In spring training, asked what would constitute a great 2003 season, J.P. Ricciardi said "85 wins," so the GM is pleased, but not satisfied. As he told Ken Fidlin of the Toronto Sun, .500 was a positive target this year.
"It's not a goal that I would accept five years from now. I don't know if I'm gonna be a GM for 20 years or for 10 years but I do know I don't want to be GM of a club that sits at .500 for five years."
J.P. also wonders why Aquilino Lopez isn't getting more buzz as a Rookie of the Year candidate, says that 90 wins next year is a reasonable aim, and -- at the risk of setting off the naysayers who don't "get" his vision -- admits that there's no exact timetable for his team to peak.
"I'm not back-pedalling from '05, but I really think this team will blossom to its full potential in '07 and '08."
Will Ricciardi be given more than $48 million to spend when the time is right? The public will influence Mr. Rogers with their TV remotes and their wallets. If the next wave of stopgap pitchers has more success than Lidle, Sturtze, Creek and Tam, 2004 will be very interesting. By 2005, when the wealth of pitching talent on the farm begins to have an impact, baseball in Toronto should be a hot ticket again. A perennial contender sounds wonderful; as Jays fans proved from the mid 1980's to 1991, we are willing to wait for a championship if our team is heading in the right direction.
https://www.battersbox.ca/article.php?story=20030918102612999