Fucking Awesomeness: 9 Runs in 5 Games..

I would like nothing more then to rip John Farrell apart right now (as really, that was the whole reason this blog was even created) for the monumental shit show this team continues to produce on a nightly basis but in reality, this team is a complete embarrasment.. There is no talent on this team (with the exception of Yunel Escobar, Brandon Morrow, Ricky Romero, Jose Bautista, and Adam Lind who I'm not completely sold on to be a starting 1B in a division as tough as the AL East) and yet were stuck here watching these scrubs contiunally fail over and over and over again...

A review of the shit on this roster:

Aaron Hill - I actually think I hate Aaron Hill more than anyone on this fucking shit show of a roster.. The guy fields his position alright but other then that he's completly useless and I'm happy to say good riddance to the guy after this season is over.. The question now becomes, who the fuck is going to play 2B for this team in the future..On a side note, I wouldn't have minded trading David Purcey (which somehow Oakland did) for a potential/future 2B in Scott Sizemore.. Atleast the guy can taking a fucking walk and isn't a former shell of his shitty self from 2009.. Look for a potential trade in the near future for a ML 2B this year, Anthopolous has expressed interest in Kelly Johnson in the past..

Rajai Davis - Wow.. How bad has Rajai Davis looked in the month of June.. The guy is 4 for his last 47 AB's with no freaking walks.. And he's not even getting unlucky at with his BABIP or any bullshit like that.. He has no ability to get on base via the walk and has no eye at the plate which leads to him striking out on pitches that are consistently out of the strike zone.. The guy is a 4th OF in this league at best, and yet we continually pencil his name in the fucking lineup setting the guy up for failure.. Makes all you idiots realize how stupid it was sending down Snider for 80 (OK) plate appereances when it was supposed to be "his" year to figure out the Major League level..

Jayson Nix - Is this a fucking joke.. What am I missing here???? Nix is batting .176 with a .574 OPS and he doesn't even play a good defensive 3B.. And yet, he's playing everyday.. This was is on Anthopolous here for not calling up Lawrie because ownership is too cheap to pay a potential fucking SUPER 2 player.. And now, Lawrie is out till atleast the end of July it looks like and most likely won't see ML playing time until he becomes a September callup.. All over some fucking money.. Well done Anthopolous and Rogers... WELL fucking DONE..

Juan Rivera/Corey Patterson - Both should be traded to make room for the kids down in Vegas, but yet, Anthopolous is too worried about keeping there service time down at the ML level which is probably why Cecil and Snider were sent down when they were (to fucking save money).. Both are pretty much shit players that have no use to the team (as they won't be compensation free agents). Therefore, now is as good a time as any to trade them for some low-level prospects with no future... Hell a bucket of baseballs for either of them would do, just so the kids can come up and develop at the Major League level

Bulpen Arms - Any of these bulpen arms (who will probably all be comp B free agents) should potentially be traded if the price is right just like last year.. If not, keep em around, offer them arbritration, have them decline, and pick your compensation pick and draft another fucking Daniel Norris (who was probably the best LHP in the draft)... And for the love of god, lets build a bulpen from the crazy amount of arms we have in our system. Guys like Jannsen, R-Zep, Richmond, Mills, Farquhar, Abreu, Uviedo, and even potentially dare I say it, McGowan are just as good or better then the fucking scrubs we have in our bulpen right now. Building a bulpen off FA signings is just retarded considering the "budget" this team seems to be on.. (even though I understand the general premise behind signing compensation FA's to recieve the picks but still, just a complete waste of fucking money that could be spent on something more useful.)

On the bright side, there's always another game tomorrow... The Blue Jays will take on RHP Brandon Beachy who's just coming off the DL with a strained oblique.. Game time 1:10 on RSN...

Toronto Blue Jays: Prospects UPDATE

Yeah, taking 2 out of 3 against one of the best National League teams in the Cincinnati Reds is all well and good, but lets keep in mind, the National League fucking blows and there's more important things going on in the Toronto Blue Jays system that actually affect the team's direction in the next couple years. (BTW, for those of you interested, Drabek had his first start in Las Vegas today where he went 4 IP, 8 H, 7 BB, 5 R, 3 K.. I guess its safe to say we won't be seeing Drabek anytime this season..)

So here are some prospects to keep your eyes on for the foreseeable future...

Drew Hutchison

• Hutchison is pitching in the Class A Midwest League for the Lansing Lugnuts and is putting up great numbers this year (to the point where Anthopolous even went to go see him pitch today in Dayton). After his start today (6 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 10 K), he's put up a 6-2 record with a 2.63 ERA with a 84/19 K:BB ratio in 72 IP pitched.. With numbers like these, look for Hutchison to be called up to shortly to New Hampshire especially with the 28 1/3 scoreless streak he has right now.
  

Travis Snider

• Yep, that Travis Snider, who was deemed to be the next "franchise" but has been treated like shit throughout the duration of his career (platoon situations and being sent down 87 AB's into what was called a pivotal season for Snider's development at the Major League level). Currently Snider is playing in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League where he's put up a .386/.453/.632 line in the month of June. Unfortunatley, he was hit in the bill of the helmet on Wednesday night as he's currently been nursing a concussion since then. The real question is, why the fuck he wasn't called up before this incident occured (seems too similar to the Lawrie situation)Why the Blue Jays are still rostering players like Rivera, Patterson, Encarnacion, Hill and Davis when were supposed to be developing this young talent in the system in hopes of them becoming major league contribitors is beyond my realm of thinking..

Eric Thames

• During his time with the Las Vegas 51's this season, Thames has completely dominated putting up a .350/.420/.619 line. I still don't know why he isn't atleast platooning with Juan Rivera until we trade his ass for a bag of balls at the deadline.. Would be nice to have another left-handed major league hitter on this team other than a rejuvinated Adam Lind aka Sleepy.. (yes, Corey PAtterson sucks)
  

Nestor Molina

• Molina, who is currently playing in the Class A Advanced Florida State League for the Dunedin Blue Jays is having a fabulous year at the age of 22. Currently, Molina is 6-3 with a 3.27 ERA with a ridiculous 75/8 K:BB ratio in 63 1/3 IP this season. Look for Molina to get the call to New Hampshire in the upcoming weeks if he keeps pitching like this.

Travis d'Arnaud

• d'Arnaud, who was one of the centre pieces in the Roy Halladay trade along with Kyle Drabek, is currently playing for the New Hampshire Fisher Cats in the Double-A Eastern League. d'Arnaud is putting up a .301/.379/.494 line and is known to be the best defensive catcher in all the minor leagues. Travis could shift Arencibia to a potential position change in the near future.

Toronto Blue Jays vs. Boston Red Sox Recap: The EPIC SHIT SHOW

Well... That was fucking embarrasing.

The Boston Red Sox, who were coming into town riding a six game win streak including a sweep against the Yankees in the Bronx, made the Toronto Blue Jays look like as Carlos Zambrano would put it "a AAA team." The Blue Jays were outscored on the weekend series 35-6 by the red hot Red Sox and will get the day off tomorrow before the Baltimore Orioles come into town for a three game set.

A few thoughts and observations to ponder:

• The only fucking positive of the weekend.. The Man, The Myth, The Beard.. (BTW, this is a good way to promote Jose Bautista's attempt to start in the All Star Game in July. As of right now he currently leads all players in votes but Granderson looks to be catching him.. So, if you aren't voting for Jose 25 times, then what the fuck are you doing with your life.. VOTE FOR JOSE...

• Well, I was at the game Friday night (what an awful game that was by the way) and I am thinking to myself, it sure would be fucking nice to have some lefties other than Lind and Patterson on this team especially against the righty specialist Clay Bucholz.. So I guess what I am insinuating here is, when the fuck are we gonna give up on these scrubs (Hill, Rivera, Nix/Encarnacion) and bring up some of the kids from Vegas(already fucking loss that chance with Lawrie until atleast August it would seem). When do I get to see Thames, Snider and possibly Cooper get some Major League at-bats so they can stop being these "AAAA" people seem to think they are..

• Kyle Drabek.. Many of you are already calling for his demotion and that's a valid opinion..But I am going to have to take Zaunie's opinion on this matter. At this point in Drabek's career, I feel as though he's got nothing else to learn in AAA (like possibly Snider for fuck sakes) and the only kid of signifcant development that needs to occur for Drabek to be a successful pitcher at the Major League level will have to have in the Major. So for right no, be patient with Drabek (I know the walks are just fucking awful) but in the end, the whole point of this season is letting he young players develop at the Major League level to where they can contribute to a potential playoff run in a few years.. (or atleast that's the mindset management wants us to beleive).

• Finally, WHEN THE FUCK IS TRAVIS SNIDER GETTING CALLED BACK UP...
  

Enjoy your day off tomorrow... Also, for your viewing entertainment.. A video that I can't stop watching...

One of the finest displays of SWAG

Solid Muzzy? Check.

Dirty Flow? Check.

Swagger out the Yin-Yang? 

...

Kids got it.

2011 MLB Draft: Top Canadians Drafted (Inside look at Tom Robson)

As we conclude Day 2 of the 2011 MLB Draft (Day 3 continues tomorrow at 12 ET. where rounds 31-50 will be conducted), many Canadian high-schoolers as well as collegians have been drafted to many major league teams.

Here is a brief recap of the Top Canuck picks in the 2011 MLB Draft:

Tom Robson - 4th round (139 over-all) Blue Jays RHP 6’4” 205 lbs. Ladner, BC Langley Blaze/Canadian Junior National Team

• Robson was the first Canuck off the board in the 2011 MLB Draft and isn't it conveniant that the Toronto Blue Jays selected him. As of right now, Robson is committed to attend Central Arizona Community College in the fall but in my opinion, Robson should be an easy sign for Anthopoulos' staff. According to Perfect Game Scouting Service, Robson "pitches from the stretch, good lower half drive, 3/4's release point, Steady 88-89 mph fastball, keeps it low in the strike zone, some late run/sink. Change is best secondary pitch, very nice tail, ideal arm speed, potential plus pitch. Slurve type curveball has short sweeping action, can be tightened up into a true slider. Works quick, mixes it up, shows plus command potential." Robson was ranked the 106th overall prospect in the Perfect Game showcase which occured last summer.

Trevor Gretzky - 7th (219th) Cubs 1B 6’ 4” 205 lbs., Thousand Oaks, Calif.

• Trevor Gretzky, son of former great hockey player Wayne Gretzky, is currently committed to attend San Diego State in the fall where Tony Gwynn does a great job of producing baseball players. Gretzky is a left-handed-hitter who hits for power which is something any major league team needs.
  

Dustin Houle - 8th (251) Brewers C 6’1 205 lbs. Penticton, BC. Langley Blaze/Canadian Junior National Team

• Houle was the 3rd Canuck off the draft board, and the first catcher off the board. Houle, who played under Kellin Deglan in the Langley Blaze organization and for Gregg Hamilton's Canadian Junior National Team, looks to be a good pick for the Brewers organzation that always seems to be taking Canadian kids from BC. Houle is currently committed to attend Chipola College in Florida in the fall (and yes, that's the school Jose Bautista attended).

Chase Larsson - 9th (296) Braves OF 6’ 2” 220 lbs. Vancouver, BC, Cameron University

• Larsson was the first Canadian collegiate player drafted today as he attended Cameron University. Larsson was previously drafted by scout Greg Smith of the Kansas City Royals so it should be interesting to see if Larsson signs this time around.
  

Vaughn Covington - 11th (355) Reds RHP 6’4 210 lbs. Vancouver, BC, Vancouver Cannons

• Currently coming off Tommy John Surgery
  

Adam Paulencu - 13th (417) Giants RHP 6’ 3” 190 lbs. Spruce Grove, Alta. Vancouver Island Baseball Institute

• First Canadian off the draft board that actually attends a Canadian school.
  

Justin Marra - 15th (459) Cubs C 5’ 10” 185 lbs. Toronto, Ont. Ontario Blue Jays/Canadian Junior National Team

• Marra, who is the second catcher off the board in the 2011 MLB Draft, is currently playing under Dan Bleiwas of the Ontario Blue Jays. Marra looks to be a strong muscular catcher who showed good raw power at the plate with strength in his swing and easy pop. Scouts say that Marra is a high upside left-handed hitting Catching prospect.

Nic Cuckovic - 17th (516) Royals SS 6’ 2” 200 lbs Victoria, BC Riverside Community College

Sean Jamieson - 17th (526) A’s 6’ 1” 180 lbs Simcoe, Ont. Canisius College

Jesen Dygestile-Therrien - 18th (571) Phillies RHP 6’2” 190 lbs Montreal, Que. Academie Baseball Canada/Canadian Junior National Team

Ethan Elias - 22nd (669) Cubs RHP 6’3” 180lbs. Entwistle, Alta. Edmonton ProspectsCanadian Junior National Team

Jonathan Jones - 23rd (721) Giants 3B 6’ 5” 205 lbs Lorraine, Que. Academie Baseball Canada

Justin Atkinson - 26th (799) Jays INF 6’ 175 lbs North Surrey, BC Langley Blaze and the Canadian Junior National Team

Roberto Suppa - 26th (803) Padres RHP 6’5″ 205 lbs Connor, Ont. Toronto Maple Leafs and Canadian Junior National Team

2011 MLB Draft: Toronto Blue Jays select Tyler Beede, RHP, Lawrence Academy HS

Well, after months of hard work from Alex Anthopoulos' scouting department, the Toronto Blue Jays were finally given the chance to make their first five picks of the 2011 MLB Draft (Day 2 of the draft continues tomorrow at 12 ET. where rounds 2-30 will be conducted) Suprisingly, all five picks of the day were used to take nothing but prep players. So as I talked about yesterday, Anthopoulos continues drafting players that contain high upside and hopefully are going to project well at the next level. So let's take an in-depth look at the 21st overall pick, Tyler Beede out of Lawrence Academy High School in Massachusetts.

Here's what the Perfect Game Scouting Service had to say about Tyler Beede:

• "He has a low effort delivery with good lower half use and repeats his mechanics consistently. Beede’s fastball doesn’t touch 97-98 mph like many of top high school arms seem to be doing this year but he’s a consistent 92-93 mph and will touch 94-95 occasionally. His upper 70’s curveball is a potential plus second pitch and his change up shows signs of being a plus pitch at times as well, although he understandably hasn’t used the pitch frequently. Beede’s ability to mix his pitches and throw to spots is very advanced for a high school pitcher and will enable him to be immediately successful at the next level, whether that is at Vanderbilt or in professional ball. Even though he could sneak into the back of the first round on talent, Beede is well prepared to pass on pro ball for at least three years. He transferred before his senior year from his hometown Auburn High School to Lawrence Academy, a prestigious prep school, to better prepare himself academically for Vanderbilt and is a high level student."

Beede seems like your prototypical RHP out of high-school with a strong, projectable body featuring a plus fastball, curveball and a changeup with good movement. Beede, who is from a small town in Massachusetts which isn't particularly known for producing baseball players, hasn't needed to use his secondary pitches to the extent most high-school arms in the 2011 MLB Draft have had to considering the level of competition he has played and how good his fastball actually is. Some scouts suggest that Beede needs to work on his secondary pitches (like his curveball and changeup) to make the necessary steps to be successful at the next level.

Many journalists and scouts were suprised to see Beede drafted as early as #21 considering the risks involved in drafting him. For one, Beede will be a very tough sign considering what he calls a "strong" committment to attend the University of Vanderbilt in the fall (who happened to beat Belmont yesterday to lock up their spot in a super regional). Beede and his family even sent out a letter to Major League Baseball (similar to Josh Bell) reaffirming his committment to the Commodores. From early reports, Beede (who can be found on twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/youngbeedah) will be looking for atleast top ten slot money (which is probably in the range of a 3 million dollars signing bonus) so it will be tough for Anthopoulos and his staff to sway him the young RHP from his committment to Vanderbilt. Secondly, Beede recently turned 18 years old (14 days ago) and looks to be very raw (especially compared to other high school arms like Daniel Norris and Taylor Guerrieri, two guys I would have taken over Beede) and may think he needs the three years of collegiate baseball to mature and develop into his body. So it should be interesting to see how the negotiating process goes between Anthopoulos' staff and Beede.

For anyone interested, here's a video as recently as last week of Tyler Beede pitching in a game.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAEuKfUMozs

2011 MLB Draft : Toronto Blue Jays

The Toronto Blue Jays have seven of the first 78 draft picks in the upcoming 2011 Major League Baseball Draft and it should be interesting to see Anthopoulos’ staff’s strategy, so here’s a quick list of the potential names that the Toronto Blue Jays could draft with the 21^st overall pick tomorrow night.

Levi Michael, 2B/SS, North Carolina

• Currently a junior at the University of North Carolina, Michael has been a three year starter for the Tar Heels and looks to be one of the first middle infielders off the board in the 2011 MLB draft (behind high-school SS, Francisco Lindor). Michael, who is currently 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds, projects more as a 2B at the next level but many scouts feel he could be a serviceable SS. The switch-hitting middle infielder lead his team in almost every offensive category during in sophomore campaign producing .346/.480/.575 line with 9 HR’s and 20 SB’s in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Many scouts have raved about his patience at the plate which is evident with his 46:37 walk-to-strikeout ratio this season. Look for Michael to carry the #3 Tar Heels deep into the College World Series in the next couple weeks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVm7bCxijCg&feature=related

Jackie Bradley, OF, South Carolina

• Bradley, who is a junior at the University of South Carolina, has been a three year starter for the Gamecocks. Many will remember Bradley from the College World Series last year in Omaha where he won the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament. Bradley, who is currently 5-foot-11 and 180 pounds, was on the fast track to becoming a Top 5 pick (behind the likes of Cole, Rendon, Starling, and Hultzen) until he broke his wrist on a diving catch in late April. Like Michael, Bradley is also a switch-hitter who finished his sophomore campaign with a .368/.473/.587 line with 13 HR’s and 7 SB’s in the South Eastern Conference. Many scouts believe that Bradley projects to be an above average CF defensively. A fun fact about Bradley, during his senior year in high-school, he attended the Perfect Game showcase and amazed scouts by tying the Perfect Game record with a 101 mph throw from the outfield.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvp7KZBjCyM

Josh Bell, OF, Dallas Jesuit High School

• Bell, who is a senior at Dallas Jesuit High School, is currently committed to attend the University of Texas next fall. Under the new “Anthopoulos” regime, the organization seems to be going after many high upside/high risk players which it looks like the category Bell would fall under. Bell (who is a Scott Boras client) has recently made news in the media when he sent Major League Baseball a letter reaffirming his commitment to the Longhorns which may lower his draft stock (as he will be a hard sign) to the late 1^st round when the Blue Jays are selecting. Bell, who is currently 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds (and will potentially fill out even more at the next level whether it be minor league baseball or collegiate baseball), hit .573 with 12 HR’s and 47 RBI’s in 32 games for his high-school. Scouts rave about his ability to hit with power from both sides of the plate and think his power numbers in high-school can definitely translate at the next level.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znO6bTY_Thw

Daniel Norris, SP, Johnson City: Science Hill High School

• One of the many high-school arms in the upcoming draft, Norris is a left-handed pitcher who is a senior at Science Hill High School in Johnson City, and is currently committed to attend the University of Clemson next fall. The left-handed thrower Norris, who is 6-foot-2 and 180 pounds, has electric stuff featuring an arsenal of a fastball, changeup, curveball and slider (which looks more like a sweeping slurve). At the Perfect Game showcase, Norris topped out at 96 MPH but routinely hovers around 92-95 MPH with movement during his starts. His curveball, which is his best secondary pitch, is very sharp and has a lot of depth to it even though its clocked around 74-76 MPH. Many scouts consider Norris’ curveball to be his strikeout pitch. Norris’ third pitch is his changeup which usually clocked in the low 80’s (which is the drop of velocity needed for a changeup to be successful at the next level). Norris’ changeup flashed plus quality to it with outstanding arm side movement when it crosses the plate. Many scouts believe that Norris’ changeup could become his best secondary pitch off his fastball which is essential in becoming successful at the next level. Look for Anthopoulos to seriously consider Norris (as he does have a track record of selecting pitchers in the 1^st round) if he’s still on the draft board at the 21^st overall pick.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glM5PM5c8Oo

Taylor Guerrieri, SP, Spring Valley High School

• Another high-school arm in which is being called the “deepest” draft in recent memory, Guerrieri is a right-handed pitcher who is a senior at Spring Valley High School in North Augusta, South Carolina, and is currently committed to attend the University of South Carolina next fall. The right-handed thrower Guerrieri, who is 6-foot-3 and 185 pounds, has outstanding stuff and is considered to be the best high-school arm (along with Dylan Bundy) in the upcoming draft. But like Josh Bell, Guerrieri will be a hard sign as he seems very serious about attending the University of South Carolina in the fall. But as Anthopoulos has shown in the past, he’s willing to spend over slot on particular players that have high upside. Guerrieri’s fastball has topped out at 95 MPH while it consistently sits 92-95 MPH during his start. Guerrieri’s best secondary pitch like many high-school arms in this draft is his curveball. His curveball is sharp, comes from the same arm slot as his fastball which can be very deceiving to the hitter and sits in the low 80’s. Guerrieri is mostly a two pitch pitcher but he does throw a changeup that he needs to work on to become successful at the next level.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-Ch72TpQn0