When I was running my own Blue Jays fan website for two years (2000 and 2001), I used to write up a monthly report card for each Blue Jay, assigning grades from A+ to F, often on a whim. I thought I'd try it again with this year's Jays. Enjoy.
Figures listed are BA, SLG, OBP.
Dave Berg, IF/OF
.357 .571 .364
It's been a see ball, hit ball month for the onetime MAD magazine columnist, as he drew exactly one (1) walk all month. I suspect that he's watching Hudson play and sensing that there's blood in the water. As long as he's smart enough to start being more selective at the plate when the pitchers stop throwing him cookies, he'll be OK. And even if he continues to swing at everything, he can play about 43 positions competently, so he'll be useful.
Grade: A
Mike Bordick, IF
.263 .395 .333
Exactly as advertised: good defense, vanilla hitting, and can handle shortstop fulltime if Woodward continues to implode. If necessary, can hold the fort until Russ Adams arrives, which is all J.P. wants. I still think he signed here because he thinks that Woody won't hold the job.
Grade: B-
Frank Catalanotto, RF
.343 .485 .371
An Anaheim-style hitter: he has great bat control, and uses it to foul off pitch after pitch until he gets one that he can loop into shallow left field or rap off the wall. If Luke Appling were alive today, he'd be beaming with pride. Handling right field about as well as can be expected: well below average, but not a Canseco-level embarrassment. Will likely return in 2004 and take Stewart's job.
Grade: A
Carlos Delgado, 1B
.365 .688 .483
Wow. He's back to his 2000 level of play at the plate, and even his defense has improved. Is on course to collect 170 RBI's. Start preparing to punch "Delgado" on your All-Star ballots; vote early, and vote often.
I'm just grateful that the Yankees are set at both designated hitter and first base, so we won't be forced to watch Carlos in pinstripes when he becomes a free agent. I predict he'll wind up in Fenway (unless the Expos permanently relocate to Puerto Rico).
Grade: A+ (only because I don't have an A++ grade)
Eric Hinske, 3B
.245 .408 .321
Slowly emerging from a season-opening slump. Has only one home run, but leads the team in doubles with 13, which indicates that he just hasn't been lucky enough to see some of those balls clear the wall. Like many players who receive their first big contract, he may be trying to earn it all at once, as he's leading the Jays in strikeouts with 29. (Leading the Jays in strikeouts is no mean feat, as there are so many contenders.) Still patient at the plate, so there's no need to worry.
Grade: C+
Ken Huckaby, C
.100 .100 .100
Now a part of New York Yankees history. "History" is a relevant word here, because that's what Huck is. The only way he can continue his major league career is to sneak into the St. Louis clubhouse, sandbag Mike Matheny, and put on his uniform. If there was any justice in the world, Huck would have been blessed with the ability to hit, and David Wells would be pumping gas in Orange County, California.
Grade: Gone
Orlando Hudson, 2B
.243 .311 .305
His walk total is actually up - he's drawn 7 walks in 74 at-bats, whereas last year it was 11 in 192. He may be trying too hard to fit into the program. He might be better off hacking away at everything he can see.
The O-Dog belongs in a warm-weather, preferably National League, city, not in a cold, gloomy place where the natives are scraping freezing rain off their windshields in April, and the hitters are all standing around waiting for the pitchers to throw them four wide ones. Hudson, at his best, plays ball, whereas most of the Jays work at it.
Grade: C-
Greg Myers, C
.286 .449 .375
Does everything that Huckaby can do except fail to reach base. I don't think he'll stay at this level, but catching is no longer a problem for the Jays. What the Jays were hoping Darrin Fletcher would be for a year or two longer. Now that I think of it, maybe he is Darrin Fletcher. Has anyone seen them together?
Grade: B+
Josh Phelps, DH
.257 .446 .364
How did Phelps manage to swat 11 extra-base hits, bat behind Carlos Delgado's .483 OBP, and drive in only 12 runs? How do you do that? I guess the 27 strikeouts are a clue - he's not getting those cheap RBI's with a runner on third and less than two out. Has drawn 12 walks in 101 at-bats; last year, he drew 19 in 265. The only bad thing about Phelps is that he has proven that he's good enough to allow Carlos to leave town.
When he and Delgado finish their careers, their similarity scores will be frighteningly close to identical, as they have exactly the same set of skills. Delgado might be just a bit better, though, which means that the Jays might be able to afford Phelps when they next contend.
Grade: B
Shannon Stewart, LF
.304 .408 .360
I am beginning to think that Shannon Stewart is not a real person, as he is just too darn consistent. Maybe he's a graduate-level robotics project, manufactured somewhere deep in Japan, and smuggled into Toronto in the dead of night. Note to the guys in the lab coats: try building some spatial-recognition hardware into version 2.0, as Shannon just doesn't have the instincts to be a good outfielder. He tries hard, and can outrun some of his mistakes, but he simply can't determine where the ball is going to go; in other words, he lacks what Vernon Wells possesses in abundance.
I can't blame him for not stealing any more - when he was stealing bases, he used to constantly tweak his hamstrings, and a ballplayer's career is short (as Homer Bush can tell you). His low SB total will annoy rotisserie players, but doesn't hurt the real-life team.
Grade: B+
Vernon Wells, CF
.246 .466 .290
I'm convinced: there is such a thing as transmigration of baseball skills. At the plate, Vernon is Joe Carter II: he doesn't draw many walks, as he finds at least one pitch per at-bat that he can hit hard. Am I imagining things, or has Wells hit a lot of balls right at people lately? In the field, Vernon is Devon White II. Real baseball fans receive jolts of pleasure watching Wells track a fly ball - like White before him, Vernon can instantly calculate exactly how much effort is required to reach the place where the ball is going to land, and arrive there without breaking a sweat. The poor baseball just doesn't stand a chance.
If he doesn't get his OBP up, Tosca had better move him out of the three hole. Imagine how many RBI's Delgado would have if he weren't batting behind this guy. Now stop drooling; it's unseemly.
Grade: B-
Jayson Werth, RF
.077 .154 .143
I'd rather see Werth in Syracuse and Reed Johnson up here, to be honest. Werth should play every day, and he won't do that here until Stewart is flogged to a contender for pitching.
Grade: Incomplete
Tom Wilson, C/1B/OF
.283 .509 .387
Hands up, those of you who predicted that Dave Berg and Tom Wilson would be the club's second- and third-best hitters in April. He's hitting for average, he draws walks, he hits doubles, he catches, and he can play first or the outfield if you ask him to. He reminds me of Ernie Whitt, only a little bit better. He must have amazing knees, to spend all that time catching and to hit out of that stance. It hurts my knees just to watch him at the plate.
Grade: A
Chris Woodward, SS
.205 .329 .310
There is some good news: he's become much more selective at the plate, drawing 11 walks (!!) in 73 at-bats. Last year, he had 26 in 312. Like Hudson, he may have sacrificed some of his power game by becoming less aggressive. The Jays' four starting infielders drew a total of 50 walks in April, which probably obliterates some team record or other.
I don't know whether Woody can hit enough to hold his job, but he's beaten the odds before: he was something like a 54th round pick, and was expected to be nothing more than a marginal utility infielder, at best. If sheer effort can make you successful at the major league level, he will get there. At worst, he will become a utility infielder for a good team, and make himself enough to be set for life and pick up a healthy pension. And he will deserve it.
But he's an example of what I will call the Fernandez Rule: good prospects make themselves known early. We all knew about Carlos Delgado years before he emerged, just as we know about Gabe Gross and Jason Arnold now, and may soon know about Russ Adams. Players who aren't tagged as potential stars in the minors aren't going to become stars in the majors, as they just don't have enough talent. There are exceptions to this rule - Pat Hentgen wasn't highly regarded in the minors, and Sil Campusano and Alex Sanchez (remember him?) were - but it's a useful rule to remember.
Grade: C-
Next up, the tough part: the pitchers.
Figures listed are BA, SLG, OBP.
Dave Berg, IF/OF
.357 .571 .364
It's been a see ball, hit ball month for the onetime MAD magazine columnist, as he drew exactly one (1) walk all month. I suspect that he's watching Hudson play and sensing that there's blood in the water. As long as he's smart enough to start being more selective at the plate when the pitchers stop throwing him cookies, he'll be OK. And even if he continues to swing at everything, he can play about 43 positions competently, so he'll be useful.
Grade: A
Mike Bordick, IF
.263 .395 .333
Exactly as advertised: good defense, vanilla hitting, and can handle shortstop fulltime if Woodward continues to implode. If necessary, can hold the fort until Russ Adams arrives, which is all J.P. wants. I still think he signed here because he thinks that Woody won't hold the job.
Grade: B-
Frank Catalanotto, RF
.343 .485 .371
An Anaheim-style hitter: he has great bat control, and uses it to foul off pitch after pitch until he gets one that he can loop into shallow left field or rap off the wall. If Luke Appling were alive today, he'd be beaming with pride. Handling right field about as well as can be expected: well below average, but not a Canseco-level embarrassment. Will likely return in 2004 and take Stewart's job.
Grade: A
Carlos Delgado, 1B
.365 .688 .483
Wow. He's back to his 2000 level of play at the plate, and even his defense has improved. Is on course to collect 170 RBI's. Start preparing to punch "Delgado" on your All-Star ballots; vote early, and vote often.
I'm just grateful that the Yankees are set at both designated hitter and first base, so we won't be forced to watch Carlos in pinstripes when he becomes a free agent. I predict he'll wind up in Fenway (unless the Expos permanently relocate to Puerto Rico).
Grade: A+ (only because I don't have an A++ grade)
Eric Hinske, 3B
.245 .408 .321
Slowly emerging from a season-opening slump. Has only one home run, but leads the team in doubles with 13, which indicates that he just hasn't been lucky enough to see some of those balls clear the wall. Like many players who receive their first big contract, he may be trying to earn it all at once, as he's leading the Jays in strikeouts with 29. (Leading the Jays in strikeouts is no mean feat, as there are so many contenders.) Still patient at the plate, so there's no need to worry.
Grade: C+
Ken Huckaby, C
.100 .100 .100
Now a part of New York Yankees history. "History" is a relevant word here, because that's what Huck is. The only way he can continue his major league career is to sneak into the St. Louis clubhouse, sandbag Mike Matheny, and put on his uniform. If there was any justice in the world, Huck would have been blessed with the ability to hit, and David Wells would be pumping gas in Orange County, California.
Grade: Gone
Orlando Hudson, 2B
.243 .311 .305
His walk total is actually up - he's drawn 7 walks in 74 at-bats, whereas last year it was 11 in 192. He may be trying too hard to fit into the program. He might be better off hacking away at everything he can see.
The O-Dog belongs in a warm-weather, preferably National League, city, not in a cold, gloomy place where the natives are scraping freezing rain off their windshields in April, and the hitters are all standing around waiting for the pitchers to throw them four wide ones. Hudson, at his best, plays ball, whereas most of the Jays work at it.
Grade: C-
Greg Myers, C
.286 .449 .375
Does everything that Huckaby can do except fail to reach base. I don't think he'll stay at this level, but catching is no longer a problem for the Jays. What the Jays were hoping Darrin Fletcher would be for a year or two longer. Now that I think of it, maybe he is Darrin Fletcher. Has anyone seen them together?
Grade: B+
Josh Phelps, DH
.257 .446 .364
How did Phelps manage to swat 11 extra-base hits, bat behind Carlos Delgado's .483 OBP, and drive in only 12 runs? How do you do that? I guess the 27 strikeouts are a clue - he's not getting those cheap RBI's with a runner on third and less than two out. Has drawn 12 walks in 101 at-bats; last year, he drew 19 in 265. The only bad thing about Phelps is that he has proven that he's good enough to allow Carlos to leave town.
When he and Delgado finish their careers, their similarity scores will be frighteningly close to identical, as they have exactly the same set of skills. Delgado might be just a bit better, though, which means that the Jays might be able to afford Phelps when they next contend.
Grade: B
Shannon Stewart, LF
.304 .408 .360
I am beginning to think that Shannon Stewart is not a real person, as he is just too darn consistent. Maybe he's a graduate-level robotics project, manufactured somewhere deep in Japan, and smuggled into Toronto in the dead of night. Note to the guys in the lab coats: try building some spatial-recognition hardware into version 2.0, as Shannon just doesn't have the instincts to be a good outfielder. He tries hard, and can outrun some of his mistakes, but he simply can't determine where the ball is going to go; in other words, he lacks what Vernon Wells possesses in abundance.
I can't blame him for not stealing any more - when he was stealing bases, he used to constantly tweak his hamstrings, and a ballplayer's career is short (as Homer Bush can tell you). His low SB total will annoy rotisserie players, but doesn't hurt the real-life team.
Grade: B+
Vernon Wells, CF
.246 .466 .290
I'm convinced: there is such a thing as transmigration of baseball skills. At the plate, Vernon is Joe Carter II: he doesn't draw many walks, as he finds at least one pitch per at-bat that he can hit hard. Am I imagining things, or has Wells hit a lot of balls right at people lately? In the field, Vernon is Devon White II. Real baseball fans receive jolts of pleasure watching Wells track a fly ball - like White before him, Vernon can instantly calculate exactly how much effort is required to reach the place where the ball is going to land, and arrive there without breaking a sweat. The poor baseball just doesn't stand a chance.
If he doesn't get his OBP up, Tosca had better move him out of the three hole. Imagine how many RBI's Delgado would have if he weren't batting behind this guy. Now stop drooling; it's unseemly.
Grade: B-
Jayson Werth, RF
.077 .154 .143
I'd rather see Werth in Syracuse and Reed Johnson up here, to be honest. Werth should play every day, and he won't do that here until Stewart is flogged to a contender for pitching.
Grade: Incomplete
Tom Wilson, C/1B/OF
.283 .509 .387
Hands up, those of you who predicted that Dave Berg and Tom Wilson would be the club's second- and third-best hitters in April. He's hitting for average, he draws walks, he hits doubles, he catches, and he can play first or the outfield if you ask him to. He reminds me of Ernie Whitt, only a little bit better. He must have amazing knees, to spend all that time catching and to hit out of that stance. It hurts my knees just to watch him at the plate.
Grade: A
Chris Woodward, SS
.205 .329 .310
There is some good news: he's become much more selective at the plate, drawing 11 walks (!!) in 73 at-bats. Last year, he had 26 in 312. Like Hudson, he may have sacrificed some of his power game by becoming less aggressive. The Jays' four starting infielders drew a total of 50 walks in April, which probably obliterates some team record or other.
I don't know whether Woody can hit enough to hold his job, but he's beaten the odds before: he was something like a 54th round pick, and was expected to be nothing more than a marginal utility infielder, at best. If sheer effort can make you successful at the major league level, he will get there. At worst, he will become a utility infielder for a good team, and make himself enough to be set for life and pick up a healthy pension. And he will deserve it.
But he's an example of what I will call the Fernandez Rule: good prospects make themselves known early. We all knew about Carlos Delgado years before he emerged, just as we know about Gabe Gross and Jason Arnold now, and may soon know about Russ Adams. Players who aren't tagged as potential stars in the minors aren't going to become stars in the majors, as they just don't have enough talent. There are exceptions to this rule - Pat Hentgen wasn't highly regarded in the minors, and Sil Campusano and Alex Sanchez (remember him?) were - but it's a useful rule to remember.
Grade: C-
Next up, the tough part: the pitchers.
