Spring training still has almost three weeks to go but the roster picture is starting to get clearer based on front office decisions, injuries and player performances.  At the beginning of spring training the battles were for starting pitcher spots, four of the bullpen jobs, the right handed DH and the one of the bench jobs.  Some of the spots have been decided and the list of candidates for the others are getting shorter.

Alex Anthopolous appears to have followed through on his promise to invest heavily in international free agents, as the NY Post is reporting that Cuban shortstop Adeinis Hechavarria has spurned the Yankees to sign a $10 million contract with the Jays. Hecheverria reportedly turned down the Yankees because he saw a quicker path to the majors with the Jays. A similar story has appeared on the Jays website. As both articles note, this is $2 million more than was paid to highly-regarded Red Sox SS prospect Jose Iglesias.

When we discuss "Hall Watch" candidates here on Batter's Box, we tend to (understandably) focus on the players of today's game who might someday have plaques hanging in Cooperstown.

But what about the skippers, the captains of the ship, the bench jockeys and leaders of those very same players? There are 17 managers currently in the Hall of Fame. Are any active skippers bound to join them there someday?

To my reading, there are currently only eight legitimate candidates to consider ...

Shaun "Of The Dead" Marcum made a lot of Rays hitters look like zombies as he delivered three shutout innings in the Jays 4-1 loss to Tampa Bay at Port Charlotte Thursday afternoon.    Jordan Bastian of bluejays.com reports the Kansas City native could be the man on the mound for the Opening Day start April 5th in Texas.

Bauxites don't generally like Michael Young's chances to reach the "magical" 3,000 hit mark.

So who does get 3,000 hits, among active players? Let's start by looking at the Active Top 10.

Ken Griffey Jr. is the active hits leader with 2,763 -- let's just admit it, he doesn't have another 237 base knocks in his future arsenal ...

Can once-upon-a-time Blue Jay prospect Michael Young reach 3000 career hits? Well, sure, he can, but will he?

Former Bauxite Scott Lucas, now the #2 man in Jamey Newberg's stellar Texas Ranger writer rotation, examines this question -- recently addressed on both MLB.com and in the Dallas Morning News -- in his latest edition of The Ranger Rundown.

It's one of the most sensible uses of historical statistical comparisons I've ever seen in this age of "most similars" and "closest comparables." Give it a read and check in with your opinion -- personally, I think he's hit the nail on the head. (And I hope he's wrong! My guess is he hopes so, too ...)

The Jays took another step towards Grapefruit League supremacy with a 9-1 pounding of the Yankees Saturday afternoon in Tampa.   Even better, the loss went to the starter who once pitched for Toronto.  Click here for the appropriate reaction.

The Jays new acquisition is hoping it's a good thing he was claimed off waivers from the Red Sox yesterday.  He's the subject of today's POTD!

The Blue Jays have claimed pitcher Casey Fein off waivers from the Red Sox.  The Sox claimed him from Detroit yesterday.  Meanwhile Scott Richmond has been placed on the 60-day DL.

Baseball is back!  Today the Jays play their first game of the spring and this is shaping up as one of the more interesting spring trainings in a while.  On the pitching side of the roster there are very few guaranteed spots and the competition will be fierce for the next month for those jobs.

All right, let's have a contest. A prediction contest! That's the best kind.

......to reiterate once again that Canada rocks!

This not an official trivia thread, though it may read that way. I stumbled across an odd stat today and am baffled; maybe some younger, clear-headed Bauxite can help me out.

In 1942, Warren Spahn made his first four appearances, including two starts, with the then-Boston Braves. His stats show he had one complete game in those two starts; his win-loss record that season, however, was 0-0. How is this possible? How can a pitcher throw a complete game and not get a decision?

Even if you don't know the answer, feel free to speculate, and to post your own "posers" for the Box community herein.

 

Baseball Think Factory: "According to a source with knowledge of the situation, former Toronto Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi will be joining the cast of ESPN’s Baseball Tonight starting in March ... An official announcement regarding Ricciardi is expected either later this week or early next week."

Additional BBTN newcomers could include Aaron Boone and Nomar Garciaparra. Well, at least the BBTN infield will hit for power!

This North Vancouver native has defied all the odds to make it to the bigs and hopes to strike major league gold again in 2010.