Whose Baseball Team Is This? (2009 Blue Jays Thread)

well, missed end of that. 3 runs on 14 hits, v Metslike.

Joe weighs in on JP:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/joe_posnanski/08/12/worst.contracts/index.html?eref=sihpT1

And other things.

He probably should've included the ARod contract, imo!

Uh OPS+ isn't the end all and be all of statistics, Joe.

http://myespn.go.com/blogs/sweetspot/0-4-162/Baseball-s-worst--Ricciardis-.html

Neyer pointing out that hindsight is 20-20, amongst other things.

dumb list.

- J. Bartlett singled to shallow left center
- C. Crawford grounded into fielder's choice, J. Bartlett out at second
- E. Longoria singled to shallow right, C. Crawford to second
- B. Zobrist singled to shallow left, C. Crawford scored, E. Longoria to third, B. Zobrist to second advancing on throw
- C. Pena hit sacrifice fly to right, E. Longoria scored, B. Zobrist to third
- P. Burrell singled to shallow left center, B. Zobrist scored
- G. Zaun singled to shallow left center, P. Burrell to second

sux 2 b u

Scutaro explained?

http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2009/8/27/1003671/five-win-wonder-marco-scutaro

Come on, Travis.

Bah.

Barajas swung at a pitch that was almost up in the 'T' of the header of PITCH ZONE.

What a crazy game:

http://espn.go.com/mlb/boxscore?gameId=290831113

it's good to know that they were saving all those runs from those close 1-run losses for an 18 run scoring orgy.

8 rbis for Lind alone!

Grilli/Strop is a GREAT bullpen 1-2.

1 hit.

OK, did Ruiz have his HR taken off the board? Must've, I tuned away and Jays still at "0." He missed a base?

http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/2009/10/02/jays_gaston/

The on-field woes for the Toronto Blue Jays were plain to see this season, but what hasn't been obvious is a brewing controversy between the team's players and its iconic manager, Cito Gaston.

Sources from all areas of the organization have told The Canadian Press the dysfunction currently crippling the Toronto Blue Jays front office extends all the way down into the clubhouse, where there are major problems in the relationship between the players and Gaston.

Those who agreed to talk to The Canadian Press about the friction between the manager and his players would do so only if their names weren't used. Some players wanted to speak to senior team officials first -- and to avoid the news leaking at home in front of a large media contingent -- before putting their names to the complaints. But a series of interviews with front office and players done over the last few weeks indicate the problems are widespread and beyond the normal tensions that often build up between players and a manager over a long, losing season.

One player said there was simply "constant negativity" coming from the manager's office, while another noted that Gaston once said "there aren't any good players in here." Also at issue is Gaston's hands-off, in-game decision making -- a criticism that dates back to his first tenure as manager from 1989-97

The problems are so deep that when one player was asked how many others felt the same way, he replied: "Just about everyone."

ugh

http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/11/2009/10/500x_custom_1254523693343_barajas.jpg

Best news of the season.

xpost?
JP Riccardi fired after 8 years
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=AjLrBtJQb779RBsHTB246TMRvLYF?slug=ap-bluejays-ricciardifired&prov=ap&type=lgns

Blue Jays fire GM Ricciardi 8-year tenure

27 minutes ago

TORONTO (AP)—The Toronto Blue Jays fired general manager J.P. Ricciardi on Saturday, ending an eight-year tenure marked by an inability to get past the Yankees and Red Sox and into the playoffs.

“This was a tough decision and a difficult one for me personally as I have enjoyed J.P.’s friendship and his perspective on the game,” said Paul Beeston, Toronto’s acting president and CEO.

“J.P. has put an incredible amount of effort into improving the team and he has brought along a number of great young players,” Beeston said. “However, I feel that it is time for a change and accordingly we have decided to move on.”

Ricciardi, who was also senior vice president of baseball operations, joined the Jays in 2001 and had one year left on his contract. The team posted four winning seasons and four losing ones under Ricciardi, never making the playoffs in an AL East dominated by New York and Boston.

Ricciardi was criticized for poor free agent signings and off-field missteps that overshadowed some productive drafts and other good moves.

The Blue Jays (75-85) are finishing out their regular season in Baltimore.

Ricciardi’s firing comes on the heels of news of locker-room unrest with manager Cito Gaston.

VictorRojas29 On Cito-the guy got credit for turn-around last year but he's horrible now? The guys honest & players sometimes have to look in mirror #mlb

OK bub

wwooooo - Ricciardi era is coming to a close!

NA NA NA NAH - NA NA NAAA NAAH - HEY HEY HEY ETC!

Really hope the Padres don't go get that guy.

I know next to nothing about Anthopoulos ... although I do like the idea of starting fresh with a young GM.

discus

i guess vernon wells' leading of a clubhouse revolt is one way to distract attention from the fact that the players whose OPS is higher than his include alexei ramirez, brandon inge, jeff francoeur, kurt suzuki, michael bourn, scott podsednik, and 127 others...

just 127? i'm sure there's some pitchers in the nl...

all i know about AA is what i've gleaned from his appearances on a few radio broadcasts. which isn't much. he at least seems like he's not full of shit 100% of the time. they were grumbling on the j's message board that he might be some ricciardi sycophant and we might not see a huge difference - but who knows.

it is now official - come back player of the year: Aaron Hill.

Bill K. (Long Beach, CA)

So if the Jays had done this in 2006, do you think you'd still be there?

Klaw (1:25 PM)

I'll put it this way: I left in 2006 because I could not work for Ricciardi any longer. What would have happened after that is anyone's guess.

i always forget law used to be a J.

so to speak.

o_o

Eddie (Milwaukee)

What was Steve Phillips thinking? Almost trading a 19 year old David Wright for Jose Cruz Jr.? Ridiculous.

Klaw
(1:42 PM)

I've been asked about that trade rumor for three years but never answered while Ricciardi was still GM. The offer was made, though; I was there when the call came in. It was the first time I'd heard of Wright, since I wasn't with Toronto in 2001 nor had I followed the draft when Wright was in it. JP's reaction was, "I'm not trading a major league player for some guy in the Sally League." And that was pretty much that. We had a chance to trade Cruz after that for Rafael Soriano, but JP refused to do it unless Seattle included Clint Nageotte, who, at the time, was a pretty hot prospect. It's weird; I can't remember some things that happened last week but I remember those conversations (over seven years ago now) like they just took place.

:|

AA speaks: http://www.fan590.com/media.jsp?content=20091107_151806_11860

no huge revelations there and he said alot of thing that you'd likely hear from most GMs. his "plan" sounds fine and i guess we'll have to wait quite a few years to get an idea if he pulled it off or not. he at least seems heaps less douchy than JP.

and apparently working on swapping Overbay for Chris Snyder?!

ElAngelo (New York, NY): What team has the worst "best" prospect?

Kevin Goldstein: I think it's going to be Toronto.

WE'RE #1! WE'RE #1! WE'RE #1!

You'll also be getting Jason Giambi if Ben Reiter at SI is right...

sweet jesus. (i assume they're referring to Snyder above?)

Does Snider still count as a prospect? (i.e. he already has big league playing time in parts of two seasons)

if the rumours are anything to go by - the next few weeks are going to be pretty nuts for the J's:

• Halladay going to either the Dodgers, BoSox, Yanks or Angels (hello bidding war between Boston and NY!)
• moving Overbay... somewhere
• signing a new new catcher
• aquiring a new SS (not named John MacDonald) since it looks like Scutaro is gone
• maybe moving one of our late inning bullpen arms

i know i shouldn't put too much weight behind rumours and speculation, but it looks like at least 3 of those things will be happening for sure. will be a much different team in '10 - with 1B, SS, C, closer and our #1 starter all up in the air.

You're after Torrealba, I read. I think it'd be a decent move for everyone.

Torrealba is a career back-up catcher, why on earth anyone would be "after" him esp now as he approaches his mid-30s is kinda O_o.

you're looking at a team that gave Rod Barajas 449 plate appearances last year.

trading halladay to the yanks or bosox...is it a pre-emptive strike, taking advantage of what may be inevitable? or is it resigning oneself to being totally non-competitive for the next 5-7 years? both?

a little of both i suppose. it sounds as if he's gone no matter what after '10 - so why not get what you can since the Js aren't expecting to be competitive anytime soon. and lets face it - the best way to raise the price is with a dice-k-esque yanks/bosox bidding war.

well then. new SS is Alex Gonzalez?!
oh well for 2.75m i can't get too bent out of shape.