30 Teams In 30 Days

Toronto Blue Jays: Too Bad They're In The A.L. East

(Over the next 30 days, BERNing on Sports will be previewing every team in the Majors, yes, even the Royals. Only one a day, every day, so try not to get too hooked.)

Fourth Place Again?

Before the Rays got good, the Blue Jays were that team you could usually slide into 3rd place behind the Yankees and Red Sox every year for the division race. The Jays have had their moments where they've played not only competitively, but well. Over the last three years, they've won 87, 83, and 86 games respectively from 2006 through 2008. The problem is, a win total in the mid-eighties is not going to win in the AL East. Three years ago, they followed the lead of their divisional cohorts by breaking the bank for a free agent. They spent a boat load on B.J. Ryan from Baltimore for 5-years at $47 million. The deal hasn't totally worked out, because while Ryan has been good when healthy, he missed almost all of 2007 with an injury. Last year they broke the bank again, when they inked Vernon Wells to a monster 7-year contract worth $126 million. Problem is, while he's a nice player, who hit .300 last year, he's not the guy they thought they were getting, the guy who hit .303 with 32 homers and 106 RBI in 2006. Then again, Wells and Ryan are players emblematic of what Toronto truly is: a nice team that has its moments but just isn't good enough to truly compete for anything.

Moneyball or Goofball?

When the Blue Jays hired General Manager J.P. Ricciardi, they thought they were getting a "moneyball" guy who was going to revamp the minor league system and bring in a bunch of guys that walk and get on base. That hasn't really happened, though, as the Blue Jays last year ranked 17th in baseball in on base percentage and 10th in the American League (.331). Not to mention he's publicly ripped other teams players who do get on base, like Adam Dunn, and he dumped a perennial on base machine in Frank Thomas. If J.P. thought that acquiring a lot of light hitting guys was the answer, then he has certainly accomplished that. While Lyle Overbay is a solid major league hitter, he's one of the least productive players at a power position, first place. Scott Rolen is still a great defensive player, but he's a shell of the hitter he used to be at third. Alex Rios is a very versatile player who puts up good numbers, but isn't a world beater by any stretch. And the minor league system isn't likely to produce much thump in the near future. Trust me. I worked in the team's minor league system last year. Rookie Travis Snider looks like he'll hit 20-30 homers a year at some point, but probably not this year. And the rest of the system doesn't look like it'll produce much power. If anyone does from the current crop, it could be power hitting AA catcher J.P. Arencibia, but then again he's probably not reaching the show this season. Other than him? There isn't a ton of blue-chip talent to on the farm, except maybe for last year's first round pick David Cooper, who's likely to start the year in Dunedin at advanced A.

Roy Halladay Is Nasty...

And because of this fact, the Blue Jays will hang around for awhile if he continues to put up the numbers he typically puts up year after year. Last year he had a fantastic year, with 20 wins and a stingy 2.78 ERA, not to mention his 206 strikeouts and just 39 walks. He is great year after year but somehow seems to go relatively unnoticed and under appreciated. This guy is among the best pitchers in baseball, and can anchor a pitching staff as well as anyone. The question is whether these young guys around him can hold up their end of teh bargain. With A.J. Burnett moved on to the Yankees, guys like Jesse Litsch, who quietly had a good year last year, Shaun Marcum and David Purcey will finally have to put together years on the major league level that the organization expects. That's a tall order considering the pitching that's already in this division, but it's the only way the Jays can compete.

Look Out for The Terp...

Former Maryland lefty ace Brett Cecil has vaulted up the Blue Jays minor league system quickly, moving from low A Auburn in 2007, where he lead the Doubledays to a New York Penn League Championship, to AAA Syracuse in just two years. This guy is the crown jewel of the minor league system amongst pitchers, and don't be surprised if he's calling Toronto home at some point during the season. If his minor league success is any indication, Cecil promises to be a very good major league arm and could be the the guy the Blue Jays need if they're contending in August. He may not be David Price, but he could have a similar effect if the Jays need to add a pitcher late in 2009.

Bold Prediction

Adam Lind will hit for a higher average than both of his outfield mates, Vernon Wells and Alex Rios. He is coming along nicely and the 3rd round pick in 2004 may be primed for a very nice year for Toronto this year.

Up Next...Tuesday, (Devil) Rays

Hump Day Headlines: Afternoon Edition

In this week's Hump Day Headlines, we discuss good sportsmanship, A-Rod's new memories, Tiger's impending return, and an NBA trade deadline update:

• Amidst all that is wrong with sports right now, kudos to the Dekalb, Illinois High School Boys Basketball team. In February 8th's contest against Milwaukee Madison, WI High School senior Johntell Franklin of MM decided that despite the passing of his mother the night before, he wanted to play in the game. Franklin's coach, Aaron Womack Jr., didn't list Frankin as an eligible player, anticipating Franklin wouldn't play. If Franklin did enter the game, a technical foul would automatically be called against Milwaukee Madison. Dekalb coach Dave Rohlman got word of this, and instructed his team that whoever would shoot the technical free throws would miss on purpose in tribute to Franklin. He didn't want his team to benefit from the opportunity at two points that he felt wouldn't be right. Franklin did enter the game. Madison's Darius McNeal rolled both free throws toward the basket. After this act, the entire crowd stood and clapped for McNeal's gesture towards Franklin. Finally, something in sports to be proud of, and a reminder of one of the biggest reasons we love sports. (Click here for a discussion on this from ESPN's Mike and Mike in the Morning.
  
• While I was visiting Fenway Park, I know many of you and Scott watched closely as A-Rod re-explained his admission to using performance enhancing drugs. Still, he didn't seem completely contrite and once again there were inconsistencies in his commentary. Convenient to bring in his "cousin" to take some of the fall. All of a sudden, he knew what drugs he was taking. Even though he didn't think he was doing anything wrong, he didn't tell anyone. Yeah. Sure. Today it was a circus at Yankees spring training. ESPN's Hannah Storm said the clubhouse was so full of media that "it felt like a playoff game". We knew with their plethora of big off-season free agent acquisitions, they'd have a lot of attention coming to them this spring as it is. But now guys like C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, and Mark Teixeira will have to learn quickly what it's like to be a Yankee. They can all thank A-Rod for this mess. So with all the alleged support the Yankees are reportedly providing to A-Rod, if I were his teammate I'd be very frustrated.
• Tiger Woods is apparently on his way back, and soon. So here's what I say to you, PGA Tour pros: start getting used to the fact that your year-long reprieve is over. Now that Tiger is "95% of the way there" according to Steve Williams, his caddy, things have suddenly become terribly difficult again for the field. Williams says his swing has been retooled a bit, an he is still having a little trouble walking. But we all know this about Tiger Woods: if he's coming back, he thinks he can win. And that alone is scary for any golfer in the field. Now that Tiger is the father of two, he can get back to work. He reportedly plans to play in a couple of tournaments as a tune-up for the Masters at Augusta National come April.
• As the NBA trade deadline looms in the next day, some teams are already busy. The Thunder has acquired Tyson Chandler from New Orleans. Chris Wilcox and Joe Smith will be heading to the Hornets. In the newest move, Chris Sheridan of ESPN.com reports the Bulls have acquired Brad Miller and John Salmons from the Kings in exchange for Drew Gooden, Andres Nocioni and Cedric Simmons. Both moves were reportedly fueled by opening cap space for the famous 2010 free agent class. BERNing on Sports will have complete coverage of the NBA trade deadline as it approaches and passes.

Hump Day Headlines

On today's Hump Day Headlines we discuss winning streaks, big dollars, Plaxico's guns and a match up for the ages...

• The Celtics won their nineteenth straight game last night, walloping the 76ers 110-91.  The win gives Boston, the winningest basketball franchise in history, a new club record with the streak.  The last Celts loss came back on November 14th in a 94-85 loss to Denver at home, and ironically the Nuggets went without Allen Iverson in the lineup.  Thirty-nine days later, Boston heads into a Christmas Day match up with the Lakers still without another loss.   And since you're probably wondering, Boston is now ahead of the pace of the 95-96 Bulls team that went 72-10.  That Chicago club, led by Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, was 26-3 through its first twenty-nine games.  Boston is 27-2.  We might be watching the greatest team ever this season.  Also, check out my previous post that explores this topic here.  
• Four-hundred thirty-one million dollars.  That number is the amount of cash the Yankees have doled out to four players over the last couple of weeks to overtake the Red Sox and Rays next year in the AL East.  With the acquisitions of C.C. Sabathia ($161 million) and  A.J. Burnett ($85 million), avoiding arbitration with Chien-Ming Wang ($5 million), and inking Mark Teixiera today for $180 million over eight years, the rich are certainly getting richer.  I guess we can throw that whole recession crap out the window, and the notion that the Yankees would try to cut payroll after dumping nearly $80 million off the books this off-season prior to these moves.   What will the Yankees do next year if they don't win it all?  Probably blame A-Rod.  (For more on this, check out Scott's earlier post here.)
• Two guns were found in Plaxico Burress's house yesterday.  Whoops.  I guess whatever story Plax tries to tell to get himself out of this mess is moot at this point.  Then again, he is a professional athlete, so constitutional law only partially applies to him.  And, he'll have a big money lawyer likely representing him in court March 31st.  But while he did bail himself out of jail on $100,000 bond, that money may only buy him three months of freedom...just enough to watch the Giants playoff run while he sits on the non-football injury list.
• Speaking of New York football, what a sweet match up we'll be treated to on Sunday when Miami visits Giants Stadium to take on the Jets.  Yes, it is a match up that will help decide who wins the AFC East.  But what makes this far more intriguing is that former Jet QB Chad Pennington will get to face off with the man that replaced him, in Brett Favre.  Imagine, for the already snake-bit Jets fans, to have to watch ol' Chadwick come back to knock them out of the playoffs on their home turf with a team that was 1-15 a year ago! And consider this, the Jets were 8-3 just five weeks ago, coming off victories over New England and Tennessee on the road.  Now, 1-3 over the last month, New York will need some help to get into the playoffs.  Guess Broadway Brett wasn't the savior after all.

Yankee Shopping Spree Continues: Burnett to Ink 5 Year Deal with Bombers

You'd think, or at least, you'd hope, that a team with so much history, so much supposed savvy, and clearly so much money, would learn their lesson.

Carl Pavano.  Jaret Wright.  Kevin Brown.

To name a few, these are just some of the gentleman acquired by the New York Yankees in seasons past.  All of these pitchers shared common story lines.  Each was coming off one of (if not the) best year of their careers.  Each received contracts they didn't deserve at that point in their careers.  And, most importantly, each succeeded wonderfully in proving how truly unworthy they were of the millions thrown at their feet.

The next hero in the stunning line of injured, overhyped, overpriced pitchers?  A.J. Burnett.  The former 8th round pick of the New York Mets comes home, in a matter of speaking.  Though the oft-injured right hander actually is from Arkansas, he should feel right at home playing for the Yankees, where potential and past production are valued far higher than they should be and normal indicators (such as general surliness or prior injury history) are thrown to the wind.

For all of the concern over the money being given to Burnett, let's make it clear here on BERNing that money isn't even close to the issue.  First of all, who honestly cares?  It's not your money, unless you're a Steinbrenner.  Then, unfortunately, it is your money, and you're a moron.  However, outside of Hal and Hank, money isn't the issue, especially considering you just got the best pitcher available for 160 million.  And Burnett, at half that price, certainly isn't half the pitcher, so if you look at it through those Elton John-styled rose color glasses, it ain't a bad deal.

Yet, the real contention point here is that, for all of his supposed successes, Burnett isn't that good.  Does he possess wicked stuff?  A fastball clocked in the mid- to high-90's?  A filthy deucer, and some knee-buckling off-speed junk?  Sure, but, raise your hand if you've heard the refrain before of the pitcher with crazy stuff.

Unfortunately, as a guy like Juan Cruz (and the hairs pulled out of Chicagoans hairs as a result of his existence) can attest to, having great stuff doesn't do it alone.  Burnett, a pitcher that's logged over 166 innings only twice in the past six years, has a career record of only 12 games over .500.  Last year, even with that great finish in the second half that saw his post-All Star game ERA at 2.86, his final earned run average was a just-better-than pedestrian 4.07.  

Don't get me wrong, Burnett's a good pitcher.  He makes the Bombers a better team, providing he can stay on the mound.  The money isn't a concern, not only because it's the Yankees (though, being billionaires in a recession has to feel great, no?) but also because the Yanks have lost about 90 mil in salary from this past season.  So, they've got money to spend.  And, with that in mind, why not follow the archetype that's gotten them to where they so desperately desire to get back to--the playoffs, and then out and done in one round.

One thing though, that Burnett has?  A career record of 5-0 against the Red Sox, with a sub-3 ERA.  Maybe it wasn't the worst signing in the world after all...

For more information regarding A.J. Burnett, and the rest of the Yankee spending spree, make sure to check out the first edition of BERNing's weekly podcast.