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Baseball Prospectus Releases Blue Jays Top 10 Prospects List

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Following up on the heels of the Fangraphs Top 10 prospect list for the Blue Jays organization last week, Baseball Prospectus released their slightly different list yesterday. The article can be found here, but is behind a paywall so you can only get a glimpse at the top 10 without a subscription.

Heading up the list is rising star Marcus Stroman, who Jason Parks seems to be a huge fan of. Parks slaps a '7' rating on his fastball, cutter, and potential slider, along with a '6' on his potential changeup. The strengths of Stroman touch on his wipeout slider and slicing cutter, with his movement making up for his lack of a big downhill plane. Obviously his weaknesses focus on his occasionally flat fastball and tendency to sometimes try and overthrow. The quote that sticks out for Stroman is:

If you focus too much on the height you are going to miss the realities of the overall profile. This is a starting pitcher.

The Baseball Prospectus rankings reverses the Fangraphs' top two by placing Aaron Sanchez in the second slot just below Stroman. Parks notes the life on Sanchez's fastball as well as his hard curve featured in the video below:

The weaknesses of Sanchez are well known around here including his up and down command and his inconsistent delivery. Sanchez may have the highest ceiling of the farm system, but he isn't close to the top floor yet.

Young pitcher Alberto Tirado made a jump up the BP list landing in the third spot this year, after ranking tenth last year. The fastball is Tirado's real strength and his loose delivery allows the Dominican to really let it fly, often reaching mid-90's with the pitch. As is common with a lot of young flamethrowers the delivery can get a little too loose leading to spotty release points and messy command. Tirado has a high ceiling, but like Sanchez, still has a lot of developing to do before reaching the majors.

This video of Tirado is ridiculous and should make every Blue Jays fan's mouth water:

Surging left-hander Daniel Norris ends up at #4 on both lists this year, with Parks liking his fastball and projectable stuff. He also slaps a late 2015 ETA on Norris, which is exciting for Blue Jays fans who are waiting for some of the young prospects to reach the majors sooner rather than later.

Well-talked about prospects Sean Nolin and A.J. Jimenez take up the fifth and sixth spots, with Parks possibly being slightly less reactive to Nolin's interesting major league debut than Hulet was over at Fangraphs. The left-handed pitcher is one of the lowest risk prospects in the system and should eventually develop into the back of the rotation starter that the Blue Jays expect him to be.

The first interesting ranking is young Venezuelan shortstop Franklin Barreto finding himself in the #7 spot. Parks is high on Barreto's hands and athletic ability, but doubts his ability to stick at shortstop through the minors. Barreto is a name to watch in the next few years for sure as he refines his raw tools and likely tries to find a permanent home at a different defensive position on the diamond.

The oozing tools of D.J. Davis slots him into the #8 spot, with Parks quite high on his ceiling saying:

...this is the type of developmental project that can pay huge dividends in a few years, as Davis has all-star level talent and five-tool potential.

Davis is another young player to watch in the next few years to see if he develops as the Blue Jays would hope or if he ends up as an athletic player that doesn't hit enough to keep his job.

Pitchers Chase DeJong and Dominican signee Jairo Labourt round out the list showing just how deep the short-season portion of their farm system is. Both pitchers project to be middle of the rotation starters with 2017 ETA's and could follow similar development paths to the big leagues as they fine tune their stuff in the lower levels of the minor league system. Labourt isn't one of the usual "sexy" names mentioned when talking about the Blue Jays prospects so it's exciting to see how highly Parks thinks of the lefty.

Notably, Roberto Osuna was left off the list and Parks explains that the Tommy John surgery has a lot to do with the omission writing:

While it’s quite common for arms to make a full-recovery after such a procedure, the ones that improve their chances are the ones with advanced makeup and work ethic, two things that some sources have questioned about Osuna in the past.

To round out his interesting list, Parks ranks Marcus Stroman ahead of Brett Lawrie as the top 25 and under talent, which shows just how well-regarded the small right-hander is becoming. There aren't many big surprises in the list and I feel this one lines up closer with my personal thoughts of the Blue Jays farm system than the Fangraphs one did (although that doesn't mean much). Since the majority of the Blue Jays top prospects are currently in the lower levels of the minors it isn't surprising to see a lot of varied rankings due to different writers having different opinions on the upsides of certain players.

That's a quick round-up of the list, but there's a lot more in-depth information about the prospects in the article so it wouldn't be a horrible idea to pay the cash and take a peek at what Parks has to say about Toronto's farm system. Baseball America will be the next big website to release their top 10 prospect list for the Blue Jays and as always you'll be able to find a summary of the list right here on Bluebird Banter.


Happy Birthday Bluebird Banter!!

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Bluebird Banter is Seven Years Old Today

Happy Birthday to us!!

It was seven years ago today that Bluebird Banter got it's start.  This post by Marc Normandin introduced Bluebird Banter to the world.  Marc now writes for Over the Monster.  How one goes from writing about the Blue Jays to writing about the Red Sox I'll never know.   (Editing by Hugo's Mom)

The first real post was about the then recent Lyle Overbay trade.  Back then JP Ricciardi was general manager and someone named John Gibbons was manager.  I wonder what ever happened to him.

Marc didn't last long around here (we tried to chase off Red Sox fans as quickly as we can).  Mark W. and Slitheringslider took over.  By 2007 a young man named Hugo came along (with his mom as editor) as well as Achengy.  I came along in July 2008 and things have never been the same.

Over the years we've had wonderful writers join us and help contribute to the continuing saga of our site.  Hugo and I ran the site for awhile and then started thankfully adding people.  Soon we had Jessef,  JohnnyG who did the game threads and podcasts, Masterkembo, and Woodman665.

Minor Leaguer,  who we couldn't live without,  joined us in 2011.  He does so much writing and editing that I hardly do anything around here any more.

Now we've grown to have thirteen people on the masthead and while I'm not going to name you all I'm extremely appreciative of all the work you do here.

In total there has been 6,743 posts since we've started with 4, 920 being mine (I obviously need a life).  Our readership has grown from just Hugo's mom to where we get several thousand page views a day.

Thank you all for your fan posts and comments, we wouldn't do this without you, our wonderful readers.  It's more fun now than back when I was the only one in the game threads.

Party at Carm's house, she's making a cake!

Book Review: Bill Veeck - Baseball's Greatest Maverick

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Bill_veeck_final_medium
Bill Veeck - written by Paul Dickson

Baseball owners have never been the most loveable of creatures. They are usually men of immense wealth and ego, for whom the ownership of a team is a cynical cash cow or a lavish vehicle for self promotion. Ban Johnson, the President of the American League, once bemoaned the owners of the rival National League, saying “What a shame it is that the greatest of sports should be in the hands of such a malodorous gang as these magnates have proven themselves to be on more than one occasion”. It is because of this company that Bill Veeck stands out.

Veeck was a pioneering baseball owner, happily dragging the rest of baseball along with his relentless drive to make baseball games an event to attend. A masterful showman, a relentless publicity hound, and an unrepentant scourge of tradition, Veeck would be the last man to own a baseball team without a significant personal fortune of his own. Alone amongst his fellow owners, he spent his entire career supporting the racial integration of the game, testified in support of Curt Flood against the Reserve Clause, and brought the aging Satchel Paige to the Major Leagues. Veeck’s ability to challenge the established order and expectations were not limited to baseball. He lost a leg due to injuries in the Pacific, spending the rest of his life on a wooden leg and in constant pain. He owned three different major league teams – the St. Louis Browns, Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox (twice), as well as the minor league Milwaukee Brewers, which would eventually be used as the template for the MLB expansion Brewers in 1970.

Paul Dickson shows obvious affection for Veeck’s story. The book largely steers clear of editorializing praise for Veeck’s unique accomplishments, but he’s not shy about salting his prose with positive quotes from his associates and the baseball community. More than anything, he’s able to effectively capture the almost impossible scope of frenetic energy with which Veeck propelled his improbable career, from baseball heir to impresario.

BASEBALL ROYALTY

1. Take your work very seriously. Go for broke and give it your all. 2. Never ever take yourself seriously - Bill’s Veeck’s ’12 Commandments of Baseball Ownership’

William Veeck’s story starts predictably intertwined with his father, William Veeck Sr. Veeck was a noted Chicago baseball columnist working under the name Bill Bailey. As Bailey, he was a keen observer of the game, noted for his lack of sentimentality regarding both Chicago teams. The elder Veeck was also one of the first columnists to openly charge gamblers and players with influencing key games through the 1910s. He was a close friend of William Wrigley, and when Wrigley bought the controlling share of the Chicago Cubs in the fall of 1918, he installed Veeck first as the Vice President of Baseball Operations, and later as the team President. Bill Veeck grew up in the confines of the Chicago Cubs organization, working in virtually every aspect of the team operations at one point or another.

The elder Veeck did a tremendous amount to help turn around the Chicago Cubs, starting with a stadium refurbishment that would become Bill Veeck’s calling card. He proposed expanded interleague play during the Depression – called the ‘Veeck Plan’ – which failed in the face of American League resistance. When Veeck died of leukaemia in October of 1933, some thought that Wrigley might divest himself of the Cubs, speaking strongly to the close relationship between the two.

Despite the loss of his father, Veeck remained working for the Cubs organization, under the tutelage of Charles Weber. Only 22 in 1936, he was entrusted with the redevelopment of Wrigley Park, creating much of the iconic park’s current configuration. It was his idea to plant ivy along the brick outfield, catering to Wrigley’s passion for gardens. He also erected a massive automated scoreboard at the cost of $100,000 – an impossibly large sum at the time. The Cubs floundered for several seasons, eventually leading to the appointment of Jim Gallagher – another sports writer – as President in 1940. Veeck had been promoted to team treasurer but denied the top slot. By June of 1941, Veeck had decided his future rested outside of the Cubs organization and gambled everything on a new business venture – saving the Milwaukee Brewers.

HEADY DAYS

" The athlete who catches the imagination is the individualist, the free soul who challenges not only the opposition but the generally accepted rule of behaviour. Essentially, he should be uncivilized. Untamed." - Bill Veeck

One of Dickson’s real strengths is his ability to create the existing context for the events he describes. When dealing with Veeck’s acquisition of the Brewers, he crafts a picture of both Chicago and Milwaukee in the pre-War days; their populations, relationships with their ballclubs, and the strange sports industry where everything overlapped in terms of facilities and fans. One of Veeck’s main revenue streams while in Milwaukee came from an agreement with Abe Saperstein to market the Harlem Globetrotters through-out the Midwest, allowing him to survive long enough for his efforts with the Brewers to pay off.

Veeck’s first move after assembling a consortium of investors to buy the Milwaukee Brewers from the American Association, whom the title at reverted to, was to personally take out a $50,000 loan to refurbish the old Borchert Field. It would become his hallmark when acquiring a team to repaint and re-organize the ballpark to ensure fans came into a clean, bright experience. He focused on facilities for women and tailored promotions to them; a trick learned from his father. Veeck Sr had instituted the first regular Ladies Days at the ballpark, and within a few years, women made up almost 25% of Cubs ticket holders. Veeck also shuttled players in and out of the team at a breakneck pace, scouring local independent leagues for cheap young talent. In less than three months, he bought, sold or traded 51 players, which remains a minor league record for an executive which stands to this day.

The Brewers attendance soared and under Charlie Grimm as manager, the relentless drive for new talent began to pay off. While hopeless through 1941, the Brewers finished second in 1942. In 1942, Veeck made a move to purchase the Philadelphia Phillies with the intention of playing an entirely black roster. Veeck’s reasoning was that if integration was the issue, playing an all black roster would fulfil the requirements of segregation. The veracity of this story was challenged in 1998 in The National Pastime by David Jordan, Larry Gerlach and John Rossi. Dickson demolishes the arguments, building on other rebuttals by writers like Rob Neyer with his own research for the biography. In terms of both the personality of Veeck and supporting evidence Dickson builds, it becomes increasingly likely that Veeck’s original claim is the truth.

SALAD DAYS

"Hating the Yankees isn't part of my act. It is one of those exquisite times when life and art are in perfect conjunction." - Bill Veeck

Veeck spent the remainder of WWII in the Pacific, serving with the Marines. He had his foot crushed during an accident with an artillery piece and suffered badly from sores and infection from the hostile Guadalcanal jungle environs. He returned to the States in 1945, but spent most of it in traction, trying to save his legs from infection. Eventually, he’d have 35 separate surgeries and lose his right leg as a result. It was during this time that he forged a lifelong friendship with Casey Stengal. In 1946, an ownership group fronted by Veeck purchased the lackluster Cleveland Indians. Veeck’s moves quickly rallied Cleveland fans, and in his first year, he shattered the long standing attendance record held by the Yankees. Veeck especially targeted the Yankees and their new owners, Del Webb and Dan Topping, singling them out as his rivals. It was in part due to the Yankees owners penchant for bullying the American League owners in order to win concessions for their club and in part that it guaranteed Cleveland press in the biggest baseball market in America. Webb and Topping would become implacable opponents of Veeck and his ideas, and nearly succeeded in blacklisting him from the game. They had good reason to want him gone. From 1946 to 1964, the Yankees were denied the American League pennant only three times - two by a Veeck-owned team and once by a team built and staffed heavily with players of colour by Veeck.

In 1947, Veeck integrated the American League ten weeks after the Dodgers started Jackie Robinson. Larry Doby, a future Hall of Fame outfielder, had a very rough rookie year, but would quickly establish himself as one of the best hitters in the game through the 50s. Veeck would also sign Satchel Paige in 1948 to the wide derision of the league. Dickson digs deeply into the relationship between Veeck and Paige, countering the claim that his signing was simply a publicity stunt. Veeck’s own scouting notes underline that he firmly believed that Paige was still a highly effective pitcher and undervalued due to his nebulous age. Paige would play five years in the integrated MLB, following Veeck to the St. Louis Browns, accumulating over 10 WAR in five years, believed to be almost 50 in his final year.

The Indians would win the World Series in 1948, their last to date, and continued to add talent from the Negro leagues. By the end of his tenure, the Indians had 14 African-American players in their system, leading the Sporting News to opine that ‘Abraham Lincoln freed the Negros, Bill Veeck gives them baseball jobs’. Veeck would be forced to sell the Indians in 1949 in order to finalize the divorce settlement with his first wife, and then seemed to retire from baseball. It wouldn’t last.

ST.LOUIS TO BASEBALL VAGRANCY

"If Bill Veeck was a rebel, his most substantial rebellions were against an establishment that was clannish, racist and smug. His brightest ideas bettered the game, and he brought a pure joy to his work in baseball that most men and women who own ballclubs today will ever know." - Bill Littlefield, NPR's Only a Game

In 1951, Veeck returned to baseball by putting together an ownership group to buy the St. Louis Browns. The National League Cardinals were in serious trouble, and Dickson outlines that Veeck’s plan involved driving the Cardinals to another market and claiming all St. Louis. The Browns were a notoriously inept team, which wasn’t helped by the hiring of Rogers Hornsby to manage them. One of the best hitters in the history of baseball, Hornsby was also grim, unbending and rigid as a manager, unable to connect with his team. He even tried to block the hiring of Paige for the rotation, although backed off when it was clear he’d lose both the contest and his job if he persisted. The Browns, mired in last, were the scene of one of Veeck’s most memorable stunts. Eddie Gaedel, a 3’7 midget wearing the number 1/8 came to the plate against Bob Cain. Veeck had warned Gaedel that he had a sniper trained on him with orders to shoot if he swung his bat (a fairly obvious lie). Gaedel walked on four straight pitches and was replaced by a pinch runner. Ironically, Gaedel’s grandnephew would be drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2008 and remains in their minor league system.

Unfortunately for Veeck, the Anheuser-Busch company bought the rival Cardinals and their deep pockets ensured that for all Veeck’s promotional ability, they could not be moved from St. Louis. Veeck pushed to move the team to Milwaukee first and then later Baltimore. Despite the political backing of Thomas D'Alesandro, Jr., the well connected Mayor of Baltimore, the move was blocked by the other owners, led by Topping and Webb. They wanted Veeck out of baseball, and he was forced to sell his stock. While the sale earned a reasonable profit for Veeck and his partners, it was the only team that he ran which failed to improve much. Soon after Veeck’s departure, the league approved the move of the team to Balitmore where it was renamed the Orioles. In a weird bit of symmetry, Baltimore’s NFL team, the Ravens, were originally the Cleveland Browns before being relocated.

Veeck spent the next several years in a number of capacities; scouting the development of baseball on the West Coast, writing several articles on baseball, and bidding to acquire Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. He made a bid for the Detroit Tigers in 1956, but was blocked by ownership again. It wasn’t until 1958 that his hometown finally had a place for him, with the opportunity to buy his old rivals, the Chicago White Sox.

HOME AT LAST

"When we rode out to the ballpark on the South Side, people recognized him all the way. When we were stopped for a light, people called out to him, shouted at him that his Sox would beat the Yankees. He laughed and smiled with them. He was the Pied Piper of joy. He owned the city." Stan Issacs, Newsday

Veeck would own the White Sox twice; 1959-1961 and 1975-1980. His first run ended due to poor health, forcing him to sell the team and head into a lengthy period of rehabilitation. However, the changes he wrought on the team in just three years were immense. Comiskey Park was extensively renovated and Veeck used every trick in his book to draw crowds of female fans and families to the park. He had the first ‘exploding’ scoreboard installed, that fired fireworks off for every home run. The White Sox made their first World Series since the Black Sox scandal in 1959, losing to the relocated Dodgers. While Veeck’s time with the team was relatively short, his rebuilt minor league system and renewed fanbase kept the White Sox a contending team for most of the following decade.

Dickson moves quickly over the next fifteen years, largely focused on Veeck’s appearance as a witness supporting Curt Flood in his attempts to have the Reserve Clause overturned and his three year venture running the Suffolk Downs racetrack in Boston. Veeck’s health was turning into a regular issue, as years of punishment on his upper body required regular surgeries to keep him mobile.

Finally in 1975, Veeck would form his last ownership group and return to Chicago by buying the White Sox again. His promise to keep the team in Chicago and not move it to Seattle was the clincher. Veeck’s final run as an owner came at the dawn of free agency. Veeck had been one of the few owners who opposed the Reserve Clause and had been outspoken against it. Other owners enjoyed Veeck’s attempts to keep up with much richer ownership groups like Steinbrenner’s Yankees with fewer resources. Veeck’s knack for promotion helped, as did his audacious ‘rent a player’ plan that targeted good players in their final option year – essentially paying for the last and most expensive year of a controlled player from another club before they hit free agency. The trick allowed the White Sox to contend in 1977, winning 90 games and finishing third. Veeck was also aggressive recruiting for his farm system, discovering Harold Baines and moving him up aggressively.

There was a limit to what Veeck’s promotions and scouting could do, and the White Sox remained mired in fifth for the rest of his tenure. In 1979, a promotion suggested by his son – the Disco Demolition Night – was scheduled in concert with a local radio station. The idea was to have fans bring disco albums to the field to be blown up between games during a doubleheader. Steve Dahl, the DJ who inspired the promotion, misled Veeck regarding the destruction of the records, having used too large a charge and not setting down a protective screen as had been agreed. When the explosion when off, setting fire to the centre field grass, a riot was touched off and thousands poured on to the field, all but destroying the grounds and forcing the forfeit of the second game. Veeck was criticized around the country and the negative publicity badly hurt attendance for the remainder of the season. Without the means to compete and once again suffering from ill health, Veeck agreed to sell the club during the start of 1981. He would remain mostly retired, although less than two weeks before his death, he told his long time friends and business partner, Hank Greenberg, that he thought he had a shot of re-buying the Cleveland Indians. Veeck died just after New Years Day in 1986.

A LEGION OF LEGACY

"Somehow, we will have to muddle through Opening Day with [Veeck]. And we will have to adjust to a few sad facts: the gross national consumption of beer has diminished, some say measurably. Every day now one good book goes unread. And marches against handguns and for peace and civil rights have one fewer peg-leg pounding the pavement... But the arc lights must still be turned on, boys. Let us wander over to the ballpark, lift a sign heavenward, and laugh some more." - William Brashler, Chicago Magazine

Dickson spends his epilogue waxing positive about Veeck and it is easy to see why. For all of Veeck’s various faults, he was not only far ahead of his fellow owners with his image of what a day at the baseball park could be, but also maintained a fan-first, player-first executive stance. His normal seat as an owner was in the left field bleachers, talking to fans about their experience. He was adamant that baseball could appeal to men and women, and demolished the ‘boy’s club’ atmosphere of most ballparks. Like his father, he chafed against segregation and discrimination in baseball and in the nation. Veeck was an active civil rights activist and marched in the funeral procession of Martin Luther King. He integrated the American League and ensured an income for Satchel Paige until the end of his life. His automated and later ‘exploding’ scoreboards would become standard in every park, before the advent of modern jumbotrons. The very model of modern ballpark promotions, from bobbleheads to free hats, owes their modern forms to Veeck, as other owners scrambled to copy his methods in self preservation for their own fanbases.

Most importantly, Veeck remains the last baseball owner to have neither been independently wealthy or a major corporation. His ownership group model has long been studied by advocates of community ownership consortiums as sports teams continue to aggressively use their fanbases as leverage to extort tax concessions and expensive stadiums. Dickson brushes on it only briefly, but notes that much of Veeck’s innovations came from his view from the top of the organization as a business, as opposed to an investment or expression of personal ego.

In 1991, Veeck joined his friend Hank Greenberg in the Hall of Fame. Perhaps the greatest irony that he’d appreciate would be his plaque on the wall, surrounded by the other executives who hated his innovations and his ideas, who blocked him every chance they got, and wanted nothing more than him to just go away for good. There’s something Veeck-ian in that idea that in the end, it would be his view of the game that would prove to endure.

“It’s just a game. Life’s hard. Just watch the game.” – Bill Veeck

Baseball Winter Meetings begin today

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The annual Baseball Winter Meetings begin today at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Last year the Blue Jays walked into the meetings with their heads held up high, already having acquired Melky Cabrera, Mark Buehrle, Josh Johnson, and Jose Reyes. New manager John Gibbons also was there in Nashville to greet the press.

Behind the scenes, Alex Anthopoulos had already chatted to the Mets about R.A. Dickey, but they were a little pushed back from the sticker shock when Sandy Alderson asked for Travis d'Arnaud and Noah Syndergaard. According to Shi Davidi and John Lott in Great Expectations, Anthopoulos only had a single meeting with Alderson during he meetings, with the Jays sitting there as observers when James Shields and Wade Davis were traded. So even if nothing seems to be happening, one never knows how close the front office is to finalizing a deal.

We can only hope for a big deal that we can write about, but if nothing else, there will be a bunch of interviews, rumours, and speculations for the next few days.

One thing that we know will happen is the Rule 5 draft, which will happen in a few days. It is unlikely that the Blue Jays will be picking up anyone from the draft, but the Blue Jays do have some pieces that other teams may want: Marc Hulet ranks Ryan Tepera first in his list of "hidden gems" that are available, and included Marcus Walden on his list as well.

Do you think that the Blue Jays will make a significant move this week?

Poll
Do you think the Blue Jays will make a significant move this week?

  141 votes |Results

Roy Halladay will retire as a member of the Blue Jays

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Roy Halladay signs a one-day deal so he can retire a Blue Jay.

Or at least that's what Jon Heyman says:

The Blue Jays announced they would have press conference today at 12:30 and speculation ran wild on Twitter for a few minutes. Was it a free agent. Maybe a trade. Maybe a first base coach.

Then Shi Davidi spoiled the fun by saying it wasn't a roster move or a coaching move. Speculation turned to an announcement of a new spring training home, something we know is going to happen but they haven't announced yet.

But Heyman put an end to that idea too.

Roy Halladay pitched for the Blue Jays for 12 years and put up a 148-76 record with a 3.43 ERA in 313 games, 287 start. He's either the best or second best starter we ever had, depending on your feelings on Dave Stieb. He won a Cy Young with us and had 6 All-Star appearances as a Blue Jay.

In 4 seasons as a Phillie, he was 55-29, and won a Cy Young and made it to the playoff with them.

In total 203-105 with a 3.38 ERA. He's one of the best pitchers I've ever watched. Nice that he is retiring a Blue Jay.

Roy Halladay will retire after signing a one-day contract with the Blue Jays

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Roy Halladay, one of the best and most beloved Blue Jays of all time will be re-signing with the club early this afternoon before announcing his retirement, reports Jon Heyman. Halladay was the Blue Jays' first-round draft pick in 1995 and played the first 12 seasons of his 16-year major league career in Toronto. He will be making the official announcement at 12:30 pm Monday.

Halladay, a 36-year-old free agent, had played the last four seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies after being traded there in December 2009. Halladay was an eight-time All Star (six times as a Blue Jay) and won a Cy Young Award in both the American (2003) and the National Leagues (2010).  He and the Phillies made the postseason in 2010 and 2011, making it as far as the NLCS in 2010. But Halladay will forever be remembered for his game 1 performance in the 2010 NLDS against the Cincinnati Reds, when he spun just the second no-hitter in postseason history, following a perfect game he threw earlier that season.

More to come.

2013 Baseball Winter Meetings

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Keep an eye on this storystream for Blue Jays-related updates from the Winter Meetings at Lake Buena Vista, Florida

The annual Baseball Winter Meetings begin today at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Last year the Blue Jays walked into the meetings with their heads held up high, already having acquired Melky Cabrera, Mark Buehrle, Josh Johnson, and Jose Reyes. New manager John Gibbons also was there in Nashville to greet the press.

Behind the scenes, Alex Anthopoulos had already chatted to the Mets about R.A. Dickey, but they were a little pushed back from the sticker shock when Sandy Alderson asked for Travis d'Arnaud and Noah Syndergaard. According to Shi Davidi and John Lott in Great Expectations, Anthopoulos only had a single meeting with Alderson during he meetings, with the Jays sitting there as observers when James Shields and Wade Davis were traded. So even if nothing seems to be happening, one never knows how close the front office is to finalizing a deal.

We can only hope for a big deal that we can write about, but if nothing else, there will be a bunch of interviews, rumours, and speculations for the next few days.

One thing that we know will happen is the Rule 5 draft, which will happen in a few days. It is unlikely that the Blue Jays will be picking up anyone from the draft, but the Blue Jays do have some pieces that other teams may want: Marc Hulet ranks Ryan Tepera first in his list of "hidden gems" that are available, and included Marcus Walden on his list as well.

Do you think that the Blue Jays will make a significant move this week?

Roy Halladay vs. Jack Morris

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As the Blue Jays and Phillies great announces his retirement, thoughts turn to his place in history.

Filed without further comment:

Name

W-L

%

IP

H

BB

SO

ERA

ERA+

CY

WAR

Morris

254-186

.577

3824

3567

1390

2478

3.90

105

0

43.8

Halladay

203-105

.659

2749.1

2646

592

2117

3.38

131

2

65.6

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Roy Halladay announcing retirement Monday

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The veteran will sign a ceremonial one-day contract with the Blue Jays so he can bring his career full circle.

Former Blue Jays and Phillies right-hander Roy Halladay will announce his retirement from baseball on Monday, reports Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.

The veteran is expected to sign a one-day deal with the Toronto Blue Jays, the club who drafted him way back in 1995, then hold a press conference at 12:30p.m. ET Monday afternoon to make his retirement official.

The 36-year-old Halladay was presumed by some just a few years ago to be the next starter to reach the 300-win plateau. However, after a stellar first two seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies -- in which he finished first then second in the NL Cy Young voting -- the right-hander finally succumbed to the arm injuries he'd been able to avoid for so long.

Much of Halladay's final two big-league campaigns was spent fighting off and recovering from shoulder injuries, limiting him to just 218⅓ innings in that span. The Doc won't be remembered for his struggles at the end, however, he'll be remembered for his decade-long stretch of dominance that earned him eight all-star appearances and two Cy Young awards.

Between 2002-2011, Halladay posted a 2.97 ERA in nearly 2,200 innings pitched (303 starts), averaging an incredible 219 innings per season over that span. In addition to his two Cy Young trophies, Halladay also finished in the top five on five different occasions and even got top 10 MVP consideration on two occasions.

Accounting for all that, perhaps Halladay's biggest claims to fame are his perfect game against the Marlins on May 29, 2010, and his postseason no-hitter against the Reds in Game 1 of the 2010 NLDS --  just the second playoff no-no in MLB history.

Halladay retires with a 203-106 win-loss record, a 3.38 ERA and 2,117 strikeouts in parts of 16 big-league seasons.

Red Reposter - Winter Meetings Edition

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IT'S BUSINESS...IT'S BUSINESS TIME!

Mark Sheldon of Reds.com thinks the Reds will be busy in Orlando at the Winter Meetings.  As Mark dutifully notes, much of the groundwork for the major December trades that resulted in Mat Latos and Shin-Soo Choo (and Jason Donald!) becoming Cincinnati Reds in 2011 and 2012, respectively, was generated at the Winter Meetings, and while there may not necessarily be anything concrete that emerges during the meetings themselves, rest assure that Walt's alarm clock won't let him nap all the way through.

Sheldon also touched base with Billy Hamilton, who appears poised to be a big-league contributor in 2014.  Either this is a major case of the Reds putting on a front so that other teams underestimate their movements within the markets, or it's becoming increasingly apparent that Billy is going to be a major portion of the Reds beginning with this upcoming season.  Sure, it could be a very public admission that they played their cards rather poorly in terms of estimating the OF market, but it could also be that they've got other moves in mind and are just propping up the confidence of one of the top prospects in all of baseball.  I'd venture a guess that having Billy as the opening day CF and leadoff hitter is the Reds' plan B, but it's a plan B they're becoming increasingly more comfortable with given the options.  Still, I expect them to pursue an additional OF for 2014.

Former Reds Dave Concepcion and Dave Parker missed out on being elected to the baseball Hall of Fame. While the Daves were omitted by the Expansion Era Committee, former managers Joe Torre, Bobby Cox, and Tony La Russa were all announced as inductees.  While players must be retired for 5 years before being included on HoF ballots, there's an 'old guys' clause for managers that allows them to be included on ballots if they're over 65 years old (along with a few other minor stipulations), and that's how La Russa and Torre made the list.  It also appears that the same voters who keep guys like Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, and Pete Rose out of the HoF due to their various and sundry connections with steroids, perjury, and gambling, generally are willing to ignore connections to steroids, domestic violence, and intoxicated driving when it comes to the men paid to be in charge of teams.  Right.  Got it.  Better luck to the Daves next year.

Also excluded from HoF inclusion was Marvin Miller...again, and Craig Calcaterra is rightfully incensed.  Miller was, of course, the leader of the MLBPA from 1966-1982, and it was during his leadership that the power of the game was basically flipped from ownership to the players.  Free Agency showed up during Miller's tenure, as did skyrocketing salaries for the players themselves.  Miller's impact in defining the current state of the game seems blatantly impossible to ignore, they somehow those tasked with 'membership' into the HoF continue to ignore it.  As was noted by Calcaterra on Twitter, it's rather timely that the HoF announcement was held during the Winter Meetings, an event nobody would care about at all if there wasn't Free Agency.

The Reds let Bronson Arroyo walk away this offseason, but they just might see him often in 2014 anyway.  Yes, it seems that the Pittsburgh Pirates have an interest in Arroyo, thought it also appears they have yet to make a forrmal offer to him.  The Reds' division rivals do have an A.J. Burnett-sized veteranny hole in the middle of their rotation, one that Arroyo could likely replace, but there's no guarantee at all that the Pirates have the kind of funds that Arroyo is looking for; in fact, if they were to dole out the kind of money Arroyo has reportedly been searching for, he'd surpass Russell Martin as their largest free agent signing ever.  I'm not so certain that a 37 year old soft-tosser is what the Pirates have in mind for their biggest all-time splash, but there's no denying he'd fit well with their defense and spacious home ballpark.  Please sign him, Twins.

It's Mat Latos' 26th birthday...woo!

Roy Halladay announced this morning that he'll sign a 1-day contract with the Toronto Blue Jays and then retire.  Doc's a no-brainer HoFer according to most any person with a brain and at least one functioning eyeball, and while it's always sad to see a person's career end due to injuries rather than of their own admission, Doc can at least hang up his spikes knowing he dominated baseball for a decade the way few other pitchers have.  His 2001-2011 level of dominance was remarkable, and Doc finished in the Top 5 of Cy Young voting a rather amazing 7 times (including 2 victories).  Reds fans, of course, will always remember him with affinity:

Blue Jays Tried To Trade Sergio Santos to Texas Rangers

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Some news emerged a short time ago that the Blue Jays and Rangers agreed to a trade that would have sent relief pitcher Sergio Santos to the Texas Rangers, but another player involved failed a physical essentially killing the deal.

The news was tweeted out by Jon Morsi who is at the Winter Meetings in Florida:

Santos came to Toronto almost exactly two years ago in a trade with the Chicago White Sox, who received Nestor Molina from the Blue Jays. Santos has shown flashes of brilliance, but has been injured way too often to be a dependable piece of the team. Shoulder surgery in 2012 limited the Los Angeles native to six appearances with five earned runs allowed in as many innings. This past season was only slightly better, with elbow surgery during the year causing Santos to only appear in 29 games ending with a 1.75 ERA.

The 30-year-old is downright filthy when healthy and his slider is one of the best in the league. He's owed $3.75 million in 2014 and then has three team option years after that worth between $6 million and $8.75 million (all with $750K buyouts).

There may be more to this story as the night goes on.

Rangers trade rumors: Sergio Santos trade falls through

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The Rangers and Blue Jays had a deal in place to send Sergio Santos to Texas, but another player involved in the deal failed a physical.

For all the drama at the Winter Meetings, it seems they are not without a sense of irony, either. The Rangers and Blue Jays reported had a deal in place sending reliever Sergio Santos to Texas, but the deal fell apart when another player in the deal failed a physical, according to Jon Paul Morosi.

Santos' career in Toronto was plagued by devastating arm injuries, so it's surprising to see the deal fall through due to someone else's crummy physical results. After coming over in a trade from the White Sox before the 2012 season, Santos was named the closer. He only pitched five innings in 2012 though due to a shoulder injury and subsequent surgery. 2013 was only a bit better for him, as he was limited to just 25 innings due to bone chips in his elbow. He made the most of those innings though, notching a 1.75 ERA. He is set to make $3.75 million in 2014 and has team options for 2015 through '17.

The Rangers bullpen was excellent last season, as their five top relievers all posted ERAs of 3.03 or lower. The best of the group was closer Joe Nathan, who posted an ERA of 1.39 and saved 43 games. Nathan signed a two-year deal with the Tigers though, so the Rangers need to find a way to replace his production. If Santos can stay healthy, he just might be that guy. It is not known at this point if the failed physical from the mystery player killed off the deal completely or if talks could possibly resume.

More from SB Nation MLB:

The best remaining free agents in a post-Cano world

Neyer: Hall of Fame adds Torre, La Russa and Cox

Shin-Soo Choo, the last premium free agent available

Roy Halladay to retire a Blue Jay

Death of a Ballplayer: Wrongly convicted prospect spends 27 years in prison

MLB Winter Meetings 2013: Day Two open thread

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The Winter Meetings kicked off in Orlando yesterday but it was mostly quiet on the transaction front. Roy Halladay signed a one-day contract with Toronto so he could retire as a member of the Blue Jays, the Shin-Soo Choo sweepstakes seemed to reach fever pitch but nothing was finalized, and the Angels seem to be discussing trades for Mark Trumbo.

It's not a huge surprise that the first day didn't bring more excitement after a number of big name free agents were signed ahead of the meetings this year. Brian McCann, Jacoby Ellsbury, Robinson Cano, Carlos Beltran, Mike Napoli, and Hiroki Kuroda all inked new deals in the past couple weeks. Matt Garza, Ubaldo Jiminez, Nelson Cruz, Grant Balfour, Omar Infante, and Choo, among others, all remain out there for the taking, as well as explorations of the trade market. The Yankees are likely still looking for a second baseman, third baseman, and starting pitchers as the meetings roll on. The president of Masahiro Tanaka's Japanese team is expected to be in Orlando this week, possibly signaling that he will be posted before the week is out.

Feel free to use this thread to discuss any rumors that pop up throughout the day, Yankees or not. Of course, we'll have full coverage of any moves the Yankees make at any point during the offseason.

John Gibbons talk Blue Jays, Thad Weber going to Korea, and players linked to Toronto

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A recap of Day 1 of the Baseball Winter Meetings.

The first day of the Winter Meetings had more Blue Jays-activity than I could've hoped for. First, this morning we heard that Roy Halladay will be retiring as a Blue Jay, and then had an emotional press conference, then we learned that a possible deal that would've sent Sergio Santos to the Rangers for a starting pitcher fell through at the last moment. Since then, there have been other developments.

First up, you can now buy a sexy authentic "HALLADAY 32" Blue Jays jersey at the Jays Shop for just $223.99, or a replica for $119.99. Although he was invited to attend spring training in some capacity, we will likely not see Halladay actually wearing one of those jerseys. J.P. Arencibia jerseys are still full price, for some reason.

Second, a much younger-looking John Gibbons addressed the media (how one gets younger-looking after managing the 2013 Blue Jays is a mystery). The full transcript was kindly provided by Gregor Chisholm--it was done by software trying to understand Gibby's drawl so expect to see some strange stuff. The key points:

  • On one hand, Gibbons said that he thinks Brandon Morrow is "going to be fine" but on the other hand said that he is "another big question mark."
  • Ideally, Gibbons wants to see Kyle Drabek and Drew Hutchison start in triple-A and fill the role of the sixth (and seventh) pitcher whenever the major league club needs someone. The depth that those two will be providing is nice to see, considering the Blue Jays had to rely on the likes of Aaron Laffey, Sean Nolin, and Ramon Ortiz last season.
  • Surprisingly, Gibbons said that he is "not sure" about what role Sergio Santos will take next season (assuming he is still a Blue Jay), saying that Santos wants to close. He did mention that Santos can take over "the night that [Casey] Janssen is not doing it," suggesting that Janssen may still be the club's closer but it's more written in erasable ink rather than etched in stone.
  • When asked about the catching situation, Gibbons said some good things about his new catchers Dioner Navarro and Erik Kratz, noting that pitchers like throwing to Navarro, and Kratz had good defense. Kratz is expected to battle with incumbent Josh Thole for the backup spot in spring training.
  • On Anthony Gose, Gibbons thinks that the toolsy outfielder can contribute to the club and that he could very well do better in the majors than in triple-A. Then he mentioned Melky Cabrera, saying that if he was healthy, he would be the starting left fielder, "but who knows how that's going to shake out."
  • Gibbons said that he will likely only send Adam Lind out against righties (I assume--the transcript says Lind has "always dominated left-handed pitching.") But even though Moises Sierra is getting time at first base in winter ball, Gibbons thinks that he has a "hard time" seeing him there next year other than in a blowout.
  • On the second base situation, Gibbons doled out some high praise for Ryan Goins, saying that "he handled the ball well enough [in September] to be the top dog going in [to spring training]," while suggesting that Maicer Izturis will fill in more of a utility role saying that his strength is to come off the bench. Goins handled the bat well in September and that he has good hand-eye coordination and had "put himself on the map." While seeing Goins talked about like that is great, to hear, I'm sure that we are all hoping that Anthopoulos could go out and acquire someone that is better than Goins and Izturis.
  • New hitting coach Kevin Seitzer will not screw around too much with established hitters like Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion, except to work with them to try to hit the other way when the other team pulls defensive shifts against them.
  • Gibbons said that Mark DeRosa could be a GM or manager one day, and that he had "bounce[d] things off him" last year, asking him specifically about the strategies of his former managers.
  • When asked whether Jose Reyes will be expected to step up as a clubhouse leader next year, Gibbons sort of hedged the question, saying that "he comes in everyday to play" and that he "brings enthusiasm and he's one of those guys," adding that "in reality, the manager has got to lead." The transcription is a little wonky in that part, but it does look like Reyes is not exactly a leader, at least in Gibbons's mind. Of course, that's perfectly alright if he isn't forced into that role.

In a minor move, Shi Davidi reported that the Blue Jays are sending Thad Weber, who spent the bulk of the 2013 season as a rather effective starter for the triple-A Buffalo Bisons, to the NC Dinos of the Korea Baseball Organization. There, he will join former Blue Jays outfielder Eric Thames, who was released in order for him to join the Dinos. I wish them both all the best and wish them a summer filled with bulgogi, jajangmyeon, dak galbi, kimbap, and naengmyeon.

On the rumours front, the Blue Jays have reportedly been interested in acquiring 40-year-old free agent pitcher and Muammar Gaddafi impersonator Bartolo Colonaccording to Peter Gammons. I don't really believe this rumour--with Anthopoulos' comments about not pursuing free agent and Colon's reported $10 million ask, I doubt that he would sign with Toronto. However, if he does, he would be added to the list of players who have played for both the Expos and the Blue Jays.

Other players linked to the Jays (ie. the club has asked about) include first basemen James Loney, Mitch Moreland, Logan Morrison, supposedly because the Jays were asking for second baseman Neil Walker in exchange for Adam Lind. Walker, a switch hitter with fairly large career splits favouring hitting righties, is 28 and will be eligible for arbitration in 2014. It seems to be that another piece will have to go along with Lind to Pittsburgh to get the deal done, and in the DH-less National League Lind's value will take a hit. By Anthopoulos is also working on a "smaller deal" to add a right-handed bench bat.

The Blue Jays were also one of the teams who saw Cuban shortstop Aledmys Diaz work out in a showcase in Mexico, reports Jeff Passan. Our friends at Viva El Birdos looked into Diaz earlier this season. Meh. Let's revisit this in February, if it's even a news story then. By the way, since we are talking about Cuban defectors, make sure you go and read this terrific piece by Passan, Charles Robinson, and Rand Getlin on the human smuggling, kidnapping, and extortion involved in getting some players from Cuba to the United States.

Former Blue Jays speedster Rajai Davis seems to be nearing a deal with the Detroit Tigers according to Ben Nicholson-Smith, after being linked with the Twins earlier in the day. With Austin Jackson, Torii Hunter, and Andy Dirks patrolling the outfield, it looks like Davis would be relegated to a fourth outfielder role next season despite his efforts at finding a starting role.

UPDATE

Rajai Davis has signed with the Tigers for two years in the $9-10 million range according to Jon Morosi, Nicholson-Smith adds that the deal does not include options. Davis is a flawed player, but it was unfortunate to see the Blue Jays just let him walk.

Also: the Arizona Diamondbacks are in a major shopping frenzy. Over at MLB Trade Rumors, Steve Adams writes that they are "determined" to leave Orlando with either Shin-Soo Choo or Mark Trumbo, preparing to offer bothTyler Skaggs and Trevor Cahill for Trumbo! What!

For more MLB Winter Meetings coverage, head over to Baseball Nation and MLB Daily Dish.

All Good Things Must Come To An End: Looking Back On Roy Halladay's Career

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Toronto Blue Jays franchise icon Roy Halladay retired yesterday closing the book on one of the finest careers this city will ever witness.

Yesterday Roy Halladay signed a one-day contract with the Toronto Blue Jays in order to retire with the team that brought him into the league as the 17th overall pick of the 1995 draft. When thinking back on Roy Halladay's storied tenure with the Blue Jays the same words often come to mind: steady, consistent, workmanlike and professional. These terms are all accurate but they all fail to do him justice. Roy Halladay wasn't just a Mark Buehrle type who showed up every fifth day and gave his team a chance to win, he was a guy who showed up every fifth day and ensured his team brought home the victory. The problem is that there is something inherently mundane about consistency and although Halladay was not under-appreciated by Blue Jays fans the extent of his excellence might not have been understood.

The narrative arc of Halladay's career is a very familiar one to Blue Jays fans. Halladay had a brief cameo in 1998 followed by a longer look in 1999 where he put up a respectable 3.92 ERA despite a Drabekian 1.04 K/BB ratio. In the year 2000 everything would fall apart for Halladay. In 67.2 innings Halladay allowed 87 runs and was sent to the minor leagues. Later in his career Roy Halladay would manage to allow fewer than 87 runs in four different seasons where he pitched at least 220 innings. Halladay emerged like a phoenix from the ashes midway through 2001 and from that point until the end of his Blue Jays career he was an absolute magician.

When Blue Jays fans discuss Roy Halladay they are really talking about a 10 season span between 2001 and 2009. During that time Halladay was the best pitcher in baseball. He put up 50.9 WAR in those seasons, the highest total in the league by seven whole WAR. This feat was not accomplished on quantity alone, although Halladay could eat innings like no other, as he only pitched the seventh most innings during that time. He made six All-Star teams during this period and put together a 135-62 record with a 3.13 ERA and a 3.20 FIP. Halladay's signature season with the Blue Jays was his Cy Young winning year in 2003. That season he went 22-7 with a 3.25 ERA and perhaps most importantly 266 innings pitched. That number is the highest single season total for any pitcher this century.

Roy Halladay was so good at so many things, he got ground balls, had great control and could get the strikeout when he needed it, but perhaps what made him a unique talent was his ability to pitch games from start to finish in an era where no one else was doing it consistently. In his career Halladay led the league in complete games seven times and he did so every season between 2007 and 2011. During his 10 year window of dominance with the Jays the follow chart shows the league leaders in complete games and shutouts, sorted by complete games:

Pitcher

Complete Games

Shutouts

Roy Halladay

47

14

Livan Hernandez

31

5

C.C. Sabathia

28

11

Mark Mulder

25

10

Randy Johnson

24

9

Mark Buehrle

24

8

Javier Vasquez

21

5

Bartolo Colon

21

4

Chris Carpenter

20

10

A.J. Burnett

20

9

Halladay was in a league of his own when it came to throwing all nine innings. It was a possibility for the right hander every single time he took the mound. I can't claim to have seen inside Halladay's head but I would warrant a guess that it was always something of an expectation on his part. In a lot of ways he was a relic of a bygone era.

Nobody worked harder than Roy Halladay, but over the course of his tenure in Toronto became a Sisyphus-like figure. No matter how good Roy Halladay was, and no matter how many innings he pitched at an elite level, the team around him could never rise into playoff contention. Sometimes the rotation was solid but the team couldn't hit a lick. Some years the offense was excellent but the pitching wasn't there. Roy Halladay was always there. Eventually age was creeping up on Halladay and the likelihood of making the playoffs did not seem to be increasing. He was a part of the Blue Jays franchise for 14 years but it was time to move on.

Frankly, Halladay's career in Philadelphia isn't my story to tell here. I'm sure there are Phillies fans who are far more qualified to spin that tale. He was undoubtedly brilliant for Philadelphia and I know that personally I was cheering him on every step of the way. In 2010 he threw a perfect game and a playoff no-hitter. The next season he won the Cy Young for the second time in what was probably his best season ever. The spotlight that he had always deserved found him, although he never seemed the type to reach for it.

Roy Halladay is arguably the best pitcher of his era. His story is one of perseverance and hard work and if you are looking for a role model he's probably a half decent pick. Roy Halladay was a reason to trek from any corner of the city down to the ballpark to spend your hard earned money on taking in a game of baseball. He was a reason to believe that the Blue Jays were the type of franchise that could compete with the big boys in the AL East, even if they never quite managed do so. Every day that Roy Halladay didn't pitch was a letdown. Every time he pitched was an event. Generations of Torontonians who have not been born yet are going to hear about Roy Halladay. Moreover, they are going to get sick of hearing about Roy Halladay. They will look up to whoever Toronto's ace is in 2034 and will think he's as good as Roy Halladay. They will be wrong.

For Blue Jays Winter Meetings coverage, keep an eye on Bluebird Banter's event StoryStream.



Roy Halladay's Retirement

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There is crying in baseball, especially in this thread (and when dealing with the Phillies and Blue Jays).

Or at least that's what Jon Heyman says:

The Blue Jays announced they would have press conference today at 12:30 and speculation ran wild on Twitter for a few minutes. Was it a free agent. Maybe a trade. Maybe a first base coach.

Then Shi Davidi spoiled the fun by saying it wasn't a roster move or a coaching move. Speculation turned to an announcement of a new spring training home, something we know is going to happen but they haven't announced yet.

But Heyman put an end to that idea too.

Roy Halladay pitched for the Blue Jays for 12 years and put up a 148-76 record with a 3.43 ERA in 313 games, 287 start. He's either the best or second best starter we ever had, depending on your feelings on Dave Stieb. He won a Cy Young with us and had 6 All-Star appearances as a Blue Jay.

In 4 seasons as a Phillie, he was 55-29, and won a Cy Young and made it to the playoff with them.

In total 203-105 with a 3.38 ERA. He's one of the best pitchers I've ever watched. Nice that he is retiring a Blue Jay.

Blue Jays will name Tim Leiper first base coach

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Shi Davidi tells us:

The Toronto Blue Jays will name Tim Leiper their first base coach next week, rounding out the coaching staff under manager John Gibbons, multiple sources told sportsnet.ca.

Leiper has been a 'senior adviser' for the Blue Jays for the last year. He's 47, a former minor league manager in the minor league systems of the Expos, Red Sox, Orioles and Pirates for 12 seasons and was the Marlin's Infield Coordinator for 2 seasons. He was also a coach for Canada's WBC team in 2006 and 1009 as well as a coach for out 2004 Olympic team.

As a player, he was a career minor leaguer, playing 12 seasons in the minors, hitting .273/.337/.365 with 40 home runs in 1166 games, mostly in corner infield and outfield spots. He also played in the Mexican Winter :League and Dominican Winter League.

Shi also says that the Jays are interested in adding another coach.

Tuesday Afternoon Winter Meeting Open Thread

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Mark Trumbo and Brett Anderson trades seem imminent. Not much for excitement for Blue Jays fans but here is a open thread to discuss the moves of the day.

Here is a bit of news:

Not that it is Winter Meeting stuff...but Munenori Kawasaki wins aGibby for his 'I am Japanese' post game interview.

The Trumbo trade is done:

The hevaily rumored three-team trade between the Angels, Diamondbacks and White Sox has been completed, a source tells Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. Mark Trumbo and a pair of players to be named later will head to the Diamondbacks, Adam Eaton will join the White Sox and Hector Santiago and Tyler Skaggs are headed to the Angel

Shi tells us that the Jays are taking calls on Adam Lind.

If I was talking to the Jays, those are the two I'd ask for, baseball people aren't dumb.

Munenori Kawasaki wins MLB's GIBBY Award for "Cut 4 Topic of the Year"

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One of the more enjoyable parts of 2013 Blue Jays baseball was the existence of Munenori Kawasaki. He joined the club right after a horrible start to the season and a scene of Jose Reyes crying on the field, and led the Jays' cheering section for an unexpectedly extended period of time. With a batting line of .229/.326/.308, one wouldn't expect him to win any post-season awards, but lo and behold, Major League Baseball has a series of awards based on votes by fans, MLB alumni, front office personnel and media. Someone in the MLB offices decided to name these awards the "GIBBYs", which is a horrible acronym for "Greatness In BaseBall Yearly."

Kawasaki, the former Blue Jay and current free agent, won the "Cut4 Topic of the Year" award for his postgame interview with Mark DeRosa and Sportsnet's Arash Madani and some ball boy who comes out to pie him in the face.

Now that the moment is officially award-winning, can we get someone to market the little phrasebook Kawasaki used in please?

So, who were the other nominees that Kawasaki had to beat to get the prestigious award?

  • A fan who caught a foul ball while carrying a baby at AT&T Park
  • A Miami Marlins pre-game ceremony
  • Carly Rae Jepsen's horrible first-pitch at Tropicana Field
  • A shy man trying to run away from a kiss cam at Dodgers Stadium
  • The Yankees painting an outline of Mariano Rivera in the Kauffman Stadium outfield where he had his knee injury
  • Brandon Phillips's weird sac bunt
  • Pittsburgh Pirates mascot falling over the railing
  • A Prince Fielder lookalike
  • A telerobotic first pitch oh god I'm only half way through I'm not watching the rest of this nine-minute video

Toronto seems to be the hotbed of the GIBBY "Cut 4 Topic of the Year" awards--the first winner (from 2012) was Bryce Harper giving the one-liner he's now known for in the Rogers Centre dressing room.

Bobby Cox and the Blue Jays

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With Bobby Cox going to the Baseball Hall of Fame, we take a look at his time with the Blue Jays.

With Bobby Cox getting the nod to enter the Baseball Hall of Fame (along with 2 other no name managers), I thought it might be a good time to look back at his time as a manager of the Blue Jays.

Cox was our third manager, following Roy Hartsfield and Bobby Mattick.  After 5 seasons of losing baseball, fans were starting to get restless, we wanted to feel like we were building to something and up until that point it seemed like we were like we were never going win. Bobby Cox was our first manager who seemed like he was there to win games.

Cox had been the manager for the Atlanta Braves, the previous 4 years, trying to build them into a contender. It had been going well, but then the 1981 season was shortened by a players strike. The Braves didn't do much in either half of the, rather strange, 2 halved season. The Braves were owned by Ted Turner, back then, and Ted wanted his face on TV as much as possible. He didn't want a losing team. He wanted to be admired. He seemed like he wasn't entirely 100% convinced that firing him was the right move:

Asked at a press conference who was on his short list for manager, Turner replied, "It would be Bobby Cox if I hadn't just fired him. We need someone like him around here."

Anyway the Jays scooped him up quick. It was a great move.

One of the most obvious things Bobby did was take some of the players with, how to put it politely, limited ability and platoon them. Make the most of the not so great players he had.

In 1982, he split the catchers job between Ernie Whitt, who the season before had hit .236/307/.297, and Buck Martinez, a long time backup catcher, who had OBP below .300 and slugging averages below .350 for most of his career. And he took two backup middle infielders, lefty batter Rance Mulliniks and righty Garth Iorg and had them split time at third base.

In 1983 he put together a rather elaborate platoon in the outfield. With Dave Collins playing left field against right-handers and Jesse Barfield playing right field against left-handers, and George Bell bouncing back and forth between the two positions.

1984 he started platooning at DH spot with Cliff Johnson hitting against lefties and Willie Aikens against righties. The next year it was Al Oliver DHing against the right-handers.

The catcher and third base platoons worked very well. 1983 Whitt and Martinez hit 27 home runs and drove in 89 runs between them. Cox doesn't deserve all the credit.  In 1982, Cox brought in Cito Gaston to be hitting coach. Cito taught Whitt and Martinez to pull the ball, which they leaned well, especially Whitt, whose swing became all out pull.

Likely, the most important thing that Bobby Cox did was bring in coaches Cito Gaston and John Sullivan. Cito, well you know the story. We do owe Cox a lot for bringing Cito into the organization. Sullivan stayed with the team, as the bullpen coach, until after the 1993 season.

In Bobby's 4 years with the team, a number of our best players became regulars: Willie Upshaw, Jesse Barfield, Rance Mulliniks, George Bell, Jimmy Key, Jim Acker, Tony Fernandez and Tom Henke, to name a few.

His time with the Jays wasn't an instant success. The Jays went 78-84, finishing 6th in 1982, but Cox had a lot of the parts in place that would move the team up the standings.

1983 saw a big jump in our win total, with the team going 89-73, but we still finished 4th. Ernie Whitt found his power stroke, hitting 17 home runs in 123 games.  Willie Upshaw and Jesse Barfield hit 27 home runs each.

We finished with the same win total in 1984, finishing 2nd, but still 15 games behind the Tigers who had an amazing season, going 104-58. George Bell had a full time job for the first time, hitting 26 home runs and driving in 87. Rance Mulliniks figured out how to hit, batting .275/.373/467. Lloyd Moseby had hit first good season with the bat too, hitting .315/.376/.499 with 18 home runs.

After 4 years with Cox as the manager, and in our 9th season in the MLB, we finally made the playoffs in 1985. Unfortunately, we lost out in 7 games to the Royals in the ALCS. Cox's platooning ways cost him. We were up 3 games to 1, when Royals manager Dick Howser figured a system to go against the Jays, in the last two games he started a right-hander and then would use a lefty in the middle innings, getting Cox to remove his left-handed batters from the game. Then, Howser's closer, Dan Quisenberry wouldn't have to face the lefties. Quiz, a submariner, was unhittable when facing right-handed batters, but LHB had an easy time with him. That and not finding a way to pitch to George Brett, who hit .348/.500/.826 with 3 home runs, cost them the series. Bobby was named AL Manager of the Year.

After the playoff loss, the Braves offered Cox their GM job. He stayed with the Braves until 2010. We would remain a playoff contender for the next 8 years, and, of course, would win 2 World Series. I'm not sure the World Series wins would have happened without Bobby Cox, especially, when you remember that he brought Cito Gaston to the team. A lot of the players and coaches, that were important to those playoff teams, got their start under Cox.

Cox goes into the Hall of Fame with a 2195-1698 record, the fourth most wins in baseball history. He also holds the MLB record for most ejections, generally in an effort to keep his players from being ejected.

I always liked the guy. I liked the platooning, though it is harder to do in these days of 8 or 9 man bullpens. I liked that everyone on his bench had a role. I also liked that he wasn't afraid to use young players, and he didn't give up on them in a hurry, he gave them a chance to succeed. With young pitchers, he tended to let them get their start in the bullpen, to give them a chance to learn how to get major league batters out in lower pressure situations. I think he might have been the smartest manager we had.

If he had stayed on after the 1985 season, I'm not sure how much that would have changed things, and it's not really worth thinking about, we had our World Series wins, he had a good run in Atlanta. I would like to think that he would have found a way to save us from the sudden fall off after 1993, but then I doubt he would have been manager under Gord Ash, I think he would have wanted the GM job by then.

It's his work with the Braves that got him into the Hall of Fame, but his time with the Jays set up the good things that happened to us too.

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