Batter's Box Interactive Magazine Batter's Box Interactive Magazine Batter's Box Interactive Magazine
About a lucky man who made the grade
And though the news was rather sad
Well I just had to laugh and
I saw the photograph

Welcome to the Red Eye edition of Jays Roundup.

  1. In "High-tech video gives Jays edge" Spencer Fordin looks at how improvements in video technology have changed the way the team prepares for a game.

  2. Tonight's game should be a great pitcher's duel. Of course, whenever I say that, the score ends up being in the neighbourhood of 12-10. The 8:05pm EST start in Texas features the 8-5 Roy Halladay for the Jays against the 12-3 Kenny Rogers for the Rangers. The always reliable Spencer Fordin has the game preview for this one. Any predictions on the score?

  3. It's not often that two former Jays are involved in the same transaction. But it happened yesterday as "Olerud, Borders cut by Mariners".

  4. Headlines which should go in the "Well, of course" bucket: "Injured players worry Tosca". I like the Second-half Blue Jay storylines on the bottom of Mr. Blair's article. What are some others?

  5. In "Left-hand hitters a strength for Canada" Larry Millson discusses the roster for the Canadian Olympic Baseball Team. The Toronto Star has three more articles on the Canadian team: "Bases are loaded with pride" and "Club counting on Greek security" by Doug Smith and "Golden hope for Canadian diamonds" by Richard Griffin.

  6. In what should be an ongoing story for the next month at least, Mark Zwolinski discusses the possibility of a deal for the Jays first baseman in "Jays inch closer to setting up a deal for Delgado".


Now, if you'll excuse me for a few minutes, I'd like to get on the soapbox.

Why Rumourmongering Hurts the Batter's Box



by Mike Moffatt

Rumourmongering has reared it's head a few times on the Batter's Box, and it's been causing us problems. Posting such as this fictional one have caused a great deal of discussion on the Box:

    AvalancheFan33:

    I just got off the phone with a high-ranking Jays official. It turns out they're going to trade Player X to the Orioles for Player Y. It probably won't be finalized for a couple of days, but it will happen.


Of course, we have no idea who "AvalancheFan33" is or why we should believe him. The marginal cost of making such a posting is almost zero, so we should expect to see a pretty heavy supply of such posts. But that's not entirely why it is a problem.

Problems Caused by Rumourmongering

In short, it gives us a lot more work to do. I've noticed that whenever a rumour is posted I get quite a few e-mails saying things like:
    "What have you heard about this Player X for Player Y trade. Is it true?"

    "I can't believe you guys said Player X is going to be traded to Baltimore. What a load of garbage."

    "Where can I find the press release for the X for Y trade?"


It just makes a lot of unnecessary work for the Batter's Box, as we always try to answer as many e-mails as we can. I shudder to think of all the mail a truly high profile BBox staffer like Coach gets.

It also causes the course of any discussion on the Box to change to why people are spreading rumours and what their credentials are. We'd rather focus on discussing baseball.

There's also different breeds of problems, depending on if the rumour is true or false.

The Problem If You're Wrong

It makes us look like idiots, particularly since many people will fail to distinguish between things Batter's Box staff posts and stuff readers post. We don't want to lose visitors because people feel we're unreliable.
    "Batter's Box? Aren't they the guys who said that Player X was going to get traded to Baltimore? Wow, weren't they way off!"

Anyone can start a website and publish whatever they feel like, which is great for free speech, but it also gives us a lot less credibility than other forms of media. We've worked hard on the Batter's Box to establish a reputation for giving reliable and credible information, and it'd be a shame to lose that. We don't have a wealthy corporate backer, and none of us are making money by doing this. In fact this is costing some of us a fair bit of cash. Reputation is about all we have, so it's naturally quite precious to us.

The rumourmonger, on the other hand, generally doesn't have to worry about his reputation. He almost always posts under an assumed name, and has invested very little. If the rumourmonger ends up being wrong, he can simply come back the next day and post under a new handle such as "NascarGary" or "Lefty McLefthander".

The Problems if You're Right

Somewhat counterintuitively, a rumour that ends up being correct can cause us a lot more problems than something someone just made up. Imagine the following scenario. Again, our rumourmonger posts the following:

    AvalancheFan33:

    I just got off the phone with a high-ranking Jays official. It turns out they're going to trade Player X to the Orioles for Player Y. It probably won't be finalized for a couple of days, but it will happen.


That's all well and good, but the Jays haven't told Player X yet. Unfortunately, one of Player X's friends reads the site, and calls Player X to ask if it's true. Player X says it's not, just to get a call a couple hours later from the Jays to find out that he should pack his bags to Baltimore.

This leads to all sorts of animosity. Player X is naturally outraged at the Jays as he learned about being traded from "some website". The Jays are naturally mad at us for making them look bad. The other members of the media are mad at us for leaking something they probably all knew about, but held off on reporting, out of respect to the organization. There's also the possibility that one of the BBox staffers knew about the deal, but promised not to tell.

We don't want to make enemies with the players, some of whom we've interviewed in the past, and others we'd like to interview in the future. We certainly don't want to make enemies with the front office. J.P. has been particularly good to us, even showing up at a Batter's Box sanctioned event last weekend. Lastly, we don't want to make enemies with the media. Mike Wilner has been great to us, so we don't want to step on his toes. I love reading guys like Fordin and Rutsey, so I certainly don't want make enemies out of them. Other Batter's Box writers are friends with various people covering the Jays, even ones I've been known to poke fun at, and I wouldn't want to put their friendships at risk. It's just not worth it to us, even if it means we're not the first ones with a story.

In Conclusion

We value our readers and our posters, and we want you to stick around. I'm not even suggesting that if you know something, that you shouldn't post it. All I ask is that you don't post in the form of a rumour. So instead of posting:

    AvalancheFan33:

    I just got off the phone with a high-ranking Jays official. It turns out they're going to trade Player X to the Orioles for Player Y. It probably won't be finalized for a couple of days, but it will happen.


could you please change it to something in the form of an opinion, such as:

    AvalancheFan33:

    A Player X for Player Y trade makes a lot of sense for both clubs. I wouldn't be surprised if it happened in the near future.


The latter statement is a lot less controversial and causes us a lot less problems. If AvalancheFan33 ends up being right, he'll still garner all sorts of credibility, and we'll all listen a bit more careful when he has something to say in the future.

I'll get off the soapbox now. I just wanted everyone to see where I'm coming from. The thoughts in the above editorial do not necessarily reflect the views of other BBox staffers. Thank you.
Jays Roundup - I Read The News Today, Oh Boy | 89 comments | Create New Account
The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.
_mathesond - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 06:10 AM EDT (#51517) #
http://www.mathesond.mindsay.com
Just another Day in the Life of a Jays fan.
_IainS - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 07:14 AM EDT (#51518) #
mathesond seems to have a beatle infestation
_Mick - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 07:42 AM EDT (#51519) #
I would've won the contest today, but I just woke up, fell out of bed, pulled a comb across my head, found my way downstairs and drank a cup, and looking up I noticed I was late.

So that is my excuse.
_Jeff Geauvreau - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 07:49 AM EDT (#51520) #
My wife has passed away
by: Landens Yank Killers (torontonorth47) Jul 16 4:38am
My wife has passes away and I need someone to take over my ESPN Team for a month or so.

When and if I able , I will take over the Team again to keep my mind occupied.

I am sitting here at 6.34 am central time and wondering what I am going to tell my 4 yr old son Landen and my 7 yr old daughter Hannah.

They are at neighbors and no nothing yet.

Guys,Enjoy and treasure your wives and kids.

Yvonne 1966-2004

She would have been 38 next month.

Jeff Geauvreau jeff@jam21.net
_Andrew S - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 08:35 AM EDT (#51521) #
But I do have 100% reliable sources the Blue Jays are trading player X to Baltimore for player Y. It'll happen in the next few days.
_Paul D - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 08:42 AM EDT (#51522) #
I don't know where this was, but I saw a quote from JP this morning where he said that Texas is better this year because they traded AROD. Basically that trade gave them more flexibility. (This is in regards to Delgado).

Anyways, is that really true? Seems to me that Texas is better because their infielders are fantastic and they've gotten some lucky pitching.
_Christopher - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 08:43 AM EDT (#51523) #
But I do have 100% reliable sources the Blue Jays are trading player X to Baltimore for player Y

Bah!
Player Y is old and has no upside. I don't like that deal.
_Mick - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 09:13 AM EDT (#51524) #
Isn't saying "their infielders are better" a direct reflection on the fact that A-Rod was traded?

Soriano came in the deal FOR A-Rod; Young is at short because A-Rod is gone; Blalock is The Man on the team because A-Rod is gone. Teixeira, well, he's not Palmeiro yet with the bat -- oh wait, he's better with the bat and the glove.

As for "lucky pitching," well, if A-Rod is on the team, there's no money to sign Kenny Rogers, who is the ace until John Hudgins or one of the other guys is ready. And if anything, the Rangers pitching has been unlucky -- Colby Lewis, slated to be the #3 starter, out for the year after three appearances; Jeff Nelson (signed with more of that A-Rod money), slated to set up Coco Cordero, out for the year; Jeff Zimmerman, a former All-Star expected back to full health has not appeared; R.A. Dickey, who was terrific early on has imploded; Jay Powell, who was bad last year and good-not-great this year, has struggled with injury; then there's Chan Ho ...

I am a Yankee fan. I am pleased that Alex Rodriguez is in the Bronx. But as a denizen of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, I am almost as pleased that the Rangers are winning, and if they win the division (I can't believe I'm saying this), John Hart should get some votes for executive of the year precisely for getting Fonz for A-Rod instead of settling for an overpaid outfielder in Manny Ramirez; as good as he is, he would've kept Laynce Nix in Oklahoma City, and that would've been ... bad.
_Paul D - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 09:21 AM EDT (#51525) #
Interesting thougths Mick. But..

Isn't saying "their infielders are better" a direct reflection on the fact that A-Rod was traded?

I don't think so. My thoughts were that Blalock, Teixeria and Young would have all been on the team this year, with or without ARod. And ARod is better than Soriano, so their infield would be even better if he was still there.

I was including RA Dickey as part of the lucky pitching. He was pitching way over his head. Kenny Rogers has been an important addition though.
_Jacko - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 09:34 AM EDT (#51526) #

I am a Yankee fan. I am pleased that Alex Rodriguez is in the Bronx. But as a denizen of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, I am almost as pleased that the Rangers are winning, and if they win the division (I can't believe I'm saying this), John Hart should get some votes for executive of the year precisely for getting Fonz for A-Rod instead of settling for an overpaid outfielder in Manny Ramirez; as good as he is, he would've kept Laynce Nix in Oklahoma City, and that would've been ... bad.

What's really funny about this deal is that the Rangers are paying almost 10 million/year of ARod's contract. Soriano is making 5.4 MM this year, and is sure to increase that dramatically in his next few years of arbitration. If he signs a long term deal, I would expect it to be worth around 10 MM per season.

On average, the cost savings will be less than 10 MM season. Arod is probably not worth 10MM more than Soriano, but it's close.

The only tangible benefit I can see for the Rangers is the salary cap space they freed up.
_alsiem - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 09:44 AM EDT (#51527) #
We've been talking about a Delgado trade for awhile now. Personally, I don't think it will happen. However, I'm surprised both the Globe and Star quote J.P. as saying he'll ask Delgado to waive his no-trade clause. Anyone else surprised that the Jays are moving so aggressively to trade Delgado? I hope that this doesn't devolve into stories of Delgado blocking trades. He has a no trade clause and is entirely in his rights to remain a Jay until free agency in the summer.
Joe - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 09:47 AM EDT (#51528) #
http://me.woot.net
Jeff, I'm so sorry. My prayers are with you and your children.
_Jim - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 09:53 AM EDT (#51529) #
From the USA Today – 7/15/2004

There is a chance that a good amount of the Abalone sold by fish retailers is actually Cuttlefish.
_Christopher - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 09:56 AM EDT (#51530) #
Anyone else surprised that the Jays are moving so aggressively to trade Delgado?

I'm not surprised that J.P. is going to touch base with Delgado and see what his feelings are in regards to waiving his no-trade clause, but I am surprised that it's this much in the open. I thought that this might be a behind-closed-doors type of thing.

alsiem - I sent that song list to your hotmail account.
_Four Seamer - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 10:03 AM EDT (#51531) #
I didn't get the sense from the articles I read today that JP is aggressively shopping Delgado. Rather, it sounded more like they're going to do the prudent thing of seeing where his head is at, collect information, and proceed accordingly.

As for the surprise that it's being conducted out in the open, JP is a pretty straight shooter. Ask him an honest question, and you're probably going to get an honest answer. It's no secret that the Jays face a tough decision on what to do about Delgado, and JP merely pointed out the obvious - that nothing can be done until they talk to Carlos.
_Four Seamer - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 10:07 AM EDT (#51532) #
I meant to add my sentiments, along with Joe's, to Jeff and his children. Your wife sounds deeply loved. Take care of your kids, and yourself.
_BguyRed - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 10:09 AM EDT (#51533) #
I keep hearing that the Jays should keep Delgado around and try to sign him. I have a question about this, if they keep him don't they have to sign him to a certain percentage of his old contract? 80% of his salary or something like that? That would still make him overpaid, where as if they trade him they my have a better chance of resigning him. Sort of like Mike Bordick from Baltimore to the Mets a couple of years ago.
Gerry - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 10:23 AM EDT (#51534) #
Jeff, my sympathies to you and your family. I hope baseball and Batters Box provide you with some diversion during this very painful time.
_Smack - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 10:29 AM EDT (#51535) #
Who is this player X and what is his adjusted OPS?

And concerning Delgado, they will not offer him arbitration, because if they did, as you said the lowest they could offer him would be 80% of his current salary. Either way, if we trade him or keep him, he will be a Free Agent, and the Jays and all other teams have a chance to get him. I doubt he will get an extension by any team this year, and will want to test the FA market.
_Chuck Van Den C - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 10:30 AM EDT (#51536) #
On average, the cost savings will be less than 10 MM season. Arod is probably not worth 10MM more than Soriano, but it's close.

Jack, I believe the Yankees are only paying $16M a year for ARod, with Texas picking up the balance (or numbers close to that). Soriano's next raise will take a big bite out of the $8-9M savings the Rangers are "enjoying" for no longer employing Rodriguez.

So, the question becomes: is ARod worth $5M more than (the now two years older than previously thought) Soriano, who is failing to post an 800 OPS in a tremendous hitter's park?

We've been talking about a Delgado trade for awhile now.

Someone please let me know if this is wrong: if Delgado is not offered arbitration (and he won't, since that would demand at most a 20% cut from his current salary), are the Jays eligible to discuss a FA contract with him right away, or must they wait until May 1?

Would trading Delgado mid-season open the door to let the Jays pursue him as a FA immediately after the season ends (placing the arbitration onus on his new employer)? Could this be one of the upsides of trading him mid-season?

Chuck
Mike Green - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 10:30 AM EDT (#51537) #
Jeff, I am sorry to hear of your loss. I wish you strength.
Mike Green - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 10:33 AM EDT (#51538) #
The Toronto Star print edition contained some good news. Carlos Tosca is quoted as saying that Vernon Wells is making very good progress in his recovery and may be taken off the DL today.
_Ryan01 - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 10:35 AM EDT (#51539) #
Jeff, you have my deepest sympathies and prayers, I wish you the strength to get yourself and your kids through this. Your friends here will always welcome you back whenever you are ready.
_Jacko - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 10:38 AM EDT (#51540) #

Someone please let me know if this is wrong: if Delgado is not offered arbitration (and he won't, since that would demand at most a 20% cut from his current salary), are the Jays eligible to discuss a FA contract with him right away, or must they wait until May 1?

Teams have from the end of the world series until early december to decide if they are offering arbitration to players. As far as I know, they are free to negotiate with them up until that point.

I have a nagging suspicion that the 20% pay cut limit only applies to year 4, 5, and 6 guys like Jose Cruz. However, offering arbitration is still dangerous, because Delgado might command a lot of money if he actually went to arbitration. And there's no way Delgado will quietly agree to turn down the arbitration offer because the compensation draft picks will drive down the salary he can get from a new team.

You are correct that if the Jays don't offer arbitration in December, then they cannot negotiate with Delgado until May 1st.
_#2JBrumfield - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 10:49 AM EDT (#51541) #
Jeff, I'm sorry to hear about your loss. Best wishes to you and your family.
Coach - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 11:02 AM EDT (#51542) #
Jeff, my deepest sympathy for your loss, and your children's. Thank you for reminding us, in the midst of this terrible tragedy, to enjoy and treasure our loved ones.
_The Original Ry - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 11:41 AM EDT (#51543) #
Jeff, my sympathies. I can only imagine what you and your family must be going through right now. I wish you all the best during this difficult time.
_Blue in SK - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 11:55 AM EDT (#51544) #
Does the fact that JP is going to approach Carlos about a trade, signal that the Jays have given up on the playoffs? (or is that a rather obvious statement).

Because if they have, come tonight we had better see Cash behind the plate, Phelps DHing or better yet playing 1st, and Rios in RF.

And hopefully, we will see some prospects up very soon - meaning the end of the line for Berg and/or Clark, Zaun (via trade) and maybe Terry Adams (also via trade).

Maybe Russ Adams comes up (is he injured?), Gross (I read he played in the field recently) and Frederick.

Could be a number of moves if JP thinks the season is a bust.
_R Billie - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 12:01 PM EDT (#51545) #
Well the season has been a bust for a while. When it looked like they were recovering both Delgado, Wells, Cat, Hudson, and Woodward went down with injuries and they had to field an expansion team lineup for a month.

Nonetheless the Jays like most teams would not make that official until they had to, which is when the trade deadline approaches and service time issues for prospects coming up are minimised.
_Marc - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 12:10 PM EDT (#51546) #
The Cat had a setback and is off to see doctors. But at least Wells is back.

I would imagine that the Jays simply want to know from Delgado if he has any interest in waiving his no trade and what it will take to do so. There is no point in wasting their time talking with teams if he won't be accomodating. I doubt that they are actually itching to get him out of town.
_Jacko - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 12:14 PM EDT (#51547) #

I would imagine that the Jays simply want to know from Delgado if he has any interest in waiving his no trade and what it will take to do so. There is no point in wasting their time talking with teams if he won't be accomodating. I doubt that they are actually itching to get him out of town

Or maybe the conversation went someting like this:

"Carlos, if you waive your no trade clause we'll have an extra 6 million dollars to try to resign you in 2005. You chances of being here in 2005 and beyond will increase dramatically if you let someone else pay the rest of your salary in 2004."
_Ryan01 - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 12:16 PM EDT (#51548) #
I think we will see a few more prospects up and a vet or two sent packing but I very much doubt we'll see a fullscale turnover like the one in Seattle. Next years payroll is still contingent on how the team performs this year. You'd have a tough time convincing the average fan to come out and see a team with barely any players they recognize and an even tougher time convincing shareholders that a last place team is worth investing in no matter how young and promising you claim them to be.

If Berg and Menechino continue to be the best options, they'll get a good chunk of the playing time. With the health concerns over Halladay's shoulder, they really can't part with any starters right now either.
Mike Green - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 12:31 PM EDT (#51549) #
With Vernon apparently better, and Gabe Gross hitting well and playing left field in Syracuse, we may be seeing next year's prospective outfield of Johnson, Wells, Rios and Gross sooner rather than later here.

The shortstop situation is much less clear.
_Marc - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 12:40 PM EDT (#51550) #
I'm thinking Howie Clark will be sent down to accomodate the activation of Mr. Wells. Clark has options remaining, has been struggling and is not needed as the fourth outfielder now.
_Jacko - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 12:43 PM EDT (#51551) #
Hijack:

Raul Mondesi hit a HR in his rehab start at AAA last night.

While Moreno may have the money, the Angels have no room for Delgado on their roster.
_DaveInNYC - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 12:51 PM EDT (#51552) #
From what I've read, Vern WILL be in the lineup tonight.

Great news for the Jays!!
_Moffatt - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 01:02 PM EDT (#51553) #
My condolences to the Geauvreau family.
_Andrew S - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 01:17 PM EDT (#51554) #
Sweet Jesus, smack!

Have you not been watching the Jays this year? How can you not know who player X is and his highly surprising OPS+ performance this year?
_Tim - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 01:21 PM EDT (#51555) #
Jeff,

So sorry to hear of your loss. You and your children will be in my prayers today. I pray especially that there will be many people who can come around you and your children in support right now.
_Moffatt - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 01:21 PM EDT (#51556) #
I'm surprised nobody has pointed out that Player X is the mysterious older brother of Speed Player.
_Mick - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 01:21 PM EDT (#51557) #
Come on, Andrew. With Player Z hitting behind him, X's performance is at best suspect. And it's completely out of whack with his career numbers.
_Paul D - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 01:30 PM EDT (#51558) #
Jeff, my condolences. I didn't see your message originally, my apologies for not getting to this earlier.
Thomas - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 01:36 PM EDT (#51559) #
Jeff, I can't imagine what you and your family are going through. My deepest sympathies.
_A - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 01:45 PM EDT (#51560) #
Plus, X's HR totals are totally inflate from playing at park EFG -- he might as well be playing on the moon every evening!
_Sister - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 01:54 PM EDT (#51561) #
Ugg, news from Rotoworld.

"It seems as if the Twins' will ask Justin Morneau to skip the Olympics.
This is fantastic news for those of you who have waited for Morneau to a get a real major league opportunity. If the Twins are urging Morneau to decline his invitation to play for the Canadian National Team, they will certainly have to keep him on their major league roster and play him." Jul. 16 - 7:23 am et
Craig B - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 01:59 PM EDT (#51562) #
I will not call Terry Ryan a **********.
I will not call Terry Ryan a **********.
I will not call Terry Ryan a **********.
I will not call Terry Ryan a **********.
I will not call Terry Ryan a **********.
I will not call Terry Ryan a **********.
I will not call Terry Ryan a **********.
I will not call Terry Ryan a **********....

What really rankles is that undoubtedly Baseball Canada asked Ryan whether or not he was going to call up Morneau, and he either lied or wouldn't commit himself.
_Jacko - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 02:06 PM EDT (#51563) #
Terry Ryan seems to be operating at the level of a petulant 3 year old who ignores his toys in the sandbox until some other child takes an interest in one of them.

What a jerk.

Speaking of jerks, I noticed that Bob Elliott's column didn't even make it into the roundup today. Good one, Moffatt. I'm all for completely ignoring everything Elliott has to say. I only noticed it when I glanced at the Jays page at prosportsdaily.com.
_Ryan01 - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 02:10 PM EDT (#51564) #
The Morneau callup is purely because of a hand injury to Mientkiewicz. The Twins only decided to put him on the DL yesterday. Otherwise I'm sure they've would have left him down in an attempt to prevent him from becoming a super-two. Mientkiewicz can come off the DL on July 23 and there's still a chance Morneau could be sent back down in time to make the Olympics. (July 31 is the deadline)
_Jim - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 02:14 PM EDT (#51565) #
Ryan just said in Part 2 of his prospectus interview that he doesn't consider service time at all in their call-ups. They just consider 'ready'.
_Ryan01 - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 02:23 PM EDT (#51566) #
I don't think any GM will publicly admit to deliberately holding a player down because of service time issues. It would seriously piss off not only his own players but the players union as well. I don't know if there's a more major league ready player in the minors right now.
_Jacko - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 02:25 PM EDT (#51567) #

The Morneau callup is purely because of a hand injury to Mientkiewicz

They could have waived Offerman (Awfulman?) long ago and promoted Morneau.

All I can say is, they better play him. Canada's olympic squad are goping to miss him dearly.
_Jim - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 02:29 PM EDT (#51568) #
I don't know if he's lying. Of course he is ready, but he seemed serious about Offerman as a pinch hitter. I don't think it's a stretch that Ryan thinks Doug M is still more valuable to him at this point. I think it's crazy, you think it's crazy, most of the world thinks it's crazy. Still, he might not think it's crazy...
_Four Seamer - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 02:41 PM EDT (#51569) #
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20040716.wmorneau/BNStory/Sports/
As a Canadian baseball fan it's maddening, because Ryan and the Twins have been playing this tease with us the entire season, but let's face facts: the man should be in the major leagues, and should have been there the entire season. That this late in the process his status is still up in the air is more than Canadian ball fans can realistically hope for.

The more aggravating situation, to my mind, involves Shawn Hill, who apparently would have been selected to the squad had Baseball Canada been aware that the Expos were about to send him down to AA (COMN). Whether Baseball Canada didn't adequately do its homework, or whether the Expos either buffaloed the national squad, or more likely, didn't care about it one way or the other, he's not on the team right now and won't be unless there's an injury to someone else. I find this the more frustrating scenario, because while Morneau will be helping out a major league club in pennant contention, Hill will be in the minors when he could and should have been in Athens pitching for a medal.
_Ryan01 - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 02:43 PM EDT (#51570) #
So he's a jerk for not calling him up, now he's a jerk for calling him up. I see. As Jim said, for some reason Ryan prefers to have DM in his starting lineup. We don't know why, but he does.

However, Mientkiewicz injured his wrist in batting practise yesterday and now they need a starting first baseman. Mauer and Guzman are also ailing and the Twins bench is running thin. Ryan didn't suddenly change his mind and call him up just so he couldn't go to the Olympics. He needed a replacement and Morneau was the logical choice. He didn't do it just to piss off Baseball Canada.
Leigh - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 02:47 PM EDT (#51571) #
http://globeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20040716.wmartha0716/BNStory/Business/
The Cabal, which of course does not exist, is happy today.

From Batter's Box FAQ:

So is Martha Stewart going to jail?
Well, I sure as hell hope so, just out of pure spite. Don't you? This whole thing is so sweet. I mean, I know it's a cheap substitute on the SEC's part for going after the real (and powerful) guilty parties in insider-trading, but at least some people are being called to account for their actions.


COMN for the story.
Leigh - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 02:48 PM EDT (#51572) #
Oops. Batter's Box FAQ page was compiled by Burley who, in fact, does exist.
_Moffatt - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 02:56 PM EDT (#51573) #
Speaking of jerks, I noticed that Bob Elliott's column didn't even make it into the roundup today. Good one, Moffatt. I'm all for completely ignoring everything Elliott has to say.

Actually, that had nothing to do with Elliott. I wrote that portion of the Roundup this morning at 5am, and the Sun hadn't updated their webpage yet, so I didn't get any of their articles.

As long as Elliott has a job with one of the major Toronto media outlets, I'll keep linking him. I leave it up to you guys on what stories you'll click on and which ones you'll ignore.
_Tassle - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 02:59 PM EDT (#51574) #
Vernon Wells is starting tonight?
Won't he need a rehab stint in the minors, considering how long he has been out?
Craig B - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 03:01 PM EDT (#51575) #
So he's a jerk for not calling him up, now he's a jerk for calling him up. I see.

Yes. Is there some sort of inconsistency? Ryan has had weeks to tell Baseball Canada not to add Morneau. Right after they committed themselves, he tells him not to accept the invitation and put his team a man short.

This NEVER would have happened with Team USA.
Craig B - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 03:03 PM EDT (#51576) #
Boy, I *really* need to update the FAQ.
Craig B - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 03:08 PM EDT (#51577) #
By the way, Mark Prior has a sore elbow.

Prior had the third-most Pitcher Abuse Points in baseball last year. But pitch counts don't matter - everyone says so. Fearless prediction - Dusty won't be stopped until Mark Prior becomes the next Don Gullett. What's ironic is that he took it very easy on Prior this year as he was coming back from his leg problems.
_Ryan01 - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 03:13 PM EDT (#51578) #
He didn't know for weeks that Mientkiewicz would get injured though. If Mientkiewicz had stayed healthy I don't doubt that Ryan would have kept Morneau down for the Olympics. More importantly, if DM heals fast enough Morneau may still yet be available for the Olympic squad. I'm sure Baseball Canada is well aware that injuries happen and that their players could be called up at any time.

It's frustrating but Terry Ryan's priority is his major league team and I can't fault him for doing what he feels is best for his team. Somehow I doubt that we'd be all up in arms if we had a massive string of injuries and called up Glenn Williams because he was the only viable option.
Craig B - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 03:15 PM EDT (#51579) #
I wouldn't be up in arms (I don't care about Team Australia' fortunes) but I would think it a classless move. Ryan knew since July 7 that Mientkiewicz had a serious wrist injury.
_rodent - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 03:16 PM EDT (#51580) #
Jeff. Very courageous of you to reach out as you have. Two things which may be helpful: A book called Helping Children Cope with Separation and Loss/Claudia Jarratt; your local Bereaved Families of Ontario (assuming Ontario's your home) -- www.bfotoronto.ca.
_Ryan01 - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 03:17 PM EDT (#51581) #
He was pencilled into the starting lineup last night before aggravating it during batting practise though.
Mike Green - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 03:35 PM EDT (#51582) #
Ryans sticking together again.

Speaking of sticking together, Mike Moffatt's piece on rumourmongering captures my feelings on the topic exactly.
Pepper Moffatt - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 03:54 PM EDT (#51583) #
Speaking of sticking together, Mike Moffatt's

As opposed to Michelle Moffatt's? :)
_Jim - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 03:56 PM EDT (#51584) #
It wouldn't have happened to Team USA because no player at the level of Morneau would ever consider leaving AAA for the Olympics in the middle of a season.
_Jonny German - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 04:06 PM EDT (#51585) #
Why not, Jim? Do Canadians care about the Olympics a lot more than Americans do?
_Tom in NY - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 04:28 PM EDT (#51586) #
Jeff, My deepest sympathies for you and your children's loss. God Bless you.
_Jim - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 04:32 PM EDT (#51587) #
I'd say from here - yes Canadians care more about Olympic baseball then Americans do.

That is just based on what I've read/heard on this site and in the media, but I can't imagine anyone in the US spending 2 seconds worrying about an American player who was promised to Team USA being called up for a pennant race. It also seems that the players from the other countries (besides the US) care much more about representing their countries, at least in baseball (and basketball really).
_Mick - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 04:35 PM EDT (#51588) #
Dusty won't be stopped until Mark Prior becomes the next Don Gullett.

You really think Prior has a future as a miracle-working pitching coach?
_Four Seamer - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 04:35 PM EDT (#51589) #
That is just based on what I've read/heard on this site and in the media, but I can't imagine anyone in the US spending 2 seconds worrying about an American player who was promised to Team USA being called up for a pennant race.

That might have a little something to do with the superior depth of US baseball. If they lost a BJ Upton, there'd be another, almost equally skilled player right there to fill in. When Canada loses a player of Morneau's stature, the loss is much more severe.
_Tom in NY - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 04:47 PM EDT (#51590) #
Espn.com is carrying a story stating that J.P. will ask Delgado to waive his no trade clause. Carlos' agent is saying he isn't going anywhere. The link is http//sport.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=1841046
_NDG - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 05:42 PM EDT (#51591) #
Jeff, I am truly sorry about your loss, and even more so for your kids. My deepest sympathies go out to you.
_Jeff Geauvreau - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 06:35 PM EDT (#51592) #
I thank everyone for their heartfelt condolences for all the posts and email.

A lot of comments and suggestions have really helped me, I overwhelmed by all the emails and posts to my children and I.

Rodent thank you for the book suggestions, I will order them for my children and me.

Whoever has any doubts that the Blue Jays are a 1st class organization has to rethink their thoughts.

A very high ranking member of the Blue Jays emailed me his sympathies and some very good advice that I have already used in talking to my children.

I am just a battersbox poster who loves the Jays and Baseball. To receive this email from this gentleman is overwhelming.

I thank you everyone and you do not realize how much your comments and suggestions have helped us.

Moffat, In memoriam of wife and an celebration of our children could you use the song tomorrow that goes something like this “Love you children well" " Teach them well" ?

God Bless you all

Jeff Geauvreau

My dear wife
Yvonne Geauvreau-Turner Aug 26/66 - July 15/2004
_Andrew K - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 06:38 PM EDT (#51593) #
Jeff, I'm really sorry about your loss. Tough times ahead but the kids will learn to cope sooner than you might think.
_Moffatt - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 06:48 PM EDT (#51594) #
Jeff: I'm not doing the roundup tomorrow, but I've passed along your request. It's the least we can do.
_Brian B. - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 07:57 PM EDT (#51595) #
Hey Jeff:

I said a prayer for you and your kids - I hope that it helps!
_Matt - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 10:09 PM EDT (#51596) #
I was just thinking about the soapbox rant earlier... I think it was a good idea to post such data... I could also think of an additional way to assist the problem... perhaps the registry of BB posters could have their names written in a certain font to highlight the fact that you're not accountable for what some random stranger might come in and post. I mean, what can you do other than that to combat such a problem? Call me cynical but I'm not a fond believer in just relying upon good will... Especially as the domain of the readership here grows...
_Frank - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 11:26 PM EDT (#51597) #
Also, to go along with Moffat's soapbox article.

I lost my job today thanks to this so called rumor mongering. I know I took things out of hand, but my life has been destroyed now. It was just a joke and I wish you would have realized that. Anyone who knows me on ESPN would have. And that is where most of the stuff you sent my company was from. We were messing around. Oh well, too late now.

I am sorry for your loss Jeff. Not a good day all around
_mathesond - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 11:30 PM EDT (#51598) #
http://www.mathesond.mindsay.com
Jeff, my fullest sympathies go out to you and the Gavreau/Turner clan. Be strong for Landen and Hannah, you have an example to both set and live up to - and I know you will do Yvonne proud. I, and the rest of the A League, are here for you. And Yvonne does live, in Hannah and Landen, so treasure her well and often, and know she cherishes you.

Another reason to not post inside info is that you might not react well to the responses you receive from the other posters on the site, and in haste, may post something that would make someone associated with the Cabal (hypothetically speaking, of course) get annoyed with you and get you fired. Especially if you're friends with a pitcher from Philadelphia.

Which kinda sucks, as I was hoping for an interview with that hypothetical pitcher. Guess I'll have to rely on the mainstream media for that.
_Rob - Friday, July 16 2004 @ 11:49 PM EDT (#51599) #
The different font for the BB Roster Members sounds good.

Examples:
Coach
or Craig B
or Moffatt

Or, heck, something as easy as bold for Roster, non-bold for Non-Roster -- ignoring the fact that I am "posting under" bold right now.

How hard would that be to add to the site? I know nothing about blogging software. Could someone hack in and change the font for their own name?

And, sort of on the same subject, how does one become a member of the Roster?
I'm not asking about what I have to do to join (though it would be nice and your cheque is already in the mail) but what technically makes one (i.e. Named For Hank or one of the many Mikes or Ryans) able to post new threads?
Is there some proposal sent out to the prospective members? Do they learn the secret knock? Do you guys have to keep an active roster of 25 men plus 15 more at the SkyChiefs' and Fisher Cats' blogs?
_Rob - Saturday, July 17 2004 @ 12:08 AM EDT (#51600) #
I had a whole post ready to express my condolences, but I can never write anything like that without it coming out terribly inappropriate.

So I'll echo earlier statements and say my prayers will be with you and your family tonight, Jeff.
_Lindsay - Saturday, July 17 2004 @ 12:28 AM EDT (#51601) #
Jeff, Hannah and Landen,

Each of you are in my prayers tonight, along with your lovely and wonderful mother and wife, Yvonne. I'm sure I speak for all of us here when I say that we would gladly trade each Blue Jay in exchange for just one more night for the Gauvreau family to spend together. In deference to Landen, however, not one of those Blue Jays will be traded to the Yankees.

Take care of yourself and your family, Jeff. You have reminded us how wins and losses mean nothing, but how our teammates mean everything.
_bird droppings - Saturday, July 17 2004 @ 03:18 AM EDT (#51602) #
Jeff,

My mother passesd away in April... my father passed away nine years ago... They're the ones who introduced me to baseball and it's probably the main reason I keep interested in it... For those who know me, I'm only in my early twenties...

I feel you're pain and truly understand what it's like to lose a loved one, and in your children's case, a parent... my only advice is to let your children feel their way through this tough time and I'm sure you'll be surprised at what they're capable of... This will make them stronger and will build a strength in you're relationship with them that couldn't possibly be matched.

God Bless,

Mike
_Smirnoff - Saturday, July 17 2004 @ 09:51 AM EDT (#51603) #
Jeff,

We are all thinking about and praying for you and Landen and Hannah. You are one of the kindest and warmest people that I've come across on the internet. It's beautiful to witness the outpouring of affection to you and your family from this internet community. I know that my family and I will continue to pray for you and yours and will keep you in our thoughts.

Take care,
Smirnoff
Coach - Saturday, July 17 2004 @ 02:37 PM EDT (#51604) #
how does one become a member of the Roster?

Rob, it's always been by invitation only. This began as my hobby, then grew far beyond my wildest expectations when some talented writers came aboard as co-authors. Jordan, Craig and Robert were among the first recruits, because I'd admired their posts on Primer and they were fellow Jays fans. Others were respected colleagues from my ESPN days, then readers of the site began to join us. The most important thing we share, in addition to a passion for baseball, is friendship, even though several of us have never actually met.

We welcome original "Pinch Hit" articles from readers, and quite a few of our current Roster members began that way. The latest is Thomas Ayres, whose recent guest column was well received, and who we've met many times at Box and Cheer Club functions. Craig B. is the point man for those submissions.

The nuts and bolts of being able to post new articles are simple enough. There's a "back door" where a user name, password and various other access rights are set up for each author. We began with Greymatter because it's free and it more or less works, but it has its limitations, so we are considering alternatives that offer more features, flexibility and security. Maybe even a special font to denote the difference between authors and readers, which is a reasonable idea, though not an option at present.
_Rob - Saturday, July 17 2004 @ 03:40 PM EDT (#51605) #
Thanks, Coach. I was wondering how that actually happened, and I figured there was some sort of back door site the authors had access to. Now I know, and I'll sleep better tonight. :)
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