Rumors and lies dominate the Toronto baseball scene which is pretty much in the back pages with the obits as Hockey and who/what Rob Ford likes to eat dominate the news. I promise only baseball related links.
JAYS NEWS, RUMORS AND LIES
Blue Jays: Anthopoulos shoots down trade rumours | Toronto Star
Slugger Jose Bautista and catcher J.P. Arencibia both named in bogus trade rumours as baseball’s off-season scuttlebutt heats up.
The Blue Jay Hunter: Great Expectations: The Lost Toronto Blue Jays Season Interview with Shi Davidi
Most great baseball stories are a rags to riches story; a team that battles adversity and overcomes all odds to become the very best. The narrative of the 2013 Toronto Blue Jays was quite the opposite; they were a riches to rags story.
The Blue Jay Hunter: Free Agent Faceoff: Ubaldo Jimenez or Ervin Santana?
In a perfect world, the Toronto Blue Jays would sign two high-calibre starting pitchers to solidify their starting rotation this offseason. For a multitude of reasons, the reality is they may only get an opportunity to sign one.
Jays' Stroman: AFL teammate Sanchez 'filthy' - Sportsnet.ca
Pitching in the Arizona Fall League, Toronto Blue Jays top pitching prospect Marcus Stroman discusses his experience in Salt River and the recent play of teammate Aaron Sanchez.
MLB LINKS
MLB: Terry Francona edges John Farrell for manager of the year | Toronto Star
Indians skipper receives 16 of 30 first-place votes to 12 for Farrell. Note: See it wasn't a totally horrid season?
MLB owners approve instant replay expansion - Sportsnet.ca
Major League Baseball owners have voted to move ahead with a vast expansion on instant replay next season. Owners approved funding the replay expansion when they met Thursday and plan to approve the exact rules in January following the completion of negotiations with the unions for umpires and players.
2014 Top 10 Prospects: Miami Marlins | FanGraphs Baseball
Don't cry reading this list.
MLB: Max Scherzer, Clayton Kershaw win Cy Young Awards | Toronto Star
Kershaw went 16-9 and topped the NL with 232 strikeouts. Scherzer won the AL honour after leading the majors in wins while going 21-3.
MLB Amending Posting System Proposal; Agreement May Not Be Reached: MLB Rumors - MLBTradeRumors.com
The issue amongst the owners was that some small-market owners wished for posting fees to be counted against the luxury tax.
The Diminishing Value of Valuable | FanGraphs Baseball
M-V-P?
Fastball velocity by game state
Does the count, number of outs or number of runners on base affect how hard pitchers throw?
Pitcher performance after batting success
Ron Darling thinks pitchers throw better after getting a hit. Is he right?
TODAY IN BALL FOUR HISTORY
Baseball History - November 15th - National Pastime - Baseball History
1968 Jim Bouton agrees to a one-year deal worth $22,000 to play for the expansion Pilots, who had purchased the right-hander from New York last month for $20,000 with his previous team agreeing to pick up $12,000 of the salary. The knuckleballer will use his tenure with the club, and the Astros after he is traded to Houston, to chronicle the 1969 season, along with stories from his Yankee years, in his groundbreaking book, Ball Four, a publication which will not endear him to the baseball community, especially with his former Bronx Bomber teammates.