There's a story today in the Toronto Star today stating that interim manager John Gibbons is the leading candidate to take over the full time manager roll next year in Toronto. According to the article, Ricciardi is expected to make an announcement about a week after the regular season ends. If that is true and Gibbons stays on as the guy, that should give everyone an idea of how the Jays view 2005. If the Jays are going to make a run at the playoffs I expect them to bring in someone a little more experienced. By experienced I don't mean some old-school retread like a Jim Fergosi or Art Howe. But, maybe a guy who has been a #2 on a winning team (Someone from the Oakland, Anaheim or the Yankees) or someone who was a manager but hasn't had a job in a while and will come cheap (Larry Dierker who used to manage the Astros comes to mind). If the Jays are going to use next year as a development year and really break in guys like Gabe Gross, Alex Rios, David Bush, Russ Adams exe. then I think Gibbons is a logical choice. I have not seen enough of Gibbons to get a good feel for him so I'll have to trust JP on this one. JP is not shy about making changes so if he really likes Gibbons I think he'll stay on.

This begs the question, how should the Jays view 2005? Well, that's an interesting question. One that needs a column dedicated to it and I will do just that sometime in the near future.

Time for a little book review. While I was out in Santa Barbara on business I started and finished a book called "Chasing Steinbrenner: Pursuing the Pennant in Boston and Toronto." I've never written a book review before but I'll share my thoughts as best I can with you.

When I heard this book was coming out I was really pumped as I had recently finished my 2nd reading of Moneyball and reveled in the chance to read a similar book on the man running the ship of my favorite team, JP Ricciardi. The book more or less follows JP and new Boston GM Theo Epstein around as they prepare for the 2003 season. I had several other books I wanted to read but due to the subject, I put this one first and foremost on my list. I dove into it with nothing but the highest hopes.

To my disappointment though, the book did not live up to expectations. I was really hoping for a back room look at the two teams and the author (Rob Bradford) never provided it. He explores several characters but none of them too deeply. The best chapter was no doubt Epstein's pursuit of Jose Contreras. There were some things in that chapter I hadn't heard about and in terms of drama it was the one piece of the book that kept me reading. Everything else was kind of dull. It was more of a recount of how the season unfolded (which both teams already know about) vs the in's and out's how the two GM's run their teams.

From a Blue Jay perspective the story was more about the Red Sox and Theo then JP and the Jays. I really didn't learn all that much about how the Jays work as the book only seemed to scratch the surface of what the baseball operations department does. The author did try and give us something when he talked about the pursuit of first round pick Aaron Hill but even that story never really takes you deep into the process. Bradford just tried to hit too many topics vs picking a couple and fully developing them.

This book will evidently be compared with Moneyball, and to me, Moneyball is the clear winner on two fronts. First, I think it is a more entertaining read. I'm not one of those people who forgets the fact that Moneyball author Michael Lewis was trying to sell a book and may have exaggerated the facts a bit. Second, Moneyball gave a much deeper look into how an organization is run. You really got to see how trades happen and what goes on in the draft room.

As a Jays or Sox fan I think Chasing Steinbrenner is somewhat interesting as you do get some additional info on both GM's but if you're not a fan of either team I wouldn't recommend it.

Random thoughts while watching last nights game:

• Carlos Delgado can't get thrown out at home. When your lineup is hammering a pitcher in the first inning you can't help him out by getting thrown out at the plate. Especially when the ball is hit hard to right field and Delgado is the runner. He was out by a mile. I blame Butterfield for that one.
• Bottom of the first and Mora hits a HR. A big part of the Jays problem on offense this year has been a lack of power. They've hit a lot of singles and the top of the first was a good example as they hit 4 and only scored one run. Baltimore on the other hand hits a hanging curve and it's 1-1.
• You know, must every announcer follow "the book?" It's the top of the 2nd and the Jays already have 6 hits, 1HR and a double. Zaun led off with a HR and Gross followed him with a double. What does the brilliant O's announcer say? "What Crozier is looking to do is hit the ball to the right side and make a productive out." What! What Crozier should be looking to do is sit on another fat fastball and hammer it off the wall. In a 2-2 game in the 8th maybe you give yourself up but we've only played ONE INNING!
• Mr. Halladay just didn't have it tonight. His control was off and he did not have the normal snap on his curve. This is pretty much an early (late?) version of spring training for him though. Honestly, at this point, I couldn't be less worried about him. He'll be fine next year.
• You know I still like Bob File. I know it's been a couple of years since he was healthy and productive but I'd like to see him back next year in spring training. He's got great movement and reminds me of Paul Quantrill.
• This is my first look at League and I'm pretty impressed. Throws a lot of fastballs with movement which is very important. Decent slider and change but nothing special. He's in the relief business now but I'd like to see him get a shot at starting. He throws way to hard not to be given a chance to start. Great first impression though.

I'm back after a week long journey to the other side of the country. If you're looking for a vacation spot in California then my vote is Santa Barbara. The place is absolutely beautiful.

On to more important stuff. Some news and notes on what I missed:

• Today's game against the Tampa Bay D-Rays has been canceled due to hurricane Jeanne. It's really been a tough past couple of months for those living in the way of all of these hurricanes. To all of you who may be affected, please be safe.
• Aquilino Lopez has been outrighted to the minors after he was removed from the 40-man roster. We've probably seen the last of this guy in a Jays uniform.
• Justin Miller has been removed from the starting rotation and placed in the bullpen. Gustavo Chacin has taken his place. Unlike the move with Batista I don't mind this so much. Miller has not really been all that great and I like the idea of getting a look at Chacin. Though, I wasn't a huge fan of him, Chacin's first impression on me was very good. Before I took off for the week I watched his entire start against the Yankees and he looked very good. It was only one start so I'm not going to get too excited but it was nice to see. Miller on the other hand, is probably done as a starter for the Jays. We have too many young cheap guys coming up to look at to keep him in the rotation. He could work out in the bullpen so I'll watch to see the way this works out. If JP thinks he'll be effective in this roll I think he'll be brought back. If not, he'll probably be gone at the end of the season.
• The official site of the Jays mentioned the team could be in the market to lock Orlando Hudson up to a long term contract over the winter. I wouldn't mind seeing this happen as Hudson has been pretty good for us this year. He defense has been outstanding and I think he's on the verge of making a big leap with the bat. It's always a good sign when a young players power and patience get better throughout the course of a year and that is exactly what is happening with Hudson. His SLG has increased from .395 in 2003 to .438 this year. Thanks in large part to a nice increase in doubles and a couple extra HR's. His BB/PA has moved from .75 to .89 and his BB/SO has gotten slightly better going from .45 to .50. He has not made any huge leaps but I think all of these factors point towards a better season in 2005. Next year is also his age 27 season which typically can be a breakout year for a player. A nice 3-4 year deal would be great to see for the kid. I don't think I like him in the #2 spot in the lineup but I think he could do some damage somewhere around the 6 or 7 spot.
• Great to see (or I guess see the highlights) Doc Holliday out on the mound again. He went 4 innings the other day giving up 4 hits, 3 runs and striking out 2. Not great, but I'm not really worried about him. As long as the shoulder is healthy he'll be fine next year.

Couple of moves made by the Jays over the weekend. Gustavo Chacin and Brandon League got promoted to the big club after their AA team won the Eastern League title. To make room for these two, Frank Catalanatto was moved from the 15-day to the 60-day disabled list. While Aquilino Lopez was designated for assignment. Comments on the three:

Chacin: He had a pretty good year for the Jays this year but I'm afraid a gaudy W/L record might be getting some people too excited about his ability. Between AA and AAA this year he went a combined 18-2. That's pretty much unheard of at the minor league level. At AA this year he went 16-2 with a 2.86 ERA in 141.2 IP, 109 SO to 49 BB and gave up 7.18 H/9. At AAA he went 2-0 with a 2.31 ERA in 11.2 IP, 14 SO to 3 BB and gave up 12.34 H/9. All in all, those are some pretty good numbers. But they are not the stuff of an Ace. At AA he only had about a 2-1 SO/BB ration and didn't come anywhere near striking out a batter an inning. These numbers are usually a pretty good sign of what kind of stuff a pitcher has. I do think Ricciardi understands this and just wants to see how the kid does at the Major League level. Heck, if he puts together a couple of good starts he might be used in a trade this off-season. You never know. Overall, I think he's probably a #4 starter at the major league level if he stays healthy and things break well for him. Best case scenario I think he could be a #3. I did not see him pitch this year but I did see him pitch twice for New Haven last year and I wasn't ever all that impressed.

League: Now this kid, I really like. The Jays got League in the 2001 amateur draft in the 2nd round as the 59th overall pick. As a 21-year old kid he pitched all season for AA New Hampshire in the Eastern League. He pitched in 41 games of which he started 10. He had a 3.38 ERA in 104 innings, 90 SO to 41 BB and 7.96 H/9. These numbers are good but what makes them great is they were done by a kid who's 21. This is young for the league and it tells me he's still going to get better. The interesting thing with League is I'm not sure how he's being groomed. In the past he was used as a starter but this year he was used out of the bullpen a lot. I do think he could turn into a late inning closer but I don't think you do that to a young pitcher until he shows he can't start at the Major League level. I will ALWAYS take a starter over a reliever. Jumping from AA to the bigs is a long way to go but we'll see what he can do. I can't wait to see him pitch.

Lopez: What the heck happened to this guy? 3.42 ERA in 73.2 IP, 7.82 K/9, 7.09 H/9 in 2003 for the Jays and then he just fell off that map. He had a 6.00 ERA in 21 IP for the Jays this year. For AA Syracuse, he had a 7.17 ERA! His walk number and K numbers were OK but he gave up 12.23 H/9. I have not heard a lot of reports on him out of Syracuse so I don't know if a bunch of bloop hits were falling in or if guys were tearing into the ball. Now that he's off the 40-man the best he can hope for from Toronto is a non-roster invitation to Spring Training. We'll probably see him claimed on waivers or sign elsewhere though.

That's all for now. I'm going to be away on business until sometime on Friday. Once I get back I'll have to get caught up on what's going on. I'm relaying on my loyal readers to drop me a link if they see any minor moves our there.

For those of you who are interested I will be contributing to a 2-3 week long roundtable over at MLBCenter. There are several different website/blog contributors who will be joining me. We'll be discussing a variety of different subjects which have been predetermined by MLBCenter. Should be fun.

In less happy news, 2nd round pick (57th overall - Texas) Curtis Thigpen was arrested on September 17th on suspicion of driving while intoxicated. I'll follow this as much as I can and will let you know if there will be any kind of suspension from the Jays. The minor league seasons are more or less over so it would have to take effect in 2005.

News and Notes:

• Halladay threw another simulated game yesterday and from all reports everything went well. He is now scheduled to pitch next Tuesday against the Yankees in NY. I'm not really a big fan of him coming back as we need him healthy next year but it would be nice to see him go out there and dominate. It would give me and the organization a little more confidence in his ability to contribute next year.
  
• Greg Myers has indicated he may not retire at the end of the season. I don't see the Jays bringing him back as they've got Cash, Quiroz and Greg Zaun on the roster. I've said it before. I'd like to see Cash get traded and have Quiroz and Zaun platoon next year. Zaun would be a pretty good mentor for Mr. Quiroz to get him ready to take over the full time duties in 2006.
  
• Blue Jays.com is reporting the Jays will move Miguel Batista into a relief role for the rest of the year. I do not like this move. He would be highly overpaid to be a 1-2 inning reliever. We need him to pull his stuff back together and contribute to the rotation. If the Jays are doing this so they can get a look at a young pitcher then I don't mind so much. As long as they move him back to the rotation for next year. But honestly, I'd rather see the Jays pull a Halladay and send him to the low minors to work on his mechanics. We brought him in to be a starter. We need him to be a starter. If he can't figure it out in a Jays uniform then trade him. I wonder if the Red Sox would take a flyer on him if Derek Lowe is allowed to leave. . .
  
• Russ Adams had another good game with the bat yesterday going 2-3. Though, I joined the game late and missed his error in the first. He works pitchers, has a good eye and will take a walk. Though, you may notice he has not yet walked in the bigs. I'm OK with this as if you're a major league pitcher, why wouldn’t you go right after the kid getting a cup of coffee at the big league level. Seeing that he only has 2 SO's shows me a lot more as it means he's being aggressive and hitting strikes. The walks will come with more experience and as pitchers start to take him seriously. We don't yet know the plans for the off-season but I'd like to see a game or two by the end of the year where Adams hits first and Gross hits 2nd. That would be a lot of OBP at the top of the lineup.

Since he's pitching tonight and we're only about 3 weeks away from the end of the year I think it is an appropriate time to take a look at the signing of Miguel Batista. After watching last winter unfold it is easy to see JP Ricciardi preferred Batista to Kelvim Escobar. Escobar went on to sign a three year $18.75 million dollar deal with the Angels. Batista signed with Toronto for three years for a total of $13.1 million. So how have they done thus far?

Escobar: 10-10, 3.86 ERA, 184 IP, 79 ER, 173 H, 169 SO, 67 BB, 19 HR
Batista: 10-11, 4.64 ERA, 188 IP, 97 ER, 192 H, 96 SO, 88 BB, 20 HR

When the deal went down and the Jays were able to pick up Batista, I was a big fan. I really thought he was an undervalued pitcher due to his time in the bullpen in Arizona and I was sick of seeing Escobar's inconsistencies. But, looking at the above numbers, the Angels got the better player. The above also shows you how bad a stat W/L is when it comes to judging pitchers. Escobar does not look so good because he's 10-10 on a team who might make the playoffs. While Batista is 10-11 on a team that might lose 100 games. Based on W/L records alone, it looks like Batista is the far superior pitcher.

Another reason this is an easy comparison is because they're only separated by 4 innings. Escobar has a superior ERA while giving up 19 less runs. Batista's ERA on the season is a brutal 4.64. I'd like to find something positive in Batista's stats but I just don't see it. He's walked 88 to Escobar's 67 and he's K'd 96 to Escobar's 169. The comparison is not even close.

There were a lot of people who did not agree with spending all that money on Escobar and thought the Jays did very well by signing Batista at the price they did. I was definitely one of those people. But, if the Jays got a bargain with Batista. Then, based on the improved performance the Angels have seen out of Escobar, I'd say they got the bargain.

I still do like Batista and think he can be a solid pitcher for us over the next couple of years. But, right now he's the #4 on the staff behind Halladay, Lilly and Bush.

Yesterday the Jays announced they've signed a new agreement with the Lansing Lugnuts of the Midwest League starting in 2005. Lansing replaces the Charleston Alley Cats as the Jays single A team. I have not heard a reason as to why they moved but it may have to do with the Jays desire to get their teams a little closer to home. That was one of the factors behind their move from Knoxville (AA) to New Haven (the teams owner subsequently moved the New Haven team to New Hampshire). If anyone has been to a game in Lansing let me know as I'd love to know what the place is like. Road trip!

Baseball Prospectus has done a good job of this over the past couple of days but I really urge as many people as possible to sit back and enjoy Barry Bonds while he's still playing. What he's done the past couple of yeas has been beyond unbelievable. I'm pulling for him to hit number 700 as soon as possible and I hope everyone takes notice. I know he may not be the most likeable person in the world but I urge you to put that aside and appreciate the level he's playing at. You WILL never see anyone as purely dominant as Bonds.

One more thing. The hot lines are open so let me know what you think of the deal.

The Jays signed Frank Catalanotto to a 2-year deal yesterday which will pay him $2.7 million over the next couple of seasons. This is a raise from the $2.3 million Frank was making in 2004. Before having season ending surgery on his
right external oblique fascia he had a line of .293/.344/.390 for the season. The slugging number is definitely down but that can probably be attributed to being hampered by the injury. He was pretty much jogging hits out by the end of the year.


What do I think of the deal? I think it's another example of JP Ricciardi recognizing an undervalued player and taking advantage of the situation. Some of you may be asking yourself why he would sign a guy who just had season ending surgery and was only able to play 75 games this year. I believe he was signed because he just had season ending surgery. Look at it from Catalanotto's side. The guy is going to be 31 years old about a month into the 2005 season. He just had surgery on an injury that cost him the rest of 2004. Now, the GM for the team he's been on the past two years is offering him not only a contract but a 2-year contract with a raise. Knowing the direction the market has been going lately, as a flood of players have been available every year, why wouldn't he jump at the chance for a little security?

From the Blue Jay perspective, this signing does come with some risk. The surgery he had was to repair his right external oblique fascia. He could re-injure himself next year and then this contract doesn't look so good. But, I think the chance is relatively low as Frank has already had the surgery and Spring Training is still a long, long way off. My original thoughts were the Jays were bringing in Catalanatto to serve as the left handed DH in 2005. But, after reading JP Ricciardi's comments about wanting more veteran bats in a young lineup I'd say he'll probably open up in LF. Gabe Gross does not quite look ready for the big show and could use another year in Syracuse. An OF of Cat - Wells - Rios won't be too bad for 2005.

Finally, the last question is whether Catalanatto is worth the money. For the most part, it is tough to gauge what kind of year he had in 2004. The average and OBP numbers were more or less in line with his career but his SLG was down. So, to compare, let's use his stats from 2003 and look at how he would have done against his OF peers in 2004.

Average. Not normally a good offensive indicator but it may apply to Catalanatto a little more because I think he could hit .300 in his sleep. His .293 average would have placed him in a tie for 20th for ML OF's. Not too bad. I'd say the chances are pretty high he'll hit .290 - .310 if healthy next year.

On base percentage. He's got a little Ichiro in him as he does not take a lot of walks (but does not strike out much either. Something the Jays have done a ton of in 2004). His OBP is normally driven by an average very near .300. In this case, last year his OBP was .351. I'd like to see something a little higher but not too bad. This OBP would be good enough for 32nd among ML OF's.

Slugging. In 2003 his SLG percentage was .472. Other than his great 2001 year (.330/.391/.490) this was his best year for slugging the ball. He's never going to be a huge HR threat but he can bang out the doubles. His 2003 slugging percentage would have placed him tied for 66th. But, then again we know he's not a HR threat, Ricciardi knows this and the Jays aren't paying him like he is a HR threat.

Finally, in terms of OPS (On base percentage plus slugging. A good, not great offensive metric) he would have placed 29th amongst his peers. So what we have is an average defensive outfielder who is a good offensive performer. The reason why this is a good move is because Ricciardi was able to lock him up for only $5.4 million over the next two years. This provides cost certainty and great value. Pat Burrell, Craig Biggio, Mark Kotsay, Torii Hunter, Geoff Jenkins. All of these guys make more then the Cat and these are the guys with similar OPS numbers. Smells like a bargain to me.

All in all, I believe it's a good signing, as long as Catalanatto can come back and be healthy. He'll provide a great bat in the #2 hole and pound out a bunch of doubles. If the Jays get him a right-handed platoon partner the deal will look even better as the aggregate will be very strong. One concern I do have is the Jays need to add a couple home run threats to the lineup. If the OF is Cat, Wells and Rios, they won't get much power out of those guys. Vernon Wells is a 30-HR guy but Rios has not and probably won't develop his power for another year or two. A DH and a 1B who can hit the long ball must be on the shopping list for JP. It wouldn't hurt if we could get 25-30 out of Hinske either.

Time for a little of the fun stuff. I've got Dave Mathews (Tim Reynolds if you must know) cued up (most announcers annoy me) and I'm ready to go. Time for a little game commentary!! (can't guarantee a full game tonight. I'm already on Harp #4) I'm going to try and continuously update this so stay with me and try not yell at me if I spell something wrong. With that. Go Syracuse! Whoops. I mean. Go Toronto!

8:17- Russ Adams taking the first three pitches he sees then swinging on 3-0. I'm OK with that b/c you know the pitcher is going to groove one.

8:18- That's how you block a plate. Well done by the the Texas catcher. I'd tell you his name but I missed the lineups and CBS has not updated it's site with the game tracker yet.

8:21- Well, that's not a good start. Someone want to tell me why catchers never take their mask off anymore? Wouldn't it help your vision/mobility to take it off?

8:24- I love Quiroz. He's got an absolute cannon and he can hit. I like his presence behind the plate. He's going to be a good one my friends. Cash my friend, I hope you catch on somewhere else.

8:35- I'll tell you what. Kevin Mench is not a bad player. Anyone who can drive a ball to the opposite field like that is OK in my book. 22 HR's this year. That is a pretty quiet 22 HR's to hit in 1 year.

8:36- Ah ha. Mystery solved. Rod Barajas blocked the plate. Another Texas hitter who has pretty decent numbers. If they ever get any pitching. . .

8:38- Another curve hit by the Texas lineup. They seem to be sitting on that thing an driving it. It certainly isn't as good as Lilly's.

8:46- You want to know why I like Russ Adams? Try 2 AB's. 11 total pitches seen. 1 hit. 1 ball hit on the screws. As long as he can handle the SS spot at the major league level he is going to be a great leadoff man.

8:51- That's crap. I hate how a hitter always gets timeout when asks for it. Especially when a pitcher is in the middle of his windup.

9:00- I'm telling you there is not a more animated player at the plate the O-Dog. I think he might have some kind of breakout year in 2005. His walk total is not up huge but he's having better AB's. He used to have a little Alex Gonzalez in him where he would swing through just about everything. But, he's getting deeper into counts and will get better balls to hit. I was not sure about this kid initially but he is starting to grow on me. Especially with is great play at 2B

9:04- I know the perception is Delgado has had a poor season, and he has compared to last year, but he does have 27 HR's. His average is a little low but he is still .259/.357/.516. If this "off year" lowers his brings is salary down then someone is really going to get a bargain. Now that LA his Choi, off the top of my head I'm not really sure who's going to pick him up.

9:12- Knock it off Mench. I gave you your props but there's no reason to hit two out of here.

9:15- This is not good as Batista's pitch count is getting up there. Short innings we can do. Long relief. . . not so good. Again, I'm not listening to the announcers but after that hit I've got to think Gibbons is going to get someone up in the bullpen.

9:16- Thanks Eric. At least you swung at the first pitch. I never really understand why players do that. A guy has a great AB, works the count and then the next player swings at the first pitch. Batista has to be close to coming out of here. Why do that? Another hit on the curve by the way.

9:18- (By the way. If you have not figured it out I'll post at the end of every half inning) Quiroz is not going to make many friends mis-playing balls like that. That's about the third of this game. I WILL take his bat over Cash any day of the week though. Another hit. This is getting ugly.

9:22- Again with the mask. TAKE IT OFF! Hell of a throw by Gross. I thought he had a bad wing??

9:23- Pitching change. Do your thing File. Anyone else remember how good he was a couple of years ago?

9:24- "Christine! Can you grab me another Harp!" Ugly, real ugly. Teixera just hammered that ball. He's going to be an absolute star for years to come.

9:33- Atta boy Quiroz. You want to get on my good side? Take a walk in a blowout. Have a good AB every time.

9:34- Crozier really has a build like Rios. It goes to show that most HR's are hit by form not muscle. That's a discussion for another day though.

9:38- Playing the Rangers is like playing a wall in tennis. They're both relentless.

9:43- 10-0 through 4 1/3?? Anyone know any good jokes?? Time to bare down File, no need to stretch the bullpen out at this score.

9:51- Nice Vinnie Chulk. I like this kid. Along with Frasor I think he can be a key to the bullpen next year. Get in there and get some quick outs would you Vinnie.

9:52- Again. These guys get any, ANY!, pitching and they are going to be a force to reckon with. By the way, I wonder what it is they are going to do with Soriano? Long term deal? Let him go? That might be interesting.

9:54- I missed the play but did Soriano just steal a base in a 10-0 game? If so, someone on the Rangers deserves to hit the showers with "Rawlings" imprinted on their but.

9:59- The boy can still hit. That was sick. Curve, up and outside and Delgado punishes it to LC. It's not that I don't want to bring him back next year. It's just the price is going to be too much. Someone is going to steal him away. His skills have NOT diminished.

10:02- Well done Hinske. Nice to see him get a hit but man has he been frustrating. OBP is going down, AVE is going down, SLG is going down. Not a good sign.

10:05- Good AB Quiroz. I know it may not look good to get called out on strikes but he took balls and swung at strikes. That was just a hell of a pitch he k'd on. I'd rather see that then watch Cash take a fastball down the middle for strike one, be out in front of a change by 10 feet for strike 2 and then bail out on a curve in the outside corners for strike three.

10:12- Atta boy Chulk. Come in there throwing strikes and get some people out. Alright one more inning for me. Let's see what the boys can do. Show me a little fight ehh!

10:16- Well done Crozier. That's how you pick up your first ML hit. Against a nasty left slinger even. Well done.

10:18- An RBI for Dave Berg. That is almost unfair. Silly. Just silly.

10:19- Well kids. That'll do it. Hope you enjoyed it. Have a good weekend and I'll be talking to you soon. In the mean time. If there is something you want to hear an opinion on from me feel free to send me an email.

I'm pissed. And I don't want to be pissed because it's Friday and it's a beautiful day. I just caught wind of an article published on ESPN.com by John Kruk thanks to my friends over at USS Mariner that is disturbing. I won't rehash too much as USS Mariner does a good job of covering the article but I do want to mention the bit on Vernon Wells. The article is about guys who have let their teams down:

CENTER FIELD: Vernon Wells, Toronto Blue Jays The Blue Jays were definitely expecting a better year from Vernon than they're getting. He's a guy who's hit 40 homers and knocked in 100 runs in the past. This year? 16 homers and 53 RBIs? At least no one notices what he's doing, or not doing. Remember, he's on the Blue Jays

First of all. The facts are just totally wrong. Vernon Wells never got anywhere near 40 HR's in his career. The most he hit was 33 last year. He was also injured for a large portion of this year hurting his counting stats. Throw in recovery time and getting your swing back and all and that is why his numbers are down. You'd think a x-player like Kruk would understand it's tough to come back from an injury and would have some respect for that. Guess not. Finally, what's up with the dig on the Jays at the end? "At least no one notices what he's doing, or not doing. Remember, he's on the Blue Jays." What type of absolute crap is that?! Just because the Jays beat your Phillies back in '93 you're going to hold a grudge? That's beyond pathetic. The same goes for Delgado as he rips him even though he's been injured. I just can't stress enough how lazy that is.

This is the type of analysis we can expect from ESPN. Their downward spiral is beyond ridiculous. But, for whatever reason no one seems to notice. Everyone I talk to still seems to worship the ground ESPN walks on. Even though SportsCenter is a joke and the "analysts" are brought on to cause controversy, not provide insight. I mean, how can John Kruk add anything to Baseball Tonight??

News and Notes:

• Roy Halladay had another successful mound session throwing BP before Thursday's game against the Angels. He's scheduled to throw a simulated game next Thursday the 16th and if all goes well will make his return on the 21st. I applaud him for working so hard to come back. Especially after earning his contract. This is the work ethic this team needs if they are going to compete next yet. I do hope Mr. Gibbons keeps a close eye on him though. No need to have him hurt himself. I'm confident he'll be looked after though.
• Good to see Lilly bounce back and have a pretty good start after he got beat around against NY and Oakland. He really has been a bright spot for the team this year. It may not be known or of popular opinion but the Toronto pitching staff has not been too bad. It's the bats that broke down. I'll do an intensive study of this once the season is over.
• He must read my blog. Because after I ripped into Justin Speier he's been outstanding. Since August 1st he's only given up only 3 earned runs in 20 innings of work. He's also taken the closer role from struggling Jason Frasor. Why couldn't we have given the two year deal to him instead of Lightenberg. . .
• Speaking of Frasor. I think he'll turn it around and finish up pitching well for the Jays. I do think he'll be an arm we can count on next year. The poor kid had the stress of the entire bullpen lumped onto his shoulders because the rest of the crew was struggling. He pitched well for a while but folded.
• Early list of names I'd like to see in a Jay uniform next year playing first: Brad Wilkerson, Nick Johnson and Erubiel Durazo. All three of these guys will be available AND won't be that expensive. Certainly not the $12 million or so it will cost to keep Delgado. I'll take any of them in a heartbeat.

Have a good weekend. Now that the Jays are off of the West coast it will make it a little easier for me to catch a game on MLBTV.

Three reports (Here, here and here) yesterday stating the Jays may be interested in Angels bench coach Joe Maddon. Maddon had interviewed for the previously vacant Red Sox job. Maddon has 30 years of baseball experience as a player, scout, coach, minor league manager and major league intern manager. He's said to have a good mix of teaching skills, old school baseball knowledge and willingness to accept new school principles. Seattle, the Mets and Toronto are the teams who are apparently interested in him. There are worse choices then plucking someone off of Mike Scioscia's staff. He's done pretty well for himself.

Ed. Note: Written before yesterday's games. Having publishing issues.

What a wonderful time to be a baseball fan. There are all sorts of great stories out there but I'm not sure we're getting enough coverage of them. The public seems to be more interested in what Jessica Simpson is going to wear for the pre-game. . . whatever. . . before tonight's football game. Me, could care less. I'm interested in what's going on at the ball park.

The Astros! Wow, talk about putting it all together. They've been unreal of late winning 12 in a row to take the lead in the hunt for the Wild Card. Not only have they won 12 in a row, they've won 20 of their last 23. Talk about a turnaround. The Astros are a class organization with many class players and I'd love to see them make a run at getting to the World Series. They've always had the hitting but now the pitching has turned it around. Brad Lidge has been lights out.

St. Louis. 93-46. Pujols, Rolen, Edmonds, Walker, Renteria. The team has been fantastic. They were everyone's pick to finish third in the division and they've gone out and posted the best record in the bigs by a healthy margin. They can rake and play fantastic defense. They are going to be a fun team to watch in the playoffs.

Florida. Here we go again. Just when it was starting to look like they were not going to have enough to get into the playoffs they've rattled off 9 in a row. Becket and Burnett have been great of late and the offence keeps chugging. I like the Padres and the Astros more for the Wild Card but they have been plenty impressive. They did it last year so I wouldn't put anything by them yet.

Boston. Talk about getting hot at the right time. Great start to the season. Couple months of .500 play. Then they just went off. Since August 1st they are 28-8. They just mowed down Oakland, Texas and Anaheim going 8-1 in those games. I initially thought the Sox couldn't catch the Yankees because of how strong the Sox schedule was and how weak the Yankee schedule was. But, the tough part is over and now the Sox play Baltimore, Seattle and Tampa the rest of the way. And, oh yeah. The Yankees for 6 games.

We've got another 3 1/2 weeks to go and I'm going to be watching every bit of it.

Tough break for Josh Towers as he is going to miss another start because of soreness in his shoulder. In his spot Ryan Glynn will pitch. Towers has pitched well of late and was getting close to cementing a spot in the rotation for next year. Now, I don't see him getting more than a minor league deal as JP won't want to spend more than the minimum for him. Halladay, Lilly, Batista and Bush have the first 4 spots guaranteed and there is a crop of young guys coming up very soon who will be competing for the final spot. Plus, JP is a master at finding cheap talented players (who do you think brought Towers to Toronto in the first place?) to plug holes. Finally, I think Justin Miller is a better pitcher anyway so he'll now probably get the first shot.

Another strange article (still getting caught up on my reading obviously) written by Richard Griffin over at the Toronto Star. He says the Jays need to get themselves a veteran for their pen if they want to do better next year. He's states how important it is to have a veteran presence. Someone please show me something substantial as to how that really helps? I mean, does he want the Jays to sign a bunch of Rod Beck's or something? Only one thing REALLY matters. Ability. He mentions the veterans from the Yankees. Paul Quantrill, Tom Gordon and Mariano Rivera. Yes, they are veterans. But, they are also good pitchers. I don't see their special veteran pitching mojo rubbing off on the likes of Alex Graman (19.80 ERA), Brad Halsey (7.23 ERA), Bret Prinz (5.33 ERA), Scott Proctor (5.06 ERA). Heck, you'd think their presence might even help a couple of Blue Jay retreads in Tanyon Sturtze (5.90 ERA) and Felix Heredia (6.96 ERA). Maybe not.

What the Jays need to do is continue looking for talented arms. Whether or not they are young or old. And by the way. Wouldn't most people consider the likes of Kerry Lightenberg (33), Pat Hentgen (35), Justin Speier (30), Terry Adams (31) and Valerio de los Santos (31) veterans. It's not like JP signed a bunch of teenagers.

Yes, I'm still here. I was gone all weekend camping and doing assorted other things and life has been very busy since I've returned. I've got a few things I need to comment on and I promise those things will come soon. In the mean time, if there's something you want me to comment on send me an email.

News and Notes:

• Josh Towers is going to miss his next start because of soreness in his shoulder. Apparently it has been bothering him for the past couple of starts. This may explain his poor pitching of late. Ryan Glynn has been called up to start in his place. The Jays signed him in June from the Texas organization. In Syracuse he's gone 8-3 with a 3.75 ERA. He's also walked 48 and struck out 94 in 110 innings. All in all, half-way decent numbers. He'll get a shot to see if he can hang around and be a part of the club next year. This is one aspect I really like about JP. Under the old Ash rule we would have never been prepared like this. JP is very good at plucking talented players to fill holes if necessary.
• It's looking like Kerry Lightenberg's season my be over. He's been dealing with hip issues all year and it sounds as if the Jays might shut him down for the season. I see no reason not too as he's signed through 2005 and we'll need him to be healthy next year. The Jays should be covered as they've got lots of arms they need to get a read on.
• In the best news I've heard in a while, Roy Halladay is back on the mound for Toronto. He threw for the first time in a month on Tuesday. It looks like they want to bring him back for a couple of starts as long as everything goes well. The Jays have currently set a target of Sept. 21 to have him back on the mound. Normally, I'd wonder why they just wouldn't shut him down but I do have a lot of faith in the Jays medical crew and I'm sure they wouldn't mess with the Ace.
• Finally, the Jays have officially called up Eric Crozier, Guillermo Quiroz, and Russ Adams. It'll be fun to watch these guys go out and do their thing. I haven't heard of any other Jays getting the call.

Have a fun and safe holiday weekend everyone.

Something I just thought of that is worth keeping an eye on is how the Jays finish this year. Currently, they have the 4th worst record in baseball. Meaning they'd get the 4th pick overall in the draft. Depending on who signs and who doesn't over the next couple of months from this years draft there could be some intriguing talent in next years draft. The Jays have thus far gone the safe, more predictable route with their picks grabbing mostly college players. But, none of the new age (Boston, Oakland, LA, Toronto) style of GM's have had a pick this high before. I wonder what the Jays would do if a highly regarded High School player were to drop into their lap. Their whole philosophy is to be a little safer and grab college players. But, this approach does shun the potential impact HS players that COULD develop. Not that great players don't come out of College. Lot's do. It just doesn't happen as often. It's a risk vs reward thing. BJ Upton's brother (I can't find his first name at the moment) is supposed to be even more polished than his brother at this point in his career will be available in the draft. I wonder if the Jays would bite if he's still available? Just something to think about as the season comes to a close.

Yesterday, the Toronto Star's Richard Griffin wrote an article calling for the Jays to hire Paul Molitor as the permanent replacement for Carlos Tosca. Can't say I agree. As GM JP Ricciardi has said since he took over the position he initially wanted a manager who could teach the kids how to play the game at the major league level, that was Carlos Tosca. I agreed. He also stated, he was building this team to compete in 2005 and at this time he might need to go another direction with the manager. He hinted at someone with a little more experience who could guide the team through a pennant race. This I also agreed with. Knowing the limited budget the Jays are on you can be sure they are not going to go out and throw a big money deal at an "established" manager. Someone like Davey Johnson or Bobby Valentine. I think we'll see someone who has been around a winning team for a long time, understands the game and can pilot the good ship Blue Jay through the ups and downs of a pennant race. For me, two guys come to mind. Current Yankee bench coach Willie Randolph and former Astro manager Larry Dierker. I'll get back to Molitor in a minute.

Both of these guys have been through pennant races and have been on winning teams. Randolph has been with Joe Torre who has been through it all in NY and probably has a pretty good idea on how to run a team and keep them consistent through the course of a season. To me, that is one of the most important characteristics a manager can have. An ability to get consistency out of ones team. The Jays have certainly not been that the past few years. I think Dierker can bring this same mentality to the Jays. Remember, the Astros were a darn good team under him and the reason he was fired was because he could not pilot the Astros through the first round of the playoffs. That is a problem I'd like to have right now. Neither of these two would be overly expensive and neither of them are your typical refurbished, been there done that types. Hence, I think they fit the Ricciardi mold.

Finally, back to Molitor. Though I like Molitor a lot I don't think he'd be a great fit. As we all know, one of the biggest problems the Jays have had the past couple of years is they get out to a slow start in April. JP even mentioned this when he let Tosca go. I don't see how bringing in a first time manager who's latest experience is as hitting coach for the Mariners addresses this. I'd like to bring someone in who wouldn't be new to the whole spring training thing. Yes I know he's been through many as a player but it is a lot different as a manager. Plus, Molitor seems more of a nostalgia pick to me. Griffin even mentioned selling season tickets when he brought up Molitor's name. If you remember, that was the idea behind bringing on Buck Martinez and that didn't work out so well. You don't base personal or managerial decisions on how it will affect your marketing. The single best way to market a club? Win.

Well, that was quick. On Monday the Jays designated left-handed pitcher Dave Mauer for assignment and called up Bob File from Syracuse. Mauer got his shot to see if he could get left-handed hitters out and got hammered to the tune of a 54.00 ERA in only 1.1 innings. 5 walks really didn't help his case. Mauer will probably end up back in Syracuse or just could get released. We'll have to see.