Notes: Speier braced for recovery
03/01/2006
DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Justin Speier was spotted throwing at camp on Wednesday, wearing a Blue Jays hat, some Blue Jays warmups and a blue splint on his right middle finger. It was the second time that the reliever played catch since returning from seeing a hand specialist last week.
"It's a little awkward to throw with that splint on," Speier said. "But the reason I have that on there is so I don't push the finger back too far, to let it heal in there a little more."
Speier, 32, began feeling pain in his middle finger on Feb. 22 during the first live batting practice session, and he said he felt a "very minor" pop before cutting his workout short. Speier suffered a strained tendon in the same finger on Sept. 27 in Boston, an injury that put him on the shelf for the remainder of the year.
On March 9, Speier will throw without the splint, and if he doesn't experience any more setbacks, he anticipates appearing in seven or eight games during Spring Training. He said that amount would have him prepared to join the bullpen by Opening Day.
If Speier develops lingering pain from next Wednesday's bullpen session, he'll receive a cortisone shot and probably won't be ready for the start of the season. If that's the case, Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said Shaun Marcum, Dustin McGowan, Ben Weber or James Baldwin could be possible replacements.
Speier, who went 3-2 with a 2.56 ERA last year, is optimistic about his chances of recovering without any problems, though.
"[My doctor] gives me a 70 percent chance of breaking with the team, and I'll take those odds," Speier said. "But we're going to take it slow."
Last week, Speier flew to Baltimore, where Dr. Thomas J. Graham examined the finger. The diagnosis was that the injury shouldn't develop into a major concern and that surgery would be highly unlikely, but Speier has still been frustrated that his offseason rehabilitation didn't prevent the injury from flaring up this spring.
"I had the whole winter, so I really had four months," Speier said. "I took every precaution this winter. I was shaking peoples' hands with my left hand, I wasn't lifting anything heavy, I wasn't playing any golf or anything like that. It's just one of those fluke, freak things.
"John Thomson had the same injury last year with the Braves and he missed three months of the season and came back to pitch in the playoffs," he added. "I talked to him the other day and he said, 'You just have to give it time.' I gave it time this whole winter. He was lucky and didn't have a setback. I've had a setback and it's frustrating."
We are the world: Center fielder Vernon Wells announced on Tuesday that his left leg was 100 percent and that he had made up his mind to play for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic. Wells just needed to discuss it with Gibbons and Toronto general manager J.P. Ricciardi on Wednesday before the official decision.
"Yeah, he's fine," Ricciardi said. "We weren't going to let him go unless he was healthy and he's healthy. I think it's great -- it's awesome. He's looking forward to it, too. It's a great honor."
Wells, who injured his left quadriceps while lifting weights on Feb. 19, will catch a flight to meet up with Team USA in Arizona on Friday morning.
Alex Rios (Puerto Rico), Gustavo Chacin (Venezuela), Frank Catalanotto (Italy), Vince Perkins (Canada) and Adrian Burnside (Australia) will all be with the Jays for their spring opener against Tampa Bay on Thursday. Rios will play center field, Chacin will pitch a couple innings and Catalanotto may play in left field so Gibbons can see them in a game before they leave to join their Classic teams after the contest.
"I'm kind of curious to see how it goes. It'll probably be exciting," Gibbons said. "The only [concern] is if Chacin gets enough work to get himself ready. ... [Pitching coach Brad] Arnsberg will talk to the [Team Venezuela coaching staff] to make sure he is [getting his work done]."
Catcher Guillermo Quiroz originally planned on trying to play for Venezuela, but said on Wednesday that he decided against participating. Catchers Victor Martinez, Ramon Hernandez and Henry Blanco are already on the Venezuelan roster and Quiroz said he felt he would get more work done with the Blue Jays than during the tournament.
Burnside will be joining the Australian team later this week.
Setting up: Speier's injury raises an important question about the late-inning relievers. If Speier's situation turns into the worst-case scenario, where he wouldn't be ready for Opening Day, who would be the setup man for closer B.J. Ryan?
"We've got some flexibility. We've got [Jason] Frasor and [Vinnie] Chulk that can [handle the setup role], and [Scott] Schoeneweis is the specialist down there," Gibbons said. "We really haven't locked [Speier] into that setup role. We can be flexible with all three of them.
"Speier was kind of signed for that role, but with Chulk and Frasor coming along, they kind of took that a little bit, too."
Source: http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/
Former Angels bring playoff experience
03/01/2006
DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Toronto's new look has created a familiar scene for a handful of Blue Jays.
When Ben Weber took the mound during Toronto's intrasquad game on Tuesday, he looked towards home plate and saw Bengie Molina. When Weber turned to his right, there stood Troy Glaus. The 37-year-old pitcher couldn't help but reminisce about his days with the Angels.
"Bengie was my catcher and Troy was at third," Weber said. "I was like, 'Oh, wow, this is bringing back some good memories.' When Glaus threw me back the ball, when they threw it around the horn, I said, 'Yeah, that's familiar there.' "
The trio from the Halos' past are now part of the Blue Jays' present.
Weber, Molina, Glaus and pitcher Scott Schoeneweis, who is entering his second season with Toronto, were all a part of the 2002 Angels team that won the World Series in seven games against San Francisco. Having that corps of players that battled together for baseball glory could be of great benefit to a Blue Jays squad that has few others who have experienced a Fall Classic.
All four players played an integral part during that '02 campaign. Glaus had 30 homers and 111 RBIs before batting .385 and slugging three homers against the Giants to pick up World Series MVP honors. Molina threw out 40 percent of baserunners and took home his first of two straight Gold Gloves. Schoeneweis appeared in 54 games and then gave up just one run in six playoff appearances. Weber went 7-2 with a 2.54 ERA that year.
"You're bringing in a World Series MVP. You're bringing in a Gold Glover. You're bringing in some pretty good players. So the clubhouse just grows a little in stature," Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi said. "We've brought good people in here and they've brought credibility to this clubhouse even more so."
The only other Blue Jays who have won a World Series are catcher Gregg Zaun and pitcher A.J. Burnett. Zaun only had two at-bats in the Marlins seven-game series victory over the Indians in 1997. In 2003, Burnett was recovering from Tommy John surgery and didn't pitch when his Marlins beat the Yankees for the title.
If Toronto winds up in contention this year, Molina said that the background that he and his former Angels teammates possess can only help the club.
"I hope I bring a little help that this team needed last year," Molina said. "They were a very good team, and bringing us here, I think we bring a little more experience in the playoffs. ... We can help them, of course. We have experience, but what's going to [matter] is what's on the field."
What needs to be on the field this season, according to Glaus, is a different mentality than in the past. Toronto hasn't played in a postseason game since winning the World Series in 1993, but the team enters this season with high aspirations and more expectations.
"We've been through it. We've done it," Glaus said. "It's just about bringing an attitude around here -- that there's a way to play the game and a way to play the game the right way. And everybody has to buy into that.
"We're going to try and bring this team back to the level it's been before and the level it deserves to be again."
Toronto hovered in the American League Wild Card discussion last year -- even after pitchers Roy Halladay and Ted Lilly missed time in the second half with injuries. When Halladay had his left leg broken by a line drive in early July, the Blue Jays were tied with the Yankees in wins. Down the stretch, though, the depleted rotation -- coupled with a young roster -- caused the Jays to slip in the win column.
"Last year we didn't have a lot of guys [with playoff experience]. It's one of those intangibles," Schoeneweis said. "Hopefully we're in a situation where we get to the playoffs. That's just a whole different ballgame -- especially with a lot of guys that have never been through it."
Molina has only been around his new team for about two weeks, but he said that he can already see some similarities to the Angels team he won the Series with.
"I can say from what I've seen in practice that, yes, we look similar," Molina said. "These guys can run. They can pitch. We have a good bullpen -- like we did [when we won the World Series]. We have a good closer. What I see here is everybody's together."
The familiarities don't just end there. Schoeneweis experienced a flashback similar to Weber's when he arrived in Florida for Spring Training.
"The first day here, I stepped up on the mound and the catcher that was across from me was Bengie," Schoeneweis said. "It was surreal, almost."
It could become more surreal if the Blue Jays follow in the Angels' footsteps.
Source: http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/
Blue Jays quick hits
03/02/2006
DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Toronto's busy winter has made for some high expectations for 2006.
The Blue Jays signed free agents A.J. Burnett, B.J. Ryan and Bengie Molina, while trading for slugger Troy Glaus and Lyle Overbay. Those new additions complement a talented, young cast that won 80 games a year ago.
If the upgrades pay off, the American League East standings could get a slight shake up. The Jays could wind up in the thick of the division race, which might amount to their first trip back to the postseason since winning the World Series in 1993.
Team strength: Pitching. Toronto's starting rotation and its bullpen were tops in the division in ERA last year, and that was before strengthening the front end with Burnett and adding an All-Star closer in Ryan. Last year, staff ace Roy Halladay and Ted Lilly missed significant time due to injuries, but Josh Towers and Gustavo Chacin put together strong performances to fill the void. With Halladay and Lilly back at full strength, the Blue Jays' rotation could be one of the best from top-to-bottom in baseball.
Achilles heel: Left and right field. Toronto hasn't identified an every day starter for either of those spots, yet. As of right now, Frank Catalanotto and Reed Johnson would platoon in left and Alex Rios and Eric Hinske would split time in right. Johnson and Rios are the better defenders, but the Blue Jays want Catalanotto and Hinske in the lineup for their offense. Toronto also still thinks Rios could develop into an every day player, which will be tough if he isn't getting consistent playint time.
Top newcomer: Glaus. Toronto traded second baseman Orlando Hudson, who won the AL Gold Glove award last year, and pitcher Miguel Batista to Arizona in exchange for Glaus and Minor Leaguer Sergio Santos. Glaus is the first player with legitimate 30-40 home run power to put on a Jays' jersey since Carlos Delgado left the club. Having Glaus in the middle of the order adds some missing pop, and it should also allow Vernon Wells to see better pitches to hit in the No. 3 spot in the order.
Ready to make the leap: Aaron Hill. The 23-year-old infielder was called up to help fill in for an injured Corey Koskie last season. All he did was hit .354 in his first 39 games and earned a spot on the roster when Koskie returned. Hill, who played shortstop in the Minors, split time between third base, short and second last season. This year, he is starting Opening Day as the new second baseman -- a transition that Toronto is very confident that he can make smoothly.
On the hot seat: Hinske and Rios. Hinske is making a move to the outfield for the first time in the Majors. If that transition doesn't go well or he falters at the plate, it could mean more playing time for Rios -- a player who has yet to consistently tap into the high potential that Toronto still believes he has. If Rios struggles with his bat again this year, that will mean more time in right field for Hinske. If one or both of them struggle, it could make for some interesting trade rumors at the deadline.
You can bank on: Wells. Through Toronto's ups and downs, Wells has been there in the heart of the order and in center field. He led the Blue Jays last year with 28 home runs and 97 RBIs, not to mention his second-straight Gold Glove Award. With Glaus hitting behind him, his numbers could head north. Wells has typically had slow starts in his career, but he hopes that playing in the World Baseball Classic's competitive atmosphere could give his early-season offense a boost.
Litmus test: If Toronto avoids the injury bug this year, there's no reason that this group of players can't wind up in the middle of the playoff race. If Halladay avoids freak line drives and the bullpen can build on the success it had last year, Toronto's pitching staff can be the best in the division again. Come September, if the Jays are in range of New York and Boston, they could make the push to end their 12-year playoff drought.
Source: http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/
Jays learn much in meeting with Fehr
03/02/2006
DUNEDIN, Fla. -- The usual clubhouse guests waited patiently outside the entrance to the Blue Jays' clubhouse at Knology Park, uninvited to the closed-door Players Asscociation meeting being held inside.
Donald Fehr, the executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association, is making his way around the various Spring Training sites, and he stopped in Dunedin to sit down with the Blue Jays on Thursday morning. The meeting served as a question-and-answer session to allow the players to address some of the issues facing the game today.
"We talk about what's coming up and answer questions -- provoked some discussion," Fehr said. "You can assume we talked about anything of topical interest."
While Fehr wouldn't go into detail about the specifics of the meeting, the assumption is that the players -- led by alternate player representative Reed Johnson -- discussed everything from the new drug policy to the collective bargaining agreement, which expires in December.
Johnson confirmed that it was less of the latter and more of the drug issues swirling around baseball.
"We talked about the economic issues and the drug-prevention issues," said Johnson, who was filling in for Toronto player rep Vernon Wells. "As far as drug prevention goes, that was one of the main issues that we talked about. It was more of an informal meeting as far as letting us know what [the drug policy] contains, because a lot of guys out there don't know.
"For a lot of guys, it was new news," he added. "A lot of guys didn't really understand what was going on if they didn't go to the meetings or they didn't read their memos. A lot of guys just get those things and throw them away. It's just one of those things."
On Nov. 17, the owners approved a new drug policy that called for tougher penalties for the use of steroids and amphetamines. The punishment for steroids use will be 50 games for a first positive test, 100 games for a second and a lifetime ban for a third, with reinstatement possible after two years. Those penalties are up from last season, when it was 10 days for a first offense, 30 days for a second, 60 days for a third and a one-year suspension for a fourth.
A player who tests postive for amphetamines is subject to a mandatory follow-up test. If another positive test occurs, that player would face a suspension of 25 games for a first offense, 80 for a second and a lifetime ban after the third.
Johnson said that a lot of players have been afraid of using any kind of supplement since the new policy went into effect. So bringing up the issues with Fehr was a way to ease some of their fears.
"Guys are scared that if they go to GNC and take something that they think they're supposed to be able to take, they're afraid they'll test positive," Johnson said. "Last year, you saw a lot of guys taking creatine or whatever, and a lot of guys stopped that right away when they found out about the new drug policy. They were afraid that they were going to get a false positive [test result].
"They reassured us that those situations aren't going to come up -- that if you go to GNC, if you get products through EAS, which is one of those companies that is going to be able to supply us with supplements, that those companies are safe, and that we need to trust in those companies," Johnson added. "The problems like that aren't really go to arise."
Johnson said that there are laboratories that players can send supplements to in order to have them checked before they start using them. He also said that players are told to keep samples of the supplements they do use in case a false positive test result does occur.
The players also asked Fehr about the new, stricter guidelines regarding amphetamines.
"Guys still have issues about amphetamines, like, 'What can you take?' and 'What can't you take?' " Johnson said. "If you take a rip fuel that says 'ephedra-free,' is it guaranteed that there's not going to be any ephedra so I don't test positive? Obviously, there's no guarantee in anything."
Johnson also said that it's his responsibility, along with Wells, who is in Arizona with Team USA, to help educate the team about what is or isn't allowed. Johnson noted that Major League Baseball is also reaching out to Latin American countries to try to educate players coming from from that region as well.
Fehr wouldn't comment on discussing the drug policy with Toronto's players, but he did acknowledge that economic issues were brought up -- perhaps revenue sharing and the collective bargaining agreement.
"You have to look at it, in particular, with respect to all the teams and then make some judgements about how it's operating overall -- whether it's fair, whether it's appropriate, whether it has the right kinds of incentives in it," Fehr said about revenue sharing. "I'm sure that's something we'll talk about at bargaining.
"We never talk about our internal discussions with players," he added. "They have a right to have those [talks] confidential."
Source: http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/
Notes: Jays flee for Classic
03/02/2006
DUNEDIN, Fla. -- While the Blue Jays were finishing up their first Spring Training game on Thursday, Alex Rios and Frank Catalanotto were in street clothes, heading out the back door of the clubhouse.
Both were leaving to join their respective teams for the World Baseball Classic. Rios was on his way to Port St. Lucie, Fla., to meet up with his Puerto Rico teammates, while Catalanotto left to join Team Italy in Lakeland, Fla.
Vernon Wells, playing for Team USA, is already in Arizona. On Friday, Venezuela's Gustavo Chacin will go to Clearwater, Fla., and Minor Leaguer Vince Perkins will remain in Dunedin to meet up with Team Canada. Australian Minor League pitcher Adrian Burnside will head to Orlando on Monday.
"I'm excited. I don't know what to expect, but it should be fun," Catalanotto said. "I'm looking forward to playing with the different guys -- guys I've never played with before and some of these Italian guys."
Catalanotto, whose great-grandfather is from Palermo, Sicily, will join Mike Piazza, Frank Menechino, Lenny DiNardo and Jason Grilli as the Major Leaguers on the Italian roster. Toronto's left fielder joked about the process that it took to become eligible to play for Team Italy.
"They came after me and told me I was eligible, and then a couple months later, they made me present different birth certificates and documents," Catalanotto said. "Even today, I don't know how you qualify or how you're eligible, because I sent my stuff, and they said, 'OK, it looks good to us.' "
The only player that Blue Jays manager John Gibbons has concerns about heading into the Classic is Chacin. The left-handed Chacin said that Jays pitching coach Brad Arnsberg will be in contact with Venezuelan pitching coach Luis Leal, who pitched for Toronto from 1980-85, to monitor the southpaw's workload.
Chacin will be a part of a very impressive Venezuelan starting rotation that includes Johan Santana, Freddy Garcia, Carlos Zambrano, Victor Zambrano and Kelvim Escobar.
"This is like a dream to be with those guys on the team," Chacin said recently. "Santana is a Cy Young winner and Freddy is a great pitcher. It's great for me. I know all those guys. We played winter ball together in Venezuela a couple years ago. They're all great guys."
All about timing: One of the main concerns that teams have expressed about the Classic revolves around the timing of the tournament. Donald Fehr, the executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association, was at Knology Park for a meeting with the players on Thursday, and he addressed the scheduling of the event.
"The timing issue was the single most difficult one to deal with," Fehr said. "There was something in the paper this morning -- somebody said that maybe we should do this in November. We talked about having it in November. ... That's a point of time in which they're at the end of a long season, so the series of physical discomforts that pile up are at their peak.
"You have to take those things into account. I don't think there's any doubt among those of us who were involved, at least first crack out of the blocks, that this was the most reasonable time to attempt it."
First looks: Roy Halladay gave up four runs on four hits and walked one in one inning against the Devil Rays on Thursday. The right-hander was just happy to be back on the mound without any lingering injuries.
"Physically, I felt good. So that's always a good thing early on -- having the health there," Halladay said. "The cutter was kind of hit or miss today, so there's still a couple things to work on. Obviously, you would like to start better, but I got my work in."
Eric Hinske got his first taste of playing right field during the game against Tampa Bay, and he was immediately put to the test. In the first inning, Travis Lee hit a single to right with two runners on, and Hinske fired the ball towards home, but the throw was too late to catch Aubrey Huff.
"The guy didn't hit it too hard at me, so it was good to just get the nerves out of the way at that point," Hinske said. "Hopefully, I can throw some guys out this year, but I'm just trying to hit the cutoff man, pretty much."
In the third inning, Hinske misread a fly ball hit by Lee, but the former corner infielder corrected his route and caught the ball at his ankles.
"Everybody says if you can catch a fly ball in Florida, you can catch one anywhere," Hinske said with a laugh. "This is pretty much the toughest place to do it."
Honored: Shirley Cheek, wife of the longtime Blue Jays broadcaster Tom Cheek -- who passed away last October after a 16-month battle with brain cancer -- was given the first John Cerutti Award, presented by Claudia Cerutti, in a ceremony before Thursday's game.
The Cerutti Award replaces the Good Guy Award, which has been handed out every year since Toronto's innaugural season in 1977. The award is voted on by the Baseball Writers Association of America Toronto Chapter, and it's given annually to an individual affiliated with the Blue Jays who best exemplifies John Cerutti's character, good will and sportmanship. Cerutti, who pitched for Toronto from 1985-90 and later served as a broadcaster for the Jays, passed away of a heart arrhythmia on the last day of the 2004 season.
Quotable: "Any time you do something new, you've always got some underlying uncertainty about how well it's going to go and what problems -- that no one thought about -- are going to creep up at the most inopportune moments. All things considered, we sold a bunch of tickets, and there seems to be a lot of interest." -- Fehr, on the World Baseball Classic
Source: http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/
Halladay shows rust in Jays' defeat
03/02/2006
Devil Rays at the plate: During a four-run first inning, Rocco Baldelli and Josh Paul each had an RBI, and Travis Lee added a two-run single to right field. Tampa Bay added a run in the second and three more in the seventh.
Blue Jays at the plate: Shortstop Sergio Santos hit a three-run double to cap off a five-run seventh inning for the Blue Jays.
Devil Rays on the mound: Starter Casey Fossum pitched two scoreless innings and gave up just one hit, a single by Lyle Overbay.
Blue Jays on the mound: Starter Roy Halladay surrendered four runs on four hits and walked one in the first inning. Gustavo Chacin pitched the next two innings and allowed one run on two hits.
Grapefruit League records: Devil Rays 1-0; Blue Jays 0-1.
Source: http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/
Burnett strong in debut as Jays win
03/03/2006
Blue Jays at the plate: First baseman Lyle Overbay led Toronto by going 2-for-2 with four RBIs. He pulled a two-run double down the right-field line in the first inning and added a two-run double off the center-field wall in the third. Shea Hillenbrand went 2-for-2 with two singles and two runs. Russ Adams added a RBI single in the fourth, and he later scored on a triple by Aaron Hill.
Team Canada at the plate: Adam Stern, Pierre-Luc Laforest and Pete Orr each chipped in an RBI during Canada's three-run sixth inning against Toronto reliever Ben Weber. Kevin Nicholson added an RBI groundout in the eighth.
Blue Jays on the mound: Starter A.J. Burnett pitched two scoreless innings for Toronto in his first appearance of the spring. The right-hander struck out four, walked one and allowed three hits. Weber gave up three runs on four hits and walked two in two-thirds of an inning.
Team Canada on the mound: Starter Mike Meyers allowed two runs on two hits in two innings. Right-hander Aaron Myette yielded five runs in 1 2/3 innings.
Source: http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/
Notes: Burnett dazzles in debut
03/03/2006
DUNEDIN, Fla. -- It's only Spring Training. It was only an exhibition game. And A.J. Burnett only pitched two innings. But his Toronto teammates were more than happy to be sitting in the dugout watching, rather than having to stand in the batter's box to face him.
"When I got traded to Toronto, I was like, 'Good deal, I don't have to face A.J. anymore,'" said Blue Jays first baseman Lyle Overbay. "It's scary what kind of stuff he's got."
Burnett, who was making his first appearance in a game since signing a five-year, $55 million contract with Toronto in December, threw 42 pitches, including 27 for strikes. The right-hander struck out four and didn't allow a run in Friday's game against Team Canada.
In the second inning, Burnett got his first small test of the young season. He gave up a double, a single and a walk to load the bases, but he mixed in two strikeouts with runners in scoring position and forced a fly out to left field to end the threat.
"It's big to do that early, as well as in the season," Burnett said about getting out of the jam. "I'm a big believer in and big worker in that when guys get to second and third, in scoring position, you've got to make a pitch. You've got to bear down."
His teammates were impressed with the early results.
"A lot of guys, with a runner on third with less than two outs, we're going to concede that run. He can get that strikeout," Overbay said. "Those guys don't come along too often, and when you've got one of them on your side, it's nice."
Catcher Gregg Zaun said Burnett had a very effective curveball, mixed in with fastballs and changeups. Burnett showed something else that Overbay said he hadn't seen yet this spring: intensity.
"He's starting to get that fire out there and get that competitive attitude a little bit," Overbay said. "It looks like he's getting a little fire under him, and that's going to help him more than anything."
"I try to get out there and get the strut and get the glare," Burnett said. "It's my first Spring Training game with a new squad; I wanted to step off on the right foot."
Trading colors: When Ernie Whitt walked onto the field at Knology Park sporting his red and white Canadian uniform, he knew he was going to hear some jokes coming from the home dugout.
Whitt, who is Toronto's bench coach and is managing Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic, was sitting on the visitors' side for a change.
"Well, it's good, except all the guys are calling me different names over there -- like I'm a traitor. I don't like that," joked Whitt, who was a catcher for Toronto from 1977-88. "I've been a Blue Jay since Day 1. Now I'm a traitor. But that's all part of the game, and it's ridiculous, but we'll have fun with it today."
Whitt said he was looking forward to squaring off against another former Jays catcher in the World Baseball Classic. On March 8, Team Canada will take on Team USA, which is managed by Buck Martinez. Martinez played for the Blue Jays from 1981-86 and later managed Toronto in 2001-02.
"Buck and I have had a good relationship. We spent a lot of years as a tandem behind the plate," Whitt said. "I always think catchers make really good managers. It'll be fun, no question about it. There will be some ribbing going between him and I."
Also suiting up for Canada is Toronto Minor Leaguer pitcher Vince Perkins, who is from Saanichton, British Columbia. Since he wasn't scheduled to pitch on Friday, Perkins said he was just taking in the whole experience.
"It's fun. I'm not in the game today," Perkins said. "So I'll just get to sit back and watch it. It'll be cool."
Take two: One of the main reasons the Blue Jays acquired Overbay from the Brewers was his reputation for hitting doubles. On Saturday, he gave fans in Florida a look at what the Jays have been talking about.
In the first inning, Overbay pulled a double down the right-field line, knocking in Toronto's first two runs. Two innings later, the left-handed hitter had another two-run double, this time sending the ball bouncing off the center-field wall.
"He hit the double today, and we were like, 'That's odd, another double for Lyle,'" Burnett said with a laugh. "He's got a great swing, and it's going to be great for him to play in [the Rogers Centre]."
Overbay had 34 doubles last season, and he led the Majors with 53 doubles in 2004. Only 27 Major Leaguers in history have managed at least 53 in a season.
First dinger: Outfielder Wayne Lydon, who played for Double-A Binghamton in the Mets organization last year, hit the first home run of Spring Training for the Blue Jays. The non-roster invitee played center field and finished 1-for-2 with two runs, two RBIs, a walk and a stolen base. Last season, Lydon swiped 42 bases for Binghamton.
Source: http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/
Blue Jays fall to Devil Rays
03/03/2006
Devil Rays at the plate: Non-roster invitee Luis Ordaz went 2-for-2 with a double that scored second baseman Nick Green and started a four-run rally in the fifth inning. Left fielder Damon Hollins had a two-run double in the same inning.
Blue Jays at the plate: Non-roster invitee Jason Phillips was 3-for-4 with a run scored. Kevin Barker and Curtis Thigpen each doubled.
Devil Rays on the mound: Starter Scott Kazmir scattered three hits in three innings and allowed one unearned run. Non-roster invitee Mark Malaska threw two wild pitches in the seventh inning, one of which allowed a run to score.
Blue Jays on the mound: Kevin Blank surrendered four runs on three hits in the fifth inning. Starter Scott Downs held the Rays to one hit and had one strikeout in two innings.
Grapefruit League records: Rays 2-0; Blue Jays 0-2
Source: http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/
Halladay eyes big return
03/03/2006
DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Roy Halladay sat at his locker in Toronto's clubhouse and began to strap a small plastic shin guard on his left leg.
"It's just precautionary," he said, while making sure it was secured tightly halfway between his foot and his knee.
Maybe it is just a precaution. But it also serves as a daily reminder of the season that could have been for Toronto's ace pitcher. Halladay was putting together one of the best seasons of his career last year, when he had his quest for a second Cy Young Award halted abruptly by a line drive that broke his left leg.
The good news then was that the injury had nothing to do with Halladay's talented arm. The good news now is that his leg has healed properly and he'll be back as Toronto's Opening Day starter. Any success the Jays have this year might depend on having him injury-free until the last day, too.
"The biggest thing is his health. We want to make sure he's healthy," Toronto general manager J.P. Ricciardi said. "Obviously, he's a big key to our success. It's always good to see him out there.
"The one thing about 'Doc' is he's always going to be the hardest working guy out there," he added. "He's going to do everything he can to make himself ready. So from our standpoint, we don't worry about him, you just worry about if something happens like what happened last year. You can't control that."
On July 8, Texas' Kevin Mench lined a pitch off Halladay's leg that sent the pitcher to the ground, wincing in pain. Halladay said that he realized the leg was broken when he tried to get up. Something just didn't feel right.
"It wasn't so much when I got hit, but when I went to stand up is when I felt it," Halladay said. "Even walking off the field I knew it was a different kind of pain then just getting hit on the leg."
At the time, Halladay was 12-4 with a 2.41 ERA. He had thrown five complete games, two shutouts and had 108 strikeouts versus 18 walks. Halladay appeared to be a lock to start for the American League in the All-Star game.
Compare that first half to his pre-All-Star break totals in 2003, when he won the Cy Young. Midway through that season, he was 13-2 with a 3.41 ERA. He had one complete game and 115 strikeouts to 21 walks.
Needless to say, Halladay was not happy about being sidelined -- especially when his team was contending at the time. When he got hurt, Toronto had as many wins (44) as the Yankees, who went on to claim the division crown.
"With something like that it's just frustrating because you did everything [right] and there was nothing that you could do about it," Halladay said. "It was tough. I tried as hard as I could to get back out, but it was frustrating because I really felt we had a good half and we even stayed in it for a long time after that.
"I was really hoping I could get back and we'd have a chance to do something," he added. "It's always tough, especially when your teammates play like they did last year."
It was the second year in a row that Halladay had his season cut short. The year before, the right-hander had two stints on the disabled list with shoulder issues. Since winning the Cy Young, he as made 40 starts across two years. From 2002-03, Halladay made 70 starts.
"The tough thing about an arm injury or something is you're always wondering if you could've prevented it by doing something in the offseason," Halladay said. "I feel good knowing [last season's injury wasn't] an arm thing. I don't have any questions that I can jump back in. As far as my arm being there and the stuff being there, I don't have any questions about that."
Halladay has jumped into bullpen sessions and workouts without any lingering problems so far. In his first appearance in Toronto's intrasquad game on Monday, he needed just seven pitches to retire the only three batters he faced.
Toronto's top starter is known for his rigorous workout routine. He is usually one of the first players to arrive and one of the last to leave and he spends countless hours training. The only difference this offseason was that Halladay had to limit how much he ran.
"I feel good, I just wasn't able to do a lot of [running] early," Halladay said. "Even now, I can run, but not for an extended time. That's more precautionary on the trainer's part. I can run as long as I wanted to, but they just don't want something to show up."
The precautions are there because the organization knows how valuable Halladay is to Toronto. For the most part, the Blue Jays will go where Halladay leads them.
"To me, he stands for the Toronto Blue Jays," Ricciardi said. "When you look at him, I think guys who come in here, they recognize Doc. He has to stand for something and he stands for what we're trying to do."
What they're trying to do is win. And Halladay is a big part of that.
Source: http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/
Blue Jays look ready to fly
03/03/2006
PHOENIX -- The last time the words "World Series champs" and "Blue Jays" were placed in the same sentence, Joe Carter and Rickey Henderson were in the outfield, Dave Stewart was pitching for them and Mitch Williams was pitching for the other guys.
It was 1993, and baseball was going strong in the Canadian north. The beer wars were still brewing. The currency was strong. And the Maple Leafs hadn't won the Stanley Cup since 1967, the last year of the old six-team National Hockey League. Hadn't even been back to the finals. Still haven't. Makes the Blue Jays' run of futility seem like a Sunday picnic at the fairgrounds.
Then a little thing like the strike that wiped out the end of the 1994 season, that postseason, and postponed the start of the 1995 season, happened. And baseball hasn't been the same in Canada since then. Until now.
"I think we'll be a good club," Jays' GM J.P. Ricciardi said as Spring Training opened. "I don't think we're going to be a club that has a payroll of $75 million and can't get to .500."
That's good news for fans, who once flooded 4 million a season strong into what used to be called SkyDome.
The strike had more of an impact on Major League Baseball in Canada than anywhere in the U.S.
The Expos were in first place that season when the players pulled the plug. After it was over, they divested themselves of their stars and never were the same. The economy in Quebec slumped and the beer wars between Labatts and Molson ended. A new stadium was never in the offing, and last year the team relocated to Washington, D.C.
In Ontario, the golden era of the early 1990s, with the back-to-back 1992 and 1993 championships, suddenly ended. Carter, Roberto Alomar, Paul Molitor and the nucleus of those teams were dispatched.
The memory of Dave Winfield's extra-inning double that defeated the Braves in 1992 and Carter's Game 6 homer off Williams that dispatched the Phillies a year later quickly faded.
The Jays finished atop the American League East five times from 1985 to 1993. They haven't finished higher than third place since nor have they come close to replicating their franchise record 99-62, 1985 season.
In the years since Carter's walk-off homer, the Yankees have ruled the AL East, winning the title eight seasons in a row and nine times out of 11, if you include the strike season. The other two seasons they finished second and won the AL's Wild Card berth.
World Series flags flew over Yankee Stadium in 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000. Six times the Yanks have been to the World Series.
The Red Sox haven't been nearly as majestic, but they broke that 86-year curse by winning the World Series in 2004. During the eight consecutive seasons the Yanks have finished first, Boston has finished second.
That hasn't left much room for the Blue Jays, but after an offseason of incredible activity, they may be on the move.
With the additions A.J. Burnett, B.J. Ryan, Troy Glaus, Bengie Molina and Lyle Overbay to an already stocked and entertaining lineup, they seem to have a real shot.
Roy Halladay needs to recover fully from last season's leg fracture, but don't the Yankees and Red Sox also have things like that to deal with (see Carl Pavano and Matt Clement)?
And with apologies to the carpetbagging Johnny Damon, Vernon Wells is the best outfielder in the division. Hands down. Eric Hinske isn't Swiss cheese, either. And one wonders if the real Shea Hillenbrand played last year in Toronto or two years ago in Arizona. Come to think of it, the real Randy Johnson pitched two years ago for Arizona and looked much the same last year in New York. And the Big Unit is 14 years older than the Blue Jays franchise, which was born in 1977.
It also should be noted that the $100 million in combined revenue sharing and competitive balance tax that the Yankees paid into Major League Baseball last season is $28 million more than Toronto's current payroll.
And that's in U.S. dollars, not Canadian.
"I laugh when people say: 'You spent a lot of money,'" Ricciardi said. "Well, compared to what?"
Compared to what the Blue Jays had been spending.
They can't match the Yankees and Red Sox buck for buck. But neither could the 2002 Angels, who defeated the Yankees in an AL Division Series and went on to beat the Giants in the World Series. Neither could the Marlins, whose $52 million payroll was enough to defeat the Yankees in the 2003 World Series.
The question is whether Toronto's $72 million is good enough to win now. The Jays no longer have Joe Carter. The Yanks don't have Mitch Williams. But if this is the moment for a changing of the guard, it will come from the Canadian north.
Source: http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/
Notes: Weber grateful for opportunity
03/04/2006
DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Every trip to the mound for Ben Weber is now a second chance.
The 36-year-old reliever signed a Minor League contract with the Blue Jays to try and show that he's still worthy of a job in the Majors, that his last two seasons were the result of poor advice from countless doctors, and that, despite a crowded Toronto bullpen, he still can compete for a roster spot.
"My mind-set is always, 'I'm going to win a job in Spring Training,'" Weber said recently. "Even if there's 10 guys in front of me, that's my mind-set. [I feel] that if I throw the ball like I know I'm capable of throwing, I'm just as good as anybody in this clubhouse. That's the way I see it."
Toronto doesn't have much room for Weber, though. The organization that originally drafted the right-hander in 1991, and later relased him in 1996, has seven relievers seemingly locked into Major League roles, barring injury.
An injury might be the only way that Weber gets his second chance. And the Blue Jays just want to give Weber an opportunity to get over his past injuries.
"We're not looking for him to come in here and win a spot," Toronto general manager J.P. Ricciardi said. "We just want to give him the chance to get healthy."
Over the past two years, Weber experienced numbness in his right arm, was diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome and suffered a ruptured disc in his neck. He was told repeatedly by team doctors that rehabilitation was the best option for his arm issues.
While he rehabbed during 2004 with the Angels and in '05 with the Reds, Weber posted a combined 0-2 record with a 8.05 ERA in 28 appearances.
In November, a doctor in Weber's hometown told him he needed to have surgery on the ruptured disc, and that he should have had the operation two years ago.
"It took two years [to get that advice] -- those two years," Weber said, shaking his head.
Now that Weber has had the surgery, he's trying to get back to the form he displayed with the Angels from 2002-03, when he was a combined 12-3 with a 2.61 ERA.
If Weber doesn't break camp with the Blue Jays, he has a clause in his contract that will gives him the option of talking to other clubs later in the year. Weber said the clause doesn't take effect at the end of Spring Training, but some time during the year. Ricciardi said he didn't know the date offhand, but he believed it could be June 1.
The next step of his career is not something that Weber is worrying about right now, though. Toronto gave him the chance to put on a Blue Jays uniform, and he's determined to show the team how grateful he is.
"The whole thing for me is, Toronto has given me an opportunity to get back to where I was," Weber said. "It's a chance to hopefully regain my old form."
Priorities: The Blue Jays have added a slugger in Troy Glaus. They brought in a Gold Glove Award winner in Bengie Molina and an All-Star closer in B.J. Ryan. Toronto got a solid No. 2 pitcher in A.J. Burnett and a gap hitter for the middle of the order in Lyle Overbay.
Now that all that is done, Ricciardi said recently that signing staff ace Roy Halladay to a contract extention is the next priority.
"It's something we'll try to visit as we get going here," Ricciardi said. "Doc knows we have a great concern in keeping him here, and I think he wants to stay. It's definitely the most important thing for us going forward -- putting our attention towards him.
"To me, he stands for the Toronto Blue Jays."
Halladay signed a four-year, $42 million contract in January 2004. He made $10.5 million in his injury-shortened season last year and is scheduled to make $12.7 million this year and $12.8 million in 2007.
Rough debut: Left-hander Ricky Romero, who was the sixth overall selection in last year's First-Year Player Draft, struggled in his first Spring Training appearance for Toronto.
Romero gave up back-to-back home runs to Philadelphia's Shane Victorino and Chris Roberson on Saturday. Romero nearly yielded three straight homers when Marc Tugwell followed Roberson's shot with a double off the center-field wall.
When the damage was done, Romero had given up four runs, two earned, on four hits in one inning to pick up a blown save and the loss.
On the mend: Reed Johnson was in the outfield shagging fly balls during practice on Saturday, but he was still throwing the baseballs back to the infield in an underhand motion. Johnson continues to deal with the soreness in his right elbow, and he is slowly working his way back into the daily baseball drills. While Johnson isn't throwing yet, he did pick up a bat and hit in the cage -- something he couldn't do without feeling pain last week.
Quotable: "The way I look at it is, if I'm the way I used to be, then I'm a pretty good pitcher and somebody will find a spot for me somewhere. If I can help Toronto out, that'd be great, because this is a great bunch of guys here." -- Weber
Source: http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/
Jays drop slugfest to Phillies
03/04/2006
Blue Jays at the plate: Catcher Bengie Molina pulled a two-run double down the left-field line that scored Shea Hillenbrand and Eric Hinske in the third inning. Outfielder John-Ford Griffin sent a pitch over the palm trees in left-center field for a solo home run in the second, his first long ball of the spring. Luis Figueroa added an RBI double in the sixth.
Phillies at the plate: Shane Victorino and Chris Roberson hit back-to-back home runs off Toronto's Ricky Romero in the seventh inning. Abraham Nunez hit a two-run homer in the third inning. First baseman Ryan Howard hit a double off Blue Jays starter Josh Towers in the second inning and later scored on an RBI groundout by Sal Fasano. Fasano added an RBI double in the fourth.
Blue Jays on the mound: Romero allowed four runs on four hits in one inning to pick up the loss. Towers gave up one run on one hit and struck out two in his first appearance of the spring. Reliever Shaun Marcum allowed two runs on two hits in one inning.
Phillies on the mound: Starter Ricardo Rodriguez allowed one run on three hits, walked one and struck out one in two innings. Daniel Haigwood allowed three runs on four hits, walked one and hit another batter in one inning.
Grapefruit League records: Blue Jays 1-3; Phillies 3-0.
Source: http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/
Jays take closer look at bullpen depth
03/05/2006
DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Toronto's bullpen appears to have seven relievers locked in for Major League jobs, but the recent injury to Justin Speier raises questions about who the next options might be.
The Blue Jays signed veteran pitchers James Baldwin and Ben Weber to Minor League contracts this winter and they could be two possible replacements if someone gets hurt.
Baldwin, 34, had a good stint with Baltimore as a reliever last year. The right-hander posted a 3.20 ERA in 20 games with the Orioles. Weber, 36, has struggled with injuries during the last two years, but he's trying to use his time with Toronto to regain the form he displayed in 2002-03, when he was with the Angels. During those two seasons, Weber was 12-3 with a 2.61 ERA.
Beyond those two, Toronto has a few younger pitchers it could turn to. Blue Jays manager John Gibbons has noted Dustin McGowan, Shaun Marcum and Brandon League as possible solutions if one of the Major League relievers were to get injured.
On the move: Wayne Lydon has played in just three games, but the outfielder has already turned some heads. In his only official games of Spring Training so far, Lydon is 3-for-5. In the exhibition game against Team Canada, Lydon was 1-for-2 with Toronto's first home run and stolen base of the spring and a walk.
Lydon played for the Double-A Binghamton Mets last year and swiped 42 bases. He'll probably start at Double-A this year, but if he keeps impressing his new club, Triple-A might not be out of the question.
Names in the game: Marty Pevey, who spent part of the 1989 season as a catcher and outfielder for Montreal, was hired as Toronto's new first base coach after managing Triple-A Syracuse last season. This is Pevey's ninth year coaching in the organization and his second stint at the Major League level. He has been spending a lot of time working with the outfielders.
They're No. 1: Aaron Hill, who was Toronto's first selection in 2003, has been getting used to a new position this spring. Hill was drafted as a shortstop out of Louisiana State and played short in the Minors, but the 23-year-old will be the Blue Jays' everyday second baseman this year. Hill is working with Toronto infield intructor Brian Butterfield on perfecting the pivot-turn for double plays -- one of the more difficult aspects of the transition.
Class of '05: Ricky Romero, who was selected sixth overall last year, made his first ever Spring Training appearance on Saturday against Philadelphia. The 21-year-old left-hander had a rough debut -- giving up four runs, two earned, on four hits in one inning to pick up a blown save and the loss. He allowed back-to-back home runs to Shane Victorino and Chris Roberson and nearly yielded a third straight bomb when Marc Tugwell followed with a double off the center-field wall.
Stat machine: The good: Shortstop Sergio Santos has just two hits this spring -- both doubles. The not-so-good: Pitchers Ricky Romero, Shaun Marcum and Ismael Ramirez each have appeared in one inning and they all currently have an ERA of 18.00. The bad: Pitcher Vince Perkins has an ERA of 40.50 after giving up three runs on two hits in two-thirds of an inning.
What they're saying: "He can fly. I didn't know him when he was with the Mets -- I had only heard his name over there. This is a chance -- first year in this organization -- to open some eyes and he's been doing that." -- Gibbons, on Lydon
Source: http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/
Notes: Lilly makes spring debut
03/05/2006
DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Before Sunday's game against the Yankees, John Gibbons was asked when Ted Lilly last made a Spring Training start for Toronto. The Blue Jays skipper shrugged his shoulders and couldn't come up with an answer.
"Has he made one?" Gibbons asked the small crowd of reporters, which also had a hard time recalling the last time the lefty took the mound in March.
Believe it or not, Lilly made a pair of Spring Training starts back in 2004, but he missed most of that spring with a wrist injury. Lilly didn't pitch at all last spring due to shoulder issues.
There he was, though, back on the hill against New York at Knology Park -- a rare sight since he signed with Toronto before the '04 season.
"I'm ahead of schedule if you compare it to last year," Lilly joked. "This is something that I missed and that I needed to do. It's nice [to be back on the mound]."
Lilly pitched threw 36 pitches -- 24 for strikes -- in two innings against the Yankees. He gave up one run on five hits and struck out one. His outing wasn't picture perfect, but the southpaw said afterwards that he was focussing more on making quality pitches, rather than worrying about the outcome.
"Obviously, I don't want to go out there and give up runs, but the objective is to make good pitches and if guys happen to get infield hits, that's going to happen," Lilly said. "That's the objective, especially here in Spring Training, to not focus so much on the results at this point."
Toronto is counting on better results from Lilly during this season.
Last year, the left-hander missed a month in the second half with biceps tendinitis. Lilly finished 10-11 with a 5.56 ERA a year after being selected as an American League All-Star and posting his second straight 12-win season. He notched just 25 starts after making at least 30 starts the previous two years.
"If we're going to do anything this year, we need a big year out of him," Gibbons said. "So the sooner he can get ready the better. He's feeling good."
One more to go: Left-handed pitcher Adrian Burnside will head to Orlando on Monday to join Team Australia for the World Baseball Classic. Burnside -- born in Alice Springs, Australia -- is excited about his chance to represent his country.
"I don't know what to expect. But baseball is baseball, so it should be fun," Burnside said.
Australia is in Pool D of the tournament with the Dominican Republic, Venezuela and Italy. The Australians' first game is against Toronto's Frank Catalanotto and Team Italy at 8 p.m. [ET] on Tuesday in Orlando. The Dominicans and the Venezuelans are the heavy favorites to advance to the second round, but Burnside isn't heading to the Classic worrying about his team's chances.
"Well, I don't think many people thought Korea would beat Japan," Burnside said with a smile. "You never know."
Besides Burnside and Catalanotto, Vernon Wells (Team USA), Alex Rios (Puerto Rico), Gustavo Chacin (Venezuela) and Vince Perkins (Canada) are the other Blue Jays taking part in the innaugural tournament.
Burnside made his first appearance of the spring on Sunday and picked up the loss against the Yankees. The 6-foot-3 left-hander gave up one run on three hits in one inning. Burnside also had one strikeout and one walk.
Progress: The Spring Training season is still young, but Gibbons has liked what he's seen so far from new second baseman Aaron Hill.
"The few days I've seen, I've got a pretty good idea of how he's going to be," Gibbons said. "I think he's going to be solid. I think he's going to improve throughout the year. As the season goes on, he's going to get better and more comfortable out there."
On Sunday, Hill flashed some of his solid glovework in the second inning. Hill made a sliding grab behind second base on a grounder from New York's Robinson Cano. After the 23-year-old infielder recovered, he threw to first base from his knees to force Cano out.
Hill's defense at second isn't the main concern right now for the Blue Jays. He is a converted shortstop and spent time at third, short and second last year with Toronto. What Hill is working on the most is turning double plays from the right side.
"I saw enough of him out there last year," Gibbons said. "The big thing is he's got to get his footwork down. He's got to get his hands down. [Toronto infield instructor Brian Butterfield] is working with him on getting his hands together on the turn and that's going to come with time."
Guests of honor: Former Toronto manager Cito Gaston and former Blue Jays outfielder George Bell have made appearances at Knology Park this weekend as guest coaches for the Jays. On Saturday, Gaston and Bell sat together next to Toronto's dugout during the game against the Phillies and the crowd gave the pair a warm round of applause before the first pitch. Former Toronto pitcher Pat Hentgen has also been in camp working as a guest coach for Jays pitchers.
Back to camp: Catcher Robinzon Diaz, who was a non-roster invitee for Toronto, was returned to Minor League camp on Sunday.
Quotable: "This is a battle of cellar-dwellers then, right?" --Gibbons, joking about both the Blue Jays and Yankees entering Sunday's game without a win
Source: http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/
Lilly makes his spring debut
03/05/2006
Blue Jays at the plate: Catcher Gregg Zaun had an RBI double that scored John Hattig in the fourth inning. Chad Mottola knocked in John-Ford Griffin with an RBI single off New York's Mike Mussina in the second.
Yankees at the plate: Hideki Matsui went 3-for-3 with a double and two runs. Andy Phillips had an RBI double that scored Matsui in the fifth. Jorge Posada and Felix Escalona added RBI singles. New York outhit Toronto, 12-7.
Blue Jays on the mound: Starter Ted Lilly pitched two innings in his first Spring Training start for Toronto since 2004. Lilly threw 36 pitches -- 24 for strikes -- and gave up one run and five hits with one strikeout. B.J. Ryan allowed one run and two hits in one inning and Adrian Burnside took the loss after allowing one run on three hits in the fifth inning.
Yankees on the mound: Mussina gave up one run on four hits and struck out two batters in 2 2/3 innings. Phil Hughes walked two and gave up one run on one hit in 1 1/3 innings and earned the win.
Grapefruit League records: Yankees 1-3; Blue Jays 0-4.
Source: http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/
Banks trying to emulate Moose
03/06/2006
TAMPA, Fla. -- The ballpark was a lot smaller, the atmosphere was much quieter and his favorite pitcher was wearing a different uniform. But Blue Jays pitcher Josh Banks still wanted to make sure he had a good seat.
Banks was just 9 years old when Mike Mussina started his career with the Orioles, and the Toronto Minor Leaguer fondly recalls growing up in Baltimore and heading to the ballpark with his dad to watch Mussina pitch. Moose was with the O's until Banks was 18, and the young pitcher did his best to emulate his childhood hero.
Now 23, Banks had the chance to get a much closer look at Mussina when the Yankees faced the Blue Jays at Knology Park in Dunedin, Fla., on Sunday. Banks didn't get the opportunity to meet the New York hurler, but he did come face to face with the style of pitching that he's tried to display while climbing Toronto's organizational ladder.
"We had season tickets growing up. I missed every first day of school," Banks said about going to watch the Orioles with his dad. "When I heard he was pitching [against Toronto], I was in the dugout right away.
"I used to do his move to first base, where he dips his shoulder, but in high school they stopped allowing that," he added with a laugh. "When I was growing up, I always loved to see that good control. So that was kind of my goal when I started throwing. It's worked out fairly well so far."
Banks has harnessed that Mussina-esque control so well that it's hard not to do a double-take when looking at his recent statistics.
Last year, Banks logged 162 innings across 27 starts for Double-A New Hampshire. He only walked 11 batters and struck out 145. During one stretch, Banks went eight straight starts without allowing a free pass.
He takes great pride in the low walk total and is even quick to point out how close he came to keeping the number below 10.
"I walked two guys [in my second to last game], and both of them could've been strikeouts," said Banks, noting that both walks came after working the hitters into an 0-2 count. "It's all right, though. I was trying to keep it in single digits."
Since being drafted by Toronto in the 2003 First-Year Player Draft, Banks has quickly climbed through the Minors. He made the jump from Class A Dunedin to Double-A in 2004 and stayed with New Hampshire last season. The 6-foot-3, 195-pound pitcher is going to start this year with Triple-A Syracuse.
"We're going to keep him in the starting role," Toronto general manager J.P. Ricciardi said. "Eventually, he may be a reliever in the big leagues. Only time will tell. ... He's still in the development stages, but he's exactly where he should be at this stage of his career. It's going to be fun to watch him in Triple-A."
The Blue Jays picked up Banks with the 50th selection in 2003 draft. He probably could have been taken higher, but he said some teams expressed concerns about a few of his past injuries. In 2002, Banks suffered a strained elbow ligament, and later he had problems with blisters on his throwing hand.
"Besides my sophomore year [at Florida International University], I had never been hurt before," Banks said. "I had always been able to throw. So I could kind of understand that some teams were worried about that, but the blisters thing, I had never had a problem with that before and I haven't had a problem since."
Banks said the Giants talked to him about possibly taking him late in the first round. He also talked to the Marlins, Blue Jays and Orioles, an organization he thought might have picked him with the 44th selection because it was in his hometown.
"I just kind of listened to everybody that was being picked and waited my turn, and I was still around, luckily, for the Blue Jays to get me," Banks said.
"We're glad we got him. He's done a good job and is developing along. I think coming to camp is important to him," Ricciardi said. "He's got one thing in his favor: He throws strikes and he trusts his stuff. I think that's important.
With the injuries behind him and his statistics displaying nothing but durability, Banks said he figures some of the teams that passed on him are kicking themselves now.
"I'm pretty sure if you look at my numbers against the Giants, they're pretty good in the last two years," Banks said with a smile. "I'm sure they've noticed."
Much like Mussina, Banks has five pitches in his arsenal -- a fastball that can reach 93 mph, a slider in the 80s and a changeup and curveball that register in the 70s.
This is Banks' second Spring Training with the Major League club. He said the nerves he felt in his first spring with Toronto haven't been there as much this time around. The only time any sort of nerves might have crept back was when he was sitting in the dugout watching Mussina.
"That was probably the closest I have ever been to him. It was nice," Banks said. "He looks a lot bigger on TV."
Source: http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/
Notes: McGowan has tough outing
03/06/2006
TAMPA, Fla. -- Dustin McGowan sat at his locker after his short stay on the mound at Legends Field and tried to find an explanation for his poor showing. After a brief pause, he shrugged his shoulders and gave his answer.
"Just one of those days," McGowan said softly. "I've had a few of those."
McGowan gave up seven runs on six hits in one-plus inning against the Yankees on Monday. The 23-year-old right-hander was pulled in the second after yielding a two-run home run to New York second baseman Robinson Cano -- the fourth and fifth runs of the frame.
The statistics that resulted from his outing were the least of McGowan's concerns, though. He seemed to be struggling to figure out what exactly was at the root of his problems.
"Physically, I feel fine. I've got to find a groove out there where I'm comfortable," McGowan said. "Right now, I'm not comfortable and I'm on the mound thinking too much and things start moving too fast. I just have to find a way to slow it down and start pitching."
When McGowan was called up to temporarily join Toronto's rotation last year, he labored at times in the first few innings of a start. After getting through the first few frames, though, he had a tendency to find that "groove" and settle down.
He said those early-inning struggles weren't comparable to his current issues.
"It's a little different. I'm just not comfortable on the mound right now," McGowan said. "Everything -- my mechanics feel out of whack. And last year during the season, at least I felt normal on the mound; I just made bad pitches. Right now, it seems like I'm fighting a lot of stuff."
Toronto manager John Gibbons said the outing wasn't anything to worry about and the purpose of the preseason is to work out some of those early kinks.
"He's erratic. That's not him. He's trying to find it right now, and he will," Gibbons said. "That's why you have Spring Training."
McGowan didn't necessarily agree.
"I've been here for a while throwing. I should be close," he said. "I've had quite a few bullpens where I felt great, but now it's nothing like that."
McGowan also spent time in the Toronto bullpen last year and experienced more success in that role. Gibbons said McGowan could continue to be a reliever in the Majors, but the club is planning on sending him to Triple-A in order to get him more innings as a starter. McGowan could be called up if a pitcher in the rotation or the 'pen gets injured.
"He's a big part of the future here. There's no question about that," Gibbons said. "He'll iron it out. He's too good not to."
Power surge: Toronto entered Monday's game against New York with only two home runs in five games. Only one of those was official -- a solo shot by John-Ford Griffin against the Phillies on Saturday -- and neither of the long balls came from a Toronto Major Leaguer. The other came from Minor Leaguer Wayne Lydon in an exhibition game against Team Canada.
Against the Yankees, though, the Blue Jays went yard three times. New third baseman Troy Glaus hit a two-run homer off New York starter Chien-Ming Wang that fell about 10 feet shy of clearing the black backdrop in center at Legends Field. Glaus finished 2-for-3 with four RBIs.
"He has been taking some good swings," Gibbons said. "That's what we got him for. He's intimidating when he steps in there."
In the second inning, Eric Hinske pulled a pitch from Wang to right for a solo shot. In the fifth inning, Minor Leaguer Kevin Barker added a three-run homer.
Elsewhere: A few of the Blue Jays who left camp to compete in the World Baseball Classic took part in some exhibition games over the weekend. On Sunday, outfielder Alex Rios had an RBI single and a run scored in Puerto Rico's 6-1 win over the Mets, and center fielder Vernon Wells went 0-for-2 in Team USA's 11-7 victory over the Giants. On Saturday, Frank Catalanotto played left field and went 0-for-2 with a walk in Italy's 6-5 loss to the Tigers.
Quotable: "[I wasn't] getting ahead with quality fastballs. I got behind and had to throw it across the middle of the plate, and every time I did that, I got hit hard." -- McGowan, on his outing against the Yankees on Monday
Source: http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/
Mailbag: Assessing the double-play duo
03/06/2006
How does the new double-play tandem of Aaron Hill and Russ Adams look? Do they look comfortable with each other, or have balls been scooting into the outfield?-- James R., Los Angeles
Hill joined Adams in Dunedin, Fla., a couple of weeks before they had to officially report to the Bobby Mattick Training Center for Spring Training. The pair has been spending countless hours together on the field training with third-base coach and infield instructor Brian Butterfield.
So far, Adams and Hill have looked pretty solid defensively in practice. They have also been spending a lot of time with infielder John McDonald, who is very sound fundamentally and can serve as a valuable mentor to them as they continue to develop.
Butterfield said that Hill's main focus will be getting accustomed to turning the double play from the second-base side. Last year, Hill -- who played shortstop in the Minors -- mainly used a jump turn when turning double plays from second. The 23-year-old has been perfecting the pivot turn this spring, though. The pivot is the one aspect of Hill's new position that he'll be spending most of his time focusing on.
Adams struggled with throwing accuracy at times last season, but Butterfield saw improvement as the season wore on. So far this spring, Adams seems to be picking up where he left off last year, but it's still going to take him time to develop into an everyday shortstop in the Majors. He made 26 errors last year, but keep in mind that Toronto's four-time Gold Glove shortstop, Tony Fernandez, made 30 errors in his first full season with the Blue Jays.
Ben Weber was an outstanding pitcher when he was with the 2002 World Series champs, the Angels. What are the chances he will return to this form and start the season with the Jays? This would be a great addition to an already great bullpen. Who would be sent down in that situation?--Rhys W., Salmon Arm, British Columbia
Weber's chances of breaking camp with the Major League team seem to be slim to none. Toronto's bullpen appears to be set with seven relievers: B.J. Ryan, Scott Schoeneweis, Scott Downs, Pete Walker, Vinnie Chulk, Jason Frasor and Justin Speier. The only way for Weber to get a job seems to be if one of those pitchers goes down with an injury.
Speier is resting an injured right middle finger -- the same finger in which he had a strained tendon at the end of last year. Speier will be throwing in a bullpen session on March 9, and if he experiences any lingering pain, he'll be given a cortisone shot and will be questionable for Opening Day. Right now, it doesn't look as though the injury will lead to that, but it does raise questions about who the next option would be if a player does get hurt.
Weber would be one of those options, but not the only one. There is also James Baldwin, Dustin McGowan, Shaun Marcum and Brandon League, among others. If Weber has an outstanding spring and Toronto considers replacing someone in the bullpen, Pete Walker might be the one on the bubble -- emphasis on if and might. It doesn't look as though there will be room for Weber.
Weber had surgery in November to repair a ruptured disc in his neck, a condition that was causing issues in his throwing arm. Toronto signed the right-hander to a Minor League contract in order to give him the opportunity to get over the injury that led to ballooned stats over the last two years. If Weber doesn't break camp with Toronto, he has a clause in his contract that will allow him to talk to other teams later in the season.
Who's going to be filling the two-hole this year in the Blue Jays batting order? Would it be someone like Hill, or could Lyle Overbay be pushed into that spot?-- Ryan J., Kanata, Ontario
Manager John Gibbons has named outfielder Frank Catalanotto as the primary No. 2 hitter, but Catalanotto will be platooning in left field with Reed Johnson. Catalanotto will be used against right-handed pitchers. When lefties are on the mound, Adams could slide from the leadoff spot and hit second, with Johnson in the No. 1 hole.
If Gibbons wants to keep Adams in the leadoff spot and Catalanotto is not playing in left, another option could be Hill. You're right, though -- Gibbons could try Overbay second, or maybe even Alex Rios. But as of right now, it looks as though Catalanotto will be the main No. 2 guy, with Adams at leadoff, Overbay in the fifth spot and Hill probably batting ninth.
What are the chances of seeing League in the bullpen this season? And where will he be used with Frasor and Speier as the setup men?-- Drew K., Sudbury, Ontario
As is the case with Weber, there just isn't room in the inn for League. The bullpen is stocked with right-handers, and League probably won't be one of them come Opening Day. League will most likely start the season with Triple-A Syracuse, but he could be called up if the 'pen is hit with a few injuries.
As far as the setup situation goes, Gibbons said that he hasn't named any one pitcher to that role. He's more likely to use Speier, Frasor, Chulk and Schoeneweis in the eighth inning at various times. Gibbons didn't have a set eighth-inning pitcher last year, and that will continue to be the case. Speier would possibly be considered the No. 1 setup pitcher for Ryan, but Gibbons will probably just continue to play the hot hand.
I heard a rumor that Pat Hentgen is helping the Blue Jays this spring. He's one of the best pitchers the great city of Toronto has ever had. What kind of odds are there that he could end up coaching with them in the next few seasons? I don't see how it could hurt to have a former Cy Young winner in the dugout.-- Craig B., Fairport
Well, Craig, it isn't a rumor. Hentgen was asked to come to Toronto's Spring Training site to serve as a guest coach, and he gladly accepted the offer. He has been spending a lot of time working with the younger pitchers this year.
On his first day in camp, Hentgen was asked if he'd consider using this experience as a trial run for a potential coaching career. He didn't say yes, but he didn't say no, either. Hentgen said that he loves being around the game and helping the players, but that he wasn't sure he would consider going into coaching full-time just yet.
Source: http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/
Glaus homers, but Jays fall to Yanks
03/06/2006
Yankees at the plate: Second baseman Robinson Cano homered off Blue Jays starter Dustin McGowan and went 3-for-3 with two RBIs. Hideki Matsui doubled in his only at-bat in his second game of the spring.
Blue Jays at the plate: Third baseman Troy Glaus homered to deep center field off Yankees starter Chien-Ming Wang in the first. Eric Hinske took Aaron Small deep and finished 2-for-3, and left fielder Kevin Barker also homered.
Yankees on the mound: Wang didn't impress in his first start of the spring, giving up three runs on six hits in two innings. Small pitched two innings and gave up three runs (one earned) on four hits.
Blue Jays on the mound: McGowan had a rough outing in his first action of the spring, yielding seven runs on six hits in one-plus inning with one strikeout and two walks. James Baldwin pitched an inning and gave up one run on two hits.
Grapefruit League records: Yankees 2-3; Blue Jays 0-5.
Source: http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/
Jays full of memories of Puckett
03/07/2006
DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Even the smallest corners of the baseball world are mourning the loss of Hall of Famer Kirby Puckett. At Knology Park, the flags were flying at half mast in center field -- the position that Puck mastered despite his short stature.
During Toronto's pregame batting practice on Tuesday, former Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston couldn't help but smile at the thought of Puckett -- even if the Twins star did lead his team to victory in five games over Gaston's Blue Jays in the 1991 American League Championship Series and followed that with a classic World Series triumph over the Atlanta Braves.
"I remember he wore us out. He made some great, great catches on us," said Gaston, recalling that series. "We're going to miss him. His family, we really feel bad for them -- and the game. When he left, everybody was sad. He brought so much to the table for us and the fans. Just watching him play from the other side was great."
Puckett, who was 45, passed away on Monday afternoon at a hospital in Phoenix a day after suffering a stroke at his home in Scottsdale, Ariz.
The Hall of Famer's career was cut short in 1996, when glaucoma crippled his vision. The stroke cut short Puckett's life, which anyone who came into contact with him will say was lived to the fullest.
"He died so young," said George Bell, who played many games against Puckett as an outfielder for the Jays. "He was one of the nicest guys that came into the game in my time playing. It's too bad he ran out of time, but that's the way life is."
Bell is at Toronto's camp serving as a guest coach this spring, and he isn't the only Blue Jays coach who played against Puckett. Toronto hitting coach Mickey Brantley, who was an outfielder for Seattle in the late 1980s, remembers being in awe of Puckett's abilities -- especially given the fact that Puck stood just 5-foot-8.
"He could run. You could see his body was short and stocky, but he could run," Brantley said with a smile. "He could hit for power, he had it all. Good arm. He was a very good outfielder.
"He kind of did all the things," he added. "But to look at him -- to me, he looked a little overweight, a little heavy, and you didn't think you could get all of that out of that guy. But he was a very good athlete."
A good enough athlete to take away some hits that might have been home runs for Bell.
"He robbed me a couple times in that plastic out there," Bell said, referring to the tarps hanging over the walls at the Metrodome. "He was a hard worker. He learned how to play in there, and he brought life to the game in Minnesota."
Puckett, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2001, played 12 years with Minnesota. He was the club's all-time leader in hits (2,304), doubles (414), total bases (3,453), at-bats (7,244) and runs (1,071). He was also a 10-time All-Star, a six-time Gold Glove Award winner and a five-time Silver Slugger Award recipient.
After hitting .429 with two homers and five RBIs in the five ALCS games against Toronto in '91, Puckett was named the series' Most Valuable Player.
His abilities were more than enough to frustrate any manager.
"I saw him hit a home run off Tom Henke in an extra-inning game," Gaston said. "The ball had to be at least eye-high. It beat us. He tomahawked it right out of the ballpark. So when we used to have meetings and they'd ask me, 'How do you pitch Kirby?', I said, 'You tell me.' "
What Puckett did after getting one of his many hits is one of the things that sticks out the most for Bell.
"I have a lot of good memories about Kirby. When he used to get a base hit, he'd throw his bat and it'd be flying all over the field," Bell said with a laugh. "He was a unique player. We need some more players in this age and time coming in the big leagues that play like Kirby."
The first sentence on Puckett's Hall of Fame plaque describes him as having "an ever-present smile and infectious exuberance." Gaston said that even after Puckett's playing days ended abruptly, the Twins legend still displayed those same qualities.
"I saw him one time. I think he was broadcasting for [the Twins]," Gaston said. "He was still the same ol' Kirby. Off the field, he was the same -- the same guy: Happy with a big smile and living life to the fullest."
Source: http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/
Notes: Halladay back in groove
03/07/2006
DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Three innings. Nine batters.
Roy Halladay was back to his usual self on Tuesday, when he easily disposed of the Reds hitters he faced in his second Spring Training start at Knology Park. Toronto's ace was especially pleased with the outing, considering his spring debut didn't go as smoothly.
On March 2, Halladay gave up four hits and four unearned runs in just one inning of a loss to Tampa Bay. This time, though, the right-hander needed just 25 pitches to make his way once through the Reds lineup, and he forced five groundouts in the process.
"Last time, some of the fly balls were still bloopers, but [the hitters] were getting the bottom half, so it's a little elevated," Halladay said. "Location-wise, I was better down in the zone and early. If I can work down and get ahead, staying down, then I can get them to try and swing a bit earlier and hopefully hit the ball into the ground. That's always key for me."
The only batter who managed a hit against Halladay was former Toronto shortstop Felipe Lopez, who reached on a single to left. Lopez was then retired when Halladay picked him off while he was trying to steal second base.
After Lopez, Scott Hatteberg chopped a ball up the middle that bounced off Halladay's foot -- a scary reminder of the line drive that broke the pitcher's left tibia last July. Halladay fielded Hatteberg's hit and threw him out at first.
But did Halladay flinch?
"No," he said with a laugh. "I don't know where it hit me. I didnt feel it. I think it hit me on the bottom of the shoe."
After the first inning, Halladay set down the next six batters in order, including one strikeout to Austin Kearns.
"The first inning, there were a couple balls -- the base hit and the one back at me -- that [I left] more in the middle," Halladay said. "But I felt in the second and third inning [that] I was able to start locating a little bit better. I threw a good changeup and a couple decent curveballs."
While Halladay was happy with his results against Cincinnati, he still felt that it wasn't the sharpest he's been this spring. Other than his two spring starts, Halladay also threw in the first intrasquad game earlier this spring and needed just seven pictches to retire the only three batters he faced.
"I think stuff-wise, some of the batting practices have been a little better," Halladay said. "I had a little more movement, and I don't know if it's wind -- I don't know what it was. [Tuesday] was good, but there's always things you're looking to improve, especially in Spring Training. You're trying to find those things and work them out."
Checkups: Outfielder Reed Johnson hit off a tee and in a soft-toss session with manager John Gibbons on Tuesday. Johnson swung a bat in a cage over the weekend, but he didn't hit baseballs. Last week, Gibbons said that Johnson experienced pain in his right elbow while swinging, so he took some time off from hitting activities.
Johnson has been feeling pain in his elbow for the last couple of weeks, and he hasn't been throwing during that period. The left fielder was shagging fly balls in the outfield during batting practice, but he was either having another player throw balls back to the infield for him or tossing them in underhand. No timetable has been set for when Johnson might start taking part in throwing excercises again.
Reliever Justin Speier has been throwing with a splint on his injured middle finger for the last four or five days. Tuesday was the first day that the 32-year-old right-hander played catch without wearing the splint. Speier said that his finger, which he aggravated in the first batting practice of the spring, was feeling better and that he was still on pace to test it in a bullpen session on Thursday.
If everything goes well in the bullpen session, Speier should begin making appearances in some Spring Training contests. If he still experiences pain, Speier said that he'll receive a cortisone shot and would probably be questionable for Opening Day. The middle finger is the same one that suffered a strained tendon last September.
Long gone: A small crowd formed around a TV inside Toronto's clubhouse to catch some of the Dominican Republic-Venezuela World Baseball Classic game. The Toronto spectators tuned in just in time to see former Blue Jays closer Miguel Batista take the mound for the Dominicans.
When Batista entered the game, his team was winning, 6-0. When he was removed, Venezuela trailed, 6-4. The right-hander gave up two home runs -- a two-run homer to Miguel Cabrera and a solo shot by Edgardo Alfonzo.
Batista, who was traded with Orlando Hudson to the Diamondbacks in exchange for Troy Glaus and Sergio Santos in December, allowed four runs on five hits in three innings.
Quotable: "The Dominicans are going to beat everyone easy." -- George Bell, who was born in San Pedro de Macoris, D.R., while watching the Dominicans play Venezuela on TV
Source: http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/
Halladay faces minimum in Jays' win
03/07/2006
Blue Jays at the plate: Shea Hillenbrand hit his first home run of the spring, a three-run shot to center field in the first inning. Three batters later, outfielder John-Ford Griffin added an RBI double. Curtis Thigpen added an RBI double, as well, in the third inning. Catcher Erik Kratz hit a solo home run in the eighth.
Reds at the plate: Felipe Lopez went 2-for-3 with a double and a single. Lopez reached first on a dropped third strike in the sixth inning, and he later scored on a two-run double down the left-field line by Edwin Encarnacion. Steve Torrealba added an RBI single in the ninth inning.
Blue Jays on the mound: Roy Halladay pitched three innings and faced the minimum of nine batters. The right-hander forced five groundouts and struck out one in his second start of the spring. Halladay, who threw 25 pitches, did allow one hit -- a single to Lopez, who was then caught stealing.
Reds on the mound: Left-hander Eric Milton, who missed his first start of the spring with a strained right calf, lasted just two-thirds of an inning against Toronto. Milton walked one and allowed four runs on four hits, including the homer to Hillenbrand. Milton left the game after 33 pitches and after working Thigpen into a 3-2 count. Chris Michalak finished off the frame.
Grapefruit League records: Toronto 1-5, Cincinnati 3-4
Source: http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/
Notes: Burnett making changes
03/08/2006
DUNEDIN, Fla. -- There's a reason for Spring Training. Just ask A.J. Burnett.
When the newest Toronto starter has felt the most comfortable pitching from the wind-up, he wound up in a situation that dictated he work from the stretch. When Burnett was feeling better from the stretch, he has ended up needing to pitch from the wind-up.
"I guess that's what the spring is for -- getting comfortable doing both," said Burnett, after pitching three innings against Cleveland on Wednesday.
In his start against the Indians, Burnett was feeling better out of the wind-up. He proved that point after quickly setting down the first three batters he faced. In the second and third innings, though, Burnett allowed leadoff singles, was forced into the stretch, and wound up giving up four runs on five hits.
Toronto pitching coach Brad Arnsberg has been working on restructuring Burnett's technique when pitching from the wind-up. In the past, the right-hander would turn his body without lifting his hands, but Arnsberg now has Burnett raising his hands over his head during the delivery.
Burnett is already enjoying the new method.
"I like how it feels. It's just a matter of the more times I get out there, the better it'll feel," Burnett said. "It's just less movement. Before I was up and down with the hands and tended to carry my hands a lot, instead of getting the ball out of the glove. Going over the top seems to keep me back and allows the hands to come out sooner than before."
"I didn't like the turn-back look," Arnsberg said recently. "I'm so glad now to see him almost into what I would call a conventional delivery. I believe his ball-out-of-glove [movement] is a little more consistent, which is going to help. He's digging what we're doing already."
The right stuff: Eric Hinske hit his second home run of the spring on Wednesday and raised his Spring Training batting average to .400 in five games. Hinske has been getting most of the playing time in right field, a position he's made a relatively smooth transition to after serving as a corner infielder in his first four big-league seasons.
Hinske has been able to have extra time in right field because Alex Rios is currently playing for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic. While Rios' absense has allowed Hinske to get more outfield work in, it's also enabled him to get into a good groove at the plate.
"A couple homers for him now. Even the outs he's making, he's hitting the ball on the nose," Toronto manager John Gibbons said. "It's got to help [having extra playing time]. He's getting plenty of work out there in the outfield. He's doing good."
So far, Gibbons has been happy with Hinske's performance in right field, too.
"He's gone into the corner a couple times pretty good, made a couple nice spin throws to second base," Gibbons said. "I can see his arm has already gotten better. He's stretching it out a little bit. He's doing OK."
Impressed: Andy Marte was one of the main reasons Cleveland defeated Toronto, 7-4, on Wednesday, but Gibbons still raved about the Indians' third-base prospect after the game. Marte, who was acquired in the deal that sent outfielder Coco Crisp to Boston, went 4-for-4 with a two-run home run off Burnett, a double, two singles and a sacrifice fly.
"Oh, wow. He swings it," Gibbons said. "We said he looks like a young George Bell out there. George was sitting out there and he said, 'He's trying to be [me].'
"There's certain guys that stand out, and he's one of them," he added. "Every swing he took, he was right on the ball. The ball has a different sound coming off his bat."
Classic update: A number of Blue Jays were taking part in the World Baseball Classic on Tuesday.
Rios went 2-for-3 with a solo home run for Puerto Rico in a 2-1 win over Panama. Jays outfielder Frank Catalanotto went 2-for-4 with a triple, an RBI and one run scored in Italy's 10-0 victory over Australia. Blue Jays center fielder Vernon Wells didn't get an at-bat, but pinch-ran for Ken Griffey in Team USA's 2-0 win over Mexico. Toronto bench coach and Team Canada manager Ernie Whitt saw his squad rally for four runs in the ninth inning to beat South Africa, 11-8.
Quotable: "I know Rios and I know Hinske. I just didnt know [Hinske] in the outfield. We know Alex and we'll watch what he does in that tournament. If it all clicks, watch out." -- Gibbons, on determining who might win the right-field job come Opening Day
Source: http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/
Downs revels in newfound job security
03/08/2006
DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Every time that Scott Downs takes the mound this spring, he can let out a little sigh of relief. He finally has a job waiting for him.
The left-handed pitcher has been traded three times, has undergone Tommy John surgery, and had a handful temporary big-league stints that never amounted to a full-time position. Then, Toronto took a chance and signed Downs to a Minor League contract before last season.
Downs received his call to the Majors last May and hasn't looked back since. He was a large part of the bullpen that led the American League East in ERA and he was one of the pitchers that helped keep the starting rotation intact when Roy Halladay and Ted Lilly were injured.
The versatility and consistency that Downs displayed has given him Major League job security for the first time in his career.
"This is the first year coming in where I think it's my job to lose," Downs said. "Then again, saying that, you never know what can happen. You still have to go out there and work and bust your butt. You realize that nothing is guaranteed and nothing is a given until Opening Day."
As far as Toronto manager John Gibbons is concerned, having Downs in the bullpen for the upcoming season is a given. That's something that Gibbons knows has to feel good, especially given Downs' rocky path to his current position.
"He's guaranteed a job. It's got to [boost his confidence]," Gibbons said. "When you're always fighting for a spot, it makes it that much tougher. Now, he can just relax and get ready to go."
Downs will have the same role as he did a year ago. The 29-year-old southpaw will serve as a long reliever, but will also be available to make starts, if needed. It's a unique job to have in the Majors, but it's a role that Downs loves.
Last season, he found sucess in the rotation and out of the bullpen. Downs was 4-3 with a 4.30 ERA in 13 games as a starter and he had a 4.32 ERA in 13 appearances as a reliever.
"I like that role," Downs said. "To be able to go out there to show you can throw an inning, or two, or three, or four out of the 'pen, that's key at the Major League level with any club.
"Here, especially, we have such a strong starting staff and such a strong bullpen," he added. "It's a good fit for myself to be in that middle role. If a starter happens to struggle, to be able to get us to the sixth inning, where we're solid -- it's a fun role."
Downs had to go through his share of ups and downs to reach the point he's at now.
He made 19 starts in 2000 with the Chicago Cubs and Montreal Expos. Then, Downs had to have elbow ligament replacement surgery that shortened his stay in the Majors. He didn't make another big league appearance until 2003, and didn't have semi-regular work until pitching in 12 games for the Expos in '04.
He was traded from the Cubs to the Twins, from the Twins back to the Cubs, and from the Cubs to the Expos, before finally signing with the Blue Jays. Downs said concerns about his previous injury probably played a part in his forced travels.
"I almost had to redo it again and reestablish myself. It just takes the right situation at the right time," Downs said. "I think last year was the situation for me to prove that I can pitch in the big leagues and that I'm over all the injuries."
Last year, Downs did his part to help Halladay and Lilly when they were injured. Toronto pitching coach Brad Arnsberg said that Downs' performances when helping out the starting rotation were invaluable to the Blue Jays.
"He was huge. He was ridiculously important [to the team]," Arnsberg said. "This guy went out and all of a sudden he jumps in and he expected to work into the seventh every night."
Downs said he was thrilled to step up as a starter.
"My only thing was, 'Give me the ball.' I want the ball," Downs said. "That gave me a chance to go out there and prove to these guys that I belong here. Fortunately, I did a pretty good job and I was able to step in last year to fill those needs.
"There's still a lot more I have to prove this year, and the next year, and the next year," he added. "It's always a constant battle until your career is over."
For now, Downs has proved plenty. He finally got the chance to win a full-time job, and that's exactly what he did.
"He's taken full advantage of a huge opportunity, and that is sometimes what seperates the really, really good ones from the ones that are cup-of-coffee guys," Arnsberg said. "He's getting a second, maybe even a third chance, and he's taken full advantage of it. The good ones find a way and that's what Scotty continues to do. It's a pleasure to watch."
Source: http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/
Blue Jays throttle Astros
03/08/2006
Blue Jays at the plate: In the fourth inning, catcher Gregg Zaun knocked in two runs, which gave the Blue Jays a 5-0 lead.
Astros at the plate: Jeff Bagwell, who hit leadoff, went 0-for-2, but he had a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning to knock in a run.
Blue Jays on the mound: Right-hander Casey Janssen started for the Blue Jays, and Janssen, who threw 34 pitches, worked two scoreless innings before giving way to the bullpen.
Astros on the mound: Left-hander Wandy Rodriguez didn't make a strong case for landing a spot in the Astros rotation. He was wild, walking four batters in three innings of work. In all, he gave up three hits and three runs. He also threw a wild pitch. Right-hander Jason Hirsh also had a tough go. He gave up four runs on five hits in the fourth.
Grapefruit League records: Astros 2-6; Blue Jays 3-5
Source: http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/