Mike Wilner had a pre-pre game show tonight on which he asked the best question of his listeners (me) that he has asked all year:

“Have you given up on the Blue Jays? If so, what do they have to do to get you back?”

Now I have to admit, when I heard Wilner ask the question, I laughed uncontrollably. Seriosuly, I chocked. Is he kidding, I asked myself. There is only 1 lone blogger out there who hasn’t given up on the Blue Jays. The rest of the world is mired in apathy towards Canada’s baseball team. The season started with a manager telling us to wait until next season and it’s ending with us wanting to put a gun to our heads. Have we given up???? Who the hell hasn’t????? I am not sure there is a player on the team who hasn’t given up, and for once I am not sure anyone blames them. Wilner admitted that the previous night it was “very difficult” to get people to call into the post game show. Hell, I didn’t even know they were playing a doubleheader that’s how apathetic I am about them right now.

The funny thing about the Blue Jays team is that the apathy is not based upon the fact that they suck this year or that they are way out of it. This one is squarely on ownership. It’s one thing when you cut payroll or blow things up to start again, but to do so in complete silence without ANY announced plan?????? If you can’t be bothered to sell it, I certainly am not gong to be dumb enough to buy it. So, to answer your 2nd question Mike, here is what Roger’s needs to do:

1. Fire JP
2. Announce that either Beeston is staying or going as of ____ date
a. If Beeston isn’t staying on as President, hire a new one
3. Announce team payroll for next season/intentions for the team
4. Show that you care in the team and the fans

All of those go together in one word- COMMUNICATE. Funny, the mother ship’s corporate name is Roger’s Communications, or at least it used to be. Yet ownership does a real shitty job at communicating. Do you know what the most powerful thing on earth is and the most dangerous? The most powerful thing on earth is HOPE, the most dangerous thing is apathy. Because ownership is sitting on their hands with their collective mouths shut, I don’t know a single person who would think of buying a ticket to a single game the rest of this season or next. By saying nothing, they have created a completely apathetic fan base. Not only don’t we care that they are losing, we have no interest!

Roger’s needs to send someone, hell it can Beeston to get in front of a microphone and announce that JP is gone, that he Beeston is staying on, that he will announce a new GM asap, and that Rogers has promised to give him the payroll he needs to compete. If that were to happen, I would take my kids to a game or two this month (something I haven’t done all year). Hell, I would buy a couple of pairs to give away on this blog. Why? Because I would have some degree of hope that maybe, one day this team will be exciting again. When ownership doesn’t care enough to speak, I don’t care enough to support. Give me hope, and I will participate.

So, Mike there you have it. Have I quit on the Jays? Hell yes, the same way ownership did. Can they get me back? Yessir, it’s pretty easy. Make a plan, announce a plan and sell it. otherwise, good luck with your 2010 budget projections. Next year will be uglier than this, I guarantee it.

TSM

Call it Canada’s version of Mike and Mike, but there is a change coming to the Fan 590. With the passing of Ted Rogers, Fan head hauncho has a new boss and that boss wants to make an immediate impact. Sources are telling TSM this morning that the new Fan 590 morning show will be co-hosted by Steve Simmons and Damien Cox. The status of Don Landry and Gord Stellick have yet to be determined as of this writing. This will be a homecoming of sorts for both Simmons and Cox as both used to be hosts on the Fan590 way back in the day. They are not unfamiiliar to working together as they both appear on TSN’s copy of the ESPN show the Sports Reporters.

Expect an announcement from Millman soon.

Wow- something is in the water today? No no, not the Leafs, a good game and a shutout loss…too bad we picked up a point. The Raptors? Hell no, the way I figure they are going to be right in the thick of the John Tavares lottery. Once again I am totally puzzled by the media… It’s like one big Seinfeld episode, except I don’t care for many of the characters, actually the only similarity is that their articles are about nothing… NOTHING…

First, Berger writes a totally useless article about Matt Stajan wanting more noise at the ACC. This is news how? No really, has any player ever not wanted that? The fact that team isn’t that strong at home has nothing to do with the fans. It has everything to with character. That isn’t a shot against Stajan. It’s the whole group. The team that Sundin, McCabe, Tucker lead wasn’t very good at home either. It’s not easy playing here in Toronto in front of the home crowd, it takes character to do it well. When a player messes up he hears about it. Sometimes unmercifully . So to hear that one guy would like more noise is totally irrelevant and not the least bit newsworthy. To write an entire blog about it????? Come on Howie, how about a review of the All Star Official uniforms, I gave you everything you need. Hell, as a member of the media you can probably get a preview too- you got the scoop on the 3rd jerseys after all.

What’s worse then Berger writing about Stajan asking for more noise, Paul Hunter of the Star writing the EXACT same story…. Complete with the same predictable Dave Winfield analogy. Tomorrow, whichever station books Winfield to talk about asking for noise wins the prize. Come on folks…this is really pathetic.

Then, Hunter’s buddy Damien wrote a totally useless article about Luke Schenn. Let’s see, he thinks, maybe, Burke wouldn’t have kept Schenn up had he been GM at the beginning of the season. Wow! How interesting. Funny, because I don’t think Burke would have resigned Ed Belfour after the lockout if he were GM back then either. Oh yeah, and under the same relevance theme is my favorite, Pat Quinn wouldn’t have yanked Toskala in favor of Joseph for the shootout like Wilson did earlier this year. The usual Damien anti-leaf article is, about, n o t h i n g. A new reader wrote a funny post about LT’s post today being both the argument and the counter-argument…Damien did the exact same thing here:

“the decision to keep the 18-year-old defenceman in the big leagues this season has certainly not been a disaster. In fact, in a season that has become increasingly gloomy, Schenn has been one of the bright notes all year. ” He likes him…..

“What will never be known, of course, is what it has cost the Leafs to keep Schenn in the NHL this season rather than returning him to Kelowna of the Western Hockey League for another season of competing against his peers. ” He doesn’t…

“Perhaps nothing, and it’s true, Schenn has rarely looked outclassed in the NHL this season, and the manner in which he shrugged off a 12-game absence due to a knee problem was a sign of maturity. On Wednesday night he was paired with Ian White most of the night and out against Boston’s tricky line of David Krejci, Mike Ryder and Blake Wheeler, a challenging assignment against the Eastern Conference’s top squad. ” He likes him….

“At the same time, particularly for a player drafted fifth overall, and one for whom the Leafs traded away first, second and third round picks in order to position themselves to get him, there haven’t been many signs of offensive potential. ” He doesn’t

“What the Leafs don’t know is whether this is the Luke Richardson story all over again. Richardson was the seventh overall pick in 1987 and played for the Leafs as 18-year-old, actually potting four goals in his rookie season.The club maintained over and over that, like Schenn now, Richardson had offensive potential that he’d shown as a junior in Peterborough. But it never shone through in the NHL, and Richardson never managed more than 21 points in a season. ” Ummmm, he doesn’t like him…

“Would the Leafs be happy if Schenn turned out to be Richardson? Somewhat, but it wouldn’t be the kind of home run they’d hoped to hit with such a high pick. He’ll never be a bust, it would seem, and the Leafs can only hope he might one day be an all-star.” He likes him

“Schenn hasn’t been eaten alive by the pressure of playing on a weak team in this hockey-mad city, and that’s a good sign. There’s obvious poise, and a willingness to play a physical game and even stand up for teammates, commodities in short supply on the current edition of the Leafs. ” He Likes him

“The older Schenn boy, meanwhile, is still learning as he goes in the world’s top hockey league. He was solid for two periods Wednesday night, but with less than seven minutes to play he was schooled by Bruins blueliner Dennis Wideman on a rush, then was caught napping when Marc Savard hit Zdeno Chara with a goalmouth pass to tie the game 3-3 and create overtime.” He doesn’t…

“He’s a big kid finding his way in a tough league. Whether he should have been in the league so young or not, no one can argue he’s a big part of the Leafs’ future.” WHAT- That’s it???? That’s the conclusion??? Talk about 3 minutes of my life I will never get back… What kind of crock this is. The headline is Burke Likely Would Have Sent Schenn Down..there is no quote from Burke, it’s Damien’s hunch. I know, Damien didn’t write the headline… Talk about an article about NOTHING!!!

Then, to top it all off, the guy I think had really been rising to the top wrote a totally useless article. Jeff’ Blair’s piece in the globe is about 19 segments too long. I actually think I captured the gist in 1 paragraph in a post yesterday. Blair wrote an entire page on the losing records of our teams! An entire page. Complete with quotes from Beeston and Burke. Get this:

“”One of the problems the city has right now is that nobody’s excelling,” said Blue Jays interim chief executive officer Paul Beeston, a committed Toronto booster.” Ummmmm YA THINK???? This from a guy I REALLY like (Beeston)….This from the guy who has “just about finished the Blue Jays President job description”….. What I think Beeston meant was, that the problem is the teams in cities not named Toronto score more points then those teams from Toronto!

“When will the bulls run rampant again in the Toronto sports market? Not soon. Let’s be honest. Of the current crop of Maple Leafs, it’s hard to imagine general manager Brian Burke wanting anybody other than Luke Schenn around in two or three years.” Ok, I am waiting for something I don’t already now…..

“The Raptors have, what, three legitimate NBA starters (four when Jermaine O’Neal’s healthy) and a bunch of guys who wouldn’t be a first option off a contender’s bench? Andrea Bargnani looks to be developing the way general manager Bryan Colangelo expected, but the Raptors have always seemed a day late and a dollar short, and that sometimes happens when you just give away a franchise player such as Vince Carter.” Uh huh, and????

“The Blue Jays’ window of opportunity — created when the late Ted Rogers made his famous three-year commitment — turned out not to be as wide as anticipated because, with the game’s revenue explosion, a $90-million payroll didn’t buy as much as it once did and the Blue Jays didn’t have enough high-calibre young players to fill in when injuries hit.” The part with the news, the actual original thought is coming right?

“Those are some of the reasons for the drought. The good news is no cause is lost, as is clearly demonstrated by what’s happened in Boston since the Patriots won their first of three Super Bowls in 2001. The Red Sox — the Red Sox! — ended the Curse of the Bambino and won their first World Series in 86 years and the Celtics won the 2008 NBA title, and don’t look now, but the Bruins, who haven’t won the Stanley Cup since 1972, are leading the NHL Eastern Conference.” TIME…that’s what you got Jeff? TIME, so this drought will end because the coin that has landed 1 million straight times on heads will eventually fall to tails????? Because it just has to???? Sorry, I had hoped you could do better then this ending:

“Mostly, though, it’s a hungry market. Kicked in the pocketbook, its psyche battered, and tired of having to go through it all again after the TSX closes. Hey buddy … got a win?”

So the Leafs lost in a shutout, earned one too many points, but that is ok. The Raptors got shelled…stick a fork in their season…the TV show Lost started and I am confused as ever….and I am going to bed disappointed by 4 brutal articles… Here’s hoping tomorrow’s a better day

Berger is here
Cox is http://www.thestar.com/Sports/Hockey/article/575293
Hunter is here
Blair is here

Lots of pundits have alluded to it. None have been so bold as to say it is a done deal. Richard Griffin in his weekly reply to fan letters boldly states that J.P Ricciardi is done as the GM of the Blue Jays.

“Ricciardi has wasted a full season of our lives by convincing Ted Rogers and Paul Godfrey (and I must admit myself) that the ’07 team was good enough to come back as a unit and if healthy compete for a wild-card. For that broken promise alone, Ricciardi will be gone at the end of the year.”

“The Jays can contend next season, but only with a change at GM.”

We all know that Griffin has never been a huge fan of J.P. However to go this far and say its a done deal is quite a prediction. Lots of things can happen between now and the end of the season. Hey they could sweep a series or two (sorry, couldn’t resist)

Anyways, it will be interesting to watch this dynamic the rest of the season for sure.

The good news is that JP is alive. The bad news, if you are Ted Rogers, or anyone else on the ownership team is that your GM and Manager have, in essence thrown in the towel for the 2008 season. No matter how you spin this, it just can’t be good.

All the major dailies have the story, but in essence here is what has been said:

“We’re still going to play hard and see what happens,” Gaston said earlier Tuesday before the Jays took to the field for the first of a three-game series against the Baltimore Orioles at Rogers Centre.
Cito Gaston observes his team during the three-game sweep in Seattle.

“There’s a lot of teams to get over the top here,” Gaston continued. “We’re certainly not going to quit. But if you look at our scheduling the rest of the way, it’s a pretty tough schedule.”

JP adds:

“My job is to have expectations,” he said. “And our expectations are that this team is not as bad as it’s played and hopefully will play a little better.

“Now, does that mean we’re going to be a playoff team? No, chances are probably not good that way. But that doesn’t mean we can’t hold out hope that we can play better.”

The problem, Ricciardi said, is easy to pinpoint — .238 — Toronto’s pitiful average when hitting with runners in scoring position.

“That’s it in a nutshell,” he said. “That’s why they put scoreboards up. You got to score more runs than the other guy and we’re not.

“It doesn’t mean the guys aren’t trying. It just means they’re not doing it.”

The problem for JP is that A for effort doesn’t lead to bums in the seats.

As I stated yesterday, no matter how you spin it, this is team without a plan, or a hope. There is nothing to hang your hat on and no reason to buy tickets.

The above quotes come courtesy of the Globe and Mail….

They only get better over at the Post…

“Season’s done, folks. And to think there are only two months, 19 days, and 72 games to go.”

“He sent out a call for trade offers: “We’ll have to see if people are interested in some of our guys.”

He speculated on September callups for four minor-leaguers: pitchers David Purcey and Brett Cecil, catcher J.P. Arencibia, and outfielder Travis Snider (“That’s four young guys who could possibly help us going into next year”). And he sort of called out the guys whom he is paying almost US$100-million and who responded with a 42-47 record in their first 89 games.

“We’ve got a [first baseman who's a good hitter], a second baseman who’s a good hitter, a third baseman’s who’s a good hitter, a centre fielder who’s a good hitter, right fielder who’s a good hitter,” Ricciardi said. “They’re just not doing what they’ve done offensively. So I find it hard that you can blame anything on coaches all the time when it doesn’t go well. You’ve played a lot of baseball, at some point you’ve got to figure out, ‘this is what I’ve gotta do.’ We’re just in a collective slump as a group, and it’s just not fun to watch, for anybody.”

Come fall, JP had better be gone and a plan in place or the Rogers Center is going to start looking a lot like the Olympic Stadium, and we all know how that story ended.