The Importance of an Ace

Halladay: The Most Important Blue Jay

You can feel it in the dugout. It not only changes the rhythm of the day, but the rhythm of the week and the month. Once, every five days, you have a better chance to win than the other team. As a player, it is energizing and necessary, especially through the long months of the baseball season. This is the reason the Yankees paid so much for C. C. Sabathia this past off-season, and why the Royals are suddenly relevant again with the presence of the emerging Zach Greinke, the recent Sports Illustrated cover boy. Greinke beat the Blue Jays for his fifth win of the season the other night. In so doing, he surrendered his first two earned runs of the season.

Anyone who has ever played the game understands the importance of pitching and the value in having one "super pitcher." Unfortunately, that isn't always true of broadcasters and writers, many of whom were simply not athletic enough to make their high school teams. Bob McCown, the FAN590's main voice during the week (And an excellent broadcaster), has at times suggested the Blue Jays trade Roy Halladay. "Blow it up and get what you can for him." It a suggestion so ridiculous and 'unbaseball' it is almost impossible to deconstruct. Kind of like attacking Yogi Berra quotes. Where do you start?

The best thing about the Blue Jays' hot start is that they will not be contemplating trading one of the best two pitchers in baseball for the next little while at least. Halladay is signed through 2010, and at thirteen million per year (3 years for forty million), is the best bargain in baseball. Unfortunately, I'm not sure how many Blue Jay fans realize that pitchers like Halladay are rare, and while he continues to build his Hall of Fame credentials, he will have to contend with the uneducated and ridiculous notions by members of the media who have never played the game.

Greinke, the object of a good New York Times article, has single handedly turned the Royals into a dangerous team. Who wants to face the Royals, long a laughingstock in the league, for a three game series with Greinke pitching one of those games? Suddenly the pressure is on the opponent, and as we've seen this past week, the Royals were able to force the red hot Jays to submit. Without their own Ace going, the Jays lost their first series of the year.

Tomorrow, Halladay will take the hill for the Jays, and don't believe that the Orioles aren't thinking about it. It's what an Ace gives you, and why any notions of trading Halladay reveal a dangerous ignorance about the game.

-Steve

From 2002-2008, Halladay has a .698 winning percentage, 113 Wins, 9 shutouts, 37 Compete games, and 7.14 Innings Per Start, all of which are best in the American League in that time frame.

The Bills Score High Grades in Draft

Attitude and Instinct the Theme on Draft Day

There's nothing worse than being stuck in traffic with a sore back and a standard transmission. Such was the case Saturday night as I headed home in the wind/rainstorm that produced a number of fallen signs, wet bystanders and grumpy callers from Western New York about the Bills' first day draft choices.

I have to admit, I was a bit concerned myself when I looked up and saw Michael Oher, one of the top rated tackles in the draft still on the board at 23, and the Bills making no effort to trade up. Eric Wood, projected as a second round choice, was the Bills's choice for the first round pick they'd picked up from Philadelphia in the Jason Peters' trade. And the fans were not happy about it. For over an hour I listened to callers complain about the Bills penchant for "reaching". You'd have thought they'd done the scouting themselves, by the way they frequently referred to the Bills' needs and what the team should have done.

Of course, that's the great part about being a fan. And the Bills haven't been in the playoffs since 1998, so they have reason to be cynical. When I looked through the descriptions and scouting reports however, I found a common theme among the Bills' choices.

Not a single problem athlete. As a rule, the Bills drafted hardworking players who will put their nose to the grindstone, play with injury, and work well with their teammates. This has been the mantra of New England (who always escapes criticism from the experts because they've proven to be very effective at picking in the later rounds) for the past decade, and they've done pretty well.

Take the case of Eben Britton, the highest rated tackle still on the board before the Jags picked him with the 39th pick. His quote, "every team that passed on me will regret it for the rest of the history of their franchise'' says everything you need to know about why the Bills passed. The reason they traded Peters was essentially his poor attitude. (I'm better than two of the guys on the line, so why are they making more than me.) After which, he went out in 2008 and had an ordinary year, while demanding top dollar.

And when we talk about attitude, I'm not talking about confidence or a mean streak. Those are good things. (Center Eric Wood, who New England apparently loved, possesses both of those qualities) We're talking about arrogance, the kind that kills a locker room. Any one who has played team sports understands how important this is, and that a team can be greater than the sum of its parts if they play together. (Which makes the Terrell Owens deal even more mystifying)

The other theme behind the Bills' draft choices is that they chose football players over great athletic ability. (See Raiders, Oakland, for comparison) Even Maybin, still raw after essentially a one year career at Penn State, is considered an instinctive, smart, fluid player.

The second day of the draft looks even better to me, especially the tight end from Southern Miss., Shawn Nelson, who should immediately upgrade the passing game. The Bills will have a number of corners for their cover 2 zone in camp, and hopefully Maybin will address their pass rushing issues. The only question, really, is whether Langston Walker can hold up at left tackle. If he can, than this draft goes from good to great.

-Steve

The Rhythm of the Game

(Thanks to MLB for the pic)

Baseball has oft been considered the most literary of sports. With its history and pacing, it is easily the most cinematic of sports. Themes of life and culture blend seamlessly into the history of the game, whether it is Jackie Robinson breaking the colour barrier or Curt Flood challenging the owners and creating the most powerful union in sports. Despite this, many casual observers still believe that a game consists of 18 separate half-innings, that because baseball is not a "flow sport" ala soccer or hockey or even football to some extent, that there is no rhythm to it. And yet, for those of us who played it, it is easy to discern the rhythm to each game that is unique to the next. It is felt in the dugouts and enacted on the field nearly always to form.

Teams do come from behind to win games. That's true. The majority of games however, are not decided inning by inning, but by one or two moments that decide the outcome. Take last night's game against the White Sox. With runners on first and second, Aaron Hill hits a rocket up the middle that appears will put the Jays back in the lead. Except White Sox second baseman Brent Lillibridge makes a diving stab to his right to end the inning. A few innings later Vernon Wells hits what looks like a sure double, only to be robbed by an unbelievable catch by White Sox centerfielder Jerry Owens.

Contrast that with the Jays. Down 3-2, emergency starter Burress is facing White Sox backup catcher Corky Miller, a career .182 hitter. He walks Miller to load the bases, and two batters later Alexis Ramirez hits a grand slam. Although it is only the fifth inning, the game is over.

Winning in baseball is about winning the majority of these confrontations, and they are sometimes harder to spot than we first think. (It isn't simply about the hit that drives in the winning or go ahead runs) If you win the key moments, you control the rhythm of the game, and your record will reflect that. The Jays have the best record in baseball because in the first two weeks they have won the majority of these moments.

-Steve

Are the Playoffs a Possibility?

Another night. Another series win. It's hard to define what has gone right so far for the Blue Jays unexpected early rise to the top of the American League standings, because in many ways, they've had their share of bad breaks. With Romero's announced time on the 15 day DL yesterday, forty per cent of the starting staff is already down. There were a few prognosticators who picked the Jays to be this year's version of the Tampa Rays of 2008. But when I say a few, I mean, like, two.

And I'm not sure they were serious.

Toronto leads the American league in most offensive categories, and the staff ERA is under 4.00, so they are clearly playing as a well balanced ball club right now. The difference between this year and last year, however, can probably be found in their ability to make the most of their opportunities.

Case in point last night. Aaron Hill hits a two out double in the seventh, and Rios, who seems to be coming out of his slump, drills his first home run of the year to put the Jays up by three. An inning later, Rolen drives in another run with two outs to give the Jays a comfortable three run cushion heading into the ninth. This simply didn't happen last year. Will it continue? Well, they're a young team, and their success will largely depend on the kids, Snider and Lind, continuing to produce and spread the lineup. I can't remember a more balanced Toronto attack since the early 1990's, can you?

On wonders what their chances would have been had Marcum and McGowan been available this year. Either way, we'll enjoy the run for now.

-Steve