Free Agent Pitchers: Blue Jays need a new Wing

Updated: 11/19/08:
And by wing I mean arm, but you should have known.

There are several arms available, but the value is not there for most of them. Sabathia, Burnett, Sheets, Dempster, Lowe, Moyer and Johnson complete the list of reasonable choices for JP Riccardi and the Blue Jays. When you get below the surface of these men you're really looking into some skeleton-filled lockers.

Sabathia and Burnett have been marathon men over the last two seasons. In fact, they have literally thrown more innings in the past two years than any other in the MLB. "Carbs and Calories" Sabathia and his cohort "Agitated Jerk" Burnett blew past career highs in IP in pretty impressive fashion last season -- C.C. in an effort to push the Brewers to the World Series, and A.J. attempting to aid the Jays' futile playoff drive. These two are perched atop the risk:reward pyramid with abused and potentially fragile arms and due a Kings ransom. Let the Yankees have them both, as I wouldn't be shocked if either man supplies the highest bidder a full compliment of starts (in Burnetts case I'll set the prop at 22 starts +/-, 25 for CC).

Sheets and Dempster are in the second tier -- notably, the one which I think offers the most tolerable risk (on a cost basis, of course). Sheets can hurl with the elite class of SP's in the major leagues, but has stumbled with injury recently (22,17,24 starts in 05-07, with 31 last season posting a solid 13-8, 3.09 ERA, 1.15 WHIP). The only way you should price Burnett above Sheets is if you've been seduced by the formers' stuff (and almost everyone is).

Ryan Dempster is another fiery right-hander with an interesting past. He started a mere 6 games in the four seasons from '04-'07 posting staggeringly high ERA coming out of the bullpen, most often in a closing role. The case for Dempster as a Blue Jays is an interesting one, and I can't pretend to possess sufficient insight to diagnose it correctly, so lets roll play.

Dempster's Agent: Coming out of the bullpen reduced the volume of innings he's thrown over his career, his ERA is historically lower when starting, playing in his home country would provide a comfortable atmosphere and ensure performance.

JP Riccardi: There is added pressure with pitching in Canada for Canadians and given his weak performance in the clutch during the playoffs I am doubtful of your last assumption. Also, we have a stocked bullpen and thin rotation, if Dempster struggles demotion is not an option. When coupled to the anomaly that was his most recent season, why should I pull the trigger on your boy?

Dempsters Agent: Pleeeease, have you checked the ticker recently? My investments are in the shitter and I need this commission like I've got the clap and it's the cure!

JP: Fine, 25mil over three years. Team option after year one and two...

End tangent. Bottom line is that Sheets trumps Dempster in nearly every category. I expect both will pitch slightly above average as a 2nd, 3rd man in whatever rotation they end up in.

Lowe, Moyer and Johnson are the grizzled veterans lingering for another kick at the can. Granted, Lowe is only 36 and clearly a better option than the ageless lefty's listed above. Lowe -- unfortunately for the Blue Birds -- has many suitors which could elevate his price north of Sheets-Dempster, while remaining to the South of Burnetts' plunder. Having pitched in the AL East before gives Lowe a considerable advantage over those new to such a daunting task. That being said, if Moyer or Johnson are willing to come North and bring their rubber arms with them, I'd welcome a grandfather-like figure who'd be willing to take a more vocal leadership role (I'm thinking Johnson could be one of the best player-coaches in baseball history and all he'd have to do is glare at people!).

A list, to capitulate all my speculation, non-sense and postulation. If I am JP, here's where I'm at:

1. Ben Sheets (rumours around Texas and Milwakee at the moment. Incentives will be the name of the game for this guy and his hamstring-of-the-arm tear. Flaky elbows aren't in line for solid dough.)

2. Derek Lowe (Boras client is asking 5-year at 18 mil per. Not really a surprise given the market, but I'm certain that prices him out of the range Riccardi would stomach. 4 years at 15 per might be a little more reasonable, but I'd let the Braves have him at that price.)

3. Ryan Dempster (signed 4 years, $52mil with the Cubs. Good luck, I hope for everyones sake he's healthy and can reproduce his walk-year performance... About that, Cubbies fans don't like my gut.)

3. Randy Johnson (Dodgers are reportedly interested, Angels are not. Cubs are "on the short list" according to his agent who is clearly fishing for offers after the Diamonbacks shortchanged them with 25% of the $8M/year he wanted.)

4. Jamie Moyer (Looks like he'll stay kozy and re-sign in Philly. Might be asking multi-year in excess of the $7M he was awarded last year. Dude, retire on top fo the game, you'll be 46 next year! Why does no one respect the Elway-way anymore?)

5. AJ Burnett (from MLB.com "As of Wednesday morning, every American League East team except Tampa Bay, plus the Phillies and Braves, were believed to be prepared to make an offer or were considering making an offer for Burnett." This will get interesting... he might fetch 16-18 million a season. WOW, he not coming back for that price.)

6. CC Sabathia (six-year, $140mil offer from the Yankees on the table. Reckon the Angels could steal him for $130?)

AL Playoff Breakdown: Youth v. Experience, Power v. Power.

Hurray for my 1-year Anniversary as a sports blogger! My first post was a year-ago to the day and can be found here for those curious of my humble beginnings.
-----------------

The American League
There are some serious match-ups between the heavyweights in the strong AL: Can the Angels follow their 100-win season by finally defeating the Red Sox? Are the Rays going to prove themselves as one of the best young teams ever, or will the streaky-Chi Sox roll them with their veteran poise? The answers lie within...

Los Angeles Angels v. Boston Red Sox
-- For the third time since 2004 these two clubs are battling in the shortened-divisional series. This go around however the Angels feel like they're due to get the upper hand, and certainly have it when it comes to starting pitching with three excellent and reliable starters (Santana, Saunders and Lackey). The addition of Mark Teixeira and Torii Hunter (two of their top-3 bats to go alongside Vlad Guerrero) is also sure to improve the outcome for the Angels. Many are concerned with a lack of intensity from the Angels after slaughtering their abysmal division and waltzing into the playoffs, but these players know what on the line and Scioscia will have them ready to play.

The Red Sox are the defending champs and are playing like they yearn for another. There are incredibly balanced as exemplified by their regular-season numbers all atop the league: hitting (3rd in RS/G, 5th VORP), pitching (3rd VORP) and defence (7th RA/G, 5th by efficiency). They are suffering from the wear-and-tear that goes along with (being old and) making the playoffs 5-of-6 seasons with Lowell and Drew below-top health, and their Ace Josh Beckett starting game three due to physical set-backs (they say oblique, I say his arm is still bothering him).

Other Notable players: K-Rod and Pap (the closers for each team will be pivotal to holding slim leads under pressure). The Managers: two of the finest in all of baseball will joust until the bitter end.

Grading The Edge:
Starters: Angels A+ , Red Sox A
Bullpen: Angels A , Red Sox B+
Bats: Angels A, Red Sox A
Winner: Angels in 5
-- The Angels are too talented and well-managed to blow it AGAIN vs. the Sox (who aren't as strong in the rotation as previous years w/o Beckett and Shilling).
----------------------------

Tampa Bay Rays vs. Chicago White Sox
-- this is scary series to pontificate on since there are two arguments that could easily be made:
1. Despite their inexperience, the Rays are plainly too solid to lose.
2. The veteran core of the White Sox just strung together 3 victories in succession under must-win circumstances, therefore they are apt win as the underdog.

The Rays are everything you think: young, confident, loaded with potential and well-built. They win with pitching (2nd VORP with Shields, Kazmir, Garza and Sonnanstine) and defense (1st by efficiency) and don't lose at home (21-3 down the stretch at Tropicana). The Chi-Sox on the other hand win with their veteran sluggers (most homers in the MLB thanks to Quentin (out), Thome and Dye).

When young pitchers face experienced hitters the convention wisdom might favour the latter. I am confident this series will contradict that school of thought with the spry Rays' talent and efficiency trumping the gritty effectiveness of the White Sox.

Other Notable players: Gavin Floyd (a young stud SP who could steal a win in Game 3 v. Matt Garza). BJ Upton (needs to avoid the inconsistency we've seen this year).

Grading The Edge:
Starters: Rays A+, White Sox B+
Bullpen: Rays A-, White Sox A-
Bats: Rays A , White Sox A
Winner: Rays in 5
-- I think the White Sox will chase a starter once and squeeze out another, but the Rays are too strong to go down.

Lee Not A Lock for AL Cy Young

Cliff Lee is pitching his ass off.

For emphasis, I allow that statement to get the room is deserves. Any pedestrian account would certainly puts Lee and his phenomenal wire-to-wire performance above that of any pitcher in the Bigs. According to ESPN, he currently ranks:

• Ranks 1st in AL in W (21)	• Ranks 2nd in AL in IP (201.2)
• Ranks 8th in AL in SO (154)	• Ranks 1st in AL in ERA (2.28)
• Ranks 2nd in AL in WHIP (1.05)	• Ranks 1st in AL in WPct (.913)
• Ranks 2nd in AL in CG (4)

A wholly impressive body of work that will without doubt award Lee Cy Young honours, right? Lets take the time to appropriately consider Roy Halladay's parallels:

• 2nd in AL in W (18)	• 1st in AL in IP (218.0)
• 3rd in AL in SO (185)	• 2nd in AL in ERA (2.64)
• 1st in AL in WHIP (1.04)	• 10th in AL in WPct (.667)
• 1st in AL in CG (8)

In and of themselves these data doesn't fully represent how close the race is. The superficial illustration above ignores more sophisticated models of performance: sabermetics. For that, please see this brilliant data table prepared by zeppelinkm which was shared over at Batter's Box. Courtesy of their efforts (summarized in the graphic below) we know that Cliff Lee has consistently faced inferior competition -- both opposing starters and opposing hitters.

This graphic shows the startling difference in the conditions under which Halladay and Lee have pitched. Roy Halladay has consistently faced more winning clubs who hit better, get on base more often and produce more runs on average, all while watching his club battle against stronger opposing pitchers and consequently produce less runs. Every metric posted above serves in favor of Halladay for the Cy Young.

If you're still unconvinced, consider the following data provided in the comment section to the aforementioned Batters Box article.

Against .750+ OPS Teams (Top-15)
Pitcher -- Games/IP/W-L/ERA

Roy------- 23 /163.1 /13-9 /2.98
Lee--------12 / 79.1 / 9-1 / 3.06

In the face of formidable opposition Lee has been outstanding. However, he's thrown half the innings against the baseball-crushing, pitching-stat inflating clubs that have hurt Halladays' numbers. To further this comparison, Magpie from Batters Box says:

"There are only five teams in the majors on pace to win 90+ games: Boston, Tampa, the Angels, and the two Chicago teams. Halladay has made 11 of his 29 starts against those five teams, and they account for 5 of his 9 losses (he has 6 wins against them). On the other hand, while Lee has made just 5 starts against those teams, he's been absolutely brilliant against them - he's 4-0, 1.15 in those five starts."

Vs. -.750 ops teams (Bottom-15)
Pitcher -- Games/IP/W-L/ERA

Roy ------- 7 /54.2 / 5-0 /1.65
Lee------- 15 / 113.1 / 11-1 / 1.91

This is self-explanatory: They both dominate poor-hitting teams. Note the difference in IP, a ratio that nearly mirrors that above.

The debate is raging and I am happy to propagate it here with some input of my own (with the acknowledged help of the data from others). Is there any hope for Halladay in the face of Lee's shiny 21-2 record? Probably not since the voters are less likely to consider all the quantifiable variables outlined herein. Maybe, just maybe they'll see this wonderful piece and change their minds! Digg it, Bark it, Email it and Subscribe -- for Roy's sake, not mine!

Thanks for reading and come back soon. Cheers, Derek.

Update: Here is another convincing piece from BP which quantified their strength-of-opposition in the EqA fashion.

An Open Letter to MLB Video Replay: Welcome!

Dear MLB Video Replay:

Welcome to 2008. I'm sure catching up with the times was extraordinarily exhausting but you need to know how worthwhile your efforts are to baseball. You have the support of every human being having witnessed a Major League Baseball game since the Negro Leagues, in addition to anyone excluded above with the capacity to wipe their own ass.

Your presence is so valuable that we are willing to tolerate your shortcomings. You're late, but we forgave you just as soon as you showed up. You're a job-threatening robot, but your consistency and reliability are far too valuable to go without any longer.

What I like most is your drive to succeed. You persevered in the face of such strong resistance from the purists (see fans sired before World War I, pseudo-geriatrics and the Crypt Keeper). You have the heartwarming capacity to humiliate 4 -- and sometimes as many as 6 -- fat egomaniacal stooges, a consortium whom are ironically your most dubious foes.

Thank you for coming and enlightening those previously blinded. Thank you for fighting the good fight and standing up for what you believe in.

Sincerely,

Derek from Cloud9.

PS -- I told'da so, I friggin' tolda so. In October of 2007, I told the world why MLB should adpot instant replay.
PSS - Subscribe here for the win.

Sports-Celebnalism: Morphing from ESPN to TMZ.

Fans are thrilled by walk-off jacks, pick-6's in OT and end-to-end game-winning ginos. It's only understandable that they become intrigued by the people who are responsible for eliciting these powerful emotions. However, dramatic changes in our relationship with athletes has altered the way we interact, and fulfill our desire to be associated with greatness. Physical restrictions fostered through the growth of populations, personalties, and pocket-books has created unconventional demands on increasingly-brazen media outlets.

When I recently touched on athletes in new media I facetiously argued that TMZ-Style Sports Blogs are Journalism. I was inspired then -- as I am now -- by the commentary from an MSM source. Here the South Florida Sun-Sentinel's Ethan Skolnick talks with Brooks from SbB about the direction of sports journalism. When pressed for specific changes that could incite celeb-like coverage of athletes Brooks offered:

“If sports journalists at major newspapers and magazines feel compelled to change their standards, because of the proliferation of gossip and pressure from superiors, and start reporting more off-the-field gossip.”

We are clearly witnessing this already: the value in providing consumable goods for the bottom-feeding illiterates who browse celeb rags, and the success of numerous publications who frequently post 'edgier' content has been observed and noted well. The steady increase in the E!-ish coverage of athletes is an unavoidable consequence of the demand for celebrity personalities. While relatively new to some, this phenomena is many generations in the making.

The ravenous commercialism of sport has irreparably skewed a variety of guidelines. While writers and athletes respectively wrote about and enjoyed the marked divergence in their annual income, communications evolved from radio to moving pictures to 1080p with surround. Meanwhile, assorted press outlets have exploded unto multiple platforms and information vehicles to meet the demands of the growing population.

We've come a long way from the days of getting pissed and playing bridge with Babe Ruth on the now-ancient North-East commuter trains. Extinct are the days of equal privileges for athletes and the masses, a factor paramount to our shifting media ideals and creation of the profitable genre of sport-celebnalism.

The impressive sums paid to todays athletes are increasingly jeopardizing the status of the formerly ubiquitous 'humble athlete'. Wealth and entitlement has spawned a new attitude towards the media responsible for their stardom. Slowly players' behaviour has morphed from amicable to dubious -- hows that for a cause-effect relationship? Partially shunned and wholly prideful, the delectatio morosa from certain media members is a palpable by-product of the maltreatment received from players and their organizations. Bitterness and envy surely play their role alongside the boyish motivations of those fortunate enough to make a living from kids games, but the debate rages on whether this is sufficient justification to publish scandalous off-field material.

Athletes and reporters aside, what about the impact of a third party? Ultimately the consumers decide what is to be published in both the MSM and blogosphere since their patronage guides the direction of the platform. This can be described as the inmates running the asylum, but I prefer to liken the consumer-producer relationship in the media to digging up a corpse: the purpose is to uncover the truth behind the human condition, but the outcome is generally deleterious.

Every skeleton raises the expectations for the next, leaving the limits up to the imagination of those in the business of raw and controversial. This new content is packaged to sell and there is an overwhelming amount of momentum behind it, so whatever the cause we know the effect: sport-celebnalism is here for good, and has room to grow.

Thanks for stopping in. If you enjoyed the content, click here to subscribe and come back soon. Also, Check out the radio show tonight 6-9pm by clicking here. Cheers, Derek.

Ode to Roy Halladay: Best in the MLB?

I read a piece earlier today which called Roy Halladay over-rated and instantly tore through an excruciating emotional cycle.

I refuse to link to the original piece, so you'll have to take my word for it that someone actually wrote (and hence, believes) that Harry Leroy 'Roy' "Doc" Halladay is bloody over-rated. I submit to you the fragile introspections that brewed following the sight of such baseless criticism of one of baseballs' finest.

Denial: There is no way someone is dumb enough to believe that Halladay is over-rated. No sane person can ignore his career stats, the significance of his 5 All Star selections and the Cy Young Award of 2003?

Anger: How could I stand idly by while an individual grossly disrespects the only reason baseball is worth watching in Toronto?

Aggression: I'd like to meet this guy and beat some sense into him -- a solid 3:1 ratio of K's to BB's like Halladay will suffice (and by K's I mean strikes to the face, throat and sternum, BB's of the boots to the ass and kidneys variety).

Depression: Beating stats into people will never cause them to change their opinion of someone. If you're foolish enough to claim Halladay is over-rated, you probably dislike his trademark beard, rather than his ability on the mound. This hopeless neglect is deeply saddening, my waning motivations are powerless in face of such dire futility.

Bargaining: But wait, there's more -- he finishes nearly 1/6th of the games he starts, has an insanely low career WHIP of 1.21 (Top 10 Active) with opponents managing a hit against him but 1/4th of their at-bats, and has been one of the best pitchers in baseball since 2002 (3rd Active W/L- 106/45, Top 10 Active ERA+, youngest Active member of the 11SO Club, finished 1st, 3rd and 5th in Cy Young voting, and is feared and respected by his accomplished peers).

Acceptance: 50% of the population is below average intelligence, so there are bound to be idiots everywhere. It's a shame they have to write about things in which they have failed to give adequate consideration to, but their short-comings ultimately benefit crusaders of truth and accurate characterizations like myself. I win, life is great.

Thanks for stopping in, returning is made easier if you subscribe. Cheers, Derek.

Basebrawl: Arrests, Ejections, Fun.

Too lazy to read? Listen to this entry:


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The impetus to post about a minor-league baseball scrap needn't be described, it is best seen:


I mused on my love for fighting in baseball ages ago. In fact, my two favorite sports are those which allow (and backhandedly endorse) fighting: hockey and baseball. Don't get me wrong on the NFL, their inability to fight is easily overshadowed by the level of violence observed every snap.

The greatness of this brawl is highlighted by a few inexplicable mental lapses. When the fight kicks off about 24s in, you can see a black player run towards the left of the screen. This player -- a pitcher -- decided the best way to settle an argument between the two managers was to hurl a ball into the oppositions' dugout. In contrast to his transparent peace-making motivations, the pitcher misses the dugout completely, sent a fan to the hospital, and "has been charged with felonious assault." Ball players aren't known for their keen cognitive abilities, but come on...

The ensuing battle is best described as a cat-and-mouse-style conflict. What amazes and entertains me so much about basebrawls is the reluctance on the part of the players to actually fight. Watch the video: the vast majority of the players are taking evasive action, throwing punches and running; clutching and dancing in a circular pattern throwing bombs with reservation almost prematurely aware of the consequences.

Those who do legitimately square off are doing so almost exclusively in defense of one of their own. Their altruism rewards the fans with the brilliance of anarchy, and endows the athletes with the burden of reduced playing time. 15 players were ejected, but then concomitantly re-instated so the game could be finished. Ahh, the glorious flexibility and beloved subjectivity unique to umpires and NBA ref's on the take.

Thanks for stopping in. Click to subscribe and we'll be on good terms. Cheers, Derek.

AJ Burnett burns the Blue Jays; they don't mind.

AJ Burnett is going to get traded; we should get used to talking about this. If and until it happens, according to him, he's pitching the best he can for the Blue Jays. However, if a trade happens he'll welcome it with “open arms”.

So you're thinking I am going to turn this into a rip on the same jackass who tipped his hat after being a dumpster fire last week, but I'm not. I ripped him for his gesture then because he was being defiant and agitating to the people who want nothing more than to see him succeed. Thats the not the attitude fans want to see, but honest by contrast is greatly desired.

So when AJ Burnett says:

“If something were to happen and I'd have the opportunity to go to a place where baseball is breakfast, lunch and dinner, that would be awesome. Right now, my focus is with this club. But if something like that were to happen, I'd accept it with open arms. “

... I can deal with it. Not because I'm a fan, or even a supporter, but because I think he's totally in line with everyones expectations. Who doesn't respect a little honesty from an athlete these days? I welcome any comment not a clichéd sound bite the same way I would a free lapdance: the more the merrier. Burnett just broke the mold in a fashion we'd expect from the Mad Ink member.

He is a talented pitcher who has underachieved and and frustrated as a Blue Jay. His contract contains an opt out clause at seasons' end. The team is struggling, has excellent young starters and needs a bat. It all adds up to Burnett being logical trade bait – everyone knows this. His decision to address the matter in the manner he did shows his character: I welcome a trade, but I'll bust my ass while I'm here.

That's Burnett – in your face and nasty. Also, a relatively simple man as exhibited by his two-pitch arsenal. His response is what a millionaire athlete on a well-paid 3-year stop over in Toronto is probably thinking, except he's the only one with the stones to say it.

Burnetts' get-out-of-jail card in my books is the fact that effort doesn't explain his flaws. (In fact, he could use a little less at times, particularly when his control issues arise.) Because it's always been there for Allan James, we'll know when it isn't. It doesn't suit his purpose to screw the pooch and someone as shrewd as Burnett (at least in the current situational context) has recognized this. (OK, maybe his agent told him...)

Whatever the compensation outcome for Burnett and the Blue Jays both parties will be better off. Don't waste time and energy getting upset over a player that we already knew would rather be playing elsewhere. Instead, lets focus on the ROI; a youngster with a bat in the outfield might be great, but I'm sure Riccardi will manage to get much, much less. Maybe at that point we can finally get to talking about his ticket out of town...

Thanks for reading. Check out the Radio show Tomorrow (Tuesday) night and subscribe for the win. Cheers, Derek.

Is the Blue Jays potential being stiffled by their mismanagment? Um, yeah.

Whats up in the MLB? The Blue Jays are behind in the standings. Get it? ------------->

If passive managing was the fashion required to produce champions in baseball, one would rightly assume bench managers wouldn't exist. The fact that they do, in spite of Toronto Blue Jays Manager John Gibbons reluctance to assume the role, makes one question his value as he appears to be a well-paid spectator, interested merely in the full-access to the clubhouse spread. In contrast to his conduct, the finest illustration of his importance lies in the teams mediocrity under his passive reign.

Managing is about pushing the right buttons at the right time. Simple but vital are coordinating the tangible fundamentals like batting order, fielding position; technical maneuvering in the form of controlling base runners and utilizing a pinch hitter and the bullpen moves. These are things that John Gibbons has (tragically) only recently adopted and integrated into his managerial collection d'armes. Lacking however, is a consistent effort to control the intangible side of the game by nurturing his players' psyche.

On countless occasions I've espoused the montra: team identity is essential to success. It's here where Gibbys glowing mismanagement affects the Blue Jays the most. His lack of psychological influence on this squad makes them the best team in the MLB at finding a ways to lose. They've stranded more men than Mary Rose, have their right-fielder playing center (and vice-versa), and continue to flounder in the standings as a result.

Insisting that the bats will come around won't make it so; having a definitive batting order and a set role for every guy on the team will. Instead, the Gibbons pencils in his lineup card much the same way children enjoy their Lite Brite – pull a colour out of the pile and toss it in to make something special. But, unlike the spectrum of coloured pegs in the aforementioned kids game, all Gibbons has to choose from is grey – arguably by his own error.

Gibbons shuffles his players so frequently they have all melded themselves into jack-of-all-trade types, ostensibly mastering none. Indistinguishable from one another the Jays diffuse the responsibilities fulfilled by winning teams. In this, the irony of their battle with .500 during Gibbys tenure is brilliantly personified. Without a role, the player lacks a specified purpose, and the team lacks a distinct identity. On Gibbons squad, guys don't hit for power or average, they just hit. They approach every at-bat with the blind ambition of a little leaguer swinging for the fences in desperation, unlike winning clubs whose approach to the plate is calcuated and meticulous.

Granted the players have contributed their share of failures, leaving only a fool blaming John Gibbons exclusively. However, his shortcomings seem to account for a great deal of the issues with the Toronto Blue Jays and their lack of mental focus and clutch execution. Gibbons needs to stick his neck out and establish a role for every player according to a winning philosophy. Place the responsibility squarely on the shoulders of those most fit to carry the load, and ride that wave of newly-minted identity as far as the bastard will carry you.

Understanding Ozzie: Madness Meets Motivation

That another rant has gotten Oswaldo José Guillén Barrios in the Sports pages surprises no one. The shock comes with the subject matter of his rant: no, he didn't call Jay Mariotti a fag again, but he did indirectly call out just about everyone in the organization. Indeed, the principals of a more 'personal' approach that has begun to prevail in organizational circles, while Ozzie Guillen continues to demonstrate his preference for irate verbal slurs and condemnations.

Despite these and Ozzies' numerous other unorthodox moral-building techniques, the results seem to support his idiosyncrasies. The Chicago White Sox are currently riding atop the AL Central (Twins 1-game back) and have won a World Series under Ozzies' guidance (2005, the same year he was awarded Manager of the Year). Irrespective of his track record and history of odd behavior, the media continually drops the ball when opining on the man who knows no filter.

Like players, managers can be cast in a variety of molds: some are cerebral and calculated, other intuitive and spontaneous. Whatever their demeanor, it can nearly be guaranteed that their behavior and temperament are reflected in the way they communicate with the media (and I don't need to tell you the category in which Ozzie falls).

So when a guy with a history like Guillen shoots off, we shouldn't treat it the same way we would if Mike Scioscia or Joe Torre called one of their players 'a fat boy from Venezuela'. Unlike Ozzie, the latter men are methodical and calculated when using the media to manipulate the psychology of their players, if and when they deem the tactic appropriate. The result is something subtly formulated which intentionally requires translation or (media) interpretation.

Ozzie knows not the means to be so coy. Instead, he uses his crude grasp of the English language to express his oft emotional concerns. The resulting commentary rarely needs interpretation – it is what it is, to paraphrase something Ozzie himself has surely uttered. So when he calls out his boss, he does so without previously assessing the unintended consequences. He says the bullpen and hitting are weak not because he wants some hack from Yahoo or ESPN to write about his sleuthy undermining of GM Kenny Williams, but because he thinks the bullpen and hitting are weak. This is the type of analysis that has alluded much of the media commentary directed towards Ozzies' comments. Sometimes the simplest explanation is most plausible (but evidently journalists prefer complexity to correctness).

We should appreciate the candor and enthusiasm that Ozzie Guillen brings to his job: if everyone else had the stones to be so frank the office-gossip would be endlessly rich. Unfortunately, those who speak their mind do so risking subsequent unemployment, a fate that at least now, it appears Ozzie won't have to deal with.

Misc. Monday Podcast

Runs: 20mins
May contain adult language... err, most likely does.

Topics:

• Corporatization, Tires and the Olympics.

• What Facebook Chat Feature shares with the Cleveland Indians.

• Why the Toronto Blue Jays are like a peewee hockey team.

Musical guest -- Binary Star, The Cribs and The Kinks. Thanks for listening and Enjoy! - Derek.

Moneyball in the MLB: Why the Jays Won't Make the Playoffs

My open love for the Toronto Blue Jays has caused me a measurable degree of strife when conjuring a topic for my Thursday MLB piece. As the date will attest, my reluctance to speak truthfully and realistically on the fate of this years Blue Jays squad and the MLB playoffs has delayed the submission altogether. So procrastination be damned, and I'll be frank in order to hasten the onset of certain agony: the Blue Jays (sadly) will not make the playoffs this year.

In a sporting era of outstanding league-wide competitive balance, the scenario facing the Blue Jays in the AL East is similar to the polarization of talent which sports fans across North America are well acquainted with. The highly competitive AL East, the Western Conferences of the NBA and NHL, and the AFC in the NFL all proudly stand alongside one another touting the distinction of superiority. The effect remains clearly discernible for playoff hopefuls like Toronto who yearn for the luxury of competing against inferior talent; a luxury lost on the Blue Jays for over a decade caused by the prevalence of the Moneyball culture in the American League.

Unlike the other major sporting leagues whose spending is restricted by the owner-loving, player-robbing salary cap, the polarization of talent in baseball has been fostered through Moneyball. This philosophy, in contrast to Sabremetrics, is applied by teams in the affluent North East with abundant free capital used to purchase player services at rates otherwise unaffordable to smaller, less wealthy teams. What does this mean for the Blue Jays?

Interestingly, they are a combination of both philosophies, thanks largely Owner Ted Rogers for opening up his wallet, and secondarily to GM JP Ricciardi and the tutelage he received during his time with the Oakland Athletics. While his tenure as GM in Toronto has yielded a team with a poor identity and shattered expectations, the Blue Jays of 2008 have been said to change all that riding their strong pitching staff and post-surgery stars, BJ Ryan and Vernon Wells. While superficially it may appear that the Blue Jays have the tools to win 90+ games, but their fans are best suited understanding the limitations of the Black Hole in which they are entrenched, and applying the following conclusions to their expectations.

Each league awards 4 playoff spots, 3 to the winners of the respective divisions and the last (the wild card) to the outstanding team with greatest number of victories. There are two formidable opponents within the AL's NE division (arguably the toughest in baseball) in the form of the Yankees and the Red Sox. All rational delineation leads me to believe the Blue Jays cannot win the AL East, hence their goals must be fixed upon sneaking in as a wild-card. The only problem: winning the Wild Card will, in all likelihood, be more difficult than the proposed futility of challenging for their division title.

The AL Central has the Indians and the Tigers, the AL West has the Mariners and the Angles, all teams capable of winning the lions share in their respective divisions. Adding the three contenders from the well-stocked AL East (Boston , NY and Toronto) a little math dictates that the 4 non-division winners will be fighting for the lone wild card.

Considered in these terms it looks entirely bleak for the Blue Jays in a season erroneously dubbed by some to have the greatest hope and potential to-date under Ricciadri and Gibbons. The landscape of the MLB has thrown the Blue Jays a nearly un-hittable pitch set to perpetuate their lack of achievement over the course of the 15 years. Naturally their struggles can be attributed to a number of the aforementioned impedances, be it financial restrictions, personnel decisions or injuries. Nevertheless fans in Toronto should demand more for this organization, lest they get stuck with the perennially over-hyped and underachieving Toronto franchise that is sadly becoming the hallmark of the cities' sports organizations.

MLB: Why baseball is the best outdoor sport on Earth

I want to preface my first piece (of the season) on the MLB with the a plain declaration of my love for baseball. Unless you grew up playing the game you might not share my fervent passion. With Opening Day approaching, it follows that I thrilled expound on why I think baseball is the best outdoor game on Earth.

While the pace might dissuade some potential viewers, it is more likely their inability to grasp (or lack of exposure to) the finer details that make baseball such a amazing spectacle. It is a sport of calculated decisions coupled with the physical demands of other major sports, traits that can be overlooked by those who fail to learn or study -- and thus appreciate -- the intricacies of this superficially simple, yet often surprisingly dynamic sporting event.

A players ability to hit, run, catch and throw are merely the seeds of the prerequisite abilities; abilities that proliferate and branch manifesting a players role or value to an organization. Like no other sport baseball demands a unique skill-set that is predominately composed of: patience and mental focus, athleticism and intelligence; characteristics that must be delicately balanced according to ones specialty (in other words, their position). But, how are the former fundamental prerequisites influenced and determined by the latter physical attributes?

Patient hitters tangentially add potency to an offensive attack. By taking and/or fouling off pitches, these patient hitters run deep counts thereby exhausting the oppositions starting pitcher and forcing typically less-talented relief pitchers into the game to weather the storm. Driving up your opponents pitch-count grants a determinable advantage to those teams with patient bats. Look no further than the World Series Champion Boston Red Sox for an example of this. Remember this to avoid frustration when you see 6-7+ pitch at-bats and enjoy it! More often than not you are witnessing one of the finer one-on-one duals in sport (especially in clutch situations).

Mental Focus is paramount to the passage above. Without unwaivering concentration and mental focus not even Yoda could hit Johan Santanas' curve ball, yet alone intentionally foul it off in search of a more suitable pitch. Fielders also require intense focus in a game where every ground ball or pop-fly comes in differently. Subtle variations between ball parks, playing surfaces, and weather conditions all play tricks on the spin and trajectory of the leather-covered rubber & cork sphere. If that isn't enough to rattle your cage, the nature of scoring baseball subjects the players to the greatest level of individual scrutiny.

Athleticism is one of the most obvious and anticipated traits of pro athletes, albeit not mutually exclusive with ball players. Indeed, some players – due to their position (pitchers and DH's come to mind) -- can get away with unflattering physiques because their skills are so specialized. Oddly enough, some would argue fatter pitchers are more durable and bigger hitters generate more power effectively supporting certain players paradoxical conditioning. Aside from these quirks, reaction time, agility and kinesthetic intelligence are enormously vital to all ball players.

Intelligence is the tie that binds the above characteristics. Intelligence – as it pertains strictly to the game itself – is a trait nearly all major leagues possess. The mental dual that is every at-bat can be drawn upon as an example. Hitters who study a pitchers tendencies (and vice versa) invariably perform better over the long haul – and when you play 162-game seasons, proper scouting reports and quick analysis become a necessity. Every time you hear a broadcaster drop the phrase '(the batter) was waiting on that pitch', following a jack over the wall in left-center, think of how critical it was for that individual to anticipate and identify the pitch.

The importance of the physical attributes and cognitive characteristics documented above could be expanded upon in great length, something I'll forgo in the sake of brevity. I have also focused primarily on hitting and fielding, leaving pitching for another piece altogether. Please consider the minutia the next time your watching a ball game and I ensure you'll gleam added entertainment from always slow, but never boring sports that is the best the outdoors has to offer.

Thanks for stopping in, I hope you enjoyed the read. Cloud9 produces great content daily, so please click here to subscribe. Cheers, Derek.

MLB: Pettitte Buries Clemens with the Truth

Here we go again with the damn congressional hearings? Aside from the fact that the media is dragging this issue out to nauseating extremes, shouldn't we question the congressional involvement?

The misconduct of the congressional committee is layered beyond what one might assume. Beneath the surface of this wasteful and unnecessary hearing is their childish and unprofessional conduct in the week leading up to todays proceedings. While anticipating questions from members of the 40-person committee, Clemens and his lawyers solicited the aforementioned cohort in their offices and willingly provided autographs and shared friendly banter. Shouldn't this be a purely ethical pursuit for justice and honest conclusions rather than a few old timers glad-handing a legend?

More importantly, does anyone actually need the findings of this hearing to draw their conclusions on Roger Clemens guilt? As I write (at 10:11am) I remain highly skeptical that anything said in front of congress this morning will exonerate Clemens in light of the overwhelming evidence supporting the contrary. In fact, I am glued to the TV solely in anticipation of Rogers' admission of guilt (or enraged physical assualt on McNamee, whichever you feel more likely).

Growth hormone (or human growth hormone, HGH) has been likened to the fountain of youth by medical and academic professionals. It promotes muscle building and decreases body fat while facilitating increased recovery and improving energy metabolism. Do these sound like characteristics that might be associated with a sudden and pronounced resurgence in an aging athletes' career? HGH helps fuel your muscles by increasing glucose uptake, has an anabolic effect in trained athletes, and works particularly effectively when coupled with anabolic steroids like the deca-durabolin and winstrol Clemens allegedly received via injection from Brian McNamee.

Irrespective of these damning congruencies above lies the testimony of close friend and former teammate, Andy Pettitte. Exposing the cards previously tucked tightly to his pinstripes Pettittes' honest and forthcoming deposition ultimately crushed Clemens claims of innocence. The affidavit courtesy of Pettitte not only corroborated the claims of Brian McNamee directly, but also enhanced the detail in which congress and the public can use to come to judgment with numerous statement implicating Clemens and performance enhancing drugs.

To watch Roger refute these facts in front of congress with babbling and manufactured words is laughable. His guilt is worn on his face, documented in the Mitchell Report and now in a nationally televised congressional hearing. Roger Clemens now officially joins Pete Rose among baseball superstars with an eternally tainted legacy proving that the one thing fans hate more than a cheater, is a liar.