Gregg Zaun joins Sportsnet on a two year deal - Everyone together now.... "SURPRISE!"

by JohnnyG on Mar 14, 2011 5:59 PM EDT in Toronto Blue Jays News

In a move everyone could see coming a mile away, Gregg Zaun has agreed to terms to become a new baseball analyst for Rogers Sportsnet. Zaun has been doing work with Sportsnet and Jamie Campbell in the studio for the past few seasons during the playoffs. Personally I think he has done a great job as an analyst, I wish him the best and hope that this leads to a full time position in the booth either on Radio or TV.

In addition to his studio analyst duties, Zaun will also join the Radio team for 24 games. If you read between the lines, this likely means that Buck is still under contract with TBS and will be leaving to do weekend games with that network. Last year Cosentino filled in for most of those games with one being covered by Ashby. Since Cosentino is no longer with the network and Zaun is filling in on the radio I think it is safe to assume that Ashby will be our play by play guy for those weekend games.

This is great news all around, I think Zaun was great in the studio for the past few years and I think Ashby is one of the best (Really I do, said so in our latest Podcast).

Congratulations to Zaun and Rogers, and indirectly to Ashby who gets another crack on the TV gig.

Thanks to Patrick_M who posted the news as a fanshot on the site before we had a chance to get it posted. Thanks mate!

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For those unaware

I encourage all of you to visit Greggzaun.com which might be the greatest website on the internet. Do not skip the intro, it’s the best part.

I'm tired of pretending like I'm not bitching, a total fricking rock star from Mars, and people can't figure me out; they can't process me. I don't expect them to. You can't process me with a normal brain.

by craig in calgary on Mar 14, 2011 6:18 PM EDT reply actions

Bring your Z-Game!

I think you'll find I'm universally recognised as a mature and responsible adult.
Twitter is the thing with all the tweets...

by JohnnyG on Mar 14, 2011 6:27 PM EDT up reply actions

Heh, He still has a link to the Orioles on there.

I think you'll find I'm universally recognised as a mature and responsible adult.
Twitter is the thing with all the tweets...

by JohnnyG on Mar 14, 2011 6:28 PM EDT up reply actions

That site is very bad ass

Seriously Zaun, excellent job man and re-welcome to the broaddddcast.

by Czar123 on Mar 14, 2011 10:55 PM EDT up reply actions

Like uncle like nephew?

"We are all agreed that your theory is crazy. The question that divides us is whether it is crazy enough to have a chance of being correct."
- Niels Bohr

by Frag on Mar 14, 2011 7:58 PM EDT reply actions

Ashby and Jerry

are the best in the biz no doubt. Listening to Zaun on the radio today during Primetime Sports give me high hopes. He sounds like a baseball guy and should do well.

Excuse me, do these effectively hide my thunder?

by T.Dot_Bronco on Mar 14, 2011 9:53 PM EDT reply actions

he has a face for radio

by ayjackson on Mar 14, 2011 10:07 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

from A to Z

Ashby and Zaun doing the radio show? In the near future? Is that the plan? I like it.

by trich7170 on Mar 14, 2011 10:14 PM EDT reply actions

Once Jerry passes away a long long time from now...

by Minor Leaguer on Mar 14, 2011 10:32 PM EDT up reply actions

there's an audio clip of zaun on the fan today, he doesn't sound too high on the team,

mentions several times they don’t have enough “power arms”

by ClintB on Mar 15, 2011 12:29 AM EDT reply actions

wat

Onions Baby Onions

by ohmybosh on Mar 15, 2011 2:05 AM EDT up reply actions

Give him time

He admits he has not seen all the new players yet.

by Tbit on Mar 15, 2011 7:13 AM EDT up reply actions

Yes get more Burnetts thats the way to win!

Seriously it isn’t like we are going to go out and spend a fortune blocking a rotation spot with the arms in the system…. give it a year or two

I think you'll find I'm universally recognised as a mature and responsible adult.
Twitter is the thing with all the tweets...

by JohnnyG on Mar 15, 2011 9:23 AM EDT up reply actions

I think that’s a legitimate comment. How many “power” arms (94+ mph fastball) do we have in the system? Nobody close, and not many that I know about.

Not saying that’s a terrible thing, but I don’t think that’s an inappropriate comment at all.

Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose.

by Jevant on Mar 15, 2011 9:27 AM EDT up reply actions

Yeah but it has been given with context.

Drabek touches 95 with his fastball,
Deck, Stewart, Wojciechowski and Sanchez all hit 94
Alvaraz hits 97

There aren’t too many that hit 95 and over consistently anymore

I think you'll find I'm universally recognised as a mature and responsible adult.
Twitter is the thing with all the tweets...

by JohnnyG on Mar 15, 2011 9:58 AM EDT up reply actions

There aren’t too many that hit 95 and over consistently anymore

I’d argue that even in the past, few pitchers could throw that hard consistently.

Power is generally good, but it’s not the only way to be a good pitcher. What power gives is time for a hurler to mature into a pitcher. Some never do. Other pitchers lose velocity but gain guile and movement. Some manage to keep their power while developing other pitches. These pitchers become truly dominant.

by siggian on Mar 15, 2011 10:24 AM EDT up reply actions

Right. Seems to me that most of those guys touch those numbers, but are generally throwing in the low 90s.

Either way, it’s not a huge deal, I don’t think. I do agree it’s been given without context which makes it sound worse.

Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose.

by Jevant on Mar 15, 2011 10:37 AM EDT up reply actions

and what context did I not give it, go listen to it your self, he says the jays need

more power arms, it’s not like I"m trying to only half quote him and take something out of context. He say Romero and Cecil are more finesse pitchers, he does admit he doesn’t know the additions in the bullpen but specifically talks about a lack of power arms with the staters.

He also thinks the jays are a few years away from contending, he could be right.

by ClintB on Mar 15, 2011 11:00 AM EDT up reply actions

I didnt mean you.

I meant Zaun. Zaun has to qualify that, because I would argue that in the system we have power arms in the system.

Sure you can say the team doesn’t have enough plus arms to contend, but if you are planning to start Spring with only 3 locks + a rookie and then 2 or three guys fighting for the 5th spot, Of course things are not likely to turn out all roses.

I think you'll find I'm universally recognised as a mature and responsible adult.
Twitter is the thing with all the tweets...

by JohnnyG on Mar 15, 2011 11:13 AM EDT up reply actions

Hehe Just listened to Zauny on PTS yesterday and he said the losses of Downs and Tallet would really hurt the club.

Hard to argue with Downs…. but Man he must have missed Tallet pitching most of last year.

I think you'll find I'm universally recognised as a mature and responsible adult.
Twitter is the thing with all the tweets...

by JohnnyG on Mar 15, 2011 11:29 AM EDT up reply actions

Zaun sounds like he has no clue

Really? Sure we lost Downs, but we also gained Dotel, Francisco and Rauch…

Onions Baby Onions

by ohmybosh on Mar 15, 2011 12:06 PM EDT up reply actions

He did state that he hasn’t had a chance to watch the new arms that we “Reloaded” with.

I think you'll find I'm universally recognised as a mature and responsible adult.
Twitter is the thing with all the tweets...

by JohnnyG on Mar 15, 2011 1:27 PM EDT up reply actions

I was meaning Zaun without the context as well, sorry for the confusion there.

Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose.

by Jevant on Mar 15, 2011 11:41 AM EDT up reply actions

all good now, thanks :)

by ClintB on Mar 15, 2011 12:16 PM EDT up reply actions

the highest average fastball in the league in a given year is only 95mph

almost everybody “sits” below that.

Someone who “sits” at 93-94 is a power arm. Drabek, Stewart, Wojo and Alvarez are power arms. It’s my understanding that Sanchez and Syndergaard are developing that way too.

For a lefty, 92-93 consistently is probably a power lefty.

by ayjackson on Mar 15, 2011 5:47 PM EDT up reply actions

Zaun knows the AL East all too well

I really liked his comments because to play in the AL East you need power pitching. Anyone remember that game we had with Shaun Marcum facing Tampa Bay, where he coughed up the lead in the late innings. I’d argue that is what you’ll get if we keep relying on finesse pitchers, so I would be in favor of more power arms.

Look at the rotations of Boston, New York, and Tampa, which all feature pitchers that can get it up there. Thankfully we have pitchers coming up like Stewart, Drabek and Alvarez which will hopefully help us compete in the near future.

by B-R_O-C on Mar 15, 2011 12:12 PM EDT reply actions

Anyone remember that game we had with Shaun Marcum facing Tampa Bay, where he coughed up the lead in the late innings

because power pitchers never blow leads in the late innings? not quite a QED there.

Marcum has a career 3.17 ERA against Tampa, btw. And almost a 4 K/BB ratio.

to compete in the AL East you need good pitchers, not power pitchers. If anything groundballers are the main advantage because of the number of hitter-friendly parks (which is one reason to be excited about Drabek, Stewart, and Alvarez)

"Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our closed rooms... The game of ball is glorious." - Walt Whitman

by hugo on Mar 15, 2011 12:31 PM EDT up reply actions

For once, I agree with hugo... ;-)

to compete in the AL East you need good pitchers, not power pitchers. If anything groundballers are the main advantage because of the number of hitter-friendly parks

- that is so very true.

As for Yukkie “pitchers that can get it up there” – Sure, You have CC. But then, Burnett is another one. Would I take Burnett over Romero? No. Over Cecil? No. Heck, I’m not sure I’d take him over Scrabble.

Give me 5 finesse pitchers every day, and add to it a catcher who can hit without the help of PEDs, and I’m good to go.

Festina Lente

by HESS2479 on Mar 15, 2011 2:11 PM EDT up reply actions