Tuesday Banterings

by Tom Dakers on Jul 27, 2010 12:02 PM EDT in Toronto Blue Jays Analysis

You would think, with the trade deadline just a few days away, that there would be stuff to write about this morning. Nope.

We could talk about rumors I suppose. Let's see, Scott Downs could be traded to the Yankees or the Red Sox. Or perhaps the Phillies. Maybe the Twins. Could be the Angels. Actually, just list any team that is in the playoff hunt. I guess we didn't learn anything there. I'll admit I get bored with trade rumors, half of them are made up in some reporter's head.

Various reporters, who feel their job is more team spokesperson than news reporter, have stated that Anthopoulos wants too much for Downs. They did the same when Roy Halladay was up trade. I really don't know what the gain is for saying that. Alex has to try to get as much as he thinks a player is worth. In Down's case, would it hurt the team if he wasn't traded? Not really. We'd get something back when/if he signs with another team. So Buster Olney and all other reporters that think the Jays should be happy to take anything the Red Sox or Yankees offer, shut up.

In the Globe and Mail, Robert Macleod has a piece on Alex Anthopoulos. It basically can be summed up in four words: "found nothing, reporting same." Here is a taste:

And there's no point asking him if he foresees whether the Blue Jays of the future will be built around speed or power, team defence or pitching.

He's not sure.

"I don't think we'd ever tie ourselves down to a specific style," he said. "And I say that because you never know what will become available to you in a trade, you don't know what will become available to you in free agency.

"You have to be able to adapt."

Surprise, Alex wants to get the best players possible.

Jeff Blair has a nice bit on Andre Dawson. Dawson was one of my favorite players, when I first got into baseball. Speed, power, defense. He didn't walk much but then what 10 year old wants to watch a player take a walk. I wonder what kind of career he would have had if he had good knees. I enjoyed his speech. Glad he mentioned his Expo teammates. I liked the line about Warren Crowmartie calling Gary Carter 'Teeth', because when the cameras turned on, that's all you could see of Carter.

Congratulations Hawk, glad you are in. Now I have to make another trip to the Hall.

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Best part of Dawson's speech?

His Tie..

I’m on the fence on the Hawk being a HOF’er. If it takes sports writers 9 years to talk themselves to into enducting him, maybe he isn’t a HOF’er. If he got 45% of the votes in 2002, and then 77% this year. What exactly has changed? I just don’t get it. Same with Jim Rice.

I think guys like Dawson, Rice and Raines should be in the Hall of Very Good.

by craig in calgary on Jul 27, 2010 12:31 PM EDT reply actions

Knees, knees, my kingdom for a set of knees.

IF only the Hawk’s knees had lasted well into the second half of his career he would be more than a Hall of Famer – he’d be one of the all-time greats.

by Mylegacy on Jul 27, 2010 12:35 PM EDT reply actions

I personally don’t think Hawk should be in the Hall of Fame, but I don’t see the gulf as big as with guys like Rice. Dawson’s numbers and his era at the very least make him a guy near the cusp.

As for the trade talks, much like with the Halladay trade, I’m very impressed by Anthopoulos’ approach, regardless of the outcome. He’s openly said that part of his reason for not discussing trades is that rumours from the front office effects the players, and he’s not willing to jerk them around with leaking second and third hand information. I think he’s being very smart and in time, that will pay dividends in trades and free agent signings, when things are very close and factors like the club culture are considered.

It’s equally heartening not to see a fire sale. The Jays are as confident that they can either recoup value in trade or in the draft, which means they don’t have to lower the bar unless they feel it’s in their favour. Marginal AAAA prospects or fifth man starters are the preferred value for relievers, and that won’t shift the Jays. There are a lot of teams angling for the post season that have weak bullpens. They’ll either pony up, or they weren’t serious about giving us real value at any point.

by dexfarkin on Jul 27, 2010 12:54 PM EDT reply actions

Yup, kudos to AA for how he conducts himself – ie, discreetly – and for keeping his eye on the ball in terms of what he wants to achieve with any deals and not dealing just to deal. There’s no need for a fire sale and we can happily take draft picks for guys we hold on to that then leave via free agency. To my mind the only players where there would be some benefit to making a midseason deal would be Overbay and Buck or Molina – in that it would free up space to get more playing time for Wallace and JP in Toronto this year (ie, beyond just September callups). But even then the deal’s got to make sense – ie, better than the draft picks we’d get in the offseason.

by jabalong on Jul 27, 2010 9:32 PM EDT up reply actions

I love and hate listening to trade rumors

I love it because you want to be informed.
I hate it because you get information served on a crapstick just because some reporter wants to be heard. so basically you get some reporter making crap up based on some logical fantasy and they put it on a stick and serve it.

It is all pathetic because you know fans will listen to trade rumors and just eat the crap no matter how bad it tastes. You know fans listen to it because every so often you hear some random fan make a remark about how we should have traded this guy for that guy and such. One of these days I am just going to turn around and tell someone to quit eating crapsticks.

by Joey P on Jul 27, 2010 1:23 PM EDT reply actions

Raines deserves to be in there.

Dawson not so much. Even when he was healthy he never hit for much OBP.

by Arakasi on Jul 27, 2010 2:29 PM EDT reply actions

Actually Dawson's OBP

Was mostly hitting – he didn’t walk for much OBP though

-- Gravity is not just the law, it's also a good idea

by mathesond on Jul 27, 2010 7:10 PM EDT up reply actions

Raines does, but Dawson was a hell of a raker. That’s what makes it a little difficult. He was an offensive guy at the time you were supposed to be an offense guy. I can take his induction in a large part due to the period he played, and he was a hugely talented ballplayer.

by dexfarkin on Jul 28, 2010 1:36 AM EDT up reply actions