NorthSports

Not Unbreakable: Dustin McGowan Placed on 60-Day DL

2011-03-15T09:35:00.003-04:00

According to various sources, including the Toronto Star's Richard Griffin, the Toronto Blue Jays have placed pitcher Dustin McGowan on the 60-day DL.

For the much-maligned McGowan, this is a major blow to yet another comeback attempt. In fact, this could be the death knell for what was once a very promising career.

Drafted in the first round back in 2000, McGowan was a flamethrowing Georgia high school sensation with control issues. For his first few years in the minors, little changed.

However, the slow-developing prospect eventually turned the corner in 2007 after lighting up AAA with an 11.6 K/9 and then getting called up to replace an injured Gustavo Chacin.

McGowan took this opportunity and ran with it. He finished the year 12-10 with a 4.08 ERA and 1.22 WHIP, including two complete games and a no-hitter that he took into the ninth inning against Colorado.

However, halfway through a slightly disappointing follow-up campaign, McGowan was lost for the season with a torn labrum in his shoulder. Following a torn ACL in 2009 and then a torn rotator cuff not long after, a July 8th, 2008 no-decision against the visiting Baltimore Orioles would mark the last time Jays fan have seen him pitch in a major-league game.

UPDATE: Further reports have just been released by MLB.com that the Blue Jays have placed Dustin McGowan on the 60-day DL as part of his rehab, not because of a setback or any further injury. The club has made the decision to transition McGowan to a reliever full-time, as it's believed this will reduce stress on his repaired labrum.

"The thing that you run into there is, what is the fatigue level, once you get to 80 pitches and above?" [John] Farrell said. "Is that where more damage takes place? Because if that's the feeling—[and] that's the feeling of the medical staff—now, you're looking at a five-inning starting pitcher.

"That's why we have to bring him back in a role that doesn't have limitations, that doesn't affect everybody else on the staff."

Although this cloud apparently has a silver lining, we still may not see McGowan pitch for Toronto in 2011, if at all. There is still a long road ahead for this once future staff ace.

Nonetheless, Coach Farrell is cautiously optimistic:

"The most important thing for Dustin is that he's had no setbacks," Farrell said. "[There's been] no need for added rest on the program he has been on. It still has a chance to be a very good ending to a tough road that he has travelled, but [it takes] a quality person to answer those challenges.

"He has some hurdles yet to come, but if somebody is going to do it, it's someone with his resolve and intensity that will get there."

Good luck, kid. Blue Jay Nation is behind you.

Toronto Blue Jays Sign 17-Year-Old Dominican Outfielder Francisco Tejada

2011-03-15T09:31:00.003-04:00

News broke that Alex Anthopoulos and the the Toronto Blue Jays have signed Dominican Outfielder Fransisco Tejada to a reported $150,000 bonus.

According to www.mlb.com:

"Tejada is a 6-foot-4 outfielder with an above-average arm, plus bat speed and the potential to develop into a power hitter. He also is considered a plus runner having run the 60-yard dash in 6.5 seconds."

As a former high school sprinter I can tell those of you uninitiated that a 6.5 60 is incredibly fast. I ran in the Toronto Indoor Track Finals for 60 metres and the best I could muster was a measly 7.4. Incidentally, that was a lifetime best.

Further reports state that until this signing, Toronto was the only team in Major League Baseball this season to have not inked a player from the Dominican Prospect League.

Regardless, with both this and the January signing of 16-year-old Dominican LHP Jairo Labour (also 6'4" with a 92 mph fastball) to a $350,000 bonus, its clear that Alex Anthopoulos is devoted to Latin American scouting. We haven't seen that depth of talent mining since the halcyon days of Pat Gillick when we signed teenagers like Tony Fernandez, Damaso Garcia, Alfredo Griffin and Carlos Delgado.

Is Kevin on a Slowey Boat to Toronto?

2011-03-11T23:52:00.003-05:00

Various dubious sources, including mlbtraderumors.com, have reported the Minnesota Twins are actively looking to trade Kevin Slowey and that the Toronto Blue Jays are interested.

I have little comment on the motives the Twins may have for moving Slowey. However, I find the notion that Toronto is any way interested to be spurious at best.

The first through the third spots in the Blue Jays rotation are locked in with Ricky Romero, Brendan Morrow and Brett Cecil. With nothing left to prove in AAA, prize prospect Kyle Drabek is all but assured the fourth spot. The only rotation slot still up for grabs is the fifth with Jesse Litsch and Mark Rzepczynski the two lead horses.

So, where would Kevin Slowey fit? The top four are spots are spoken for so I fail to see the need for a $2.7 Million player to pitch out of the five hole. Particularly when you consider that the current incumbents, Litsch and Rzepczynski, make a combined $1.234 Million.

Now before you accuse me of being penny wise and dollar foolish lets dig in to the numbers.

Slowey has a showy (sorry) record with a career 39-21 mark. However, if you did further you'll find that this may be his only redeeming statistical quality.

Never having pitched more than 160 innings in any of his four seasons, Slowey, with his pedestrian 4.41 lifetime ERA, is hardly an inning muncher with a measly 5.2 innings per start average. Some may counter that with his admirable 1.5 BB/9 career rate. To that I'll offer you his very generous 10.0 H/9, middling 6.9 K/9 and ugly 1.4 HR/9 career numbers.

Now, how do those stats compare to Litsch and Rzepczynski?

Mark Rzepczynski is a bit wild with a career 4.4 BB/9. However, this is fairly standard for young power pitchers. Rzep counters this with a sterling 8.4 K/9 to go along with career numbers of 8.9 H/9 and 1.1 HR/9.

Although the sample size is smaller, Rzep shows a higher ceiling as he's already averaged similar ERA and IP numbers as those of Slowey with much more promising ancillary stats.

As for Jesse Litsch, his ERA and WHIP are also comparable to Slowey with the glaring difference that Litsch has proven he can go deep in to games with greater consistency: as his 176 inning 2008 season and 6.0 inning per start average show (he's been injured off and on since then).

I will admit that his low strikeout rate (4.5/9) is a tad disconcerting but he makes up for that with a low 9.5 H/9 and very nice 2.4 BB/9 career stat line.

Perhaps the most glaring stat line is the comparative GB/FB (ground ball/fly ball) and GO/AO (ground out/air out) rates of all three:

Slowey: 0.48 and 0.61

Litsch: 0.91 and 1.25

Rzepczynski: 1.08 and 1.84

I can't see any reasonable scenario where Toronto would want such a hittable pitcher considering the stadium and division in which they play. Slowey would be a disaster here and with his contract, an expensive one.

One last point to consider; none of these reports originated from any Toronto news sources. Just putting it out there.

Twitter Hockey Fans: Your Trade “Sources” Also Live in Their Parents’ Basement

2011-02-02T21:44:00.006-05:00

One of the main reasons I started using Twitter was to be in the loop for the most up-to-date hockey news. While it’s still good for that, it’s also good for a load of bullshit, now more than ever.

I didn’t realize that so many 400 pound hockey fans with cheetos-stained fingers had so many “inside sources” intricately involved in their respective favourite NHL teams.

“Well, according to Jarome Iginla’s wife’s sister’s cousin’s boyfriend’s best friend’s hairdresser’s tailor’s deceased grandmother’s uncle’s mistress’ illegitimate child, he is so going to Pittsburgh, and the Flames will be getting Malkin and 10 draft picks.”

Sure.

The fact that people have discovered that trade rumours spread like wildfire on Twitter has been detrimental to our hockey world, and has also subsequently taken a substantial number of years off my life. You see, most people act like children, and the more attention that can be brought to them, the better.

We’re so willing to (rightly) write off Eklund with pretty much everything he says, but why not the joe-blow hockey blogger telling us that the Pens are seeking to move Crosby?

You see, we have to take a different approach to the hockey rumours we read on Twitter. Still not sure how? Lucky for all of you guys, I've made a chart:

Ultimately, I don’t give a shit that your hopes and dreams of playing in the NHL were shattered the moment you discovered you sucked at all positions. I do care, however, if you’re wasting my time by feeding me false information. I don’t want to fuel your hopes and dreams, I want to destroy them.

If you’re that bored, get a pet, or a blow-up doll. And stay in the basement.

About head shots

2011-02-02T10:49:00.003-05:00

First off, is it "head shot" or "headshot?" I'm using the two word notation. Deal with it.

Not much more needs to be said in regards to the NHL, its officials, and the head shot issue.

Watching a game last night however, something struck me as very peculiar. It is a rule in the NHL, that if a player shoots the puck off the playing surface, its a delay of game penalty. The rule is simple. Black and white. Easy to enforce.

You never see an intermission panel discussing whether or not that call in the first period was a delay of game penalty. It either was or it wasn't.

And yet here we sit, night in, night out, discussing head shots and if THIS hit was a head shot, or if THAT hit was a head shot.

It doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

You would think it'd be in the best interests of Colin Campbell and the league to protect their players (not only the stars), so it baffles me that there is a cut-and-dry delay of game call but on ice officials have no official recourse when it comes to a shot to the head. There is a murky, unclear rule now, but in the end, it is left up to the referee's discretion.

Seeing as how every NHL referee is rather incompetent, this is a terribly flawed system.

Make it simple. Make it black and white. Make it easy for the officials to look good.

Follow Mark on the Twitter: @roseyrocket

The curious case of Vernon Wells

2011-01-25T13:31:00.006-05:00

By now, its old news that Vernon Wells is no longer a Toronto Blue Jay.

Angels fans are left scratching their heads at a move that Jays faithful are praising, seeing as how the club somehow not only convinced Anaheim to take Wells and his ridiculous contract, but send two quality roster players in return.

There isn't much to say that hasn't already been said really.

It is interesting to ponder though, how different this Toronto exit is from previous pro athlete departures.

Vernon Wells, with a reasonable contract, would have been adored in Toronto. He was always a class act, both on and off the field. He never once complained about the team or demanded a trade out of the city, like so many pro athletes before him.

If you think about it, Wells was even more gracious in departing than Roy Halladay.

In Doc's case, there were murmurs he wouldn't mind being moved, and he actively showed his frustration with the Blue Jays progression during his final summer with the club.

That is not to say Halladay was a dick about the whole situation, and who can blame him when he did show signs of wanting out?

With Wells though, there is just a somewhat passive sense of caring, and it is all to blame on the ridiculous contract the J.P. Ricciardi gave him some years ago.

Burger King could hire me for $100 an hour and I could be a dependable, adequate employee there, but never in a million years, would I ever be able to live up to that wage. And that is where Vernon was in Toronto. To justify that contract, he had to put up MVP numbers, and we shortly learned that would not be possible.

Don't blame Wells. Why would he turn down what Ricciardi offered?

If you forget about the contract (hard to, I know), and just look at the numbers, Wells was arguably one of the best Blue Jays of all time. Whether that claim is justified or not, Jays fans will never see it that way.

Admittedly, I was never a fan of Wells, even before the contract. Was he a serviceable Major League centerfielder? Sure. I always saw the bad side of Vernon though, like I do with most things and most people. The world needs cynics. I would see Wells strolling through a game with an I-could-care-less attitude. I saw him killing rallies by swinging at first pitches all the time, always popping them up. But to give him the benefit of the doubt, with a contract that ludicrous, the negatives are all anyone is going to see.

When the Angles visit Toronto this summer and Wells returns to the Rogers Centre for the first time in a road uniform, he should be applauded. Let's remember that he is no Chris Bosh, no Vince Carter, no A.J. Burnett. Wells put in a good amount of time here, and yes, played some very good baseball as a Jay. Not to mention, he was a tremendous ambassador for the city and the team. People should remember that.

But in the end...

Thank god that contract is off the books.

Dear All Sports Fans: There Isn’t a Conspiracy Against Your Team

2011-01-10T21:42:00.004-05:00

It’s inevitable. You’re going to hear it from every sports fan.

“Why does the league hate my team?”

While I’m mainly a hockey follower, I don’t doubt that this is a common statement from every fanbase of a professional sports league.

“Well maybe if the NBA wasn’t busy humping the Lakers every 2 seconds…”

“Nothing is going to be done about it, the league hates the Canucks”(side note: it’s not the league; it’s self-respecting hockey fans).

“Crosby is only raking in the points because the league wants him to be their poster boy and therefore ensures that he is given the best opportunities to score, especially against Philly.”

“Penalties always get called on the Flames, and we never get any opportunities.” Maybe we’re just selectively trying to forget how awful their power play is.

Believe it or not, I’ve actually heard people say these things before. Well, I may have altered them a bit into proper English. We all know many of these people aren’t intelligent enough to properly use “therefore” or “ensures.”

Fact: every sports league is inconsistent in their rulings, reffing, etc. Yes, it’s true that Gary Bettman seems relentlessly determined to prevent another hockey team from coming to Canada, but is he behind the delayed return of the Stanley Cup to here? I sincerely doubt it. And don’t get me wrong; I’m no Bettman fan.

This was most recently heard in the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs while the Canucks were playing the Blackhawks. You see, their loss had nothing to do with the fact that Roberto Luongo nearly shit his pants anytime Dustin Byfuglien was within 20 feet of his crease. It did, however, have everything to do with the fact that Bettman didn’t want them to have the Cup. I guess that’s one way to excuse 40 years of mediocrity. Or you could just retire another number and again dedicate it to “the fans.”

Even more hilarious are the “rumours” surrounding Sidney Crosby’s relationship with the league. You see, he’s the poster boy. He’s the money-maker. He’s the man. The fact that he has been practicing hockey practically since he was in the womb is irrelevant; he’s clearly favoured. In every single game. Nothing to do with talent at all.

That’s why the league threw the book at David Steckel, right? Oh wait….

Lastly, and perhaps, most hilarious, involves the recent debacle surrounding Tom Kostopoulos and Brad Stuart. After watching the jaw-shattering hit on Stuart, there wasn’t doubt in anyone’s mind (anyone with a brain) that Kostopoulos was going to be suspended. After all, injury? Wham. On a Detroit player? Double whammy.

But because the league took longer than two minutes to determine Kostopoulos’ fate, the league was secretly sabotaging the Detroit Red Wings for being too good. Yes, the WINGS.

Actual quote from Wings fan: “I don't expect the league to look at this. If I am not mistaken, the player that got hit is wearing a Wings jersey.”

Um, WHAT?

I mean, of all teams, the Wings are at the centre of a conspiracy? You mean the team that’s offered multiple power plays a game? The team that, for reasons unknown to others, is seemingly allowed to have every single player on the roster bark at the ref?

Yes, I am trying to drift away from the conspiracy theory crap, but the Wings most certainly get a lot of favourable calls. Not only this, but really Wings fans, what the hell do you have to complain about? It’s not enough that this team has practically dominated since drafting Steve Yzerman? Detroit has been a damn good team for so long that it’s unfair, and suddenly because the league doesn’t suspend every player that touches a Red Wing for 40 games, there’s a conspiracy against Detroit?

Sure.

I hope they all felt like morons when the league announced a six-game suspension of Kostopoulos five seconds later.

So, all sports conspiracy theorists, listen here. Every team has been subjected to lopsided reffing and ruling. Some more than others, but that’s just the way it goes. In the NHL, you spin the wheel of justice and get what you get.

Instead of whining, just accept that your team sucks. Or that you suck. Or both.

Our hockey media: nauseating

2011-01-10T15:49:00.004-05:00

TSN's Darren Dreger, a guy I normally like, er... don't hate... set off a firestorm last week when he reported the Pittsburgh Penguins let Sidney Crosby play with a concussion.

The Penguins claim Crosby suffered the injury on a hit by Victor Hedman in a game against the Lightning. Dr. Dreger and some guy from Sportsnet nobody has ever heard of say it happened one game earlier, on the David Steckel cheapshot (my words, not theirs) in the Winter Classic.

Some idiot who writes for Sun media chimed in with his own two cents about how the Penguins organization has to live with its decision.

The fact that these insiders/Neurosurgeons went as far as to even suggest the Pens let their FRANCHISE play with a concussion against Tampa is just a little bit on the ridiculous side. Do you really think the Penguins and their medical staff would put Crosby and their entire season at risk by doing something so foolish? The answer is no, you don't think that.

This is just the latest example of TSN trying to make something out of nothing, basically trying to create news where there is none, or at least none of severe stature.

I understand they have a job to do, but over the last couple of seasons the network has become sort of a hockey news whore. The sad thing is, TSN is still the best of the bunch when it comes to covering the game in Canada. Really though, look at their competition:

You have Sportsnet trying WAY too hard with their "business-casual" looking anchors. Actually I don't even know if their still doing that, I haven't watched Sportsnet since the FIRST time I saw Bill Watters in a blazer and blue jeans. By now, Sportsnet could have its on-air people wearing the black framed-Taylor Swift-nerdy-look at this f*&$ing hipster-glasses and skinny jeans.

Then you have The Score, who, when it comes to hockey, isn't even trying anymore. They are a basketball and MMA channel now, and that is about it. Besides classic wrestling, there is no reason to watch that network.

CBC has become almost unwatchable. Don Cherry continues his descent into senility to the point now where is quite evidently a bigot and racist (PK Subban isn't allowed to show confidence). The Satellite Hotstove used to be my favourite part of HNIC, but now its a weekly cock measuring contest between Mike Milbury, Pierre LeBrun and Glenn Healy. Jeff Marek is a dweeb and the biggest jock sniffer on television. PJ Stock and Kelly Hrudey are the only reasons I even consider not flipping channels during the intermissions.

So unless you have the NHL Network, which is just a TSN subsidiary anyway, you're left with uber geek James Duthie hosting another tired, played out panel discussing head shots for the 674th consecutive broadcast.

Too much of something good, even when that something is hockey, isn't always a good thing. Actually, it is terrible.

God: Creator of Worlds, Decider of Super Bowls

2011-01-10T00:16:00.003-05:00

No wonder this planet is going to Hell, God is way too busy fixing the Grammy's and deciding who wins the Super Bowl to bother fighting the forces of Evil.

I'm looking at you David Caruso. If God was paying attention then clearly your inexplicable acting career would have ended after the release of Kiss of Death and before Jade.

Now we're left with this.

Satan 1—God 0

But I digress.

What happened to you God? You used to be cool.

Over 13 billion years ago (or 4000, but lets not split hairs), God created the Universe.

This vast entity comprises everything perceived to exist physically, the entirety of space and time, and all forms of matter and energy.

God did that. Even Bono would bow down to that guy.

But eventually being awesome just gets old.

Apparently bored with Dinosaurs, God made Man in His image, and soon thereafter he proceeded to get all up in our business.

When He wasn't destroying cities because of their penchant for kinky sex (Gen 16:24), he was killing dudes for pulling out (Gen 38:10).

My personal favorite: After being led around the desert for 40 years, a few people had the audacity to issue a complaint. So instead of explaining why the Land of Milk and Honey was so bloody tough to find, He did what He does best: He killed all 100 of them (Num 11:1). Whining is the Devil's work.

Rad.

After killing 30,000,000 of us I guess He realized that we're a stubborn bunch. So 2000 or so years ago he sent us Jesus to deliver a much kindlier, gentler message.

Your basic spiritual Good Cop, Bad Cop.

However, if there's one thing present day Americans and first century Canaanites have in common, its their mutual hatred for peace and love hippies.

So we killed Him. We like our God angry, it seems.

Then for 2000 years nothing happened.

OK fine, we made a few sculptures and invented physics. But that's basically it.

Then a strange thing happened. As it became increasingly apparent that Man would never aspire to the lofty standards God had set for us (it seems we just can't stop killing each other or banging our neighbor's wife), we did the only thing we could.

We brought God down to our level.

No longer content with praying for good health and bountiful crops, we turned Him into a partisan sports fan with a Hip Hop fetish.

Once upon a time, God was the creator of the universe. Now he's producing Whitney Houston albums and running numbers for the Gambino Crime Family.

So America, when the next calamity hits (hurricane, oil spill, a second season of Jersey Shore), get off your knees and stop wasting the Lord's time with prayers imploring Him to decide the outcome of the Super Bowl.

Besides, we all know that God is a Dolphins fan anyways.

"And this game is tied!"

2011-01-07T17:41:00.006-05:00

by Mark Rose
North Bay, Ontario (via Prince Edward County)

This isn't a Roberto Alomar Hall of Fame post.

Instead, its my re-telling of my favourite moment as a Blue Jays fan.

I remember it like it was yesterday.

Somehow though, it was October 11, 1992. That is long enough ago that I'm not even going to figure out the exact amount of years that has passed since.

It was a sunny, but cool Sunday afternoon. Game four of the American League Championship Series between the Blue Jays and Athletics in Oakland. The Jays went into the game with a 2-1 series lead and had Jack Morris on the mound. Things looked good for a young, eager, awkwardly thin Jays fan.

Until the third inning.

The A's put up a five spot in the home half and added another run a couple innings later to take a 6-1 lead into the late innings and had it protected by one of the toughest closers in baseball history, Dennis Eckersley.

It was bleak until the top of the eighth inning, when Toronto finally started chipping away. As a kid, when your team is down five runs, you believe it to be an insurmountable obstacle to overcome. The Jays got a run to make it 6-2 before that mustachioed son-of-a-bitch Eckersley came to the mound. Game over.

But wait...

Run scoring hits by John Olerud and then Candy Maldonado cut the lead to 6-4. Eckersely struck someone out to end the eighth inning Jays rally, and in doing so, lit a fire in me, and more importantly, the Toronto dugout. He yelled and taunted, pumped his fist towards the Jays like the regular jackass he is.

I was livid. Temper that I had (have), I got in trouble for swearing at the television. Two seconds later, my Dad swore at it.

Today, at 29, I would recognize and could see the moment coming. Back then however, at the ripe old age of eleven, there was no hope. The Jays were losing going into the ninth inning, and had to complete the comeback against Eckersley, back then the most hated athlete in my life.

Enter the top of the Toronto Blue Jays lineup.

Devon White, that graceful bastard, led off the top of the ninth with a single and ended up on third base before Ricky Henderson stopped making errors on the play.

The guy up next is THE guy you WANT up next. Whenever a clutch hit was needed, Roberto Alomar had an uncanny ability to deliver. I knew that at the time, but still had no idea what was coming. I was still expecting defeat, still dreading the failure that was about to go down.

I'll never forget the call of Dick Stockton on that early Sunday evening when Robbie lined a two-run, game tying shot over the right field fence, stunning the Oakland faithful, the Oakland dugout, and their cocky prick of a closer.

"And a drive hit to right field, Sierra going back, looking up...and this game is tied!"

6-6. The Jays eventually won 7-6, and I can't remember how they scored the winning run. Beyond this game of course, the rest is history.

This isn't a Roberto Alomar in the Hall of Fame post. He is undoubtedly one of, if not the best second baseman in baseball history. His place in Cooperstown was never a question of "if", but of "when."

Of all the sports moments I've watched on TV, be it the Penguins winning Stanley Cups, the Patriots winning Super Bowls, even Joe Carter's World Series winning tater a year later, the 1992 Alomar homerun, called by Stockton is still the most vivid to me. The Jays had been close to winning the pennant several times before,but when that homerun sailed over Ruben Sierra's head, I finally got the feeling that it just might be our year.

Its fitting that Alomar will be the first Hall of Famer inducted as a Blue Jay. Without him, the Jays never get over the hump and never give us fans the thrills of 1992 and 1993. He WAS the Toronto Blue Jays, and in a way, he still is.

Thanks for all the memories, Robbie, but specifically, this one.

Free Agency Be Damned: A Look At The Toronto Blue Jays Coaching Staff

2011-01-06T02:26:00.001-05:00

Thank Jebus for Proctor and Gamble, because Bounty paper towels did a great job cleaning my vomit off the floor after I read about the Carl Crawford signing.

The dude is now the highest paid outfielder in history and he's not once hit 20 home runs or knocked in 100 RBI's.

Meanwhile in Colorado, Carlos Gonzalez has an erection—but I digress.

I needed to step away from the insanity of free agency, so I decided to take a closer look at the re-vamped Blue Jays coaching staff. Since the beautiful (overly sentimental) departure of Cito Gaston, GM Alex Anthopolous has hired former Red Sox Pitching Coach John Farrell as his replacement.

I'll admit I knew little about Farrell before the interview process began. However, his pedigree with young arms like Bucholz, Papelbon and Lackey, not to mention endorsements from respected baseball people like "Un-named GM" really impressed me.

In the end, I was sold after watching the press conference where his hiring was announced. Relatively platitude free, Farrell seemed like an honest, straight shooting guy with the requisite savvy needed to relate to today's pampered athlete; he also appeared to have a nice blend of older brother aloofness and cool dad authority that seems to gel with young players.

The proof will be in the pudding, but he will nonetheless be a refreshing departure from the comatose managerial style of Cito Gaston.

Zombies eat brains; Cito ate my soul.

So without further ado, here is my humble examination of a few key (non-managerial) Blue Jay Coaching hires.

Don Wakamatsu - Bench Coach:

I'm not sure what was more alarming about this hire: The fact that Don was just fired by Seattle because the Mariners sucked, or because he doesn't look even remotely Japanese.

Either way, I needed to really dig into this.

Turns out Tokyo Don was a career minor league Catcher who built a reputation as a superb game caller. If only he could hit a lick, he may have played more than nine MLB games.

Why is this significant? Catchers are great observers of the game and as a bench coach, his perspective will be a nice counter balance to the pitcher Farrell.

Not to mention his ability to craft the finer points of J.P. Arrencibia's emerging talent.

Torey Lovullo - First Base Coach:

Lady-ish first name aside, I'm really excited by this hire. Lovullo actually interviewed for the Dodgers in 2006 and the Pirates in 2007, while he was the Manager of the AAA Buffalo Bison's (Cleveland).

Most recently, as the Manager of the Red Sox AAA affiliate Pawtucket team, Luvollo brings a wealth of experience for such a young guy, as he won't turn 46 until late July.

In short, Luvollo is a natural leader and his talents as a utility infielder and teacher offer insurance in case Brian Butterfield departs.

Pat Hentgen - Bullpen Coach:

Outside of a stint in the minors, this is a great place for a first crack at MLB coaching.

Know the line-up, know the hitters tendencies, work on the pitches and game-plan to get the one to three outs needed from the arms in the pen.

As I evaluate this hire, it's tough separating my insatiable love for Paddy Hentgen, the former Blue Jay and Cy Young winner, from Coach Hentgen, member of John Farrell's staff.

However, this move intrigues me.

I fully realize that there is an undercurrent of pandering nepatism involved here; be that as it may, Hentgen is no shrinking violet nor party hack.

On the contrary, Pat won a Cy Young due to balls and brains. He was never a lights out type like Halladay or Clemons, nor was he a sharp shooter like Maddux or Cliff Lee.

Rather, Hentgen was known as a pitcher who would throw strikes early, and then break your ankles with a 12-6 curve if you gave him the count.

It's this combination of courage, tenacity and craftiness that could provide a marvelous influence on Toronto's collection of talented young arms.

Conclusion: Homerism notwithstanding, this an exciting young managerial staff.

Adding this kind of fresh talent to a group that already includes Batting Coach Dwayne Murphy, Third Base Coach Brian Butterfield and Pitching Coach Bruce Walton further enhances an already strong posse of baseball minds.

In other news, the Yankees jack up their offer to Cliff Lee.

Where are those paper towels?

Leaving Las Vegas: The Blue Jays Should Move Their AAA Team To Montreal

2010-05-15T11:57:00.001-04:00

With the news today that Toronto Blue Jays GM, and Montreal native, Alex Anthopoulos has approved radio broadcasts to be transmitted in French for the first time in team history, my initial reaction was; what took so long?

After the Montreal Expos left Quebec in 2004, French speaking baseball fans had no team to root for. Instead, they were left to cheer for individual players from their home province.

Some current and former players from Quebec include: Eric Bedard, Eric Gagne, Russell Martin, Pete LaForest and uber prospect Phillipe Aumont.

Although this may stir feelings of regional pride, it wasn't anything to get excited about.

Until now.

Jeremy Filosa and Alex Agostino of CKAC radio in Montreal will begin their broadcasts for this Friday and Saturday's games. To generate some added buzz, the radio station has launched a ticket giveaway contest, "We gave away two tickets to our listeners with Porter Air and the Royal York (hotel) is participating as well," Agostino said.

With a fickle fan base that has grown cynical and discontent after the JP Ricciardi years, reaching out to baseball mad Quebec is both logical and way over due.

But is it enough?

Not for me. In 2003, when Bud Selig (who bought the franchise from Jeffrey Loria on behalf of MLB) torpedoed the Expos season, thus sealing their fate, he did more than relocate a franchise. He spat in the face of Baseball History.

Montreal has a long and rich baseball legacy that predates the Expos by more than 70 years. The Royals began playing as a minor professional club in 1897. After shutting down in 1917 due to the influenza epidemic and WWI, they resurrected themselves in 1928.

In 1939, The Montreal Royals became the AAA Farm Team for the Brooklyn Dodgers. It was here that the team began to make its most significant mark on the game's history.

The Royals launched the careers of such players as Sparky Anderson, Duke Snyder, Don Drysdale, Gene Mauch (coincidentally the Expos first Manager), Roberto Clemente, Roy Campanella and Tommy Lasorda. As impressive as this is, there is one name that stands head and shoulders above the rest: Jackie Robinson.

After he was signed by Dodgers GM Branch Rickey in 1945, Baseball's "color barrier" was broken in Montreal when Jackie stepped on the field for the Royals in April of 1946. Later in that season, he was followed by two more black players, John Wright and Roy Partlow, both pitchers.

Jackie only played one season with the Royals, but he finished it in spectacular fashion.

After leading Montreal to a Little World Series title, adoring fans actually chased Jackie to the train station to see him off as he embarked on his MLB career. Paraphrasing a remark in the narration of Ken Burns' Documentary, "Baseball", "...it was probably the only day in history that a black man ran from a white mob with love instead of lynching on its mind."

Jackie Robinson would always remember his time in Montreal with fond gratitude. The fans adored him, and the citizens welcomed him and his family. His reception in Brooklyn would be far less tolerant.

The Royals folded in 1960, and seven years later Montreal was awarded a MLB franchise, The Expos.

Although they didn't have any watershed moments like the Royals, the Expos were one of the pioneering teams in baseball in terms of recruiting players from the Caribbean and Central America. Andres Galarraga, Vlad Guerrero and Jose Vidro were but a few names. Not to mention hiring Baseball's first Hispanic GM (Omar Minaya) and first Dominican born Manager (Felipe Alou).

Returning to the topic at hand, JP Ricciardi's decision to move our AAA affiliate from Syracuse to Las Vegas in 2008 was indeed a head scratcher. Not only did it end a 30 year relationship, it moved our farm team from nearby upstate New York to Nevada.

However, recent reports indicate the two year deal JP signed will not be renewed due to the unreasonable travel distance between Las Vegas and Toronto.

Admittedly, I don't have any answers on the question of minor league expansion or relocation. Be that as it may, it’s high time that Major League Baseball honors the legacy that Montreal has indelibly left on this game.

Hey, if history isn't enough of an incentive, just think of all the licensing revenues the league could generate from sales of the Royals classic jerseys.

Class In Session: How To Properly Identify Fantasy Football Sleepers

2010-05-13T12:35:00.002-04:00

Accurately predicting the Sleepers in Fantasy Football can prove to be almost as difficult as resisting the power of the Kavorka.

However, I'm here to assist you in your quest to find the gems in this years fantasy NFL season.

First, lets define what a Sleeper actually is:

Differing slightly from a "Break Out" player, a sleeper doesn't have an existing NFL resume to suggest consistent and sustainable growth. Whereas Break Out Players have shown steady improvement over the course of their first 2-3 seasons in the league, Sleepers come out of no where to have significant statistical impact.

Or do they?

A great example of this are the (not) Brothers Rice, Ray and Sidney. Last year Ray and Sindney Rice burst on the scene to become one of the elite Running Back and Wide Receiver options, respectively, in Fantasy Football. In fact, with regards to Ray Rice, we haven't witnessed such a colossal jump in statistical performance from one year to the next since His Holiness Priest Holmes exploded in to our collective fantasy consciousness during the 2001 season.

So what was it about these two that predicated their 2009 Sleeper status?

Where Was He Drafted? Both were second round picks, Ray in 2008, and Sidney in 2007. First and Second round draft picks are selected with the expectation of top end performance. This alone would suggest that their touches would increase.

Does He Have Any Competition? Ray was drafted as the successor to the oft-injured Willis McGahee, and although Le'Ron McClain had a nice season in 2008, no team wants a Fullback to be their top option in the backfield. So no, Ray didn't have much competition for the top job as long as he had a good pre-season (he did).

Sidney had even less competition with the inconsistant (and one dimentional) Bernard Berrian, and rookie Percy Harvin the only guys in camp to worry about. Also, at 6'4" tall, neither of those other receivers can offer what Sid can: Height. Tall receivers are invaluable to an offense as they are better suited to fight through coverage and offer a much better red zone target.

What About Scheme and Complimentary Players? As Offensive Coordinator for the San Diego Chargers, Cam Cameron loved to incorporate fast, elusive running backs into his passing attack. During his one season as Head Coach in Miami, he turned Ronnie Brown in to a pass catching dynamo who was on pace for a ridiculous 90/900 receiving season until he blew a gasket in game 7.

So what might he do with a fast, elusive running back who amassed 2000 yards and 24 TD's in his final year at Rutgers? Well, we saw the results last year.

Sidney Rice benefited from a single Free Agent signing: Brett Favre. The fabled gunslinger is a far superior option at QB then the mediocre duo of Jackson and Rosenfels. Over his career, Favre made superstars out of guys like Sterling Sharpe, Javon Walker, and Donald Driver, so what could he accomplish with Sidney Rice who has a similar skill set as the aforementioned receivers?

How about 83 grabs for 1300 yards. Tasty.

No One Likes A Tease (unless you are hunting for sleepers): Although used sporadically in 2008, Ray did show us a glimpse of what he could do if given the chance. In week 9 of that year, and with McGahee injured (shocked!), and the Browns stacking the middle and limiting McClain to a paltry 34 yards on 13 carries, Coach Harbaugh decided to see what his rook could do. Methinks Coach was impressed as Rice carried the ball 21 times for a whopping 154 yards.

Sidney didn't have a big game like Ray's. However, he offered hints to his potential during his rookie year in 2007 (he was injured in 2008) when he caught four Touchdown passes, including an impressive 60 yard score in week 12 against the Giants.

Of course there are exceptions to the rules above. Miles Austin was an undrafted free agent from small time Monmouth College who's previous high was in 2008 when he had 13 receptions for 278 yards. If you drafted him last year you are either the worlds biggest Cowboy fan or Nostradamus reincarnate.

Either way, trying to predict the Austin's of the fantasy football world is an exercise in futility.

So who are this years Sleepers?

You'll have to wait until my next article. Or you could follow these rules and figure it out for yourself.

Class in Session: How To Win Your Fantasy Football League

2010-05-13T12:34:00.003-04:00

"Back to school. Back to school, to prove to Dad that I'm not a fool. I got my lunch packed up, my boots tied tight, I hope I don't get in a fight."

This is for all the Fantasy Football junkies out there who, try as they might, just can't seem to get over the hump and win their leagues. If you fit into that category then I'll guarantee you've missed at least one of the following points on a consistent basis.

1. Know Your League and How It Scores:

This may seem obvious to most but you'd be surprised how many poolies out there make this mistake. If you don't have a firm grasp of your league's type and scoring system then you are doomed in your quest of determining player value. You've lost your league already and the season hasn't even started.

The ranking systems used in most fantasy magazines are based on an auction drafting style with standardized scoring (non-ppr [point per reception]). If you're in a ppr league but using one of these rags as a study guide then you need to manually re-adjust the rankings.

Example: A standardized scoring system will rank Michael Turner ahead of Ray Rice . In 2008 Turner scored 275 fantasy points (he was injured off and on last year so we'll use his 2008 stats) whereas last year Ray Rice scored 242 points. However, in a PPR league Turner would have scored 281 in 2008 while Ray Rice's numbers jump to 320 points (based on the 78 extra points for receptions in ppr-leagues).

Either find yourself a mag that's relevant to your league's scoring system or get out your calculator and create an excel spread sheet. Otherwise you're toast.

2. Keep On Mocking In The Free World:

I have news for you. Michael Crabtree is not a sleeper—he will not be available in Round 14. If you suffer these types of delusions when going into your draft you will only end up disappointed.

Solution: There are several sites you can visit that host live mock drafts (practice drafts). A mock draft is a good way to get your feet wet before the big draft day arrives. I usually do no less then 10 and I record all the results. I then examine them for trends—like which players are consistently drafted later than their pre-draft rankings, who seems to be a popular reach, etc. This information can be invaluable for the novice drafter.

In other words, Crabtree will be long gone by round nine, never mind 14.

3. Free Agents Aren't The Only Dudes Who Change Their Address

You need to pay close attention to coaching changes almost as much as player movement. Coaches have differing philosophies and obviously varying degrees of historical success. This can have a significant impact on the performance of your players.

Example: in 2008 the NY Jets were ranked 16th in total defense, in 2009 they were first. Bart Scott and Jim Leonhard didn't make that much of a difference so what, or who, did? The answer is new head coach Rex Ryan—he was a member of the second ranked Baltimore Ravens defense in 2008 (as Defensive Coordinator).

I paid attention to this fact and drafted the Jets ahead of favorites like New England and San Diego.

Do the extra research on coaches and that might be the edge you need to explode into the playoffs.

4. Know The Draft Needs of Your Fellow Poolies:

I can't stress this enough. If you've heeded the first three steps then you should be more then prepared for every pick, ideally with a shortlist for every round. However, you still need to be flexible enough to roll with the punches depending on how your draft unfolds.

Example 1: It's now your turn to draft and you've short listed two WRs and two RBs for this particular round. Take a look at your draft sheet to see how the other teams are looking. If you notice that most teams are set at RB for now but several are in need of receivers, then take your top ranked wideout now (before someone else does) and you can be confident that at least one of your shortlisted backs will slide to you in the next round.

Example 2: You've neglected the receiver position in favor of stacking your team with multiple top end talents at QB and RB. You're now in the middle rounds and you start to panic that you are leaving yourself exposed at that position.

Solution: Take a look at the other teams. Are they relatively set at WR? If so, you should consider starting the run on TEs. Dallas Clark or Jason Witten will be much more valuable to your team than a wideout like Nate Burleson. There should be a dozen players like him still available so you might as well let him pass if it means you get the top ranked TE.

5. Kickers? We Don't Need No Stinking Kickers!

It never ceases to amaze me when a poolie drafts a kicker with more than 4-6 rounds to go. Don't be that guy.

Every year there's the idiot who thinks he's being clever by drafting "The Best Kicker In Football". Super, you just passed on Ray Rice (this actually happened last year). Thanks for your money, moron.

I always wait until the last two rounds to draft my starting and back-up kickers. Last year I still ended up with David Akers (and Ray Rice) so I lost nothing by sitting on the position until the bitter end.

Kicker is in a constant state of flux and the top ranked guy from last year could be the 20th ranked guy this year. Also, why pass up a player with 170+ point potential like a Jahvid Best or Kenny Britt for a kicker who will at best give you 130 points.

Well hard luck poolies, I hope this helps you in your pursuit of a title. Good luck!

The Wait Is Over forToronto Blue Jay Fans: The Other Shoe Has Dropped

2010-05-13T12:34:00.002-04:00

Back in March this year, the feeling around Spring Training was one of cautious optimism.

After coming off a humbling 75-87 season, the firing of J.P. Ricciardi and the trade of team icon Roy Halladay, the Blue Jays were clearly embarking to rebuild.

Fast forward to May 9, with a record of 19-14, the water cooler talk was all about our "great young arms", our "potent offense" and dare I say it—Wild Card!

And why not? We had just taken 3 of 4 against Chicago and previous to that we swept the Indians.

The Jays are the top power hitting team in baseball with 51 Home Runs and lead the AL in Total Bases with 535

John Buck, with a .237 career batting average, is all of a sudden a .270 hitting juggernaut who's on pace to obliterate his career highs in every major statistical category. This includes almost tripling his previous bests in HR's and RBI's.

How about Alex Gonzalez? The light hitting baseball nomad has either been eating out of Victor Conte's garbage or is on the hot streak to end all hot streaks. The most glaring stat? His SLG% (Slugging Percentage) is a ridiculous 185 points higher than his career number.

As for those "Great Young Arms", Ricky Romero and Shawn Marcum are indeed pitching well. However, Romero has been the recipient of great defense and quite a bit of luck as his unusually low .288 BABIP (batting average for balls in play) would suggest.

Once that number climbs to around .300, Romero's stats should even themselves out.

Even still, 19-14 is nothing to scoff at. Until we went on the road to face the Red Sox.

After allowing seven walks last night (six in 1.2 innings from starter Brendon Morrow, one of our "great young arms") we narrowly lost a sloppy game to Boston. However, that was just one game and there's no way we walk seven again tonight.

Well we didn't walk seven, we walked eight. Red Sox 6 - Blue Jays 1.

That loud THUD you just heard was the other shoe dropping.

This is to be expected from an elite hitting team like the Red Sox. They are third in the AL with a .353 team OBP and 4th in fewest strikeouts (from their hitters).

On the other hand, the Jays are in the bottom three in the AL for OBP and have struck out at the plate more times then any other team in baseball.

Home runs are great but nothing kills a rally more than a strikeout or hitting into a double play. There's a reason why Adam Dunn is playing in Washington and guys like Russell Branyon and Jack Cust can't keep a job even though they are legit power hitters.

Apologies to my fellow Jay fans out there as I know I can come across as a bit a buzz kill . However, this is still a rebuilding season and when we beat up on some the leagues lesser lights we all need to take it with a grain of salt.

Having said that, there are still lots to be excited about! Lyle Overbay is making Mendoza look like Tony Gwynn so we can expect to see Brett Wallace manning First Base hopefully by July when we make our west coast road trip.

It’s all about perspective.

Harshing Your Buzz: A Sobering Reality Check for Toronto Blue Jay Fans

2010-05-13T12:33:00.002-04:00

As I write this, my beloved Toronto Blue Jays are sitting third in the AL East (fourth overall in the AL) with an impressive early record of 16-13. This places us a mere four games behind the Yankees, for the Wild Card spot.

It's also May 6.

Have a cup of coffee, rummy.

First allow me to preface the remaining article with the following: You will be hard pressed to find a more devoted Blue Jay fan than I. However, I'm also a strict realist who deals in honest, factual reasoning and absolutely does not suffer fools. I'm a shotgun diplomat who leaves the platitudes for the horde of Pavlov's Dogs that seem to inhabit the sporting news blogosphere.

As for the Jays, sometimes you just need to tell your girlfriend "yes honey, you do look fat in that dress."

At first glance a 16-13 record looks fairly impressive for a team that was supposed to be a bottom feeder this year. However, when you dig a little deeper you'll notice that it just isn't the case.

We've played four of nine series' against teams with winning records last year, Boston, Los Angeles, Tampa, and Texas. Our record stands at 3-9 in those games, including 1-6 against AL East teams

We have yet to play New York, Detroit, Minnesota, or Seattle and we still have 16 games left to play against Tampa and Boston. That leaves 99 games left against winning teams from '09—not including 12 games against the Rockies, Giants, Cards and Phillies, all winning teams from the NL.

At our current pace we are looking at a record of 33-66 against the winning teams in the AL. Lets say we run just over .500 during Inter-league games at 8-7, that leaves us at 41-73.

48 games left to play against the worst of the AL.

Lets be optimistic here and say we have a .700 record against these teams and end up 34-14. That gives us a record of 75-87.

Coincidentally, that was our record last year. Good enough for 4th in the AL East, a full 28 games back of New York.

Now for some sobering reality about our roster:

Alex Gonzales' best year offensively was in 2004 with the Marlins when he hit .232/23/79.

To illustrate how much of an anomaly that is, his career per season numbers are .248/10/45. Of his eleven other seasons, only in three of them did he eclipse 10 home runs and 55 RBI. His pace so far projects to .278/45/123. Needless to say you can cut those power numbers in half and knock off 30 average points. More than expected yes, but Alex Rodriguez, he is not.

John Buck is hitting very well of late (though his avg/OBP are putrid as expected).

However, in four of his six years in Kansas City, when he was the clear starter, Buck had never hit more than 18 HR or 50 RBI. His current pace of 27/76 (based on 135 games) simply cannot be sustained.

As advertised, Brandon Morrow has been a strikeout machine.

But with a K:BB ratio of 10:5, we can expect his ERA to stay at around 5.00. Control is a skill that is slow to develop and expecting Morrow to "figure it out" and start shutting teams down in the next couple of weeks, or even months, just isn't reasonable. Also, as long as he's averaging five innings per start, he's going to decimate the arms in our bullpen.

Now lets quickly discuss Vernon Wells.

He's also on pace for a 45/120 season although at a significantly higher average than Alex Gonzalez. Also just like A-Gon, he will not maintain that pace.

That's not a bad thing either.

His bloated contract puts him squarely in the cross hairs of both media and fans alike.

However, over the course of his career Vernon has proven to be a very respectable .280/25/90 hitter to go along with great defense in center field. I think we need to stop blaming him for the contract J.P. Ricciardi signed him to and realize that he just isn't the .310/35/115 guy we all want him to be.

Jays fans need get off the road to Jonestown this season.

We are not winning any divisions or wild cards. We are, as expected, a middling team just trying to stay relevant in the cutthroat A.L. East.

Lets just sit back and enjoy the emergence of some great young talent like Brett Cecil, Ricky Romero, and Travis Snider. I suspect that fairly soon Brett Wallace will be here and we should catch a glimpse of J.P. Arencibia and Kyle Drabek come September.

Now take a cold shower and get ready for more kool-aid.

NHL offseason starts in July!

Above All Else, Baseball Is Still Just a Kid's Game

2010-05-13T12:33:00.001-04:00

Bottom of the ninth and two outs. There was a runner on first and a ghost runner on third, and Moose, the neighborhood meathead and opposing team's best hitter, was at the plate.

Filthy, drenched in sweat, and a tightly wound bundle of nerves, I stood on the mound (which was actually just a chalk line drawn on the ground)—the loneliest kid on earth.

All the catcalls of "Heeyyyy batta batta batta" or "pitcher's got a rubber arm!" had coalesced into a deafening cacophony of white noise, yet I could distinctly hear the rhythmic "thump, thump, thump" of my heart as I stalled the inevitable, wiping my clammy hands on the front of my shorts.

Moose (real name escapes me) was the biggest kid in the neighborhood. No one believed he was only 10 years old, and my friends and I often joked that his dad must have been a Sasquatch. He clearly had the small brain and massive fists to make this theory plausible. However, if there was anything he could do well, aside from hand out random beatings, it was hit a fastball.

I thought long and hard about this very fact as Moose sneered at me from the plate. Maybe if I just tossed him a grapefruit and let him annihilate it I could avoid his ire for a few extra days.

But then again, how sweet would it be to strike this behemoth out? I'd be a king, the local David slaying the big dumb Goliath. However, I had barely escaped goat horns as Moose had hit my two previous pitches a mile, though just foul. So what now, tempt fate again? The decision was clear.

The knuckleball.

I'd been working on this pitch ever since I watched Tom "Candy Man" Candiotti completely baffle my beloved Blue Jays when the Indians came to Exhibition Stadium a few months previous. Since I spent so much time at the school library hiding from Moose and his goon squad (they NEVER went in there; books were like kryptonite for those idiots), I read up on the knuckleball and about guys like Phil Niekro and Eddie Cicotte.

David had his slingshot; I had my knuckler.

Now, with my foot set on the mound, I gave the obligatory look off to the runner on first. Fingers firmly sunk into the ball, I then lifted my lead foot, swung my arms behind my head, and, in an exaggerated arching motion, threw my wrist forward, releasing the ball.

Time slowed to a crawl as I watched my pitch dance and jig its way home like some kind of drunk butterfly. Moose's eyes went wide with glory lust as he tightened the grip on his bat and lifted his elbows.

No longer able to watch, I closed my eyes tight and waited for the inevitable crack as the ball was hurtled into the cosmos to join its brothers. If God created Heaven and Earth, then Moose created the stars with poorly located fastballs.

Then, nothing. No cheers, no jeers, not even a distant car horn. Just silence. Was I dead? Did Moose hit my pitch so hard that it came back and slammed into my skull? I dared to open one eye, just one, and take a peek.

What I saw was perhaps the most beautiful thing I could possibly imagine. The ball was sitting on home plate, and Moose was crumpled on the ground with his legs twisted like a corkscrew and a look of profound astonishment on his big dumb face. I did it—I struck him out!

Screeching with the kind of joy only a child could muster, my friends and I danced and jumped and yelled like fools for what seemed like hours. I knew I'd most likely take a beating from Moose for this, but I didn't care. I'd take a thousand beatings if that was the cost of feeling what I felt then. It would be worth it.

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

In my neighborhood we called it Birby, although you may recognize it as Stickball or Wallball. Wherever you grew up and whatever you called it, this game was a rite of passage for thousands of kids when I was growing up in urban Toronto.

As an adult, it's easy to become jaded with professional sports. Million-dollar athletes who refuse to sign a child's ball, small-market teams relegated to mediocrity, greedy owners holding cities and fans hostage for stadium deals, etc.

However, remember that around the corner from your house there's a group of kids playing Stickball for nothing other than the sheer joy it brings. No salaries, no agendas—just innocent childish fun.

Once upon a time that used to be you. It may be time for some perspective, a cleansing. Call some buddies and dust off that old Darryl Strawberry Rawlings glove you have in the basement. Now all you need is some road chalk, imagination, and a lack of ego.

Go break a sweat, and remember: Above all else, baseball is still just a kid's game.

Fantasy Football Top 25: Is Wes "Sky" Welker Still a Top Pick?

2010-05-13T12:32:00.000-04:00

That would depend on the depth of your league and how it scores, however...

He is the Receiver you are looking for.

Moving on, the following ranking system is based on a PPR League that rewards as follows:

One point per reception
One point per ten yards receiving/rushing
One point per 25 yards passing
Three points per receiving/passing TD
Six points per rushing TD

Last season saw yet another changing of the guard. Several players picked in the top 25 of your draft in 2009 have dropped completely off the board whereas there will be names of guys who went undrafted (gasp!) that you will see below.

Without Further Ado,

1. Chris Johnson - RB. Judge Dread presided over the league last year like few others before him. In some drafts he went as low as a late second-round pick (I drafted him fifth overall last year, please leave me your praise in the comments section) but this year he's the consensus number one - regardless of league type. Congrats on sucking last year, you now get the best player in fantasy football. Try not to blow the rest of your draft.

2. Maurice Jones-Drew - RB. Mountain Drew is not only delicious, he's refreshing! He's also a heaping pile of fantasy awesome that will put you - the second worst poolie in your league last year - in good stead the rest of the way. Remember, this is a PPR league ranking and MJD got 93 points as a pass catcher alone (which was down from the 134 he put up in 2008). That's 85 points more than Michael Turner. Go ahead and get jacked up on The Drew.

3. Adrian Peterson - RB. You could easily flip flop this pick with number two and no one would scoff. However, I rank AP third due to the fact that Childress doesn't involve him in the passing game as much as Jones-Drew (As Favre got comfortable with his receivers, he used AP a lot less). Nonetheless, he did have a down year as a runner and a bounce back to 1600+ yards could be in order.

4. Ray Rice - RB. Rice-A-Running burst on the scene last year to become a bonifide fantasy superstar (I drafted him in the ninth round last year, please leave me your praise in the comments section). The only thing keeping this adorable creature from cracking the top three was a lack of TD's. However, hitting paydirt only once with 78/700 as a receiver is a fluke. I'd expect closer to 15 total TD's this season.

5. Frank Gore - RB. Improved O-Line and respectable passing offense makes FrankenGore a sexy pick to round out the top five. Although his health issues and the presence of rookie hammer head Anthony Dixon do give a moments pause, the good simply out weigh the bad.

6. Stephen Jackson - RB. The last of the great duo-threat backs are now gone with this pick. Always a great option in the passing game, Action Jackson had an injury free year and got over the 1400 yard hump again. The four TD's however, leave much to be desired. I think that was just an anomaly and 1400/10 is the bench mark this year - along with his standard 50/400 as a receiver.

7. Michael Turner - RB. The Burner's injury last year (not unexpected after his 376 carry season in 2008) was actually a blessing in disguise for potential MT owners this year. With only 13 carries after November 15th, Turner has been able to heal and rest up and should be ready to blast away at opposing D-Lines on his usual TD/game pace. He won't catch many (any?) passes but 1600/20 is a possibility.

8. Andre Johnson - WR. For the Love of Dre J, how this guy hasn't eclipsed ten TD's yet is a mystery wrapped in a riddle inside Kubiak's odd red zone package enigma. That has to end soon, my guess is now.

9. Jamaal Charles - RB. If not for the acquisition of Tom Jones (and then drafting Dexter McCluster), I'd rank JC, the fantasy Black Jesus, at least two spots higher. However, the Cheifs backfield is all of a sudden a tad cloudy but my assumption is Charles emerges as a Ray Rice type. It's Not Unusual to expect Tom Jones to be used as a short yardage, goal line back however, eating away at The Lord's TD chances.

10. Aaron Rodgers - QB. Green Bay is Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood now. He's also the best fantasy QB in the game and still getting better (I drafted him in the fourth-round last year, please leave me your praise in the comments section). Now with the addition of the Bulaga Whale at RT, Rodgers should feel a bit more comfortable in the pocket. 5000 yards?

11. Shonn Greene - RB. This is a speculative pick here but if you're confident in your ability to build significant depth at RB in the later rounds then the reward could be significant. Think Michael Turner circa 2008 type of upside. LT and FloJoe McKnightengale won't interfere with the ascension of the very phonetic Shonn Greene.

12. Drew Brees - QB. How about the starting QB for the best offense in football? Moving on...

13. Larry Fitzgerald - WR. If not for the retirement of Crystal Kurt Warner, L. Scott would be 3-5 spots higher on this list. Having said that, Ryan Leaf could get this guy 80 grabs so Leinart to Fitzy should be good for 95+ right? Right?

14. Rashard Mendenhall - RB. What I like: He's young, talented, healthy, gorgeous (what?) and has no competition for his job. What I don't like: inconsistency, Ben's predilection for young drunk girls, weak passing game. Rashard is a boom or bust pick but his talent is just too tantalizing.

15. DeAngelo Williams - RB. My issue with him has to do with a man named Jonathan Stewart. Sooner or later, J-Stew will take over as the number one. Oh yea, who's the QB this year? So many red flags. I'll pass on him but he still deserves the rank.

16. Beanie Wells - RB. Why the not so Wisenhunt kept going to Bubba Smith Hightower is just odd. Anyone who watched 'Zona games last year could clearly see that Wells was far and away the better back. If he gets 20 carries this year he's in line for Prime Rudi Johnson type stats. For Serious.

17. Brandon Marshall - WR. Lets see here; emerging strong armed QB, (arguably) best O-Line in football, (arguably) best running game in football, and now the Fire Marshall? Some records could be broken (I drafted him in the seventh-round last year, please leave me your praise in the comments section). Duper who?

18. Ryan Grant - RB. He's healthy and now the O-line is repaired (he hopes). The receiving stats are just gravy. Safe pick (i'm looking at you Greene/Charles owners).

19. Peyton Manning - QB. Just can't argue with this kind of health/performance consistency. Young receivers are only getting better as well.

20. Phillip Rivers - QB. His receivers are deadly and now he's got a running game again. Sail down the Mystic Rivers with confidence.

21. Cedric Benson - RB. Not flashy by any means but he's safe and reliable (who'd ever think to say that two years ago regarding this guy?).

22. Miles Austin - WR. Highest PPG for a receiver once he became a starter. Sky's the limit for Miles High Austin.

23. Reggie Wayne - WR. His numbers might actually get better with the improvement of Garcon and Collie.

24. Ryan Matthews - RB. I introduce to you the 2010 Offensive Rookie of the Year. Enjoy.

25. Wes Welker - WR. And now we turn our attention to the Fantasy Jedi, Wes SkyWelker. Reports indicate he could return as early as Halloween and as late as Thanksgiving (US).

The question you need to ask yourself is, are you confident in your ability to build a strong enough team to withstand the loss of your third-round pick for the first two months of the season? If so, draft Welker with confidence knowing that you'll be adding a 10/100 receiver to your roster just in time for the fantasy playoffs. You'll be bulls eyeing Womp Rats all the way to Title Town.

You're welcome.

Ich Bin Ein Maple Leaf: Korbinian Holzer Invading Toronto In 2010?

2010-05-13T12:31:00.000-04:00

With the Draft and the beginning of Free Agency yet to happen, it’s a bit of a fool’s errand to predict what the Toronto Maple Leafs roster will look like in October.

However, with the playoffs in full swing the good people of Leaf Nation need to get excited about something, anything.

Therefore, I introduce to you 2010 Leaf Camp invitee and my dark horse to crack the starting lineup, Korbinian Holzer.

Nein Weise you say? Hear me out.

With Kaberle a virtual lock to be traded, there are three guaranteed roster spots on the Toronto blueline this year. They belong to Dion Phaneuf, Luke Schenn and Mike Komisarek (remember him?)

Unless Francois Beauchemin is dealt (more likely than you may think—Burke is a wild man) then he's a lock for the fourth spot.

That leaves three remaining spots.

The next roster slot will more than likely be filled by the very promising Carl Gunnarsson. The young Swede really came in to his own last season as he averaged roughly 21 minutes per game after he returned from an elbow injury.

Poised and surprisingly responsible in his own end for such a young player, Gunnarsson, or Gunner as he's called by his teammates, also possesses a great first pass and a very heavy point shot.

A seventh round pick in 2007, he's looking like a real gem.

So that leaves two spots on the blueline and several players scrambling to make the cut.

Let's look at them individually.

Jeff Finger

Often a healthy scratch last year, Finger has regressed defensively and finished the season a career worst -11.

Now entering year three of his preposterous four year $14 million deal, Finger will be under the microscope if he even makes it to camp.

He's a prime candidate for a trade if not an outright release.

Garnet Exelby

In what is now recognized as a fleecing by then Thrashers GM Don Waddell, Exelby was brought here in exchange for Pavel Kubina to add "truculence" to a soft Leaf blueline.

However, when not a healthy scratch Exelby was either on the losing end of a fight or getting undressed by opposing forwards.

He's since asked for a trade and will not be a Leaf in 2010.

Mike Van Ryn

He's not currently under contract but reports indicate that his rehab is going very well and he's eager to get back on the ice, as a Leaf. And according to Ron Wilson, via James Mirtle of The Globe, the feeling may be mutual,

“We missed him last year, and I think to an extent we’ve missed him a lot this year,” Wilson said. “You look at our record last year, when he was in the lineup, and it was five or six games over 500 [13-8-6]. … He’s a good guy, great in the room, too. Hopefully, things will work out for him and we can help in his comeback next year.”

With 16 players signed and just $11 million left under the cap, Van Ryn could be signed to an incentive laden contract.

He's a highly productive player on both ends of the ice when healthy and a great locker room presence. Even money he's back this year. (For more on his rehab, read the April 6th post on www.pensionplanpuppets.com )

That leaves one spot for Juraj Mikus, Keith Aulie and Phil Oreskovic.

Mikus has had a similar journey to the NHL as Gunnarsson but is a much more raw talent.

His size (6'4" 190) and offensive ability are tantalizing but he'll need another year in the AHL for seasoning.

Keith Aulie came over in the Phaneuf/Stajan deal.

A giant of a man at 6'6", he will need to work on his skating before having a legit shot at the big club. Nonetheless, he looks like a young Hal Gill and should be a fixture on the Leaf blueline by 2012.

Phil Oreskovic is a nasty, punishing stay at home type who offers little offensive potential. However, he's fairly polished and has the game that Burke loves. He's got a legit shot at the final spot.

Unless ...

Korbinian Holzer has been playing in the German League, The DEL, which is a men’s league, since the 07/08 season.

The competition is not far off from the AHL and the league even has a number of ex-NHL'ers.

He finished second among defensemen on his team with 22 points in 52 games (behind Patrick Traverse) and even chipped in a very truculent 74 penalty minutes.

Furthermore, he played on the German Olympic Team this past winter in Vancouver and did not look out of place playing against the world's elite.

Holzer's skating is outstanding and he has the size needed to compete on an NHL blueline (6'3" 205.) Although an extra 15 pounds wouldn't hurt.

I realize this kid's a long shot but remember that Kaberle came seemingly out of nowhere in '98/99, jumping to the NHL from the Czech league to score 22 points in his first season.

Stranger things have happened.

As always, comments are welcome.

Danke schoen

Toronto Blue Jays Broken Wings, What To Do With Overbay and Snider

2010-05-13T12:29:00.000-04:00

As I begin to write this article the Jays just blew yet another game in the late innings. Perhaps I should write about our Bullpen.

Moving on.

At no other time are roster decisions more paramount to a team's long term success as when that team is rebuilding. The Blue Jays are in a significant transition phase that hasn't been seen in these parts since the early 80's and as I look at our roster and the performance of certain players it becomes quite clear what needs to be done.

First, get rid of Lyle Overbay.

Currently hitting .176 with an OBP of .271 along with two HRs and nine RBIs just doesn't cut it. His power numbers translate to 16/73 over 162 games but that's more of a product of his position in the order as Hill and Wells have been doing a great job getting on base. The average firstbaseman in the majors hits at a .263 clip which roughly equals an extra 13 hits for Overbay over his 74 AB's.

So what does this all mean?

Well Overbay's trade value is virtually nil. We may be able to ship him off to team that needs/wants a reserve 1B/DH with above average defense but at a salary of $7,950,000 this year, what do we get in return? A marginal prospect at best or perhaps a swap of contracts which I doubt Alex Anthopoulos is interested in.

So that leaves the Jays with one alternative: place him on waivers and if he's not claimed, send him to AAA—which is basically giving him his release.

There are several options to replace Overbay if this scenario were to come to fruition. The first is to simply plug in Randy Ruiz at 1B. His average is even worse but with a significantly smaller sample size of 16 ABs. However, his previous two seasons he hit .313 with 115 ABs and .274 in 62 ABs so there's some potential to provide stability there. Although at 32 he's clearly not a long term option.

Another scenario would be to sign Carlos Delgado. One of our most beloved and productive Blue Jays ever, he'd be a great way to generate some buzz and provide not only solid production at DH (Lind would have to play 1B) but leadership as well. I'm a huge Delgado fan and would be thrilled with this move. However, as with Ruiz, Delgado is not a long term solution.

The third, and most likely scenario, would be calling up Brett Wallace from the AAA Las Vegas 51s. Currently hitting .288/8/14 in 74 AB's with a OBP/SLG split of .381/.671, he's clearly ready for a shot with the big club.

But at this stage I feel that if he does get the call that it's a permanent move. He should not be sent down as he'll need to see as many MLB pitches as possible to truly get a sense of his worth as a long term solution at 1B/DH. This should be the move to make but I'll admit as fan I'd be giddy to see Delgado back in Blue and White.

Now, what about Travis Snider? Although his numbers are equally as putrid as Overbay's (.127/2/4) his situation is completely different. He was a first round pick (14th) by the Jays in 2006 and is only 22 years old. He's still considered a top 25 prospect by most scouting organizations and MLB.com lists Travis as the 7th best prospect in baseball—ahead of names like Neftali Feliz, Colby Rasmus, Andrew McCutchen, Buster Posey and Elvis Andrus.

So what does this mean?

The answer is simple. Nothing. Travis has decimated minor league pitching and has nothing left to prove there. His power is off the charts and so is his ceiling as a player. I'm talking about a perennial .290/35/110 LF.

But the question most asked is how patient should we be with Snider—how long do we wait for him to break out? The answer is, as long as it takes. Brett Wallace is no less a top prospect as Snider and he's two years older yet no one is worried about his window to succeed.

So for now the Jays will keep sending the kid out there until it clicks. But I'll leave you with an interesting stat: Of Snider's eight hits this season, four are Home Runs. If he ever improves his plate discipline, look out.