Monday Bantering: Catching up on a busy few days

We were having a very slow, very boring off-season and then I go away for a few days to deal with parental issues and everything happens at once. Let’s catch up a bit:

Gregg Zaun was fired by Sportsnet

I’d take a little glee in this if it wasn’t for the fact that women (many women by the sound of things) had to be mistreated for this to happen. It is irritating that this was going on for so long and Sportsnet turned a blind eye to it.

Reading the stories on it, it seems that women felt that they couldn’t go to management with their problems with Zaun. That’s not a very healthy working environment.

It will be interesting to see if there is any collateral damage coming out of this. There had to be people that knew about his behavior and laughed it off, or joined in with it.

In particular, I’m curious about what will happen with Jamie Campbell. He and Zaun seemed so close. Beyond working together on the Jays game programs, they hosted parties together and did a number of other things together. It’s hard to believe that he won’t take any collateral fire on this.

I don’t think it is out of the realm of possibility that Campbell didn’t know about that side of Zaun. I’ve known some lousy people who worked very hard to keep one person they respect on their good side. They want never to show their ‘darker side’ to that person because, I guess, what he or she feels about them is so important. They know the things they are doing are wrong, so they want to keep that one person on their side. Campbell could be that person to Zaun. Maybe. Campbell seems like such a good guy that I don’t want to believe he knew anything about it all.

Anyway, get your resume in order, there is, at least, one job open at RSN (please don’t give the job to Barker). It seems the qualities needed are be able to yell and have opinions that haven’t changed for the last fifty years. Thankfully, now a quality not allowed is abuse.

Blue Jays non-tender Ryan Goins

And Tom Koehler, but we knew that was coming.

I’m not a huge fan of Goins, but I have enjoyed watching him play defense these past few years. Every now and then, I have to remind myself that baseball is entertainment. Goins was very entertaining, on defense. I think, what I’ll miss the most was how quick he was on the tag on base stealers.

He’s been around long enough that I have an attachment to him.

But, it has been obvious that the team needs to have better replacements ready for when Devon Travis and Troy Tulowitzki go down with injuries.

I’d imagine some team will pick Goins up, thinking that they could get him to hit like there are RISP at all times. If your team had middle infielders who both play 150 games a year, I’d take a shot at Goins as a utility infielder. I have a hard time imagining he’ll get 450 Plate appearance this next season, but he could be a useful part of an MLB team.

Jays trade for Aledmys Diaz

There isn’t much to say beyond I like the deal. He won’t give us the defense that Goins did, but he should, at least, be reasonable with the bat. He’s going to make a bit of money, nice to see the Jays didn’t cheap out.

J.B. Woodman hit .240/.320/.378 in 96 games in Lansing. At 22 years old he was a little old for the level. It isn’t impossible for him to become a MLB player, but he’d have to get hitting now.

The Jays still need another utility infielder, someone who can also play the outfield. Someone who is a surer thing with the bat than Diaz, but I think Diaz is a good start to upgrading.

The Yankees hire Aaron Boone as manager

Because, of course, moving someone from the TV booth to the dugout always works out. Buck Martinez (among others) proves this.

I’m sure Boone is a nice guy (if he wasn’t he wouldn’t have been hired) and that he knows baseball, but if I’m running things, I would make him manage in the minors and learn how quick the game moves when you are dealing with all the decisions a manager has to make.

Course, I’d also make him play OOTP Baseball or Diamond Mind Baseball or some other baseball simulator. Pilots learn on flight simulators, I don’t see why managers don’t try it.

Anyway, it might work out, managing isn’t brain surgery, you can kind of pick it up as you go along, but, if I was a Yankees’ fan, I’d want someone with some experience.

Minor League Ball thinks Max Pentecost will be taken in the Rule 5 draft

Ok, this isn’t something I missed when I was away, but I wanted to point out this post on ‘Intriguing names unprotected for the Rule 5 draft’.

About Pentecost:

Pentecost brings a hit tool to the catching position that is hard to find and projects kindly (albeit dangerously optimistically) to his favorite player Buster Posey. Because of the injuries, he played a lot of DH and first base this year but continued to pounce on the ball at the plate.

If not for some hellish luck, Pentecost may have been in Toronto by now.

Instead, he’ll more than likely be picked high in the Rule 5 Draft and whatever team selects him will probably find a reason to stash him on the 60-day disabled list to extend their rights on him. Definitely one to keep a keen eye on.

I’d think on grabbing him too. He’s got upside and that’s the type of player that gets attention in the draft.

Update

Right after I hit post I saw this apology from Zaun:

Statement and Apology from Gregg Zaun Issued December 4, 2017

Without any exception whatsoever, I want to issue an absolute apology for any harm or distress which may have been caused by my comments with any female colleagues over the recent past. It has never been my intention to give offense to anyone.

I have done a lot of soul searching over the last few days and know that my ignorance of the harm caused by my language does not excuse it – for which I accept responsibility. While I am well recognized for my unfiltered criticism of others within the sports world, which has made many critics and enemies – in ignorance I allowed a similar attitude to influence all aspects of my lifestyle, causing distress for female colleagues.

For more than ten years now, I have had the privilege of working with the most amazing and talented people and I am agonized to learn that they were affected negatively by me. I apologize deeply to all my colleagues and friends for any offense. I cherish and am proud of our achievements working together.

In the past, when brought to my attention that I demonstrated poor judgement or language and gave offence, I sought to change my behaviour and apologize for any hurt caused. My remorse in the activities drawn to my attention by Rogers this week affecting unnamed individuals, is that it was never raised before and I naively believed that my language and behaviour were not considered offensive. I regret my blindness to the impact of my actions that I would have corrected at the time, rather than allowing the harm felt to continue to fester.

I have been blindsided and emotionally gutted by the allegations and will continue to be regretful.

As I look to the future, I am fortunate enough to be surrounded and supported by family, close friends, and colleagues on whom I will continue to rely and thank for their support.

I think he did a good job on the apology. I might suggest that he shouldn’t have been ‘blindsided’ but it is a real apology....a rare thing these days. The line about ‘it was never my intention to give offense to anyone’, I might argue that one too, but it’s a minor point.