Tom and Alex

The Toronto Blue Jays are not likely to qualify for the post-season for a good, I don't know, year or two. In order to pass the time, let's vote Tom Cheek onto the final ballot for the 2010 Ford C. Frick Award, and send him on his way to Cooperstown. Lord knows he deserves it.

At the time of writing, Cheek trails Jacques Doucet by 20 votes (337-317).

Four-thousand, three-hundred and six games. (I wrote it out for dramatic effect.) In a row. In a row!1 More importantly, Cheek was voice to the calls of your life; to the "the sound of summer." It takes less than a minute. I don't ask you for much; please vote.

Make Us Proud, Alex

I'll be at my cubicle Monday, but my heart and mind will be in Indianapolis, with Alex Anthopoulos at his first Winter Meetings as general manager of our Blue Jays.

Some interesting nuggets from The Star's Richard Griffin: if you want to see Anthopoulos, you'll have to go to his room, not the other way around. And meetings are lined up with "several clubs." To be a fly. Hopefully Dick figured out which floor AA is staying on.

There is some bad news: The Cito arrives on Tuesday. I've completed my 180. I used to love Cito Gaston. Now, the thought of him being involved in decisions that will greatly alter this franchise makes me ill. Where did we go wrong, Cito?

UPDATE: As of 11:00 am, Tom Cheek is in the lead 387-359. Let's keep it going ...

Lamentation

I've had 40-odd hours to mourn. I'm ready to talk about it. The loud music you heard Saturday night? Yep, party at Richard Griffin's house.

J.P. Ricciardi had to go. It was clear he'd run his course in Toronto. But not without one final public relations nightmare to pave his exit. According to Dave Perkins at The Star, the infamous Paul Beeston, he of "the plan," went to the moguls of the Rogers empire during the middle of last week seeking "the okay to fire Ricciardi." Clearly the interim president wanted to send a message to Jays fans that, you know, he's actually doing something.

Before he could, the Beest had to help put out the fire that was CitoCity (TM Ghostrunner on First) burning. And after an apparent "mutiny" in the clubhouse, I believe Cito Gaston will once again be an ex-Blue Jay manager. Which means he will have to retire from baseball. Because if the past is any indication, he might be out of a job for a while.

It's been a helluva second go-round with Cito. In 2008 he came and saved the day, yet only 14 months later it seems just about everyone - fans, players, fellow coaches - is sick of him. I hope he'll one day pen a memoir, aptly titled "The Cito Effect," so I can learn what Jeremy Accardo did to him, the logic behind playing Kevin Millar, and why he hates Randy Ruiz.

Anyway, J.P. I've said my piece about him. Many times. And people noticed. I've also made peace with his departure. It was inevitable. Ricciardi said it: "... it just wasn't quite enough." And he's right. Under Ricciardi's name, the Blue Jays finished in second spot in the AL East only once. In eight years, the team never finished a season within single digits of the division winner; 10 games was the closest they got, back in 2006. J.P. isn't a robot from the future, sent back in time to destroy the Toronto Blue Jays, as some in this crazy city will have you believe. But it's time for a change. (So, this is what it feels like to be a Republican.)

It hurts because I believe J.P. leaves Toronto a jaded man. A jaded general manager, at least. He believed he could succeed. He believed in what he'd learned in Oakland. He believed in Moneyball. He then believed in money, period. He believed he was the man able to scale Mount AL East. I did too. But he failed.

By all accounts, Ricciardi was as passionate as they come. He wanted badly to win, and he leaves Toronto with Roy Halladay giving him the respect he deserves. I'll miss his love for the game. I'll miss his feud with the media. Even his Boston accent. Most of all, I'll miss him referring to guys as "the player."

Ricciardi's legacy will live on. Unfairly, it is tied to Vernon Wells, and the anchor that is his contract. But on the other side are Adam Lind, Aaron Hill, Ricky Romero, Travis Snider, Brett Cecil, Mark Rzepczynski, Shaun Marcum, Jesse Litsch, J.P. Arincibia, Jake Marisnick, and more. J.P. has left his mark on this team. For the better.

That's not to say his replacement, Alex Anthopoulos, doesn't have his work cut out for him. He does. But Anthopoulos doesn't have to tear down the foundation, like Ricciardi did. What he needs is direction from ownership, and long-term vision, something sorely lacking around these parts of late. I'm not worried, though, because Anthopoulos is CANADIAN, which can only mean that he will undoubtedly be the best general manager in the history of all baseball general managers.

In a sick and twisted way, for all the hate leveled at Ricciardi over the past couple of years, I want Anthopoulos to fail. Because it became far too easy in this town for people to point the finger at Ricciardi for all that is wrong with the Toronto Blue Jays. It isn't, and never was, that simple.

In all seriousness, Anthopoulos's story is, straight up, an inspiring one. At 23, an unpaid intern with the Montreal Expos. At 32, general manager of the Toronto Blue Jays. Here's hoping he can apply some of his life's trajectory onto the Blue Jays.

The winds of change are upon us. We wait for the next domino to fall.

So long, J.P. Ricciardi. It was a pleasure. You did good.

Man of the Hour

Another day, another debate about J.P. Ricciardi. The beleaguered J.P. Ricciardi.

On Wednesday, it was Joe Posnanski's turn to rip the Toronto GM. (The Tao of Stieb called it a "hatchet job.") In short: Ricciardi signs guys to brutal - and only brutal - contracts, and "we should just start referring to bad baseball contracts as 'Ricciardis.'"

On Thursday, Posnanski did it again, posting the same article from his blog to Sports Illustrated. Vernon Wells and the Blue Jays made the front page, pictured above, for all the wrong reasons.

Yet in an article about Vernon Wells and his rightfully unjustifiable contract, nary a mention of ownership; of Rogers; of Paul Godfrey. Convenient, if you ask me. Also: irresponsible. A simple Google search of "wells godfrey contract" leads one to an article, the third search result, by The Toronto Star's Richard Griffin, entitled Godfrey behind Wells pitch. Written in the days before Wells signed on the dotted line in December 2006, Griffin pulled no punches:

"Ricciardi's emotions with regard to Wells have always been on the side of letting him walk at the end of his current contract. Either that or deal him for value. But [Paul] Godfrey is the one who responds to his emotions like a fan. Such seems the case again. ... If this Wells seven-year extension is done, it will be in spite of Ricciardi."

Joe Posnanski, one of the most revered baseball writers in the business, cannot write an article about J.P. Ricciardi and bad contracts, focusing on Vernon Wells, without mentioning that tiny nugget of information about Godfrey. It ain't right. No, it doesn't absolve Ricciardi of all responsibility, but it cannot simply be left out.

As with most articles belittling Ricciardi, hindsight comes in most handy. While he mentions the other two mammoth contracts of 2006, Carlos Lee (6 years, $100 million) and Alfonso Soriano (8 years, $136 million), alongside Wells's, Pos fails to point out that all three were signed before the baseball market tanked, and before the economy went into a spiral the likes of which it hasn't in generations. Pos also fails to mention that, in 2007, Wells would have been in a free agent class with rival centre fielders Ichiro, and Torri Hunter, who both took home deals averaging $18 million a season.

Looking back, I understand where Godfrey was coming from when he, based on what's been written by Toronto's paid sportswriters, overruled Ricciardi. If the Blue Jays had allowed Wells to walk, which of those free agents mentioned above, in either 2006 or 2007, would have, even for a minute, considered Toronto? You're right; none.

Signing Wells was Godfrey being a fan, and being in love with, to quote my man J.P., "the player." I definitely know what that's all about. It was also optics. Vernon was the face of the franchise, and coming off one of his best seasons. It's why I maintain that, at the time, the crazy, bat-shit insane time, Wells' contract was market value, with the Jays having to pay a premium to keep/sign a free agent in Toronto, and keep Wells from hitting the open market.

Career OPSs as of August 13, 2009:

Carlos Lee .850

Alfonso Soriano .838

Ichiro .811

Vernon Wells .802

Torri Hunter .802

(I am in no way, shape, or form comparing Vernon Wells to Ichiro. I have some semblance of a brain.)

The information is out there, available to everyone. Instead of finding it on my blog, it should be available on the front page of SI.com.

Also on Pos's list of the worst contracts in baseball, he singles out the departed Alex Rios. I vehemently disagree; "departed" being the key word. If Rios's contract was that bad, Chicago wouldn't have taken it. Period.

ESPN's Rob Neyer picked up on the Pos blog post on Wednesday, and rightfully wondered whether Pos was being a little too harsh on Ricciardi. He singled out a couple of comments from Posnanski's site, one of them mine, about meddling ownership. (No acknowledgement, of course, from the Worldwide Leader.) I was simply trying to set the record straight.

While I disagree with some of what Neyer wrote as well, I think he gets it. He goes on to call Ricciardi "the right guy in the wrong place." And, for some reason, that makes sense.

I'd love for the rumours of a $100-$120 million dollar 2010 Blue Jays payroll to be true, and for Ricciardi to stick around (contract extension, anyone?). But I also understand that it might just be time for a change.

Some More Griffin Goodness

The Star's Griffin is always all over Ricciardi. He even still brings up the infamous "five-year plan." It's one of the many tools in his arsenal.

Yet, in that same T.O. Star article linked to above, Griffin acknowledges that the Jays should have offered Wells a contract. He even puts term and numbers on the table: 8 years, $138.6 million.

Yeah, that would have been a lot better. You've got to love the lasting power of the internet.

UPDATE: Joe Posnanki, being the good man that he is, took the time to read the post above, and has responded on his own blog. Dissent breeds discussion and, for those of you who know me and my writing, discussion is what I'm all about.

Pos gets it. He doesn't ignore us bloggers in our mother's basements, and for that I salute him. Cheers, Pos; you're good people.

Beer and the Blue Jays

Ricky Romero's been placed on the disabled list. Have a beer. To drown your sorrows.

B.J. Ryan joined him. Have a beer. In celebration.

Richard Griffin wrote an interesting and provocative blog post. Have a few. It may never happen again.

We, loyal fans, will only be able to watch an upcoming Blue Jays/Red Sox series on TSN2, which nobody has access to. Drink up. Get mad.

Scott Richmond once again performed yeoman's work on the mound. Six innings, six hits, two earned runs (albeit both on solo home runs), and eight strikeouts. What more can one possibly ask of a fifth starter? Cheers, Scott. With a Canadian lager, of course.

Three more home runs last night. Twenty-eight on the season; the second-highest total in baseball. Chicks dig the long ball. And so do I. Get drunk on that one. 

Scott Downs picked up his first save of 2009. I admit, I was loathe to have him move out of his set-up role. Why mess with a good thing? But he got the job done. Raise your glass in honour of the Jays' new closer. With the game on the line there's no one I trust more with the ball than Snakeface.

In spite of all the second-guessing of The Cito, and in spite of all the injuries, the Jays are still in first place; are still playing .700 baseball. Forget the beer. Believe that the Jays are going to win the pennant.

Dare I say 2010?

Contract talks between Jason Bay and the Boston Red Sox have broken off.

Bay will be a free agent next winter. Already, when I close my eyes, I see him in a Toronto Blue Jays uniform.

If arguably the best Canadian baseball player in the game signs with Canada's team, well, Richard Griffin's column the day after sure would be a must read.

Bay. A Blue Jay. Imagine.

That excited feeling between your legs? Embrace it.

How does a 2010 Jays team with Bay in left field, Alex Rios in centre field, Vernon Wells in right field, Travis Snider DHing, and Adam Lind at first base (so long, Lyle) sound?

With Roy Halladay leading the way on the mound, of course...

Doc's Back

Welcome back, Harry.

The Doctor returned to the Jays lineup last night, and cut up the Chicago White Sox with surgeon-like proficiency.

It’s good to have him back. Shout out to the Jays pitching staff though, for holding down the fort while Harry was gone for three weeks. Toronto went 11-7 and the pitching was off the hook. This is coming from the guy who said the Jays have no pitching. What can I say, I’m an idiot. But I’m enjoying being proven wrong. It’s the bats that are hurting the Jays this season.

If every baseball game was as quick as last night’s, I think there would be a lot more baseball fans out there. The game lasted less than two hours. Mark Buehrle pitched a heck of a ball game. Ace Ventura, the Pet Detective, taught me an important life lesson when I was a youngster – “In every case, there must be, a loser. LOOO-HOOO-ZUH-HER!” Buehrle gave up only two hits, but they were of the long-ball variety, and they were the only two hits the Jays would need. Two-nil was the final, with my favourite relievers Casey Janssen and Jeremy Accardo finishing up for Harry Halladay.

It was Halladay’s 100th career victory, in his 200th career start. He’s been a pleasure to watch. He spoils us, he really does. Congratulations Doc, here’s to 100 more.

Doc Halladay’s cutter was so nasty last night that Darin Erstad hurt himself just swinging at it. He rolled his ankle, was in considerable pain, and it wasn’t pretty. That’s the first time I’ve seen a pitcher injure a batter without actually hitting him with the ball. Now that’s the definition of a nasty cutter.

It was a good start to the weekend series with the White Sox, who look nothing like the team that captured the 2005 World Series.

Last night’s victory came on the heels of a series win against the Bronx Bombers – if you can still call them that. Folks round these parts are still talking about the exploits of one Alex Rodriguez, both on and off the field.

One thing is clear - $25 million a year certainly doesn’t buy you class, or sportsmanship, because A-Rod has got neither.

Heading over to Brass Rail, a prominent Toronto strip club, while his wife and young child are at home in New York. Nice. Stay classy, A-Rod.

As for his on-field antics, he picked his spot. He clearly yelled something as he ran past Howie Clark, the Jays third baseman who’s up from Triple-A. Clark claims A-Rod shouted “Mine!” It should have been called interference by the umpires, because anything done by the batting team that causes confusion is interference by the rule book. The umpires let the play stand, and the Jays should have taken things into their own hands at that point.

I love reading and respect the opinions of Dave Perkins and Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star, and Jeff Blair of The Globe and Mail. All three said that the Jays should have plunked Jason Giambi, the next batter, and then given A-Fraud a few shots once the benches cleared. I’m always down for a brawl, and it’s silly that the Jays, who were clearly pissed off, didn’t do anything about the situation. The next time the Jays and Yankees face each other is in July, but I’m hopeful the Jays will remember A-Rod’s antics. I know I will. A-Rod has a history of making bush-league plays, and that’s exactly what his play was Wednesday night. Bush-league. There’s no way Rodriguez pulls a stunt like that with Troy Glaus at third base. Like I said, he picked his spot.

You know what, I like saying bush-league.

On a side note, it’s nice to see the Yankees battling it out for last place in the AL East with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. The Devil Rays payroll is a whopping $27 million, while the Yankees check in at $195 million. Good times.

The Jays are treading water. Reed Johnson and Greg Zaun should be back in a few weeks, and going into tonight the Jays sit five games out of the Wild Card. The playoffs are by no means out of the realm of possibility for this team. All the injuries and all the drama have helped this team build character, and I really enjoy watching this team. They are my Jays, after all.

How great has Rios been this year? He’s blossoming into a star in front of our eyes, just like Tomas Kaberle did with the Leafs, and Chris Bosh did with the Raptors. It’s just fantastic to watch. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I’m like a proud parent, just gushing with pride when talking about Alex Rios.

It’s a shame the Jays best hitter is batting leadoff, though. Rios should be in the three-hole, currently occupied by Vernon Wells. Rios is hitting too many home runs and driving in too many runs to be at the top of the line up right now. I’m afraid he’ll stay there, though, until Reed Johnson comes back.

A.J. Burnett takes the mound tonight, and the Jays should be able to take three out of four from the struggling White Sox. It would be a great step towards getting back to .500.

Here are some random thoughts as we head into the weekend:

- How about that Lebron James fellow. King James, indeed. Game five on the road in Detroit – a tough place to play, to say the least – and the game goes into double overtime. James scored every Cavalier point in the overtime sessions, and got his team the win. Forty-eight points on the night, including 29 of Cleveland’s final 30 points. Ridiculous. Lebron is unconscious. He’s always been destined for greatness, but who knew it would come so soon.

The legend of Lebron James was born last night. He is, without question, the best player in the NBA. And he’s only 22 years old. There have been a lot of guys to come out of high school and dominate and play well, but none has taken the franchise on his back the way Lebron has. For my entire existence on this earth, the Cleveland Cavaliers have sucked. I’ve never known them to be anything but a laughingstock. Lebron changed an entire team, an entire organization, and an entire city. In the process, he’s changing the game. The NBA desperately needs something other than a Detroit/San Antonio final, and now the Cleveland Cavaliers are a game away from the final. All thanks to one man. Lebron James was simply born to play basketball.

- Mats Sundin is on the verge of signing a two year, $11 million dollar contract with the Leafs. It will save the Leafs about $2 million in cap space. I never expected Mats to go anywhere, so news that he is staying with the team is no surprise. I was, however, hoping the two year deal would come in at around $9 million. I think $4.5 million per season for Sundin is justified. A contract at that figure would also give the Leafs the money they need to sign free agents and get better. It would also prove Sundin’s desire to win a bloody Stanley Cup with the Leafs. I know Mats wants to win, but I’m starting to believe he doesn’t want to win as badly as I once thought he did. And that hurts…

- I like Sal Fasano’s moustache.

- I hope all the Ottawa Senators fans out there enjoyed the ride, because it’s all over. There’s no way in hell they are going to beat the Ducks four out of the next five games to win the Cup. The Cup is going to Southern California for the first time. As good as the Sens have been this post-season, Anaheim’s been better, and I don’t see them choking on their two-nothing series lead. Choking, it’s what the Senators do best!

- Kobe Bryant apparently wants out of L.A. The Lakers should grant him his wish and trade him to Denver. Wouldn’t that be something?

Another Collapse

The Toronto Maple Leafs are officially out of the top 8 in the Eastern Conference, following another third period collapse and another loss to the Boston Bruins. 3-1 final, and the losing streak is now at 6 games, with no end in sight. Nursing a lead has become pretty much all mental right now, as the Leafs just don't have the confidence to pull through and get a win. They played a pretty solid road game and were up 1-0 going into the third. Ripe for the picking, I guess.

I'm frustrated as a fan, so it must be really frustrating for the players themselves. I'm not sure what it is about Boston, but the Leafs just can't generate offense against them. The Leafs have only managed four goals in the last four games against the Bruins, who have now pulled to within one point of the Leafs, with four games in hand.

Aubin did get the call for the Leafs, but it didn't really matter. The Leafs didn't play well in front of him in the third period, and although the second goal - the backbreaker - was Aubin's fault, as he let up a HUGE rebound that Primeau drilled into the back of the net, I can't blame him for his one and only mistake, because the guys in front of him made even more. Props to Aubin for coming in and giving the Leafs a chance to win tonight.

What can I say? The Leafs are in a serious funk and are going the wrong way in the Eastern Conference. The offense has totally come to a standstill - the well has runneth dry. The defense has just been atrocious, especially in the third period. When a team continuously blows leads the way the Leafs are, you know it's all in their heads. There's no confidence left in this team right now, and I'm not sure how they're going to turn it around. They've got just got to come out Saturday night and try to keep things simple, and hope for some bounces to go their way. What else can they do right now? Aubin, had he won, I think would have gotten the start on Saturday, but now I think Maurice will go back to Raycroft in the motor city.

Brutal night for my boys Poni and Sundin. They were on the ice for all three Boston goals in the third period, and both ended up -3 on the night. Unacceptable. Sundin can't be beaten in a battle by a guy like Brad Boyes, and he needs to take this team by the throat right now and get them a win by any means necessary. And you know Poni is struggling when he fans on a shot on a 2 on 1. Brutality is there.

The sun will rise tomorrow. Hopefully the Leafs can figure this out before it seriously gets too late.

-----------------------------------------------

Baseball's winter meetings have come to an end, and the Jays left Disneyworld with Matt Stairs. That's it. Just Matt Stairs. No Ted Lilly, no Gil Meche. No pitching at all. I was expecting some major fireworks. I knew it was a stretch for JP to think that we could get both Lilly and Meche, but I truly believed he would come home with at least one of them. Once again, it shows how much I know.

In stark contrast to last year's winter meetings, the Jays went to the meetings this time around as major players. Last year, JP flew under the radar and it was huge news for the Jays to land both BJ Ryan and AJ Burnett. No one was expecting it. This time around, the Jays were just like all the other big boys at the party, ready and willing to overpay for mediocrity.

Baseball truly is an amazing sport, where mediocrity is rewarded and the salaries just keep getting crazier and crazier. After all, baseball is a game in which a batter is considered successful if he fails 7 out of 10 times.

Ted Lilly, with a career record of 59 wins and 58 losses, will now make $10 million a year to pitch for the Chicago Cubs. Poor Lilly? Hardly. Gil Meche, 28 years old with a similar unspectacular career win-loss record, is now a 5 year, $55 million dollar man, after signing a deal with the pathetic Kansas City Royals.

Both Lilly and Meche said there were interested in going to teams that were ready to compete and challenge for the playoffs. Granted, the Cubs have spent about a billion dollars this off-season in attempts to improve, but Meche picking the Royals over the Jays is a joke, and Meche's credibility just hit the floor. Even JP said it might have been a blessing in disguise to lose the Meche sweepstakes, because if this guy wants to pitch in Kansas City, you have to question his attitude and motivation.

Richard Griffin, the great Toronto Star columnist, said earlier in the week that the Jays should forget about both Lilly and Meche, and put the money towards a contract extension for Vernon Wells.

With the winter meetings over, the discussion will undoubtedly shift to Wells. The $100 million dollar question - will Vernon Wells resign a multi-year deal with the Jays? With the way salaries are being handed out this off-season, I don't think it's going to happen. Why would Wells not test the market? That's what free agency is all about. He knows he's about to hit the jackpot, and can have at least 10 teams bidding for his services, so why would he sign long term with Toronto? It just doesn't make sense. The Jays will try to get his name on a contract, it's the right and only thing they can do, but I just don't see it happening.

This means JP has to explore trading Vernon Wells. Now that he missed out on Lilly and Meche, he's got to trade Vernon Wells for some quality pitching. Now I want Wells to stay just as much as anyone else, as I'm sure JP does, but the reality is that he will test the market as a free agent. I would if I were him. You would too. Remember, Carlos Delgado walked away at the end of his contract and the Jays got nothing in return. Delgado had a no-trade clause, so trading him was impossible. Wells has no such clause, so the Jays have to move him if he won't sign long term. JP said he'll know where Wells stands in a week or two. Getting nothing in return for a sensational, 5-tool player like Wells, who is only 28, is simply not an option. Wells will get Soriano-type money on the free agent market, money I don't think Ted Rogers will be willing to pay.

JP said the Jays will now look at Plans B and C for pitching, both via free agency and trades. Guys like Jeff Suppan, Mark Redman and Jeff Weaver are still out there on the market, but JP said he's going to explore the trading front first.

As for in-house possibilities, the Jays still have the disease known as Josh Towers under contract, and it looks like he will get a chance to be the 5th starter in the rotation. Shaun Marcum is another possibility. Dustin McGowan might be a prospect JP thinks about trading, while Casey Janssen, who showed some potential last season, is still on the map as well.

Like I said, it's all about Vernon Wells now, and it should be an interesting couple of weeks ahead, as the Jays look to finalize their 2007 roster. If Wells does get traded, I hope the Jays get some quality pitching, and maybe an outfielder, in return. JP's got to do what he's got to do. If Wells won't sign an extension, it's clear he's pretty much as good as gone, and it has to be done. In a perfect world, the Jays can sign Wells long term and add another starter to fill the third spot in the rotation. But as the winter meetings proved, things hardly ever go as planned.

Remember folks, in JP we trust.

And a big Sports And The City welcome to Matt Stairs, the newest Blue Jay. He's a solid bat off the bench, and you can't go wrong with some home-grown Canadian content.

I'd like to thank Bengie Molina for his one year of service in Toronto, after he signed a 3 year deal with the San Francisco Giants. Molina had a great season with the Jays, and it was fun watching his pudgy ass round the bases.

One of the most exciting moments of the 2006 season for me was watching Molina hit a triple in Tampa Bay. He was chugging like no tomorrow and was going so slow. I stood up and was like Kramer at the racetrack, using the newspaper as a whip and cheering on his horse - "COME ON! COME ON! COME ON!" Bengie slid in safely with a triple, the entire Jays bench went bananas and Bengie had the biggest smile on his face. The Jays bench even asked the umpire for the ball, and it was rolled into the dugout by the umpire! That ball is definitely going onto the mantle, because I don't think Molina will ever hit another triple.

That's it for now. Here's hoping Vernon Wells can somehow stay a Blue Jay.

Blue Jays baseball - You Gotta Believe.

Goodnight, Toronto...