July 5, 2007

RICCIARDI IS A GOOD EVALUATOR BUT A LOUSY BUILDER

      This season we have finally seen the fruits of JP Ricciardi’s supposed drafting acumen.  The former Director of Player Personnel for Oakland was hired back in 2001 and had been expected to use his history and his skills at evaluating talent and eventually turn a moribund Toronto Blue Jay franchise into an annual contender.  While we have seen some positive aspects of his evaluating skills--draft picks Shaun Marcum, Adam Lind, Casey Janssen, Jesse Litsch, and Curtis Thigpen are contributing to the major league club this year and youngsters, acquired through trades, like Jeremy Accardo, Scott Downs, Jason Frasor have established themselves—and Aaron Hill is a developing all-star—the club still continues to stumble around in mediocrity.  The reason?  While Ricciardi is proving that he is adept at spotting young talent is also proving that he is far less than adept at building a contending club. 

       Saying that his ability at building a team is less than adept is being kind. So far he has annually stuck his hands in Ted Rogers pockets and then proceeded to frivolously fritter all the money away.  He has built a one-dimensional line-up filled with swing and missers.  What that means is that instead of crafting an offense that contains a variety of hitters, he has built an offense that lives and dies by the long ball.  Instead of finding middle of the order hitters that can drive in runs with singles, he has hitters who strike out with men on base.  This is a club that is at the bottom of the league in hitting with men on base.  Why?  Because in crucial situations pitchers concentrate on working to weaknesses of hitters, and with Troy Glaus and Frank Thomas in the middle of this line-up—two hitters that are mirror images of each other—they are able to exploit their long swings.  When a single can bring in a run the Jays send up two hitters with sizeable holes in their swings that will strike out in excess of 100 times each. 

       Now, it wouldn’t be so bad if a few complete hitters surrounded Thomas and Glaus, but Vernon Wells—even when swinging well—doesn’t walk enough, and Alex Rios is still developing.  Lyle Overbay is the closest this club has to a complete hitter, but he still strikes out too much.  Ricciardi believes too much in home runs.  He wants home runs at every position…but when the home runs dry up, which they do regularly, the club can’t rely on any other facet of the game to produce runs.  The roster has very little speed, very few contact hitters, and a frustrating inability to create runs if they can’t produce a flurry of hits. 

       Ricciardi has been fortunate this season in that the young pitchers, not expected to contribute this year, have risen up and become major leaguers.  Marcum and Dustin McGowan have realized their potential and now look to be cornerstones, along with Roy Halladay, of a very strong rotation for years to come.  When Ryan returns next season the bullpen, one of the best in baseball this year, will be that much better—especially if Brandon League gets his fastball back.  But if this club continues to be among the league leaders in leaving men on base, and continues to flounder at the bottom of the league in clutch hitting then the quality pitching will continue to be wasted. 

      We have been listening for weeks to the hyperbole coming from the Blue Jays that this team will eventually hit.  We are more than halfway through the season, and if they haven’t hit by now then they likely won’t the rest of the way.   This club needs an adjustment to its line-up. 

       The best-case scenario is that the Blue Jays trade Glaus before the deadline.  The likely destination would be the Angels who seek a power bat to hit behind Vladimir Guerrero and can use Glaus as their designated hitter—Glaus is far too slow and far too beat up to play in the field anymore.  There is little doubt that Glaus would wave his no-trade clause to return to the team he began with and the team with which he won a World Series.  If the Jays could acquire a young infielder to replace Glaus—there isn’t a ready replacement in their system—then the deal would be beneficial.  It would also open up some financial flexibility for Ricciardi to go out and get a proper hitter—one that won’t strike out in crucial situations.  Perhaps they should send Thigpen back to AAA to learn how to be a third baseman.  This kid looks like he has a major league bat—he just doesn’t have a major league position.  Either way Glaus isn’t hitting enough to compensate for all his other flaws. 

       If Ricciardi wants his club to finally compete for a championship he needs to get his head out of his Claven and add some pieces to the puzzle that are a little different—and stop putting a line-up of statues on the field.

QUICK HITS…Look for these major deals to be rumoured throughout the summer--Nets moving Nenad Kristic and Richard Jefferson to Indiana for Jermaine O’Neal, Kevin Garnett to Phoenix for Shawn Marion and pieces, and Pau Gasol to Chicago for some combination of Joakim Noah, Ben Gordon, Andres Nocioni, Chris Duhon or Tyrus Thomas. 

…The reason A.J. Burnett is hurt all the time is because his curve ball takes such a toll on his elbow and his shoulder.  If Burnett wants to become a pitcher that finishes seasons he has to come up with another off-speed pitch and just use the curve ball on occasion.

…John Gibbons does a nice job with his line-up—rotating players in and out, to get the most from them.  He just doesn’t have the same skill at handling his pitching staff.  Was he the only one alive who didn’t realize that problems could ensue if he left Burnett out there for 130 pitches?  And what are the chances that he will over utilize Downs, Janssen and Accardo this year the way he overused BJ Ryan last year?  And we know how that turned out.

…As little as the fanfare is for Barry Bonds and his pursuit of the home run record it is unfortunate that Craig Biggio reaching the 3000 hit mark didn’t receive the proper amount of publicity.  In an era when there is so much that is bad about sports Biggio is everything that is good about it.  A hard-working, intense competitor who is team oriented and has spent his entire career with one team; Biggio is a first ballot hall-of-famer.  The Hall, and baseball in general, deserves more guys like Craig Biggio.

…Kudos go out to Gary Bettman.   Hey Gary, you lost a season to get a salary cap to ensure the good health of the league’s lesser clubs and then within a couple of years push the cap so high that only the more solid clubs can afford star players.  Once again we will see a separation between the haves and the have-nots.  And what happened to the offensive explosion we were supposed to see in the NEW NHL?  Gary, your playoffs were BORING.

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