Another One Bites THE JP Dust

Scratch Milton Bradley off the Blue Jays DH list. He has just signed with the Chicago Cubs for 3 years at 10m per… Long lines for season tickets continue at the TED

Tis The Season…

Tis the season so we thought the TSM faithful could compile a list of gift wishes for our favorite sports personalities….TSM and I will kick things off with a few of our own ideas.  Please add yours in the comments:

Howard Berger:

• A Heathcliff Huxtable sweater collection
• Subscriptions to Leafs TV and Centre Ice packages (a nice stocking stuffer)

Damian Cox:

• A better headline writer…this was at the top of his list too I think

Jim Kelly:

• A contract from WGR 550 (Buffalo radio) so that we don’t have to listen to him any longer this side of the border

Plaxico Burress:

• A gun rack and shooting lessons

Ron MacLean:

• A new panel for HNIC Hot Stove…(can’t watch Millbury & Strachan any longer)

Eklund:

• 1 accurate prediction and where he didn’t take > 4 positions

For the Jays:

• Season ticket holders
• A new General Manager

The Leafs

• A Stanley Cup….oops, that should be for the 2011 list

The Argos:

• A new coach

The Vanier Cup:

• A venue

Bob McCowen:

• Better sources

Gord Kirke:

• Recruiting gig for the Blue Jays president vacancy

Cito Gaston

• A time machine set to 2010

Chris Bosh

• Charles Oakley

Bryan Colangelo

• Honeymoon extension

Jeff Blair

• Better material to write about

Curtis Joseph

• Career win 450

Brian Burke:

• Many, many top draft picks

On behalf of TSM, we wish all of you and your families a happy and healthy holiday season and New Year.  If you are going through withdrawal, TSM will be home soon!

LT

 

Cito Gaston Following Cliff Fletcher & Ron Wilson

Well, it worked for the Maple Leafs, why not the Blue Jays? I can give you one big fat reason. MONEY and the lack of it. You see when Cliff Fletcher and Ron Wilson say the team isn’t going to be very good, Maple Leafs fans are relived that for the first time in a long time we aren’t being fed a pile of bullshit. Cliff and Ron could say it and back it up because there are no financial consequences. There has been no negative impact of essentially writing off this season as being non champion competitive. Not one less ticket will be bought, not one less advertising dollar earned. The Leafs viewership or audience on tv and radio won’t slip either.

However, when Cito Gaston comes out in December and waives the white flag on the upcoming season, it will have ripple effects through all of those areas. Maybe not immediately, but eventually. No the Jays radio deal or tv deals aren’t going to shrink this year (and a Roger’s entity owns major players in the areas anyway) but it will effect what advertisers may be wiling to spend when the manager has written off the team before Christmas.

Don’t get me wrong, I have no problem with Cito saying at best we are going to be a thorn in other teams sides, but wait till the year after. He is saying what most people feel. That my friends, will not sell season tickets, or luxury suites, or advertisements. The Jays aren’t the Leafs when it comes to business. If the Jays lost as much money as the guru’s claim they did in the past, wait till what a down economy and a written off team does to sales. The good news from that perspective is that the payroll is being cut. If the cut is as dramatic as expected, from around 100m to 80m that will help shave the losses. Who, however is going to shell out the almighty tight buck to see the wait till next season team?

Let me throw this out there for discussion. I am willing to bet that the true Jays fans would be a lot more supportive if the Jays weren’t trying to be half pregnant. I mean if they were throwing bodies overboard and getting prospects back and admitted they were going to rebuild then I would be willing to pay for tickets and go see them a few times. The Jays aren’t doing that, or at least aren’t saying that they are going to do that. They appear to be trying to be half pregnant. We aren’t going to spend money to improve, instead we are going to spend less, but we are going to do that by not resigning some players. This is just a theory of mine and I am not sure if I am right. The question is, will you support a Jays team that is asking you to just wait for next season when this season isn’t nowhere close to beginning. Or, in the alternative, would you prefer to support a team full of younger kids and prospects who were laying a foundation for something fantastic.

Saturday/Sunday Blah’s

Ahhhhh yes, the dog days of sum, I mean winter. Let’s review Brian Burke becomes GM, team goes out west, plays pretty poorly in the final 2 games, during the second of which a veteran defenceman gets benched for the entire period before going -3. The team gets back and hires a new head of hockey operations, looses a close game to the Washington Capitals, and at the same time the stud defenceman gets injured (likely for 2 weeks) and one it’s better forwards (Hagman) to injury too. I think that sums up the leafs no? The Raptors fire their coach, who only a couple of seasons ago won coach of the year honors. The new coach is a canuck(first time that has ever happened) and has gone 0 for 2 since. Collectively those two teams have had a change in their ownership structure. Over in Blue Jay land, the GM meetings are now here and the owner just died and the word is the payroll is being dramatically cut. Elsewhere in Toronto, the Buffalo Bills played my (no, I don’t own them) Miami Dolphins in the first ever regular seas game to be played in Canada or Toronto.

Elsewhere, Sundin appears to be on the verge of deciding to make a decision whether or not play this season and then maybe where too. Sean Avery has been suspended for 6 games and ordered to be assessed for the need for anger management therapy. He has apparently asked the PA not to appeal or file a grievance on his behalf (giving Glen Why Can’t I Be Maple Leaf GM ulcers). The Canes fired their coach and replaced him Paul Maurice. Tampa Bay fired it’s coach too this season and may actually be worse under Rick “The Bet” Tocchet. The economy is in the crapper (and going to get worse) and the NHL board of Governors are going to discuss that (and hopefully litany of teams who are allegedly in various stages of financial disarray. ) The Detroit Lions improved to 0-13 (improved is the right word right???) In US college football, Oklahoma and Florida finished 1-2 in the BCS and will play for the BCS national championship on Jan. 8 in Miami. In US college hoops the Michigan Wolverines stunned the Duke Blue Devils who were ranked #4 prior to that tilt…

Forgive me if I left anything out… Why the review? Well, in my usual tour of the papers, tv stations, websites today I can honestly say I didn’t find one single article worth reading or writing about. No joke. With the exception of the blurb on Simmon’s piece which I wrote mainly for Eye….and to bash Howie, again, there was nothing, zip, zero, nadda, zilch to even consider discussing. With all of the above going on, and more I am sure, I was stunned at how little was written or spoken that actually peaked my interest, had me on my blackberry to ping someone, or get my blood boiling. Did you read Larry Brooks today? Don’t bother, there was nothing there. Seriously, even his take on the Avery story was a complete bore.

So, perhaps this is a week in review, or the after effects of another phenomenal festivus last night but here is hoping that it isn’t a sign of things to come. I used to really like Sunday’s for sports media purposes…. Today I felt cheated.

Jays Layoff Employees

Layoffs are not funny. Pure and simple, layoffs suck. Quotes about layoffs?????

“A team employee familiar with the cuts said the number of jobs to be eliminated was “probably in the 30s.” The employee spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the layoffs.”

I didn’t make that up. It kind of begs the question, if “he” was not authorized to discuss the layoffs, why was he, ummmmmm, discussing the layoffs?????

In all seriousness, here is hoping that those effected are okay and able to find work soon. Curious though if they are cutting 30 sales folks, who exactly is going to sell tickets next year when the payroll is down, or is that an admission on the part of Mr. Beeston that no one is going to be coming….

here is the rest of the story

Could Manny Ramirez Be A Blue Jay?

In talking to a colleague today, I posed the question, if Ted Roger’s said, this is the year, go for it, how much do you need and what do you spend it on?

The Colleague said he needed an additional 20m, to take the payroll to 120m.. He would secure Burnett at 18m and then add the bat he needs which he figured he could get Jason Giambi for around 5 and then get a mid level starter….

Interesting banter for sure, especially (with all due respect to my colleague) my us two idiots…

What is more interesting is that the good folks at SI this evening are running a story about the Jays being in the thick of the hunt for Manny Ramirez. When I saw the headline I was stunned. Last night I had read that the Dodgers had offered almost $50m over 2 years. Remember, I am an idiot so I assume that means this was a done deal. Not so fast says SI:

“The Dodgers’ two year-offer to Manny Ramirez — believed to be for about $45 million — is very unlikely to lead to a quick deal between the sides, or perhaps any deal.”

I
D
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That’s for me….

“The sides are so far apart that the Blue Jays, Orioles and perhaps the Yankees and other teams likely have moved ahead of the Dodgers in terms of their chances to win the services of the mercurial superstar. Those outside teams aren’t eligible to make offers until Nov. 14, but the Dodgers have thus far failed to get a jump start on the others with a proposal so far below Ramirez’s asking price that Manny is likely thinking more seriously about outside options now.”

That is hard for me to believe…. But wait…there is more…

“The Blue Jays, Orioles and Yankees might be feel better about coming closer to Ramirez’s wish of a at least a five-year deal since they could eventually utilize the great right-handed hitter as a DH. Toronto badly wants to upgrade its offense, Baltimore appears serious about becoming a player for multiple free agents (they’re also looking at Mark Teixeira and A.J. Burnett) and the Yankees are expected to be the biggest free-agent force this winter.”

Done deal? Nope….but certainly something to keep an eye on right?

Just a thought. If Beeston would only take the job to help build a winner and that meant the ability to increase the payroll, curious what would happen if the Jays said to AJ, hey, sign with us for 15m, we are going to get Manny…Think that makes him change his mind????

Meanwhile, over in the Metro- Marty is talking about toys:

“But Milton Bradley is a brat with a bat, a pretty productive bat, and there’s a good chance it’ll be in the heart of the Blue Jays’ order next season.Sources tell Metro that Canada’s MLB franchise has decided to diligently pursue Bradley as a free agent.“We need offensive help,” a front-office source with the Jays confirmed, “and Bradley won’t be nearly as expensive as Manny Ramirez or Mark Texeira (other big-name batters on the free-agent market). Obviously, we know Bradley’s reputation. We know what he’s like. He plays angry, for whatever reason. But we think the pros outweigh the cons with him. Just look at his stats.” Bradley, 30, has been with five major-league teams since starting his big-league career with the Montreal Expos in 2000. He has a .280 career average and 103 home runs in 2,832 at-bats. Last year, with the Texas Rangers, he hit a career-high .327, with 22 homers.”

By the way:

don’t forget to sign the petition at http://www.firehowardberger.com
join the facebook group
follow on twitter

You can read SI here
You can read the Metro here

Marty York on Gillick and #13

Give him credit, when Marty York bangs the drum, he does it loudly and consistantly.

He has been talking about Pat Gillick returning to the Blue Jays, and now, when all other outlets are dismissing the possibility, Marty writes:

“Don’t be surprised if:

– Pat Gillick, 71, who led the Phillies to the Series championship this week as their general manager, resurfaces as a high-level consultant with the Blue Jays.”

I am not sure why he would take the same role he has with the Jays that he has with the Phillies, but,well let’s see what happens…

Marty also suggests that the former captain of the Maple Leafs who used to wear #13 shall:

“- Mats Sundin, a highly coveted NHL free agent, signs for megabucks with the Ottawa Senators before January.”

Ohh the irony if that were to happen…

By the way:

don’t forget to sign the petition at http://www.firehowardberger.com
join the facebook group
follow on twitter

You can read Marty here….

Burnett To Opt Out By Monday….

AJ’s agent told ESPN that AJ will decide whether or not to opt out of his contract with the Jays by Monday. Unless his agents are totally incompetent, his opting out is a certainty. AJ has nothing to lose by opting out and everything to gain.

Read ESPN here

Blue Jays Media Care More About Canadian Content

Every time I have written (or anyone else for that matter) about the Jays adding a Canadian body to the squad it seems that Jay Fan could care less.  In fact, I am now certain that it is Jay Media that seems to care more then that fan…. case in point:

“The reason we should care about the signing is that Adam Loewen is a Canadian and the Jays should be commended for signing him as a released free agent by the Orioles and giving him a chance to pull off his dream of a Rick Ankiel type conversion. Loewen as a teenage amateur player in B.C. was a good enough hitter to play a position and hit as a professional but his major-league future lay in his strong left arm. It won’t be easy now and the smart money is betting against him ever even reaching Triple-A as a hitter, but people doubted Ankiel, as well. Elite athletes are elite athletes. Nothing should surprise. It’s a good story for the Jays, Canadian baseball fans and young Canadian players looking for role models.”

I raise this issue because it is the rare instance where the media (Griffin, Blair and Elliott- the only three that really count) are the ones banging the drum on an issue while the fans are busy yawning…. We don’t see this very often in sports….

Griffin, as often is the case has a few gems in his blog:

”

The worst thing that can happen to Ricciardi with his major league roster is for him to believe he can compete with Joe Inglett and Marco Scutaro as everyday players and with either Travis Snider or Adam Lind as the full-time DH. Every competitive team will make changes this winter to improve.

The Jays by standing still would be taking a step backwards. Ricciardi does not have a clear vision of his 2010 team, otherwise he could pinpoint a couple of his top prospects in redundant areas and trade them for major-league help. But his biggest fear is that he makes a deal and one of his draft choices becomes a star for someone else while the guy that he gets sucks. That’s why he prefers signing released free agents, because all it costs him is money and if the guy is terrible, you just release him again.”

you can read Griffin’s last mailbag for about a month here…

Jays Looking to Florida For a Bat

MLB.com is reporting that the Blue Jays are amongst potential suitors for 1b Mike Jacobs:

“In his third full season with the Marlins, Jacobs will turn 28 on Thursday. In 2008, Jacobs belted a career-high 32 home runs, while driving in 93 runs. Eligible for salary arbitration for the first time, Jacobs projects to make roughly $3.5 million in 2009. In his 421 career games, Jacobs has 80 home runs. He has been bothered by some nagging injuries since joining the Marlins, including a sprained ankle and broken bone in his right hand. Jacobs played a career-high 141 games for Florida this past season, batting .247”

The price is apparently bullpen help by the way.

I plead guilty, I don’t know the first thing about this guy….Eye???

You can read MLB.com here