This is from today’s Toronto Sun, in a classy move from ex-Blue Jay Roy Halladay.

And really, it’s Toronto that has a lot to be thankful for. Not for the overall performance of the Jays, of course, but for Halladay’s effort and consistency over the majority of 12 years with the team. At least the fans had a reason to watch the Blue Jays play, at least with Roy on the mound. And there was always a special buzz in the often-quiet Dome when Halladay pitched, regardless of Toronto’s (likely low) spot in the standings or (non-existent) place in the playoff picture.

When Roy was on the mound, you were in for a clinic. He always knew what pitch to throw and constantly carved up the league’s best hitters. Patience got them nothing but 1-2 counts, while aggressive swingers were in for an easy ground out. Innings were quick and the bullpen had a nice view of the action. That’s because they generally had the night off, save perhaps for the closer. Complete games were ordinary, with others crossing into unbelievable – take Halladay’s 1-0, 10-inning win over Detroit a couple years ago.

So while one of Toronto’s most storied athletes moves on, Blue Jays fans should be thanking him. Yes, we’re screwed, but he did his best. The incoming prospects have a chance to legitimately improve this team, but the trade will linger over the Jays. Fans will cringe while this young team rebuilds, while cheering on Halladay as he pitches Philadelphia into the World Series.

At least I hope they do.

If so, Toronto will have a big-time sports star (no, not Mo Peterson) leave on good terms for the first time in a long time. We all know how Vince Carter worked out, while even Mats Sundin was booed by a portion of Leaf nation who felt his no-trade clause hurt the franchise. If Chris Bosh leaves, many will resent him… and so on.

So it’ll be nice to have a guy in Halladay who goes on to be successful, while remaining attached to the Blue Jays organization. When he comes to town, half the Dome will probably cheer for the Phillies, and when he goes into the Hall, Toronto will share in the moment.

But it still won’t be easy to stomach this for the next while…

So Toronto Fans- WE have seen our share of stars bolt the big smoke. Each one hurts, some more than others. Which image of an ex Toronto sports star hurts the most? Roy Halladay in Philadelphia Phillies Red or Mats Sundin in Vancouver Blue/Green

OR

According to media reports, including the Toronto Sun’s Bob Elliott, one of the players involved in the Roy Halladay deal has failed their physical.

Initially, it was thought to be Canadian pitcher Phillippe Aumont, who is heading to Philly from Seattle. Now reports say that it’s outfielder Michael Taylor, who will be heading to Oakland via Toronto. The thinking here is the deal gets done anyway, unless the problem is serious. And if top prospect Kyle Drabek is the guy with the problem, it’s possible the whole thing falls apart.

Still, Philadelphia’s GM Ruben Amaro Jr. is in love with Roy and he’ll do everything in his power to see this deal through. Likewise, the Jays will be out of options if this trade turns sour.

There’s simply too much at stake to kill this deal, but things don’t look as clear as they did this morning.

Law will be discussing the 3-way Roy Halladay deal with Seattle and Philly, along with Toronto’s rumoured follow-up deal with Oakland to land Brett Wallace.

He’s the guy I trust most to give an informed opinion, and this is a must-listen for anyone looking for the latest on this situation.

“We wanted to trade Roy and Roy wanted to be traded (in the summer), as he does now. I think there’s no secret that he would like to be traded,”

I don’t care if it’s true or not, but can someone please tell Montgomery. Burns’s boy Smithers to crawl back into this little hole and shut the hell up. If we want to hear from JP Ricciardi, we will let you know.

I have little respect for the guy as a GM and even less for him now that he is out of the game.

Change clearly is in the air. Let’s see:

First the Maple Leafs. How many contracts are expiring at year’s end? How many players currently on the roster do you expect to be here for training camp next year? No matter what is being said publicly, if the Leafs continue at the same clip as they are right now for the rest of the season, there will be tremendous pressure to change the coaching staff. The only thing that could make that easier for Burke is if the US Olympic team shits the bed for what is perceived as coaching errors.

Toronto Blue Jays. Good, bad or indifferent, AA is going to overhaul his roster too. Does that mean they will be any better? Who knows. Beeston and company aren’t exactly instilling confident feelings in me, that’s for sure. From my perspective, it’s pretty damn telling when trading Roy Halladay is seen as a positive thing if only for the the hope that there will be multiple usable assets coming in return. Add to that the fact that this will be Cito’s last season as manager and well, change is coming. We may have a better idea of how fast this coming Monday when the annual derby of players begins.

Toronto Raptors: Oy! No, really, Oy! Brian Colangelo’s boys lost their 5th in a row tonight and it was UGLY. How ugly, they gave up 146 points! Ummmm, wasn’t the plan to keep Bosh here to place him in a winning environment???? The only reason the seseason isn’t a total disaster so far is that there are worse teams in the league right now (thank god for the NJ NETS). The Raptors are 7-13 after 20 games, 8 games back from the leader in their division and are in second place!! At this pace change will have to be considered by Colangelo and soon. Chris Bosh- who has been on fire so far this season put up 2 points tonight.

Toronto Argos: 3 and 15. I am not going to pretend that I know the first thing about this team. I do know that their owners aren’t going to put up with the results they have seen in the last couple of years. A product like this won’t sell anywhere near the tickets they are hoping to sell regardless of where the team plays.

Fan 590: William Houston broke the news today that Nelson Millman is leaving the station that he built for greener pastures at Sportsnet. While Houston correctly says that any rumored change is merely speculation one has to think that it’s better than a 50:50 bet. In the past couple of months Millman has had to terminate some long time employees including Norm Rumack. Millman is a people person. He likes and supports his team. Change wouldn’t come easy with him still at the fan and it is likely to be easier for a new person to make changes that Nelson would rather not make. The challenge for whomever the new boss is will be talent location. This isn’t exactly a market full of young talent. Getting rid of any of the current on air personalities is easy. Finding better alternatives in this market right now will be more difficult. Either way, anyone not named Mccown should be worried at the Fan.

Houston also mentioned that Steve McCalister has left the Globe and Mail to run Yahoo Sports Canada’s sports team. That is fascinating. For the first time an internet portal in this country is taking sports seriously. Be certain to keep an eye on that change.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the health of Maple Leafs goalie Gustavsson. While there is lots of speculation out there right now, it is just that. In either event there will be a change in net and let’s hope that he is okay soon not for hockey sake but for his own health.

TSM

@yyzsportsmedia

One game by itself doesn’t say a whole hell of a lot does it? So I am not going to hit the alarm or panic button as many of the Toronto media suggest we nutty Leaf fans do. However, watching tonight’s game was like going in back in time to when the Maple Leafs were coached by Paul Maurice. They looked totally disinterested in the game, unprepared and unwilling to do whatever it took to win. From my seats at the ACC, it was a sad effort by the blue and white to say the least.

A couple of weeks ago, a Boston Red Sox pitcher plunked Adam Lind with a pitch. The next night Roy Halladay plunked David Ortiz. Payback, the code or whatever else you want to call it. You hit one of ours, we hit one of yours.

Brian Burke said his teams would have: “Proper levels of pugnacity, testosterone, truculence and belligerence” there wasn’t evidence of that tonight.

Viktor Stalberg get laid out by Anton Volchekno and who payed him back???????? I mean every kid who ever played hockey knows that when one of your guys gets hit, someone goes after that guy or another skill guy on the other side. It’s just the way it works. Doesn’t mean you have to kill someone, or injury them. Rosehill, Exleby, Orr, Komisarek were all in the lineup tonight- none delivered. The guys who Burke identified as the plumbers clearly left their plungers at home tonight.

From the stands, and it is one game, 2 things were very evident. First, their is a leadership void so far. The Leafs still lack an identity. They still don’t have the one guy who can pick them up and put them on their backs. They don’t have the guy who can throw the big hit and get them going. Second, for whatever reason, Luke Schenn is wound up sooooooooooooo tight. No idea why but it looks like he is feeling the stress big time. He is clearly fighting the puck, and a result he is turning it over repeatedly.

My overall take away. Despite a lengthy training camp, the new guys aren’t yet comfortable and the team doesn’t yet have leaders. Until those two issues are addressed, it’s going to be difficult to win games like tonight. With Stalberg out, we really had no offensive spark. Gustavsson played well enough to win. The Leafs did look very comfortable in front of him, way more so than in front of Toskala.

A trend? A pattern? Time to panic? No… Something to keep an eye on? ABSOLUTELY. As I said when they acquired Kessel, the pressure on Ron Wilson just got amped up a notch or three. A few more efforts (or lack there of) like tonight and, well you know…..

By the way, little TSM had the time of his life. He soaked it all in and can’t wait to go back. He, of course wants to see the Penguings play the Leafs next time. Anyone interested in a road trip to Pittsburgh???

TSM

@yyzsportsmedia

Courtesy of the National Post, here are interview sessions with Vernon Wells, Aaron Hill, Scott Downs, Roy Halladay, Rod Barajas and Lyle Overbay. Doc predictably says absolutely nothing – the rest is worth a read.

And before you start, don’t miss this gem from Vernon:

Q: Would you say 50%, 80%, 100% [of players are upset with Gaston]?

A: (Laughs) One of those percents, yes.

Wow. More to come.

VERNON WELLS:

There are issues, obviously. If something obviously of that magnitude comes out, obviously there’s some truth behind what comes up. It’s tough for something like that to be stirred up and completely be fabricated. I think some of the issues that go on need to stay in here and be taken care of as a group. That’s something that will obviously play itself out over these next three days and over the course of the off-season.

Q: If there is a delegation appointed to speak to management, will you be one of the leaders?

Whatever goes on, obviously yeah, I’m going to be in the middle of it. Doc [Roy Halladay] and I have been here for the longest time and we’ve gone through our share of managers and coaches. Whatever situations need to go on, and whatever talks need to be made, obviously we’ll be at the forefront of those meetings and discussions.

Q: Has it been since Day 1 of this season, or has there been a moment in time during the course of the season that broke the camel’s back?

Over the course of eight months you’re going to have issues arise. You’re going to have problems and complications. You listen to guys around the clubhouse, and you listen to guys talk, and you listen to different people’s situations, and just different things have kind of gone in a downward spiral just throughout the whole year …

Q: What can you tell us about the issues that you refer to?

Those issues, I’m not in a position to go out and tell other people’s stories and go out and try to bash Cito. It’s not about bashing anybody. It’s about issues that we’re having as an organization, and issues that need to be taken care of as an organization.

Q: Have you attempted to talk to Cito about these issues?

I have not yet. I think that obviously the time is going to come. For some of these discussions I was going to wait until this weekend and kind of clear the air and get some things out there, probably from both sides. I’m sure he has things to say. I’m sure guys have things to say. It remains to be seen how that conversation’s going to go.

Q: Is it your personal intent to do that one on one, or to have a meeting? What was your plan?

This is all kind of happening kind of quickly, to be honest with you. I’ve talked with a couple guys and we’re trying to go about this as professionally as possible. Once we figure that out, obviously you guys will find out since you’ve already found out this much.

Q: Have these issues ever been as bad in this clubhouse during your time here?

No.

Q: Is that’s what driving you guys to act?

What course of action we’re going to take, we don’t know. We’re a family. We go through issues. We have to figure out how to do this in a family manner. Like I said, we’re not out to bash anyone in this situation. It’s a touchy situation. It’s something that obviously most of us, if not all of us in this clubhouse, have not gone through something like this …

Q: This could be interpreted as the players blaming the manager for a season that didn’t go too well. That’s not necessarily your point, is it?

Is it my point? I’ve sucked, period. It’s not his fault, it’s not anybody’s fault. It’s my fault. So as you look around a team full of guys and listen as things go on, this is not about winning and losing. This is about family issues. Obviously, if something comes out and we’ve won our last nine out of 10 games, it’s not about the winning and losing.

Q: Is it about communication?

I think there’s been communication issues with some guys. I think there’s been different issues with different guys. That’s one of them, yes.

Q: Are the problems in the relationship to the point where it would be difficult for this team to play under Cito next year?

I can’t answer that question. I don’t know who’s going to be here next year. I don’t know what moves are going to be made. It all boils down to us playing better on the field. It’s the 25 guys that are willing and committed to trying to get better, and kind of leaving the extracurricular activities to the side and try to concentrate on winning ball games.

Q: When you said earlier about clearing the air, do you see it as a large meeting or a smaller group getting together for that purpose?

I’m sure there’ll be a meeting and I’m sure there’ll be a large group. Like I said, this is a family. We’re all in this together, good or bad, and the discussions will probably be had with pretty much the entire group.

Q: Who will you meet with?

Don’t know yet. I’ve spent pretty much the day with Aaron [Hill] and Rod [Barajas], and we’ve all kind of just been like, ‘What are we going to do? What’s going to happen, especially once we get to the field, and how’s it going to be the next three days with all this coming up?’ The details I don’t know yet.

Q: Have you talked to general manager J.P. Ricciardi or interim president Paul Beeston about your concerns?

No.

Q: Have you talked to them at any point during season about these issues?

No, not really. It’s kind of just been talked about in here …

Q: Have a lot of the younger players been asking you questions to have you maybe guide them through what’s probably maybe a unique experience for them?

I’ve talked to a lot of people on this team, and they’ve all had a lot of questions. Obviously, a lot of those questions I can’t repeat. It’s something that we’re trying to deal with.

Q: Are you the go-to guy for players who have these issues? Are you about the first person to hear from everyone?

I don’t know. Maybe. Some guys, yes, I know. We’re going to have issues. That’s the bottom line. It’s just a matter of trying to keep those issues to a minimum and try to keep them from boiling over. Obviously, unfortunately it’s gotten to the point where things have kind of boiled over.

Q: Would you say 50%, 80%, 100% [of players are upset with Gaston]?

(Laughs) One of those percents, yes.

AARON HILL:

I don’t really have much to say.

Q: Are you part of a clear leadership group?

The guys who are going to be here the next couple years, I think everybody’s a part of it. This is our team. The guys that we’ve had the whole year, we’ve stuck together and we’ve done a great job with it, too. We’ve got a great group of guys and maybe we’ll get together and see how things work out.

Q: Get together with?

I don’t know. That’s something we’ll talk about.

Q: You said the players have done a great job with “it”? What do you mean by “it”?

Great job, just staying together. It really hasn’t even, no matter what has happened, it hasn’t separated any of the guys. We’ve got a tight-knit group of guys and I think it’s kept us pretty strong. It’s good to see, but you hate anything like this coming out. You have to deal with it.

Q: Is the story true?

I think there are some things that need to be addressed, yes.

Q: Is this something that needs to be addressed before next year?

Obviously, the story is out, so I’m sure there will be some things that will come up over the next month or so. I don’t think there’s any rush to get anything out. But, we’ll see.

Q: Are these different opinions, or is it one voice from clubhouse?

I think everybody pretty much feels the same, for the most part. Everything that’s gone on with the team, we’ve stayed together. It’s one of those things where as a whole I think they’ll stay together …

Q: Could this turn into a good thing in terms of veteran guys stepping up and showing leadership?

I guess, yes. It’s just something that I guess you don’t really like anything coming out like that, but in that sense, yeah, some guys will speak out and take control of the team. So it’s something we’ve been lacking, so I guess it would be a possible thing for guys to grab this team and go in the right direction.

Q: Do you expect a small meeting? A group meeting?

I think it’s up to everybody. I think the door will probably be open to whoever wants to be a part of it and we’ll see. Everything’s public now, so I’m sure you guys will know about it in the next couple days.

Q: Is the relationship salvageable between the manager and players?

I think any relationship is salvageable, but on both sides there’s got to be a little give and take. From that part of it, we’ll see what happens.

ROD BARAJAS:

Q: Were you talking with Aaron Hill and Vernon Wells after this came out?

We were. We didn’t come to a conclusion on how this should be approached and what should be said. It caught me by surprise. I wasn’t expecting to see anything written down. I’m just so surprised from reading that.

Q: What are the issues?

I’m not going to get into details on what the issues are. On any team, you’re always going to have issues and they’re going to come up, and as players and teammates you try to figure out ways to deal with them. I’m not going to sit here and say this is what’s wrong or that’s what’s wrong, or this needs to change. For me, I’m not in a situation to sit here and criticize people and give reasons for why things aren’t going the way we think they should.

Q: Is this the most upset a clubhouse has been in your experience?

No, I’ve been on teams where relationships with managers and players aren’t always the best and that easily makes for an unhappy clubhouse and usually you’re not going to have too much success on the field. It happens. Probably to a lot more teams than people think. Usually it doesn’t come out. It stays in house.

Q: Do certain things need to change for you to come back the Jays next year? (Barajas is a free agent after the season.)

Honestly, I haven’t thought about that. Like I’ve been saying before in the past, I love the guys in this clubhouse. I have a good time when I come to the field. I enjoy my teammates’ company and for me that’s the main thing — to be somewhere where the guys who I play with, the guys who I go out on the field with, I enjoy being around and are positive influences in the clubhouse.

Q: Do these issues need to be resolved before next year?

If there’s problems, absolutely. They always have to get figured out. You can’t sit there and let problems linger. A small problem starts growing into a bigger problem and all of a sudden if you let this go for another four months, who knows what could happen? So, if there are some issues, then absolutely you’d want to be able to talk to whoever you need to talk to to try to resolve them. You don’t want to go into a brand new season with a whole set of issues. It’s going to make for an unhappy season.

ROY HALLADAY:

I’ve got nothing for you guys on that. Any concerns or views I have will be expressed, but to the right people.

• • •

LYLE OVERBAY:

I can’t speak for everyone. I can speak for myself. You’re going to have to ask them. It’s been the same since the beginning for me. I wanted tio play every day. I don’t expect him to make 25 guys happy, so I don’t expect him to change just to make me happy. That’s my situation. It’s been evident since the beginning of the season.

Q: Is this something you have talked to the manager about, or tried to talk to him about?

I’ve contemplated about it. Just because at the beginning of the year we were winning, it’s got to be for the better of the team. That’s kind of the way I look at it. I didn’t want to be a distraction. I didn’t want that to be a distraction. I’m putting that on the side burner, but on the same token now, we’re not really winning, so I just might sit down and say I just want to more than anything just to try to figure out what to expect next year, ‘cause it kind of did hit me off guard a little bit when I wasn’t playing every day. It’s something that I need to go in the off-season and get myself prepared and hopefully next year will be different.

Q: And he didn’t talk to you about that?

No. I think [Gaston] has been quoted twice in I don’t know which newspaper but at the beginning of the season that it wasn’t a platoon role, but it didn’t happen that way.

Q: Do other players have maybe not the same kind of complaint you have but other types of issues with communication, his approach, that he’s a very old-school type of guy?

It is old-school. I think when you have a younger group in here, it kind of hit us a little harder. It kind of caught us off guard more than anything. Still, he’s the manager. He’s putting the lineup out there. We’ve still got to go out and do a job. That’s the thing. Not everyone is going to be happy. If you try to make 25 guys happy you’re going to make them even more miserable, I think.

Q: Is there a difference in his style, in his communication, between last year when you were winning, and this year?

No, it’s the same … He never really said a lot. We were winning. He was just kind of sitting on the back burner and watching us play good and watching us do the things we were doing. He’s doing the same thing now, so nothing’s different.

Q: Have the players lost respect for him?

I don’t know. You’ll have to ask them.

Q: How about you?

I haven’t lost respect for him. Like I said, I don’t want to be a distraction, just because this is a team thing and I don’t want for me to say something that might offend somebody that’s going to affect the team.

Q: There’s a group of players that wants to meet with [interim president] Paul Beeston to talk about the situation. Are you aware of that?

I heard that. I didn’t hear it from the players. I don’t know if it’s happening or not.

Q: When did you hear that?

A couple weeks ago, but I hadn’t heard anything since. I don’t know if it’s happened. I don’t know if I was reading it in the paper or something but Beeston was on vacation or something …

Q: It wasn’t from within the clubhouse that you heard that?

I’m trying to remember where I heard that. I don’t think I did. I’m trying to remember. I don’t know.

SCOTT DOWNS:

Q: Do you feel that the young guys in the bullpen need guidance?

Sometimes. That’s been hard. I’m not going to lie. I’ve never been in that leadership role because I’ve always looked up to (B.J. Ryan) and when all that went down [Ryan’s release} we talked about it. I told him I’m going to do everything that I can to keep it the same way you had it, which is hard because we have two different personalities. They do look to me, but I’m more laid-back when it comes to things like that. But if there’s somebody that wants to talk about anything, needs help with something then I’m always there.

It was apparent with the whole B.J. thing that something wasn’t right. I don’t exactly know between those two guys [Ryan and Gaston]. As a bullpen as a whole, we want to just give it the best shot we can. going out and pitching. But sometimes when you don’t know what you’re going to be asked to do, it’s kind of hard.”

-DL

It seemed like just yesterday that Cito Gaston was the hero in Toronto. The two-time champion had rescued the Blue Jays from the depths of despair, having finished the 2009 season on fire. This year looked even better after a torrid start, before just about everything went wrong in a disastrous final two-thirds. Now, Cito is reportedly under fire from his players, as TSM detailed in his excellent rundown of the local stories.

There’s no question that Blue Jays fans want GM J.P. Ricciardi gone. But what about Cito? The young hitters seem to be ok with him, but I don’t see this ending well.

Between Gaston’s trashing of B.J. Ryan, his somewhat disrespectful and oddly-timed comments regarding Rod Barajas’ future, and his “throw-in the-towel” attitude with regards to Roy Halladay, the talk of constant negativity is real. Or at least it seems that way, not to mention his handling of the pitching staff. Cito has a contract for next season – Do you think he stays?

And if Gaston is fired, do you think he should be?

Even two months ago, I would have said it was impossible, but I think Cito is toast. And I truly think it’s the right move, even though plenty of fans still support him through this mess. We know the man can win with talent, but has he lost the clubhouse?

Vote below, and share your thoughts in the comments section.

-DL

Phoenix Coyotes, NHLPA, Toronto Blue Jays and now, Cito Gaston… Here my friends is around the globe on les Coup Cito:

“A Fox Sports report by Ken Rosenthal this morning claims that virtually the entire Jays’ clubhouse is in agreement that manager Cito Gaston needs to go. He has lost everyone, says the source. Since Rosenthal is not around the Jays’ clubhouse and has very rarely quoted any Jays’ players directly in recent years, this “clubhouse insider” information has to come from someone in the Jays’ front office.

Here’s a clue. Needing confirmation for the column, Rosenthal claims he was unable to reach GM J.P. Ricciardi for comment. If it’s true that he was unable to contact the GM that would be a first. This has the feel of a Ricciardi scud missile on his way out the door.”

We start things off with a bang as the Star’s Richard Griffin slams J.P. Ricciardi as the likely rat behind this story.

“Let’s see, if an entire team wants a manager out of the way, the usual strategy is that a team quits playing for him and virtually mails in the results. Unfortunately for the conspirators, the Jays have won six in a row and nine of 10 and have returned to the offensive juggernaut numbers of April and May – and even beyond that production. Way to deliver a message to management boys.

No, some significant discontent is definitely there towards Gaston, but it is far from as rampant as Rosenthal insists it is. When the New York Yankees visited Toronto September 3-6, they already knew about the clubhouse anger. The links are former Jays Josh Towers, A.J. Burnett and Eric Hinske, who heard about it from friends with the Jays. The knowledge of the discontent has certainly permeated the Jays’ clubhouse. They have all heard it, but for young players trying to establish themselves and fit in, stating that position and adopting it as their own would be professional suicide.”

It’s not necessarily whether the things are as bad as they may appear, its that they are TOTALLY public…

“The leadership of the revolt likely comes from the bullpen and likely started with the treatment of B.J. Ryan as he struggled to regain his form at spring training and was subsequently released.

At spring training Gaston threw Ryan under the bus during a trip to Orlando to play the Braves. He discussed the diminishing returns issue and scratched his head over Ryan’s loss of velocity, even though he was healthy. The baton of explanation was immediately passed to a distressed pitching coach Brad Arnsberg, who while trying to defend his friend B.J., inadvertently backed the bus up over Ryan and moved forward, crushing him again. That was the beginning of the end.”

I can’t believe that the answer here is letting the inmates run the asylum and with the 2009 Blue Jays the analogy couldn’t be any more appropriate.

“Gaston is not patient with pitchers. Scott Downs, a good friend of Ryan’s and another of Arnsberg’s disciples, has been the latest whipping boy for Gaston. He took over from Ryan as closer, then got hurt and was replaced by Jason Frasor, came back and got hurt again. The last time he was hurt it was in leaving the mound to cover first, and he strained a hamstring. The manager and trainer George Poulis went to the mound to check on Downs. When Cito found out his pitcher was hurt again, Gaston strode back to the dugout, leaving the trainer and injured reliever to hobble off the field. It seemed strange at the time, but seems to be part of the mutual discontent that has clearly developed.

It comes down to this. There are many villains and few heroes in this Jays’ piece. In hindsight, that’s exactly the way their disappointing season has gone. Many changes will be made.”

Classic stuff, what a way to end a season.

Over at the Canadian Press:

“There are issues, obviously,” clubhouse leader Vernon Wells said before Friday’s game against the Baltimore Orioles. “We have to figure out how to do this in a family manner. We’re not out to bash anyone in this situation. It’s a touchy situation. It’s something that obviously most of us, if not all of us in this clubhouse, have not gone through something like this.”

It’s public already- it’s way beyond the “family” when us outsiders are reading about it!

“Wells indicated he and ace Roy Halladay are at the forefront of a group of players that also includes second baseman Aaron Hill and catcher Rod Barajas which intends to raise the clubhouse issues in a meeting with Beeston, and perhaps Gaston in a team-wide chat, this weekend.

While they were all uncomfortable airing their dirty laundry in public – Halladay offered nothing more than the terse “Any concerns I have will be expressed to the right people” – they confirmed what multiple sources at all levels of the clubs, including two players, told The Canadian Press earlier about the “friction” between players and Gaston.”

This whole things reeks of an intentional leak. Someone wanted to do true harm to this team. Why this is the least bit public is beyond comprehension.

” “I think there are some things that need to be addressed,” said Hill. “I think everybody pretty much feels the same for the most part. Everything that’s gone on with the team, we’ve stayed together. It’s one of those things where as a whole I think they’ll stay together.”

Gaston – the 65-year-old whose contract runs through the 2010 season, just like Ricciardi’s – questioned just how pervasive the insurrection was, and said bluntly, “I’ve treated everybody with respect, so I’m not sure what their bitch is.”

“I don’t think you can and just rely on the players that told you that,” he added later. “I think you need to talk to all of them to find out. If it comes out to 50 per cent, maybe we got a problem. And I’d like to know what the problem is because I can’t be any fairer than what I’ve been.”

If Hill or any of the younger guys have the same feeling, it’s a MAJOR problem….

” “You can’t sit there and let problems linger,” said Barajas. “A small problem starts growing into a bigger problem and all of a sudden if you let this go for another four months, who knows what could happen? … You don’t want to go into a brand new season with a whole set of issues. It’s going to make for an unhappy season.”

Added first baseman Lyle Overbay: “It’s something that we go through and we’ve got to figure it out because we’re not going to be a very good team if this is going to go on. We’ve got to get it straightened out, either way.”

Compounding matters is that there’s also a split in the coaching staff between bench coach Brian Butterfield, pitching coach Brad Arnsberg and bullpen coach Bruce Walton, who were left over from the fired John Gibbons’ staff, and Gaston’s crew of hitting coach Gene Tenace, third base coach Nick Leyva and first base coach Dwayne Murphy.”

When, if ever have you read so many public comments about a teams “dirty laundry”? I mean for us fans it’s fascinating- but this shit doesn’t get aired in public.

“Added Scott Downs: “I don’t think anything really snuck up. I just think nobody paid attention to it. It was just one of those things where it was kind of `We have a job to do. Let’s go do our job and play the game, play hard and let everything else take care of itself.”‘ Whether or not that can happen under Gaston is now in question. “Whatever goes on, obviously yeah, I’m going to be in the middle of it,” said Wells. “Doc and I have been here for the longest time and we’ve gone through our share of managers and coaches a”

“I have not yet (spoken to Gaston). I think that obviously that the time is going to come. For some of these discussions I was going to wait until this weekend and kind of clear the air and get some things out there, probably from both sides. I’m sure he has things to say. I’m sure guys have things to say. It remains to be seen how that conversation’s going to go.”

Now this is odd. Consider if you will, why would a player leak this to the media? I mean look at what these guys are saying. Down’s basically says this has been going on for awhile. Well’s says he hasn’t talked to Cito about it. WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON WITH THIS TEAM? Where is JP, Where is Beeston? This makes the NHLPA look like a well managed business!

Tim Wharnsby’s take:

““You hate for anything like this to come out, but we’ll have to deal with it,” said Aaron Hill, the all-star second baseman. “I think there are some things that need to be addressed, yes.

“I think everybody pretty much feels the same, for the most part.”

That’s a major fucking problem. For a guy as important as Hill to be saying that everyone feels the same way!!! Wholly shit- I mean how bad is this clubhouse?

““In the past I always knew what players thought of managers and all that stuff – their strengths, weaknesses and their ability to laugh at them and their ability to be upset with them,” he said. “But I haven’t heard any of that this year. And no one’s talked to [general manager] J.P. [Ricciardi] about it either.”

That from Beeston who has been away for a few days. If this is true then it just goes to show you just how out of touch Beeston and JP are. If the young phenoms are saying it’s true and everyone’s pissed then the guys running the team clearly aren’t paying attention.

““More than anything, I want to try to figure out what to expect for next year,” Overbay said. “It kind of caught me off-guard a little bit when I wasn’t playing. … [Gaston] never really said a lot. As we were winning, he was kind of sitting on the back burner, watching us play good.”

Gaston and his coaching staff are under contract until the end of 2010. Hill remarked that any relationship can be mended, but there needs to be “some give and take” from both sides. Wells wasn’t so sure.

“I don’t know who’s going to be here next year,” Wells said. “I don’t know what moves are going to be made. It all boils down to us playing better on the field. It’s the 25 guys that are willing and committed to trying to get better and kind of leaving the extracurricular activities to the side and try to concentrate on winning ball games.”

Fantastic attitudes- and this in a season when “they were supposed to be shitty!” Can you imagine if the were supposed to contend?

““As far as coaches, I have a couple of coaches who are loners,” Gaston said. “They go their own way. They are always invited to come out and have dinner. If they want to come, they can come. If they don’t want to come, that’s fine.

“I don’t think [anybody] wants to hang out with their boss, do they?”

Now that’s not only telling, it’s just not very smart. How the hell do you look your employees in the face after making such an asinine comment like that? If you are “hanging out” with some of your employees and not others- there is clearly a problem- calling them loaners….just not very smart.

Jeff Blair has a few gems too:

“In truth, the players wanted a meeting during the last homestand but Beeston was overseas for his 40th wedding anniversary until mid-week. Beeston rubbished the reports of mutiny Friday, saying he would have known if Gaston lost the clubhouse, because the players knew his door was open.

But, really, Beeston himself is here on an interim basis, as he keeps telling everyone. Couple that with a general manager, J.P. Ricciardi, who most in the game view as dead man walking, and a manager who is tight with the interim president in an environment where nobody trusts ownership? Good luck keeping lines of communication open with that.”

It’s a total disaster, that’s what it is. The reality is, they should all be gone, Beeston, JP and CITO- totally clean the house and start again!

“What to make of this mutiny? What does it mean for the future? The first thing to keep in mind – and not to be indelicate about this – is that the 2009 Blue Jays aren’t a very good team, so who the hell cares what some of these guys think? I know this: If Kevin Millar’s upset with Gaston, he’s dimmer than I think he is because no other manager would have given a player as pathetic as him as many at-bats.

As for Vernon Wells? My guess is there are worse things that could happen to the Blue Jays than have him so embittered that he decides to exercise his escape clause. In fact, the payroll relief that would provide might alone be worth another year of Gaston managing.”

Cito’s stubborn support for a horsehit player? NO really… There is no way Vernon will walk away from this deal- no one- not even Dominic Moore is THAT dumb.

“Gaston’s bullpen mismanagement is as poor as Buck Martinez’s was when he was here, so if the relief corps is a bubbling cauldron of discontent it’s understandable. Since it might be the most cost-effective part of the team and should be back almost in its entirety in 2010, that’s not good. You can debate Gaston’s so-called passive in-game managing all you want, I judge a manager first and foremost on how he handles a bullpen.

At the end of the day the only ones who matter in all this are Aaron Hill, Adam Lind, Travis Snider and pitchers such as Ricky Romero and Marc Rzepczynski. It is their souls and well-being that ought to be first priority, and the young pitchers have done okay by Gaston, as has Lind. Hill becomes the most important person in the clubhouse the second Roy Halladay is traded, because he has the edge and the interpersonal skills to be this franchise’s go-to guy for years to come. He is close to Wells, too close, some of his veteran teammates will tell you, to the point of being deferential.

And when Hill told reporters Friday that there were issues that needed to be addressed, it spoke volumes.”

Damn straight. I could care less about 9/10’s of the guys in the clubhouse- Tell me what these guys are feeling…besides “get me the hell out of here”

Over in the National Post:

“Asked if he would be willing to change, Gaston replied: “Absolutely. I’d really like to know what I need to change. That would be interesting, I’d like to hear it myself.”

Gaston said he liked everyone on the team and has treated players and coaches fairly. He suggested the complaints may originate with a small number of players.

“I think you need to talk to all of them to find out,” he said. “If it comes out to 50%, maybe we’ve got a problem. And I’d like to know what the problem is because I can’t be any fairer than what I’ve been.”

You can hear the sarcasm in those answers.. The guy probably can’t wait for the season to end. Can you blame him?

So, the meeting is tomorrow. Truthfully I fully expect to hear all the right (wrong) things come out of it. The reality is all the these guys, those at the top should be gone. I have lost total faith in any of them to deliver a winning product.

Griffin is here
CP is here
Wharnsby is here
Jeff Blair is here
The National Post is here

TSM
@yyzsportsmedia