tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24747815646943380902024-02-18T22:19:01.689-08:00Mulliniks' MoustacheA simple place for like-minded baseball folk to chat.Mulliniks' Moustachehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14382121328475006248noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2474781564694338090.post-71063343806886982922019-03-27T10:24:00.000-07:002019-03-27T10:37:11.615-07:00Toronto Blue Jays 2019 Season Preview<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglaMYjAhBYrikEnFrxpO4sksP3pX0I2kC6pIvH8XIyiPWJCA_dPaaDL3BZaTJU0IKeSThhBUI3BaUGxUuxWb-JyfZ1cEnqZwawx6tgdjlOqeWSOSF_xtQh6v63MmyT2PVIvLvQH-kOSSw/s1600/vladdy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="222" data-original-width="180" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglaMYjAhBYrikEnFrxpO4sksP3pX0I2kC6pIvH8XIyiPWJCA_dPaaDL3BZaTJU0IKeSThhBUI3BaUGxUuxWb-JyfZ1cEnqZwawx6tgdjlOqeWSOSF_xtQh6v63MmyT2PVIvLvQH-kOSSw/s320/vladdy.jpg" width="259" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">O</span>pening Day is almost here! Is there anything greater than
the optimism that abounds at the beginning of a Major League Baseball season?
Thankfully, this long, cold hellscape of ice and snow is beginning to thaw,
just in time to enjoy a few cold ones while watching the Blue Jays play.</div>
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Okay, let’s be honest: there aren’t a lot of reasons to be
optimistic about the 2019 Toronto Blue Jays. Yes, yes, “anything can happen”,
“we still have to play the games”, and whatever other platitudes you feel like
throwing out there about every team having a chance, but the sad reality is
that there’s virtually no chance of a Blue Jays playoff berth this season, and
if it wasn’t for the woeful Baltimore Orioles, it’s likely that the Jays would
be staring a last-place finish right, straight square in the eyes.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Aside from Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s impending callup – set for
sometime after his recovery from an oblique strain and when the Blue Jays’
brass decides his defence is up to snuff (which will, in a near-miraculous
coincidence, happen within a few days of when the Blue Jays gain another year
of control of the 20-year-old wunderkind) – what is there to look forward to
ahead of this woebegone season?<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
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That preamble isn’t to say it’s all doom and gloom though! There
are a few things on which we should keep our eyes, a couple glimmers of hope
for this season and beyond. And maybe – just maybe – a reason or two to head
out to the ballpark amid mounting losses. Here are a few of them:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Vladdy<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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OMG Vladdy. Our baby boy is almost ready. Well, he <i>is</i> ready
– has been for awhile! When he’s finally in The Show, just sit back and enjoy
the sounds produced (from his bat and from the fans) when he hits dingers.<o:p></o:p></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiEs8GTQO6CWVJKUmj4MHEWDBoAcRyuCy8Pls9CnzKBR9rtgzGPLGNl0uVK6SVHD_lstXsPv6XcGHtRQiKRW2wfnv2A_GAFBVItA78hzevLYg95Tb7ecQ_AxqRVcHFwyf4-7dpEdaeWqw/s1600/strochez.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="477" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiEs8GTQO6CWVJKUmj4MHEWDBoAcRyuCy8Pls9CnzKBR9rtgzGPLGNl0uVK6SVHD_lstXsPv6XcGHtRQiKRW2wfnv2A_GAFBVItA78hzevLYg95Tb7ecQ_AxqRVcHFwyf4-7dpEdaeWqw/s200/strochez.jpg" width="160" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stroman posted this on <br />
Instagram today.<br />
Is Strochez back?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Can the Blue Jays’
“aces” regain their form?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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With all due respect to reclamation projects Clayton
Richard, Matt Shoemaker, and Clay Buchholz, the Blue Jays’ aces, by default
more or less, are Marcus Stroman and Aaron Sanchez, both of whom have had their
past couple seasons decimated by a combination of injury and ineffectiveness. Is
the duo over their respective blister issues? Do the former bestest buds still
hate each other? We’ll have to wait and see.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Will any of the next
wave of players cement their places on the team?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Danny Jansen. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Rowdy Tellez. Teoscar
Hernandez. Dalton Pompey. Billy McKinney. Anthony Alford. Brandon Drury. A slew
of young pitchers.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The Blue Jays rebuild is in full effect, as evident by the
large number of young, unproven players strewn throughout the lineup. In order
for the Jays to compete in the near future, more than one member of that group will
have to claim a regular spot based on high-quality play, not based on a lack of
better options. They all won’t pan out, but hopefully more than a couple will. The
Blue Jays may not play “good” baseball all the time, but it will at least be
entertaining to watch them try to acclimate.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Will Bichette get
called up?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Wunderkind #2 is middle infielder-in-training Bo Bichette,
who was drafted a year after Guerrero was signed. So, based on the Blue Jays manipulating
Vladdy’s service time, you shouldn’t hold your breath in regard to Bichette’s
callup anytime soon, but it’s at least remotely possible.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ChNx401iu6M-Ux8atPlpkA34rAkgsq17rRcNRxr9X7DlTtwJeOAKEl81ocWcSuyzhVEV_AXDNqc-pc1Tc_dfbiotcBYWreUMWd8k0hWFJ_xGQHiFwxI4th_CqOB-YqR60-Wl0_-E0fI/s1600/jose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="557" data-original-width="455" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ChNx401iu6M-Ux8atPlpkA34rAkgsq17rRcNRxr9X7DlTtwJeOAKEl81ocWcSuyzhVEV_AXDNqc-pc1Tc_dfbiotcBYWreUMWd8k0hWFJ_xGQHiFwxI4th_CqOB-YqR60-Wl0_-E0fI/s200/jose.jpg" width="163" /></a></div>
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<b>In an act of PR
desperation, will the Jays sign Jose Bautista?</b></div>
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LOLZ. That would actually be awesome – assuming he’s not
taking away playing time from one of the younger guys. But it won’t happen,
unless it’s a one-day contract for Joey Bats to retire as a Blue Jay.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Who will the Jays
acquire during their third-straight trade-deadline fire sale?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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If the past two trade deadlines have been any indication, don’t
expect much. That’s not to say Atkins and Shapiro haven’t done well in their previous
trades, it’s more so that the days of huge deadline hauls are a thing of the
past. Who could they trade? Will there be any market for Justin Smoak or Kendrys
Morales? Kevin Pillar? The aforementioned Richard and Buchholz? Ken Giles? Basically
anyone signed to one-year deals, like Freddy Galvis or Daniel Hudson? One would
assume that any player set for free agency is fair game, and Shapiro and Co.
would obviously have to listen if a team asked about players with a year or two
of control left (such as Sanchez, Stroman, and Shoemaker).<o:p></o:p></div>
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Well. That’s about it. Enjoy the season everybody!<o:p></o:p></div>
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#Vladdy4Life<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Mulliniks' Moustachehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14382121328475006248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2474781564694338090.post-26202519348126163532017-11-09T18:05:00.000-08:002017-11-09T18:05:34.998-08:00Roy Halladay's Three Goodbyes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHDTlmUTsPLMk6nvGN8dY6jPT4JBmxzVZ5XVQOJBlLtx8kPelb4_nWmZaG1zQ-eaaquv50CN4xX6TUIY6jmoGmISNcfoK-tiT9DlAhNBK5b2_nEjT6V_4Q3VNliKL_z9dRXxWh5ip2plo/s1600/roy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHDTlmUTsPLMk6nvGN8dY6jPT4JBmxzVZ5XVQOJBlLtx8kPelb4_nWmZaG1zQ-eaaquv50CN4xX6TUIY6jmoGmISNcfoK-tiT9DlAhNBK5b2_nEjT6V_4Q3VNliKL_z9dRXxWh5ip2plo/s400/roy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">I</span></span><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">n 2010, Roy Halladay said goodbye to the city of Toronto and to his
Blue Jays teammates.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Longing for a chance at a World Series after playing on 12 wholly
uninspiring Blue Jays teams, Roy forced a trade to the City of Brotherly Love
to pitch for the contending Phillies. How beloved must a player - in any sport
- be to be cheered after forcing his or her way out of city? As beloved as
Halladay was and continues to be. He was showered with applause in 2012 ahead
of his return start in Toronto. A start he won - of course - by throwing a
complete game.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">That was a difficult goodbye because it was Roy Halladay. Roy Frickin'
Halladay. holder of a prime position on the Blue Jays' Mount Rushmore and one
of the primary reasons I love baseball to the degree I do today.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Get the ball, throw
the ball. Change speeds. Throw strikes. Pitch to contact. No deep counts.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">If you went to the bathroom during a Halladay start, you were liable to
miss three innings. To love Halladay was to love baseball, and vice versa. He
was everything there <i>was</i> to love
about baseball. Hard work and talent commingled into the perfect pitching
machine.</span></div>
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<a name='more'></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">The next goodbye was arguably harder.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Sure, Roy pitched for the Phillies in the National League, but he was
pitching nonetheless. Blue Jays fans were still able to enjoy his exploits from
afar - a Cy Young Award, a postseason no-hitter, a perfect game. But Roy said
goodbye to life as a professional baseball player following a 2013 season during
which he made only 13 starts. The perfect pitching machine was breaking down. Even
though his body was faltering, he still took the ball when able, but he was a
shell of his former self. He spent almost four months on the disabled list in
that final campaign, so he knew it was time to hang up his spikes, retiring
from baseball at season’s end.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">The ever-loyal Halladay even signed a one-day ceremonial contract with
the Blue Jays so he could retire with the team that drafted him. The love the
fans showed him was mutual.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">In retirement, Roy revealed a sense of humour hidden for the most part
during his big-league years, including a <a href="https://twitter.com/RoyHalladay/status/554384274007543808?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fm.mlb.com%2Fcutfour%2F2015%2F01%2F11%2F106162960%2Fthis-fan-was-wearing-a-roy-halladay-shirsey-and-didnt-notice-halladay-standing-right-behind-him" target="_blank">damn-near hilarious Twitter feed</a> and a
<a href="https://www.si.com/mlb/2017/11/07/roy-halladay-zoo-fan-blog" target="_blank">quasi-famous zoo visit</a> with a blogger who lobbied for the outing. Halladay
coached youth baseball, showing unbridled joy at his team's wins, and by all
accounts doted on his family.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">In addition, his love of flying - of becoming a pilot - was turned up a
notch.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">The final goodbye hurt most of all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">It wasn't even a goodbye Roy was able to make himself. Roy Halladay, at
40 years old - the same age as me – died Tuesday in the Gulf of Mexico after
crashing his small seaplane, leaving behind his wife, Brandy, and two young
sons, Ryan and Braden.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">He retired after the prime of his career, but he died in the prime of
his life. At a time when celebrity deaths seem to be neverending, this gut
punch hurts more than most. Even now, it seems surreal. Every time a tweet
shows up in my timeline and reminds me of the terrible news, it takes a couple
seconds to register. It's like a hammer intermittently smashing into my head:
it <i>is</i> true, it <i>is</i> true, it <i>is</i> true.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Roy Halladay, for all intents and purposes, <i>was</i> the Blue Jays for nigh a decade. It seems, after Halladay's untimely
death, a part of the Blue Jays has died as well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">My only personal anecdote of Roy Halladay may reveal more about the man himself
than all his innings on the mound:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">On the last game of the season sometime in the late-2000s, I managed to
finagle a pair of seats at SkyDome about a dozen rows behind the Blue Jays’
dugout. As I am wont to do, I was there embarrassingly early to watch batting
practice and enjoy the sounds of pregame baseball. At one point, I glanced
toward the dugout, and peering over the barrier into the sparse crowd was Roy
Halladay himself. He gave a small wave to a mother and her young son seated to
my left, but they didn't notice. Roy glanced over at me and quickly looked back
at the mother and son.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">That short look in my direction seemed to say: "Can you give me a
hand here? And I don't mean come over and ask me for an autograph." So, I
did what I had to do and what Roy Halladay voicelessly asked of me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">"Excuse me," I said to the mother. "I ... I think Roy
Halladay is trying to get your attention." She gave me a quizzical look,
so I pointed at Roy. She followed my eyes and saw him. Then he waved the two of
them over.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">They had a very short conversation - 15, 20 seconds - after which Halladay
handed his game-used baseball glove to the young boy. Mom was excited, but her
son didn’t seem to understand the gift he had in his hands. Roy smiled as he
watched mom and son walk back to their seats, and when they sat down, Roy waved
using only his index finger. It was an impossibly cute gesture that seemed so
out of place at the time for the ever-stoic Halladay, but makes so much sense
in hindsight.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">I pointed at the stitched “Roy Halladay” along the glove’s thumb and tried
to explain to the boy what he had, at the scarcity and rarity of the keepsake, but
he didn't care what some random stranger had to say, he was too busy looking at
Roy Halladay’s glove.</span></div>
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Mulliniks' Moustachehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14382121328475006248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2474781564694338090.post-8134447680809499222016-03-06T19:25:00.000-08:002016-03-06T19:25:55.708-08:00Did David Price Actually Want to Sign with the Boston Red Sox?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw4vugI7poow7ierA0rTvlzYrQuYpqTKw2xB5_Obh023Ku28Ps-lv-zE80jCsaqkP2gzXzLGXgwJ_KjdCILJzgxrK5ws3teb60rRLA-B09S1nslKpyXAvrKyoQnQxSFfOoRaRA-CtFUl8/s1600/201512041711618897078.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw4vugI7poow7ierA0rTvlzYrQuYpqTKw2xB5_Obh023Ku28Ps-lv-zE80jCsaqkP2gzXzLGXgwJ_KjdCILJzgxrK5ws3teb60rRLA-B09S1nslKpyXAvrKyoQnQxSFfOoRaRA-CtFUl8/s400/201512041711618897078.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">I</span>f “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase taught 10-year-old me anything,
it's that a sleeper hold could get me out of any physical altercation with
limited damage. If he taught me anything else, it’s that "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=td9i6-oa4Kw" target="_blank">everybody has a price</a>."<br />
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN">To that end, I’ve been wondering recently to what degree that idiom affects
free agency in the sporting world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN">The reason I bring this up is because of the saga of everyone's favourite
Blue Jays trade-deadline rental, David Price. As we all know, the Jays
acquired Price in exchange for a huge haul of prospects, and he in turn helped guide
the Jays to their first playoff appearance since the halcyon days of the early
1990s. Subsequently, Price signed the largest free-agent contract for a pitcher
in MLB history with - in a quasi-surprising move - the loathsome Boston Red
Sox. The numbers are staggering: $217 million over 7 years, which works out to
a tidy $31-million per season, and roughly $1-million per regular-season start.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
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<span lang="EN">What made the move surprising was that the scuttlebutt after the season had
first-time free agent Price looking to:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN">a) Play close to his hometown of Nashville, most
likely with the St. Louis Cardinals; or<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN">b) Reunite with one-time manager Joe Maddon with
the Chicago Cubs; or<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN">c) Re-sign with our beloved Blue Jays. This was a late addition to the
running - and as a direct result of the Jays' scintillating run to the
ALCS. Price reportedly fell in love with the city of Toronto, its fans, and his
teammates and as such was very open to a return.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN">However, there were also whispers of a <a href="https://twitter.com/Buster_ESPN/status/669449005898797056?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">Red Sox plan</a> </span>to sign the big southpaw that involved backing
up a truck up and dumping a mountain of cash on Price's doorstep. That interest, though, seemed to be
wholly one-sided.<br />
<span lang="EN"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN">Flying in the face of the seemingly misguided courtship was that it seemed
at the outset that the lanky lefty wasn't very interested in joining the
Beantowners. And would that be surprising? No, given the <a href="http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/2015/12/02/remembering-the-war-between-david-price-and-david-ortiz/bim7Az7d42Tl8LE3z05dNP/story.html" target="_blank">well-known and often-reported animosity</a> between Price and the Red Sox - most notably with Big Papi himself, who described Price as "<a href="http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/extras/extra_bases/2014/05/david_ortiz_to_david_price_its_a_war_its_on.html" target="_blank">a little bitch</a>."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN">And, if you aspire to the “happy wife, happy life” marriage mantra, the
cherry on top/final nail in the coffin was this tweet from Price's then-girlfriend (now wife) Tiffany Nicole:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
Convinced that there must be a written rule that in order to be a Red Sox fan, you have to be a complete and utter POS. Wow!</div>
— Tiffany Nicole (@kstatetif) <a href="https://twitter.com/kstatetif/status/386248226468540416">October 4, 2013</a></blockquote>
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Given the Red Sox were only tangentially mentioned as a possible Price
landing spot – and with the interest only coming from the team’s side – the
question has to be asked: Did David Price really want to join the Red Sox?</div>
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<span lang="EN"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN">As the saying goes, money talks and bullshit walks, but the Sox offer
didn’t simply talk, it shouted, loudly, as one would expect from anything
Boston-based. Their offer was superior by a wide margin, too, if we’re to
believe rumours. The Cardinals finished The Price Wars in second place,
<a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/columnist/bob-nightengale/2015/12/01/david-price-boston-red-sox-zack-greinke-free-agents-st-louis-cardinals/76630810/" target="_blank">$30-million short</a>,
while the Cubs finished a “distant third,” <a href="http://nesn.com/2015/12/theo-epstein-cubs-ended-up-distant-third-in-david-price-sweepstakes-by-50m/" target="_blank">shy by $50 million</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN">Even in the world of professional sports - where millions are thrown around
like quarters at a logging town strip club - that is a lot of frickin’
money. And as noble and principled as everyone thinks they are, and as noble
and principled as everyone thinks professional athletes are (LOLZ!) there comes
a point when there’s enough money flashed in front of you that you simply can’t say
no.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN">We all have a price, and perhaps the Red Sox simply reached Price’s.
(Please believe me when I say that was not in any way an attempted pun).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN">Of course, there's also the issue of him being pressured into joining a team
he didn’t really want to join by the all-powerful Major League Baseball Players
Association.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN">Professional sports unions – like, well, all unions, really – have an
incredible amount of power, and they put immense pressure on players to sign
for the most money possible. More money for an individual player equals more
money for the collective group of players, or so says the conventional wisdom.
So, how would the MLBPA react if Price said "fack off" to the Red Sox
– and an additional $50+ million – and signed with the Blue Jays*, Cardinals,
Cubs or any other team that didn’t want to offer an insane number?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN">Of course, it’s also entirely
possible Price did want to sign with the Red Sox. They do have a recent,
and annoying, habit of winning, while Dave Dombrowski and co. are well-versed
in free-agent courtship, so anything is possible. I just have a hard time
believing it.</span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN"><span style="font-size: x-small;">*Please, spare me the bullshit about "the Blue Jays never made an
offer," okay? That is such semantic, bullshit reasoning to make yourself
angry about an untenable situation. Just because there was no official
"offer" from the Jays, it doesn’t mean there wasn’t conversations
between the front office and Price's representation. If, for instance, Price's
agents went into a meeting with the Jays braintrust and said, "We've been
offered $217 million over 7 years by Boston," at which point the Blue Jays
already knew there wasn’t a chance in hell they’d match that insane number. So,
why would they make an “official” - appreciable smaller - offer just to save some
public relations face with irrational fans? It's stupid, get over it.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Mulliniks' Moustachehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14382121328475006248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2474781564694338090.post-38501913626644531972015-11-02T12:03:00.002-08:002015-11-02T12:08:56.659-08:00An Open Letter to David Price<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjama4l9WhgeKdPYVUyow9uFct7DuEdCLfV30y7UZWpc6IrabFFn6ehK8YUw798vwRMeyIuC9O6-dVTfKJbamykmzH7sbVlfXfJ4Z2fvlXztSzkkOZgWkGdw-Gw6MBozAs7oeU0Gz3MYgQ/s1600/price.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjama4l9WhgeKdPYVUyow9uFct7DuEdCLfV30y7UZWpc6IrabFFn6ehK8YUw798vwRMeyIuC9O6-dVTfKJbamykmzH7sbVlfXfJ4Z2fvlXztSzkkOZgWkGdw-Gw6MBozAs7oeU0Gz3MYgQ/s400/price.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span lang="EN"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN"><span style="font-size: x-large;">D</span>ear David,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN">Can I call you David? I think we've reached a point in our relationship
where we're on a first-name basis. I'm definitely okay with you calling me
Andrew, or a nickname of your choosing. Or Bob, or Tony, or Bridget. In short:
call me whatever you like.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN">Now that you're officially a free agent, I feel it's time to address the
elephant in the room: are you re-signing with Blue Jays? Are you? Are you? Are
you? Are you? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN">(And FYI, the second elephant in the room - the Alex Anthopolous-shaped one
- will be addressed at a later date)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN">Like much of baseball-loving Canada, I'm still trying to come to terms with
the end of the Blue Jays' season - as I'm sure you are too - but the business of
sports never rests, so onto the business at hand. I'm going to take this
opportunity to implore you to re-sign with the Blue Jays.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN">As you're surely well aware, there's untold teams currently on their way to
court and woo and throw absolutely obscene amounts of money at you. You're
also going to be on the receiving end of promises and sales pitches the likes
of which I can't even fathom. But hear me out, the info below may help clarify
things for you a little.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN"></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><ul>
<li>Remember your trade to the Blue Jays and how the entire city fell in love
with you.</li>
<li>Remember how, the moment you joined the team, virtually every game
was sold out with rabid fans dying for a championship.</li>
<li>Remember the Blue Jays'
march into the playoffs.</li>
<li>Remember the unfinished business of said playoff run.</li>
<li>Remember how the city - and the country - rallied around you.</li>
<li>Remember the fun
you had with Marcus Stroman and Munenori Kawasaki and the rest of your
teammates in blue.</li>
<li>Remember looking up into the stands as you walked off the
mound after a start and being utterly awed by the fans' deafening reactions.</li>
<li>Remember Joey Bats' home run against Texas and how SkyDome/Rogers Centre lost
their collective minds when he hit it.</li>
<li>Remember EE and Donaldson and Tulo and
Colabello and Russell Martin and Devon Travis and Superman Pillar and Ben
Revere and the rest of that - <i>still intact</i> - lineup that scored more than Wilt
Chamberlain (both on the hardcourt and between the sheets).</li>
</ul>
The money offered by your suitors will, in all likelihood, be about the same
wherever you sign (*puts on prognosticator hat* says here it'll be 7-years,
$225-million). So, once that's removed from the equation, what else do you have
to consider? Much of the criteria is surely personal, but the considerations
will have to include money (covered above), the team makeup, and the city.<br />
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<span lang="EN"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN">So, sure, there's going to be plenty of teams trying to seduce you with
promises of wins, all-you-can-eat popcorn, and assurances you won't be used
out of the bullpen, such as the Boston Red Sox, L.A. Dodgers and maybe the L.A. Angels or a darkhorse team like the San Francisco Giants. </span>However, I'm going to
address who I feel are the three biggest threats standing in the way of your
rightful return atop the Blue Jays rotation (or right behind Stroman, but we'll
see how next year goes before making that call):</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN">The New York Yankees</span></b><span lang="EN"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN">The Yanks are players for just about every high-profile free agent, but
c'mon David. The Yankees' strategy of
just throwing mountains of money to lure free agents has to be wearing
thin. How much mystique do the pinstripes have left? Mo's gone, Jeter's gone,
A-Rod is a shell of his former self. The Yankees have some solid pieces, but
they're aging quickly. Lord knows they want a dominant lefty to help negate any
visiting lefty mashers looking to take advantage of Yankee Stadium's short porch in right. But don't give in to their
wily ways, you can't let that happen.</span><br />
<span lang="EN"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN">Really, there are tons of reasons to
avoid the Bronx, but I'll just mention the most recent: remember Yankee fans
booing their own players just as the AL Wild-Card game came to a close. Booing a team
that fought and clawed through a ton of adversity - including watching a
teammate head to rehab only a couple of days before the game - to make the
playoffs and had the misfortune of matching up against this year's likely Cy
Young Award winner, Dallas Keuchel (but we all know you deserve the award,
right?). Is that who you want to ply your trade in front of for the next seven
years?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"><b>St. Louis Cardinals </b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN">Maybe the Cards will come calling and tug on your heartstrings by being
closest geographically to your beloved hometown of Nashville. But, remember how
much you liked Toronto, the city, and how it occasionally reminded you of
Nashville, especially in the summer. And yes, I will concede that St. Louis are
perennial contenders, and they're pretty stacked, but ... they're the
Cardinals. They're absolutely insufferable. Are you certain you want to play
baseball THE CARDINAL WAY for the foreseeable future? How much fun will that be? I
don't think I've ever seen a member of the Cardinals smile, which I think is
impossible for you NOT to do. Plus, they're in St. Louis, what is there to do
in St. Louis? I have no idea - I've never been. Maybe it's great, but it sure
isn't Toronto. <a href="http://deadspin.com/report-fbi-investigates-st-louis-cardinals-for-hackin-1711673515" target="_blank">They'll also probably hack your computer</a>.</span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN">Chicago Cubs</span></b><span lang="EN"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN">I think we all know where the true #1 contender for your services lies:
under those delicious deep dish pizzas in Chicago, with the deep-pocketed,
steeped in history, great young team that just happens to be skippered by your
old manager, Joe Maddon. Yup, it's the Cubbies. However, the Cubs are still a
relative unknown to you. Maybe it's AWFUL in the Windy City! (It's not).</span><br />
<span lang="EN"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN">Okay,
I'm grasping at straws here, the Cubs are a great fit, but comfort is
important, and you know what you're going to get in Toronto: millions upon
millions of adoring fans, and you'll be pretty much the only game in town: the
Leafs are awful beyond description; the Raptors play at a completely different
time of year, and there's no NFL to worry about. In Chicago, there's another MLB team, an NFL
franchise, and an NHL team on the cusp of a dynasty, so the Cubs - and their
no-World-Series-Championships-since-1908 - could get lost in the shuffle. You
strike me a front-page-of-the-newspaper kinda guy, and that you will be in
Toronto.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN"><br /></span></div>
So, the answer is clear: sign with Toronto, you'll continue to love it. And
we'll continue to love you.Mulliniks' Moustachehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14382121328475006248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2474781564694338090.post-42386654137664024702015-09-03T14:57:00.004-07:002015-09-03T15:03:06.874-07:00Baseball's Top-6 Unwritten Rules<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">T</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">here are unwritten rules everywhere. They pervade almost every aspect of
life in some way: at work, while driving, in line at the grocery store, and of
course, in sports. And in the sporting world, I'd wager baseball has more
unwritten rules than any other.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Initially, this was going to cover <i>all</i> of baseball's unwritten
rules, but then I started researching, and frankly, I don't want to write (you
definitely don't want to read) 50,000 words about arcane - and ultimately
stupid - ungovernable rules that most people don't even know about. (For
example: "Don't walk over the mound". Seriously, that's an unwritten
rule. Sometimes baseball has to GTFO.)<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Therefore, here are the top six unwritten rules that seem to pop up more
often:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span><br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span lang="EN">1) No bunts when working on a no-hitter</span></b><span lang="EN"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This is one rule that makes a modicum of sense, when thought of in the
context of sportsmanship. But then again, we're talking professional sports, a
multi-billion dollar industry where athletes are paid millions of dollars to
win games, so should sportsmanship even be a consideration?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Anyways ... if a pitcher has thrown 7 or 8 no-hit innings, the theory is a
player should have to work for their hits (although, is it really easier to
bunt for a hit rather than swinging for one? Just ask Otis Nixon, Brett Butler,
Juan Pierre or any National League pitcher if bunting is easy). The question
about when this rule takes affect is the real quandary, and one that's wildly
open for debate. Through the first 3 or 4 innings seem to be fair game because
plenty of pitchers have no-hitters through the first third of a game; 5th and
6th innings are a grey area - bunt at your own peril - while 7th, 8th, and into
the 9th are definite no-nos. (See what I did there?)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span lang="EN">2) No cheering/admiring after hitting a home run</span></b><span lang="EN"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This rule seems to be going to the wayside, except when players on the
wrong end of the homer decide they want a reason to cause a ruckus.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Just about every big-time home run hitter pimps an occasional tater,
especially if it's a walkoff or an absolute bomb. But on rare occasions, a team
may decide they dislike the level of celebration or the circumstance, at which
point the offending party can expect some chin music in the near future.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The other side of the coin is when pitchers cheer, usually when they strike
a player out, and the repercussions are pretty much the same, except it's not
the pitcher to get hit, but a select member of the offence.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If players followed this rule with more regularity, though, we'd never get
the amazing bat flips we've seen in recent years, and bad-ass bat flips are
reason alone to watch baseball. So, everyone has permission to ignore this one,
K? K!</span></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span lang="EN">3) "Spikes down"</span></b><span lang="EN"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This is the second unwritten rules that seem to make sense, mainly because
it's a bit of a dick move to intentionally try to impale an opposing,
defenseless player with tiny metal spikes, but that's none of my business.</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiguow-I3bCWnuHRFzMNY21KCdxGYAL-KFyYbYKu738EfyiPRgwKYW0I-NSbIlwU9T5C1qTiIDtFVwwoFtKc6eQeN53nHylG41zU0PD3ZDs7WXWeoTGHxOrUI2z_VWsV8BCWIFJ_PIEuzY/s1600/Kermit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiguow-I3bCWnuHRFzMNY21KCdxGYAL-KFyYbYKu738EfyiPRgwKYW0I-NSbIlwU9T5C1qTiIDtFVwwoFtKc6eQeN53nHylG41zU0PD3ZDs7WXWeoTGHxOrUI2z_VWsV8BCWIFJ_PIEuzY/s200/Kermit.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Unless a player is trying to make a statement - like they just got beaned
or maybe the second basemen slept with their wife - they should slide into bases
with their spikes down. The reasoning should be pretty self-explanatory: spikes
are sharp little bits of metal in the bottom of shoes, if a player slides with
said spikes pointing out a couple feet off the ground, there's a good chance
they'll hit the player and, while I'm no doctor, that would probably hurt. This
isn't to say players can't still slide aggressively to break up double plays,
but the spikes shouldn't be much higher than a defensive players' ankles.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span lang="EN">4) Don't talk about no-hitters in progress</span></b><span lang="EN"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This rule applies primarily to the media and - some people think - to fans,
who actually get mad at broadcasters when they mention the dreaded
"NH" word during a broadcast. Why is that? Because they think what a
TV person says can affect the outcome of a baseball game. Sounds reasonable.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Y'know what? If Vin frickin' Scully thinks it's stupid, it's stupid: Here's
what Scully - the unquestionable gold-standard in sports
broadcasting, said on the topic:</span></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>"It's insulting the listeners to make
them think they're silly and superstitious enough to believe my telling them
that a no-hitter is going will affect the game."</i></span></span></blockquote>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">So what does this superstition give us long-suffering Blue Jays fans? We
get Buck Martinez saying everything except the hyper-specific taboo word:
"no-hitter". Instead, he tip-toes around it, saying things like
"no hits and no runs", or "has yet to give up a hit", both
of which are okay because "no" and "hitter" aren't said in
succession. #Stupid</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span lang="EN">5) You hit our best player, we'll hit yours</span></b><span lang="EN"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This is just straight-up stupid. If a team's best player gets hit with a
pitch - intentionally or not - the other team will occasionally throw at the
opposing team's best players so they're "equal". Surely using a
100-mph projectile as a weapon during a sporting event is super-brilliant,
right? Sports truly is a beacon for unseen levels of intelligence sometimes,
isn't it?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(This was going to be a top-five list, but then I remembered the reason why
I wrote this entry to begin with, sooooo ... BONUS UNWRITTEN RULE!)</span></span><span lang="EN"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span lang="EN">6) Don't run up the score</span></b><span lang="EN"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If a team is up by a significant margin, say, 10 runs in the 9th inning?
Here's a list of things they shouldn't do:</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -17.9pt;">Attempt to steal a base</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -17.9pt;">Try to stretch a single into a double (or double into triple, or triple
into inside-the-park homer)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -17.9pt;">Bunt</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">And, once again, the inning and score creates a constant moving target so
it's impossible to know when the rule is applicable. And given that they're
unwritten, we can't even check the rule books. Darn.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The idea with this one is the game is all but over, so most players just
want it to end so they can grab a beer, soak in an ice bath, or get home to
family/bed (or whatever they do after a game). Why prolong things for a few
extra minutes to - in essence - pad some stats? Well, to pad stats, obviously.
No one is saying "get out on purpose", but more than a few players
would be fine if the last couple at-bats went the same way as this Alfredo
Griffin beauty*:</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="font-family: inherit;">Final Thoughts</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The underlying theme of these rules is ... stupidity. Unabashed
stupidity. And rest assured, there are myriad other rules that haven't been
mentioned because they steadily slide downhill from these lofty heights, all
bathed in the glowing neon lights of the ubiquitous and nebulous "playing
the game the right way".</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: inherit;">All of the rules also go to show how baseball tries to take the fun out of
the game. No cheering? Stop trying to score runs? Don't be proud of an
important hit? Why? Sports are emotional, people are emotional, why not let
emotions into the game? Here's a shocking #HotTake as I send you on your way:
sports are supposed to be fun, why not let them be?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">*Here's the explanation of what happened there (or so I've heard): it was
late 1992, Jack Morris' first season with the Blue Jays. In the game shown in
the video, Morris started in search of his 20th win of the season (which would
have been the first time the Jays had a 20-game winner). Well, the Jays were
winning, but it started raining. The players desperately wanted Morris to get
his 20th win before the game got called due to the weather, so they tried to
get the game to end as soon as possible, hence Alfredo Griffin going up and
swinging at the first three pitches he saw. After the second pitch, the pitcher
knew what was going on, that's why the third pitch was so bad.</span></span><span lang="EN"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Mulliniks' Moustachehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14382121328475006248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2474781564694338090.post-66582517001575557882015-07-27T17:30:00.000-07:002015-07-27T17:45:06.218-07:005(ish) players who should be in the Hall of Fame, but (likely) won't make it<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3HJHs_83ZNltvbOvkev8K3jSt7zShm3thXIpiASY-jB8N9Vd8o4m-ITJc6nwKTRVVC5USX7Xg2NP9Bpk9y9qb1sbK5spvLwyGMAf-z91mpwTguxnFym8pRO8N4zWjgd-qHG-rjJYmrd4/s1600/635562402424071403-AP-Hall-of-Fame-Baseball-002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3HJHs_83ZNltvbOvkev8K3jSt7zShm3thXIpiASY-jB8N9Vd8o4m-ITJc6nwKTRVVC5USX7Xg2NP9Bpk9y9qb1sbK5spvLwyGMAf-z91mpwTguxnFym8pRO8N4zWjgd-qHG-rjJYmrd4/s320/635562402424071403-AP-Hall-of-Fame-Baseball-002.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span lang="EN"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN">The 2015 National Baseball Hall of Fame honoured its newest inductees this
past weekend, with bronze masterpieces bearing the likenesses of Randy Johnson,
Pedro Martinez, John Smoltz, and Craig Biggio - worthy recipients all - now
lining the hallowed halls.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN">However, despite 314 inductees filling the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown,
there are still players who should be enshrined, but due to a number of factors
likely won't find themselves among the luminaries.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN">Here are five(ish) such cases:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf8EVN3N2c9ErsxVQgG04eeqIiB_miBmk4dVzR2xxNhRKo2NbvQcmNgwOYqz0Ffb0SxpyNWNrzfcsimCK-5P6qo2xad0q-6tyoNr4RoSr2l49f23tTQ-yI90TexXhyfSI2zK4N0-cilqo/s1600/tim-raines.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /><img border="0" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf8EVN3N2c9ErsxVQgG04eeqIiB_miBmk4dVzR2xxNhRKo2NbvQcmNgwOYqz0Ffb0SxpyNWNrzfcsimCK-5P6qo2xad0q-6tyoNr4RoSr2l49f23tTQ-yI90TexXhyfSI2zK4N0-cilqo/s200/tim-raines.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><span lang="EN">Tim Raines</span></b><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN"><i>7-time All-Star, 7 seasons
with MVP votes, 1 Silver Slugger, 3-time World Series champion<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"><i>69.1 WAR, .294 BA, 808 SB, 1571 R, .810 OPS</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN">Raines' exclusion from the Hall of Fame is nothing short of baffling.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN">Sure, Raines still has a chance at enshrinement - his percentage has
steadily risen in recent years - but given the stacked lists of eligible
players in coming years, the honour doesn't look likely before his 10-year
limit on the ballot expires in 2018.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN">Raines' numbers rival those of Tony Gwynn and Rickey Henderson, both of
whom were easily voted in on their first time on the ballot. Perhaps the issue
is Raines' admitted cocaine use in the early-80s. Anything is possible, but he
never lied about or downplayed his drug use, and appears to have avoided using
since. Keep in mind, cocaine was running
rampant in baseball during the period and most importantly: it's not
performance-enhancing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN">Dealing in should'ves and would'ves is a fool's game, but here goes: If
Raines didn't lose large chunks of six seasons to injury, he'd be well over
3,000 hits and in the discussion as one of the greatest players of all time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHJlH4QFhkn72XQp8s50sYJtIyGM_b0K54aij3vn7dEzfHd5JxVnh6cpH_oQiNWmYIF4ZsXdAFltMR6Esd4VOmA_s3TKyJkHXU0kJPdxXqFoSlY_VOiXTPZoH6YexhTlP0mcvga2rBcTE/s1600/fred_mcgriff_studio_portrait_photofile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHJlH4QFhkn72XQp8s50sYJtIyGM_b0K54aij3vn7dEzfHd5JxVnh6cpH_oQiNWmYIF4ZsXdAFltMR6Esd4VOmA_s3TKyJkHXU0kJPdxXqFoSlY_VOiXTPZoH6YexhTlP0mcvga2rBcTE/s200/fred_mcgriff_studio_portrait_photofile.jpg" width="158" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span lang="EN">Fred McGriff</span></b><span lang="EN"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN"><i>5-time All-Star, 8 seasons
with MVP votes, 2 Silver Sluggers, 1-time World Series champion<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"><i>52.4 WAR, 493 HR, 1550 RBI, .284 BA, .886 OPS</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN">The Crime Dog's numbers may not seem overwhelming, and McGriff has been on
the receiving end of only middling voting numbers (a high of 23.9% in 2012),
just enough to keep him on the ballot.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN">However, McGriff's solid career numbers show that he deserves serious
consideration for induction. He was a relatively high-profile player who was a
key contributor on some solid Toronto Blue Jays teams, and became an
unmitigated star in his four-and-a-half years with the Atlanta Braves,
including being part of the 1995 team - which was the lone World Series title
the Braves enjoyed in their run of playoff appearances.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN">Following a still-productive 2002, McGriff's offensive output dropped
precipitously in 2003, after which he retired. A subsequent (and ill-fated)
2004 comeback followed, seemingly in an attempt merely to reach the 500 home
run plateau, which all but guarantees a plaque in Cooperstown. His comeback
failed and he finished just shy, with 493 homers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN">Perhaps McGriff's penchant to simply keep his head down while putting up big
numbers in relative silence doomed him in a game - and era - of
larger-than-life characters that received far more press.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPa4jT81idNxNQ16bvovI1z_4Y7A9uRupxWwInvWwRT6ceyFyyYHlB-OCaUXo0BsstNzeozA1lu44G-yIxkN4a6tqkApV9nk-Rb_Gfsk6LFqqGJYc9feUWrnJNwgxfjNk6sGpdZcs_w2A/s1600/delgado940.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPa4jT81idNxNQ16bvovI1z_4Y7A9uRupxWwInvWwRT6ceyFyyYHlB-OCaUXo0BsstNzeozA1lu44G-yIxkN4a6tqkApV9nk-Rb_Gfsk6LFqqGJYc9feUWrnJNwgxfjNk6sGpdZcs_w2A/s200/delgado940.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span lang="EN">Carlos Delgado</span></b><span lang="EN"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN"><i>3-time All-Star, 7 seasons
with MVP votes, 3 Silver Sluggers<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"><i>44.3 WAR, 473 HR, 1512 RBI, .280 BA, .929 OPS</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN">Given that PED-linked players - and their massive offensive numbers - are
getting the short shrift, doesn't it stand to reason that clean players - whose
numbers don't reach those artificially inflated ones - should get equal credit
for their comparatively lower numbers? Case in point: Carlos Delgado, who was
eliminated from HOF contention after his solitary appearance on the ballot,
pulling down a minuscule 2.8% of votes. His voting percentage was incredibly
low for a player with his numbers, especially given there was nary a whisper of
PED use associated to him. He simply put up massive offensive numbers while
playing alongside noted PED users, smack-dab in the middle of the Steroid Era.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN">After a couple of false starts in 1993, 94, and 95, Delgado was a
major-leaguer for good in 1996, and finished up his career with an
injury-shortened 2009. Some quick math tells us his major-league career was a
criminally-short 13 full-time seasons. But during that baker's dozen? He was,
quite simply, one of the best hitters in baseball.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN">A career cut short due to hip injuries surely robbed Delgado of a chance to
pad his stats and bump them to the levels voters like to see, but is it worth
considering his perceived anti-U.S. stance as a key contributing factor in his
lack of votes? As a refresher: Delgado refused to stand in the dugout during
the playing of <i>God Bless America </i>- a jingoistic practice instituted in
U.S. ballparks following the 9/11 terrorist attacks.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN">"The reason why I didn't stand for God Bless America was because I
didn't like the way they tied <i>God Bless America </i>and 9/11 to the war in
Iraq in baseball. I say God bless America, God bless Miami, God bless Puerto
Rico and all countries until there is peace in the world," Delgado
famously said at the time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN">One final note worth considering: Delgado didn't have single postseason at
bat in the 17 seasons he had major-league playing time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeIVxaBzx_fv7xeowKFwUWd1KrLMUl3GR77TuVsuLOVm0uxvFidQ6SsJtNX6Mqrijdhlr-VHqez-y7nf14IjAF4whXPMbk4QlaWAyTElslpAcia1sCKd1rh9FOo9RdtWsYwUD1uScICBo/s1600/Pete-Slides.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeIVxaBzx_fv7xeowKFwUWd1KrLMUl3GR77TuVsuLOVm0uxvFidQ6SsJtNX6Mqrijdhlr-VHqez-y7nf14IjAF4whXPMbk4QlaWAyTElslpAcia1sCKd1rh9FOo9RdtWsYwUD1uScICBo/s200/Pete-Slides.jpg" width="183" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN">Pete Rose/Shoeless Joe Jackson</span></b><span lang="EN"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN">These two players - unquestionably two of the best to ever lace up the
cleats - are being lumped together because they're two sides of the same coin.
Both Rose and Jackson aren't in the Hall as a result of extra-curricular
activities, Rose due to his famous gambling proclivities; Jackson due to the
infamous Black Sox scandal. Their places in baseball lore are set - there's no
debating on any quasi-intelligent level that their numbers aren't good enough.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN">Rose has admitting his wrongdoing and voiced all necessary mea-culpas,
whereas Jackson hit .375 with a record 12 hits in the World Series he supposed
tried to lose. At this point, nothing short of intervention from baseball
commissioner Rob Manfred will see their plaques added to the walls of
Cooperstown.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN">It's long past due that Manfred does just that and rights these two
egregious wrongs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhot8W5O3Kf7_2UgH0NQHLm-mbJOf5iAW7g4vh-YfNw04Bn5ZrM-WAmd07Ob_t0dofu65p8OaKn6i_wyJVKNsgbTpEHweMZiBB_EYuYtz9qyTzMphElaVdC7VwOTEpzflNk-evKFbi1lkk/s1600/mlb_g_bonds_bl_400_zps201cd476.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhot8W5O3Kf7_2UgH0NQHLm-mbJOf5iAW7g4vh-YfNw04Bn5ZrM-WAmd07Ob_t0dofu65p8OaKn6i_wyJVKNsgbTpEHweMZiBB_EYuYtz9qyTzMphElaVdC7VwOTEpzflNk-evKFbi1lkk/s200/mlb_g_bonds_bl_400_zps201cd476.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
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<b><span lang="EN">PEDers</span></b><span lang="EN"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN">This list includes - most notably - Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens, but also
extends to Mark McGuire, Jeff Bagwell, Sammy Sosa, Rafael Palmeiro, Gary
Sheffield, and surely Andy Pettitte when he's eligible. BBWAA writers (whose votes
decide who makes the Hall of Fame) have shown time and again they're not
willing to overlook the admitted use, overwhelming evidence of use, or simple
suspicion in some cases of players who used steroids, HGH or the ilk.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN">Muddying the waters is the fact that players like Bonds and Clemens likely
had HOF-quality numbers even before their alleged PED use. And that's not even
to mention the fact that many of these affected players used their PEDs before
2004, when the use wasn't outlawed in MLB in any way, shape or form. Sure, it
might have been cheating on a moral level, but prior to 2004 - in terms of the
game of baseball and the rules that govern it - <i>the players did nothing
wrong</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN">Voters aren't likely to change their misguided opinions, so once again, any
future honors will fall squarely on Manfred's Bud-Selig-free shoulders.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Mulliniks' Moustachehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14382121328475006248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2474781564694338090.post-11460056565930584522015-06-10T18:35:00.001-07:002015-06-10T18:41:51.961-07:00Why the 'pitcher wins' stat is outdated & pointless<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnJC8Xa78ytXWLi8Jo__izO745nwbOY5pT8s6-ipswY8NJs0uQE2r-8oAPLUCn_U0pzICjAum7Z9HSNweKD79kV7s78Mv903moNvX1PgKnKeLowoLTQmZlHqmltK2CSSwOq9o9rzZjCJM/s1600/Cy-Young.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnJC8Xa78ytXWLi8Jo__izO745nwbOY5pT8s6-ipswY8NJs0uQE2r-8oAPLUCn_U0pzICjAum7Z9HSNweKD79kV7s78Mv903moNvX1PgKnKeLowoLTQmZlHqmltK2CSSwOq9o9rzZjCJM/s400/Cy-Young.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Like most sports, the baseball decision-makers are an old-boys club who are slow to accept change - if they accept it at all. Hence, there's a reticence to employ, look at, learn, or acknowledge new or advanced statistics. At best, useful and indicative stats like WAR, BABIP, OPS+, FIP, UZR, wRC+, etc are accepted at a glacial pace.<br />
<br />
Case in point: pitcher wins. During baseball broadcasts and in many written pieces, a pitcher's won/lost record is displayed before any other stat. The colour commentator and the analyst always lead their roundup of the pitcher with the number of wins he's accumulated, or losses he's endured.<br />
<br />
The dichotomy of the situation is incredible; is there a more prominent stat that's as pointless as pitcher wins?<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>As a confusing and outdated foundation, feel free to <a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/official_rules/official_scorer_10.jsp" target="_blank">read MLB's official rules</a> that explains how a pitcher earns a win. Needless to say, it's a lawyer's wet dream: complicated rule-jargon at its finest. The basic nuts and bolts are pretty simple though: a pitcher can pitch really well and not record a win, while another can pitch really bad and still claim a W.<br />
<br />
Incredibly, the rules are actually open to interpretation in certain situations. The official scorer can decide which pitcher gets the win, a situation that occurred after Game 7 of the 2014 World Series. The win was initially given to San Francisco Giants lefty Madison Bumgarner after five incredible innings of run-free relief. But - after deliberation by the scoring committee - the win was eventually awarded to Jeremy Affeldt, who they determined was not "ineffective in a brief appearance" after throwing 2.1 relief innings ahead of Bumgarner.<br />
<br />
Now, just for fun - and to further prove the point - here's a purely hypothetical scenario:<br />
<br />
Let's say Pitcher A starts a game and gives up 22 earned runs in five innings, but his theoretical counterpart, the similarly named Pitcher B (no relation), surrenders 23 unearned runs. Both teams' bullpens subsequently throw four innings of shutout ball. Guess what? Pitcher A hates his manager but he still picks up the win; Pitcher B the loss. Which is precisely where the issue lies: did Pitcher A do anything to earn a win? No, he pitched terribly. Much worse than Pitcher B, whose ERA is 0.00 after the game.<br />
<br />
The problem could come from the mindset of baseball in general (fans, front office, players, media) thinking there has to be a win awarded to an individual pitcher in every game - an ingrained part of baseball culture. But a pitching win isn't necessary; if the pitcher did nothing to earn the win, they don't deserve the credit.<br />
<br />
Plainly put, pitcher wins as a stat shouldn't exist.<br />
<br />
The only worthwhile measuring stick pitcher wins can be used as is an indicator of a pitcher's longevity. To wit: if a pitcher has many wins, then it could be reasoned he had a long, successful career. Cy Young had 511 wins, and his career was 22 years long; Roger Clemens: 354 wins, 24 years; Nolan Ryan, 324 wins, 27 years; Greg Maddux, 355 wins, 23 years. You get the picture: generally speaking, a pitcher isn't going to stick around in the majors for upwards of 20 years if they're not any good (the original gangsta LOOGY, Jesse Orosco - with his record 1252 games for a pitcher and middling late-career stats - notwithstanding).<br />
<br />
Obviously, there are much better indicators of a pitcher's worth these days, such as the aforementioned WAR, FIP and other advanced stats, but if those are too highfalutin' for the old school folk (Get off my lawn!), there's plenty of other ingrained - yet still indicative - stats that can be used, like ERA, WHIP, Ks/9 and BBs/9.<br />
<br />
It's pretty easy to tell who the good pitchers are without resorting to a wholly arbitrary stat like pitcher wins. So don't do use them. Let's do away with them, shall we? Let pitcher wins go the way of the Dodo bird, let them go gentle into that good night.Mulliniks' Moustachehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14382121328475006248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2474781564694338090.post-48791914120157196392014-06-13T10:33:00.001-07:002014-06-13T11:42:47.204-07:00Mulliniks’ Moustache #19 – Anthony Gose<div class="MsoNormal">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHMN4txVUOoSOLDNOHBjrtY3aTNUgkKSyGx4StM41c5U8vYU2KA0q8OnzGlfoukGUrN5iWEqvrgXRg15KhkYmJgm6Vbn4btCB7GzHnpa1bIzY-1IJPxtsxVj2oDE9oGwUvZDQgaf1zPPY/s1600/anthony_gose_bluejays.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHMN4txVUOoSOLDNOHBjrtY3aTNUgkKSyGx4StM41c5U8vYU2KA0q8OnzGlfoukGUrN5iWEqvrgXRg15KhkYmJgm6Vbn4btCB7GzHnpa1bIzY-1IJPxtsxVj2oDE9oGwUvZDQgaf1zPPY/s1600/anthony_gose_bluejays.jpeg" height="252" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anthony Gose - Blue Jays centrefielder of the future?</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">I</span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">f
Winston Churchill was a baseball fan* – and alive in 2014 – surely his famous
quote: “</span><span style="background: white; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma</span>”
would have been used to describe <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/gosean01.shtml" target="_blank">Anthony Gose</a>. <span style="font-size: xx-small;">*My five seconds of Wikipedia
research tells me he wasn’t. THEREFORE IT IS FACT!</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Much
has been made about Gose, the young speedster and he of the tantalizing
baseball skills. On July 29, 2010, he
was one of then-new-wunderkind-GM <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Anthopoulos" target="_blank">Alex Anthopoulos</a>’ first acquisitions,
swapping slugging first baseman <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/wallabr01.shtml" target="_blank">Brett Wallace</a> to the Houston Astros for a then
19-year-old Gose (as a maybe-only-interesting-to-me aside, Gose was actually
traded with his current Blue Jay teammate <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/happja01.shtml" target="_blank">J.A. Happ</a> from the Phillies to the
Astros before immediately being sent to the Blue Jays for Wallace).</span></div>
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<a name='more'></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Immediately
following the trade, Blue Jays’ front office staff spoke glowingly about his
skills. However, given that he was only 19-years-old, they preached patience,
explaining that Gose needed a few seasons (at least) of seasoning and several
hundred minor league at bats before we would be seeing him on then-SkyDome fake
grass.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">It’s
now almost four years later. Gose has been called up several times, but has yet
to establish himself as a bona fide major leaguer. In fact, he’s been nothing
short of maddening to watch and follow. Big, looping swings, wildly flailing at
off-speed pitches. He seems to think of himself as a power hitter, and while he
does have some <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KG8JfSu8B8" target="_blank">obvious pop</a> (and remember that first career homerun in Boston?) home
runs are not his forte. He has to learn to hit breaking pitches because teams
already know that he’s waiting on fastballs, therefore they’re not throwing him
any.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-tHSDQomMj9enivOtbpmGlnUXNZ-nV8XcR4bQySQlvmZAlLQkBiGpdnWDleillDhNIIq7QFEZvUE9sQyA_1zvbjqtr7FD5h4Mk8ICq7Dh-FdvW8GGosw-OQgzLjBN-DlbycXPxjH-zRM/s1600/alex-anthopoulos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-tHSDQomMj9enivOtbpmGlnUXNZ-nV8XcR4bQySQlvmZAlLQkBiGpdnWDleillDhNIIq7QFEZvUE9sQyA_1zvbjqtr7FD5h4Mk8ICq7Dh-FdvW8GGosw-OQgzLjBN-DlbycXPxjH-zRM/s1600/alex-anthopoulos.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alex Anthopoulos</td></tr>
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</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">At
times he’ll put it together and make solid contact and that’s when the magic
happens and you see why Anthopoulos was so enamoured with young Gose. The
second that bat hits ball, you know there’s a chance something noteworthy will
happen. You stand up and pay close attention. A simple ground ball? In the
blink of an eye, that’s an infield hit. Doubles down the line are triples. And
when he’s on base? Gose is a straight-up game changer, seemingly able to steal
bases at will and disrupting pitchers at the mere possibility.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">I
haven’t even mentioned his defence yet. Mike Wilner has claimed, on multiple
occasions, that Gose is the best defensive centrefielder the Blue Jays have
ever had. That’s heady praise when you consider the centrefielders the Blue
Jays have enjoyed: <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/wellsve01.shtml" target="_blank">Vernon Wells</a>, <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/n/nixonot01.shtml" target="_blank">Otis Nixon</a>, <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/whitede03.shtml" target="_blank">Devon White</a>. Even <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/rasmuco01.shtml" target="_blank">Colby Rasmus</a> is
nothing to thumb our noses at (if only he’d play a few feet deeper! C’mon Colby!!).
Although, when you see plays like this one, you can see where Wilner is coming
from:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">And
now, after all the praise comes the proviso, the pin prick to the over-inflated
balloon. Basically, Anthony Gose can’t really get on base. Too many strikeouts,
not enough walks or contact in general. When he does get on base, though, he
can blow a game open. I’m circling my ultimate point here, hoping that all of you,
my super-smart readers, get what I’m trying to say without me having to say it.
Okay, enough foreplay, here it is: to me, Gose seems to have the prototypical
make-up for a fourth outfielder – pinch runner, late-inning defensive replacement
and spot starter.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2vg1ieLBEhuUgMXr2xR2eNhbyILN_-fy6MYF5cK_QbQSL7zd3TlQfbfUUzhCwWYruFwMTqPHV4Khdct0yBMuD5JpZQjwCp1LpZhYUAe9c8yS7CT24zeDot08r6svCiBCttR2wXMf0-wE/s1600/Anthony+Gose+Toronto+Blue+Jays.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2vg1ieLBEhuUgMXr2xR2eNhbyILN_-fy6MYF5cK_QbQSL7zd3TlQfbfUUzhCwWYruFwMTqPHV4Khdct0yBMuD5JpZQjwCp1LpZhYUAe9c8yS7CT24zeDot08r6svCiBCttR2wXMf0-wE/s1600/Anthony+Gose+Toronto+Blue+Jays.jpg" height="200" width="136" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">This
is not to say that I’m in favour of “giving up” on Gose by any stretch of the
imagination. Good teams become great teams based in part on their bench, and any
team’s fourth outfielder will be an integral part of said team. I’d even go a
step further by saying that the Blue Jays making Gose their fourth outfielder
is putting a ton of faith in him, especially considering that his minor league
stats are so lackluster.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Some
have said Gose needs more consistent playing time and at-bats to “put it all
together”. That, of course, would mean that he gets sent back down to AAA
Buffalo – again – when Rasmus makes an inevitable and imminent return from his
current stint on the disabled list. I don’t agree that sending him down is the
way to go.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">What
is Gose going to do in Buffalo this time that he hasn’t done during his
previous 2177 plate appearances in the Blue Jays organization? (431 with the
Blue Jays, 1046 in AAA, 587 in AA, and 113 at A+) He sulks when he’s sent down,
which he will invariably do this time as well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">A
good fourth outfielder will see in excess of 400 plate appearances in a season.
Think about one-time Blue Jay <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/davisra01.shtml" target="_blank">Rajai Davis</a> and his three years with the Blue Jays – he averaged 105
games played and 395 plate appearances. I’d say Gose brings</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEHuGQSk1c9HA_0hJmuAr4ewft_Iv4KZMsSrUKFT0412Df-ScxbroEuUTKz1u5EsskYhcJNgicQN0eUKV7fzczxDFpaTudpka2M9MMT1Kghvm2MSDWCG7INrq5__1EFJbkyqh5MnAgJK4/s1600/Rajai+Davis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEHuGQSk1c9HA_0hJmuAr4ewft_Iv4KZMsSrUKFT0412Df-ScxbroEuUTKz1u5EsskYhcJNgicQN0eUKV7fzczxDFpaTudpka2M9MMT1Kghvm2MSDWCG7INrq5__1EFJbkyqh5MnAgJK4/s1600/Rajai+Davis.jpg" height="237" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rajai Davis, now a Tiger</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
more to the plate
than Davis, so those numbers will go up in regards to him. Injuries to fellow
outfielders, spot starts, lefty/righty matchups, those at-bats will add up. I think
Gose will benefit more from time in the Major Leagues then from an extra 200 frowny
at-bats in Buffalo. Davis bided his time and learned and eventually he
convinced the Detroit Tigers that he was a legit Major League starter. Maybe
Gose can do the same thing (minus the “going to the Tigers” part). Gose won’t hit
free agency until 2020 so there’s still plenty of time for him to get some
on-the-job training.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">As
I’ve said before, eventually we have to accept the fact that players just are
who they appear to be. People continually say “Gose is only 23-years-old.”
Well, that’s great, but they’ve been saying “Gose is only 19, 20, 21, and
22-years old” as well. That’s been the narrative for the past 4 years. If you don’t
learn something after 4+ years, chances are you’re not going to get it at all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8G595et5k9fOQYf-5EPwP_KtC0Kl8QKLgcWe5C15xiMel8tUf3i5fZAlCqNL0PmsQqTJQoEt1ujjSPcxIvEJIITO8gQaszUWBaIXBkM8Q9dLTBmUxQV7QL4eM1nQ9o0lTj9_r8aktIZE/s1600/otis_nixon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8G595et5k9fOQYf-5EPwP_KtC0Kl8QKLgcWe5C15xiMel8tUf3i5fZAlCqNL0PmsQqTJQoEt1ujjSPcxIvEJIITO8gQaszUWBaIXBkM8Q9dLTBmUxQV7QL4eM1nQ9o0lTj9_r8aktIZE/s1600/otis_nixon.jpg" height="200" width="147" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Bunting Wonder<br />
Otis Nixon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Please
note that Gose’s “4 years” includes time in the minors – A, AA and AAA, Winter
Ball in Venezuela – and parts of three seasons with the big club, all with
different hitting coaches. By my count, that’s at least seven </span></div>
hitting coaches since
joining the Blue Jays organization. SEVEN! Frankly, if a coach was going to get
through to him and teach him how to consistently make contact, it would’ve
happened by now. A player with Gose’s speed should have ONE goal in mind: make
contact. That’s it. People shit all over bunting, but if the end result is a baserunner,
then I say go for it. The aforementioned Otis Nixon, Brett Butler and scores of
others have literally built careers on this skill. I made a joke about it
previously, but I truly believe the Blue Jays should hire Nixon as a Bunting Coach
and have Gose be his shadow for a couple months.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">One
final note: check out Gose’s career stats at the major league level, which
conveniently, works out to almost a full season (and for posterity’s sake, his
162-game average).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-left: 4.65pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184; width: 391px;">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 16.5pt; mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;">
<td nowrap="" style="height: 16.5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 32.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="43"></td>
<td style="background: #DADCDE; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 16.5pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 16.0pt;" width="21"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: #aa0000; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 5.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">G<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #DADCDE; border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 16.5pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: .25in;" width="24"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: #aa0000; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 5.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">PA<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #DADCDE; border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 16.5pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 13.0pt;" width="17"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: #aa0000; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 5.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">R<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #DADCDE; border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 16.5pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 15.0pt;" width="20"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: #aa0000; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 5.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">H<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #DADCDE; border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 16.5pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 14.0pt;" width="19"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: #aa0000; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 5.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">2B<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #DADCDE; border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 16.5pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 13.0pt;" width="17"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: #aa0000; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 5.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">3B<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #DADCDE; border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 16.5pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 14.0pt;" width="19"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: #aa0000; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 5.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">HR<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #DADCDE; border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 16.5pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 17.0pt;" width="23"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: #aa0000; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 5.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">RBI<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #DADCDE; border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 16.5pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 14.0pt;" width="19"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: #aa0000; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 5.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">SB<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #DADCDE; border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 16.5pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 14.0pt;" width="19"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: #aa0000; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 5.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">BB<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #DADCDE; border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 16.5pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 17.0pt;" width="23"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: #aa0000; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 5.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">SO<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #DADCDE; border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 16.5pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: .25in;" width="24"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: #aa0000; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 5.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">BA<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #DADCDE; border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 16.5pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 19.0pt;" width="25"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: #aa0000; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 5.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">OBP<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #DADCDE; border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 16.5pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 19.0pt;" width="25"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: #aa0000; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 5.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">SLG<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #DADCDE; border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 16.5pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: .25in;" width="24"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: #aa0000; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 5.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">OPS<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #DADCDE; border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 16.5pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 22.0pt;" width="29"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: #aa0000; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 5.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">OPS+<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 16.5pt; mso-yfti-irow: 1;">
<td style="background: #DADCDE; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 16.5pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 32.0pt;" width="43"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 5pt;">Career<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #DADCDE; border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 16.5pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 16.0pt;" width="21"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 5pt;">138<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background: rgb(218, 220, 222); border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; height: 16.5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 0.25in;" width="24"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 5pt;">431<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background: rgb(218, 220, 222); border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; height: 16.5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 13pt;" width="17"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 5pt;">46<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background: rgb(218, 220, 222); border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; height: 16.5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 15pt;" width="20"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 5pt;">92<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background: rgb(218, 220, 222); border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; height: 16.5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 14pt;" width="19"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 5pt;">16<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background: rgb(218, 220, 222); border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; height: 16.5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 13pt;" width="17"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 5pt;">9<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background: rgb(218, 220, 222); border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; height: 16.5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 14pt;" width="19"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 5pt;">3<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background: rgb(218, 220, 222); border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; height: 16.5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 17pt;" width="23"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 5pt;">27<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background: rgb(218, 220, 222); border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; height: 16.5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 14pt;" width="19"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 5pt;">22<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background: rgb(218, 220, 222); border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; height: 16.5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 14pt;" width="19"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 5pt;">33<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background: rgb(218, 220, 222); border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; height: 16.5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 17pt;" width="23"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 5pt;">119<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background: rgb(218, 220, 222); border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; height: 16.5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 0.25in;" width="24"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 5pt;">.238<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background: rgb(218, 220, 222); border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; height: 16.5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 19pt;" width="25"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 5pt;">.303<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background: rgb(218, 220, 222); border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; height: 16.5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 19pt;" width="25"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 5pt;">.349<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background: rgb(218, 220, 222); border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; height: 16.5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 0.25in;" width="24"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 5pt;">.651<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background: rgb(218, 220, 222); border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; height: 16.5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 22pt;" width="29"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 5pt;">78<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 16.5pt; mso-yfti-irow: 2; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;">
<td style="background: #DADCDE; border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 16.5pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 32.0pt;" width="43"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 5pt;">Average<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #DADCDE; border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 16.5pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 16.0pt;" width="21"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 5pt;">162<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background: rgb(218, 220, 222); border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; height: 16.5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 0.25in;" width="24"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 5pt;">506<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background: rgb(218, 220, 222); border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; height: 16.5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 13pt;" width="17"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 5pt;">54<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background: rgb(218, 220, 222); border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; height: 16.5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 15pt;" width="20"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 5pt;">108<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background: rgb(218, 220, 222); border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; height: 16.5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 14pt;" width="19"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 5pt;">19<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background: rgb(218, 220, 222); border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; height: 16.5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 13pt;" width="17"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 5pt;">11<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background: rgb(218, 220, 222); border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; height: 16.5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 14pt;" width="19"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 5pt;">4<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background: rgb(218, 220, 222); border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; height: 16.5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 17pt;" width="23"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 5pt;">32<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background: rgb(218, 220, 222); border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; height: 16.5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 14pt;" width="19"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 5pt;">26<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background: rgb(218, 220, 222); border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; height: 16.5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 14pt;" width="19"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 5pt;">39<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background: rgb(218, 220, 222); border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; height: 16.5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 17pt;" width="23"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 5pt;">140<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background: rgb(218, 220, 222); border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; height: 16.5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 0.25in;" width="24"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 5pt;">.238<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background: rgb(218, 220, 222); border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; height: 16.5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 19pt;" width="25"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 5pt;">.303<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background: rgb(218, 220, 222); border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; height: 16.5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 19pt;" width="25"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 5pt;">.349<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background: rgb(218, 220, 222); border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; height: 16.5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 0.25in;" width="24"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 5pt;">.651<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background: rgb(218, 220, 222); border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; height: 16.5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 22pt;" width="29"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 5pt;">78<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">As
always, all awesome information is taken from <a href="http://baseball-reference.com/">baseball-reference.com</a></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">The stat that stands out to me? Way, WAY too many
strikeouts. If he’s hitting 35 homeruns then that number of Ks is acceptable,
but Gose is obviously not going to ever be that guy.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc4sh91Oasd1zb4lOU6hc48xGMgAzyhu2e8BZWpOmL5B4SSSRTJjvTPl8Rj9TRHiyBkn3_2KRFmfYY3P0pFgJVLFFcfmHNqYAw20RfjG3uIP0YSVj8BaT5sASUF4ED2VZryxjWil6P_Ho/s1600/Toronto_blue_jays_logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc4sh91Oasd1zb4lOU6hc48xGMgAzyhu2e8BZWpOmL5B4SSSRTJjvTPl8Rj9TRHiyBkn3_2KRFmfYY3P0pFgJVLFFcfmHNqYAw20RfjG3uIP0YSVj8BaT5sASUF4ED2VZryxjWil6P_Ho/s1600/Toronto_blue_jays_logo.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><br /></span>Mulliniks' Moustachehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14382121328475006248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2474781564694338090.post-6927324858517972872014-06-09T10:54:00.001-07:002014-06-09T11:16:18.813-07:00Mulliniks’ Moustache #18 – Pitch: Talks on Baseball #3<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR-BiTfx2HKq7MSmK39ERC929XLT1GlPgP8HCdyM8hQwgPXlzhqAUrKgQv4XhdTa9JHXb9C1snSwzrpaV73H_ZXi8rIcsMetMmlAWgGDJ68mPsZR3-vpE6IColKK07_lTtlS9EzXsmBTo/s1600/Pitch+Talks+on+Baseball+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR-BiTfx2HKq7MSmK39ERC929XLT1GlPgP8HCdyM8hQwgPXlzhqAUrKgQv4XhdTa9JHXb9C1snSwzrpaV73H_ZXi8rIcsMetMmlAWgGDJ68mPsZR3-vpE6IColKK07_lTtlS9EzXsmBTo/s1600/Pitch+Talks+on+Baseball+3.jpg" height="200" width="129" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">A</span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">s
I mentioned in my previous entry, <u><a href="http://www.pitchtalks.ca/" target="_blank">Pitch: Talks on Baseball #3</a></u> was held
last Monday night. My Rain Man-like math skills tell me that I’m almost a week
late with this recap. Oh well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">This most-recent edition, the third in a series of baseball speaker events, was
jam-packed with presenters, featuring </span><a href="http://www.thestar.com/authors.richard_griffin.html" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;" target="_blank">Richard Griffin</a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> and</span><a href="http://www.thestar.com/authors.kennedy_brendan.html" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;" target="_blank"> Brendan Kennedy</a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> from
the Toronto Star, </span><a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/authors/cathal-kelly" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;" target="_blank">Cathal Kelly</a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> from the Globe & Mail, </span><a href="http://www.tsn.ca/blogs/scott_macarthur/?id=blogs-scott_macarthur" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;" target="_blank">Scott MacArthur</a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> from
TSN Radio 1050, </span><a href="http://www.canadianbaseballnetwork.com/author/alexis-brudnicki/" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;" target="_blank">Alexis Brudnicki</a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> from the Canadian Baseball Network and </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/cashewmirman1" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;" target="_blank">Cashew Mirman</a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Videos.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Before
we get into it, I feel I should say that I wrote a more-detailed first-draft of
this recap, which turned into a 3,000-word opus that no one would have the time
or inclination to read. Ain’t nobody got time for that!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFuFVAtR5PUb85ixjBu6VnMDJdNqB8p67G6KYOukj5dLcmo4IVWmxQ44a0Ki2WaIv7wPcLviO0yUP2seiP0CyNzHVUXuBfe3rE7jsiSsrTgdHjZbAaZBHOQMjM96BaImvXzNzOxtNuAN0/s1600/aint-nobody-got-time-for-that.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFuFVAtR5PUb85ixjBu6VnMDJdNqB8p67G6KYOukj5dLcmo4IVWmxQ44a0Ki2WaIv7wPcLviO0yUP2seiP0CyNzHVUXuBfe3rE7jsiSsrTgdHjZbAaZBHOQMjM96BaImvXzNzOxtNuAN0/s1600/aint-nobody-got-time-for-that.gif" height="177" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Therefore,
I pared it down and relayed the goings-on with broader strokes and included only
a few noteworthy juicy bits so as to not bore that holy living hell out of you.
So, with no further adieu, here we go.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">As
the assorted crowd of baseball-loving Torontoites sipped there <a href="http://www.leftfieldbrewery.ca/" target="_blank">Left FieldBrewery</a> beers and sweated through a stifling-hot room, Cashew Mirman stepped up.
Short, sweet and to the point, Cashew simply explained that he made Blue
Jay-themed videos, and didn’t like public speaking, so on we went to watch a
series of his short videos. Simply put, they were hilarious. Here’s one of my
favourites for your viewing pleasure: (Please make note of the picture adorning
the wall in the opening scene).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/wfyZ7SLymqk?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Next
up was Alexis Brudnicki who gave a brief* overview of her career and how she’s
trying to break into a very tough industry, especially for a woman, and
particularly for a young, attractive woman. She relayed her various exploits
with the <a href="http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/index.jsp?c_id=tor" target="_blank">Blue Jays </a>and her foray into Australian baseball (“We had four
employees: a GM and Assistant GM, another guy and me. I did every job you can
imagine, we set-up the field, we made the mound…I was even the mascot for a
day, the worst day of my life”). </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">*not brief</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Brudnicki
told a story about the now-AAA-exiled <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/arencjp01.shtml" target="_blank">JP Arencibia</a>. It was yet another story
about Arencibia being a sophomoric, immature jerk – he would continually speak
into Brudnicki’s microphone while she was trying to conduct interviews with
other Blue Jays players. “He wouldn’t do that with Bob Elliott or Richard
Griffin, or anyone else,” she said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">It
seems trying to maneuver the minefield of a male-dominated world is tough at
times, including Brudnicki being propositioned on two separate occasions, once
by a scout and then by a fellow journalist, even though she simply thought they
were being helpful to someone relatively new to the industry. “I always give
people the benefit of the doubt” Brudnicki said with a laugh and slight shake
of the head.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4WPwRTDsGKUbj-v-itQhUvsHz7pggQ_szO4dWiLYmfHLLxNQ8dQXRYO66OiLMjDzmBcxY3uhNHv2p0V5xDKW0NDga_pHWyErwqjft6URI-d9dMwdqtkYVdGorQnDjwV4sznWnL5GiQts/s1600/image.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4WPwRTDsGKUbj-v-itQhUvsHz7pggQ_szO4dWiLYmfHLLxNQ8dQXRYO66OiLMjDzmBcxY3uhNHv2p0V5xDKW0NDga_pHWyErwqjft6URI-d9dMwdqtkYVdGorQnDjwV4sznWnL5GiQts/s1600/image.jpeg" height="200" width="121" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Terrible pic of Alexis Brudnicki</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">All-in-all,
it was interesting to hear how Brudnicki was breaking into the business
(apparently, stepping on Bob Elliott’s proverbial Canadian baseball toes is a
good way to get noticed), and trying to make a name for herself.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Next
up was a combo, a 2-for-1 for the ages – Brendan Kennedy, baseball beat writer
for the Toronto Star and Cathal Kelly, sports columnist from the Globe &
Mail.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">First
off, I have to point out the my mind was absolutely blown at the revelation
that “Cathal” is pronounced “Ca-hal” or “Ca-haul” depending who’s saying it.
Bottom line: the “T” is silent. Whodathunkit?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Anywho,
Kennedy and Kelly were there to talk about the importance (or lack thereof) of
journalists speaking to players before writing their game reviews. Kennedy
actually had a full multimedia presentation prepared, the likes of which you’d
see at sales pitches to Fortune-500 companies, complete with PowerPoint and
images edited with MS Paint, including this glorious piece here, which I’m
single-handedly trying to turn into a Blue Jays meme via twitter:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin2WrsMWJmvvDWxE957rzzigQms7F6we4SRshjFAsTNijCTatJN8s7-LUTKgEy5jgDjypMmQ-TyyvjzMl_SQ_ey3XZIrQBy8WUNPytvOTcDZC_L_xaHmJEuh6z9D1y3CE0u_zWRRwZhB0/s1600/Brett+Lawrie+For+the+Boyz.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin2WrsMWJmvvDWxE957rzzigQms7F6we4SRshjFAsTNijCTatJN8s7-LUTKgEy5jgDjypMmQ-TyyvjzMl_SQ_ey3XZIrQBy8WUNPytvOTcDZC_L_xaHmJEuh6z9D1y3CE0u_zWRRwZhB0/s1600/Brett+Lawrie+For+the+Boyz.jpeg" height="195" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#ForTheBoyz</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">The image to the left elicited this quip from Kelly in regards to interviewing the
not-too-forthcoming-with-information Brett Lawrie “I don’t think you want to go
too far into that head.” For some reason, I think that’s dead on.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Kennedy
even had sound clips from the Official Major League Baseball Historian, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Thorn" target="_blank">John Thorn</a>, whom Kennedy called to learn the reason why journalists started
interviewing players after games. The reasoning was actually pretty interesting
in that Major League Baseball was the reason. During the 1940s and 50s,
journalists who were writing game recaps would write flowery, grandiose recaps
where “bats” became “mallets” etc. MLB started making players available to journalists
in order to make the stories, in essence, more accessible to the general public
because players’ quotes would feature much more down-to-earth and
easy-to-understand wording.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Both
Kennedy and Kelly gave a few, mostly humorous examples of a journalists life in
a MLB clubhouse, including waiting for players, trying to get interviews,
living through scrums, and most importantly, not asking </span><br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">
John Farrell the same question
multiple times in relation to <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/carrejo01.shtml" target="_blank">Joel Carreno</a>. It was actually pretty enlightening
stuff for those of us who don’t live that uber-glamorous lifestyle. In essence:
players don’t like partaking in interviews <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbLXFpSLBBu1XevnBfqICKi5Q5OBk0KlKFX2WAjmBdWY8qBDThdVaKmTRvO6UOXsWmg4kpzdQUgTICP5M17sDZxhPDm_hhq21j_UkI6KOoMf08NBItoy4M1GRiKi88Y5EyG9drJNUNwT0/s1600/Brendan+&+Cathal.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbLXFpSLBBu1XevnBfqICKi5Q5OBk0KlKFX2WAjmBdWY8qBDThdVaKmTRvO6UOXsWmg4kpzdQUgTICP5M17sDZxhPDm_hhq21j_UkI6KOoMf08NBItoy4M1GRiKi88Y5EyG9drJNUNwT0/s1600/Brendan+&+Cathal.jpeg" height="200" width="195" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Brendan Kennedy & Cathal Kelly<br />(& some dude's giant head)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
and journalists, for the most part,
don’t like it either because players rarely provide any actual, useful insight.
However, both parties realize it’s a necessary evil so they make it work, as
long as it’s not <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/burnea.01.shtml" target="_blank">AJ Burnett</a> or <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/ryanb.01.shtml" target="_blank">BJ Ryan</a> that the journalists have to speak with.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Next
up was another two-fer, Scott MacArthur and Richard Griffin to discuss advanced
statistics in baseball. This paring was a little bit confusing considering that
neither man was all they enamoured with advanced statistics.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">That’s not to say they’re
dinosaurs who refused to learn these new stats and ignore their relevancy
altogether, they merely feel that some baseball fans, journalists, and front
office staff, who pray at the altar of modern stats, might be putting too much
stock in them, while at the same time putting too little stock in the other
tried and true elements that have been a part of baseball for many decades. For
example: the unmeasurable, like luck, and the heart and feel of the players. As
an aside, I agreed with much of what they said – I feel there is a place for
advanced stats, but not at the expense of the “eye test”, which is what I often
use.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFBmEvGi2KGaetvo8GM0kOzIaSi99k1am86MTxiNtahkHl4HMAorUGHD3J7Pm_pX7hMs3ebdXATAcDs00iTIxmKAxrmwzThSwREU8z1SHluLie61Q91pBMIWm_WYMfnAOPrS56fpLNW0Q/s1600/MacArthur+&+Griffin.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFBmEvGi2KGaetvo8GM0kOzIaSi99k1am86MTxiNtahkHl4HMAorUGHD3J7Pm_pX7hMs3ebdXATAcDs00iTIxmKAxrmwzThSwREU8z1SHluLie61Q91pBMIWm_WYMfnAOPrS56fpLNW0Q/s1600/MacArthur+&+Griffin.jpeg" height="203" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scott MacArthur & Richard Griffin</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">MacArthur
gave the example of <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/rasmuco01.shtml" target="_blank">Colby Rasmus</a> versus <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/gosean01.shtml" target="_blank">Anthony Gose</a>, a debate that is raging amongst
Blue Jays fans (and apparently high-up front-office staff with the Blue Jays,
so says MacArthur). MacArthur simply made the point that while some stats may
show that Rasmus is a better player, maybe, just maybe, Gose is a better
complement to this Blue Jay team at this particular time. It was good point, especially
given that the Blue Jays started playing pretty well when Gose showed up, which
was the result of Rasmus hitting the disabled list.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">MacArthur
also asked the assembled crowd who amongst us felt that <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/lawribr01.shtml" target="_blank">Brett Lawrie</a> was having
a bad season. Many felt that Lawrie’s season was sub-par, but MacArthur had a
different take on things: that Brett Lawrie was the lynchpin to the Blue Jays
hot streak – paying third when a lefty was on the mound and installing <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/t/tollest01.shtml" target="_blank">SteveTolleson</a> at second, or sliding over to second and allowing <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/francju02.shtml" target="_blank">Juan Francisco</a> to
play third when they were facing a righty. Once again, at the very least his
insights provided interesting food for thought.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">I’m
not trying to shortchange Richard Griffin here, but what can I say about him –
the man, the myth, the legend? He’s an institution unto himself. As you might
assume, he was simply as old-school as they come. Read his weekly mailbag,
bullpen or online chats and you’ll have an idea of what it’s like to hear him
talk. Just don’t ask him about Andrew Stoeten, but make sure you ask him about
his start in social media.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">All-in-all, it was another fun, interesting evening
that any baseball fan would enjoy. Next up is PitchTalks #4 on Thursday June 19<sup>th</sup>,
featuring Jonah Keri from Grantland, Michael Grange from Sportsnet, Morgan
Campbell from the Toronto Star and the Drunk Jay Fan himself, Andrew Stoeten
from thescore.ca.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcpoYeJGhgdfRRNv-kxt943VxCai6A61eTR4ma1VEF69XFHIZNcID-0fG9wrGwbP07NzsRwWwQBQ80icQ7lBVTG-0wHE-xbrITGCR66Yt7s0ZxbQ8KEAnTbPi44cDBsJP_8GS4GqyjZnU/s1600/PitchTalks4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcpoYeJGhgdfRRNv-kxt943VxCai6A61eTR4ma1VEF69XFHIZNcID-0fG9wrGwbP07NzsRwWwQBQ80icQ7lBVTG-0wHE-xbrITGCR66Yt7s0ZxbQ8KEAnTbPi44cDBsJP_8GS4GqyjZnU/s1600/PitchTalks4.jpg" height="400" width="258" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><br /></span>Mulliniks' Moustachehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14382121328475006248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2474781564694338090.post-47055486780724042872014-06-02T12:53:00.000-07:002014-06-02T12:55:57.583-07:00Mulliniks’ Moustache #17 – Monday Musings (PitchTalks, Stroman, Gose & MORE)<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">ust some
random food for thought on this sunny Monday, with the Blue Jays sitting in
first place, enjoying a 3.5 game lead over the New York Yankees. Just let that
sink in for a minute. First place on June 2<sup>nd</sup>. Okay, onto the
musings:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4gl4iC4cvEi-vA-Hk-syrNlixv077capWJL_I-b-V5hO2Y1dmJUvLxy3-DS5A7udCU9vHVRbfZeuQ-MZ2QKVt34tKts1-B6rF8elBqWcidNZy-qBxNpCZm42T20vA4NH8KKoKsVYx0QA/s1600/Carlos+Delgado+Toronto+Blue+Jays.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4gl4iC4cvEi-vA-Hk-syrNlixv077capWJL_I-b-V5hO2Y1dmJUvLxy3-DS5A7udCU9vHVRbfZeuQ-MZ2QKVt34tKts1-B6rF8elBqWcidNZy-qBxNpCZm42T20vA4NH8KKoKsVYx0QA/s1600/Carlos+Delgado+Toronto+Blue+Jays.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">How much fun is it watching the
Blue Jays play right now? As I mentioned in my last entry, they’re firing
on all cylinders – the line-up top to bottom, no matter who is in the starting
line-up, both starting and relief pitching, the defence. Jeez, it even
seems like their TWEETS are improving recently. I, for one, can’t really
remember a time they’ve played so well. Sure, there was that magical
11-game win streak last year, but that always seemed like a mirage (and
the 151 games that book-ended those 11 games prove that it was). John
Gibbons mentioned that he was the manager when they went 20-10 in May of
2009 (after which he was fired three weeks later). The 2003 team was pretty
solid and stacked with offensive juggernauts (<a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/delgaca01.shtml" target="_blank">Carlos Delgado</a> in what
should have been his MVP season, a still-productive, on-the-rise <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/wellsve01.shtml" target="_blank">Vernon Wells</a>,
plus <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hinsker01.shtml" target="_blank">Eric Hinske</a>, <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/stewash01.shtml" target="_blank">Shannon Stewart</a> et al and the team ace was, of course,
<a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hallaro01.shtml" target="_blank">Roy Halladay</a>). There had to have been some solid play during “Vietnam Vet”
Tim Johnson’s lone year of 1998, which is still the Blue Jays high-water
mark for wins in a season in the past 20 years with 88. I can’t really
explain it, but this year’s version of the Blue Jays just seems…different.
More real? More dominant? Who knows? I’m open to theories as to why I feel
that way; assuming others have the same (warm, fuzzy) feelings as I do. My
happy-go-lucky, unicorns and rainbows and fluffy kitten feelings may be a
little bit too much sentimentality and grasping for straws because there’s
still four months left in the season and it could all go south really
quickly, but I’m enjoying the hell out of watching these guys play.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> <a name='more'></a></span></li>
</ol>
<ol start="2" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3T4W0BtVfWZx7jNFY3fjJoKKvppsJMXuMXxlz7HdxE91u_ma8G8KggruX95zr7wP0bO_M1mV9ncVe-M4oGj8DWwViwML36W-pUOP154gfqIHudOekSeuZhfOIVKYZ_9E0LBTkR0P8rlg/s1600/Marcus+Stroman+Toronto+Blue+Jays+MLB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3T4W0BtVfWZx7jNFY3fjJoKKvppsJMXuMXxlz7HdxE91u_ma8G8KggruX95zr7wP0bO_M1mV9ncVe-M4oGj8DWwViwML36W-pUOP154gfqIHudOekSeuZhfOIVKYZ_9E0LBTkR0P8rlg/s1600/Marcus+Stroman+Toronto+Blue+Jays+MLB.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">I didn’t see the whole game so I’m
speaking from a place of slight extrapolation (aka LYING), but man oh man
was I impressed with <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/stromma01.shtml" target="_blank">Marcus Stroman</a> in his start on Saturday where he beat
the Royals and put an end to the Blue Jays mini two-game slump. He seemed
to struggle during his initial call-up when he was used exclusively out of
the bullpen. Hell, who am I kidding? A 12.79 ERA? “Seemed” to struggle is
an understatement; he struggled mightily during his time in the Blue Jays
bullpen. But his line on Saturday: 6IP, 5H, 1ER, 0BB, 6Ks, was impressive.
That curveball/slider was nasty. Hopefully he can keep it up provide some quality
innings that the Blue Jays need.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></li>
</ol>
<ol start="3" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Y’know who else has impressed me?
<a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/gosean01.shtml" target="_blank">Anthony Gose</a>. I was down on him big time given his struggles in AAA
Buffalo, and seeming unwillingness to learn at that level and earning a
call up to “The Show”. In addition he still, as always, racks up way too
many strikeouts. It seems elementary that someone with his speed should just
try to put the ball in play by bunting (Mike Wilner says two bunt singles
a week will bump his average 100 points over the course of a year) and
slapping the ball around (a drum that Richard Griffin keeps beating). But,
with all the being said, when Gose does get on base, his speed is truly a
game changer. And let’s not forget about his defence, which has been
superlative to say the least. Mike Wilner (him again?) even goes so far as
to say that Gose is the best centre fielder that the Blue Jays have ever
had. Yes, even better than the Silky Gazelle*, <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/whitede03.shtml" target="_blank">Devon White</a>. This is not to
say, <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj9L-1Wc0M2OQNTlkQ4tUj8nhyphenhyphenHDzh4POE5GPfzvZwp0iXWsUOjQCYiEexaDaQPAaJVPt0h1g3iURoyDMUWkt0AOcaW1iWNbixLkDwEpiP6bUDp7PvdtlxXShqtOfVqeEVqpVCl888gbY/s1600/Anthony+Gose+Toronto+Blue+Jays+MLB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj9L-1Wc0M2OQNTlkQ4tUj8nhyphenhyphenHDzh4POE5GPfzvZwp0iXWsUOjQCYiEexaDaQPAaJVPt0h1g3iURoyDMUWkt0AOcaW1iWNbixLkDwEpiP6bUDp7PvdtlxXShqtOfVqeEVqpVCl888gbY/s1600/Anthony+Gose+Toronto+Blue+Jays+MLB.jpg" height="133" width="200" /></a></div>
though, that the Blue Jays should trade <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/rasmuco01.shtml" target="_blank">Colby Rasmus</a> for pitching
help, as many have suggested. Rasmus is tried and true, you know what he
provides: better than average defence, lots of power and, once again, too
many strikeouts. We shouldn’t take Gose’s small sample size and
extrapolate that over a full season or a career, that’s just a practice in
futility. At this point, Gose is a great bench player, a fourth outfielder
to act as a pinch runner, defensive replacement and occasional starter,
with the chance to become so much more. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">*Non-official nickname. I just
made it up right now.</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></li>
</ol>
<ol start="4" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Mea culpa time (and a culpa that
should have been mea’d a month or more ago): I was one of the wide-eyed,
pie-in-the-sky optimists that thought <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/goinsry01.shtml" target="_blank">Ryan Goins</a> could handle the second
base duties for the 2014 Blue Jays. I am not very proud to say I was dead
wrong in this regard. As we all saw, Goins was exactly as he projected –
stellar defence with virtually no offence (despite Blue Jays’ hitting
coach Kevin Seitzer’s<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPFzNmrOArYn8ynS1ND0SphA39D5YmhdUmrec-76WXT0weowY4-sbEH7AP9WjwcDZ4s915hcLzS-4VwqqStZ2xspmBjW8yYSZnmZm5q8Uua217Wt_-AoZDuo7cqSBfgX7Qm4opvajQxrc/s1600/Ryan+Goins+Toronto+Blue+Jays+MLB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPFzNmrOArYn8ynS1ND0SphA39D5YmhdUmrec-76WXT0weowY4-sbEH7AP9WjwcDZ4s915hcLzS-4VwqqStZ2xspmBjW8yYSZnmZm5q8Uua217Wt_-AoZDuo7cqSBfgX7Qm4opvajQxrc/s1600/Ryan+Goins+Toronto+Blue+Jays+MLB.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a></div>
much-ballyhooed off-season visit with Goins where he
“fixed” his swing). The platoon/rotation system John Gibbons has going
right now with <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/t/tollest01.shtml" target="_blank">Steve Tolleson</a>/<a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/lawribr01.shtml" target="_blank">Brett Lawrie</a> and by extension <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/francju02.shtml" target="_blank">Juan Francisco</a>
seems to be working pretty well. Goins was over-matched, plain and simple.
Maybe he’ll put it together and be a serviceable major-leaguer (he is only
25 after all) but at this point, both he and the Blue Jays are better served
by him being in the minors.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></li>
</ol>
<ol start="5" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Pitch: Talks on Baseball #3 is
tonight. I’m spreading the word a little last-minute, but it’s a fun and
informative speaker series based around, big surprise, the Blue Jays and
baseball in general. Described by the Pitch people as “Ted Talks with
grass stains”, I attended the first one, and it was great – entertaining,
informative and lots of fun. Tonight’s edition features three Toronto
journalists whom I read <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYF5KkCgchiPX3NxtXiZ9kw63k1eMbrvW2y2k1BQcHR1Q79Dk_qdTN6GhDfMJWfY1B8fUsNqLxZFKECI6hmu9ddXYg5ostaPsEVbPaO2FJ_YYOgJL9vBRRlmGR-Vlaqycebb-6lHGjT5c/s1600/Pitch+Talks+on+Baseball+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYF5KkCgchiPX3NxtXiZ9kw63k1eMbrvW2y2k1BQcHR1Q79Dk_qdTN6GhDfMJWfY1B8fUsNqLxZFKECI6hmu9ddXYg5ostaPsEVbPaO2FJ_YYOgJL9vBRRlmGR-Vlaqycebb-6lHGjT5c/s1600/Pitch+Talks+on+Baseball+3.jpg" height="320" width="207" /></a></div>
religiously: two Toronto Star writers, Richard
Griffin and Brendan Kennedy (whose brother is one of the organizers of
Pitch Talks. NEPOTISM!), in addition to Cathal Kelly, newly-minted as a
Globe & Mail columnist during a recent mass exodus from the offices at
One Yonge Street. Other speakers/presenters include Scott MacArthur from
TSN Radio 1050, Alexis Brudnicki from the Canadian Baseball Network and Cashew
Mirman Videos. Oh, they also have beer (from Left Field Brewery, ironically
enough a baseball-themed brewery). Beer and baseball? I’m in. I’ll try to
get a write-up done as soon as possible as well.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></li>
</ol>
<ol start="6" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">The 2014 First-Year Player Draft
is this Thursday, June 5<sup>th</sup>. Undrafted players are not my forte,
but the draft is always interesting to see where the Blue Jays are going.
<a href="http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/blue-jays-must-take-advantage-of-2014-draft/" target="_blank">Shi Davidi has a great write-up about it</a>.
The nuts and bolts are as such: the Blue Jays pick 9<sup>th</sup>, 11<sup>th</sup>
and 49<sup>th</sup> in the first, second and compensatory rounds, which
should amount to three solid players. “Should” is the key there – as always,
the draft is a complete crapshoot. There are very few sure things when
drafting players, in any sport. With their first two picks, the Blue Jays
have been linked to North Carolina State shortstop Trea Turner, and two
right-handed pitchers, Florida high schooler Touki Toussaint and East
Carolina’s Jeff Hoffman, (who, luck would have it, just underwent Tommy
John surgery).</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></li>
</ol>
<ol start="7" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Apropos of absolutely nothing,
and not even Blue Jay-related: I’m always confused when I see<a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/woodtr01.shtml" target="_blank"> Travis Wood</a>
pitching for the Chicago Cubs. In my simple mind Cubs + Wood = <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/woodke02.shtml" target="_blank">Kerry Wood</a>.
That’s simply part of my psyche now. Sorry Travis Wood, you will
henceforth simply be known as “Not Kerry Wood”.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">That’s it! Just seven musings today. Enjoy the coming week,
it’ll be a big one with the Blue Jays facing the Detroit Tigers and their
Murder’s Row of starting pitchers (they’re scheduled to be face Anibal Sanchez,
Rick Porcello and Mr. Kate Upton himself, Justin Verlander).</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUp1nK6ifJhPe0nVFJSbDVfuoI2P9-V35lsdaf3DnvBJ081Ic_7CoU4nevoqlQZvefpcs1TeuV7ogiFXsQXz1j-O-F-uMwXqunvS8BONFYlFWWDDPQroD8J6ZwAabCTsK2idYvOncqKLw/s1600/kate+upton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUp1nK6ifJhPe0nVFJSbDVfuoI2P9-V35lsdaf3DnvBJ081Ic_7CoU4nevoqlQZvefpcs1TeuV7ogiFXsQXz1j-O-F-uMwXqunvS8BONFYlFWWDDPQroD8J6ZwAabCTsK2idYvOncqKLw/s1600/kate+upton.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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Mulliniks' Moustachehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14382121328475006248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2474781564694338090.post-39452553766521379682014-05-26T12:44:00.001-07:002014-05-26T12:44:25.140-07:00Mulliniks’ Moustache #16 – Firing on all Cylinders<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">I</span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">s
this finally the Blue Jays team we all hoped, and thought, we would see last
year? It’s Monday, May 26<sup>th</sup>, 2014, and our Toronto Blue Jays are sitting
atop the American League East, with a two game cushion over the venerable New
York Yankees. This a position the Blue Jays, and many of us long-suffering fans,
haven’t enjoyed in many moons.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4qhoQe-SR48Qx8b4guNLd6EKfXnnXbaMtnuo8CpS1t7wzB7h9qiI8Gd6cJinXpoBHrhj_I4f-gHnc_rFT4dEXDdPO06EVVkunT5TZemDWPeb6_7JBgP_1j1HGaLMGTIryQ_Tkjpxqyto/s1600/Toronto+Penthouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4qhoQe-SR48Qx8b4guNLd6EKfXnnXbaMtnuo8CpS1t7wzB7h9qiI8Gd6cJinXpoBHrhj_I4f-gHnc_rFT4dEXDdPO06EVVkunT5TZemDWPeb6_7JBgP_1j1HGaLMGTIryQ_Tkjpxqyto/s1600/Toronto+Penthouse.jpg" height="171" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Over
the past two weeks or so, the Blue Jays have won six in a row, nine of ten and have
climbed from the basement of the AL East all the way, via express elevator, to
the penthouse, compete with mirrored ceilings, a 360 degree view of the city
and multiple heart-shaped bathtubs (yes, I’ve spend far too much time thinking
about what it would be like in a MLB penthouse). Incredibly, the Blue Jays are
still only 13-11 at home, so there’s lots of room for improvement in that
regard. Just to be a naysayer for a quick second, there are as always many
“buts” involved that have to be considered, such as:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">It’s still insanely early to be
getting too excited<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Everyone else in the AL East is
playing terribly. Horribly, awfully, terrible. Like, on par with the
Houston Astros. Yes, that bad.<a name='more'></a><o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">So,
maybe we should temper the optimism/excitement just a smidge. Yes, we should
all enjoy this hot streak for all that it is: we’re cheering for a winning
baseball team! But it’s obvious we’re a wee bit ahead of ourselves in
celebrating a season that is only one-third completed and planning the World
Series parade route. However, I’d </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvuLNLlJZCIRKLGv9BbFdlw01FyHzzY5W1c94kElMR1S7mMB1a243gwSwigIS6wGEExgxUeDR59pQQkzmHVB7_SEDw70AWC6uH1h-5az78McOKYNKCS93ird7EUo5FIKEBDxdXREZ5JcA/s1600/Joe+Carter+Bue+Jays+World+Series+Homerun.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvuLNLlJZCIRKLGv9BbFdlw01FyHzzY5W1c94kElMR1S7mMB1a243gwSwigIS6wGEExgxUeDR59pQQkzmHVB7_SEDw70AWC6uH1h-5az78McOKYNKCS93ird7EUo5FIKEBDxdXREZ5JcA/s1600/Joe+Carter+Bue+Jays+World+Series+Homerun.jpg" /></a></div>
be willing to say that many of us can’t
remember a time when the Blue Jays were playing this well. Who am I kidding? Of
course I can: it was 1993 and <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/cartejo01.shtml" target="_blank">Joe Carter</a> was <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ProiFsOwHNM" target="_blank">circling the bases like a manpossessed</a> while <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/willimi02.shtml" target="_blank">Mitch Williams</a> walked dejectedly off the SkyDome mound. Sorry,
I don’t mean to tempt fate by comparing our 2014 Blue Jays, a team that’s 51
games into their season, with an incredibly deep, World Series-winning team,
but there we go, Pandora’s Box has been opened. Nothing we can do now but watch.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Just
about every facet of the Blue Jays is performing well and firing on all
cylinders; pitching – both starting and relieving – hitting, defense, speed and
even the elusive, mysterious element: luck. (Please refer to the 2013 Boston
Red Sox to see the gold-standard for “Lucky” teams).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Let’s
take a quick gander (yup, GANDER) at everything that’s going well right now:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/e/encared01.shtml" target="_blank">Edwin Encarnacion</a> is enjoying a
hot streak the likes of which few have ever seen, including 12 homers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXsOUvp3VXRg1uBp_bEizlcokMDL35vo-ihMxwEwUB6P157y01oKjSyMB3aM_3aYyX8XmbZ65myzkqfNvHkHujMc07hfa4zEYDebguls-BYdHSxr5G-jUlgy099-FSMkiDR6PZTsAndoQ/s1600/Encarnacion+Blue+Jays+Parrot+Shirt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXsOUvp3VXRg1uBp_bEizlcokMDL35vo-ihMxwEwUB6P157y01oKjSyMB3aM_3aYyX8XmbZ65myzkqfNvHkHujMc07hfa4zEYDebguls-BYdHSxr5G-jUlgy099-FSMkiDR6PZTsAndoQ/s1600/Encarnacion+Blue+Jays+Parrot+Shirt.jpg" height="200" width="167" /></a></div>
so far this month<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/pl/player_search.cgi?search=Jose+Reyes&results=" target="_blank">Jose Reyes</a> is finally looking like
the player the Blue Jays thought they were getting after The Trade<sup>®</sup>
with the Miami Marlins (and frankly is a player I was none-too-sure even
existed, having heard so much about his abilities. After all, I only had
the opportunity to see him play a handful of times, given that he was a
life-long National Leaguer prior to the 2013 season). He’s the team
sparkplug at the top of the lineup that has literally taken games over in
the past couple weeks with his speed alone<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">The starters team ERA is almost
two full runs less than it was last year<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/janssca01.shtml" target="_blank">Casey Janssen</a> is back from the DL
as the closer, and providing a stabilizing force in the bullpen<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">In addition,<a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mcgowdu01.shtml" target="_blank"> Dustin McGowan</a> has
reclaimed his rightful spot in the bullpen after his foray into the
starting rotation was deemed a failure<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/gosean01.shtml" target="_blank">Anthony Gose</a> is like a new, and
probably better, version Rajai Davis (which, incidentally, shouldn’t be
overlooked. Gose is my X-Factor for the rest of the season – even when
<a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/rasmuco01.shtml" target="_blank">Colby Rasmus</a> is back from his <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
stint on the DL, Gose should be kept as the
fourth outfielder)<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/lawribr01.shtml" target="_blank">Brett Lawrie</a> continues to amaze
with his defensive prowess at third base, and surprisingly, is playing a
pretty solid second base, when necessary, to make room for<a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/francju02.shtml" target="_blank"> Juan Francisco</a>
in the lineup<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">(And
by the way, one of the reasons to point all of the above out is because it’s
utter folly to think that every one of those players will keep up their current
pace. Players slump, players streak. That’s baseball in a nutshell)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmwEPrFTyKT3w1xjpYKTBRUNh3-g5EMZP_jEUaf9FOrGHJUOnSBDJBF4iRmgoJ9tSSBLo_cf2YxVeabdSwEuXvc-o0mTYQYvZFaur31ybp3EzAx4pJjvRDy6w4G_KMG3NXs0Rxa3-ypY0/s1600/Alison+Brie+Toronto+Blue+Jays.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmwEPrFTyKT3w1xjpYKTBRUNh3-g5EMZP_jEUaf9FOrGHJUOnSBDJBF4iRmgoJ9tSSBLo_cf2YxVeabdSwEuXvc-o0mTYQYvZFaur31ybp3EzAx4pJjvRDy6w4G_KMG3NXs0Rxa3-ypY0/s1600/Alison+Brie+Toronto+Blue+Jays.jpg" height="195" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Does this pic apply here? No!<br />But it's Alison Brie wearing a Blue Jay hat!<br />Turn that frown upside down, Alison.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">To
what do the Blue Jays owe this sudden resurgence? Is it the untraceable, immeasurable
“team cohesiveness”? Or is that a fallacy perpetuated by the same people who
trumpet pitcher wins and eschew WAR and WHIP and OPS? Are the Jays truly a
“team” now, after last year’s feeling-out period, or are a large number of players
simply playing better at the same time? This is, after all, pretty much the
same team as last year, minus Josh Johnson, Rajai Davis, part of Emilio
Bonifacio and a couple of other spare parts. Methinks it was more likely a case
of a much-ballyhooed team struggling at the starting the season, then getting
decimated by injuries, which they in turn didn’t have the depth to overcome,
which led to further struggles.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">The
same question remains for the Blue Jays, as it does for every baseball team,
hell every other sports franchise, professional, amateur or otherwise: can they
maintain this torrid pace? The answer is as ubiquitous as the question: No, of
course not! The point worth remembering though, is that they definitely have
the pieces, (and finally the roster, <a href="http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/gibbons-no-longer-handcuffed-by-jays-roster/" target="_blank">so says Shi Davidi</a>)
to make a run of it. I mean MY GOD, even <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/happja01.shtml" target="_blank">JA Happ</a> is on a run of quality starts
I don’t think anyone saw coming.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbuLU6mVArsdfEG16JbTzQeD2Ny3Bk5WB7dR2caDN1R1Wf-HJ-y9q3wIIjbiBaz_lCyx9aVUTkTfEcNtSXM_6E5JoQdNbmhEtfzJaXtT2znL5Uop99l0ZulRa36wCA9sY0yaeLRvBpfhw/s1600/bandwagon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbuLU6mVArsdfEG16JbTzQeD2Ny3Bk5WB7dR2caDN1R1Wf-HJ-y9q3wIIjbiBaz_lCyx9aVUTkTfEcNtSXM_6E5JoQdNbmhEtfzJaXtT2znL5Uop99l0ZulRa36wCA9sY0yaeLRvBpfhw/s1600/bandwagon.jpg" height="265" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">It
seems these halcyon days have also made us forget about <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/morrobr01.shtml" target="_blank">Brandon Morrow</a> and
<a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/santose01.shtml" target="_blank">Sergio Santos</a> currently biding their time on the disabled list. Should we even
be expecting anything from them when their time is up? I’d say yes and no: “Yes”
to Santos, who seemed ill-suited to the closer role (which is odd, considering
he was the closer for the White Sox, a far more stressful baseball town than
our fair city). He should be able to slide in to the eighth-inning setup man
role co-occupied by <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/cecilbr01.shtml" target="_blank">Brett Cecil</a>, <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/delabst01.shtml" target="_blank">Steve Delabar</a> and McGowan; “No” to Morrow, who
seems to have lost it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Hopefully the Blue Jays can keep this up and they won’t
fade as the season continues. In any event, it’s providing a heck of a lot of
optimism amongst fans and is causing a stampede of late-comers and casual fans
to jump en masse onto the bandwagon.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNhUjx5iUyio9NegiEpRr34QUBNrON2Lxn-Xxr2T1gMEYMki3DrYuZz8NTmkSHIVheDiJfxaDxH5YfDQnfHO4MKToHi9YlDukuBYKrLoxfEkvpBDgcIquGd9MxnSuC0lsC8iMPOi1LSQI/s1600/Toronto-Blue-Jays+Bautista+Dickey+Encarnacion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNhUjx5iUyio9NegiEpRr34QUBNrON2Lxn-Xxr2T1gMEYMki3DrYuZz8NTmkSHIVheDiJfxaDxH5YfDQnfHO4MKToHi9YlDukuBYKrLoxfEkvpBDgcIquGd9MxnSuC0lsC8iMPOi1LSQI/s1600/Toronto-Blue-Jays+Bautista+Dickey+Encarnacion.jpg" height="250" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><br /></span>Mulliniks' Moustachehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14382121328475006248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2474781564694338090.post-10652029730020147462014-05-07T05:58:00.000-07:002014-05-07T06:03:53.240-07:00Mulliniks’ Moustache #15 – Dustin McGowan & the Catch-22<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcWgejNTnP72JJCfR6RrYJbeq5oGzT_wz_UCAQOqMvAf9w9s2b1ckGe639khf9zzUMS_KzbkTP37F4x2vQjTQigKfIZv4SY1Xrd8pLX5km4gvuO5zjkdTrauDkk5cNwrhkzTfHy7XAamQ/s1600/dustin_mcgowan+toronto+blue+jays.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcWgejNTnP72JJCfR6RrYJbeq5oGzT_wz_UCAQOqMvAf9w9s2b1ckGe639khf9zzUMS_KzbkTP37F4x2vQjTQigKfIZv4SY1Xrd8pLX5km4gvuO5zjkdTrauDkk5cNwrhkzTfHy7XAamQ/s1600/dustin_mcgowan+toronto+blue+jays.jpg" height="181" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">I</span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">t
appears as though the Blue Jays have created an awkward situation for
themselves: Dustin McGowan was a key, stabilizing force in their bullpen last
year – one of the few bright spots in a disaster of a season. And now in 2014
they’re in desperate need of him to move from the starting rotation back to the
bullpen to solidify their current, far-more-shaky version. However, with Brandon
Morrow possibly out for the year with an injured finger, they’re even leaner at
starting pitching than originally thought. Further complicating the issue is
that McGowan, complete with his new fatigue-busting in-game insulin pump, has
strung together a couple of really solid starts. The sad reality is that no
matter where McGowan pitches, the other side will be left lacking. Dustin
McGowan: 2014 Toronto Blue Jays Team Lynchpin, who would have thought that?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">If
McGowan was struggling and still only able to throw 65 effective pitches at a
time then the decision would be easier, but it doesn’t make sense to move an
effective starter to the bullpen and in the process weaken an already weak
rotation. It would be a case of robbing Peter to pay Paul. It’s simply not the
right time to play around with rotation/bullpen members.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHklUNhApbOj1V2LijzwzaF85xurcmgyfGFdScZcMyYIVZL1UQidcqn8zedQfZEzUgf6BQrIQD3xAhoTtG_XBwpZQLfMEnE3esULeQ_i6C9jqfyXEX2m27AIMMVylBGPJbWqGjZC86ZBw/s1600/Toronto+Blue+Jays+JA+Happ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHklUNhApbOj1V2LijzwzaF85xurcmgyfGFdScZcMyYIVZL1UQidcqn8zedQfZEzUgf6BQrIQD3xAhoTtG_XBwpZQLfMEnE3esULeQ_i6C9jqfyXEX2m27AIMMVylBGPJbWqGjZC86ZBw/s1600/Toronto+Blue+Jays+JA+Happ.jpg" height="200" width="141" /></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Marcus
Stroman has made his much-ballyhooed debut (and picked up his first
big-league win last night), so he should help the bullpen for the time
being. In addition, Casey Janssen looks to be making progress from his oblique
injury and will hopefully take his rightful place as closer in the coming
weeks. In any event, the Blue Jays are once again in the unenviable position
where they have to use yet another overmatched pitcher – JA Happ – in their
starting rotation. (As an aside, doesn’t it seem as though Happ has taken JP
Arencibia’s spot on the team as the sullen, petulant teenager who finds ways to
be angry at his “parents”? Despite doing virtually nothing to warrant the move,
aside from having a $5.2 million salary, Happ has once again sulked and complained
his way into the Blue Jays starting rotation. The smart move would be to send
Happ to the bullpen, or if they want to open up a much-needed roster spot for a
bench player, let Happ ply his trade somewhere else – send him to the minors,
release him, trade him to the National League, sell him to the Yomiuri Giants,
who cares. End of aside).</span></div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Rogers’
cold, dead hands have apparently been clenched around the coffers purse strings,
tight enough that any thought of looking at mid-season free-agent additions* (like
the recently-signed Joel Hanrahan) is an almost laughable suggestion – it’s not
going to happen. Speculating about trades is an act of futility in which I will
not partake, so the only course of action to rectify the bullpen is through
internal avenues. We’ve seen RA Dickey pinch running, but I have exactly zero
desire to see the other side of that coin where position players take their
turn on the pitcher’s mound. So what are we left with? Minor league options and
best-utilizing the major league</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2QzuZgbjaliHULgmUThsFHqFKt4z8IaN9OZGR-bUEYj5ZB-9sVrhinC11Q1PIVVi-Yrjh2hr2QK07sVem2AnUJePlMJPK318gHDM7s0QFlhEYEksLpahiuwpjbqMTBlqNBv0CmMFKLIo/s1600/stephen+drew.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2QzuZgbjaliHULgmUThsFHqFKt4z8IaN9OZGR-bUEYj5ZB-9sVrhinC11Q1PIVVi-Yrjh2hr2QK07sVem2AnUJePlMJPK318gHDM7s0QFlhEYEksLpahiuwpjbqMTBlqNBv0CmMFKLIo/s1600/stephen+drew.jpg" /></a></div>
assets. <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">*Stop suggesting Stephen Drew, okay?
Okay.</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Based
on the season as a whole, and what I’ve said above, this may seem patently
obvious but I feel it has to be said: the Blue Jays don’t have enough major
league calibre pitching. Of course, that’s true of just about every MLB team,
but in the Blue Jays case, this problem is further exacerbated by Alex
Anthopoulos’ misguided and pig-headed desire to keep Todd Redmond and Esmil
Rogers on the major league roster simply because both players are out of
options.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">I
feel like a broken record, but what’s the problem if the Blue Jays lose one or
both of those pitchers? What team will claim a pitcher that is clearly
overmatched? It seems that many people are aware. One person who seems to be
blissfully unaware? Alex Anthopoulous. Even manager John Gibbons, who rarely uses
them and when he does, it’s in mop-up duty.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Even
after Stroman’s recall, the Jays minor league team in Buffalo seems to be
littered with viable late-inning help. Take a gander at a few of the pitchers featured
in the Bisons bullpen (all stats as of Tuesday, May 6<sup>th</sup>, 2014):<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX5-KImyhzlMr1WY1C0UtyLYAKjDjSXpb9DZpLtKI_WQIOqH_OR1fpNE12aPdaQ0Y3nUzBt62nEjuFsjWFxBbaFw77P0HI8O_TZTpQW6sgiNLO8VNfczEP2QKK2BNq350pD2wcRqGfXhA/s1600/Buffalo+Bisons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX5-KImyhzlMr1WY1C0UtyLYAKjDjSXpb9DZpLtKI_WQIOqH_OR1fpNE12aPdaQ0Y3nUzBt62nEjuFsjWFxBbaFw77P0HI8O_TZTpQW6sgiNLO8VNfczEP2QKK2BNq350pD2wcRqGfXhA/s1600/Buffalo+Bisons.jpg" height="195" width="200" /></a>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Chad Jenkins (2.30 ERA, 15.2 IP,
2 saves, 11 Ks, 2 BBs, 0.77 WHIP), who has already been called up after
Morrow’s injury.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Neil Wagner (0 ER, 4.1 IP, 3
saves, 4 Ks, 0 BBs, 0.46 WHIP), who has proven time and again that he can
help a major league team. (Currently on the disabled list, but it’s
reportedly not serious)<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">What about a guy like Bobby
Korecky (0 ER, 22 IP, 2 saves, 222 Ks, 6 BBs, 0.77 WHIP), who’s flying
under radar a little bit, but has been incredible this year.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">And finally, a long-shot
suggestion: Rob Rasmussen (3.75 ERA, 12 IP, 1 save, 13Ks, 9BBs 1.67 WHIP).<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Call
them up and give them a shot. Can any of them be worse than Rogers or Redmond?
If any or all of those guys are recalled, then the Blue Jays can move Stroman
to the rotation and with Happ moved on to greener pastures, instantly the team
will be improved.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh084Yl0BiTPCRLApeAmd71BXhYwz_deK8mTukWUasEHOe-HOw2-lDNrfjvDkBwYIDEvDjJWUDo-4myMNs3hBioVszZR6sOGu0x32IDb3xHe0RcbT_7Nvkm798iTS2uj9-nxYWY9r71nAM/s1600/Toronto_blue_jays_logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh084Yl0BiTPCRLApeAmd71BXhYwz_deK8mTukWUasEHOe-HOw2-lDNrfjvDkBwYIDEvDjJWUDo-4myMNs3hBioVszZR6sOGu0x32IDb3xHe0RcbT_7Nvkm798iTS2uj9-nxYWY9r71nAM/s1600/Toronto_blue_jays_logo.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">A
starting rotation of RA Dickey, Mark Buehrle, Dustin McGowan, Drew Hutchison
and Marcus Stroman may, at </span>the outset, not instill any terror in opposing
teams, but it would at least set the team up to potentially do some damage.
This might be my unbridled optimism speaking, but maybe Aaron Sanchez will be
ready for a few starts later in the season? But that’s another blog entry on
its own, I’m getting ahead of myself.</div>
<br /><o:p></o:p>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">It’s obvious the Blue Jays offence isn’t the problem…right
now at least. After some early-season struggles, many members of the team have
appeared to be righting their proverbial ships. If the Blue Jays can find a way
to string together some quality starts and some quality relief appearances,
then this wide-open division may be ripe for the picking. </span>Mulliniks' Moustachehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14382121328475006248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2474781564694338090.post-54085629880903689502014-04-29T09:52:00.000-07:002014-04-29T09:58:50.243-07:00Mulliniks’ Moustache #14 – The Case for Optimism<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Y</span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">es,
it’s been a difficult first month of the 2014 Blue Jays season, but only in the
sense that every baseball fan wants “their” team to go undefeated. There have
been a few injuries (Jose Reyes, Casey Janssen, Maicer Izturis) and the
starting pitching we all knew would be a red flag has turned into….a red flag. There’s
been too much inconsistency and too many walks.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH80Es0x1z2y112Qa1ODM_-ttt2PitUXr8QqDkQrct2tfmbMS9Ku8cOOa3N9QlVKuNCbRsFa1caDlDI5Q0HLKV7ulVltuaoP3gf-aJkd0fDDy9BcaGL6RtZG_tw5I9pNtQiVsrgAfQsT4/s1600/Toronto_Blue_Jays_2014_openingday.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH80Es0x1z2y112Qa1ODM_-ttt2PitUXr8QqDkQrct2tfmbMS9Ku8cOOa3N9QlVKuNCbRsFa1caDlDI5Q0HLKV7ulVltuaoP3gf-aJkd0fDDy9BcaGL6RtZG_tw5I9pNtQiVsrgAfQsT4/s1600/Toronto_Blue_Jays_2014_openingday.JPG" height="138" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">But
the season is not lost! Ignore the naysayers; embrace optimism. The Rogers’
Centre is not yet filled with the hellfire and brimstone that some people think
every time the Blue Jays lose. Sure, there’s the aforementioned and
ever-present starting pitching struggles and general inconsistency that we all
find so frustrating, and even the bullpen – one of the team’s supposed strengths
– has started to scuffle a little bit of late, although that is due to overuse (and
Alex Anthopoulous’ misguided and stupid decision to keep out-of-option pitchers
over better options).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">In
any event, I digress. Today is a day for optimism! I’d like to take this
opportunity to highlight a few of the bright spots of the Blue Jays season thus
far, five Beacons of Hope, if you will. Sure, it’s only been 25 games, but
there are a few things to be excited about, namely:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK5G4ZzXp94RfEKgp5-1TBTFnLqaxCRwz_xZ8zjrmZ-dcr55eqE63dI5rxb5wEQVr5YkGppp3ekpLdd7VZ56uayjVSkf-UFMPJc_lCuNHkLonVB7FEtEtGWACrcec6eOdQt3qubAkPQWc/s1600/Brett-Lawrie-TorontoBlueJays.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK5G4ZzXp94RfEKgp5-1TBTFnLqaxCRwz_xZ8zjrmZ-dcr55eqE63dI5rxb5wEQVr5YkGppp3ekpLdd7VZ56uayjVSkf-UFMPJc_lCuNHkLonVB7FEtEtGWACrcec6eOdQt3qubAkPQWc/s1600/Brett-Lawrie-TorontoBlueJays.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/lawribr01.shtml" target="_blank">Brett Lawrie</a>’s
defence <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">People
tend to bring up the same trio – Manny Machado, Evan Longoria and Adrian Beltre
– as the gold standards for defence at the hot corner in the American League. The
more I watch Lawrie, though, the more I feel that not mentioning Lawrie in the
same breath is doing him a near-tragic disservice. He’s awesome, amazing, and
incredible. He’s a feast for the eyes. Add whatever superlative adjective you
like, because they all apply to Lawrie’s glovework so far this season. It’s a
credit to him that his offensive struggles haven’t followed him onto the field.
Perhaps that’s an indication that he’s maturing as a baseball player? GET
IITTTTTTTT!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mcgowdu01.shtml" target="_blank">Dustin McGowan</a> isn’t hurt
yet</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJcTjoSlIvd7ix-RW5dqR37srm872JvJOKlJXyEkdYwiS-g5YJVzNtK1J8oekrEmNkBqmZ-pZqB75X01S7LTO4kEZ02Jg7DMdf6VAouitGJLqzjx8zKYIOcKpscBWW2TbVrq2DSl7aMgk/s1600/dustin_mcgowan-Torontobluejays.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJcTjoSlIvd7ix-RW5dqR37srm872JvJOKlJXyEkdYwiS-g5YJVzNtK1J8oekrEmNkBqmZ-pZqB75X01S7LTO4kEZ02Jg7DMdf6VAouitGJLqzjx8zKYIOcKpscBWW2TbVrq2DSl7aMgk/s1600/dustin_mcgowan-Torontobluejays.jpg" height="133" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">He’s
taken his turn in the rotation every five days with nary a mention of sore
elbows, shoulders or knees. Yes, he’s struggled in a few starts, and by his own
admission he hits a proverbial wall at around 65 pitches, but it’s great seeing
him on the mound. His “stuff” is as great as always, which in and of itself is
incredible; how can someone suffer through as many surgeries and lost years as
McGowan, and still throw 97, 98 MPH? Who can forget his Aprill 11 start, where
he held Baltimore runless through 6.1 innings? It was thing of beauty, a renaissance
to 2008. One mea culpa, though: I’m starting to second guess the decision to have
him be a part of the starting rotation (a decision I was fully behind before
the season started, and one that I actually suggested before the Blue Jays
“powers that be” made the same decision). Any pitcher that is capped at 65
pitches should NEVER start, and he would make a great addition to their
already-taxed bullpen.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs_ePTECEsoQPAg4UeNTO04VbIs1D2Z1bE15hNzwQovfEHJBKi9dsZXAJ144FeyY5g0h37MKAa9PryKX2CCs032QmJf8CyRTGxKZPBBcHxCNTpJTTLVul9aCbbdNgGzs6nJ9Ua1_xxtgE/s1600/jose-bautista-torontobluejays.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs_ePTECEsoQPAg4UeNTO04VbIs1D2Z1bE15hNzwQovfEHJBKi9dsZXAJ144FeyY5g0h37MKAa9PryKX2CCs032QmJf8CyRTGxKZPBBcHxCNTpJTTLVul9aCbbdNgGzs6nJ9Ua1_xxtgE/s1600/jose-bautista-torontobluejays.jpg" height="141" width="200" /></a><b><span lang="FR" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: FR;"><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bautijo02.shtml" target="_blank">Jose Bautista</a> <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">As
of April 29<sup>th</sup>, Bautista’s OPS his 1.053! He leads the league with 27 walks (because teams are pitching
around him to face the still-cold-but-maybe-coming-out-of-it-soon Edwin
Encarnacion). He’s been on base in every Blue Jay game this year. He has seven
home runs already. Despite the occasional mental errors, like bone-headed
attempts to steal third base when his team is down by five runs, “Joey Bats” is
clearly in the upper echelon of Major League talents, and is quite simply one
of the best players in all of baseball. Any time he’s at bat, we’re mere
moments away from a possible moonshot. I’m not really going out on a limb to
say that we can expect an MVP-calibre season if Bautista stays healthy.<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/n/navardi01.shtml" target="_blank">Dioner Navarro</a> <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">A
quick list of reasons I love Dioner Navarro:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">He’s just fun to watch.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">He calls a great game.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">He can <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WvNu79204U" target="_blank">steal bases</a>! <o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">It’s
really incredible, and kind of staggering, to fathom how big of a step Navarro
is above JP Arencibia. As we all know, the only thing JP provided was the occasional
home run, along with an unwillingness to adapt or learn the myriad finer points
of receiving major league pitches. Navarro does that in spades, and so far in this
short season, it’s been a pleasure to watch.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/buehrma01.shtml" target="_blank">Mark Buehrle</a></span>’s
4-0 start to the season </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">(I’m
choosing to ignore his fifth start of the season, just for the purposes of this
post.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">For
a notorious slow starter like Buehrle</span> to have four wins in April is incredible.
Even if he just pitches to the same level he’s been at for the last, I dunno…125
years or so (that’s how long he’s been around, right?) then he’s looking at a
15-17 win season (I know, I know…pitcher wins: who cares). In any case, his first
month of the season (2.16 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, averaging 6.6 innings
per start) isn’t anything to thumb our noses at, especially for the tenth-highest-paid
starting pitcher in baseball.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Yes, I’m only focusing on five elements to the Blue
Jays 2014 season, but it’s important to remember that our boys in blue aren’t
out of it by a long shot. If only a few things turn around and they get on a hot
streak, they could easily be leading the division. There are 137 more games
left for crying out loud! It’s been said before, and it’ll be said again: a
baseball season is a marathon, not a sprint.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">And now, for no reason whatsoever, is Bar Rafaeli:</span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhWbQCg6KnJN3-JMuTcNW_iZMtnI8H4VUi0Y-jPt6O3w01xHoyvUdqBzR-0U5kAKa8dtJBO6z-aeE3f9LYRoVQSTvlgg1ZwTU1jPPAwmoq2WgyZGHiGiLmLrpX_a00PzdZ6J10xfmUlW0/s1600/Bar-Refaeli_lingerie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhWbQCg6KnJN3-JMuTcNW_iZMtnI8H4VUi0Y-jPt6O3w01xHoyvUdqBzR-0U5kAKa8dtJBO6z-aeE3f9LYRoVQSTvlgg1ZwTU1jPPAwmoq2WgyZGHiGiLmLrpX_a00PzdZ6J10xfmUlW0/s1600/Bar-Refaeli_lingerie.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; text-align: start;">Don't tell si.com about this please</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><br /></span>Mulliniks' Moustachehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14382121328475006248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2474781564694338090.post-74591752731479726462014-04-14T11:50:00.001-07:002014-04-14T12:06:17.532-07:00Mulliniks’ Moustache #13 – Blue Jays Music<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">M</span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">y
apologies, gentle readers, this week’s entry is a bit of a quicky. I’m pressed
for time because I’m heading to Cleveland to the watch the Blue Jays play the
Indians (amongst other fun and frivolity).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjilPmWPugI4YaHnQc9ndfCjR2pxP0IV41xfIDI80xZXN6NH2qhlZrI65lc9nYyduK9t2DcgHxtzwFm4v_nvU76NOgCGOoil1avQnA3plZpwEiecODTbaQ5eZXFhKyIShMC3dVrjCBUZk8/s1600/kim-kardashian.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjilPmWPugI4YaHnQc9ndfCjR2pxP0IV41xfIDI80xZXN6NH2qhlZrI65lc9nYyduK9t2DcgHxtzwFm4v_nvU76NOgCGOoil1avQnA3plZpwEiecODTbaQ5eZXFhKyIShMC3dVrjCBUZk8/s1600/kim-kardashian.jpg" height="200" width="126" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shemp Kardashian</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">How
about this topic for a bit of a change of pace: My suggestions for selected
Blue Jay players’ walk-up/entrance music.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">At
the very least, this will surely open up an interesting, thought-provoking
debate! Don’t you think? Of course it won’t. That was clearly sarcasm. Is it
possible that this is the least-important debate almost ever? Now that I think
about it, the only thing that comes to mind that’s less important is: Which is
Your Favourite Kardashian Sister? In case you’re wondering, I’m a bandwagon-jumper
in this regard and like everyone else, my favourite is Shemp.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">So,
with that pointless preamble out of the way, for no reason whatsoever I present
the following for your reading pleasure:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<b style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"></span></b><br />
<a name='more'></a><b style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Brett Lawrie</span></b><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Song:
Anything by Rush. My suggestions: "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsVCcytLsBA" target="_blank">Tom Sawyer</a>", "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDRPtg0kmJU" target="_blank">Closer to the Heart</a>", or "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEVDZl5UvN4" target="_blank">Fly by Night</a>".<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_wh605tQZUf4WF3SUtYf1iveShgaGpL2UGj2g_IlS_HZ0wKdFTJLtVvMGQASSYMNA6yy6qzgtAQD_ewi7nzAj5c2Y2CqqVC55kiX5rYdQmqRZ5dcyjFf6x7zIQCclsrfxgqVjS15hkZo/s1600/geddy+lee+blue+jay+game.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_wh605tQZUf4WF3SUtYf1iveShgaGpL2UGj2g_IlS_HZ0wKdFTJLtVvMGQASSYMNA6yy6qzgtAQD_ewi7nzAj5c2Y2CqqVC55kiX5rYdQmqRZ5dcyjFf6x7zIQCclsrfxgqVjS15hkZo/s1600/geddy+lee+blue+jay+game.jpg" height="126" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's Geddy Lee on the left</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Reason:
The reasoning should be pretty obvious (Canadiana!), and it makes much more
sense for Lawrie than Gregg Zaun to have this music. Maybe it’ll even convince
Geddy Lee to start showing up to Blue Jay games again!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Jose Bautista<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Song:
“<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9hLcRU5wE4&feature=kp" target="_blank">Bat Out of Hell</a>” by Meat Loaf.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Reason:
There's a couple of reasons, actually: a) Bautista’s nickname is Joey Bats, and b) when
Bautista gets pissed off? Look out! He does not handle his anger well. Amongst other, far harsher things, he
probably tells the umpires to “Go to Hell!” whenever they mess up a called
strike. No, you’re right; he probably doesn’t say that at all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: right;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXg6-Hq2985dWGaxnnf5CKwzGJIpqOSFN-yumzsTbujpQ_GJOui2h5fd-WOhbpqa3C43TP77MMmRY6KNEUrD0cCXykwaKsc8ugR7039PKYRNpxRKOmfpI76CsNsYM13O_HE-4V0T8Fh9w/s1600/Cletus_Rasmus_TorontoBlueJays.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXg6-Hq2985dWGaxnnf5CKwzGJIpqOSFN-yumzsTbujpQ_GJOui2h5fd-WOhbpqa3C43TP77MMmRY6KNEUrD0cCXykwaKsc8ugR7039PKYRNpxRKOmfpI76CsNsYM13O_HE-4V0T8Fh9w/s1600/Cletus_Rasmus_TorontoBlueJays.jpg" height="200" width="156" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Colby/Cletus</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Colby Rasmus<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Song:
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHMWZx7hvJk" target="_blank">Theme song to Cletus the Slack-jawed Yokel</a> (from The Simpsons).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Reason:
He strikes me as an easy-giong guy with an off-beat sense of humour who would
enjoy this and accept it as a type of playful banter. Either that or Rasmus and
his dad would beat me to death with baseball bats. Actually, Colby would
probably miss me 50% of the time. HEY-OH!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Munenori Kawasaki</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"> (just in time for
his recall!)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Song:
Really, anything that’ll convince him to dance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Reason:
<a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2902327/kawasakidance.gif" target="_blank">Have you SEEN Kawasaki dance</a>? Anything that elicits that result is okay by me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Edwin Encarnacion<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Song:
“<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zNnbWZOP7M" target="_blank">De Bat (Fly In Me Face)</a>” by Carly Simon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2RTB3u_h8B8qMDn9TtRhQzpMU3v7mlBHF-HZNrbAI4bTK15F0nC2na9NieDvZavTmEz0JHC0yGP961z_N3FnrNtczYchgX0kS8n1gsLi9kyOFm-WvOB_-mb8lUbcvZwGliPO-zd4Musk/s1600/edwin_encarnacion+bat+flying.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2RTB3u_h8B8qMDn9TtRhQzpMU3v7mlBHF-HZNrbAI4bTK15F0nC2na9NieDvZavTmEz0JHC0yGP961z_N3FnrNtczYchgX0kS8n1gsLi9kyOFm-WvOB_-mb8lUbcvZwGliPO-zd4Musk/s1600/edwin_encarnacion+bat+flying.jpg" height="132" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Reason:
I’m serious, that’s an actual song that actually exists in our world! Based on Eddie E helicoptering his bat into the stands three times already this year, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">is there any other song that's more applicable? Sure, the all
the lyrics don’t really fit, but the chorus is damn-near perfect.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Ricky Romero<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Song:
“<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8m10Ypl2pDA&feature=kp" target="_blank">Wild Thing</a>” by The Troggs <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Reason:
Is that mean? It’s totally mean, isn’t it? Oh well. Still applies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Adam Lind & Steve
Delabar<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Song:
Anything by ZZ Top. My suggestions: “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUDcTLaWJuo" target="_blank">Legs</a>”, “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wRHBLwpASw&feature=kp" target="_blank">Sharp Dressed Man</a>” or “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlSdQhqLweY&feature=kp" target="_blank">Tube Snake Boogie</a>”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Reason:
Just because of the beards. Those wonderful, glorious, out-of-control beards.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbhCTAX8pRd2ZVsL8gWia9_xCMYk6xaujTJXPXxKip2upo1AYmsjrvgtwJ5QY0PM_MGY56LAvdQEsaTCk3C8mU0MoOQyxKF5S11hOfdYLPHpqyZjYQP9tgMQRZEfKfC5i2byndYfpAWq4/s1600/Adam_lind_Beard_TorontoBlueJays.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbhCTAX8pRd2ZVsL8gWia9_xCMYk6xaujTJXPXxKip2upo1AYmsjrvgtwJ5QY0PM_MGY56LAvdQEsaTCk3C8mU0MoOQyxKF5S11hOfdYLPHpqyZjYQP9tgMQRZEfKfC5i2byndYfpAWq4/s1600/Adam_lind_Beard_TorontoBlueJays.jpg" height="200" width="156" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Ryan Goins<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Song:
“<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDK9QqIzhwk&feature=kp" target="_blank">Livin’ on a Prayer</a>” by Bon Jovi.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Reason:
It’s a kick-ass song, and the Blue Jays using Goins as their starting second
baseman is based solely on a hope and a prayer. FYI this song and the reasoning
also apply to Jonathan Diaz if the Blue Jays keep him around instead of Goins
when Jose Reyes returns from his injury.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Dustin McGowan<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Song:
"<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vimZj8HW0Kg" target="_blank">Mama Said Knock You Out</a>" by LL Cool J<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Reason:
Focus primarily on the first two lines of the song: “Don't call it a comeback/I’ve
been here for years.” If that doesn’t apply to Dustin McGowan, I don’t know
what does.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU83uGooHsjAj7uqkroLOa7IBzac7NaoOWvYN_QeV7YIcaD64CVXgQQZhEM27pw63pjbNcKSBn3zr1xS-fkUsn4_vkwysuv5fqjCGnZLQDeUn_qJUP3RGPwHt8j8XFRwAOLZYrxYqMDVU/s1600/jose-reyes-superman-toronto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU83uGooHsjAj7uqkroLOa7IBzac7NaoOWvYN_QeV7YIcaD64CVXgQQZhEM27pw63pjbNcKSBn3zr1xS-fkUsn4_vkwysuv5fqjCGnZLQDeUn_qJUP3RGPwHt8j8XFRwAOLZYrxYqMDVU/s1600/jose-reyes-superman-toronto.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Jose Reyes<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Songs:
Yup, he gets two choices depending on what’s going on: "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6Sxv-sUYtM" target="_blank">Happy</a>" by
Pharrell and/or "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijZRCIrTgQc" target="_blank">Everybody Hurts</a>" by R.E.M.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Reasons:
Two sides of the same coin! “Happy” because he's always the happiest person,
all the time, no matter what. How can you not be when you’re continually
sporting that badass Superman shirt? And "Everybody Hurts" because
it's the most depressing song ever in the history of recorded music*, which is
how everyone feels (Reyes himself included, I’m sure) every time he gets hurt. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">*Other
songs in the running: “Brick” by Bens Fold Five and “Hurt” by Johnny Cash.</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">R.A. Dickey<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Song:
“<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTAud5O7Qqk" target="_blank">Float On</a>” by Modest Mouse<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Reason:
C’mon? Does that really need an explanation?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">That’s
it! Do you, my loyal and intelligent readers, have any suggestions? Feel free
to list them in the comments section!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><i>h/t to my brother for helping with a few of these.</i></span>Mulliniks' Moustachehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14382121328475006248noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2474781564694338090.post-28584515783705080012014-04-09T06:53:00.000-07:002014-04-14T11:29:20.295-07:00Mulliniks’ Moustache #12 – Pitch Talks #1<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ67Sc4vLVKMbmqBgw9goTea7dKovtVT8hu8yZOdR-KnUjEnBAfXG0Yf8HPStO-k7JybSsRYQBi9vBLFVL8TmpCUXYQDvCcycdg5yS9yJEN8RFVG7J8Xkp0vNmzorNoSxacgJTbZYIzSI/s1600/PitchTalks%231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ67Sc4vLVKMbmqBgw9goTea7dKovtVT8hu8yZOdR-KnUjEnBAfXG0Yf8HPStO-k7JybSsRYQBi9vBLFVL8TmpCUXYQDvCcycdg5yS9yJEN8RFVG7J8Xkp0vNmzorNoSxacgJTbZYIzSI/s1600/PitchTalks%231.jpg" height="320" width="208" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">O</span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">n Monday night, I had the opportunity to attend</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"> an interesting event, called Pitch Talks.
It was, in essence, a baseball panel program where baseball fans have the
chance to listen to people in the baseball industry talk about…baseball, and
more specifically, the Toronto Blue Jays.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Pitch
Talks #1 was hosted by <span style="background: white;">comedian Jordan
Strofolino, who even got a dig in against my patron saint, ‘ol Rance Mulliniks,
claiming that he got a bunt base hit by hitting the ball off his Adam’s Apple,
but it was unconfirmed because it was long time ago and stats weren’t kept back
then.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">First
out of the gate was a comedian – Dylan Gott, who warmed the crowd up for a
couple of minutes. Is a baseball forum the ideal place for a comedian? Probably
not, but Gott at least focused on a subject that was near and dear to his
rotund heart: the oddly-shaped baseball stars we all know and love. From David
Wells to Rod Beck to Prince Fielder, and his father Cecil Fielder, then
finishing with the obvious target: Babe Ruth. Gott held his own and elicited a
couple of laughs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Soon
enough, though, the focus was on one of the first of the main attractions: Jared
Macdonald from <a href="http://jaysprospects.com/">JaysProspects.com</a>, who is an expert on Blue
Jays prospects and claims to have seen every one in person.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Macdonald
had a lot to say, of which I will not repeat verbatim because I didn’t take a
single note. A Coles’ Notes version:</span></div>
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">When prodded by an attendee to
identify “the one that got away” in regards to the prospects Alex
Anthopoulous included in the Big 3 trades over the past two years (to
Houston; to Miami; and finally to New York). Macdonald tried desperately
not to, but like the rest of us, he maligned the loss of Thor himself, Noah
Syndergaard.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_bI7ayOE_00kS82y0t4VKoCU3AS4v3wF3x_IJCfm4FiopjKZ4EVTzJ9eDfEPLOOM0ARfsdx1WMnymlyh8zOXAIZwvXnSXvSsSu_S4IO5Chx_W54u6QoAwcrYa1Pcau15lqUHcMcmC4RM/s1600/2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_bI7ayOE_00kS82y0t4VKoCU3AS4v3wF3x_IJCfm4FiopjKZ4EVTzJ9eDfEPLOOM0ARfsdx1WMnymlyh8zOXAIZwvXnSXvSsSu_S4IO5Chx_W54u6QoAwcrYa1Pcau15lqUHcMcmC4RM/s1600/2.jpeg" height="320" width="204" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Jared Macdonald</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">He also outlined the basic
“20-80” scale for rating prospects where 50 is an average major league
player.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">He described the “Seven Levels of
AHL” (basically a joke about trying to describe the baseball minor leagues
versus hockey minor leagues). AAA, AA, High A, Low A, Rookie Ball etc<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">On at least three occasions,
Macdonald espoused the virtues of the Lansing Lugnuts, the Blue Jays
A-level affiliate. He seemed to really love the starting rotation, but
mentioned that they’re “stacked on both sides of the ball.”<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">There was even a quiz on the five
“tools”? What are they? Hitting, Hitting for Power (they’re different!),
Defence/Fielding, Arm Strength and Speed.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Speed and arm strength are two “unteachable”
skills.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">One particular prospect, a
diamond in the rough if you will, that Macdonald recommended we keep our
eyes on was RHP <a href="http://jaysjournal.com/2014/02/05/2014-toronto-blue-jays-top-prospects-10-alberto-tirado/" target="_blank">Alberto Tirado</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">He
discussed much more and went into detail on a number of topics, primarily based
on a far-reaching Q&A session. Overall, Macdonald was engaging and
comfortable and imparted significant knowledge on all of us.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Next
up should be well-known to any reasonably-savvy Toronto baseball fans, the
co-authors of Great Expectations, which outlined the disaster of the Toronto
Blue Jays 2103 season, John Lott from the National Post and Shi Davidi from
Sportsnet.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Before
I get started on the Lott/Davidi portion, I have two pieces of full disclosure:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">I haven’t read Great Expectations.
Even I’m not that much of a glutton for punishment. I lived through last
season, I don’t know if I want to read a book explaining why it was such
an epic failure.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">John Lott was my teacher at
Centennial College, during much of my formative writing years. When he
opened his mouth on Monday night, it was like I was instantly transformed right
back to my scrawny 19-year-old self. I was at least partially mentally
preparing myself for him to rip a piece of my writing to literal shreds in
front of everyone. But suffice it to say, he was an incredible teacher:
gruff and acerbic at times, but fully prepared to call anyone on anything.
Most of all, though, he knew his stuff like no other.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Now,
back to business:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Both
Lott and Davidi covered a wide, wide range of topics, of which I will touch on
only a few here. Sorry! I was too busy listening to remember everything. They
played off each really well and started their portion of the evening by giving
their thoughts on the Blue Jays/Ervin Santana/Deferment story, which we all
know by now is a downright bonkers situation. (As an aside Ken Rosenthal even
reported early on Monday that the Major League Baseball Players Association had
<a href="http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/ken-rosenthal-toronto-blue-jays-plans-to-pass-hat-to-lure-ervin-santana-were-widespread-already-done-040714" target="_blank">ALREADY APPROVED the move</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgjUIdQea5XwmPqBed-fmbhN72kvvdcnHd-7X3wLmIR4ScuUzQeoLDLZIW2EI2Xk5prswBZXf9y0cv_LoI7ltFEoEmCT-eTr4OvRD9BXGl-qAZs3TEIqfbrNdPmYnfat3TRiM_Z2URsmY/s1600/1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgjUIdQea5XwmPqBed-fmbhN72kvvdcnHd-7X3wLmIR4ScuUzQeoLDLZIW2EI2Xk5prswBZXf9y0cv_LoI7ltFEoEmCT-eTr4OvRD9BXGl-qAZs3TEIqfbrNdPmYnfat3TRiM_Z2URsmY/s1600/1.jpeg" height="320" width="270" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Shi Davidi & John Lott</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Lott
made a point of saying that the combination of a new Rogers CEO – Guy Laurence –
and the Rogers massive investment of $5.2 billion, (yup, that’s with a “b”)
over 12 years for the NHL broadcast rights has to have played a part in the
fact that Alex Anthopoulous couldn’t get +/- $14-million to sign Ervin Santana.
Davidi mentioned that it seemed a no brainer to spend $14-million to justify
the $135-million they already have invested in the coming season. It was a very
good point. They both agreed that Santana would be a clear upgrade on the other
options the Blue Jays have/had, but he’s not necessarily enough to lift them
out of last place, let alone to a playoff berth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Next
was a very sobering part where Lott and Davidi broke our collective hearts. For
the first time that I can remember, a person “in the know” – in this case Lott
– said that the Blue Jays being in Canada is absolutely a detriment to signing free
agents and it would cost a premium to get them to come up to the frozen tundra
we slog through every summer (that’s my editorialization there, not his).
Davidi didn’t directly comment on this, but nodded approvingly during Lott’s
speech.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Further
to those points, it was depressing for some, and eye-opening for others, to
hear that players (namely Matt Garza and the aforementioned Santana) didn’t
want to sign with the Blue Jays because they're in the AL East. To wit: why
would they choose to play in the toughest division in baseball?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">They commented on the embarrassment the Blue Jays must have
felt when they DFA’d Jeremy Jeffress and tried to recall Chad Jenkins, despite
the fact that that was against the rules because they had to wait 10 days from
the start of the season. The result, of course, was that they were forced to recall
a clearly-not-ready-for-primetime player in Marcus Walden. They both, at least
partially, attributed this gaffe to the fact that past Blue Jays executive Jay
Satori left for a position at Apple. He was the Jays Collective Bargaining
Agreement guru, whom they both thought would’ve known that rule.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQvVa-ugKA57RT31Jt3lJJCuSA1fbopOsjfS8_I_FUtz15ZWGFtDEPVF3rlVrvlt2LF83lvF0xi79O0tUWdxhnCDFJOrJrhgYKJgKjvVZkTUd6bFwc5svgCJO3SMeVbBa6jWY2v65aGto/s1600/roy_halladay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQvVa-ugKA57RT31Jt3lJJCuSA1fbopOsjfS8_I_FUtz15ZWGFtDEPVF3rlVrvlt2LF83lvF0xi79O0tUWdxhnCDFJOrJrhgYKJgKjvVZkTUd6bFwc5svgCJO3SMeVbBa6jWY2v65aGto/s1600/roy_halladay.jpg" height="246" width="320" /></a><span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Both were VERY high on Aaron Sanchez and Marcus Stroman, the
Blue Jays two most highly-touted pitching prospects who they thought may be
seen at the major league level this season. Davidi even commented that Stroman
is the Jays most highly-touted prospect since Roy Halladay.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">It was nice to hear Lott mention </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">his
"sentimental" feelings toward wanting to see Dustin McGowan do well
this year after all he's been through. (John, forgive me for committing a
Cardinal Sin of Journalism, but I’m going to approximate one of your quotes here:
“We all know there’s no rooting in the press box, but everyone in the press box
is rooting for that guy.”) Oh John, you’re such a softy. Please don’t tell him
I said that.<span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">They
talked about the Jays not willing to give contracts longer than five years, and
how that affects them getting (or not getting) a lot of talent. They policy
makes sense, to a degree, because the Jays won’t have any terrible 10-year
contracts for 40-year old players, but it also ensures they’ll have a harder
time signing players.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvitijjf3UugogVFVYBCWmu61ELjVLYVs3x8exrDTFyOXUKQ0lWhG2SgQubiRR4QO-RoAz8klRLrySX4GD8aBO5mxQ5oN3QnbdbBAUXVb1huA1idIE-EFu0GmqSpM-gAMxzeZ8NpKCMPM/s1600/Toronto_blue_jays_logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvitijjf3UugogVFVYBCWmu61ELjVLYVs3x8exrDTFyOXUKQ0lWhG2SgQubiRR4QO-RoAz8klRLrySX4GD8aBO5mxQ5oN3QnbdbBAUXVb1huA1idIE-EFu0GmqSpM-gAMxzeZ8NpKCMPM/s1600/Toronto_blue_jays_logo.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a><span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Davidi </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">said
that the Blue Jays went hard after Anibal Sanchez last year and were willing to
go to a six year contract for him. Also with noting that Lott though Sanchez
was the piece the Jays should have gotten (which, I should add, would have
negated the trade for RA Dickey, and thus would have kept Syndergaard and
Travis d’Arnault on the team, and subsequent dominoes wouldn’t have fallen…blah
blah blah. I’ll stop now. I’m playing a fool’s game here.)<br />
<br />
Regarding Ricky Romero: Amazingly, Davidi said that he still thinks it's
possible for him to come back one day and do well, while Lott commented how
things might’ve been different if Romero had been up-front about his arm/knee
injuries from 2012 in the first place.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">In
the end, though, it was like our host said at the start of the evening: Pitch Talks
was simply a place for like-minded baseball fans to get together, talk and
listen. Overall, a great night.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Oh, and keep your eyes peeled for <a href="http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/638569" target="_blank">Pitch Talks #2</a> on
April 21st, featuring <span style="background: white;">Dan Shulman (ESPN, Sunday
Night Baseball), </span><span style="background: white;">Dave Bidini (National Post, Author:
Baseballissimo), Mike Wilner (Sportsnet the Fan 590) and Meredith Rogers (H+K
Canada).</span></span>Mulliniks' Moustachehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14382121328475006248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2474781564694338090.post-80168044579395733652014-04-07T09:25:00.000-07:002014-04-07T09:27:22.671-07:00Mulliniks’ Moustache #11 – First Week Musings (10 Things to Think About)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbbfJO8QmU71zsE-bf-6k0ue9EoDgL5UZAJuiPSUsCwNei_zfe26yQDztsKgAe0D_ZR-vKhk0bdNG-kEHkXyFRBZ-8ir2vs10bnpeH3MiCbECYlVMhagHRQDqHRkXeJEjfc0UNc4PZsEQ/s1600/Toronto_blue_jays_logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbbfJO8QmU71zsE-bf-6k0ue9EoDgL5UZAJuiPSUsCwNei_zfe26yQDztsKgAe0D_ZR-vKhk0bdNG-kEHkXyFRBZ-8ir2vs10bnpeH3MiCbECYlVMhagHRQDqHRkXeJEjfc0UNc4PZsEQ/s1600/Toronto_blue_jays_logo.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: x-large;">J</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">ust
a few things I’ve noticed now that we’re a full week into the season:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Much as we thought to begin with,
the much-maligned starting rotation seems to be the Achilles Heel of this
team. The good starts have been pretty great, especially Mark Buehrle’s
first and RA Dickey’s second starts of the year, but the still-sluggish
offense hasn’t been able to cover the sub-par starts thus far (compounded
by the absence of Jose Reyes and slow starts by both Edwin Encarnacion and
Brett Lawrie).</span></li>
</ol>
<ol start="2" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">I’ve been super-impressed with
Melky Cabrera’s quick start right out of the gate. Hopefully he keeps it
up all season. Just imagine if he was able to get the game-winning hit at
yesterday’s game, with chants of “MEL-KY! MEL-KY!” raining down from the 34,067</span>
fans in attendance. Fans looking for an early-season hero would’ve found
one pretty easily after that. Oh well.<a name='more'></a></li>
</ol>
<ol start="3" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVpLga9bPM8RdjmOkNesuNj_nL3Y_1ADjbf2lo6y1oLiHe6Csb-i6rNpeIblAJzixuud2ojhU70dSmJVuTYgA_rXpO5ohPagr4KNjbfnZM7nbTfdCMAuJyFoIs4JioBV_uxmF22eo7EfU/s1600/melky_cabrera_Toronto_Blue_Jays.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVpLga9bPM8RdjmOkNesuNj_nL3Y_1ADjbf2lo6y1oLiHe6Csb-i6rNpeIblAJzixuud2ojhU70dSmJVuTYgA_rXpO5ohPagr4KNjbfnZM7nbTfdCMAuJyFoIs4JioBV_uxmF22eo7EfU/s1600/melky_cabrera_Toronto_Blue_Jays.jpg" height="214" width="320" /></a>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">But maybe no more Melky in centre
field, okay, John Gibbons? Please?</span></li>
</ol>
<ol start="4" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">How about Jonathan Diaz? Great
defense so far, plus a couple of well-timed hits has made the loss of
Reyes somewhat palatable thus far. What are the chances “Jonny MacDiaz”
plays well enough to usurp Ryan Goins as the starting second basemen when
Reyes returns? From my lofty perch, it appears in the realm of the likely,
especially if Goins continues his offensive struggles.</span></li>
</ol>
<ol start="5" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl38u6lzv_Ao9rsIha6KVXK80HES3qYWf0avQ5TQZCVwQU46Udl4JLo8uV9UQ5Aq9T3d3nkrlqIoPIpIM2r2uwIUEfV6pfhYk3g8xD6aKSKc0mwHK9Uc_CF8RTxpyreLJmtO-4xsUFyxE/s1600/Johnathan_Diaz_Toronto_Blue_Jays.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl38u6lzv_Ao9rsIha6KVXK80HES3qYWf0avQ5TQZCVwQU46Udl4JLo8uV9UQ5Aq9T3d3nkrlqIoPIpIM2r2uwIUEfV6pfhYk3g8xD6aKSKc0mwHK9Uc_CF8RTxpyreLJmtO-4xsUFyxE/s1600/Johnathan_Diaz_Toronto_Blue_Jays.jpg" height="125" width="200" /></a>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">I can watch Mark Buehrle pitch
forever. Works quick, never shakes off his catcher and throws strikes.
Every pitcher should take a page out of his book in that regard. Also, the
chance of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWhaC5liPkU">this</a><u> </u>happening
again will keep me watching for centuries (that’s how long he’ll play,
right?)</span></li>
</ol>
<ol start="6" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Thank God the Blue Jays DFA’d
Jeremy Jeffress. Sure, you can’t find 99 MPH-throwing pitchers everywhere,
but who cares how hard you throw when you can’t hit the strike zone? Plain
and simple: he’s overmatched. Also, as Mike Wilner pointed out: shrewd
move by Alex Anthopolous to send him through waivers only six days into
the season – major league rosters are set and teams are reluctant to add a
questionable piece this early in the season. Hopefully he can put it
together in the minors.</span></li>
</ol>
<ol start="7" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNDpg6IuUiUlX_g4Aa8buInJwp7aX19X7mPQ6r3x6eDW11YJAmcw5C21M5r5d9AkWbgUwCMJ6NhmIr6kbESiGVIHSBgXu436TJ-hcAOoeYg1NBCCMCAWKJ2cSuZrzWcuFznA38vV77VC0/s1600/Dioner_Navarro_Toronto_Blue_Jays.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNDpg6IuUiUlX_g4Aa8buInJwp7aX19X7mPQ6r3x6eDW11YJAmcw5C21M5r5d9AkWbgUwCMJ6NhmIr6kbESiGVIHSBgXu436TJ-hcAOoeYg1NBCCMCAWKJ2cSuZrzWcuFznA38vV77VC0/s1600/Dioner_Navarro_Toronto_Blue_Jays.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">I’m a little concerned with Esmil
Rogers struggles. He was an important piece for the Blue Jays last year,
so hopefully his inning of work yesterday is more indicative of the
upcoming season.</span></li>
</ol>
<ol start="8" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Is Todd Redmond starting to grow
on me? I think he is! Three-point-two really solid innings yesterday in relief
of Drew Hutchison (3H, 1BB, 5K).</span></li>
</ol>
<ol start="9" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">I LOVE Dioner Navarro. He calls
such a great game. He looks like he’d give great hugs too.</span></li>
</ol>
<ol start="10" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Jose Bautista’s average isn’t as
high as we’d all like, but man oh man is he putting some great swings on
those breaking balls. That ninth-inning home run against the Yankees? That
was a thing of beauty.</span></li>
</ol>
<ol start="11" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">*BONUS MUSING* A 3-4 record right
out of the gate versus a championship-calibre team in Tampa Bay and an always-tough
Yankee team isn’t anything to turn your nose up at. A key of this season,
I think, is that the Blue Jays will have to ensure they beat the teams
they should beat.</span></li>
</ol>
<br />Mulliniks' Moustachehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14382121328475006248noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2474781564694338090.post-4648296460830926362014-03-28T11:11:00.000-07:002014-03-28T11:57:27.403-07:00Mulliniks’ Moustache #10 – Beer & The Blue Jays<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">A</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">llow
me, if you will, to paint a picture:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Imagine
a sunny, warm summer afternoon. The sun is high in the sky, bathing you in brilliant
sunshine. You’re watching your beloved </span><a href="http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/index.jsp?c_id=tor" target="_blank">Blue Jays</a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">, surrounded by a friendly,
well-mannered and unnervingly quiet crowd. In your right hand is a hotdog,
topped with your favourite condiments – ketchup, mustard, sauerkraut, onions. In
your left hand is another ballpark staple – peanuts in the shell. You settle
into your seat. You decided to wear short-shorts today, so your upper thighs
are a tad raw due to the warm seat. That won’t dampen your spirits though!</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn1ll3FiqOnPiOhZmOFv3C3fXooQ8TO1CEBxWEFEAwaZuACCJ5awi_34l6LZ_BHeW1aoc0kEtJ5hf89FIXpgnJYA1PeCuRRI68Kw1JTVF7wQJhQwrLBjrs_YcCnaIB5A2SA8KiX43xKNY/s1600/beer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn1ll3FiqOnPiOhZmOFv3C3fXooQ8TO1CEBxWEFEAwaZuACCJ5awi_34l6LZ_BHeW1aoc0kEtJ5hf89FIXpgnJYA1PeCuRRI68Kw1JTVF7wQJhQwrLBjrs_YcCnaIB5A2SA8KiX43xKNY/s1600/beer.jpg" height="200" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">You
delicately devour your food as the first pitch is thrown – a strike on the
outside corner. Enjoying the first inning, you realize your salty treats have
made you thirsty. What’s the tried-and-true, time-honoured way to remedy such a
situation? The third piece of the baseball food Holy Trinity – a cold,
refreshing beer. You know you’re going to pay through the nose for it, but that’s
just the accepted way things are done when you’re taking in the ol’ ballgame.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">“HEY!
Beer guy! Gimme two!” you bellow to the man doing the Lord’s work.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">He
saunters over.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">“I’ve
got Bud, Bud Light and Stella,” he says without an ounce of humour.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">“Anything
else? Steam Whistle? Amsterdam? Mill Street? Any craft beer?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">“Nope,
nope, nope and nope. Bud, Bud Light or Stella.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">“Nothing
brewed in Toronto, or by a Canadian company?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">“Look,
I just sell it, okay buddy? Bud. Bud Light. Or Stella.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">You
mumble obscenities under your breath while fishing out a 20-dollar bill from
your wallet and unhappily drink your watered-down, mass-produced, bad-tasting “beer”,
devoid of love or craftsmanship, knowing full well that all the proceeds are going
to non-Canadian-owned companies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">*End
of picture*<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Unfortunately,
that’s not a beautifully-written work of fiction, it’s a horrifying real-life
scenario that Toronto beer aficionados will have to endure during the Blue Jays
2014 home season. All thanks to this week’s news that SkyDome, err, sorry, Rogers
Centre will no longer be serving any craft beers for baseball fans to enjoy.<b> <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ1GamS06dsQvNIGIZup9pOLYY6WkB9oHeJO-GuPak6PFxudoy4_TAsLUCNbwjS_mh2UzAqHrFaSwteAwKTSTLqWCrzMh-LggD184LILqcWm_be3A_ATYG24j_Ye31PSZPj_2DHR82Qfs/s1600/Steam+Whistle+Beer+Toronto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ1GamS06dsQvNIGIZup9pOLYY6WkB9oHeJO-GuPak6PFxudoy4_TAsLUCNbwjS_mh2UzAqHrFaSwteAwKTSTLqWCrzMh-LggD184LILqcWm_be3A_ATYG24j_Ye31PSZPj_2DHR82Qfs/s1600/Steam+Whistle+Beer+Toronto.jpg" height="204" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Finally
I have the chance to combine two of my inanimate loves, two of my most favourite
topics – baseball and beer. And I have to spend it complaining about yet
another maddening and myopic Rogers/Blue Jays decision. Oh, how I wish I was helping
to announce that the Blue Jays and Rogers Centre were going to offer the
largest selection of craft beers of all the major league teams. Alas, no, it’s
the exact opposite. The single craft beer that was available at Rogers Centre –
</span><a href="http://www.steamwhistle.ca/" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;" target="_blank">Steam Whistle</a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> – is no longer offered. Going forward, you'll be able to enjoy
the HECK out of beers from the </span><a href="http://www.budweiser.ca/" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;" target="_blank">Budweiser </a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">"family" (OMG! DO YOU THINK
THEY'LL HAVE BUD LIGHT LIME?!), as well as other macrobrews like Stella Artois,
Alexander Keith’s and Rolling Rock. Joy.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Steam
Whistle has been removed from the premises after only a year of tenantship.
What unforgivable sin did the “good beer folks” commit? It’s confusing to me,
and slightly convoluted, but it seems as though the Blue Jays were upset about
Steam Whistle tweeting their…location? From Toronto Star reporter Morgan
Campbell’s <a href="http://www.thestar.com/business/2014/03/24/blue_jays_split_with_steam_whistle_leaving_rogers_centre_with_no_craft_beer.html" target="_blank">article on the topic from March 24<sup>th</sup></a>: “[Steam Whistle
co-founder Greg] Taylor says the club objected to Steam Whistle sending tweets
about its Rogers Centre location, claiming they violated market agreements the
Jays had with other brewers.” Huh? I’ve heard made-up excuses before, but that
one takes the cake.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPt2xdTlfKm7GwNX4zn5xSoJMkuSir8l9Mr_CjT2AcPDKFK8yvn8MyVIVjKm2HPVnaBNUvlPdh0RNoBbobWOJn0QpbEB2Ylbz0xuz9Bu8a0Nf9rwdbriah983OnvjuB6M3uuFKnHbAphY/s1600/Steam+Whistle+Brewery+Toronto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPt2xdTlfKm7GwNX4zn5xSoJMkuSir8l9Mr_CjT2AcPDKFK8yvn8MyVIVjKm2HPVnaBNUvlPdh0RNoBbobWOJn0QpbEB2Ylbz0xuz9Bu8a0Nf9rwdbriah983OnvjuB6M3uuFKnHbAphY/s1600/Steam+Whistle+Brewery+Toronto.jpg" height="191" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Even
many non-baseball fans find themselves attending one (or several) games during
any given season. One of the non-fan’s few vestiges of joy is enjoying a delicious
cold one (or several) with friends, so the decision to instead provide
alcoholic swill for paying customers to drink is a confusing one.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Steam
Whistle is mere steps away from the home of the Blue Jays, so it was,
seemingly, a perfect relationship. But <a href="http://millstreetbrewery.com/" target="_blank">Mill Street</a> and <a href="http://amsterdambeer.com/" target="_blank">Amsterdam </a>– makers of
some great beers of their own – aren’t much further away. Southern Ontario is absolutely
littered with craft breweries who would, presumably, love to occupy a shelf or
two at 50,000ish seat stadium. By my count, there’s 37 members of the Ontario
Craft Brewers Association* (OCB). Why not have an OCB stand with all breweries
accounted for? It makes sense, merely as a way to placate people, doesn’t it?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">*</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ontario_Craft_Brewers#Member_breweries" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ontario_Craft_Brewers#Member_breweries</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Is
it too much to ask, after being forced to pay an outrageous markup, that Toronto
baseball fans at least be able to choose a beer they’ll enjoy? We live in
Canada for Christ's sake, a place kind of known for beer. It's damn near a part
of our frickin' heritage. Instead of embracing that, the Blue Jays would rather
cater to the giant sign adorning their outfield and apparently take pride in
the fact that they're the only team in major league baseball that doesn't
support craft breweries.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivyIRoPCeqGUwO0K-lKWMw90ma-16a2_jYxlzEXBh4C2vw1oIDWdopeUva5gNlxZjSsw0rq4oNuLoYhid5WU1eKbLgg7tcCugoKtgfweJvj1jqRstlVMX1OalU7E_TUN2RufKLkeKEaIE/s1600/Budweiser_sign_rogers_centre_bluejays.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivyIRoPCeqGUwO0K-lKWMw90ma-16a2_jYxlzEXBh4C2vw1oIDWdopeUva5gNlxZjSsw0rq4oNuLoYhid5WU1eKbLgg7tcCugoKtgfweJvj1jqRstlVMX1OalU7E_TUN2RufKLkeKEaIE/s1600/Budweiser_sign_rogers_centre_bluejays.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">It
sounds simple, but methinks the reasoning for the Steam Whistle dismissal is
more, or at least different, than just the aforementioned tweets. Baseball is a
business, and it all comes down to the same thing: dolla dolla bills. I wouldn’t
be the least surprised if <a href="http://anheuser-busch.com/" target="_blank">Anheuser-Busch</a> (who brews Budweiser) or <a href="http://www.aramark.ca/" target="_blank">Aramark </a>(who
has the food contract at Rogers Centre) put their foot down and stopped “outside”
beer from being sold to maximize the number of people buying their products.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">We’re all slaves to the almighty dollar. That’s not a
new sentiment, but it seems that maybe Rogers’ massive investment in baseball
contracts over the past couple of years has started to come home to roost, and
they’re trying to make back a little bit more of that money. The end result is simple,
unnerving and inevitable – if it’s possible, they’re providing an even worse
in-game experience for Rogers Centre attendees.</span>Mulliniks' Moustachehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14382121328475006248noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2474781564694338090.post-32298974635474559752014-03-27T05:45:00.000-07:002014-03-27T05:47:52.037-07:00Mulliniks’ Moustache #9 – Toronto Blue Jays 2014 Opening Day Lineup<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">F</span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">or
better or for worse, below is your Opening Day 25-man roster for the 2014
Toronto Blue Jays.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1myLDjqb82quKdDS3wOBQ579epFvMBMyWaBPaZny8mSkJGoyIvRvwH98Y1gRLi4KUDYgC10uU36f9rDS5ijyyOr_0yg_Jk-yvMNDCrTD6gy5oAKaZ0rMSv3zIkLHMHgkSzi-PxiYQf9A/s1600/RA_Dickey_Toronto_Blue_Jays.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1myLDjqb82quKdDS3wOBQ579epFvMBMyWaBPaZny8mSkJGoyIvRvwH98Y1gRLi4KUDYgC10uU36f9rDS5ijyyOr_0yg_Jk-yvMNDCrTD6gy5oAKaZ0rMSv3zIkLHMHgkSzi-PxiYQf9A/s1600/RA_Dickey_Toronto_Blue_Jays.jpg" height="133" width="200" /></a><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Starting Pitchers<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">RHP
R.A. Dickey<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">RHP
Drew Hutchison<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">LHP
Mark Buehrle<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">RHP
Brandon Morrow<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">RHP
Dustin McGowan<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><br /></span></b>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG6i27Wscf16YKfGxyFEqSjCkY3OJkaAYLmbgPBUJBLzs65EGHoUnPTLX46MZoguyRiT7jx_73J54sjJ-eIDjb8T2ljpJZokHmZvjD_0erZAI0SCtCjYSq7kvpgprRZXQpCFxTfdGC9y0/s1600/sergio_santos_Toronto_Blue_jays.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG6i27Wscf16YKfGxyFEqSjCkY3OJkaAYLmbgPBUJBLzs65EGHoUnPTLX46MZoguyRiT7jx_73J54sjJ-eIDjb8T2ljpJZokHmZvjD_0erZAI0SCtCjYSq7kvpgprRZXQpCFxTfdGC9y0/s1600/sergio_santos_Toronto_Blue_jays.jpeg" height="133" width="200" /></a><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Bullpen</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">RHP
Casey Janssen<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">RHP
Steve Delabar<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">RHP
Sergio Santos<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">LHP
Aaron Loup<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">LHP
Brett Cecil<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">RHP
Esmil Rogers<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">RHP
Todd Redmond<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">RHP
Jeremy Jeffress<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><br /></span></b>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4bsjZY2xr2Hy_B9YpH337OXvpdK5hmGUj0NFB58-8bgpsBcAiVAHj8gdoxDiskgNEUXDGNjEHjx8xHu_Ep_RlAeeUxJ5Fgz8oHFWerbrHU_js4R7y5d180MOEe6GEBKm72UP-x1yRkMg/s1600/edwin_encarnacion_jose_bautista_Toronto_blue_jays.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4bsjZY2xr2Hy_B9YpH337OXvpdK5hmGUj0NFB58-8bgpsBcAiVAHj8gdoxDiskgNEUXDGNjEHjx8xHu_Ep_RlAeeUxJ5Fgz8oHFWerbrHU_js4R7y5d180MOEe6GEBKm72UP-x1yRkMg/s1600/edwin_encarnacion_jose_bautista_Toronto_blue_jays.jpg" height="112" width="200" /></a><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Starting Players</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">C
Dioner Navarro<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">1B
Edwin Encarnacion<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">2B
Ryan Goins<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">SS
Jose Reyes<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">3B
Brett Lawrie<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">LF
Melky Cabrera<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">CF
Colby Rasmus<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLF-JlLMNDUn06-TeJtrZxe6d2NrGRvbodSChWpqRc8-1t86HjatBIisTff025SzFaVc8JEReQWGMa0rh0gLxbTfQlLJO1ILMkx_XwE2z1wdOwNPfgxrYMmW9tHwYwlSMTOOoV0q7K8r4/s1600/Moises_Sierra_Toronto_Blue_Jays.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLF-JlLMNDUn06-TeJtrZxe6d2NrGRvbodSChWpqRc8-1t86HjatBIisTff025SzFaVc8JEReQWGMa0rh0gLxbTfQlLJO1ILMkx_XwE2z1wdOwNPfgxrYMmW9tHwYwlSMTOOoV0q7K8r4/s1600/Moises_Sierra_Toronto_Blue_Jays.jpg" height="133" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">RF
Jose Bautista<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">DH
Adam Lind<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Bench<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">INF
Maicer Izturis<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">OF
Moises Sierra<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">C
Josh Thole<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(This
was straight up stolen from torontosun.com <a href="http://www.torontosun.com/2014/03/26/your-2014-blue-jays-roster">http://www.torontosun.com/2014/03/26/your-2014-blue-jays-roster</a>)</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Mulliniks' Moustachehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14382121328475006248noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2474781564694338090.post-36872896939568494602014-03-20T11:34:00.000-07:002014-03-20T11:47:43.711-07:00Mulliniks’ Moustache #8 – The Bench; The Bullpen<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">A</span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">
baseball team’s bench and bullpen are inexplicably and intrinsically linked.
Backup position players and (in essence) backup pitchers. In many people’s brains,
the bench and bullpen are mere afterthoughts. In reality, though, they play a large part
in the fortunes of baseball teams.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi53MlrPuyU6n3bg6RsBDjFBTuX2vEf5vFWu8nslnKgluLXWBW19iyVQ1dDA9cL47WtWK8PwGGZAJvKZhazjIucZmRwZIKPQ1lbfD-4ZhTdRnipi87L1phSEkExST52U6US3tl_SKSIHCI/s1600/JoseCansecoPitching.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi53MlrPuyU6n3bg6RsBDjFBTuX2vEf5vFWu8nslnKgluLXWBW19iyVQ1dDA9cL47WtWK8PwGGZAJvKZhazjIucZmRwZIKPQ1lbfD-4ZhTdRnipi87L1phSEkExST52U6US3tl_SKSIHCI/s1600/JoseCansecoPitching.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Hell,
even when a manager throws in the towel and calls on a position player to pitch
an inning of mop-up duty during particularly terrible blowouts, he usually
calls on a bench player (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSIKIvTEkeo" target="_blank">Jose Canseco notwithstanding</a>)
to ply his new trade and float <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ea-pB-Sztyk" target="_blank">batting-practice-perfected knuckleballs</a> at
seasoned major league hitters.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">A
major league baseball team’s bench is a motley crew of three to five not-quite-everyday-players
that spend most of the season seated on – you guessed it – the bench, just
waiting for a slow runner to get on base late in the game, or for an everyday
player to require a sporadic day off.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">We’re
motoring towards the end of Spring Training, so as of this point, the 2014 Blue
Jays version of The Bench is looking as such:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Back-up catcher (RA Dickey’s best
friend Eric Kratz)<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Back-up infielder (the Blue Jays $3-million
man Maicer Izturis)<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Back-up outfielder (out-of-options
Moises Sierra)<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"></span></div>
<a name='more'></a>That’s
it. No veteran guys off the bench with some pop (like Dan Johnson), no “rah-rah-type”
energy guys to keep the team loose (like Munenori Kawasaki), no speedsters to
depend on to steal a ninth-inning base (like Rajai Davis), no late-inning
defensive dynamos (like Omar Vizquel), no veteran leadership players (like Mark
Derosa). In short, a very sad, young, inexperienced, lean bench.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik7E8-1dYzufg1ZRsqhOYePstaO3U0_8oP0nfvHbIJerLeYAATNzfmRkIpn5ooYfWjchaZhjBcMExBthkhHX2o4aU3hsp7Hl6jNJhgklgLfOqfNCIbaqfAaGwTeMfGGal7YW-1pkBG-r0/s1600/munenori_kawasaki_bluejays.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik7E8-1dYzufg1ZRsqhOYePstaO3U0_8oP0nfvHbIJerLeYAATNzfmRkIpn5ooYfWjchaZhjBcMExBthkhHX2o4aU3hsp7Hl6jNJhgklgLfOqfNCIbaqfAaGwTeMfGGal7YW-1pkBG-r0/s1600/munenori_kawasaki_bluejays.jpg" height="111" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">The
reason for this less-than-ideal bench make-up? The bullpen. The size of the
bullpen directly impacts the bench, and in essence dictates how many bench
players a team will be able to carry on their 25-man major league roster. Some
crazy teams, like the Blue Jays appear to be doing (at least to start the
season) have eight-man bullpens. More conventional teams, feature seven-man
bullpens, and most deep, championship-calibre teams with five healthy starters
who can be expected to go six or seven innings on a regular basis should be
able to function with a six-man bullpen broken down as such:</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Closer
(BJE*: <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/janssca01.shtml" target="_blank">Casey Janssen</a>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Set-up
man (BJE: <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/santose01.shtml" target="_blank">Sergio Santos</a>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Lefty
Specialist (BJE: <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/cecilbr01.shtml" target="_blank">Brett Cecil</a>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Long-man
(BJE: <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/rogeres01.shtml" target="_blank">Esmil Rogers</a>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Random
Reliever (BJE: <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/loupaa01.shtml" target="_blank">Aaron Loup</a>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Random
Reliever (BJE: <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/delabst01.shtml" target="_blank">Steve Delabar</a>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(*BJE
= Blue Jay Equivalent)</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">The
Blue Jays, of course, will feature two extra, utterly superfluous “Random
Relievers”. And why is that? No, as you may be thinking, it’s not necessarily
because of the Blue Jays lack of quality starting pitching depth, what messes
everything up for the Blue Jays is their overabundance of “Out of Options”
players. What does “Out of Options” mean? Well, thank you for asking! It means
that in order to send certain players down to AAA Buffalo, these players will
have to be passed through waivers, which will allow any team to claim them,
ensuring the Blue Jays lose them and will get nothing in return. (For a
detailed explanation of “options”, please scroll below).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg84qpInOITsmfOg5mdsj5v2M58spOUBtJZW19wlYu5QEtW8Z3Ea-GENKJEa1GVNYGgKhtjB7GRRK-kT9jCAgX7PQ3v4MIkGsECPxKpOQxnbfM5zrNKQwYWmMFdB5HHQeZYSicHx1B1Bt4/s1600/TorontoBlueJaysBench.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg84qpInOITsmfOg5mdsj5v2M58spOUBtJZW19wlYu5QEtW8Z3Ea-GENKJEa1GVNYGgKhtjB7GRRK-kT9jCAgX7PQ3v4MIkGsECPxKpOQxnbfM5zrNKQwYWmMFdB5HHQeZYSicHx1B1Bt4/s1600/TorontoBlueJaysBench.JPG" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">General
Manager Alex Anthopoulous has historically been utterly unwilling to give up
these players. I can see his hesitance to a degree, but these players have been
given multiple chances to stick and become serviceable major league players, to
no avail. There comes a point when a player simply is the player they appear to
be. Jeremy Jeffress is a rocket-armed righty with awful control. As much as we
all love him and are pulling for him, Dustin McGowan is injury-prone and can’t
be depended on for a full season. Todd Redmond is, well, Todd Redmond.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">The
out of option players on the 2014 Blue Jays* are: the aforementioned Jeffress, McGowan
and Redmond, plus Brett Cecil, Luis Perez, Esmil Rogers, Sergio Santos and Moises
Sierra. Cecil, Rogers, Santos and Sierra are virtual locks for the team; Perez
is still recovering from Tommy John surgery, so he’ll probably be put on the
Disabled List to start the season. Whether they’re deserving or not, that
leaves three pitchers to occupy the final two spots – Jeffress, McGowan and
Redmond. </span><span lang="FR" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">*Source:
<a href="http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2014/03/out-of-options-players-al-east.html">http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2014/03/out-of-options-players-al-east.html</a></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9okKUQASQQEe3XeuUEEzbVMBMqHMS35OdYRraHNEbmbbIsc8xu5U3Q3TscQ2J9KrzAC4o-SA0R-KJagAdlwIcDH-hNZkycq1L6E50pKYuCyQW0XBf_ZTAfx4rt4YrzEntQxiXzZIXOjU/s1600/dustin_mcgowan_bluejays.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9okKUQASQQEe3XeuUEEzbVMBMqHMS35OdYRraHNEbmbbIsc8xu5U3Q3TscQ2J9KrzAC4o-SA0R-KJagAdlwIcDH-hNZkycq1L6E50pKYuCyQW0XBf_ZTAfx4rt4YrzEntQxiXzZIXOjU/s1600/dustin_mcgowan_bluejays.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Who
will be the last two standing is open to debate, but from where I stand,
McGowan is a lock. Despite his well-documented injuries, he’s a proven major league pitcher
with some of the best “stuff” on the Blue Jays staff. So how do the Blue Jays
decide between Jeffress and Redmond? I cannot imagine two more polar opposite
pitchers. Here’s what I say: walks are killers, especially for relievers, and
it never hurts to have another potential starter sitting in the bullpen, so I
say they keep Redmond. I can’t believe I just said I think they should give up
on a pitcher who throws 99 miles-per-hour for a career minor-leaguer with middling
stuff, but it’s the only thing that makes sense. Maybe Jeffress can put it
together with another organization.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">And
one final note: when you think about it, considering the Blue Jays are using
“options” (or the lack thereof) as a way to form their roster, how prescient is
it that the acronym for “Out of Option Players” works out to “OOOPs”?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
_______________________________________________________________________<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Boring
Explanation of “Options”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">A
common misconception, based on the phrase, "out of options," is that
a player may only be moved between the major and minor leagues a restricted
number of times. On the contrary, a player has a finite number of option years
in which he may be moved between the major and minor leagues an unlimited
number of times. If a player is on the 40-man roster but not on the active
major league roster, he is said to be on optional assignment—his organization
may freely move him between the major league club and the minor league club.
The rules for this are as follows. (In all cases, an assignment of a player on
a major-league disabled list to the minors while on a rehabilitation assignment
does not count as time spent in the minors.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUdvxoCYHUDqfGtI6dVR-yJF54C9KaTqaFQpdIIFMNgBubcRLy2UqtAs2wTOdSBSYMRYVoiPsp1RP8mkK7I68VgnZ-J2DPatpAP0jAQx1jPOlWxmbmu9UYzU6aZvzgN0yXDU6qdQHbaic/s1600/boring.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUdvxoCYHUDqfGtI6dVR-yJF54C9KaTqaFQpdIIFMNgBubcRLy2UqtAs2wTOdSBSYMRYVoiPsp1RP8mkK7I68VgnZ-J2DPatpAP0jAQx1jPOlWxmbmu9UYzU6aZvzgN0yXDU6qdQHbaic/s1600/boring.jpg" height="141" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Once a player has been placed on
a team's 40-man roster, a team has 3 option years on that player.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">A
player is considered to have used one of those three option years when he
spends at least 20 days in the minors in any of those 3 seasons.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.5in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">A
team may have a fourth option year on a player with less than five full seasons
of professional experience, provided that both conditions are met below.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">1.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">A
player has not spent at least 90 days on an active professional roster in a
season. Minor leagues that play below Class A Advanced have seasons that are
shorter than 90 days, and as such, any player who spends a full season in a
rookie or Class A (short-season) league will receive a fourth option year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">2.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">A
player has not spent at least 60 days on an active professional roster AND then
at least 30 days on a disabled list in a season. Only after 60 days have been
spent on an active professional roster does time spent on the disabled list
count towards the 90-day threshold. As with the prior example, this cannot
occur with players who spend a full season in a rookie or Class A (short
season) league.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Once
all of the options have been used up on a player, a player is considered
"out of options" and a player must be placed on and clear waivers
prior to being sent down to the minor leagues. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Source:
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_League_Baseball_transactions">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_League_Baseball_transactions</a></span></span>Mulliniks' Moustachehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14382121328475006248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2474781564694338090.post-28480151248774176832014-03-10T08:30:00.000-07:002014-03-10T08:44:22.805-07:00Mulliniks’ Moustache #7 – Ricky Romero & The Yips<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">N</span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">o,
that’s not a band…although, it’s a pretty awesome name for one! I CALL DRUMS!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Anyway,
to the task at hand: Blue Jays’ fans sixth-favourite* left-handed pitcher –
</span><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/romerri01.shtml" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Ricky Romero</a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">. We've all had a front-row seat to watch the fall and rise and fall of Ricky Romero,
from first round draft pick, to near-bust, to All-Star on the cusp of ace-dom,
all the way back down to (barely) a AAA pitcher.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Personally,
it’s been difficult to watch. Romero was a lefty bulldog, taking the ball every
fifth day without fail. Even when he was struggling, he never made excuses. Despite
reported arm and knee issues, which were/are so bad that John Lott from the
National Post <a href="http://sports.nationalpost.com/2014/03/02/toronto-blue-jays-ricky-romero-tries-to-rebound-with-stem-cell-treatment-and-positive-thinking/" target="_blank">reported recently that Romero had stem cells inserted into his knee to help alleviate the pain</a>. Romero simply went to the mount and pitched – poorly at times – every fifth day
and was always accountable, which is refreshing from a professional athlete.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-HgU-fp9WsXaA5IZaOAgZEtSzfr09BaW0opmYRZCEVpciNE-QAzoe5L556-g6N-DdXMaPQIWU-SwIYP49RXZKHffJ1B6Q2wCjCG9EH_EySzOnM_r7XciKdrETVNRsAPiHjdMVnncd7io/s1600/ricky2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-HgU-fp9WsXaA5IZaOAgZEtSzfr09BaW0opmYRZCEVpciNE-QAzoe5L556-g6N-DdXMaPQIWU-SwIYP49RXZKHffJ1B6Q2wCjCG9EH_EySzOnM_r7XciKdrETVNRsAPiHjdMVnncd7io/s1600/ricky2.jpg" height="251" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">From
all accounts, the root cause of Romero’s problems are all mental – a kind
of/sort of mild case of The Yips (see also: <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/saxst01.shtml" target="_blank">Sax, Steve</a>; <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/knoblch01.shtml" target="_blank">Knoblauch, Chuck</a>; and
<a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/ankieri01.shtml" target="_blank">Ankiel, Rick</a> for more dramatic examples of The Yips). For the uninitiated, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yips" target="_blank">TheYips</a> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">is
baseball nomenclature for rare situations where players simply lose the ability
to perform seemingly mundane, “Baseball 101”-type tasks – like throwing a ball
from second base to first, or from the mound to home. It’s not easy to watch
players suffer through The Yips. Case in point: Rick Ankiel, a 20-year-old
lefty phenom who, in part, led the St. Louis Cardinals to the 2000 NLDS. In his
first career post season start, he <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDZX525CSvw" target="_blank">literally and figuratively fell apart</a>. He
threw six wild pitches in the third inning alone and had five walks overall.
Incredibly, the Cardinals won the game, despite Ankiel’s struggles. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">He made a couple of subsequent appearances, but for all intents and purposes.
Ankiel was done as a Major League pitcher.**</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">As
the Blue Jays and GM JP Ricciardi’s first pick, sixth overall, in the 2005
amateur draft, the start of Romero’s career didn’t instil a mountain of confidence
in the Blue Jays always-hypercritical fan base, due to his initial struggles and subsequent languishing in the minor leagues for four years. Muddying the
water for Romero is the fact that he will be forever linked with Troy
Tulowitzki, at least in the minds of Blue Jay fans. Tulowitzki who was taken
with the pick immediately following Romero and made it to the majors for the
first time in 2006 – three seasons before Romero – and was a mainstay by 2007.
Sure, he’s been slowed by a couple of injuries, but he’s still an absolute stud
– Rookie of the Year, three-time All-star, two-time Gold Glove winner, two-time
Silver Slugger, five seasons with MVP votes. And he’s still only 28. Sorry, I
have and will always have Troy-envy. In 2009, the Blue Jays hedged their bets
and gave Romero a chance on the major league roster, where he broke through and
established himself as a legit American League East starter for three years.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Though
Romero always had trouble getting lefties out (odd for a left-handed pitcher),
but through sheer luck or guile, or a combination of the two, he was able to
put together three very promising seasons where all major stats improved year
over year, culminating in an all-star appearance in 2011. Romero was even
mentioned as a potential Cy Young award winner in a few sportswriters 2012
pre-season “Awards Prediction” columns.<span style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidI69V0NvD3Zj-CehqJCLVUg2FKT5EkmWMvaSasxzKXownGFAEav5Juk5Rfzjr-1L6_j05564JxJ11UuBufPfeHV5ffWLP4G9bOOjgJ9qxVTutjz_mW9kOKZRUkbM39Tyg3fcItBA77S0/s1600/Rima_Fakih.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidI69V0NvD3Zj-CehqJCLVUg2FKT5EkmWMvaSasxzKXownGFAEav5Juk5Rfzjr-1L6_j05564JxJ11UuBufPfeHV5ffWLP4G9bOOjgJ9qxVTutjz_mW9kOKZRUkbM39Tyg3fcItBA77S0/s1600/Rima_Fakih.jpg" height="320" width="172" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rima Fakih</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Despite
starting the season 8-1, Romero’s 2012 quickly and decisively went downhill and
ended as a disaster (9-14, 5.77 ERA, 1.67 WHIP, -1.4 WAR). His 2013 was worse.
He showed up to Spring Training as a lock for the rotation, only to pitch bad enough
to be sent to the minors and finished with only two Major League starts (plus
two relief appearances), and a grand total of 7.1 Major League innings pitched.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">There
have been many rumours floating around theorizing what was the cause of Romero’s
issues. The most prevalent, and the one with the most merit (in my mind at
least) is that he was heartbroken after his relationship with his girlfriend
crumbled. In Romero’s defence, that relationship was with Miss USA 2010, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rima_Fakih" target="_blank">RimaFakih</a>. Watching her walk out the door
would cause issues for anyone trying to throw pitches over the plate.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Regardless
of the actual reason, there’s been virtually nothing in the recent past to instil confidence that Romero will be making a near-miraculous recovery from
what ails him and return to the majors for good. It’s folly to believe a single
solid spring training or minor league start is an indication that he’s on the
right path. Talk to me when he pitches well, consistently, for a month or more.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">What
should happen?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The
long and the short of it is that I'm not optimistic about the future for Ricky Romero. The Blue Jays have done what seems like everything to put the pieces of
Humpty Romero back together again, including putting him on waivers (in which
case any MLB team could have had him for nothing, but would have been on the
hook for his remaining salary) and messing around with his delivery – trying
the fabled “lower arm slot” (ala JA Happ this year) which seemed to do nothing
more than annoy Romero. All tinkering has, unfortunately, resulted in the same
disappointing results. If he continues to pitch as he has in the past two
years, then I don’t think Romero will have a sniff at the majors this year. In
all honesty, methinks he’d be best served by the oft-mentioned “fresh start” in
a new organization, which unfortunately won’t come until his contract expires
after next season.<span style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8_WFRUUSwPhKZMfDQbWLf_8IPEE4H928fhPf4YJSK1piDCGaYJ_T44xiwbIhevlHr0_FI2MBs5z7sKu2vP9MxDpOawIztT6a13tV3t8HKuPP6qli-aaXZpioineeIpH9reOEfnfPt_oU/s1600/ricky.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8_WFRUUSwPhKZMfDQbWLf_8IPEE4H928fhPf4YJSK1piDCGaYJ_T44xiwbIhevlHr0_FI2MBs5z7sKu2vP9MxDpOawIztT6a13tV3t8HKuPP6qli-aaXZpioineeIpH9reOEfnfPt_oU/s1600/ricky.jpg" height="232" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Why
don’t they just trade him or release him? Good question! Making matters
extra-dicey, though, is the fact that the Blue Jays signed him to a (lauded at
the time) long-term </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">5-year </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">contract
in 2010, worth just north of </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">$30
million</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">. Romero is set to make $7.5- this year and next. All of which makes
him, in essence, unmovable - no team will trade for or submit a waiver claim on
a struggling minor league pitcher making that much money.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">This
is a marriage both the Blue Jays and Ricky Romero will have to accept for the time-being.<span style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">*Unofficial list:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Brett
Cecil<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Aaron
Loup<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Jimmy
Key<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Mike
Flanagan<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Ted
Lilly<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Ricky Romero</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">**Incredibly,
Ankiel came back as an outfielder and enjoyed a seven-year career as a major
league outfielder.</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Mulliniks' Moustachehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14382121328475006248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2474781564694338090.post-70858535541062648962014-03-04T09:49:00.000-08:002014-03-04T09:55:06.216-08:00Mulliniks’ Moustache #6 – Rogers Centre Fan “Quirks”<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">O</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">pening
day is just around the corner, so I figured now was the optimal time to touch
on a few specific instances in regard to the in-game experience at Rogers Centre.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcOSUTSvnwQKeL0mzvBjfyL0MB-AcgaRfLGE4ZOZCISYf3e4snO32sfKYeNwJcP_l8XGPa888nRSu4vpx9D0OmMC6Ih0tnHb2wjWkDIQhUQCaD9JC2gy1c8dqtmeP_FrP2r47Gu4wHqqU/s1600/Skydome_Rogers_Center_Toronto_Canada.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcOSUTSvnwQKeL0mzvBjfyL0MB-AcgaRfLGE4ZOZCISYf3e4snO32sfKYeNwJcP_l8XGPa888nRSu4vpx9D0OmMC6Ih0tnHb2wjWkDIQhUQCaD9JC2gy1c8dqtmeP_FrP2r47Gu4wHqqU/s1600/Skydome_Rogers_Center_Toronto_Canada.jpg" height="98" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">There
are three things above all else – “quirks” if you will – that confuse, confound
and annoy me about Blue Jay fans at Rogers Centre. I’ve tried for years to
figure these out and frankly, I’m stumped. While I have been to baseball games
at a couple of other stadiums, I haven’t been to enough to gauge if this is a
Toronto-only phenomenon. However, I don’t recall experiencing these phenomena
elsewhere, so I feel pretty safe in assuming these are Toronto-centric issues.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">In
no particular order, they are:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">1) Booing every
returning ex-Blue Jay player</span></b><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">I
can understand booing, heckling or giving the ol’ raspberry to the occasional returning
player if the situation warrants it. For example, if a player has committed any
of the following atrocities:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Forced their way
off the team publicly and without grace;<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Bashed the Blue
Jays franchise or the fans on the way out;<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Quit on the team
and then admitted it;<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Yelled at a
little kid for asking for an autograph;<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Opted out of a
5-year contract and then signed with the frickin’ Yankees;<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Was caught using
steroids, Human Growth Hormone or any other such PEDs.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">That
is, or course, only a partial list. My point is simply this: while it’s
occasionally warranted, booing every single returning player, regardless of
circumstance, is ridiculous. If they simply didn’t live up to expectations and
were traded – for instance Eric Hinske or Vernon Wells – so what? Doesn’t that </span><i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">benefit the Blue Jays</i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> if they’re no longer
on the team? What if the decision to leave wasn’t theirs, like if a player left
as a free agent because the Blue Jays weren’t willing to ante up (i.e. Carlos
Delgado or Chris Carpenter)? Some people refuse to accept it, but the brutal,
honest truth is that baseball is a business, and players have to look out for
the best interests of themselves and their family.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">My
memory isn’t what it used to be, but the only two players I can recall that
weren’t met with piss and vinegar and various levels of vitriol upon return were
Reed Johnson (Toronto sports fans sure like their scrappy “Rudy-type” athletes,
eh?), and Doc himself – Roy Halladay. Sure, there have been part-time or lesser
players that casual fans don’t remember and thus were spared the pointless booing,
but most players of consequence have surely met the fan’s pointless wrath.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOOZ-ocbaz5J_kbgoeyXTBwrI4_IJ9xl3gxsVFJ9E-6SWsOVzIkgAFFROYHSXNRWQtAwMvS2WfOLCYAw3M-ok-dDRu3rltxx6aZbTMok_BajOsJyEtfWu8HvdHUuCdCclIMyFVccHLHSQ/s1600/roy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOOZ-ocbaz5J_kbgoeyXTBwrI4_IJ9xl3gxsVFJ9E-6SWsOVzIkgAFFROYHSXNRWQtAwMvS2WfOLCYAw3M-ok-dDRu3rltxx6aZbTMok_BajOsJyEtfWu8HvdHUuCdCclIMyFVccHLHSQ/s1600/roy.jpg" height="320" width="194" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Ruthlessly
and blindly booing players strikes me as petty and, for the most part, utterly
unfounded. Boo A-Rod or any other juicer. Boo our divisional rivals. Boo Jon
Lester for “cheating”. Boo any team that claims there was a “Man in White”. Boo
the umpires for every call they make. Boo fans that are cheering for the
opponent. Boo someone for dropping a beer. Boo me for starting this blog. There
are plenty of worthwhile booing options, so there’s no need to invent contrived
ones, the end result of which are boos with no effect. <a href="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l57bd0DSD11qc073co1_400.gif" target="_blank">As Darryl Strawberry demonstrated to us</a>, heckling
can be powerful, but not when you oversaturate and waste heckles on a large
number of undeserving players.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">2) Thinking every
single ball hit into the air is a homerun<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">On
many, many occasions at Rogers Centre, a player has hit a ball with a vaguely
upward trajectory. What is the resulting reaction from a significant percentage
of the Rogers Centre attendees? They cheer like it’s the ninth inning, Game Six,
’93 World Series and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-F5HwiGm7lg" target="_blank">Joe Carter has just made contact with a hanging MitchWilliams slider</a>. All hyperbole
aside: if a ball is hit into the air, Blue Jay fans cheer. Do they feel
sheepish if the result of the skyward ball is more akin to this: the catcher
calmly stands up, tosses his mask and makes an easy catch behind home plate?
God forbid the ball goes FORWARD. I’ve had the opportunity to sit in many
different locations in Rogers Centre – from the cheap seats to the pimp seats –
and it’s really quite easy to get a fairly-immediate idea how far a ball has
been hit. Here’s a hint: watch the players! If an outfielder doesn’t move an
inch and simply watches the ball go, they’re either Jose Canseco or you might
just have the opportunity to cheer for a homerun. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Here’s
a basic rule of thumb to follow: stop screaming like a moron for every single
ball hit in the air.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Approximately
36% of outs are flyballs, and the number of homeruns hit off those flyballs
hovers at around 10%. That means +/-90% off the time, Blue Jay fans are
cheering for home team outs. Brutal. </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span lang="FR" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Source: Fangraphs </span><a href="http://bit.ly/OXgLuM">http://bit.ly/OXgLuM</a></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">3) Booing every time
an opposing pitcher throws over to first base<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Of
all the quirks, this one might confuse me the most. Actually no, that’s a lie;
they all confuse me the same amount. But, really, what’s wrong with an opposing
pitcher throwing the ball to first base if there’s a Blue Jay baserunner there?
They have to “keep the runner honest”, and try to shorten the runner’s lead as
much as possible. Baseball truly is game of inches, so if that lead can be
shortened simply by playing catch with the first baseman, then it should be
expected. Heck, once or twice in the history of baseball a player or two has
been picked off (it’s helped Mark Buehrle out a wee bit). <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQnHJwIabBU" target="_blank">Ask Kolten Wong what can happen</a>. It’s a free out! Oh,
and it’s also an integral, well-established part of the game of baseball. And
hey, there’s also the chance that said pitcher throws the ball past the first
baseman and whomever is at first base can advance a base or two.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">That’s
it! I’m open to hearing explanations or rationalizations if anyone has them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">p.s.
For no reason at all, here’s a gratuitous picture of Kate Upton!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhODGU_Xcl-5iZ1_3IKQsqfUS88HVVLv7jEhFLzljKyf4l9aBr9MwjLuhBSWA2n7x5ToieoW3px7DjSRAFobkXWelHlGaQSoE6MUYrGmOcWu98p0WqkYmmy_u-O4kB6XOPb57Rwf18oM7Q/s1600/kate+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhODGU_Xcl-5iZ1_3IKQsqfUS88HVVLv7jEhFLzljKyf4l9aBr9MwjLuhBSWA2n7x5ToieoW3px7DjSRAFobkXWelHlGaQSoE6MUYrGmOcWu98p0WqkYmmy_u-O4kB6XOPb57Rwf18oM7Q/s1600/kate+1.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
Mulliniks' Moustachehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14382121328475006248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2474781564694338090.post-25694630469383767232014-02-21T11:54:00.000-08:002014-02-28T08:09:37.195-08:00Mulliniks’ Moustache #5 – Munenori Kawasaki<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">A</span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">
lot of things changed for the Blue Jays on April 12, 2013.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Some
will look at it as the unofficial end of the Blue Jays 2013 season, and some will
see the start of a beautiful friendship. Or you can look at it as both.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">The
Blue Jays were struggling, sitting at 3-6. Sure, it was incredibly early in the
marathon we call a professional baseball season, but given the expectations, 3-6
was woeful. I think 8-1 would have been a cause for concern for some. One of
the few bright spots early in the season was the play of Jose Reyes. He came from
the Florida Marlins in the huge off-season trade exactly as advertised – a prototypical
leadoff man who played above-average defense. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQF5Po9qF2m1-kPlrBokOLX0intOuP_HvYWdvEDry1rQ7aE7qt0GMqe56XfJikJbgOo3S8DryZpVF_eXhWZCCoYcHZNqe_bUZ2nggMS6dUp0wZcY-Zz4yP5HxeMIjzG5cw3_KcU0pAyJQ/s1600/kawasaki.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQF5Po9qF2m1-kPlrBokOLX0intOuP_HvYWdvEDry1rQ7aE7qt0GMqe56XfJikJbgOo3S8DryZpVF_eXhWZCCoYcHZNqe_bUZ2nggMS6dUp0wZcY-Zz4yP5HxeMIjzG5cw3_KcU0pAyJQ/s1600/kawasaki.jpg" height="141" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">On
April 12, 2013, </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFbHDkD9eTI" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;" target="_blank">it happened</a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">. After driving in two runners with a base hit to put
the Jays up by four runs, Reyes attempted an ill-advised steal of second base.
He slid feet-first and rolled his ankle on an awkward-looking slide, immediately
crumpled to the field at Kaufmann Stadium in Kansas City. The broadcast cut to
commercial with Reyes in tears, being carted off the field. Out for three
months. Poof. Season, in essence, over.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">The
next day, the Blue Jays called up everyone’s soon-to-be favourite Japanese
backup middle infielder – The Diminutive Dynamo™, Munenori Kawasaki. And the
rest, as they say, is history. The love affair had begun.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Kawasaki
is an enigma – a moderately talented baseball player that fans absolutely love.
As I’ve often stated about Kawasaki: “If he had his own sitcom, I would watch
it.” But that’s the extent to which I’d say I was enamoured with young “Muni”.
Is he fun to watch? Yes. Is he charismatic and excessively likeable? Definitely.
Does he possess the skills necessary to be a contributing member of a major
league baseball team for an extended period? No, no, a thousand times no.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Kawasaki’s
skills are limited to the following:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">He can play an adequate shortstop/second
base<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">He can barely reach the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mendoza_line" target="_blank">Mendoza line</a><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">He possesses virtually no power</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">What
Kawasaki does do in spades is keep his team loose and provide entertainment,
both for players and fans. This skill really shouldn’t be overlooked and was of
particular benefit during last year’s forgettable, painful season. Incredibly, his
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nwsIj6rG1s" target="_blank">homerun</a> is seen as one of the highlights of the 2013 season. His single,
solitary homerun, which he hit in the midst of the Blue Jays magical,
false-hope-giving mid-season 11-game winning streak.</span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXXiAv92IzKzN86kG3qv7AsVAbWqFfX4Sw70mn-XCvIDYVhD73upPh9U9YHDCuEYLvORCNBcAdWkcOQ94VsPozFbrFflkm0phdXfEf1gBS0qdLGQvaDaeEYee1YivzId5BwxcidPfvotw/s1600/kawasaki.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXXiAv92IzKzN86kG3qv7AsVAbWqFfX4Sw70mn-XCvIDYVhD73upPh9U9YHDCuEYLvORCNBcAdWkcOQ94VsPozFbrFflkm0phdXfEf1gBS0qdLGQvaDaeEYee1YivzId5BwxcidPfvotw/s1600/kawasaki.jpeg" height="196" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo taken by me!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">It’s
incredible how Blue Jay fans have taken to and embraced Kawasaki. I’m speaking
from a place of first-hand experience: I was one of the schmucks who waited in
line for an hour, outside, on a chilly June morning for Kawasaki’s autograph simply
because my wife loves him so much. Don’t we all remember the pall that overtook
the city when Kawasaki’s contract was declined on Halloween day? Or the
unbridled joy that we all felt due to the early
Christmas/Channukah/Kwanzaa/Festivus gift the Blue Jays presented to us when he
was re-signed on Christmas Eve? All this angst and joy for a backup middle
infielder! Incredibly, the Blue Jays themselves held a team meeting where it
was announced to the other players when he was being sent down to Buffalo on
June 25</span><sup style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">th</sup><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">. The only time I’ve ever felt anything remotely similar to
that level of love is when I get home after a 3am Burger King run for motley
crew of drunkards.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">As
long as the Jays aren’t playing in a National League ballpark, then I’m fully
in favour of calling him up from Buffalo every few weeks for a couple of games
to keep the team loose and to provide a couple of hijinks for the blooper reel,
He can still adequately play the part of backup infielder (he’s only a notch or
two below Maicer Izturis or Chris Getz or whoever it is holding that position at
any given time), but I don’t think there’s any possible way he should be a
full-time member of the major league roster.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">The
bottom line is this: if Munenori Kawasaki spends a large portion of time on a
major league roster, the team he’s on is not bound for the playoffs. If you
enjoy watching him and are hoping to see him play this year, I hope you either:
like Buffalo or are looking forward to another losing season for the Blue Jays.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Jeez.
That was a downer of an ending, wasn’t it? Watch Kawasaki <a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2902327/kawasakidance.gif" target="_blank">dance</a>!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
</ul>
</div>
Mulliniks' Moustachehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14382121328475006248noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2474781564694338090.post-43660232128726551332014-02-11T11:46:00.002-08:002014-02-28T08:08:03.841-08:00Mulliniks Moustache #4 – Brett Lawrie<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">I</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">
have to say, when the Blue Jays first acquired Brett Lawrie, I drank the Kool-Aid</span><sup style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">®</sup><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">.
I guzzled that sugary goodness like a 19-year-old at their first open bar. My
thirst could not be slaked! I bought in hook, line and sinker. How could I not?
A young, brash, highly-touted, dynamic Canadian baseball player? Sign me up! By
all* accounts Lawrie was the second, coming clad not in robes and sandals, but
in baseball cleats and eye black. He seemingly came from nowhere (Milwaukee),
and his destiny was to lead a downtrodden team into the stratosphere and back
to the promised land, baseball Mecca – PLAYOFFS. And all it cost was the Blue
Jays’ opening-day starter.**</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAXC7oG7mg2DXz5-k337J0sqenRwzewrRZxhJLCghyYEPuAaXYmOs18ofz5t8Fsf7o_T7XeT_x9si9McGGl2bt7XccF5m2XkdXaOIYqTlpeXP74cL6Uci4auAkguZseFNwxDNXXonhqH0/s1600/law3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAXC7oG7mg2DXz5-k337J0sqenRwzewrRZxhJLCghyYEPuAaXYmOs18ofz5t8Fsf7o_T7XeT_x9si9McGGl2bt7XccF5m2XkdXaOIYqTlpeXP74cL6Uci4auAkguZseFNwxDNXXonhqH0/s1600/law3.jpg" height="214" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">From
the very moment he was acquired, I counted down the moments in breathless
anticipation of when Brett Lawrie would arrive in “The Show”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">If
that turncoat bastard John Farrell had had his way, 21-year-old Lawrie would’ve
broken camp as the Blue Jays starting third baseman in 2011. Instead, upper
management decided to send him to the minors for more “seasoning” where, on May
31<sup>st</sup>, he proceeded to break a hand on an errant pitch, thus delaying
the inevitable and postponing his callup until early August. Then, he
arrived…and lasted less than two months. On September 21<sup>st</sup> a broken
finger during batting practice forced him to miss the remainder of the season. But
by that point he had made his mark – he was the heir apparent by Spring Training
2012.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">This
entire preamble is merely to say that the delicious Kool-Aid<sup>®</sup> from
way back in 2011 was tainted…I know, I know…that’s kind of the point of the “Kool-Aid<sup>®</sup>”
metaphor, but anyways, the bottom line is this: I am no longer sold on Brett
Lawrie as the future of the Toronto Blue Jays franchise.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCY4M2_Qe3TyROlV7KFK0KaBxit9YbGeyiNTuMSLVfTjA2AxJQGmf4dTL1ztvHDtAvpmKXx4h7jp9n9q0_8EeFlGkNsaSsUtzYbkCkZJfA-BZqMOWXgJ6VCumVR23ig1Ha76SYcAmlqS8/s1600/law1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCY4M2_Qe3TyROlV7KFK0KaBxit9YbGeyiNTuMSLVfTjA2AxJQGmf4dTL1ztvHDtAvpmKXx4h7jp9n9q0_8EeFlGkNsaSsUtzYbkCkZJfA-BZqMOWXgJ6VCumVR23ig1Ha76SYcAmlqS8/s1600/law1.jpg" height="214" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">I
love that Lawrie plays with intensity, almost to a </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCwY7Ld4P-c" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;" target="_blank">fault</a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">, but I think what we’ve seen from Lawrie over the past 2
seasons is what we’ll see for the next 10-15 years (if he lasts that long): an
injury-plagued career with moderate to above-average offensive numbers and absolutely
incredible defensive displays.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Best
case scenario? I figure numbers along these lines: .280/.360/.550, 15-20
homeruns, 70-80 RBIs, 20-30 stolen bases and Gold Glove-worthy defense. If he
puts those numbers up for a decade or more, then you’ll hear no complaints from
me. The more likely scenario, though? The numbers mentioned above minus 30-40%
due to time lost because of injury and/or suspension. That’s the hallmark
double-edged sword of high-intensity players – it drives them to perform, but
it also drives them to over-extend themselves and open themselves up to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKhYQkRAF-A" target="_blank">injury</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">I
hope I get proven wrong, and that possibility obviously exists, but I am not
overly optimistic. In the meantime, I’m preparing myself for an abundance of
Maicer Izturis and Chris Getz at third base this year. As should you, my gentle
readers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">*All
= Some overzealous accounts only.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">**In
hindsight, it was a good trade, though. Shaun Marcum had a good 2011 season for
the Brewers, but then injuries derailed his career pretty quickly. That makes
me sad. I loved that guy.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">***And let’s not forget about the Red Bull<sup>®</sup>.
Cases and cases of Red Bull<sup>®</sup>, possibly<sup> </sup>injected straight
into his veins. Maybe if he limits his intake to a can or two an hour he’d be a
little more low-key? I kid, of course. I have no idea how much Red Bull<sup>® </sup>Lawrie
actually consumes, I just assume it’s a lot.</span></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDF3eXJ3pBx1INbLAzIQoRszRDTC2e-BYxdtnpbs-Mvnw6MaiBZB5z5kTfKzTFN6F7KWMvtvnq1KPTloLrDcA0pAot8LiKWy49QJfsLjH4WuiviiJEN8ZFUh9gWSqTyRiqRbfOQgQY8iM/s1600/law2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDF3eXJ3pBx1INbLAzIQoRszRDTC2e-BYxdtnpbs-Mvnw6MaiBZB5z5kTfKzTFN6F7KWMvtvnq1KPTloLrDcA0pAot8LiKWy49QJfsLjH4WuiviiJEN8ZFUh9gWSqTyRiqRbfOQgQY8iM/s1600/law2.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></span>Mulliniks' Moustachehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14382121328475006248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2474781564694338090.post-90888370618817498632014-02-05T11:28:00.001-08:002014-02-28T08:07:48.363-08:00Mulliniks’ Moustache #3 – 2014 Blue Jays Season Preview<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">I</span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">t’s
every baseball fans’ favourite time of year - Spring Training is on the horizon*!
Teams are taking shape, optimism abounds and everyone is in first place! Now is
an opportune time to look ahead at what I expect from the Toronto Blue Jays in
2014.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">In
a word? Not much.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Shut
up. I know that’s two words.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">One
small proviso, though: There is an almost microscopic kernel of optimism
nestled firmly in my medulla oblongata that has me excited for the upcoming
season. You may be asking yourself: “Why would this dimwit be optimistic?” Well
that’s a great question, and here’s my answer: the 2014 Blue Jays are,
essentially, the 2013 Blue Jays**, who were a near-consensus pick to not only
make the playoffs, but to also win the World Series, and the team that played
most of last season was decimated by injuries. If a few things go well, <i>really</i> well, and everyone stays
reasonably healthy, they have a chance!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Without
further adieu, below is my in-depth analyses of the 2014 Toronto Blue Jays.***<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Catching<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Yes,
I’m giving “Catching” its own category. I’m doing that for two key reasons:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Catching, overall, is tragically
overlooked by fans. I feel it’s such an important position that I’m
choosing to start my team analysis with it. <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">At this point, the only move of
consequence made by GM Alex Anthopoulos has been the jettisoning of JP
Arencibia for the marked upgrade of Dioner Navarro via free agency.</span></li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">I
truly believe that the addition of Navarro <i>alone</i>
will account for 5 more wins over last year. The extra 10-15 homeruns that Arencibia
would provide over Navarro will, in no way, make up for Arencibia’s sub-.200
batting average, his massive strikeout totals, his less-than-average defensive
skills and his abysmal game-calling. Navarro will help our abundance of young
pitchers (who the Blue Jays are apparently going to be leaning on pretty
heavily) learn to actually <i>pitch</i>,
plus our veteran and young pitchers alike won’t be afraid to throw breaking
balls and pitches in the dirt like they were with Arencibia catching.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Starting Pitching<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Unless
Anthopolous goes out and signs Ubaldo Jimenez, Ervin Santana, AJ Burnett or a
retread looking to regain past glory like Johan Santana (none of which has
happened as of February 5, 2014), then a couple of the Blue Jays young guns are
going to have to step up if they want even a snowball’s chance in hell of
competing for a playoff birth in 2014.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeW9xUBC5kPtuvZqlfg-7ZDN6YURpCs4AYMYD572KdmoouFROf-xnJX5XKpCtm5GxKFSlJGr1vcxealfKii-jTvDpsxY-go4EdiJxtKETlrbx-Rdj2JHK1onc6Q4vZ3pKoOkW-aXV4g34/s1600/RA-DICKEY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeW9xUBC5kPtuvZqlfg-7ZDN6YURpCs4AYMYD572KdmoouFROf-xnJX5XKpCtm5GxKFSlJGr1vcxealfKii-jTvDpsxY-go4EdiJxtKETlrbx-Rdj2JHK1onc6Q4vZ3pKoOkW-aXV4g34/s1600/RA-DICKEY.jpg" height="198" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">A
rotation of RA Dickey, Brandon Morrow, Mark Buehrle, JA Happ (!) and one of:
Kyle Drabek, Drew Hutchison, Sean Nolin, Esmil Rogers, Marcus Stroman, Todd
Redmond, Chad Jenkins or everyone’s favourite Komeback Kid™, Dustin McGowan has
a chance to be solid, but that requires a whole mess of assumptions. For fun,
let’s list everything we’ll have to assume:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Dickey pitches
like he did in the second half of the 2013 season<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Buehrle pitches
like he has the past decade<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Morrow rebounds
from the past couple of up and down, injury-plagued years<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">JA Happ doesn’t
pitch anything like JA Happ<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Drew Hutchison
pitches like he did before his Tommy John surgery (which I describe as
Josh Towers-esque. And yes, that’s a compliment)<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Kyle Drabek puts
it all together<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Dustin McGowan’s
arm doesn’t turn completely to dust in mid-pitch<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Four starters
each start 30 games<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">If one, JUST ONE
of the “other” youngsters (Nolin, Stroman, Redmond or Jenkins) does
ANYTHING of positive consequence<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Oy…that’s
a lot of assumptions.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">The
one overwhelming positive is that the Jays have much more starting pitching
depth than last year, which means, at the very least, there should be no Chien
Ming Wang’s or Aaron Laffey’s toeing the rubber for the Blue Jays in 2014. The
question remains, though: are the Blue Jays deep in <i>quality</i> pitchers? If having too many starting pitchers is your
problem, then that’s a great problem to have.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Bullpen<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">The
bullpen is the one aspect of the 2014 Blue Jays for which I have unbridled confidence
and an abundance of wide-eyed optimism towards, due to a combination of quality
arms, experience, talent, (reasonable) health and incredible depth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Casey
Janssen receives an almost unending stream of flack, but all he does is go out,
throw strikes and get people out. Low strikeout totals? Who cares? Even if he
falters, Sergio Santos is right there to step into his shoes (assuming he stays
healthy). Does anyone expect Brett Cecil and Steve Delabar to repeat their
All-Star seasons? Maybe, maybe not, but anything in that general vicinity would
obviously be great, and even some regression still means incredible seasons. If
Esmil Rogers doesn’t crack the starting rotation, then he slides in perfectly
as the long man, which I feel he is far better suited for. And then there’s the
plethora of young, hard-throwing pitchers like Jeremy Jeffress, Mickey Storey
and Neil Wagner for John Gibbons to rely on. (Wagner and Jeffress are out of
options though, so there may be some movement on that front before the season
starts).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinjVspUZH4gNnsaKXmTK2VYLjIuhJqhazsankO4xULiwX5V9uCZzcNg_b3qgcEC2e9sOvNTqVhh6srILjWzUtgWaQFDizRQ7HfE8COt_L8R7o7GCdBQ1WxUEKs1ZV0mhPrDUm4A74cN7g/s1600/casey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinjVspUZH4gNnsaKXmTK2VYLjIuhJqhazsankO4xULiwX5V9uCZzcNg_b3qgcEC2e9sOvNTqVhh6srILjWzUtgWaQFDizRQ7HfE8COt_L8R7o7GCdBQ1WxUEKs1ZV0mhPrDUm4A74cN7g/s1600/casey.jpg" height="320" width="219" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Let’s
not forget about two other lefties that can be called upon – Luis Perez, who
should be closer to regaining his form after Tommy John surgery in 2012, and
Aaron Loup, who has been solid as a lefty specialist since establishing himself
in 2012.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Where
is the bullpen hole? Personally I don’t see it. The old saying is that a major
league baseball team wants their starters to go 7 innings, with the bullpen
closing the final two innings out, but maybe the Blue Jays bullpen strength
will make them into a 6-inning team? That doesn’t bode well once they’re in the
playoffs, but it might help them get there.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Bench<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">How
much will the Blue Jays miss Mark Derosa? How the heck would I know? Obviously,
Derosa’s main contribution to the team was that of a mature, steadying force to
a couple of the youngsters, primarily the human Pop Rocks and Red Bull
container – Brett Lawrie. As of yet, he has not been replaced, so the Blue Jays
may be looking for a more valuable player rather than a calming veteran
presence.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Maicer
Izturis is the sometimes-starting second baseman and back-up infielder who can
play anywhere to the left of first base, which is valuable; the back-up catcher
(probably Josh Thole) should see as many starts as RA Dickey (and lord help us
if injuries befall the Blue Jays to such a degree that he becomes our starter
for an extended period).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Which
brings us to Moises Sierra. I have to say, I’m not sold on Sierra. Maybe he can
hit suitably, but the Jays already have a “can sort of hit but not play
defence” player in Adam Lind. Two players like that may help the offence, but
the 2013 Blue Jays showed us how foolhardy it is to overlook defence. (As an
aside, and just because I’m a glutton for punishment, I want to see Sierra play
a single inning at first base, where he has reportedly been taking some reps in
winter ball). I would much prefer Sierra OR Lind on the team, rather than Sierra
AND Lind, but he’s out of options as well so it’s either put him on the Major
League roster or let him go.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Defense<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">On
the flip side of the Moises Sierra coin, the head to his tails if you will, is the
other utterly unproven, young player slated to make the team - second baseman Ryan
Goins. This won’t be a popular sentiment, but I am 100% okay with Goins at
second base. Would an upgrade be nice? Of course! But if the Blue Jays start
the season with Goins on the right side of the infield, turning double plays
with Jose Reyes? I won’t lose any sleep. We know he’ll play solid defence, and
he projects to be a line-drive-hitting singles/doubles player. Basically, if his
slash line approaches anything resembling what he did last year – .252/.264/.345 – then we shouldn’t complain
(although that On-base Percentage could afford to come up a little). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">By
all accounts, the Blue Jays should also be set defensively at shortstop (Reyes
may have lost half a step, but he’s still an upper echelon defender) and third
base, with the young and defensively dynamic Brett Lawrie (the only bold
prediction I’ll make: Lawrie wins a Gold Glove this year). Edwin Encarnacion is
better at first than he has any right to be, and even Lind has shown
improvement there as well. Colby Rasmus is borderline great at centre field and
Jose Bautista is significantly underrated at right field. We’ve already
discussed Dioner Navarro at catcher, so, to me, the only true question mark is
left field - did Melky Cabrera’s tumour removal really improved his mobility as
has been speculated? No one should see him as a Gold Glover, but the Cabrera we
saw last year won’t get the job done. If he continues to play as he did last
year, then it’s him and Sierra in a coin flip at left field. At that, my
optimism I mentioned earlier flies right out the window.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Lineup/Offense</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">The
Blue Jays overall lineup looks to be solid, with only a few question marks –
Goins, Navarro, Sierra. Here’s how I see the batting order taking shape:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Jose Reyes<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Melky Cabrera<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Jose Bautista<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Edwin Encarnacion<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Adam Lind/Moises Sierra<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Brett Lawrie<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Colby Rasmus<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Ryan Goins<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Dioner Navarro</span></li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">I
think any of Lind/Sierra, Lawrie and Rasmus can be swapped in/out and dropped/bumped
up depending on who’s hot and who they’re facing on a given day (of course, any
lefty starter means Lind will be on the bench). I can also see Goins sliding
into the number two hole (if necessary) depending how he fares early on in the
season (there’s nothing worse than a #2 hitter who strikes out too much).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">In
terms of team offense, there shouldn’t be much to be concerned about, aside
from the bottom of the line-up, where the 8/9 hitters (Navarro/Goins) are obvious
“defense for offense” trades. The highlights:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Reyes is a prototypical leadoff
batter (the first one the Jays have had in years) who should hit over .300
and steal some bases.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Cabrera doesn’t strike out much
and takes a lot of pitches, which is ideal for a #2 batter.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Bautista has had a couple of
injury-shortened season, but he’s still one of the most feared sluggers
around.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Encarnacion has turned himself
into one of the most complete hitters in baseball.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Look for Rasmus to continue to
build off of his strong 2013 season, in which case he’ll plant himself
firmly in the 5/6 hole, which is ideal for him because he still strikes
out too much.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtYUeuZtTZ9kCfQBiWZ_UHG09J1sjS0gsXqrzzF67YYCu9Qvt_e-C7PmzQQqOZCP2m8eDiSveuuWUN4uEnokxeAII0USqXJaX5PmprvjoJqFXX75tNk6JB_wT7N0j39jt0r6RWz79qkgs/s1600/encarnacion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtYUeuZtTZ9kCfQBiWZ_UHG09J1sjS0gsXqrzzF67YYCu9Qvt_e-C7PmzQQqOZCP2m8eDiSveuuWUN4uEnokxeAII0USqXJaX5PmprvjoJqFXX75tNk6JB_wT7N0j39jt0r6RWz79qkgs/s1600/encarnacion.jpg" height="178" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Bautista/Encarnacion
are the real meat of the lineup and combine to give the Blue Jays one of best 3/4
hitter combinations in baseball. As mentioned above, the 5-6-7 hitters can be
moved around based on matchups, hot streaks or John Gibbons’ gut feelings. Although,
Gibbons prefers to trot out the same line-up day after day (when possible) so
he may stick to one formula, assuming it’s working.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">The
hiring of Kevin Seitzer as hitting coach may have some impact, maybe not. He is
supposedly a line drive, doubles, use-the-whole-field-type of coach, which is
right in the wheelhouse of both Goins and Lawrie, not so much Rasmus or Sierra.
All of the veteran players should pretty much be left alone to do what they do
best.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">The Bottom Line<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">It
comes down to health – I know, that’s a revolutionary thought. If the Blue Jays
aren’t decimated by injuries, and a few other things go well, they have a
definite chance at making the playoffs. However, the Red Sox are defending
World Series Champs, the Yankees retooled big time (while eliminating any concept
of fiscal responsibility), and the Tampa Bay Rays are as solid as ever. Despite
what I think is a pretty solid team, I predict the Blue Jays will be in a dog
fight (bird fight?) for fourth place with the Baltimore Orioles.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.5pt; border: none; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext 1.5pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">* Blue Jays’ pitchers and catchers officially report on February 16<sup>th</sup>, 2014.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">**Yes, I know one of the missing pieces is Josh Johnson, whom many were factoring into their predictions last year. I was less influenced by his presence.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">***I’ll probably be wrong about all of this.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">_________________________________________________________________________</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Starting Lineup/Batting
Order</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Jose
Reyes – Short Stop<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Ryan
Goins – Third Base<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Jose
Bautista – Right Field<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Edwin
Encarnacion – First Base<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Adam
Lind – Designated Hitter<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Melky
Cabrera – Right Field<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Brett
Lawrie – Third Base<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Colby
Rasmus – Centre Field<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Dioner
Navarro – Catcher<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Bench<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Maicer
Izturis – Infielder<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Moises
Sierra – Outfielder/First baseman (please)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Josh
Thole – Catcher<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Kawasaki/Morel/Pillar<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Starting Rotation<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">RA
Dickey – RHP<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Brandan
Morrow – RHP<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Mark
Buehrle – LHP<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">JA
Happ – LHP<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Drabek/Hutchison/Stroman/Redmond/Jenkins<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Bullpen<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Casey
Janssen – RHP<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Sergio
Santos – RHP<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Steve
Delabar – RHP<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Brett
Cecil – LHP<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Aaron
Loup – LHP<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Esmil
Rogers – RHP<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">McGowan/Jeffress/Storey/Wagner/Perez/Random
Frequent Flier</span></div>
</div>
Mulliniks' Moustachehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14382121328475006248noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2474781564694338090.post-58340688381339827732014-02-04T11:26:00.001-08:002014-02-28T08:07:16.651-08:00Mulliniks’ Moustache #2 – A Note on the Name<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">M</span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">ullinks’
Moustache. It really rolls off the tongue, doesn’t it?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">As
a subtle nod to one of the most popular Blue Jays-themed blogs – The Tao of
Stieb – I decided to (sort of) name my blog after a Blue Jay player of
yesteryear. I didn’t choose a great ex-player though; my choice was a little
bit more obscure, not quite so obvious, off the beaten path if you will. That
ex-player being, of course, Rance Mulliniks: he of the non-prototypical sports
body and he of the wonderfully iconic moustache.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">I’ve
had an odd fascination with Rance Mulliniks for years, and I can’t explain in
concrete terms why. I do know that it started very early on in my
baseball-watching career, which coincided with the end of Rance’s career,
probably 1991 or 1992. How do I know? Because my first memory of Rance
Mulliniks is of him coming off the bench to pinch hit. (Fun fact: He was quite
skilled at pinch hitting and still holds the franchise record for career pinch
hits with 59). The Blue Jays were down, obviously late in the game. The pinch
hitter was announced and my eyes slowly crept open in wonderment and awe at this
supposed saviour, the Blue Jays last-ditch attempt at offence. What I saw appeared
to be a skinny old man, with the most glorious moustache, striding purposefully
up to the plate.</span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGUr-YHJJ6hK_78WHffWrAU60e23OjsrHC6kPue5fQzzmQ8_ikJoziC4ORsNTJcHPfYBzl7_IomzSA1qk4IwH_qvgzonwwTb0_wprg2W8Ep8kW-gL3ou_TL4FzW7b4cMLKNP-N8tHiel0/s1600/rance1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGUr-YHJJ6hK_78WHffWrAU60e23OjsrHC6kPue5fQzzmQ8_ikJoziC4ORsNTJcHPfYBzl7_IomzSA1qk4IwH_qvgzonwwTb0_wprg2W8Ep8kW-gL3ou_TL4FzW7b4cMLKNP-N8tHiel0/s1600/rance1.jpg" height="320" width="226" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">My
god! I though, His bat is almost the same size of him! How will he even survive,
let alone make contact or get a hit? Well, survive he did…barely. I can only
assume that he was facing the other team’s closer, a dominant, late-inning
specialist, because Ol’ Rance’s swings were something out of a story book, an
alternate reality story book from the mind of Seth Grahame-Smith – a
turn-the-audience-on-its-head-because-the-hero-sure-isn’t-Casey-At the Bat
-this-time-around type story book. Ol’ Rance struck out on 3 pitches. I assume
they were fastballs, all right down the middle. Rance was about 10 minutes late
on each of them. Pitch, swing, miss. Three times in succession, after which
Rance spun on his heels, placed the bat on his shoulder and walked back to his
place on the bench.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">From
that very moment, I was intrigued by how someone of his physical stature could
reach the Major Leagues. Every time I opened a pack of baseball cards I was just
as happy to see one featuring his glorious mug – the big head, the horn-rimmed
glasses, the Adam’s apple, the not-quite-an-athlete’s body – then to see a
superstar, a highly-touted rookie, or one of my other favourite players.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">But
it all comes back to the moustache. It was a thing of beauty. He rocked that
soup strainer well before Movember was in vogue. He wore it without even a hint
of pointless hipster irony. It was…nay! IT STILL IS, a thing of majestic
beauty. In the end, I was transfixed in equal amounts by how overmatched he
was, his physical stature and that wonderful, glorious moustache.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">So
I named this blog in his honour.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">As
one final note, I would like to interject (…on myself?) and say that it may
seem like I’m ragging on Ol’ Rance, but let me state unequivocally and with
more than an ounce of envy that he played in the frickin’ Major Leagues, and
for a extended period of time (16 years and 1325 games). He played well enough
to start on some winning teams and was an integral part of said winning teams. He
averaged 120 games per season from 1982-89, during which the Blue Jays really
came into their own and started a run of highly competitive seasons. Dude won a
World Series!* I really don’t have a right to make fun of this guy, and I’m
really not…okay, I guess I am a little.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Check
out his stats during the 1985 postseason (the first time the Blue Jays made it
to postseason play):<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="left" border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="background: white; border-collapse: collapse; border: none; margin-left: 6.75pt; margin-right: 6.75pt; mso-border-alt: solid #747678 .75pt; mso-table-anchor-horizontal: margin; mso-table-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-table-layout-alt: fixed; mso-table-left: left; mso-table-lspace: 9.0pt; mso-table-rspace: 9.0pt; mso-table-top: 3.1pt; width: 513px;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="background: #DADCDE; border-right: solid #AAAAAA 1.0pt; border: solid #747678 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid #747678 .75pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid #AAAAAA .75pt; padding: 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt; width: 15.75pt;" valign="top" width="21"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: margin; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 3.1pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #aa0000; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Yr<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #DADCDE; border-bottom: solid #747678 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid #AAAAAA 1.0pt; border-top: solid #747678 1.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: #747678; mso-border-left-alt: #AAAAAA; mso-border-left-alt: solid #AAAAAA .75pt; mso-border-right-alt: #AAAAAA; mso-border-style-alt: solid; mso-border-top-alt: #747678; mso-border-width-alt: .75pt; padding: 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt; width: 22.5pt;" valign="top" width="30"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #aa0000; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Age<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #DADCDE; border-bottom: solid #747678 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid #AAAAAA 1.0pt; border-top: solid #747678 1.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: #747678; mso-border-left-alt: #AAAAAA; mso-border-left-alt: solid #AAAAAA .75pt; mso-border-right-alt: #AAAAAA; mso-border-style-alt: solid; mso-border-top-alt: #747678; mso-border-width-alt: .75pt; padding: 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt; width: 22.5pt;" valign="top" width="30"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #aa0000; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Tm<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #DADCDE; border-bottom: solid #747678 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid #AAAAAA 1.0pt; border-top: solid #747678 1.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: #747678; mso-border-left-alt: #AAAAAA; mso-border-left-alt: solid #AAAAAA .75pt; mso-border-right-alt: #AAAAAA; mso-border-style-alt: solid; mso-border-top-alt: #747678; mso-border-width-alt: .75pt; padding: 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt; width: 31.5pt;" valign="top" width="42"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #aa0000; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Series<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #DADCDE; border-bottom: solid #747678 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid #AAAAAA 1.0pt; border-top: solid #747678 1.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: #747678; mso-border-left-alt: #AAAAAA; mso-border-left-alt: solid #AAAAAA .75pt; mso-border-right-alt: #AAAAAA; mso-border-style-alt: solid; mso-border-top-alt: #747678; mso-border-width-alt: .75pt; padding: 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt; width: 13.5pt;" valign="top" width="18"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #aa0000; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">G<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #DADCDE; border-bottom: solid #747678 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid #AAAAAA 1.0pt; border-top: solid #747678 1.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: #747678; mso-border-left-alt: #AAAAAA; mso-border-left-alt: solid #AAAAAA .75pt; mso-border-right-alt: #AAAAAA; mso-border-style-alt: solid; mso-border-top-alt: #747678; mso-border-width-alt: .75pt; padding: 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt; width: .25in;" valign="top" width="24"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #aa0000; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">PA<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #DADCDE; border-bottom: solid #747678 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid #AAAAAA 1.0pt; border-top: solid #747678 1.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: #747678; mso-border-left-alt: #AAAAAA; mso-border-left-alt: solid #AAAAAA .75pt; mso-border-right-alt: #AAAAAA; mso-border-style-alt: solid; mso-border-top-alt: #747678; mso-border-width-alt: .75pt; padding: 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt; width: .25in;" valign="top" width="24"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #aa0000; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">AB<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #DADCDE; border-bottom: solid #747678 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid #AAAAAA 1.0pt; border-top: solid #747678 1.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: #747678; mso-border-left-alt: #AAAAAA; mso-border-left-alt: solid #AAAAAA .75pt; mso-border-right-alt: #AAAAAA; mso-border-style-alt: solid; mso-border-top-alt: #747678; mso-border-width-alt: .75pt; padding: 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt; width: 9.0pt;" valign="top" width="12"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #aa0000; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">R<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #DADCDE; border-bottom: solid #747678 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid #AAAAAA 1.0pt; border-top: solid #747678 1.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: #747678; mso-border-left-alt: #AAAAAA; mso-border-left-alt: solid #AAAAAA .75pt; mso-border-right-alt: #AAAAAA; mso-border-style-alt: solid; mso-border-top-alt: #747678; mso-border-width-alt: .75pt; padding: 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt; width: 13.5pt;" valign="top" width="18"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #aa0000; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">H<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #DADCDE; border-bottom: solid #747678 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid #AAAAAA 1.0pt; border-top: solid #747678 1.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: #747678; mso-border-left-alt: #AAAAAA; mso-border-left-alt: solid #AAAAAA .75pt; mso-border-right-alt: #AAAAAA; mso-border-style-alt: solid; mso-border-top-alt: #747678; mso-border-width-alt: .75pt; padding: 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt; width: .25in;" valign="top" width="24"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #aa0000; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">2B<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #DADCDE; border-bottom: solid #747678 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid #AAAAAA 1.0pt; border-top: solid #747678 1.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: #747678; mso-border-left-alt: #AAAAAA; mso-border-left-alt: solid #AAAAAA .75pt; mso-border-right-alt: #AAAAAA; mso-border-style-alt: solid; mso-border-top-alt: #747678; mso-border-width-alt: .75pt; padding: 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt; width: .25in;" valign="top" width="24"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #aa0000; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">HR<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #DADCDE; border-bottom: solid #747678 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid #AAAAAA 1.0pt; border-top: solid #747678 1.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: #747678; mso-border-left-alt: #AAAAAA; mso-border-left-alt: solid #AAAAAA .75pt; mso-border-right-alt: #AAAAAA; mso-border-style-alt: solid; mso-border-top-alt: #747678; mso-border-width-alt: .75pt; padding: 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt; width: 22.5pt;" valign="top" width="30"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #aa0000; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">RBI<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #DADCDE; border-bottom: solid #747678 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid #AAAAAA 1.0pt; border-top: solid #747678 1.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: #747678; mso-border-left-alt: #AAAAAA; mso-border-left-alt: solid #AAAAAA .75pt; mso-border-right-alt: #AAAAAA; mso-border-style-alt: solid; mso-border-top-alt: #747678; mso-border-width-alt: .75pt; padding: 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt; width: .25in;" valign="top" width="24"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #aa0000; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">BB<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #DADCDE; border-bottom: solid #747678 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid #AAAAAA 1.0pt; border-top: solid #747678 1.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: #747678; mso-border-left-alt: #AAAAAA; mso-border-left-alt: solid #AAAAAA .75pt; mso-border-right-alt: #AAAAAA; mso-border-style-alt: solid; mso-border-top-alt: #747678; mso-border-width-alt: .75pt; padding: 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt; width: .25in;" valign="top" width="24"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #aa0000; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">SO<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #DADCDE; border-bottom: solid #747678 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid #AAAAAA 1.0pt; border-top: solid #747678 1.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: #747678; mso-border-left-alt: #AAAAAA; mso-border-left-alt: solid #AAAAAA .75pt; mso-border-right-alt: #AAAAAA; mso-border-style-alt: solid; mso-border-top-alt: #747678; mso-border-width-alt: .75pt; padding: 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt; width: 27.0pt;" valign="top" width="36"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #aa0000; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> BA<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #DADCDE; border-bottom: solid #747678 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid #AAAAAA 1.0pt; border-top: solid #747678 1.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: #747678; mso-border-left-alt: #AAAAAA; mso-border-left-alt: solid #AAAAAA .75pt; mso-border-right-alt: #AAAAAA; mso-border-style-alt: solid; mso-border-top-alt: #747678; mso-border-width-alt: .75pt; padding: 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt; width: 27.0pt;" valign="top" width="36"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #aa0000; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">OBP<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #DADCDE; border-bottom: solid #747678 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid #AAAAAA 1.0pt; border-top: solid #747678 1.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: #747678; mso-border-left-alt: #AAAAAA; mso-border-left-alt: solid #AAAAAA .75pt; mso-border-right-alt: #AAAAAA; mso-border-style-alt: solid; mso-border-top-alt: #747678; mso-border-width-alt: .75pt; padding: 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt; width: 27.0pt;" valign="top" width="36"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #aa0000; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">SLG<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #DADCDE; border-bottom: solid #747678 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid #AAAAAA 1.0pt; border-top: solid #747678 1.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: #747678; mso-border-left-alt: #AAAAAA; mso-border-left-alt: solid #AAAAAA .75pt; mso-border-right-alt: #AAAAAA; mso-border-style-alt: solid; mso-border-top-alt: #747678; mso-border-width-alt: .75pt; padding: 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt; width: 27.0pt;" valign="top" width="36"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #aa0000; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">OPS<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #DADCDE; border-bottom: solid #747678 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid #AAAAAA 1.0pt; border-top: solid #747678 1.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: #747678; mso-border-left-alt: #AAAAAA; mso-border-left-alt: solid #AAAAAA .75pt; mso-border-right-alt: #AAAAAA; mso-border-style-alt: solid; mso-border-top-alt: #747678; mso-border-width-alt: .75pt; padding: 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt; width: .25in;" valign="top" width="24"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #aa0000; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">TB<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: dotted #AAAAAA 1.0pt; border-left: solid #747678 1.0pt; border-right: dotted #AAAAAA 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: dotted #AAAAAA; mso-border-left-alt: solid #747678; mso-border-right-alt: dotted #AAAAAA; mso-border-top-alt: solid #747678 .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #747678; mso-border-width-alt: .75pt; padding: 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt; width: 15.75pt;" valign="top" width="21"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;">85<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: dotted #AAAAAA 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: dotted #AAAAAA 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: dotted #AAAAAA .75pt; mso-border-left-alt: dotted #AAAAAA .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #747678 .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #747678 .75pt; padding: 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt; width: 22.5pt;" valign="top" width="30"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;">29<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: dotted #AAAAAA 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: dotted #AAAAAA 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: dotted #AAAAAA .75pt; mso-border-left-alt: dotted #AAAAAA .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #747678 .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #747678 .75pt; padding: 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt; width: 22.5pt;" valign="top" width="30"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;"><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/TOR/1985.shtml" title="Toronto Blue Jays"><span style="color: #551a8b;">TOR</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: dotted #AAAAAA 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: dotted #AAAAAA 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: dotted #AAAAAA .75pt; mso-border-left-alt: dotted #AAAAAA .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #747678 .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #747678 .75pt; padding: 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt; width: 31.5pt;" valign="top" width="42"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;"><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/1985_ALCS.shtml"><span style="color: #551a8b;">ALCS</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: dotted #AAAAAA 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: dotted #AAAAAA 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: dotted #AAAAAA .75pt; mso-border-left-alt: dotted #AAAAAA .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #747678 .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #747678 .75pt; padding: 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt; width: 13.5pt;" valign="top" width="18"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;">5<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: dotted #AAAAAA 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: dotted #AAAAAA 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: dotted #AAAAAA .75pt; mso-border-left-alt: dotted #AAAAAA .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #747678 .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #747678 .75pt; padding: 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt; width: .25in;" valign="top" width="24"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;">13<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: dotted #AAAAAA 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: dotted #AAAAAA 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: dotted #AAAAAA .75pt; mso-border-left-alt: dotted #AAAAAA .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #747678 .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #747678 .75pt; padding: 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt; width: .25in;" valign="top" width="24"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;">11<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: dotted #AAAAAA 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: dotted #AAAAAA 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: dotted #AAAAAA .75pt; mso-border-left-alt: dotted #AAAAAA .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #747678 .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #747678 .75pt; padding: 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt; width: 9.0pt;" valign="top" width="12"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;">1<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: dotted #AAAAAA 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: dotted #AAAAAA 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: dotted #AAAAAA .75pt; mso-border-left-alt: dotted #AAAAAA .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #747678 .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #747678 .75pt; padding: 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt; width: 13.5pt;" valign="top" width="18"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;">4<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: dotted #AAAAAA 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: dotted #AAAAAA 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: dotted #AAAAAA .75pt; mso-border-left-alt: dotted #AAAAAA .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #747678 .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #747678 .75pt; padding: 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt; width: .25in;" valign="top" width="24"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;"> 1<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<td style="border-bottom: dotted #AAAAAA 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: dotted #AAAAAA 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: dotted #AAAAAA .75pt; mso-border-left-alt: dotted #AAAAAA .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #747678 .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #747678 .75pt; padding: 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt; width: .25in;" valign="top" width="24"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;"> 1<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<td style="border-bottom: dotted #AAAAAA 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: dotted #AAAAAA 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: dotted #AAAAAA .75pt; mso-border-left-alt: dotted #AAAAAA .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #747678 .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #747678 .75pt; padding: 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt; width: 22.5pt;" valign="top" width="30"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;"> 3<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;"> 2<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<td style="border-bottom: dotted #AAAAAA 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: dotted #AAAAAA 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: dotted #AAAAAA .75pt; mso-border-left-alt: dotted #AAAAAA .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #747678 .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #747678 .75pt; padding: 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt; width: .25in;" valign="top" width="24"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;"> 2<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<td style="border-bottom: dotted #AAAAAA 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: dotted #AAAAAA 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: dotted #AAAAAA .75pt; mso-border-left-alt: dotted #AAAAAA .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #747678 .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #747678 .75pt; padding: 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt; width: 27.0pt;" valign="top" width="36"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;">.364<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<td style="border-bottom: dotted #AAAAAA 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: dotted #AAAAAA 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: dotted #AAAAAA .75pt; mso-border-left-alt: dotted #AAAAAA .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #747678 .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #747678 .75pt; padding: 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt; width: 27.0pt;" valign="top" width="36"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;">.462<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<td style="border-bottom: dotted #AAAAAA 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: dotted #AAAAAA 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: dotted #AAAAAA .75pt; mso-border-left-alt: dotted #AAAAAA .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #747678 .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #747678 .75pt; padding: 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt; width: 27.0pt;" valign="top" width="36"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;">.727<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<td style="border-bottom: dotted #AAAAAA 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: dotted #AAAAAA 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: dotted #AAAAAA .75pt; mso-border-left-alt: dotted #AAAAAA .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #747678 .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #747678 .75pt; padding: 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt; width: 27.0pt;" valign="top" width="36"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;">1.19<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<td style="border-bottom: dotted #AAAAAA 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: dotted #AAAAAA 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: dotted #AAAAAA .75pt; mso-border-left-alt: dotted #AAAAAA .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #747678 .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #747678 .75pt; padding: 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt; width: .25in;" valign="top" width="24"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;"> 8<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Source:
<a href="http://baseball-reference.com/">baseball-reference.com</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Yes,
I know – the dreaded SSS – Small Sample Size, but those numbers aren’t too
shabby!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">So,
if you ever happen to see Rance Mulliniks walking down the street, be sure to
let him know about this blog, and REALLY make sure he understands that I’m not
making (too much) fun of him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: xx-small;">*Okay, okay, that’s a bit of a technicality – he
retired soon after the 1992 season started, but he still would’ve received a
World Series ring and is listed as a member of the World Series’ winning team</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">.</span></div>
Mulliniks' Moustachehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14382121328475006248noreply@blogger.com0