Ready, Set...MEET!

Early December is always an interesting time of year on the baseball calendar. Most players start getting back to their workout routines, if they haven’t already. The new baseball season seems so much closer than it did when the World Series ended. And, oh yeah, there’s this little matter of the yearly GM meetings taking place.

This year’s festivities are set to start today in Dallas, Texas. I’m always intrigued to see what might come out of them, but this year seems a little different. A lot of that has to do with the new CBA that has officially been ratified between MLB and the MLBPA. (In general, I have an interest in collective bargaining agreements and employer/union relations. It’s the nerd in me, and my past experience I guess.)The other part of me is just the continual curiosity I have about what creative move AA is going to pull out of his bag o’ tricks next.

Other than the new CBA, the offseason to-date has been pretty quiet. Sure, Papelbon signed with the Phillies (thoughts on overpaying/not overpaying?) and there have been numerous rumors about where Pujols will end up. On the Jays front, it’s definitely been quiet. A few small moves (Brad Mills to Anaheim for Jeff Mathis, Luis Valbuena from Cleveland for cash) have been made, but all’s quiet on the blue bird front. Until now.

By all accounts, AA is looking to make some majorish moves, or at least start the ball rolling on the “big” moves we’ll see coming out of Toronto this offseason. I refer to them as “big” because I don’t see any of them being huge blockbuster deals like we’ve seen in the part. Looking around the roster, there are some key spots to be filled (2^nd base, closer), but nowhere near the amount of holes we’re seen before. Our core roster is strong and young, will a whole host of awesome guys working their way up through the minors.

The one “move” I will comment on that a lot of Jays fans have been backing is bringing Prince Fielder to Toronto. Especially now with an unconfirmed report that Toronto’s on Fielder’s short  list for places he’d like to play. Not surprising as from all accounts I’ve heard, he enjoyed visits here while his dad trolled the outfield for us.

I wholeheartedly do not support this move. Part of it is his possible asking price, but on within the context of his role on the team. I am a LindyHop enthusiast. I have enjoyed watching Adam Lind grow as a player since he made his debut back in Sep ’06. I like him at 1^st and believed for a long time before he moved out of the DH spot that he would find a home there.  

Not all Jays’ fans share my Lind love, and that’s okay. But what I don’t get is the call to heave him out of 1^st after only one full season (minus a month missed for back issues). Some point to his defensive skills, some to his drop off at the plate. Well, you try playing a fielding position for a full season for the first time in the Bigs after being a part-time outfielder/mostly DH for your career, then see if YOUR production doesn’t suffer. Adam said as much near the end of the season. It’s a more difficult physical and mental grind having to transition to playing every day, instead of just walking to the plate 3+ times in a game.

There’s no denying that Fielder is incredibly productive at the plate. It’s an attractive, attention grabbing quality on his résumé; having that much homerun power could be a great protective agent behind Bautista. But, what about the possible hit we’d take in the field? Maybe this is a reflection of me being a pitching and defense kind of person, but I’ll take Lind’s defense over Fielder’s any day. For those statistically inclined readers, here’s my backing to that statement.

In 2011, Fielder had the lowest fielding% among all 1^st basemen, at .990 (159 games). Lind was 6^th at .996 (109 games). Remember, this was Adam’s first full season at an infield position. I will also concede that Fielder did play 50 more games than Lind, with 411 more total chances. But, I’ll still take Lind. You can also compare both their first full seasons at first, in which Fielder did have more games, but I didn’t want to overload with numbers here. If you’re interested, just search Fielder and Lind’s stats on the MLB site. I will note however, that Prince has had only one season with a fielding percentage over .996 (2010; .997) and I foresee LindyHop getting better next season.

There’s also talk about bringing Prince to Toronto to DH, but I also balk at that idea. He’ll only be 27 as of opening day 2012. That is so incredibly young to move someone into the DH spot, and part of the reason Lind (28) is now at first. The Jays didn’t want to make him a career DH before he hit 30. Fielder might not be my favourite option as a new team member in T.O., but I also don’t think it’s time for him to leave the fielding part of his game behind.

I honestly get the draw and (some) of the reasons why bringing Prince to Toronto is being so highly talked about, and not just bandied about in the fan world. But I honestly don’t see the fit. We have other, more pressing concerns (see above) to worry about without getting into replacing guys that have/will contribute to the team’s success.

I am an Adam Lind fan, just as I am a Travis Snider, Eric Thames, and Edwin Encarnacion fan. We have an overabundance of guys that could play great roles filling places in the roster where we need them. Unfortunately, that doesn’t apply to all positions, but we’re in a pretty comfy (and soon to be very successful) place right now Jays' fans. Obviously AA is aware of that and is about the start workin’ his GM magic.

Pull up a chair Jays fans. It’s going to be a pretty neat next couple of days at the Winter Meetings.

Just wanted to send out some congrats/ROCK ONs to:

• -         Arencibia and Lawrie being named to the 2011 Topps All-Star Rookie Team
• -          And the following guys for being chosen by the BWA’s Toronto chapter Award winners:

o   RickyRo – Pitcher of the Year

o   JoBau – Player of the Year (Neil MacCarl Award)

o   JPArriba – Rookie of the Year

o   Janssen – Most Improved Player

o   McGowan – John Cerutti Award (given to a person who shows the cooperation, goodwill and character Cerutti was known for.)

Happy Early Holiday Season readers! I wish you and your loved ones the merriest, baseball filled (as much as possible in Dec/Jan) times!

JaysGirl5

P.S. the 2012 season is getting closer!

Werk It Boys!

In case you’ve been living in a sports world blackout the past two days, the Jays introduced their new logo and jerseys on Friday. They also introduced some very snazzy looking major league models, too.

I’m sure when @RickyRo24, @jparencibia9, @JoeyBats19, @blawrie13, @2Morrow23, Yunel Escobar and Adam Lind all became members of the Jays, they didn’t imagine they’d be putting on a fashion show someday.

Well, obviously they thought wrong. Sportsnet has been kind enough to host the whole thing online for those of us who couldn’t be there. (Scroll ahead to around the 10 minute mark to see the new jerseys.) Also check out some of the tweet histories for the guys above to see some pretty cool candid photos.

For all intents and purposes, I’m not really sure what number logo to call this. Technically, the first two logos of the organization aren’t really that different from each other. Plus, the current logo is an amalgamation of those two with a little updating. There’s also the one we just got rid of, and the bird of steroids that was an “interim logo”.

Regardless, this new logo and return to blue jerseys is pretty much a no brainer. The more the change settles in, the more it feels like the last piece to cement the AA years. (Although, I’m sure he wouldn’t want them to be called that.)

I’ll admit that nearing the end of the JP years, specifically around the time of Docgate, I had some pretty harsh words for and about the previous GM. I totally stand by them, but time (and a great somewhat realistic look at a GMs life in Moneyball) has a great way of allowing me some perspective. But here’s the best way I think I can describe how I feel about now (AA years) versus then (Ricciardi years) - They were like a jersey that just didn’t fit. For a multitude of reasons it was never right, and no amount of trying was going to change that. It finally feels like the Jays-verse can breathe again and has gotten back to having the right fit. I swear, Scott Carson explains it better than me.

This may not be the best summation of my reaction to the new logo, but I’m still kind of in the middle of it, you know? I love it, can’t wait to see it at the Home Opener and think it’s about time. I also can’t wait to get my new hat and jersey.

There’s change and excitement in the air, Jays fans! 

Here’s to wishing the boys “werk” it on the field next year as much as they “werked” the new jerseys yesterday.

JaysGirl5

Reality Check

Amidst the wonder and joy of being a sports fan, there are times when we get a cold, hard dose of reality.

For hockey fans this year, it was the deaths of three players in a very short span this off-season.

For us baseball fans, it’s the recent kidnapping and rescue of the National’s rookie catcher Wilson Ramos.

As news broke early last Thursday morning, the whole baseball world started holding its collective breath. Outpourings of well wishes, prayers, and tweets went around the world hoping that Ramos would be returned safe and sound.

As we now know, Ramos was taken at gunpoint in front of his family’s home on Nov 9th. His kidnappers eventually came to rest at a secluded house in the mountains of Venezuela’s central Carabobo state. Ramos was told he would be ransomed and was left alone. Almost three days later, and after a 15 minute gun battle, Ramos was able to return to his family physically unscathed and overcome with appreciation to everyone who played at part in his return.

This isn’t the first time baseball and kidnapping have crossed paths, although to MLB’s knowledge this is the first time a player has been taken. Mothers and children of pro baseball players have been taken; one’s cousin was killed a few years ago. And there are more stories.

As lovers of the beautiful game, it’s easy for us to get caught up in enjoying what happens on the field, and the rumours/drama/gossip that happens in the off-season surrounding free agents and whatnot. We forget sometimes that the guys we enjoy watching so much go back to real lives. We lose sight that making it to “The Show” doesn’t mean life just turns into a fairy tale or that all problems go away. In some cases, like that of Wilson Ramos, it can actually make you a target. And in the end, he was lucky.

I’ll admit to having a very slight, general knowledge of the crime issues in South American states, but my eyes were blown pretty open when reading about the current state of things throughout the Ramos story coverage. If you haven’t read any, start. Read from the beginning to get a glimpse of what I’m talking about.

I know that baseball is only a game and am very aware of the role professional sports play and should play. But when the inevitable splash of reality comes in, I’m reminded of how lucky I am in general. My love of baseball (for many, many reasons) affords me an incredible love and appreciation of life in general.

Every day, I think of how lucky I am to have baseball in my life. Every day. And days like last Wed and Sat…they just put it all in perspective.

Be grateful and thankful fellow fans.

JaysGirl5

Sharing the Wealth

A few days ago, I was telling someone about the initial reason I started blogging...so many summers ago now. At the time, I wanted to offer my friends and family a break from the single-mindedness that consumes me during baseball season. I freely admit my posting record has been inconsistent, but I'm proud of how I.T.C.B. has evolved and grown over the years. Along the way, I like to (or choose to?) think I've offered at least a chuckle, a grin or maybe some thought provocation to anyone who's taken the time to stop by. (Which, by the way, THANK YOU for doing!) 

But back to my original direction...

My online Camera Bay still offers my loved ones a reprieve, but I'm also lucky to have friends and family who are supportive enablers of my love of baseball. They come to games with me, talk Jays with me, and best of all...somehow anything baseball that crosses their paths gets sent along mine. (This has happened many times with free tickets and memorabilia, and it's awesome!) So, here's where I send some of what this blog's title implies to you. In the last couple of months my mom, dad and brother have all sent me some pretty neat baseball videos, which now I'm sharing with you. The first three were the ones my family loving sent, the rest just some fun added by me. Enjoy!

Now, I'm still not 100% convinced about this one, but it's still really cool.

By following the link below, to the best of my knowledge and investigation, no harm will come to your computer. The website's embedded video player has some great black and white footage with a really old "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" track. Be warned, the video quality is a little low.

The Roots of Baseball

I found this extended video of Josh's trick from above, with a little somethin' extra.

And no baseball video collection would be complete without...

I loved getting to sit and watch Abbot & Costello on repeat while I was in the Wax Museum in Cooperstown last summer. Anyone who calls themselves a baseball fan should watch that video at least once in their lives.

That's about it for me folks. A little delayed, but congrats to the Cards for winning it this year. I don't think I've ever watched a better playoffs and World Series. Only good things are coming for baseball, I think. Speaking of good things and sharing the wealth...Mactastic has left the Dome for good, but has signed a very nice 2yr contract in Arizona. Love him well DBack fans. He's one of a kind. Although, I think you know that by now.

Happy off-season so far baseball fans! (Is it February yet?)

JaysGirl5

Endless Possibilities in the shape of a Diamond

If the last month of the regular baseball season taught us anything, it's that anything really is possible. I don't feel it's necessary to hash out the (quite) ugly collapses or the amazing triumphs. I will say...someone in the scheduling office sure is channelling some divination skills or something. The match-ups near the end the last couple of years have been amazing.

Getting back to my point.  Any given game of baseball has the possibility and even the probability to show you something you haven't seen before. Putting 18 players out on a field during any particular full inning, for 9 innings (give or take a 1/2) means that the opportunities for things to happen are, let's just say, exponential. (This is a baseball blogging, not math blogging.) And that's what we saw in September. That's what we've been seeing throughout the League Championship Series and now into the World Series. 

I think it's amazing to follow baseball fans, reporters and players on Twitter and to see just how many of them consider this past month and a half of baseball as the perfect example as to why it's the best game ever. I don't think anyone would be surprised to find I agree.

To be fair, I am a sports fan in general. I do respect that there are many fans of other sports that would disagree with the interpretation and offering of proof mentioned above to show why baseball's the greatest. You might think hockey's the best, or football, basketball, cricket or anything other sport with a following.  That's cool, and awesome, and dandy and I absolutely respect that. But, I can't think of another sport where your fortunes can change so much in a day, or even a few hours. 

I happen to believe baseball mirrors life that way. Actually, there are many ways that I think baseball can and does mirror life. (Another blog for another day perhaps?) It all comes down to this: There are no "guaranteed" wins or "can't" wins in baseball. You can't rely on the notion of a "favoured team". Once the ball is thrown 60'6'', there is no way to know what's going to happen, even when you try to influence outcomes. 

Forget roller coasters or scary movies to get the adrenaline pumping...give me September baseball any day! And the World Series. Even though my team might not be in it (this year), I am more than happy to cheer on as many more baseball games as I can get. I mean, once it's over...it's a very long wait until February.

< Enjoy the time we have left with the beautiful game dear readers. I think we can all agree it's going to be exciting!
JaysGirl5

Random Thought

Baseball is the introvert of the sports world. 

No wonder I love it so much. Innies unite!

Hope you're enjoying the playoffs thus far fellow fans.
JaysGirl5

Dancing Around .500

So here we sit with only 56 games to go. (Is that all, really?)

Through 106, I’d say the Jays' season has been a success so far. I realise that there are many sports fans who would disagree with me, pointing to the Jays current position in the standings and high probability of missing the playoffs. I suppose this discussion comes down to the definition of success one is acting under.

From the get-go, I wasn’t thinking that we’d with the whole caboodle this year. We’re just weren’t there at the start of the season with our starting rotation and line-up, but things are coming together. I always knew we would end up at least 4th in the division with the possibility of making some upwards moves. We had an outside shot at the Wild Card, but it was a long one and currently there are just too many good teams between us and the W.C.

The Jays play in the AL East. (Well, duh!) I’m not saying it as an excuse, but as the reality based starting point for what the Jays are working towards overcoming.

There’s a common thought that the biggest difference between big market/budget teams and small to medium market/budget teams is that the big guys have a wider margin for error in their free agent signings. In my humble opinion, a larger budget can also extend the winning window opportunity. The small to medium market teams have to rely more heavily on building from within and timely free agent signing.

Using the last paragraph as the background, let’s paint a picture of the AL East, in no particular order:

New York – I will not say they have bought championships. No matter how much money you spend, you still have to play high-calibre baseball and win the X number of games it takes to get into the playoffs to begin with. However, their famously large budget allows them more freedom in their signings. If they sign someone in the off-season for a couple million and he doesn’t pan out, the Yankees are crippled by being on the hook for the salary and the cost of having to find someone to fill the vacant role.

Boston – Much the same as New York. Of the two big budget teams in the East, Boston does seem to be the only slightly shrewder in its spending. I think they’ve gotten to a point with a solid core of a team (à la ’92-’93 Jays or late ‘90s Yanks), where it’s more a point of filling a key role or two year after year. Now, that’ll change as their core gets older and starts to wear down, but they do have a pretty solid Minor League system. And that’s the difference, at least as I believe, between Boston and New York. Although from my understanding, the Yanks have made concerted and successful efforts to rebuild their farm system.

When New York had that great run in the late ‘90s, they had a solid core of guys that were there year after year. You had some small turnover, but for the most part the roster remained the same. But eventually their rotation started to fall apart, their key guys, their heroes started getting older and losing their edge, and even though they had money they also depleted their system of high level prospects in making trades to be perpetual winners. But I digress from present day…

Tampa Bay – We all know that before the Rays had their great run a few years ago, they were the perennial losers; the team in the East that everyone should beat up on. They didn’t and still don’t have a lot of money to spend. But their farm system was/is stacked. The one benefit of losing continually, you get high draft picks every year. It’s only a matter of time, it was only a matter of time, before those picks start making it to the Show and having an impact. Good luck keeping them all for a long time once they do though. That’s the other issue with smaller budgets…you can’t always afford to keep your core roster of guys once the pass their club controlled years, if you don’t sign them to extensions early. That just means that the years you have with any particular winning squad is limited even more because you just can’t spend the cash to keep ‘em.

Baltimore – I think the Orioles are just a little lost right now. There are some exciting, young pieces, but their overall picture as an organization seems directionless, for lack of a better description. Although facing different issues, they feel like the Rangers did when they would just go after big hitters and not really concentrate on pitching; they just couldn’t seem to put the whole thing together. Well, look at Texas now. They finally got it. Baltimore will, too. I’m not accusing anyone in the organization of “not getting” baseball or anything of that nature. It’s more just an overall feeling of no defined path or overarching mandate of approach on how they’re going to build their team.

Toronto – We’re in the middle. Yes we have more money to spend than Tampa or Baltimore, but nothing like New York or Boston. We still have to be careful in our signings, but we do have freedom and ability to sign home-grown guys and keep them around. Not to mention we have a kick-ass farm system again. We’re not extremely far removed from being like Baltimore – without any direction. The last couple of years before A.A. got here, it seemed like the organization was whole-heartedly committed to sticking to a style of playing and team/farm system building that never really worked and didn’t fit with the Jays. That’s not to say nothing good came of that time, but that feeling left a bad taste in the mouth of a lot of Jays fans.

As for where that leaves the Jays now, we’re in a good place. No we’re not in the playoffs again yet and we may or may not make run in the last two months-ish of the season, but we are starting to see the future of the team come together. Are line-up is coming together and so is our starting pitching. True, the backend of our relief pitching needs some more consistency, but who (other than a handful of teams) isn’t looking for their own Rivera or Bell?

A lot has happened over the course of 102 games that I witnessed, but didn’t blog about. Highlights for me:

• JoBau’s incredible season at the plate. Hitting for a higher average when being pitched around? Yup, that’s awesome enough to be known as Bautastic.
• Eric Thames has just been a delight and a treat to watch the second time ‘round.
• Travis Snider is looking like he did when he first came up, only leaps and bounds improved defensively.
• J.P. Arencibia doing a great job behind the plate in his first full season so far. To think we might finally have a true everyday catcher again…yay!

The hazy days of summer are upon us. Not long until the brisk breezes of fall and September baseball are upon us. Enjoy them baseball fans, and stay hydrated out there. It’s hot out there and not only in many of the divisional standings!
JaysGirl5

Baseball Bookshelf Recommendation #4

Of all the reccomendations I've made thus far, this one is probaly my least favourite. Well, you might ask, why are you recommending it? Because I believe a baseball outlook (or any outlook) should be well rounded.

So, Cooperstown Confidential: Heroes, Rogues, and the Inside Story of the Baseball Hall of Fame by Zev Chafets is worth the read. I will admit that at times the way Chafets presents his information is organized by the merest threads of commonality between stories/facts.

I did enjoy the blunt truth approach to what getting into the HoF can mean for a player other than just emotionally. Chafets freely admits he's not a sportswriter (outside of this book) and I think that's part of the reason I really did find his approach to baseball stories and the Hall quite refreshing. He doesn't pull any punches describing some of the not-quite-so-wholesome characters in the Hall (ex. Ty Cobb) and the very subjective Rule 5 (a.k.a. the "Character Clause") when looking at inductions. Chapter 4, "A Question of Character" was probably my favourite to read.

I will say though that the most thought inducing part of the book was the last chapter, "Mitchell and Clemens". Although I don't agree completely with Chafets view on steroids and PEDs in the game, he did make me consider the other side. Like I said, well rounded outlook = good.

An interesting read for beach or deck this summer.
Enjoy!
JaysGirl5

P.S. Not that this should be a reason for you to read this book, but I definitely got some more additions to my baseball reading list.

Baseball Bookshelf Recommendation #3

Apart from being one of the books Doc's read to become, well, Doctastic, The Mental ABC's of Pitching: A Handbook for Performance Enhancement by H.A. Dorfman is an effective breakdown of how to improve perfomance. Obviously, it's geared towards pitching and all the physical, psychological and emotional pieces that come together within that context. However, many of the lessons and recommendations are incredibly transferrable for general performance enhancement or specific goal-related enhancement.

Part of the reason I like this book so much (and plan on reading its hitting and baseball counterparts) is because it's all set in baseball terms. As a platform for information delivery, whether situational or anecdotal, baseball is easily relatable and understandable for me. I never played at a very high level, but even with my limited experience as a baseball player, the player-centric approach in the way Dorfman goes through all of the points in the book is still easily accessible. Each topic's main body explains the role it takes in the pitching process and is followed with "What the Pitcher Should Do...". Some of my favourite topics were "Confidence", "Negativism", "Poise" and "Positivism".

As a baseball book, it gives a nice behind-the-mental-scenes look at just what can be going/does go through the mind of your favourite (or not-so-favourite) pitcher when he's on the mound. There are some great stories about players Dorfman has worked with in his career that add a nice real-life connection to the information he presents to the reader.

20 days and counting 'til the Home Opener in Toronto!
Enjoy the countdown,
JaysGirl5

P.S. Along the lines of books using baseball as a delivery platform, Management by Baseball: The Official Rules for Winning Management in Any Field is another great example. Jeff Angus does a great job in that book taking the management playbook from baseball and applying it in non-sports workplaces. I had to read it for a management course I took a few years ago and really, really benefitted from it. It also expanded my understanding of baseball managers and all that the manager side entails when in the baseball world.

Baseball Bookshelf Recommendation #2

It's impossible not to be taken in by the view of baseball that former Commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatte gives in his various writings on the sport. In the small collection of his essays, A Great and Glorious Game, there are pieces he wrote before entering the Commissioner's office and after.

I really don't want to over-write about the essays in this book. I found reading them to be very personal, as there were many times where the feelings baseball evokes in me were captured in words and scenes created by Giamatti's writing; to the point that sometimes it feels as if I could have written them (if I were anywhere near as accomplished a writer and academic as Giamatti was.)

There are in total nine essays, with very helpful summaries by editor Kenneth S. Robson, that help set the timeframe and atmosphere in which Giamatti wrote each piece. David Halberstam precedes the essays with a thoughtful and sincere foreword for the book and the man behind the words. To quote Halberstam, Giamatti "...loved baseball, he loved history, he loved ideas, and he loved words" (p. IX). My kind of Commissioner.

Read this book or try and find the different essays online somewhere and read them. They are definitely worth your time. I'll list them all at the end of the post to help in your searching.

Hope you enjoyed the Jays 2011 return to TV broadcasted baseball today! Watching baseball or reading about it (or writing about it) is definitely the best way to spend a Sunday in March.
Until soon,
JaysGirl5

P.S. For another great baseball book, check out David Halberstam's The Teamates: A Portrait of Friendship. Again, you won't be sorry.

Essays by A. Bartlett Giamatti:

• "The Green Fields of the Mind", from the Yale Alumni Magazine, 1977
• "Tom Seaver's Farewell", from Harper's Magazine, 1977
• "Recall as the Series Ends, the Afternoon of the Fall", from The Hartford Courant, 1978
• "Men of Baseball, Lend an Ear", from The New York Times, 1981
• "Baseball and the American Character", presented to The Massachusetts Historical Society, 1985
• "Decision in the Appeal of Kevin Gross", presented to The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, 1987
• "To Sports Fans: Clean Up Your Act", from The Boston Globe, 1987
• "Baseball as Narrative", from Take Time for Paradise, 1989
• "Statement Released to the Press on the Pete Rose Matter", from The New York Times, 1989

Life Happens

In the months since my last post, life took some interesting turns that kept me away longer than I would have liked. The lure and love of blogging and baseball took a backseat to the everyday. But just like baseball (and Backstreet), I'm BACK!

Obviously, notable things have happened since November:

• We wished Marcum well on his way to the Brew Crew,
• Everyone's favourite Garfoose became a Ray,
• We signed Bautista for the next few years, and
• We bid fareWells to the longest tenured Jay.

I'll admit I was a little surprised with the Marcum deal, but not the saddest to see him go. I did enjoy his pitching skills and I think he was a really good testament to not having to overpower hitters, but there was always something that didn't seem to quite fit for me, something that rubbed me the wrong way about his attitude towards the atmosphere after Doc left. I don't know. But still, I wish him well and am excited to have a high ranking prospect in the Jays system who's (possibly) being groomed for 3rd and, oh yeah, is CANADIAN!

Dirk Hayhurst will always be a favourite for me. The window he offers into the world of baseball is an incredible peek for those of us on the outside. Plus, I just happen to think he's a damn good writer. If you don't already, make a point to read his blog. Good luck with the Rays Mr. Hayhurst. Hope to see you in Toronto again someday.

As for the Bautista deal, it's been oddly comical to me hearing and reading comments about how he's being overpaid. I do get the argument because it's true he's only had one massive year and that most of the totals he produced last year blow any previous combined totals out of the water. It's a gamble, but pretty much any contract offered and signed nowadays in baseball (and most professional sports) is. You're basing a contract on past performance with no guarantee for that same perfomance to occur again. Sure, you can look at the historical data, the work ethic of the player in question, service time, and whatever else you want to use to create a deal. But in the end, it's a crapshoot.

Personally, I don't have a problem with the deal. When the amounts and terms were just rumors, I was fondly reminiscing about when King Carlos signed his (then) massive contract of $68M over 4 years in 2000 and how much people thought he was being overpaid. At the time it made him the highest paid player. Wow how contracts have changed in a decade...

If feels like AA is trying to build a team where they look at the player as a whole person, not just a number. I like that. I think it's important to get players that fans can invest in and get to know, and part of that is signing guys that are more that just number producers. It's part of the reason I loved the Winter Tour 2011. Watching the video footage, it was awesome to see fans (mostly young kids) across Canada coming out and getting to interact with the players they see on TV. It makes it more personal when you watch them play in a game. It makes the Jays and baseball more personal. And baseball being more personal with the youth of Canada is awesome in my book.

The actual mechanics of the Wells deal are still...surprising to me and AA deserves another round of applause for his creative style towards trades and team building. I am sad to see VDub go. Not in the same way as Doc last year, but it is hard to fathom that in the past two off-seasons we have lost 2 of the longest tenured Blue Jays. I wish Vernon all the best, I really do. I think a lot of times fans didn't always get him or appreciate his consistency away from the plate. He made covering CF at the Dome look easy. Frighteningly easy sometimes. I've written before about how I feel about Wells. I honestly think fans won't realise the place he held in this organization until the season is underway. That's not to say the Jays won't go on without him, but he was so much more than just our CFer or cleanup guy. And for that, he will always be one of top 3 favourite people who just happen to play baseball. I'll stand and cheer (or watch and cheer) when he comes back to TO and I hope Jays fans will join me.

Pitching is an interesting area this spring so far. Lots of competition goin' on in the bullpen and a little for the back end of the starting rotation. I hope RickyRo gets the season opener start. If you haven't checked ou his Nike commercial yet, get your butt to youtube. Same goes for the segment ESPN did with Ricky during an off-season workout. The link is on Ricky's twitter (@RickyRo24) or his official Facebook page.

I hope everyone is as excited for Grapefruit League games as I am and for the regular season. I'll be posting a little more often now, and I'm still going to posting about baseball books I've been reading this off-season. Former Commissioner Giamatti's collection of essay and The Mental ABC's of Pitching will be up in the next couple of days I promise. Also going to finish working on the third (and last) installment of the Portrait of a Fan (As A Young Woman) series I started posting last year. It's taken me a while to get it right.

Stay warm in these pre-baseball season days friends.

JaysGirl5