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It's time

JEFF BLAIR

From Saturday's Globe and Mail

Latest comment posted at 3:57 PM EST 01/04/08

Six years as general manager and J.P. Ricciardi has yet to take the Jays to the playoffs. Is this a watershed season? Yes ...Read the full article

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  1. Clint Bradshaw from Cranbrook, Canada writes: That paints a rather bleak look at the state of the franchise Jeff. Curious as to why the organization and Rogers are skeptical of the ticket sales? Not quite sure what you mean by this.

    If JP were to be fired, who do you see as the next in line? Someone internally, or would they hire outside of the organization.
  2. Matthew Goff from Toronto, Canada writes: Macleod - Rays finishing 2nd? What did you have in your cup of tea yesterday? They will be better for sure but to finish in front of the Yankees?

    I like our team this year - that sounds like JP doesn't it - and we will be in the mix. Pitching is our strength. I fancy Yankees to falter this year based on their pitching and I think Pettite and Mussina, whilst not quite washed up, are on the downward spiral. This is our best chance to get the wild card before they go nuts with all that cash next year. But a lot of things have to go right, and the fingernail issues are not a good start.
  3. g h from Canada writes: Tampa Bay for second? Boy, why don't you give Troy Percival the Cy Young as well. They had an bullpen ERA of over 6 last year. Pretty hard to wins games when you to deal with that.

    As always I am looking forward to the season. The Jays should be around 90-93 wins and in contention for the wild card and the division. They will be playing meaningful baseball this September.
  4. Dino Rossi from Mississauga, Canada writes: The Jays are going to be terrible. Hopefully this will be JP's last season at the helm.

    I think the Jays might be able to pitch some (dont count on Burnett staying healthy of course) but I still don't think they've got the bats to get it done. Frank Thomas hitting clean up = alot of missed opportunities to score runs.
  5. SY GIL from TO, Canada writes: There is some similarities between Godrey and Peddie in that both men chose rookies to fill vacant GM positions. While one could argue that the Leafs struck disaster when JFJ was chosen, one could argue that the Jays have not fared much better.

    When Riccardi was hired, he was supposed to bring in a winner on a shoe string budget which the Florida Marlins have proven can be done. However, he was nowhere close to brining a winner. Instead, it seems many of the trades have not worked out well, eg. Paul Quantrell to LA Dodgers for a stiff for which I can't even remember his name. Bad contracts such as Thomas, Wells, and Hinske. The only good thing is, unlike JFJ, Riccardi did move on from his mistakes compared to the other guy who to this day still insists he put a playoff team together.

    I can't see a very enjoyable summer if you're a blue jay fan but TO is not famous for successful sports franchises, at least not on the field.
  6. John S from Toronto, Canada writes: JP is not the problem. It's Rogers. He cares little for the team performance just like the teacher's over at MLSE. Just get the TV revenue, the merchandising, the advertising, the Rogers Sportsnet connection to show Jays games and he doesn't even care about a good product. He can spend as much and more than the Bosox or Yankees but has no need too.

    JP is not as smart as Gillick, but is enough of a pretend GM to make Rogers look good. Rogers doesn't care to win and never intended too.
  7. Popeye Dillon from North Vancouver, Canada writes: I was in Boston and New York last week and baseball fever is in full bloom. The new Yankee stadium isn't for your average fan that's for sure. When did you have to be a millionaire just to attend a game? Old Fenway park looks like it'll fall down any day now but no one wants a new park in Boston. What the Yankees and Red Sox are most successful at is selling their "brand" to their legions of fans. That brand is tradition! It's the little things that have turned me off the Jays over the last few years. The uniform changes gave them a generic look of stone washed losers; taking the Maple Leaf off the logo was an insult. You rarely see anyone wearing a Jays cap any more. In the 80's and early 90's the only regular sell outs the Seattle Mariners had was when the Jays were in town. We'd go down from Vancouver in busloads to see them, today I can't find anyone interested, but everyone knows when the Yankees and Red Sox are on the schedule. I'd rather watch a team I can identify with than brand X little leaguers. The Jays built there success in the early days on the strength of their farm teams. Whose an up and comer these days?
  8. Gavin Nettlefold from Canada writes: Let's also not forget that making the playoffs in baseball is not the same as making the playoffs in hockey. Only eight teams make it into the MLB playoffs, while 16 go through in hockey. Therefore, the competition for a spot is much tougher. Having to face teams like NYY and Boston in the same division makes it quite tough for them. Rather than the playoff position being determined by points, it's determined by standings in your own division. If you aren't #1, you have have a better record than all of the 2's in the American league to make it through to the playoffs. That makes it a rather difficult race, so let's cut J.P. a bit of slack.
  9. J K GALBRAITH from Canada writes: The A.J. Burnett signing should be considered one of J.P.s worst deals. Signing a career .500 pitcher who has a history of being injured to an overpriced long contract was a mistake as it ate up precious salary dollars. Burnett has turned out to be a .500 pitcher with the Jays who is often injured. Relying on him to do anything more than being a .500 pitcher who might win 12 games indicates a hope disorder of the worst kind. Since the Jays need to have almost everything go their way to win the wild card, I suspect they will come up short in the end. However, generally Riccardi has done a very good job of working to keep Toronto competitive when it is at an incredible disadvantage salary wise to Boston and New York.
  10. Mayor Quimby from Scottsdale, United States writes: Let me congratulate J.P. Riccardi in advance on another successful 78 win season. Usually his teams need only a 12 or 14 game August winning streak to make the wildcard interesting. But with those strong off season moves, he'll have his team out of it by May Two-Four weekend, thereby saving us 3 months of interest in what would have ultimately disappointed us anyway.

    If we're going to compete in the AL East moving JP off the payroll is the first step.
  11. Jude Hannaford from Canada writes: Gavin,

    I believe your point about cutting JP some slack has merit but it wore out it's welcome about 2 seasons ago. Yes NY and Bos are the two of the richest teams in major league ball, but does that mean we are to settle for a 3rd place teams from now until the apocolypse? To compete with the Sox and Yankess, the jays need not the best available, but the best GM in the game. I'm not sure who he is but I am sure that it isn't JP.

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