock. Baseball's been juicing for a long, long time. Deal with it.

Greg Zaun:

Clemens as a Blue Jay wasn't the only connection from the Mitchell report to my, our should I say our, beloved Toronto Blue Jays. Like I said, it looks like good ol' Greg Zaun is a steroid user and abuser. I have, after a few hours reflection, already forgiven him. Like I said, everyone was juicing. Zaun's been a borderline major leaguer for, pretty much, ever. If I was Zaun and I saw the dude I was battling against for a job taking steroids, I probably would have done the same. Can't blame the guy.

I do, however, have some advice for Zaun, and a number of other idiots who were named in the Mitchell report thanks to evidence that they paid for their steroids by cheque. If you're going to buy the stuff, pay with cash, morons. That's all.

Zaun even had the nerve to trash the Mitchell report to the National Post before it got released yesterday. Not smart, Zauner, not smart. Especially when you're in it! Oh well, you live and you learn. Zaun, a recovering alcoholic, probably needed a drink last night. I wonder what he'll say today?

Troy Glaus:

Still on the Jays and steroids, super douche Troy Glaus was named in the report as well. Not a surprise, as he was linked to steroids at the end of last season. Major League Baseball has, however, cleared him of any wrong doing because there apparently isn't enough evidence that Glaus used steroids. He just bought them, that's all, and what? Did he sit on his couch and stare at them? Talk about getting off easy, eh? Give me a break. The Glaus story is exactly what is wrong with Major League Baseball. Now Glaus will never have to explain his steroid controversy, and that just pisses me right off. I'm still off Glaus, huge...

Alex Rios and Tim Lincecum:

Enough about steroids. The San Francisco Giants yesterday signed Aaron Rowand to a five-year deal. The free-agent signing took Tim Lincecum off the table, and that means Alex Rios is going to remain a Blue Jay, at least for the time being. At the end of the day, the Giants couldn't part with Lincecum's arm, and I can't really blame them. The kid's going to be special. At the same time, I can't be mad or disappointed, because Alex Rios is a rude boy and still a Blue Jay. I think the Jays should now make a whole-hearted effort to get Rios' name on a contract extension before they explore trading him again.

Here's hoping that Rios doesn't take the attempt to trade him personally. It was strictly a business decision, especially in light of the "cha-ching" Rios will soon be hearing. The smart money (that would be me) says that Rios does end up taking it personally. However, I'm not all that smart, nor do I have much money, so what the hell do I know...

Josh Towers:

Jeff Blair at The Globe, and millions of other Jays fans, were given an early Festivus present by JPeezy last night. Josh Towers was not tendered a contract. He is officially a free agent. His career with the Blue Jays is officially done. Finally. No more Josh Towers. Say it with me. It feels so good. Yes, that is dancing in the streets you're hearing.

Towers was god-awful the last two years. I know it, you know it, and even he knows it. I would quote Towers and his reaction to becoming a free agent but, really, who gives a shit what he has to say? He made more than $5 million the last two seasons. I feel like he stole the money, because god knows he didn't deserve it.

I will give some credit, though, to Josh Towers. He's a millionaire. And he stinks. Therefore he's the reason my unborn son will become a major league pitcher. So thanks, Josh, for something, at least.

David Eckstein:

Still on the Jays, they announced the free-agent signing of David Eckstein yesterday afternoon. Welcome to Toronto, Mr. X Factor. It's a one-year deal for $4.5 million and Eckstein will, at that price, surely be the starting shortstop come April.

I definitely didn't see this one coming, especially after JPeezy went out and acquired Marco Scutaro to backup John McDonald. I feel for Johnny Mac. It seemed like he finally had the starting job locked up, and now this. He's a backup once again. At the same time, I can't be mad at JPeezy for going out and signing Eckstein, who will be batting in the lead-off spot (making Reed Johnson expendable?). Worst comes to worst, the Jays have another decent guy on their bench, either Johnny Mac or Eckstein. If there was one glaring weakness for the Jays last year it was their abysmal bench. Now it's much better, and supreme jobbers like Howie Clarke, Hector Luna and Ray Olmedo can go back to the minors where they belong...

T.J. Ford:

My man T.J. Ford is doing alright after he was mugged by Al Horford in Atlanta on Tuesday night. The Raptors came up big a night later, with T.J. in attendance in street clothes on the bench, against the Dallas Mavericks.

I got a bunch of feedback about my comments about the Ford incident and how I thought one of Ford's teammates should have stepped up and had a word with Horford. Some people disagreed because Horford was quick to show remorse, while others said that someone should have at least had a word with the Atlanta rook.

Horford was definitely remorseful after his bonehead play on Ford. He went to the hospital after the game on Tuesday night to talk to Ford and to make sure he was alright. The Atlanta rookie spent more than two hours at the hospital. Good on him, because it was the right thing to do.

I, however, stand by my decision. I appreciate Horford going to the hospital, but I made it clear that I knew Horford didn't mean to hurt T.J. Ford. Of course he didn't. But that doesn't change the fact that someone has got to get in his face and at least ask him what the hell he was thinking. There's a way to foul a guy, and it certainly doesn't involve smacking wildly at a guy's head. Again, I know it was an accident, but still. Maybe it's the hockey attitude in me, I don't know, but regardless of the intentions, Horford needed a word. Just a word. Not a punch, or a fight, or a shove. Just a word.

As for Ford, it looks like he's going to miss at least a week of action, if not more. He flew back to Toronto Wednesday morning, after his charter plane made a pit stop in Baltimore. Why Baltimore, you ask? To pick up injured Raptor Jorge Garbajosa, who had surgery on his ankle and leg. Gotta love the service, eh? Only for a Toronto team suffering from the Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment injury plague does a plane go around picking up injured guys across North America. Unbelievable. Get well soon, boys...

Bates Battaglia:

To some hockey news. My man Bates Battaglia has been waived by the Toronto Maple Leafs and will now report to the Toronto Marlies. Battaglia has watched most of the season from the press box and when he has played, his ice time has averaged less than five minutes a game. It sucks, because I like Battaglia and what he brought to the Leafs last year. He was productive, with over 30 points, and he played around 10 to 12 minutes a game.

This year, he's been a casualty to the Leafs depth and it's unfortunate because he finally seemed to be getting his career back on track. The Leafs should try and trade him because Battaglia is not an AHL hockey player. He can play in the NHL, there's no doubt about it. It's a shame he loses a roster spot to someone like Wade Belak, who scores one goal every four years, and is the toast of Toronto.

Here's hoping Bates lands back on his feet.

Peace out, Toronto.

A Change Of Heart

After some reflection and reconsideration, and some advice from my man Jeff Blair at The Globe, maybe Toronto trading Alex Rios for pitcher Tim Lincecum isn’t so bad after all. I’ve had what is called a change of heart. Let’s do the damn thing.

I’m an emotional guy. When I heard JPeezy was dangling Rios in front of the Giants I acted, well, emotionally. No shit. It’s what I do. Rios is the man, the future, the latino heat. My initial reaction was: “What the $#@!? Rios, one-for-one for a pitcher? Can’t be done. No way. Abort mission.”

In my emotional state, I shot off an email to Blairsy at The Globe. Turns out, the email made his mail bag. Here it is, in all its glory:

Jeff,
Loyal reader, who is extremely nervous after reading your blog that says Ricciardi is willing to trade Rios for Lincecum. Please tell me this isn't going to happen. Say it ain't so. Tell me you think the Jays should keep Rios. Don't you? Don't you?!
Distraught,
eyebleaf

I needed to be told it was all going to be ok. I needed a shoulder to lean on. I was distraught, damn it! Blairsy, Mr. Calm, Cool and Collected, was there for me. He laid it down, straight:

Eyebleaf: Each night after MacLeod and I wrapped up our work here, I'd head down to the lobby bar to corner Blue Jays types or executives from other teams or agents with whom I have any kind of rapport. The deal was all we'd talk about and I have to admit I'm still going back and forth on it, because I think Rios is an uncommonly talented offensive player and when I hear a former manager I trust tell me Rios reminds him of Dave Winfield, I kind of pay attention. But considering how this market's going, I'm beginning to wonder if the Blue Jays don't think Rios is on the verge of just about putting himself out of their price range, considering how much money they owe Vernon Wells. And I also think they've taken a peak ahead to post-Roy Halladay, and view Lincecum and Dustin McGowan as front-of-the-rotation guys. Based on what I've seen teams do here - yeah, I make the deal if I'm the Blue Jays.

Blair’s right. Blair’s keeping it real. Cue the reflection and the reconsideration. I took a look at Lincecum’s stats from last year as a fresh-faced rookie with the Giants. Pretty impressive, man. Here’s the line:

Games Started: 24
Innings Pitched: 146.1
Hits Allowed: 122
Earned Runs Allowed: 65
Walks: 65
Strikeouts: 150
Earned Run Average.: 4.00
WHIP: 1.28
Batting Average Against: .226

For shits and giggles, let’s take a look at the line of one A.J. Burnett:

Games Started: 25
Innings Pitched: 165.2
Hits Allowed: 131
Earned Runs Allowed: 69
Walks: 66
Strikeouts: 176
Earned Run Average: 3.75
WHIP: 1.19
Batting Average Against: .214

Well slap me in the face and call me Sally Fields, because those numbers are mighty similar! Burnett pitched 20 more innings, but they all came in September when the Jays were, as usual, playing out the bloody stretch. Lincecum, a 2006 draft pick, was on a tight pitch count all season.

Blair hit the nail right on the head: Lincecum has A.J. Burnett-type nasty stuff, without the A.J. Burnett bullshit-attitude. Lincecum can pitch, pure and simple, and he’s only 23 years old.

This is, without a doubt, Burnett’s final year in Toronto. He’s got an opt-out after his third-season and you’re about as smart as George Dubya if you think he’s not going to use it. Hell, I’d use it too. Buh-bye, Burnett, don’t let the door injure your shoulder or your elbow on the way out. He should change his name to D.L. Burnett. Like Peterman told Elaine when he came back to the catalogue: “Kudos, Elaine, on a job……………..done.”

A lot of people are taking the opportunity to roast JPeezy on Burnett. Whatever. We took a chance on his arm, and it didn’t work out because the man can’t stay healthy, or pitch through pain. The opt-out lets us cut our losses. We can use the money elsewhere folks, so don’t get your panties tied up in bunches.

I’m going to give JPeezy and the Jays credit because they’re looking to the future. Lincecum has five years on his contract before he becomes elegible for restricted free agency, and he’s not exactly breaking the bank right now. Speaking of the bank, Blair is right, Rios is going to become one of those cash-money-millionaires, with all the bling, the ice, the rims, the hoes, and all those expensive liquors. You get the point. The market is crazy. Andruw Jones parlayed one of his worst seasons in to a two-year deal worth over $36 million. It defies logic. If Jones is making that type of money while on the downside of his career, imagine the loot Rios is going to demand?

The more I think about it, the more this deal needs to be done. I’ve gone from hopping mad and praying that the Giants would reject, to eagerly anticipating an announcement of the deal. Word is that it might not happen until the new year, if it happens at all.

Imagine a rotation (with Burnett still around in ’08) of Halladay, Lincecum, Burnett, McGowan and Marcum. That’s money, right there. I’m positive JPeezy is doing everything he can to trade Burnett, but I doubt there will be many takers when it’s no secret he’ll be hitting the market again next summer.

And the post-Halladay years, as difficult as they are to think about, are approaching. Doc’s not getting any younger. He’s going to have to pass the torch on eventually, so who better than to mould this stud Lincecum than the Doctor?

Hitters, they say, are a dime a dozen. Great pitchers aren’t. The outfield, without Rios, consists of Wells in centre, Adam Lind in left, and a platoon of Reed Johnson and Matt Stairs in right. With the exception of Lind, we know what those boys can do. Once Lind learns not to swing at every god damn pitch, he’ll be more effective. In the meanwhile, he’s got power, and if he plays everyday I think he can jack 20 home runs. And Toronto’s 2006 draft pick, Travis Snider, is supposedly going to be the real deal in the outfield as well. He’s on his way and scheduled for arrival in 2009. Bottom line is that the offense, even with Rios in the lineup last season, was useless. The only way the Jays compete is if they get quality pitching and everyone in the lineup pulls his weight (Wells, Overbay and Glaus – I’m looking at you, fools).

Pitching wins championships. Just ask all the drunken hooligans down in Boston. The Red Sox won because they had the arms. Coco Crisp and J.D. Drew, two of their starting outfielders, could have put up similar numbers if they batted with toothpicks all of last season, but it didn’t matter, because, say it with me now: pitching wins championships. JPeezy is figuring that out. The Jays had a great staff last year, and in order to keep up with these fools in the American League East, we’ve got to join the arms race. That’s why getting Lincecum is so important, even if it costs us Alex Rios, God bless his heart.

Both Blair and Tom Verducci over at SI gave one example of a trade where a team sent over a great young hitter for a young pitching prospect. It was November of 1993, the Jays were coming off back-to-back World Series championships, and everything was right in the world. That November, The Montreal Expos traded Delino DeShields, one of the best young hitters in the game at the time (that’s disturbing in its own right), for a young pitching pup named Pedro Martinez.

I’m going to go out on a limb and say the Expos won that trade.

One can’t assume that Rios is going to turn out like DeShields (a bust) and Lincecum like Pedro (a special, special arm). But I think in both the long term and the short term, this is one trade that benefits the Jays, even though Rios is well on his way to superstardom. So come on, San Fran. Pull the trigger. The anticipation is killing me.

At the end of the day, it comes down to wins and losses. The only way the Jays are going to make the playoffs, if they ever do again, is on the strength of their arms. The Jays’ staff was ranked second in the league last year. Lincecum can hopefully make it number one.

Tom Verducci, in his column about the Jays on November 20th, delivered some statistics that have haunted me since the day I read them:

No team has won more games over the past two seasons (170) without making the playoffs. No team has won more games over the entire wild-card era (1,022) without making the playoffs. Such is life competing against both of baseball’s evil empires in the American League East.

Breaks your heart, don’t it?

Baseball On The Brain

It's December 6th. We're two months into hockey season and a month into the basketball campaign. It's already butt-numbing cold outside, but I've got the boys of summer on my mind.

First of all, great move by the Toronto Blue Jays to bring back the retro uniforms (pictured) for Flashback Friday's this season at the Rogers SkyDome Centre. I've always loved the old-school logo and these days it's all about the "throwback" jerseys with the kids. But, damn, that's a lot of baby blue.

Lets get down to business now, shall we? Baseball's winter meetings are set to wrap today in Nashville and I'm praying that Alex Rios is still Blue Jays property when it's all said and done. I went to bed distraught last night, after reading Jeff Blair's blog post on The Globe's website. He's saying an offer has been made and as of last night at 11:44 pm, it's still on the table: Alex Rios for San Francisco Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum.

What in the name of Cosmo Kramer is going on here!?!? Why is J.P. Ricciardi even contemplating trading Rios? Richard Griffin, reputed columnist at The Star, said in his column yesterday that the Jays were only "kicking the tires" on Lincecum and were looking to lock-up Rios long term, which makes a hell of a lot more sense than trading the two-time all-star.

JPeezy, what's the deal? Rios was the teams best and most consistent hitter last year. He was the lone all-star and the lone bright spot on a pathetic offensive team, and the Jays were sold to me and everyone else in this town as an offensive juggernaut. And now you're going to trade our most promising player, straight up for a young pitcher? Say it ain't so!

I don't care how good Lincecum is, or is supposed to be down the road. The Jays have already got a bunch of quality young arms that emerged last year - Dustin McGowan, Shaun Marcum, Casey Janssen and Jeremy Accardo. Even the five-inning wonder Gustavo Chacin is still around. None of this is making any more sense to me right now than it was last night. This is one trade that cannot be done. The offer needs to come off the table. It was the Jays offense that was the problem last year, not the pitching. Had the Jays offense performed, the season wouldn't have been over come July 31st.

Alex Rios is a bona fide star in baseball. He's the type of guy you can build a team around. I believe that he's going to be a better all-around player than even Vernon Wells. He finally put it all together the last two years and started jacking some balls over the fence. He can hit for average, power and, like Frank Costanza said to George Steinbrenner, "he's got a rocket for an arm!" If JP trades Rios for this Lincecum fellow, I think I'm going to have a break down.

Another pitcher from the Giants that has reportedly piqued the interest of the Jays is Matt Cain. The Jays, though, are higher on Lincecum, hence the Rios offer (still can't believe it!!!!). I guess the Giants are really high on this Lincecum kid if they haven't accepted the Rios offer. You'd think they'd jump at the opportunity to grab Rios, especially after cutting ties with that melon-head and soon-to-be convicted felon Barry Bonds. I do, however, find it funny that the Jays inquired about trading for Cain. They could have drafted him back in 2002. Let's take a trip down memory lane...

In '02, the Jays drafted Russ Adams in the first round. He was to be the shortstop of the future. Now, he's not even the utility man of the future. Adams sucks. He was a mistake. He was drafted one year after the Jays drafted shortstop Aaron Hill, who has worked out rather well. Why would the Jays draft shortstop's in successive years, you ask? Ricciardi's mantra has always been to take the "best player available," regardless of his position. After the Jays took Adams, the next three picks in the draft were Scott Kazmir, a southpaw pitcher with amazing stuff, Nick Swisher, a switch-hitting outfielder who can hit for power and plays with a ton of passion, and Cole Hamels, another fireballing southpaw pitcher who strikes out a ton of batters for the Philadelphia Phillies. Later in the the same draft, Joe Blanton, a serviceable pitcher for the Oakland A's, and Matt Cain were taken. The Jays could have had any of those four pitchers, but instead took Russ Adams. And now they're offering Alex Rios for Lincecum. Ricciardi needs a drop-kick to his face.

While we're here on memory lane, let's take a look at the 2004 draft. The Jays drafted David Purcey, a left-handed pitcher, 16th overall in the first round. Purcey has struggled in the minors, and won't be up with the big club any time soon. Phil Hughes, the stud pitching prospect for the New York Yankees, was taken with the 23rd pick in the same draft. In 2006 Hughes was named the best pitching prospect in the minors by Baseball America. Could have been a Blue Jay.

It gets worse, and this one really hurts. In the 2005 entry draft the Jays selected Ricky Romero, another left-handed pitcher, with the 6th overall pick. With the 7th pick in the draft the Colorado Rockies selected Troy Tulowitzki, who has already turned into one of the game's best young shortstops. Tulowitzki led all major league shortstops in fielding percentage last year, while only a rookie. He's got some pop in his bat, too. Everyone in Toronto knows that the Jays have always been on the prowl for a shortstop, and just imagine the double-play combo of Tulowitzki and Hill. Hurts, don't it?

I know the draft is a crap shoot. I know there's a ton of luck involved. But it hurts to look back at these frightening results of drafts gone by, with JPeezy running the ship. Hindsight ain't 20/20. Hindsight's a bitch.

Another development out of the winter meetings has Paul Lo Duca possibly joining the Jays, to split the back-catching duties with Greg Zaun. The Jays don't have a backup right now, and I wouldn't mind Lo Duca. I'm indifferent, to be honest with you. A lot of people in Toronto can't stand Greg Zaun because he, well, can't throw anybody who tries to steal a bag out. He had the worst percentage last season when it came to throwing guys out, and teams abused the Jays when it came to the running game. They ran, freely. Lo Duca would help, and would give Curtis Thigpen more time in the minors.

Toronto has apparently offered Lo Duca a one-year deal, in the $3 to $4 million range, and he's mulling over the offer, along with a bunch of other ones. So, we'll see. A Lo Duca/Zaun (Lo Zauna?)combination would be a welcome one, sort of like the Bengie Molina/Zaun combination we saw in 2006.

Hard to believe that spring training will open in less than three months. I pray to God Alex Rios will be down in Dunedin with the rest of the Jays when it does.

Before I leave you, I've got a personal story about the Blue Jays I'd like to share. About a month ago, a friend of mine gave me a call. He's a few years younger than me, and I've known him for as long as I can remember. I've basically seen him grow up. He's not the biggest baseball fan out there, but knows I'm all about the Jays.

Anyways, he gave me a ring while he was at the mall. He was looking to buy a present for his brother, and had decided on a Jays jersey, but didn't know which one to get - one with Halladay on the back, or one with Wells on the back. He rang and asked for my, and I quote, "professional advice" on which jersey to buy. I guess writing about sports, and the city, makes me a "professional." Good to know.

He did, however, put me on the spot. I had about seven seconds to decide. Before I thought I made up my mind, I blurted out "Halladay. Get the Halladay jersey." My friend took the advice (why wouldn't he? I'm a professional). After I hung up, I thought about why I chose Halladay over Wells. I came to the conclusion that I was deeply upset, on a subconscious level, over Wells' terrible 2006 season. I was expecting so much from him, and he totally let me down. Halladay, meanwhile, was Halladay.

A week later, I saw my friend, and he told me his brother was more than pleased with the Halladay jersey, and preferred it to the Wells jersey. I had made the right call (phew!).

As for Vernon Wells, what's life without second chances? I have every reason to believe Wells will tear it up in 2008, return to his all-star form, and along with, I pray, Alex Rios, do all he can to send the Toronto Blue Jays to the playoffs.