Batter's Box Interactive Magazine - Kinder, Gentler Griffin?

For two straight days, everyone's favourite Toronto Star baseball writer has devoted a column to a Jays' pitcher. No attacks on management, no predictions of disaster. Refreshing. Yesterday, he talked with Kelvim Escobar, who admits:

"I always work hard. But I can get better. I have to be very consistent. Physically I've always been strong, but I have to work harder mentally."

Today, Griffin chats with Cory Lidle, who (along with Rick Reed) will never be completely forgiven for crossing the union's picket line eight years ago as a confused 22-year-old, pressured by his bosses. Like the news about political turmoil in Escobar's native Venezuela, this is relevant, and it's presented evenly, but I'm more interested in Lidle's explanation for his slow start in 2002:

"Me and a pitching coach started messing around trying to throw a different pitch. It backfired."

Cory's second half -- 6-3, 2.69, opponents' AVG .201 -- proves he can make adjustments. Maybe columnists can, too. Even bloggers; anything's possible.

Posted by Coach on Sunday, February 16 2003 @ 07:38 AM EST.

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_Steve Z - Sunday, February 16 2003 @ 02:09 PM EST (#96194) #

Ken Rosenthal's latest column opens with the following:

The Royals have told clubs interested in three-way trades for CF Carlos Beltran that they want Blue Jays 2B Orlando Hudson and/or Rangers 3B Hank Blalock. They rejected the Jays' offer of Hudson for LHP Jeremy Affeldt earlier this winter. ...

Also of note:

The Blue Jays rejected a proposal from Shannon Stewart's agent, Jeff Moorad, to sign the outfielder to a three-year contract for between $20 million and $25 million.

_jason - Sunday, February 16 2003 @ 04:48 PM EST (#96195) #

Are the Jays still intrested in trading Hudson? If so, who will play 2nd?

_Chuck Van Den C - Sunday, February 16 2003 @ 05:57 PM EST (#96196) #

who will play 2nd?

Catalanotto and Berg. Of course it would mean scaring up a RF.

_jason - Sunday, February 16 2003 @ 06:09 PM EST (#96197) #

I know that Werth can handle RF defensively but I heard he's still got holes in his swing they want him to work on in AAA.

_Steve Z - Sunday, February 16 2003 @ 06:20 PM EST (#96198) #

I'll go on the record as saying I'd be surprised if Howie Clark is not the opening day starter at 2B.

(Hudson going to KC in a three-way, for the Zito-esque Affeldt, before the end of March, seems quite plausible.)

Gerry - Sunday, February 16 2003 @ 08:40 PM EST (#96199) #

Now that the new season is on us Griffin is working according to plan. No-one, not even Richard, can be negative all the time. So the start of spring training comes with optimism all around. So Richard goes with the flow. Then halfway through spring training, when there are some decisions made, or to be made, Richard will be there to twist the knife.

Gerry - Sunday, February 16 2003 @ 08:48 PM EST (#96200) #

As to the Hudson for Affeldt, I don't see it. KC have no pitching. Four of their five projected starters are under 25. I think they have some small total number of ML starts between them. Much as I think they would like Hudson, note that the article says that KC would trade Beltran for Hudson. So the three way is necessary so that KC gets Hudson, team X gets Beltran and the Jays get a pitcher from Team X.

KC and the Jays are both looking for pitching.

_Jonny German - Sunday, February 16 2003 @ 09:44 PM EST (#96201) #

Bob Elliot has a nice piece on Tanyon Sturtze... Is this some sort of a conspiracy, are they going to run through all the Toronto pitchers from an objective / positive viewpoint?

_StephenT - Sunday, February 16 2003 @ 09:50 PM EST (#96202) #

Speaking of Lidle's 2nd-half stats, I've posted 2nd-half stats for all of last year's Jays and for the new Jays (such as Lidle) at http://www.stephent.com/jays/stat2H02.html .
The Jays' pitching was a little better than average in the 2nd-half last year (even without Lidle).

_Steve Z - Sunday, February 16 2003 @ 09:51 PM EST (#96203) #

You're right, Gerry. Affeldt (or any other KC pitcher) would not be involved in the 3-way trade. The pitcher would have to come from the third team. (Heilman??....)

Gitz - Monday, February 17 2003 @ 12:30 AM EST (#96204) #

Whether or not their "stuff" is similar, Affeldt has a bit to prove before he can be considered "Zito-esque." Zito is arguably the second-best pitcher in the American League, and it's unlikely Affeldt will be THAT good even if he develops.

Coach - Monday, February 17 2003 @ 07:19 AM EST (#96205) #

Wow! Thanks to StephenT for the link -- there is a lot there for Jays fans to get excited about, with the notable exception of Ken Huckaby.

The piece on Sturtze confirms something I've suspected all along: he's so happy to be out of Tampa, improvement can be assumed. Not only was he possibly the unhappiest pitcher, the stats (from Wolverton's support-neutral data on Prospectus) point him out as one of the unluckiest.

Hudson for Affeldt? Nice to dream about, but don't hold your breath. If O-Dog is traded, it will be for pitching, and as Steve Z says, might lead to a job for Howie Clark. I agree that Gerry's three way scenario makes more sense than Rosenthal's, and found it interesting that in K.C., Hudson's mentioned in the same sentence as Blalock.

_Gwyn - Monday, February 17 2003 @ 09:44 AM EST (#96206) #

and found it interesting that in K.C., Hudson's mentioned in the same sentence as Blalock.

This is of course in a sentence by Allard Baird. Caveat Lector :)

_jason - Monday, February 17 2003 @ 04:04 PM EST (#96207) #

When I look at KC all I think is poor Matt Sweeney. Such a good hitter on such a bad team. But if they Royals finish below .500 this year and the next, a good bet, then apparently he can void his contract.

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