We all know that Canada is going to get blown out of the water in the Olympics, right?

Seriously? After Cuba and Japan, which team is so much better that Canada that they'll blow them out of the water? I realize Chinese Taipei and Australia are talented, but are they that much better than Canada? I certainly don't think it's inconceivable that Canada wins a medal.

the Boys in White and Grey

I prefer the Girls in Indigo, myself.

Anyway, Merloni was playing first thanks to his massive platoon split against lefties this year -- .347/.402/.564.

I was just reading the Olerud-to-the-Yankees update on ESPN.com and came across this:

The addition of Olerud, a two-time All-Star and a three-time Gold Glove winner, would bring the number of former All-Stars on the Yankees' roster to 19.

I mean, again, I'm as much of a Yankees fan as there is, and I knew there was a preponderance of All-Stars in Pinstripes, but nineteen? That has to be some kind of record.

http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/TorontoSun/Sports/2004/08/03/566997.html
COMN for another anti-Jays article (The Sun, not the Star this time).

And the worst part is that this is the first sports article listed on the Web site. I think Monday's game recap rates a little higher than this pointless and needless attack against the Jays.

As a journalist, I completely believe that the negative comments and articles by journalists have a real impact on how the average fan thinks. All those people who don't follow the Jays with Bauxite-like-glee, but attend the odd game and jump on the bandwagon when the team is winning, take a look at all the negative press and think "Gee, why would I want to go see a game this year if they're THAT hopeless." But those fans (and their ticket sales) are REALLY important to the future success of the Jays franchise.

The only thing that's hopeless for the Jays is the thought of getting regular positive press.

I really, really think The Box needs to create a print version (magazine or newspaper form) for the 2005 season.

Spread the word, the Jays aren't hopeless.

Congratulations to Rob. Although Closer to Fine is an Indigo Girls classic, I’ve always thought this version of the song was vastly superior (sound required).

Rob receives ten million points and a Muppet:

We're giving out muppets now? Dangit Im going to have to start paying more attention!

On Lou Merloni-- he has been playing 1st against lefties for most of the year, on the team that scores the most runs--- I have no idea how this happens....Lou Merloni, Slugger?....i don't know

Fearless Prediction : Canada will win the silver medal at the Olympics.

I really don't see how the addition of Olerud, who appears washed up, is better than having Clark at 1B. At least he offers some power potential and he's not bad with the glove. Olerud was having trouble hitting .250 with little power. The only thing he really does now is get on base and offer veteran presence.

Olerud (AVG HR RBI) .245 5 22

Clark (62 less at bats) .236 11 38

What? I wasn't guessing at the song title.
I just came from my sister's baseball tournament on the weekend. Their games are more fun to watch and their uniforms are purplish in colour...ah, forget it. Too early to be funny.

Oh, and I won my favourite Muppet ever! How did you know?
(FYI, #2 is Fozzie Bear, 3 - Gonzo, 4 - that smartass rat who lives with Gonzo)

By the way, folks, Czar Bud has already registered for the Star's website.

Best Muppets: Gonzo, Animal, Beaker and Fozzie.

By the way, folks, Czar Bud has already registered for the Star's website.

Wow, he certainly is well read.
:)

Deep down, I think the Chef is everyone's favourite. But we'll be handing out three more Muppets this week while I'm filling in on the Roundups. Moffatt or Muppet? You decide.

My prediction of a fifth-place or worse finish for Canada is at least partly a reaction against the rampant optimism about the squad we're sending to Athens. Without Justin Morneau and probably without Jeff Francis, I just can't see this team being all that better than much of the rest of the field. We may not know the players on the other teams' rosters, but I'm willing to wager that they're better than we think they are. Some caution is all I'm advocating.

Clearly, I've allowed my subscription to The Lou Merloni Update to lapse. I'd better get on the phone to them.

Riffing on Rob's suggestion... favourite Muppets (including both Sesame Street and The Muppet Show)

1. The Swedish Chef
2. Ernie
3. Grover
4. Kermit the Frog
5. Miss Piggy
6. Dr. Bunson Honeydew
7. Cookie Monster
8. Fozzie
9. Rowlf
10. Link Hogthrob (The Captain in "Pigs In Space")
11. Beaker
12. Animal
13. Janice
14. The Great Gonzo
15. Oscar the Grouch
16. Bert
17. Sam the American Eagle
18. The two-headed alien monster that mumbles gibberish at each other
19. Dr. Teeth
20. Statler & Waldorf

Too many other favourites to mention...

I really, really think The Box needs to create a print version (magazine or newspaper form) for the 2005 season.

Ok, let's say that the Box published something every two weeks starting in March and monthly during the offseason...about 20 issues. Let's also say it's 8 pages, black and white.

Would you pay $40 for that? Less? More?

Lou Merloni has played 38 games (including 34 starts) at 1B this year for the Indians, a team with Ben Broussard AND Travis Hafner on the roster. True, both are lefthanded hitters, but you have to learn sometime.

A 5'10" first baseman. Aieee.

favourite Muppets (including both Sesame Street and The Muppet Show)

What, no love for The Count?

Least favorite Muppet: Elmo, clearly.

Would you pay $40 for that? Less? More?

To be clear, I'm wondering if that is an appropriate amount for an annual subscription.

The Count! The Count should go on the list (and Roosevelt Franklin, and Zoot, and countless (ahem) others) but I'd hate to knock someone else off.

On paper, the only teams better than Canada at the Olympics are Cuba and Japan. In recent years, Canada has given Cuba all it could handle and my personal belief is that the current Canada squad is the best assembled in the history of the country.

Bring it on!

Ok, let's say that the Box published something every two weeks starting in March and monthly during the offseason...about 20 issues. Let's also say it's 8 pages, black and white.

Would you pay $40 for that? Less? More?

One word: No

According to sources, Francis is 50/50 in terms of going to the OLympics - we should know by tomorrow. Even if he doesn't go, Cyr, Hill and Dickson (if fully recovered) are AAAA-caliber pitchers.

Ok, let's say that the Box published something every two weeks starting in March and monthly during the offseason...about 20 issues. Let's also say it's 8 pages, black and white.

Would you pay $40 for that? Less? More?

Is it magazine or newspaper format? Page size?

You might want to bump up the page amount during the season. Eight seems a little small, especially considering the front and back pages wouldn't really hold any copy. That leaves six pages for content. Would you be selling ad space?

I think it would be good to find a way to get the publication to the general public (not just those on the Box site) without having to pay a subscription.

Also, Cuba is significantly weakened at this point. I am not sure that their best players will be welcome on the Olympic trip; if they are, some may attempt to defect while they are there. (Why they don't all defect is, frankly, baffling to me but I should leave politics out of it).

I am assuming that, contrary to the insistence of the Greek authorities that only Greek security forces will guard the athletes, that the Olympic hosts will make their customary deals and allow the security forces of totalitarian states to imprison their own athletes. If this is not done, and instead the athletes are free to come and go as they please, then in fact we may see a few defections during the Olympics.

If this is the case, Cuba may decide it's better to leave some of the more prominent players behind. It opens up the possibility of them having a very bad tournament.

You might want to bump up the page amount during the season. Eight seems a little small, especially considering the front and back pages wouldn't really hold any copy. That leaves six pages for content. Would you be selling ad space?

Let me be crystal clear that there's no plan in place right now to do this. I'm simply curious what the demand would be for a standard 8.5X11, 8-page newsletter.

The costs and labour involved with any publication would be a tremendous venture and if the demand for such a thing is only lukewarm at best, it's not even close to worth doing.

Least favorite Muppet: Elmo, clearly

Absolutely. Best of the mainstream muppets are Rowlf, Fozzie and Grover. Im a little bit partial to some of the older and less used ones too like Bif & Sully.

If anyone names Elmo as one of their favorite muppets, I will fight you.

In researching printing costs for a comic book I'm working on (called Sunset, and photographed instead of drawn), I've found a couple of quite good printers who will print and mail on a piece-by-piece basis, after an initial setup fee. The quality is very high (and anyone who has seen my prints will know my standards are pretty tough) and the per-issue cost is quite reasonable.

If people are truly interested in putting together something like this, drop me a line. We can figure out costs and what kind of subscription base we'd need to make it worthwhile. I'd enjoy doing it just to give me an ongoing photographic project (say, a cover and then some kind of spread inside each issue, maybe devoted to a different player each time).

Of course, the hard part is to find content that's different from what's given away on the 'Box every day for free.

In terms of film, processing, lens rental and scanning, what I shot at the game a week and a bit ago cost just under $200. Now I gathered enough material to do two or three magazines, and with more focus in mind I could stretch that a little further (especially if I could hit a couple of games over a weekend and save on the rental). As much as I'd donate my intellectual property to help get the thing off the ground, if I were shooting new material the costs would have to be covered.

So anyways, who's interested? I certainly am.

Craig, there are often a couple of defections at the olympics, however, I don't see why this would stop Cuba from sending it's primier athletes, for a couple of reasons:

1) Primier athletes have little value if they don't compete at top events. If you're not willing to send them to the olympics, they have little value and you shouldn't be concerned if you lose them. Essentially, unless your top athletes compete for fabulous prizes (like olympic medals) they're essentially overmuscled peasants, which almost every country has a surplus off and wouldn't be unhappy to lose.

2) Sure, citizens of Cuba have very little political freedom, but this is true of a host of countries that don't have a torrent of defectors and refugees streaming out of them. Regardless of what FOXNEWS may say, living in Cuba is just as good if not better than living in many other latin American countries, unless your a political dissident (which most athletes aren't). Which means that unless you're politially active and dislike Castro, you really have no reason to defect (emmigrate maybe, but in that case there's no totalitarian aspect to it, just whether you want to leave your home/family to make more money. I know there are a lot of people who'd choose the first option, a lot who'd choose the second)

3) Castro's historical response to political dissendents is to give them a raft, point a finger towards Miami and say "Good riddance to bad rubbish". If the athlete really wants to defect, odds are the administration there will be disappointed by the loss, but not really care, deep down in their hearts.

Batter's Box has no intention at this time of establishing a print version of any sort, at any future date.

20. Statler & Waldorf

Waldorf clearly carried that duo. He’s so much better you have list them separately. Waldorf is the Bret Hart to Statler’s Jim Neidhart.

I shouldn't have mentioned Cuba. I will simply say this: there are baseball players who have been "disappeared" in Cuba for takibng preliminary steps to defecting. And there is a torrent of refugees leaving Cuba.

NFH-
Digital distro on the comic or strictly print?

Watching the games over the weekend I kept hearing the "productive out". I've read espn's thing (was it Onley who wrote it?) And I know Mr. Gleeman has had some things to say about it. But could somebody please show me something that says if there is anything valid about this or not? BTW, Would Cookie Monster be a muppet? If so he is #1 by miles!! Who hasn't had fun singing "C is for Cookie........"

dp, the idea is to do print only at first. I'm way picky about how things look, and the idea of releasing a product to everyone's uncalibrated monitors gives me the willies. ;)

My prediction of a fifth-place or worse finish for Canada is at least partly a reaction against the rampant optimism about the squad we're sending to Athens.

Surely the team can finish ahead of at least Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, and Australia? I would think that anything less than a medal-round appearance would be a fairly big disappointment.

FWIW, for an "objective" prediction, Sports Illustrated has the baseball medals going Cuba/Japan/Canada, though I suppose that would've been based on the team including its cleanup hitter and #1 starting pitcher.

Those of you who've brought it up, why would you want to put out print content? Certainly not for the money, at least for the first year. Reaching a wider audience? The articles here every day are top quality, and I'm sure Jays fans who aren't clued in could gain a lot by reading them, in terms of appreciating both the past, present and future of the franchise, but print seems like a step back from what is already a great thing. If the purpose of print would be to encourage more traffic at the website, it seems like a) there are better ways of doing so, and b) the site is growing steadily as is.

Though I don't always agree with the people running the show here, the way it is run is fantastic. The level of discourse is consistently high, and even the little spat over the past weekend was resolved quickly and maturely. The quality and depth of the pieces has gotten consistently better and more diverse, and there really hasn't been any stagnant periods the way there often are with forums like this. If it ain't broke...

From Lee Sinins:
The Tigers signed INF Benji Gil to a minor league contract.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!
It's Armageddon!

NFH-

Throw a few pages on one of the file sharing apps. Greatest, most underused promotional tool around.

http://www.mathesond.mindsay.com
Assuming a healthy Catalanotto returns next season, and Delgado doesn't, I could see the top of the Jays lienup looking like:

Hudson
Rios
Cat
Wells
Hinske

That would give the left/right/left/right order that managers so love. And although Cat doesn't have the power most 3-hole hitters have, he is a good hitter who, combined with the speed of Rios and Hudson, should be able to produce many run-and-hit plays. Frankly (hah!) I think Rios, at this stage of his physical development, is more suited to the 2-spot than the 3- or 5-hole the G&M envisions for him in their article. Down the road, when he gets stronger, I'd expect him in oine of the "power" spots, but next season I'd like to see him batting 2nd.

Those of you who've brought it up, why would you want to put out print content? Certainly not for the money, at least for the first year.

No one in the print/newspaper field does what they do to make money... that's for sure.

I'd say the interest comes from wanting the (sports-minded) general public to have a positive view of the Jays. The TO media seems to be more and more negative when it comes to the Jays and the Box does a great job of keeping things positive. It's just too bad more people don't see this or a lot more seats would be filling up at the Dome, thus creating more revenue to better the team.

Assuming a healthy Catalanotto returns next season, and Delgado doesn't, I could see the top of the Jays lienup looking like:

Hudson
Rios
Cat
Wells
Hinske

Hudson still has a ways to go with the bat until he is ready to bat leadoff on a regular basis. Cat would be a pretty weak third hitter. I'd rather see him in the second hole.

I dont know if I trust O-Dog to consistently get on base enough to hit leadoff. But that might just be me.

BTW after 160ABs Frank Menechino still leads the team in Avg, On-Base, and Slugging. What a great pickup. Congrats Frank.

On a related note, does anyone know how long the veterans on the team are signed for? Im think specifically of Zaun, Menechino, Gomez, Berg, and Clark. When do their contracts run out?

Those of you who've brought it up, why would you want to put out print content? Certainly not for the money, at least for the first year.

For the photographs, and having them look right. I'm just like that.

actually, i beleive cubans are often quite bitter about defectors. you have to understand, a lot of resources go into developing star athletes, and cuba doesn't have an abundance of cash to through away. Defectors are treated as traders, and their families probably have to suffer because of it. this applied to more than just baseball players. anyway, enough about politics, there could be americans on this board - in case somebody gets out of line, i dont want bush to bomb us.

Alex Rios in July: .343/.381/.495. The AL had better step lightly: this kid learns fast. I'm still reluctant to think of him as a #3 hitter for next year, but boy, he's not far away.

"Essentially, unless your top athletes compete for fabulous prizes (like olympic medals) they're essentially overmuscled peasants, which almost every country has a surplus off and wouldn't be unhappy to lose."

Not exactly. Cuba has a very popular domestic league that provides a lot of affordable entertainment to the populace. People who follow that league as religiously as many of us do the major leagues (and there are many such people in Cuba) know who the best players are, regardless of their status on the national team.

On a per capita basis, the Serie Nacional is more popular than MLB.

The political situation in Cuba is very complicated. It's true that many people want out. As an example, I saw a huge throng outside the Spanish Embassy in Havana trying to get Spanish citizenship (marrying a Spaniard or having parents or grandparents from Spain usually does the trick).

Because of the proximity of Florida and US policy (If you reach the shore you are granted asylum) many people make the attempt. BUt I think far more people from Central America and Mexico (even on a per capita basis) try to enter the US illegally than than Cubans.

I think we're going to see a lot of turnover on the positional side of the roster next year. Only four starting positions are guaranteed for '05 right now:

CF Wells
RF Rios
3B Hinske
2B Hudson

I'd like to see a Cat/Phelps platoon at DH for one year, and if so, that gives you five spots. Two other positions are in transition from old to new, but the internal candidates are in place:

C Cash/Myers/Zaun/Quiroz
LF Johnson/Gross

That leaves shortstop and first base. Russ Adams will by all accounts spend at least the first half of 2005 in Syracuse (presumably for his glovework), and the closest first-base prospect to the majors is John-Ford Griffin (unless John Hattig takes a substantial step forward at Triple-A). So those would be the two positions filled from outside the organization this winter, either through trade or free agency. Until those positions are taken, it'll be very hard to forecast a 2005 lineup.

No one in the print/newspaper field does what they do to make money... that's for sure.

This is kind of a ridiculous viewpoint. You do get paid to write, don't you? You're not doing it for free, out of the goodness of your heart. If you are, you're either a better person or a worse writer than I am. Perhaps both.

Random thought. Without Carlos D next year (I still think he stays) this team has a serious dearth of left handed power. Only Hinske, who at best hits 20-25 dingers and Cat (15 or so). The rest of the power is right handed; Wells & Phelps

Gross and JFG are lefties, but the power really isn't there yet.

Actually, there is gonna be a serious lack of power on next years team, period.

Without only about 8-10 million (is that close?) to spend and 3 key postions to fill (1st, SS and catcher), JP won't get a top tier FA.

Maybe JP can flip some pitching prospects for some hitting prospects.

Does anyone know where you can view a list of FA available this off-season?

Mike Wilner mentioned yesterday, and I think I agree with him, that he expects Quiroz to be handed the starting catchers job next year out of spring training with Zaun or another cheap, veteran free agent as insurance. He expects Cash to be traded this off-season.

I'm OK with Zaun as the back up, is Q ready for a starting job? What are the odds that Meyers sticks around for another year? He would add some LH pop.

If the plan is to trade Cash in the offseason, wouldn't it make some sense to give him playing time to see if he might increase his value? I know he isn't a great hitter, but with regular playing time he should be able to raise his average above the Mendoza line. The extra playing time would also showcase his defence which is where his true value lies.

No one in the print/newspaper field does what they do to make money... that's for sure.

Marc, I get what you're saying, but what you really mean is, "No one in the editorial side of print/newspaper field does what they do to make money." The advertising and sales side is all about the money.

Mick, with all respect, that's still crap. You're also in the industry, if I've read this blog enough, and I dare say you don't volunteer your services for free.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlbhist/players/splits3?statsId=6494&type=batting
COMN for Josh Phelps' splits prior to this year. He's actually hit righties a little better than lefties. He's also been better post-All-Star break than pre-All-Star break.

I honestly can't see the downside of giving him the everyday DH job and letting him run with it.

On a related note, does anyone know how long the veterans on the team are signed for? Im think specifically of Zaun, Menechino, Gomez, Berg, and Clark. When do their contracts run out?

All free agents after this season, save for Clark and Menechino, both of whom do not have enough service time but their contracts are up. I imagine Menechino will replace Berg on the roster next season as the 2B/3B backup. I'd like to see Gomez back as the SS backup.

This is kind of a ridiculous viewpoint. You do get paid to write, don't you? You're not doing it for free, out of the goodness of your heart. If you are, you're either a better person or a worse writer than I am. Perhaps both.

Unfortunately I work for a smaller paper (although owned by a big media company) and don't make what I consider to be reasonable money, when I consider a number of people I know, who didn't take post-secondary education, are getting paid a fair bit better than I am. But I think the people I work with are great, I have a very understanding boss and I like the area... Without those, I would have been gone a long time ago.

And unfortunately nation baseball writing jobs don't grow on trees...

"No one in the print/newspaper field does what they do to make money..." It was a mantra that we were told when we started journalism school. Don't expect to get rich. If you want to make money in a related field, "sell out" and go into public relations.

Ricciardi tried to deal Cash and Werth to Seattle for Rafeal Soriano just before the season. Cash's value has actually decreased since then. Don't hold your breath on getting anything of value for Cash at this point.

I'm actually hoping the A's fail miserably for the rest of the year or the playoffs if they make it. Barry Zito has been rumored to be on the block recently, and although that might have been unrealistic for mid-year, who knows if Beane has different ideas in the off-season. Beane has given Ricciardi his leftover starters for two years now (Lidle, Lilly). Might we see this again? Zito is making $3.0 million this year, that will only increase, and while our payroll flexibility isn't that much better than Oakland's, we do have a gigantic contract coming off the books. Wishful thinking, I know.

I'm not so sure the starting rotation is really all that bad with Halladay, Lilly, Batista, Bush and Towers/Miller.

Where will another starter or two going to pitch? Towers is a serviceable No. 5 starter. Unless you're one of the top money teams, you likely can't afford a big money starter in that spot. Towers can gut it out until another young guy is ready from the minors.

The Jays need pen help and some impact bats.

Marc, that's self-serving propaganda of an Ivory Towered intellectual. By that reasoning, I suppose that professors take their job for purely altruistic reasons as well, with no eye on the bottom line. Look, money might not be the most influential factor in becoming a working writer, but it's certainly a consideration. If it wasn't, people wouldn't do it for a living. I've yet to see a writer take a well-earned raise and earmark it for Greenpeace.

I'm wondering if there's any plan for anyone at the box to do an Olympic Baseball preview? I know I'd love to read it.

Beane got quality, or what he percieved to be quality, back for Lidle and Lilly. Mike Rouse has suprised, but Beane was more desperate to get Lidle's money off the books. Zito is a better pitcher than either of them, and has a reputation that far exceeds either of them. I don't believe he's as bad as he's pitched this year (I remember reading he's gotten relatively unlucky defensively) and I doubt Beane will let him go when his value is this low, unless someone is paying a lot for him. If Oakland is going to deal Zito someone will offer more than Toronto, I'd imagine. Toronto values prospects highly for the same reason Oakland does, and Oakland could probably find a amtch with a team that doesn't.

SF, could you quit being so rude?

Sorry -- I thought I was being blunt, not rude. I'll stop posting.

And I was just beginning to enjoy the banter...

I actually never did consider money when I decided to become a professional writer (maybe I should have). But I imagine that everyone wishes they made more money! I do think that smaller papers could produce much better, consistent quality if they paid better, thus keeping the talented writers around a while longer before they found more lucrative positions.

SF, there's blunt and there's calling other people liars because you disagree with them. No one is asking you to stop posting.

Yes, I would expect to be compensated if such a thing as a Batter's Box magazine were to be launched and I was contributing to it, but at the same time I would contribute if the pay were poor and only covered my expenses, because of the fun I'd get out of it.

By the same token, I have not demanded to be paid for any of the expenses I've incurred here, or for Cheer Club outings. The gigantic banners do not grow wholly out of the ground, but I'm happy to make them and contribute, because it's fun. I am not under any illusion that anything I do here will lead to a well-paying career.

In a way I'm looking forward to this off season, just as in MVP baseball when you look forward to the off season and think "ooo, i can sign that guy! or that guy!". Since their main concerns looks to be a big slugging batter who can play servicable 1st base (and possibly bat left handed) should be interesting to see who they pick up. Although I'm not looking forward at all to seeing Carlos and Cash go. Those guys are alright in my book.

I would prefer if they just hung onto Cash next year. Trading him right now would not get you much. If the Jays had him at AAA he might find his stroke. At the very least he has shown major league defense and can be called up in the event of an injury. The Jays need some depth there

The Jays need pen help and some impact bats.

You said it. But where to put them???

By my count and assuming the Jays can promote ALL of Quiroz, Adams and Gross, AND offer arbitration to Woodward and Speier they are 3 Free Agents away from fielding a 25 man team.

I can easily see them resigning Zaun, Cat and Gomez quite ecomonimcally, but that basically leaves them with the same team that they have right now... (Less Carlos, Cash and Berg) (put Menechino back in the minors in case Adams isn't ready)

and isn't this team the Jim Hunt called the worst team ever?

The problem is, I like Cat, Zaun and Gomez as the DH, Backup C and Backup MI respectively... so where does the new power come from????

Rios adds some pop and Gross maybe..... maybe Quiroz...
but Phelps?... Hinske?? ...Woodward??... These are the guys that are 3 years into the league and have to start producing or start vanishing...

What would a "Tejada" look like in the Jays lineup..
A Power-hitting-ready-now-shortstop...
suddenly Adams and O-Dog are battling for second base,
Gomez, Woodward Menechino are afterthoughts,
Hinske bats 7th,
(Hudson, Cat, Wells, "SS", Rios, Phelps, Hinske, Gross, Quiroz)
and the world looks pretty darn good..

Didn't mean to offend anyone, but I see now how the first post came across as a little obnoxious. That's me -- can't apologize for it. I do apologize for disrupting the harmony in here, though. Won't happen again.

Thomas,

It can be argued that Beane could have gotten more from another team for Lilly and Lidle, in particular Lilly. The Lidle swap was more "you need pitching, I need to shed $5.0 mil, let's do it", but Rouse and Mowday were not the highest rated prospects out there and Lidle was coming off another good year with an unreal second half. I'd be very surprised if there wasn't a team out there with a better package to give up for Lilly. Minnesota has/had a handful of better OF's, and they needed some SP help. A cheap young left-hander who can strike batters out and have an ERA in the 4.30's is rather enticing to teams, I would assume.

Don't ask me why Beane made those moves, I don't know. It could be he values the players he's getting more than most would. I think it has more to do with the friendship with Ricciardi, in that both think the same way and wouldn't rip each other off, not that Beane has had a problem with ripping other GM's off. With Moneyball out, opposing GM's may be reluctant to deal with Beane.

If Zito is available (questionable) than I'm sure Toronto is one of the favorites to get him. In fact, I'm positive Toronto would be one of the favorites. It doesn't mean we'd get him, just that Beane would probably give us every opportunity to give him a suitable offer. Maybe I'm reading too much into the friendship. Their history certainly shows a nack of dealing with each other.

I don't expect it to happen, as I don't expect Zito to be dealt at all, just an observation based on the rumors that he might be available.

. I am not under any illusion that anything I do here will lead to a well-paying career.

Meanwhile, in Gotham...

Cashman: You wanted to see me, my master?

The Boss: You know whats wrong with this team kid?

Cashman: The aging veterans, the overpaid players, the lack of a farm sys-

The Boss: Not enough signs! Everyone loves signs! I see them everytime I step outside. Buy this, do that, dont step here, its great fun!

Cashman: Your holiness, in all due respect we have by far the highest attendance in the MLB and furthermore

The Boss: SILENCE! Thats what this team needs, a guy whose good with signs. I'll only settle for the best!! THere's this one guy in Toronto, orange shoes, Roosevelt heads, somekinda hammer, sign him!

Cashman: sigh... alright, so you want me to ask him to make signs?

The Boss: No freelance! He could make signs for the sox. Sign him to a 20 million dollar a year, 10 year deal.

Cashman: If we do that, we'll have to cancel the Yankee Space Shuttle program...

The Boss: JUST DO IT!! And send that new kid in here.

Loiza: You wanted to see me boss?

The Boss: I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU TO TRIM THOSE SIDEBURNS!!!!!

(this play brought to you by a man with too much time on his hands)

Part of what makes this website great are the immediate responses to the articles, and the game day threads that wouldnt work in a print version. That doesn't mean you guys shouldnt look to get into print, but maybe striking a deal with the Sun or the Globe might be an easier and more cost effective thing to do. I'm sure that having a weekly battersbox article appear in the paper could do wonders for the site, and could be something that bauxites could vote on.

Speaking of Hazel, does anyone have the issue or pictures of Hazel and two other sports broadcasters in Urban Male Magazine?

Continued(doh) and by vote on, i mean vote on which article should appear in print.

Ducey: I agree with you. cash shouldn't be traded while his value is so low. What could they possibly get for him that they couldnt get during the minor league portion of the waiver draft.

Wow, I started writing my post at 12:48 and before I got it posted the thread fell apart.

I was thinking about the "power hitting 1B"...
lets say a "David Ortiz" type, but better glove...
I don't care who's really out there, its all theorectical anyway.

now we have something like
Hudson, Cat, Wells, Ortiz, Rios, Hinske, Gross, Adams/Woodward, Quiroz

and the bottom end feels a lot softer to me.. as opposed to
Hudson, Cat, Wells, "Tejada type-SS", Rios, Phelps, Hinske, Gross, Quiroz

but then again, Phelps is an enigma, "who knows?", right?
How good is Adams? do we expect to see him batting 2nd? 6th? or is he a 8th-9th??

Sigh.. probably just wistful thinking, but Nomar's available right? LOL

I've heard rumours that Nomar's either not completely healed on the ankle, or whatever, but that his defense has been atrocious since his return this season.

I mean ... Nomar + Astroturf = errors, right?

We should certainly be able to open up a spot in a corner OF or 1B or DH position to a .275/.350/.500 kind of guy relatively cheaply.

That Sun article was ignorant trash. "Our expert says this is the worst Blue Jays team ever." What - did they just show the "expert" the standings while he's on the toilet - "Dude, is this like the worst Blue Jays team ever?"
"Yeah, no doubt, man."
And print it.

I'm with SF. I don't think he was being rude in the slightest. And I liked his POV. I'm in a similar business and I wanna freak out each time someone making scads of money tells me not to expect to be well-paid. It's incredibly condescending - and not true. I never accepted that mantra. If you work hard, you're well trained, you will end up in a position of enromous responsibility. And if that job doesn't set you up for retirement, it will give you a decent living. And with that experience, you can go on to something more lucrative, and leapfrog everyone else.

Keep posting SF!

I don't see how it's being rude by telling someone they're worth money!

All free agents after this season, save for Clark and Menechino, both of whom do not have enough service time but their contracts are up.

What is the implication of this? Are the Free Agents? Arbitration Eligible? or are their rights held by the Jays to do as they please??

If so, do they have to stay on the 40 man roster or be released??? Doesn't that make them free agents?? So many questions..

Didn't mean to offend anyone, but I see now how the first post came across as a little obnoxious. That's me -- can't apologize for it. I do apologize for disrupting the harmony in here, though. Won't happen again.

Nah, the disturbance is half the fun.

Jobu, that's hilarious. Dunno if I'd take a job with the Yankees, even if they do sign Oldy Olerud. But I could probably be talked into it with a sack of money.

I just looked again.. with no major signings this is our lineup (give or take right-left-right provisions)... *deep sigh*

Dog, Cat, Rios, Wells, Phelps, Hinske, Gross, Adams/Woodward, Quiroz

http://people.wm.edu/~kmbumb/05agency.html
COMN for 2004/05 free agents:

Koskie or Glaus (Hinske to 1B or DH)
Jeff Kent (would he be interested in a 1B, 3B or DH position?)
David Dellucci
or how about that SS playing for the Cubs? He's a step up from Woody. Just kidding...

My favourite pitcher on the list would have to be Matt Clement but the Jays could likely not afford the contract he will be in position to receive.

I don't really like any of the relievers out there. That might have to come via a trade (or trades).

COMN for 2004/05 free agents:

Where does this data come from Marc?
I was saying earlier (other thread maybe) that this list seems to be incomplete, especially if you "return to the index" and then look at 2005-06.

There are some guys on that list that would look good in blue... but there are lots there that would look like Chris Gomez too..

What is the implication of this? Are the Free Agents? Arbitration Eligible? or are their rights held by the Jays to do as they please??

If so, do they have to stay on the 40 man roster or be released??? Doesn't that make them free agents?? So many questions..

Menechino is headed for arbitration likely or the Jays will offer him a small contract. Clark will either get his contract renewed by the Jays (he has to take what he gets basically) or he will be taken off the 40 man roster (most likely with all the youngsters they have to protect) and allowed to be a minor league free agent.

I just looked again.. with no major signings this is our lineup

But there *will* be major signings so dont get too disheartened. It's debatable who the Jays will be able to afford, the payroll will be somewhere in the $50-55 million range, but JP has said that they'll be looking for a power hitting 1B and a starting SS. And let's not count out the possibility of a good trade over the off-season such as the one that brought Lilly in last year. I dont know what you'd get for them but Towers, Woodward and Cash are looking available right now to me, which has got to have some value to someone.

Hudson, Hinske, Wells, Rios, Quiroz, Reed/Gross, Cat/Phelps, plus a new SS and a new 1B whoever they might be. Those are my pencilled in starters for next season.

These names are pretty accurate although there are some omissions. The site is just done by a baseball fan who gets his info from various online sources (newspapers, etc). I've been using the site for a few years now and it is mostly accurate.

I like Menechino as the 26th or 27th man, he took a minor league deal this year, he might again...

Clark I'm ambivalent about.. Useful 28th man.. seems to work hard,... what is JP's phrase? Dirt-nose? I don't giving him a job...

Mick, with all respect, that's still crap. You're also in the industry, if I've read this blog enough, and I dare say you don't volunteer your services for free.

No, I'm not. I was, but there's no money in it and very little chance for advancement. However, outside of my corporate writing/editing job, the vast majority of the PR/news/editorial work I do is volunteer, primarily for local animal rescue groups and here on Batter's Box.

No relationship between those two interests exists or is implied.

why are the media insulted for putting negative press on a last place team, while the battersbox be considered great for looking at the positve aspects of a last place team?

negativity sells in the papers. thats why richard griffin is so read while spencer forden is not. carlos delgado donating to charity is back page stuff. carlos delgado not standing for god bless america is first page stuff. welcome to journalism.

Hudson, Hinske, Wells, Rios, Quiroz, Reed/Gross, Cat/Phelps, plus a new SS and a new 1B whoever they might be. Those are my pencilled in starters for next season.

I don't mind that, but it puts a LOT of pressure on the Free Agent Signings,

if we end up with Brad Fullmer and Devi Cruz, we'll have big SOUNDING names with no real potential to back them up.

Did you see Dave Berg is listed as a SS?

I think Menechino is as good of a 25th man you'll find unless you're the Yankees and you can pay someone $2 million. Gomez is a pretty good 24th man in his own right.

Looking at Quiroz, Gross and Adams AAA numbers they just don't look ready to start 2005 in the majors. Gross isn't driving in or scoring runs, neither is Adams and Quiroz bat still needs some fine tuning. I would hate to see him relapse to his low-A numbers.

btw: about the imaginary print thing.

My idea: make it free, low-quality paper and binding (sorry NFH), and distribute it at SkyDome at the games. Pitch it to Godfrey: he'll pay the bill (I'm sure he's sold on the Jays needing some positive press: and this site is so full of thoughtful positive press, not that PR bulls**t you see in; he might wanna throw some ads on it as well).

Obstacle: the game program people probably have an exclusive deal. But hell: you could have it as an insert to the game program (which nobody buys). Though, there would probably be no issue with distributing it free AFTER the game, at the exits. That, may just be the best idea yet. How many take the subway home, baseball on the brain, and no Mike Wilner reception in the TTC?

The danger: this site will no longer be what it is: a place baseball fans have sought out. It will get flooded.

I'm going to predict that Nomar signs with the Jays to spite the Red Sox. Obviously he isn't very happy with Boston. Admittedly, signing with the Yankees would be the best way to get back at the Red Sox, but then he would have to play 2nd (A-Rod, Jeter, Nomar in one infield would be pure evil) and I think Nomar wants to be the noble hero. Sure he could sign on with the guaranteed playoff team, or he could lead the underdogs to victory. Thus, in every effort to keep Boston out of the playoffs next year he signs with the Jays for a ridiculously low price, say 4 years at 1 million a year, and enters Toronto appearing as the white knight coming to save us all. Of course, a Nomar patch with a picture of his smiling face would have to be added to the sleeves of our jerseys. To me, it seems like a win-win situation for everyone.

negativity sells in the papers ... welcome to journalism.

vic, yes. The other reason I left the profession.

I don't necessarily believe that bad news in sports sells more papers. Maybe on the op-ed page or the front page yes, but people do like to read positive things about "their" teams. And I say this as someone who has received more than my fair share of letters to the editor regarding perceived negative spins I put on my articles or columns.

I'm going to predict that Nomar signs with the Jays to spite the Red Sox.

There was a story floating around the wire at one point that had Nomar's agent saying that he wouldn't mind playing 2B for the Yanks. That would happen before he joined the Jays. He wants to win. That said, if Nomar signs with the Yanks too, I quit following baseball... too much disparity.

btw: about the imaginary print thing.
My idea: make it free, low-quality paper and binding (sorry NFH), and distribute it at SkyDome at the games. Pitch it to Godfrey: he'll pay the bill (I'm sure he's sold on the Jays needing some positive press: and this site is so full of thoughtful positive press, not that PR bulls**t you see in; he might wanna throw some ads on it as well).

They would never allow it to compete with the Jays program.

I think Menechino is as good of a 25th man you'll find unless you're the Yankees and you can pay someone $2 million. Gomez is a pretty good 24th man in his own right.

Looking at Quiroz, Gross and Adams AAA numbers they just don't look ready to start 2005 in the majors.

Without Quiroz we can stay with Cash, and giving Adams time means we can keep Mighty Mouse... But I'd like to see a big hitting OF if Gross isn't coming up... Sorry Sparky fans, but he's a 4th OF in my book.

Could we get a 1B, SS, OF AND an RP or 2?
That is starting to sound prohibitive. I guess if the OF was a solid #5 hitter we could go with a lessor SS

I quit following baseball... too much disparity.

Nah, it just makes it more fun to beat them. The Yankees are turning into a bunch of geezers. Nomar wouldn't make them any less geezer. Imagine an infield of 3 shortstops! They need a firstbaseman too, maybe they can swing a deal for Tejada to play first.

I swear all the Toronto papers have put out an edict in the last year to their sports writers that they print as much negative stuff as possible. The only team getting any kind of positive press right now is the Argos and that's only because the CFL is not considered a major sport in Toronto the same way the NBA, MLB, or NHL are. It's getting to the point that I dont even bother reading any sports anymore because I know that it's going to be all doom and gloom no matter what paper and no matter what team Im reading about.

Yeah, and this city is so easily brainwashed. So many Torontonians go around believing the SkyDome is a brutal stadium until a bunch of reporters come from England, say the opposite, and it changes their minds. How many articles this week: "SkyDome is great afterall - it's just our sports that suck".

I think it's going to take a lot to get hordes of fans back to the Jays: at least a wild card beth. And a cover story on Sports Illustrated. Only then will we start seeing some positive press in the dailies.

Also: it couldn't hurt if the Jays played well on opening day. The last few opening days the SkyDome was packed and the Jays stunk out the joint.

a Nomar patch with a picture of his smiling face would have to be added to the sleeves of our jerseys.

The scary thing is, I would REALLY want one of those jerseys if they did....

Hey, everyone dreams of supermodels in their spare time. Why not dream of Nomar jogging out of the dugout in the blue and white... and black, and grey, and silver. Its fun to dream of the unatainable.

NFH: 200 million over 10 years isnt enough to "sign" you to the MFY's? Wow, you sir are more noble than I ever thought.

Looking at Quiroz, Gross and Adams AAA numbers they just don't look ready to start 2005 in the majors.

I dont think Adams starts next year in the majors either, I think he gets a mid-season callup the way Rios did this year.

Gross I honestly dont know. But why not Quiroz? Are his numbers at the plate going to be any worse than Cash's? You basically have 3 options for catcher next year: 1. Cash/Zaun (Im using Zaun just as a cheap example, really it could be any veteran backup for insurance) 2. Quiroz/Zaun 3. Quiroz/Cash, or you carry 3 catchers on the roster. So which of those gives the team the best chance to win?

I think it's going to take a lot to get hordes of fans back to the Jays: at least a wild card beth. And a cover story on Sports Illustrated.

The Raptors had some playoff success in the couple of years prior to this one and a lot of coverage from American media outlets. The Toronto press didn't back off of them.

Also: it couldn't hurt if the Jays played well on opening day. The last few opening days the SkyDome was packed and the Jays stunk out the joint.

True, this team has had some really bad timing the last two years (although from 2000-2002, they did win the home opener).

Whats this about British people saying the skydome is terrific?

Here's a shot at 2005 (please correct any errors)

PITCHERS
Under contract for 2005 (in millions):
Halladay $10.5
Batista $4.75
Lilly $3.1 [?]
Ligtenberg $2.2

Arb eligible:
Speier (>80% of $1.7)

Likely returning:
Frasor $0.4
Chulk $0.3
Bush $0.3
Miller/Towers $0.5

In loose terms that's 5 starters and 5 relievers for a TOTAL of $23-24M.

BATTERS
Under contract for 2005 (in millions):
Wells $3.1
Hinske $3.1

Likely returning:
Rios $0.4
Johnson $0.4
Cat $2.2
Hudson $0.9 [?]
Woody or Gomez $0.8
Phelps $0.5
Menechino $0.6
Myers or Zaun $0.8
Cash (then Quiroz) $0.3

In loose terms that's 11 batters for ~$13M.

So we're at 21 spots for $37M.

I think Gross gets a spot at $0.3. A LOOGY comes in at $0.9.
That leaves 2 spots: a 1B and then either a pitcher or a SS.

If the budget remains near $50M you have about $11M to play with for 2 spots.

Plan away...

If the budget remains near $50M you have about $11M to play with for 2 spots.

Give all that money to Nomar. Put Hinske on first. Nomar covers SS and 3rd using his super Nomar powers and the cheers from Mia-r in the Geddy Lee seats every game. Obtain special permission from the MLB to have Nomar bat 3rd and 5th in the lineup for his two postions, using the mystic ritual of "ghost runner" when 3rd Nomar gets on base for 5th Nomar. Boston fans then lament "First Clemens and now this!? DAMN YOU TORONTO! YOU ARE OUR SUPERIORS!!". Jays win world series, im named Junior Vice President of Fans.

I just read a WP Kinsella short story where the owner signed 3 third basemen. The manager had them race from centerfield to homeplate. The one who won the race got to play shortstop, the guy who came in second got to play 2B, and the loser got to stay on 3rd.

Imagine if the Yankees signed Nomar, bringing their shortstop count to three. They could have a race to play SS next year. I imagine the race would go something like this.
-------------------
Play by play man: The combatants are lined up at the centerfield wall in view of monument park. I can't imagine a better day or place for a race.

Colour Commentator: Neither can the 50,000 people at Yankee Stadium here to witness this race. The Boss must be ecstatic as well. Since this isn't a league game, this is pure profit. None of the proceeds will be going to feed hungry franchises in poverty stricken places like Kansas City and Milwaukee.

PbP: And they're off! At least Jeter and Nomar are. Arod isn't moving!

CC: That's right. It seems that ARod went to Joe Torre and offered to play any position other than SS so as to not step on any toes. Apparently he just wants to play on a winning club.

PbP: In fact he's now just walking around centerfield while Jeter and Nomar head to the infield.

CC: Wow! He's just strolling around centerfield? He's moving at a good clip out there. He's already showing more range than Bernie Williams.

PbP: And Nomar is leading Jeter by a nose heading into the infield.

CC: You mean that they are neck and neck but Nomar's nose is giving him the edge.

PbP: Yes...and Nomar is down! Nomar is lying on the ground clutching his ankle. It looks serious.

CC: I'm not so sure. It definitely looks serious be we should probably hold off making a snap judgment until we find out what Nomar's agent has told Jim Hendry.

PbP: So it looks like Jeter will win the race as Nomar and ARod are out of it.

CC: Jeter isn't taking it easy though. He's still running as hard as he can. The heart, the determination, the hustle, the blah blah blah

PbP: Oh no! Mere steps away from home plate Jeter is veering right! He's headed for third base!

CC: Could this mean Jeter wants to play third base and not shortstop?

PbP: I don't think so, he's past third base and headed into foul territory. Unbelievably, he's gaining speed and headed to into the seats.

CC: Oh no...

PbP: This is awful. Jeter has taken a flying leap and has landed in the fifth row face first!
------------------------------
George Steinbrenner: CASHMAN!!!! Get me Edgar Renteria's agent on the phone NOW!

Give all that money to Nomar. Put Hinske on first. Nomar covers SS and 3rd using his super Nomar powers

Lol. Thank you for that.

Obstacle: the game program people probably have an exclusive deal. But hell: you could have it as an insert to the game program (which nobody buys). Though, there would probably be no issue with distributing it free AFTER the game, at the exits. That, may just be the best idea yet. How many take the subway home, baseball on the brain, and no Mike Wilner reception in the TTC?

The danger: this site will no longer be what it is: a place baseball fans have sought out. It will get flooded.

That's pretty much what i was thinking- you don't want to be an elitist, but you also don't want to draw so many people in that the discussion would be hard to guide and get anarchic. The nice thing about this site is that there's a "tone" established. I think, at least initially, most people found this place through Primer, which had just gotten silly when you guys started this, and people were sick of it.

Handing out a four page thingy printed on cheap paper at the games would be great. And subsidized by the Jays and maybe some ads, it could be circulated in the tourist spots around the dome. (man, it's been so long since I've been to North America's 2nd best city) The only risk you run is if Jays subsidize it, you look like their propaganda paper. Not that it doesn't appear that way now :>

Looking at Quiroz, Gross and Adams AAA numbers they just don't look ready to start 2005 in the majors. Gross isn't driving in or scoring runs, neither is Adams and Quiroz bat still needs some fine tuning. I would hate to see him relapse to his low-A numbers.

Quiroz definately needs some time to get regular AAA at bats in the wake of his injury. He's easily the youngest of those three though so he has lots of time.

Russ Adams, unless he has some serious defensive problems to work on, is pretty close to ready and I expect to see him up out of spring training if not in September. His power will inch up slowly but only after he grows comfortable at each level. His walk rate and K/BB is solid so he's not overmatched by AAA.

Same thing with Gabe Gross. What does he really have to work on? Power isn't going to magically come just by continuing to play in AAA. He's 24 and has lost some time and performance to injuries the last couple of years but even if he's just a 10-15 homer guy to start out he'll give the Jays a competent left handed bat. He can't be much worse than Reed Johnson has been against RHPs.

These guys have to start playing and learning at the big league level if the Jays plan for them to be part of the team in '06 and '07. Rios wasn't supposed to be ready either but he made the necessary adjustments and will get better with time.

http://www.mathesond.mindsay.com
Well, I suppose the Jays could try to pry away Kevin Millar from Boston (assuming he's under contract for next season). Frank Thomas will be a free-agent after this season, alhough with Magglio's likely departure, I don't know that the Sox would feel comfortable losing 2 power sources (even if they spent an awful lot of DL time in '04). John Olerud could pull a Pat Hentgen and return, although I suspect his effectiveness would be rather similar to Pat's. Doug Mientkiewicz? Well, he's familiar with turf, and has a decent glove...and he's only scheduled to earn $3.75M next season. Not as much pop as most would like, though.

What about Sexson? Too expensive?

Only 3.75MM for Mienkiewicz? That's only about 3.45MM too much.

Only 3.75MM for Mienkiewicz? That's only about 3.45MM too much.

Well, you might not like him. I sure do. Not $3.75 million worth, but he's a good player. If he were a free agent, I'd advocate taking a run at him. Not at $3.75 million though.

No need to worry about how to spend next year's Carlos money. I've worked out. Here's an early artists' conception of the 2005 geo-political climate of the 2005 Jays Defence.

Frank Thomas would be a great pick-up, but the chances of him leaving the White Sox, especially for Toronto, are probably slim and none.

Sexson will more than likely be too expensive, unless the market drives him down, which is a possibility. His 2004 salary is over $8.0 million.

Millar is under contract with the Red Sox next year, I believe a plate appearances option was automatically triggered for him this year (correct me if I'm wrong). Nice idea as a last resort plan, I'd hope we can do better than him though. If not, I'm sure the Sox would consider a Ligtenberg ($2.5 mil) for Millar ($3.5 +/- mil) deal.

Stay away from Johnny O. No more nostalgic signings, please. Let's remember the WS clubs for their greatness and not tarnish their legacies (see Hentgen, Pat).

I believe Durazo is a free agent, could be wrong. He's posting a +.900 OPS this year. Has 25 HR pop.

My guess is, Frankie C. will be patroling the first base line next year.

So many Torontonians go around believing the SkyDome is a brutal stadium until a bunch of reporters come from England, say the opposite, and it changes their minds.

I was at the game on Monday and sitting near my sons and I was a guy from Springfield Mass. It was his first time at the Dome so during the game he roamed all over the place. We got into conversation with him when he got back.

He is a Yankees fan and has been to 15 or 16 Major League stadiums. He goes to Yankee Stadium, Fenway and Camden Yards most often. He thought that the Dome was a beautiful stadium (if you could get rid of the rug on the playing surface). He said that for watching a game, especially from the lower priced seats (we were in 524B R 7), it was the best stadium he had ever been in. He added that it must be wonderful to see games in April without freezing and to never have to worry about rainouts.

The Dome could use a little prettying up (some paint over the concrete, some historic Jays pictures in the hallways and ramps, etc.) but it has gotten a bad rap from the Toronto media for years.

Sexson and Glaus are both attractive possibilities, but they're going to have a lot of suitors, some of whom will be closer to the playoffs than Toronto, and some of whom will have deeper pockets than the Jays. I think the Jays will be in the hunt for at least one of those guys, but it would still be something of a longshot to sign him.

That said, price will be a key issue, and the market appears to be increasingly soft. Looking at that list of free agents, there certainly are some big names (Delgado, Pedro, Beltran, Sexson, Glaus, Ordonez), but it seems to me like the middle class of players -- not superstars, but not spare parts either -- is growing. That's the group that's getting hit the hardest by the game's evolving economics, and that's the group from which I think the Jays might find some affordable off-season help.

The Dome could use a little prettying up (some paint over the concrete, some historic Jays pictures in the hallways and ramps, etc

Hey, maybe I can make some money here -- anyone at SkyDome wanna buy some installation art?

When mathesond mentioned Olerud, I thought of another former Blue Jay with a ring that might be of some use. No, not Borders (I'm sorry Pat, but we don't have the space, unless you want to be catcher coach or something like that). Roberto Alomar might be an effective, and cheap help on the infield. Just like Hentgen's signing, this type of move is ver good PR. However, if Alomar could effectively move over to SS, he could post moderate numbers and offer very good defence at a very reasonable price. Or, if the franchise feels Adams would be better at 2nd base, it might be worth it to move Hudson over now, and give him more time at SS. Plus, an O-Dog/Alomar infield would be lots of fun to watch. Looking at his numbers this year, in his limited playing time (too bad injuries robbed us of seeing him when the D-Backs were in town), he has been reasonably effective. However, it would mean the Jays would desperately need a power 1B, which still could include Carlos.

I'm pretty sure Durazo has one more year of arbitration. Mientkiewicz wouldn't solve the lack of power problems but nothing would get through that side of the infield with Hudson there as well!

Alomar's done. It's that simple.

By the way, nice map Jobu. However, I was wondering where Puerto Rios fit into the mix?

Sorry about the horrible pun, but when you've thought of something that bad, its difficult to keep it to yourself.

Good point Wunderbat. For now lets just assume its part of the Sparky Republic.

Alomar's done. It's that simple.

Far from it, Paul! Alomar is back in the lineup now, and he swung a red-hot bat in July. I wouldn't want Alomar in my starting lineup, but in the Mike Bordick role, for a one-year hitch, I think he'd be great.

That, of course, is provided he was willing to accept such a role and the demands of playing different positions that go along with it. I don' think that's likely, so I don't think Toronto is the place for him.

Far from it, Paul! Alomar is back in the lineup now, and he swung a red-hot bat in July.

Hm, I just looked up his numbers for the year and they're better than I thought. However, by all accounts Alomar is now pretty poor defensively. I also don't think he can hit left handers anymore, and he had poor production in 2002 and 2003. I'm not sure that a poor fielding, platoon 700 OPS middle infielder is worth spending any money on, that seems like the type of player you can acquire as a minor league free agent.

I don't think it would happen, but would Alomar even want to come back to Toronto? If I recall correctly, it was Gord Ash who pissed him off (not sure on that; can someone who wasn't 8 years old at the time confirm?).

But I don't see it happening.

As far as Im concerned Menechino should have a spot on the team all but locked up for next season as a backup middle infielder. I mean his defence is good and he's leading the team in Avg, On base, and Slugging. Yeah, yeah sample size, but he's got over 150ABs. What else does he need to do?

Calvin Pickering is still out there, and he's still hitting .314/.438/.702. He'll be turning 28 next month, and it's a crying shame that KC continues to keep him down. He'll probably get his shot next year, but every year really hurts at his age and weight.

Loveshack-agreed about Menechino. There's no more that could possibly be asked of him. He's earned it. In my mind Gomez has too, but I'm not sure there's a need for both-although Gomez is decent over at first, so if the Cat/Phelps platoon doesn't happen or breaks down he'll help over there.

Going totally off-topic now .... What's the ticket/scalper situation like at SkyDome this year? I moved south of the border a few years ago and don't get back for many games in Toronto anymore. I realize attendance is nowhere near what it was like 10-15 years ago, but buying tickets online still never seems to get me very close to the action. Are the scalpers in possession of all the good seats these days?

You can get leftovers from people's season tickets from scalpers. They're always the best seats, aside from the In The Action seating. If you have the money you should try those once.

Don't pay more than face value for any ticket from a scalper.

Are those In the Action seats even available through scalpers? What do they cost?

They should be available from the box office -- they never sell out unless the Yankees are in town.

Last year I believe they were $180 per ticket. But they include free food and free non-beer drinks!

http://me.woot.net
But they include free food and free non-beer drinks!

So two hotdogs and four pops later, you've come out ahead. Good deal.

Where are the "in the action" seats located? Are they those comfy looking reddish ones behind homeplate? Sorry if it seems like a dumb question but Ive never been able to even think about spending that much on a ball ticket so I havent paid attention.

Those are the ones, Loveshack. Directly behind home, first two rows.

I sat there once as Fan of the Game, and I was behind the opposition on-deck circle. It was awesome.

$180 each ... and that includes non-beer drinks? Yikes.
I saw the Jays/Red Sox from the Green Monster seats on April 10 (a 4-1 loss but it was Halladay vs Pedro), and that was $90 (US). I think the 100 level will do me just fine.

We sat behind the Jays dugout last year once, and those seats are about $70 each and excellent. Or you can join us in 518 for a measly $9.

Hudson
Rios
Cat
Wells
Hinske

Urf. If that was the top half of the lineup when healthy the Jays would be in just about as much trouble as they are this year.

The Jays need to cobble together 1B and DH spots that can hit in the middle of the order and hit with power. Period. I don't know how they will do it but that's what must be done if they want any hope of improving this year's sorry offence. Effective use of platoons will be important as will not falling in love with players and using them in roles they shouldn't be in.

Now the good part of this is that I think they can have some important pieces already in place.

1B: Ideally, Delgado sticks around. Otherwise you're probably looking at cobbling together another platoon. Hopefully there is a competent free agent that can be brought in. Maybe a lefthanded veteran in tandem with a righthanded journeyman (remember Tom Wilson?) to produce another effective slot in the order.

DH: Josh Phelps at minimum is showing he's a force against lefties. There's a cheap half of your DH and one with light-tower power at that. Maybe Catalanatto is the other half depending on what happens with Gross.

LF: Reed Johnson at minimum is showing he's a force against lefties. There's a cheap half of your left fielder. Maybe Gross is the other half if he makes the team or maybe Catalanatto sticks there. But Reed's lack of anything resembling power against RHP is just not acceptable for a corner outfielder. If he maintained a high OBP against them you could get away with it but that's not the case.

RF: Rios. You just have to hope that he continues to take Vernon-like steps forward the next couple of years. That left-handed veteran outfielder might be a good idea just in case one or both of Rios and Gross have troubles.

CF: Wells. Johnson and Rios are the backups but Wells is the man.

3B: Hinske. I would prefer a guy like Menechino platoon with him but that might not happen given the money Hinske is due to make. As long as a Menechino like guy is around to offer that option I'll be happy.

C: The Jays will probably keep Zaun around. Will they keep Cash? I doubt they can trade him for much though maybe they can get an undervalued player to be one of the offensive pieces required elsewhere. It can't be understated how much offensive mileage the Jays got out of Myers/Wilson in '03 and Zaun in '04. Cash is the defensive guy.

SS: Looks like Gomez and maybe Woodward if he's kept around but given his arbitration status that sadly seems unlikely. I think it will be Gomez and Adams sharing duties unless the Jays find a veteran they like better than Gomez (Vizquel? Larkin?).

2B: Hudson. Menechino can spell against LHP if need be. Hudson is pretty effective against RHP, his recent struggles aside. Maybe Hill or even Adams show up here at some point in the season if they perform well enough.

So what I think they need:

One LH or everyday 1B*
One LH or everyday DH*
One LH or everyday OF*
Woodward, Gomez, or a veteran SS
One versatile infielder to replace Berg, preferably a plus defender

* Catalanatto can take one of these positions.

So that's two significant offensive pieces they need outside of Catalanatto and whoever ends up at short. A replacement for Berg shouldn't be as difficult to find.

NFH: What would you recommend as the best possible seats I could get for around 50/60 bucks? Including the possibilities of scalpers. Im going to treat myself on my birthday.

Jeez, Jobu, that's a toughie. Lemme look at my seating chart. Yes, I have one tacked up on my office wall.

It's from last year, so it lists Premium Dugout as being $49 regular/value game and $57 for a premium game. Those are great seats. There's also Field Level Infied, which are about three dollars cheaper. I'd spend the extra three bucks and get the dugout seats, preferably closer to the field instead of more centrally behind the plate. Even the outer edges of the Premium Dugout section are excellent. 20 rows back is not that far, especially if you're behind the dugout itself, which eats up the first four or five rows. So I'd try to get something in the first 20 rows between 116 and 127. 120 is behind home plate. My uncle has a share of seasons at 120, row 2, the two seats closest to the centre, literally directly behind the plate. He was hoppin' mad a few years back when they added the In The Action seats and made his second row tickets effectively fourth row tickets.

Durazo could be a good target depending on what kind of salary he will win in arbitration. However, with Dye's $11.6 million coming off the books after this year, the A's will have a lot to work with. Probably enough to keep Durazo and the big three pitchers around if they felt like it.

Strange thing is, despite Oakland supposedly being a pitcher's park and dampening average and power, Durazo has done as well or better at home than on the road both last year and this year.

I'm guessing that around this time next year, the lineup looks something like this:

SS Adams
3B Hinske
RF Rios
1B ( ? )
CF Wells
LF Gross
DH Phelps
C Quiroz
2B Hudson

Bench: Zaun, Menechino, Johnson, ( ? )

SP: Halladay, Batista, Lilly, Bush, Towers

RP: Frasor, ( ? ), Ligtenberg, ( ? ), Frederick, Chulk, Miller

With the above team, I estimate we'd have about $11-$13 million to spend on a 1B, a UTIL guy, a LOOGY, and a 8th/9th inning guy.

I'm not suggesting these guys as possibilities (I haven't checked their free agency status), but I'd attempt to fill the four open spots on my list with something roughly equivalent to Delgado, Freel, Kline, and Marte.

for $180 even beer should be included- $8.50 for a 20 oz pint is ridiculous.

David, if they included the sushi from the 100 level (all you can eat, naturally), I'd buy those seats like three times a year.

Quick hijack--somebody earlier asked about the what the Europeans thought of the Skydome. There is a good article on sportsnet on that topic by Ryan Johnston with an interesting quote:

"Silvio D'Addario, SkyDome's chief operating officer, said that tearing up the concrete surface to install a drainage system that would allow grass to grow is something the company was considering."

http://me.woot.net
Alcohol can't be given away; that's why you have to pay for those little taster trays at fancy beer places like Smokeless Joe's.

That post by Jobu was hilarious. Insert George Costanza for Cashman and I can visualize the whole thing.

$8.50 for a 20 oz pint is ridiculous

It is expensive. But I find it's consistently the best on-tap beer around - they know how to pour it too. How often do you slap $6 down at some bar and get some flat thing to drink. At least you know that SkyDome Blue is gonna be bubbly and alive to the last sip.

I just heard Dan Shulman on the fan: he too rips the Dodger trade! I'm thinking that trade was all ego. I'm wondering if all these young GMs (Epstein, DePodesta) think they need to make their mark right away, pull a Billy Beane every trade deadline. Check out Billy B and JP: silent at the deadline. Billy and JP are the real pros, and know when deals need or need not be made. Epstein I understand more: it really was time for Nomar to go. But it seems he has visions of completely revamping the Red Sox lineup (and it might be time, a lot of free agents this off-season). Though, there is going to be hell for DePodesta if the Dodgers don't make the playoffs: oh man - can he keep his job after that? The Marlins GM is teriffically underrated, which is probably just as he likes it. Let these young guns think they're getting the better of him: he, he, he...

Oh, again about the beer... I find it helps to think not $8.50 for a beer, but $2 more than you'd usually pay. If you'd normally drink 2 beers, well, you're just paying $4 more... $4 isn't really worth getting worried about... (this is how I rationalize the extravagance to myself!) Most women will fail to see this logic though.

You can get a bad pitcher in this city for $7...and there's no where else in this country that considers Keith's a *premium* beer.

Yeah, Keith's no premium beer; I don't want some bearded, hoarse, kilt-wearing screamer after me; but Keith's is not very good. Blue is a fabulous beer if served in the right conditions. Those happy taps at SkyDome sing when they pour Blue, as does Keith Talent.

Whos that power hitter?

Sorry for responding so late, I had to leave for work after my last post, but thank you kindly NFH for your ticket tips, and yes Stan, thats where i drew my inspiration for the boss... well, except the sideburns line. Man does loiza look different without his beard.