THROW ALL THE NAMES IN A HAT

The MLB First-Year Player Draft is not like the NFL Draft.  It’s more risky. The Jays have tripled their scouting staff and for what?  The TSN Playoff monkey could throw a bunch of names on the dart board and do just as well as the Chicago Cubs. 

So the Jays went safe with their first pick (which everyone said they wouldn’t) taking a college arm with a great baseball name – Deck McGuire, a Yellow Jacket.  He’s a big righty with 3 pitches.  Everyone says he has a low ceiling. “Not an Ace in the making” according to MLB.com.

One question.  What was the word on Shaun Marcum before, during and after his draft?  I guarantee he wasn’t touted as an Ace either … and he is.

Anyway, the biggest story is really not who you pick – because, if you weren’t yet aware, its a crapshoot – it’s who you can sign.

Therefore,  the story of AA’s first draft as Jays’ GM  is far from over.  Let’s see if Paul Beeston jumps in and ruins some more college careers while the story is being written. (see James Paxton).

LOOK WHO WAS IN TOWN

And like the first triology, he only took one of three! Heyo!

When do we start worrying about the bullpen?  So good in Saturday’s 14-inning win, but not so good in the second game against T-Bay and today’s loss to the Evil Empire.

WE LED EVERY GAME IN THE LAST 6 GAMES WE PLAYED AGAINST THE TWO BEST TEAMS IN THE ENTIRE OF MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL.

But that bullpen cost them. And Cito’s questionable loyalty to Marcum and Morrow cost them two games.  At least we can be confident that when we do get to a point where the play-offs are a real possibilty, Cito will not be around as this is his swan song.

There’s gotta be something to V-Dub’s wrist last year and shoulder the year before, because everything points to him being healthy this year and he’s … well … good … REALLY GOOD, dare I say … an all-star?  I just did.

I WAS SICK ABOUT IT … BUT

If Selig reverses Jim Joyce’s blown call last night, it sets a bad precedent.  Slippery slope.  Le Batard, in the Miami Herald, brings up a good point:

Truth is, umpiring decisions impact outcomes all the time without this kind of notice. Heck, we just had the 20th perfect game right here in Miami last weekend, thrown by Philadelphia’s Roy Halladay, and the ump’s absurd strike zone in that game helped make that one as perfect as this one was flawed.

pic courtesy Miami Herald

Christmas?!?

The last time I posted was just before Christmas.  That’s unacceptable. 

My last post  indicated that 2010 was going to be a long year. And of course that’s the way it looked, and what Blue Jays management was telling us.  However, it is now June 3rd, 2010, and the Jays are taking the first place team in the AL East to the limit … and are still within serious striking distance of the playoff teams.  That is surprising.  What is not surprising is the fact that when the Jays surprise with how good they are, you get emotionally invested and start expecting them to win.  It’s weird.  It’s draining.  It’s fun.  It’s sports.

At the end of the day, we all knew the Jays were not going to sweep the Rays to come within a game of first in June 2010.  We should be happy that they had that opportunity and that they came within 2 blown ninth innings of doing just that.

When the stars align (see A. Hill, A. Lind, T. Snider and B. Wallace putting  it together at the same time) the Jays will spend the money or expend the talent to acquire some semblance of an unhittable closer to close out these games.  In the meantime we have to be happy with no closer, no cigar.

A little Don Marcotte for the ladies:

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO JAYS FANS AND NON-JAYS FANS ALIKE

All the best in ’10.  Its going to be a long year.

p.s.  Doesn’t Seattle know that Brandon League sucks?

X-MAS WISH LIST

When a team trades a player for prospects, usually kids who the general fan has never heard of, the general fan usually freaks out, “we didn’t get anything for (player X). This is disastrous. I’m not watching (team X) anymore.”

Then, when the prospects turn out to be stars, the GM was a genius (even though the GM has usually already been fired) and also by this time, the general fan has totally forgotten his indignancy and is happy again. 

The key to the thesis outlined herein is the word “when” in the previous paragraph — “when” the prospects turn out to be stars.  For the Jays to have made good on the Roy Halladay fiasco, the players they got in return need to turn out to be good, real good.  Kyle Drabek needs to be a top-of-the-rotation pitcher and Brett Wallace needs to be a middle-of-the-order masher.  If that happens its a good trade.  Simple as that.

Unfortunately, in the meantime, its the general fan that buys tickets for ball games. Now we start talking chickens and eggs.  For AA’s building plan to work, he’ll need some money at some point.  If people don’t see the forest for the trees and say “Without Doc I give up” then the revenues go down.

But herein lies the rub.  (What does that even mean? Rub?)  What happens if they start winning right away?  Is the line-up really that bad with a rookie (Wallace) playing a key role?  Lightning in a bottle. A la Eric Hinske’s rookie year.

And what about a pitching staff with Marcum back?

So there you have it, my one Jays-related holiday wish is that this happens … Drabek and Wallace live up to the hype … as early as this spring.  And, same with Snider.

The Jays go on the 2009-first-six-weeks-type run.  It continues instead of nose-dives.  The Bo Sox are on the decline. No question in my mind.  They aren’t as good as they were even last year.  Cameron over Jason Bay, really?  John Lackey????   The wild-card becomes a reality ( in my scenario).  Then, people buy tickets … etc.

Here’s the line-up:

1. Bautista, RF
2. Wells, CF
3. Hill, 2B
4. Lind, DH
5. Wallace, 1B
6. Snider, RF
7. Encarnacion, 3B
8. Gonzalez, SS
9. Buck, C

Crap.  Writing it out doesn’t make it look any better.  Too much has to go right, lightning in bottles all over the place … oh well.  I think its coming together.  2011 maybe?  Please Santa.

END OF AN ERA

The Michael Taylor era is over.  Long live Brett Wallace.

I like the Halladay trade.  He had to go blah blah blah. Needed to get something for him blah blah blah. Got some solid prospects blah, looking to the future blah, 2012 is the year blah blah.

We’ll see.  Personally, I think AA knows what he’s doing.  He’s a stat geek that hasn’t got a JP-sized, money and power induced, ego yet.  That will come.  In the meantime, keep rebuilding son.

PROCRASTINATION STATION

I’m off the grid all week.  I’ve prepared all I can.  It’s time to just sit back and … and … stress, basically.  Oh, and watch my Vikings strip the ball and take possession on Arizona’s first play from scrimmage.  Nice.

Just want to weigh in on Tiger Woods because I feel that there’s just not enough coverage out there …

Anyway.  Tiger was obviously a geek of epic proportions growing up.  Golf.  Golf.  Golf.

And in his spare time?  Golf … and probably the odd video game.  Not much of a ladies man.  And, I can guarantee the ladies were definitely not beating down his door.  But, as we all know, geeks have libidos too.  And so, when he got older and incredibly famous, and more importantly, ungodly wealthy (almost a billion kajillion) the ladies started to throw themselves at his wallet and fame.  As a man, I, for one, know that this would be incredibly tough to turn down. 

And he didn’t.  And then he just kept on doing it … them.

Anyway, I’m not saying that I’d have made the same decisions.  And I’m not saying he did either.  I’m just saying that’s why he did it.  Because he always wanted the chicks and now he can get the chicks.  I guess.

TRADE HIM ALREADY

I agree with the Jays’ blog roll. Vernon Wells needs to be traded already!

See what I did there?

Haven’t blogged in awhile.  Thought I’d come back to it because I am seriously procrastinating about something.  Anything to take my mind off the pressing tasks that demand my time and attention.

The holidays are coming.  Here’s some advice: avoid seeing the movie The Road.  Read the book instead (Cormac McCarthy’s pulitzer prize winning effort) and do it immediately.  It will take you about 4 1/2 hours to read and you will be haunted for months afterward.   Then immediately read No Country For Old Men, also a McCarthy effort. It’s amazing.  It’s Better than Ezra … if you will.

There.  That’s my mini-Keith Law impression.

IT GETS WORSE

Now this from the Toronto Star:

Injured RH Shaun Marcum had a checkup with arm specialist Dr. James Andrews last week, the Jays said yesterday. Marcum is recovering from Tommy John surgery on his elbow last fall. The team had hoped Marcum would return in August, ahead of schedule, but now says he won’t pitch in the big leagues this season. Word of the visit to Andrews set off alarm bells, but manager Cito Gaston said there is nothing to worry about. “It was just a checkup, that’s all,” Gaston said.

Oh there’s alarm bells alright.  “That’s all” my ass.  Next thing you know you’ll be telling me that:

Tiger Woods will blow a 54 hole lead at a Major … or

Gregg Zaun hits a grand slam to beat the Jays … or

Cats and dogs are living together.

Mass hysteria.

Crap.