An upbeat column from Richard Griffin in today's Star, though nothing terribly new or exciting: the third-catcher debate, a roundup of Opening Day starters, etc. But the column is noteworthy for this hidden gem of a quote from JP:
[W]e were so aggressive in the six-year (minor-league) free agents, the Rule 5 draft, some of the trades we made and the free agent signings, that we felt coming into spring training, we were done. I don't think spring training is a place you make decisions. I think you put your team together and let them come down here and play.
He is, of course, 100% spot on.
The Jays knew coming into March what their roster would be and, more importantly, what each man was capable of doing and what role he would be assigned. Spring training in Dunedin has been about shaking off the rust, relearning the fundamentals, continuing the young players' instruction and getting everyone into game shape, physically and mentally. Aside from which lefty relievers to start off with and which backup catcher to bring north, there have been no important decisions to make, because that work was done over the winter.
What this underlines is that if you're assigning roles and deciding on 25-man roster spots based on 60 ABs or 20 IP -- mostly against minor-leaguers or vacationing regulars -- then you're a dingbat of a GM. Yet we see this every March: rotation spots and outfield slots awarded to the player who "showed the most" in the Fantasyland that is big-league spring training. So when a much-hyped rookie has a hot spring and breaks camp with the big boys, the team is usually left scratching its collective head when he's hitting .191 on April 30. Time to go to Plan B, go find Mariano Duncan and sign him to a contract.
And the teams that do this are invariably the ones without a plan. The Orioles are deciding almost their entire starting rotation based on spring results. Tampa Bay will have Rocco Baldelli batting leadoff because he's had a great camp, notwithstanding the fact his career BB/K ratio is 23/97 (including a nice round zero walks at AAA). And maybe worst of all, Dusty Baker is going to give Kerry Wood the Opening Day start for the Cubs if he pitches well in his last spring training start. Instead of actually making the decision he's paid to make, Baker evidently prefers to play mind games with his de facto ace and to run the risk that Wood will overthrow and maybe even hurt himself during this ill-conceived "audition." Craziness.
Ricciardi doesn't tend to make decisions based on one start or three weeks' worth of meaningless games. Even the guys who've been sent down he readily acknowledges may be called up later when the dictates of the season allow. Take a lesson in how to assemble and direct a baseball club, competing GMs. Actually, on second thought, don't.
https://www.battersbox.ca/article.php?story=20030325081447999