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As Steve Z. alerted us in the Saturday Roundup thread, the National Post ran one of John Lott's typically fine articles, entitled Doc's Breakfast Club. For reasons best known to the Post, only the first paragraph is available on their Web site, unless you register with them. However, after an e-mail exchange with Mr. Z., Mr. Lott has given us permission to reprint it here. Thanks very much, gentlemen.



By John Lott

DUNEDIN, Fla. - They had come to learn from the master, but the master was just as interested in learning about them.

Roy Halladay had heard the stories about the Blue Jays' remarkable crop of pitching prospects, and he wanted to see for himself. He also wanted to help them avoid some of the pitfalls he'd encountered on his arduous road to the Cy Young Award.

So a few weeks before spring training started, Doc Halladay's Breakfast Club convened at the Jays' training complex. It was an unusual scene - the club's best pitcher, a conditioning fanatic, sharing trade secrets with a group of mesmerized apprentices, some with less than two pro seasons under their belts.

"I was really interested in who these guys were, what their personalities were like, sharing my work ethic with them, finding out what I could do to help get them on board," Halladay said yesterday.

It was Halladay's extraordinary way of welcoming his future brothers in arms and acknowledging that they, as much as he, hold the key to the Jays' success over the next few years.

"I learned the hard way," he said of his rapid rise through the minors, inexplicable fall from the top and remarkable resurrection after a mechanical and mental makeover. "It's almost liberating once you start learning things that can actually help. It's exciting to find something that works. I just want to help other guys find it too."

Dick Scott, Toronto's director of player development, invited the cream of the prospect crop to the Breakfast Club. Halladay's work as mentor represented the essence of team commitment, he said.

"Doc took all those young guys under his wing and showed them his workout," Scott recalled. "It was so important for these young pitchers to see how a Cy Young Award-winner works and what it takes to be a major-leaguer."

Many youngsters will try to prove they have what it takes over the next few springs as a new wave prospects comes changing into Dunedin with their eyes on big-league jobs. It's a big wave, too, laden with remarkable talent.

No one can ever be sure how a Triple-A terror will perform in The Show. Early in their careers, such luminaries as Halladay, Carlos Delgado and Vernon Wells briefly reached the top, only to stumble back to the minors for more seasoning.

"I don't know how these guys are going to react when they get up there," Scott says. "But I sure do like them as prospects."

As a group, they are significant in another way: Many of them are J.P. Ricciardi's draft picks. The core players on the current big-league club -- Delgado, Halladay, Wells, Josh Phelps, Orlando Hudson, Kevin Cash, Chris Woodward, Reed Johnson -- came up under the Pat Gillick-Gord Ash regimes. In those days, the Jays were known for drafting the young and the raw and letting them take five or six years to develop.

The Ricciardi mantra calls for picking more mature, experienced college players who will rise quickly and return an early payoff. He has also loaded up on pitching, looking to start a parade of homegrown arms that will keep the big-league club stocked with young, cheap talent.

"When I got here, there were some good players in place," Ricciardi says. "What we've tried to do is just keep adding to that, whether through trades, or Rule Fives or free agents, and now we're using all our resources to try to get better.

"It's fun to look out there and see Hudson, Phelps, [Eric] Hinske, Wells and Halladay as the first wave, and now you have another wave coming, and that first group will be veteran players by the time the next group comes along. It's going to be a nice atmosphere to be involved in."

With evaluative input from Ricciardi, Scott and manager Carlos Tosca, here is a look at 12 of the top prospects in the next wave.

POSITION PLAYERS

ALEXIS RIOS, 23, of: Generally regarded as the Jays' No. 1 prospect, Rios tore up the Double-A Eastern League last year, winning the MVP award by posting .352-11-82 offensive numbers with an on-base percentage of .402. "He has all the tools -- he hits for power, hits for power to the opposite field, plays centre field and right field, and puts the barrel on the ball as well as anybody," Scott says. "He's 6-foot-5 [and 200 pounds] and he hasn't even started growing into his body yet." Needs better plate discipline and defensive awareness. Will start the year in Triple-A, but could reach Toronto before season ends.

GUILLERMO QUIROZ, 22, c: A smart, energetic catcher who handles pitchers well, Quiroz has evolved from a low-average pull-hitter into a line-drive gap hitter with excellent power potential. Last year in Double-A he hit .282-20-79, by far his most productive year. Nailed 44 per cent of would-be base stealers last season. A good bet to reach Toronto a year from now.

GABE GROSS, 24, of: Gord Ash's last No. 1 pick, Gross made it to Triple-A in his third season. Former Auburn quarterback slumped in his second year but rebounded with a solid 2003 (.280-12-74). Gap hitter with good power potential. Scott: "Gabe is a very disciplined hitter. His swing looks a lot freer this year." Will start season at Triple-A, but Ricciardi pegs Gross, along with Rios, as the position players closest to major-league readiness.

RUSS ADAMS, 23, ss: Top draft pick in 2002 will start in Triple-A after only 1 1/2 pro seasons (.280 batting average, .372 on-base percentage). "He's one of those proverbial baseball players who has a great feel for the game," Scott says. Talk of him moving to second base will have to wait." You try to keep these guys playing shortstop as long as they can because it enhances their ability to play other positions," Scott explains.

AARON HILL, 22, ss: Like Adams before him, Hill was drafted No. 1 last year, started play in June with a short-season club and finished at High-A Dunedin, logging a .324 average and .397 on-base percentage. A better hitter than Adams, he needs to improve on defence. Scott: "He has a great attitude and aptitude and a chance to be a very good hitter at the big-league level." Will likely start at Double-A. Hill and Adams' development will put pressure on incumbent middle infielders Chris Woodward and Orlando Hudson.

PITCHERS

DUSTIN McGOWAN, 22, rhp: Baseball America magazine says he could arrive in Toronto this season and "has better stuff than Roy Halladay." But he's no Doc yet, as he proved in a spring game this week when he tried to escape trouble by using nothing but fastballs and took a pounding. "He's got dominant stuff, but he needs more innings and needs to learn to throw his breaking ball and changeup when he's behind in the count," Scott says.

DAVID BUSH, 24, rhp: A second-rounder in 2002, Bush is 15-8, 2.74 in 1 1/2 seasons. Has excellent control of three pitches. "He can see what the hitter is trying to do and attacks that," says Tosca, who has been impressed with Bush's maturity and effectiveness in spring games. Will start this year in Triple-A.

BRANDON LEAGUE, 21, rhp: Another youngster who has made the most of his spring opportunities in big-league exhibition games. Scott: "Anytime you see somebody throwing a slider 94-95 miles an our, it gets your attention." Needs to work on "concentration, day in and day out," Scott adds. Ticketed for Double-A.

FRANCISCO ROSARIO, 23, rhp: After a sensational 2002, Dominican power pitcher missed all of last season recovering from Tommy John surgery. Then in fall camp, he stepped on a mound for the first time in more than a year and topped out at 96 mph. His rehab regimen added significant upper body strength, Scott says. Ricciardi says Rosario has closer potential. Will start the season in High-A Dunedin then move north to Double-A New Hampshire when the weather warms up.

VINCE PERKINS, 22, rhp: Victoria, B.C. native logged a 2.24 ERA and struck out 129 in 129 innings while splitting last season between low-A Charleston and high-A Dunedin. Opponents batted .179 against him. At 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds, has ideal pitcher's build. Scott says he needs to "clean up" his mechanics and avoid trying to throw too hard when he gets in trouble. May return to Dunedin or move up to Double-A.

ADAM PETERSON, 24, rhp: Closer material. In 1 1/2 seasons, Peterson is 7-6, 2.72 out of the bullpen. Pitched at three levels last year, finishing at Double-A. Scott says he's sometimes too excitable on the mound and tries to make too many "perfect" pitches. But the Jays like him enough to promote him to Triple-A. "If he gets on a roll, he could be in the big leagues soon," Scott says.

JASON ARNOLD, 24, rhp: Former Yankee second-rounder saw his stock fall after a 4-8, 4.33 stint at Syracuse last year. Turns out he had lost his release point, causing reduced velocity. "His arm slot was too high. Now he's back at a three-quarters slot. I look for him to bounce back at Triple-A this year," Scott says.
The Next Wave | 10 comments | Create New Account
The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.
_Wildrose - Monday, March 22 2004 @ 01:59 PM EST (#75659) #
Steve, you truly are the master of internet surfing. I've really enjoyed all these stories you seem to find from a variety of sources.

Regarding League a 94-95 MPH slider is truly amazing.Does anybody currently in MLB throw his slider that hard? I remember Koch's slider being in the low 90's,lets hope Brandon's control is better than Billy's.

This is the first I've heard of Rosario being a potential closer.My guess is that he's having some difficulty getting command of a third pitch. Currently he's a change-up/fastball guy if I'm not mistaken.
_R Billie - Monday, March 22 2004 @ 02:08 PM EST (#75660) #
Hmm. Interesting stuff. More so for the projected starting levels of some of these guys, most notably Brandon League and Aaron Hill supposedly going to AA. Confirmation that Adams will start in AAA was less surprising.

They certainly have the tools to succeed there but I had figured a more conservative timetable. Then again the article says League featured a 94-95 mph slider which I'm guessing is actually sinker. I don't think I've heard of a slider going that fast but if it does then whoah.
robertdudek - Monday, March 22 2004 @ 02:15 PM EST (#75661) #
Even a sinker at 94 MPH is a rare thing. Most pitchers throw the riding fastball at 2-3 MPH faster than the sinker. That means you'd have to be able to throw the conventional fastball at 96-97 MPH.
Joe - Monday, March 22 2004 @ 05:53 PM EST (#75662) #
http://me.woot.net
TANSTAAPP, but I'll be damned if I'm not excited about the 2005-2007 timetable, when a lot of our young stud pitchers will be filling in the ranks behind Doc.

As a fan, I love offense as much as anybody, but I think I appreciate pitching more. The mastery a pitcher can show when he's on his game is more exciting than most offensive feats. The possibility of seeing mastery on the level of Doc day in and day out makes me tingle.
_Dean - Monday, March 22 2004 @ 06:06 PM EST (#75663) #
League does throw in the high 90's. I think he even hit triple digits last year, Baseball America daily prospect update, and John Manuel @ BA in the Jay's Top 10 Prospect chat called League's slider "a plus power pitch at times". He also said League's slider was much more advanced than Rosario's. The exact velocity of that pitch was never mentioned.
_Bird Watcher - Monday, March 22 2004 @ 06:15 PM EST (#75664) #
How soon does the fork get stuck in the National Post ? They give away their paper for free to anyone who is breathing, but won't allow unobstructed access to their website ??? This is some weird business model.
_Roger Davis - Monday, March 22 2004 @ 06:16 PM EST (#75665) #
http://www.immune26.tv
Good work Steve.

What I LOVE so much about Baseball is watching the young guys develop over 3 to 5 years and then take their place in the Bigs and watch their continuing developnemt there.

I LOVE playing GM and seeing where we will be in the next five or eight years. Great fun.

We have such outstanding prospects, following the Jays is truly GREAT FUN!

By the way I've got an Excel spreadsheet showing the Jays, Players and Salaries, up to 2012. It is based on one Gwyn Price posted on this, or another Jays Forum, last October. If anyone wants a copy just email me and ask. I can't cut and paste it here it just doesn't seem to work.

rdavis@island.net
_Dean - Monday, March 22 2004 @ 10:17 PM EST (#75666) #
I think Banks will soon be joining this group as well.
_Jurgen - Tuesday, March 23 2004 @ 10:26 AM EST (#75667) #
Halladay, McGowan, and Bush oh my!

That sure makes the Wild Card look plausible in 2005 when Pedro's in pinstripes.
_Craig S. - Tuesday, March 23 2004 @ 10:38 AM EST (#75668) #
Great to see Halladay serving as a mentor to these young pitchers. Considering the struggles he had just a few years ago, he's definitely someone who knows from experience how difficult it can be for the young guys.
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