A New Method to the Madness

If someone tells you J.P. Ricciardi "completely fucked up the 2009 draft," as happened to me yesterday, please smack your friend upside his or her head, regardless of his or her - clearly - limited mental capacity.

Sea change. That's probably the best way to describe the 2009 draft for the Toronto Blue Jays. Yes, they failed to land the autographs of three of their first five picks on to contracts, but it's not all doom and gloom. (Is it ever, over here? Playoffs!1)

Some have called the happenings "another black hole" for the organization. You know I disagree. As The Southpaw points out, Toronto "went FAR over slot on three players." That's huge; "a substantial shift in philosophy."

Look, I get that the fan base, collectively, is rather pissed off. It's got a right to be. Sixteen years sans playoffs will do that. But, for the first time, the Jays drafted the best players available, regardless of their signability. And that's what they should be doing - taking the best guy. Period. Even if he is, as was the case with James Paxton, a Scott Boras client.

The Toronto Blue Jays have simply not done it this way before. Instead of drafting and signing their first five picks, all decent prospects but not the best ones available, as they have in the past, Toronto finally rolled the dice. The old strategy hasn't exactly worked. (This is where that whole "no playoffs in 16 years" thing comes into play.) I'm all for, as Will Hill wrote on what is essentially his blog over at TSN, "swinging for the fences." Go big or go home. Draft the high risk, high reward guys; the ones with higher ceilings. Even if you may not eventually get your hands on them. The old method, while it has brought results (see Hill, Aaron, and Lind, Adam), hasn't led the team to where it needs to be. (Playoffs!1)

I don't wish ill upon the three guys that got away - James Paxton, Jake Eliopoulos, and Jake Barrett. (I'll leave that to The Tao.) Supplemental draft picks are on their way. We're all good. I only hope the three are drafted again, that the baseball market continues to collapse, and that they're forced to sign for less money than they turned down (Costanza Negotiation 101). Especially the "good Canadian boys."

Chad Jenkins and Jake Marisnick, I'm all about you two. Welcome to the Toronto Blue Jays.

And welcome back, Travis Snider.

Really, I can't say enough about Sniderman. An opposite field home run, and a tribute to the departed Alex Rios in the form of a dropped fly ball in right field. That's respect. Snider gets it. He is the truth.

UPDATE: The fine folks at Batter's Box have graded the 2009 draft an immense failure. While I certainly don't subscribe to that type of negativity, they make some good points. But, in the end, drafts can't be graded until at least five years down the road. Remember when Ricky Romero was a bust?

UPDATE #2: Read this: "'I think [Paxton] wanted to sign and it was just a number that we could not bring ourselves to pay,' Beeston said earlier today. Beeston said the Jays offered money above the slot that is recommended by Major League Baseball. Beeston personally handled the negotiations with Paxton, the top Canadian selected in the draft and his agent is Scott Boras."

The Airing of Grievances

The Blue Jays are nine and a half games out of a playoff spot. So why the fuck did last night's loss sting so bad? Forget "Playoffs!!1", the new rallying cry should be ".500!!1"

Lyle Overbay's my boy. I've been a staunch supporter of the man who swatted 46 doubles, and put up a career high .880 OPS, in his first season with Toronto, back in 2006. But the pride of Centralia, Washington messed up last night. Look at that picture; he knows it. When it comes to Loverbay, his defense is usually reliable, and I'm rather enamored by his impressive .375 OBP; he's one patient cat. But the fact that he hasn't driven in a single God damn run in the month of July - 14 games - really irks me. Hitting wise, I'm beginning to think that 2006 was an anomaly. I don't see Overbay ever coming close to 92 RsBI again. (This is where I start drinking.)

Honestly, I'm tired of wondering, and bitching and moaning about, why Vernon Wells is hitting third, or fourth, in this lineup. Southpaw on the mound be damned. His .685 OPS in the three-hole is the lowest of any spot he's been placed in the batting order. His .287 OBP from the same spot is downright laughable. (Wells' .309 OBP, overall, and .523 OPS at the SkyDome, makes me want to bang my head against a wall. Repeatedly.) While V-Dub's scored 53 runs, good for second on the team, the earliest he should be batting is sixth. Hell, put him eighth. Definitely not third. I don't know what the fuck Cito Gaston is thinking sometimes. I love the guy, but his lineup antics have him well on his way to overstaying his welcome. (You know I'm frustrated when I'm sitting in the basement taking shots at The Cito.)

Can someone pretty please explain why Kevin Millar is still playing, let alone on this team at all? He's clearly cut from the same cloth as Brevonn Mencherstewart. Here are his monthly OPS numbers: April: .909; May: .647; June: .598; July: .526. I'm not the brightest mother fucker around, but does anyone else notice a trend? This team is two games below .500, with rookie after rookie throwing on the mound every night, and still employing Millar? Fuck off. Fuck a "clubhouse guy." Release his ass, Ricciardi. Free Travis Snider. For the love of God, free AAA All-Star Randy Ruiz, he of these statistics down in Vegas: 95 games played, 21 home runs, 85 RsBI, 227 total bases, .394 OBP, and .985 OPS.

I miss Gregg Zuan. Yeah, I said it. Rod Barajas is OK, it's just that I don't believe any Major League Baseball player should have an on-base percentage below .300. It's unacceptable. Rod's coming in at .283, with an OPS of .685. Quite pathetic. Quite. Back in 2004, 2005, and 2007, when Zaunie played over 100 games for our Blue Jays, he put up OPS numbers of .761 (.367 OBP), .729 (.355 OBP), and .752 (.341 OBP) respectively. Respectable, at the very least. To put it in perspective, in those three years mentioned (2004, 2005, and 2007), Zaun walked 171 times. In his entire MLB career, spanning 763 games, Barajas has walked 135 times. These will be, I hope, your last couple of months of watching The Captain behind the plate. Enjoy them.

Back on July 1st, 2008, Dustin "Fuck Off" Parkes, of Drunk Jays Fans fame, put together a Blue Jays YouTube montage to the tune This Year, by The Mountain Goats. The 2008 Jays were floundering near the .500 mark, unable to hit, and about to fire their manager. Needless to say, it was a brilliant montage, and the song was most apt. You know me; I love a good montage. (Who doesn't?) Thanks to MLB's batshit insane copyright standards, Parkes' work no longer exists. Now, I don't have the wherewithal to create my own montage, so I'm just going to post the song. The 2009 Blue Jays are flirting with .500, can't hit, employ one stubborn manager, and are on the verge of trading Roy Halladay. The more things change, the more they stay the same ...

"I am going to make it through this year if it kills me."

.500!!!1

And a reminder: I'll be live blogging Thursday's Jays/Indians matinee over at The Score. Join me. We can be depressed together. 12:37 PM first pitch.

Until May 29th, Massholes

Look at that, the Blue Jays are still in first place; still playing .600 baseball.

The Red Sox? I hate to channel my inner Dennis Green, but those bastards are who we thought they were.

Yet despite the sweep, it wasn't all bad. 

Brian Tallet gave Cito a quality start in Fenway Park, and Brett Cecil and Bobby Ray learned valuable lessons in defeat. 

The bullpen? Lights out. No Toronto reliever allowed a run. In nine innings of work spread over the three game set, a committee of Jason Frasor, B.J. Ryan, Shawn Camp, Brian Wolfe, Brandon League and Jesse Carlson allowed only seven hits while striking out 12, and walking only two.

Rejoice, Red Sox Nation. Revel in the fact that your beloved BoSox defeated Tallet, who before April 18 last started a game back in 2006, and two rookies fresh from the minors.

While the Jays weren't able to score runs, they sure did hit the ball. Toronto's offence pounded out 25 hits over the last two games, and left 29 men on base in the series, including 12 last night. The big hit simply remained elusive. When you live by the long ball, some nights you die by the long ball. That's the beauty of baseball.

See you next week, at our house, Massholes.

And we'll see you, young Travis Snider, in about a month.

Required Reading:

Over at The Mockingbird, check out the calls Jon Lester got last night from home plate umpire Marvin Hudson. Shocking.

A night at the ball park ...

Not even the good Doctor himself can win them all. Allowing an uncharacteristic two home runs sealed Roy Halladay's fate last night, but it's all good; it was still a pleasure to be in the building to watch him do what he does.

The Blue Jays did have their chances to win. In the 8th inning, with the bases juiced and only one out, Rod Barajas lined out to third on an absolute screamer. Travis Snider then sent the first pitch he saw into center field. (Patience, young Jedi warrior. Patience.) 

In the bottom of the 9th, Alex Rios, the tying run, stood only 90 feet away. Alas, Vernon Wells couldn't bring him home. Cue the jokes about Vernon's: (a) contract; (b) weight; and (c) laissez-faire attitude.

For Wednesday, April 22, based on the Homeland Security Advisory System, Toronto's Vernon Wells hatred level is High, or Orange; there's a high risk of juvenile and unsubstantiated attacks on the centre fielder. Don't say I didn't warn you ...

Mission: Doc   It's my goal to be in attendance every time Halladay takes the mound at the Rogers Centre this year. So far, I'm two-for-two. Thanks to my boy 40 I was in a seat I totally can't afford last night, able to watch Doc do his thing up close and personal. It was a beautiful thing, let me tell you, even in a losing cause. Swoon ...

"Viva La Vida"   I couldn't help but shake my head every time Scott Rolen walked up to home plate. For the love of God, man, pick another song ...

Thanks, Mr. Blair   Back in March, before the season started, I sent a Twitter message (I refuse to call it a "tweet") to our good friend Jeff Blair, asking him to tell Lyle Overbay that it's 2006 and not, in fact, 2009. Clearly, Mr. Blair obliged. After going two-for-two with two walks yesterday, Overbay's batting .333. His nine walks are second to only uber-leadoff hitter Marco Scutaro (13), and he's rocking a team-leading .467 OBP, and a team-leading 1.078 OPS. Welcome back, Lyle. I missed you ...

Fuck. The. Wave.   I used to be apathetic towards it. Now I'm with the Drunks; I can't bloody stand it ...

A Short Story   The following has nothing to do with last night's game, but much to do with the pennant the Jays will be winning a few months from now. My friend "Dave Schultz," who blogs over at I Mean, We Got Guys, is a teacher out west, in Oregon. She sent me an email yesterday saying a kid walked into her classroom wearing a Ken Griffey Jr. Seattle Mariners jersey. Schultzie isn't a baseball fan, but she's an incredibly smart woman, and she reads this here blog (they go hand-in-hand). So she told the misguided youth, "Ppfftt, the Jays are gonna win the pennant." Amazing, eh? She's doing her part. Anyway, apparently a factual statement like that is comedy out in Oregon. The kids laughed, she said. A lot. Yeah, I know; kids are stupid. Especially American kids. But the moral of the story, you see, is that word is spreading. Pennant. Say it. Shout it. Tell your friends. More importantly, believe it ...

Deep Thoughts: The Franchise

Travis Snider's two home runs moon shots are still on their way to Winnipeg. I'm sure my good friends Dave and The Ack will let me know when they arrive. The baseball world is beginning to take notice of Sniderman. You know what I love about him? His home run trot. Stay classy, young man ...

One through six in the order (Scutaro, Hill, Rios, Wells, Lind and Rolen), no Toronto Blue Jay is batting less than .300. That Cito Gaston guy can really put together a lineup, eh? ...

Speaking of Marco Scutaro, he leads the league in runs scored and can be the starting shortstop, and leadoff hitter, on my team any day of the week. Viva Scutaro. Viva Venuezela ...

B.J. Ryan threw 12 pitches yesterday; eleven for strikes. That's the B.J. we know. The B.J. we love. Nails? Nails! And I'm sure Brad Arnsberg had something to do with it. "In Arnsberg We Trust" ...

Kevin SLOWey certainly lived up to his name last night, didn't he? Prick ...

I know Jesse Litsch's injury is forearm related but, seriously, would it have killed him to come into camp pink and efficient, but a little less rotund? I'm already feeling like he took his opportunity in 2009 for granted ...

In last night's eighth inning, Scott Downs allowed a leadoff double, and followed with a wild pitch. With none out and a man on third base, he proceeded to strike out the side, like the uber set-up man he is. Did you enjoy his tiny display of emotion after the fact? I sure as hell did. I heart Snakeface. What a hero ...

The Jays are in first place. The Boston Red Sox are in the basement. You're damned right I'm enjoying this ...

Pennant ...

Yes. Jays.

I'm a little too inebriated to write anything substantial. So, pictures (courtesy of the fine folks at daylife): 

The home opener will forever be a momentous occasion.



Harry Leroy Halladay III: the greatest Toronto Blue Jays pitcher I've ever known.



In all the hype surrounding Travis Snider, I almost forgot about Adam Lind, the unstoppable, 6 RsBI man.



Rod Barajas could get used to this pose.

Careful of Aaron's head, Vernon. Please.

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...

Joe Inglett IS Reed Johnson

Why? Can someone please tell me why Toronto Blue Jays fans are still complaining about the release of Reed Johnson? It was six months ago. Please, for the love of all things holy, get over it.

Just yesterday an acquaintance of mine, who happens to follow the blue birds loosely, was whining about how J.P. Ricciardi made the worst decision in the history of baseball when he released Johnson back in March.

Look, I get it. Choosing Shannon Stewart over Reed was a mistake. I'm sure Ricciardi himself would admit that. OK, you're right, he wouldn't, but still. My point is, mistakes happen. Ricciardi isn't the first general manager to err, and he surely won't be the last.

I loved Reed Johnson in a Blue Jays uniform as much as the next guy. He was a gamer. One gritty mother fucker. Socks up, played the game the right way, all that good stuff. And how could you not appreciate that facial hair? Believe me, I missed him this past season. He was gone, yet not forgotten.

But if you think Reed Johnson was one of the main reasons behind the Jays' struggles in 2008, you need an Ari Gold style bitch slap. 

Even if Johnson had played out 2008 with Toronto, he would surely have departed as a free agent over the winter. He wants to play everyday, and the opportunity to do so in Toronto simply doesn't exist, thanks to guys like Adam Lind, Vernon Wells, Alex Rios and uber rookie Travis Snider. For you math aficionados out there, that's four outfielders to fill three spots.

Enough about Reed Johnson. Please. Instead of always focusing on the negative and bashing J.P. Ricciardi, how about looking at the positives? A novel idea, ain't it? Instead of bitching and moaning about the release of Johnson, why don't you give Ricciardi some props for finding the middle infielding clone of Reed Johnson: the one and only Mighty Joe Inglett.

Last I checked, Johnson can't play second base. And last I checked, Inglett played a pretty significant role for the Jays this year. He filled in admirably for the fallen warrior Aaron Hill (whom I miss terribly).

How do Inglett and Johnson compare? Check out the layout:

                G       AB  R   H    2B  3B   HR  RBI   BB   K   SB  CS   AVG   OBP   SLG   OPS+

Inglett    109    344   45  102  15   7     3    39    28  43  9   2   .297  .355  .407   102

Johnson  109    333   52  101  21  0     6    50    19  68  5   6   .303  .358  .420   101

They played the exact same number of games. Johnson's average was only six points higher, and let's call their on-base and slugging percentages a push. Yes, Johnson scored and drove in more runs, but Inglett was tied for fifth in the American League with seven triples, he walked more, struck out less, and was more successful in the base thievery department. The final statistic, OPS+, says it all; they're the same fucking player! When it comes to Joe Inglett and Reed Johnson, as my main man Jerry Seinfeld so eloquently put it, "the difference is negligible."

They compare. That's my point. Sure, we lost Reed Johnson, and it sucked. Yeah, we had to put up with the likes of a clearly finished Shannon Stewart, and Mencherson, because of it, and we're all certainly better people for having had to watch that shit show (we endured). But in the end the release of Johnson, the incredible mediocrity of Stewart and Mencherson, and the insight of the Gastonian one, led us to Adam Lind, and Travis Snider. Things worked out, n'est pas?

Instead of beating the same dead horse - that would be the "I hate J.P. Ricciardi, he is the worst general manager in the world, what happened to the five year plan?" dead horse - focus on the positives.

Focus on Joey Inglett.

It's Over...but Travis Snider has arrived!

It's official, I've pulled the plug. Rest easy, 2008 Toronto Blue Jays. Yes, it was over long before last night, but Carl Pavano, Carl fucking Pavano, drove the final nail into the Toronto coffin.

Whatever was ailing the Blue Jays under the John Gibbons regime has returned. With a vengeance. Toronto pitching held the first place Tampa Bay DEVIL Rays - yes, it's still hella weird to say they're in first place - to only six runs over three games, but the Jays left Tampa for New York with only one win.

Last night, A.J. Burnett pitched a complete game, seven-hitter in the Bronx, and he took the 2-1 loss. I've said it before and I'll say it again: it cannot be fun to pitch for this group of hitters.

Speaking of the anemic offence, Jays fans got a glimpse of the future last night, as Travis Snider made his major league debut. I don't know about you, but I had a hard on when he came up to the plate for the first time.

The kid didn't disappoint. He stroked a ball deep into centre field for a double his second time up, and scored the Jays' only run of the ball game. He's only 20 years old, but Snider is going to make playing out the stretch a lot more interesting and fun to watch.

Snider's arrival was paved thanks to the trade-age of Matt Stairs to the Philadelphia Phillies. Stairs is, as my main man Steve Paikin always says, a great Canadian. We all knew he wore that Toronto Blue Jays jersey with a hell of a lot of pride, and I'm definitely sad to see him go. He had some great things to say about Toronto, and you can read all about it at the Thullard Jays Fans website.

Stairsy's on his way to a contender, and I don't doubt that he'll help the Phillies in their quest to make the playoffs. His career is winding down, and I think it's great that he gets to finish it with a team like the Phillies, instead of riding the pine here in Toronto, as we're clearly going with more of a youth movement. Thanks for the memories, Stairsy.

I'm looking forward to new ones from Travis Snider.