Sunday, March 8, 2009

The dog days of spring (training)

Does that even make sense? Or are "dog days" strictly limited to the summer? Either way. Let's go with it.

I can't help but sense we've hit a lull in camp; maybe it's because the WBC has taken over, maybe it's because the media has already written off the season for the Jays, maybe it's because I'm suffering a little training camp burnout from following this team so closely.

If you're getting the impression that I'm setting up for a semi-mailed in post of random thoughts and scattered ideas, well, that makes you quite perceptive, my friend. Shall we?

Adam Dunn has a passion for baseball
....and it only took one game in Toronto to figure it out:

“If this is like the playoffs, I have to be in the playoffs,” said the Nationals’ Adam Dunn, who homered in the sixth inning. “Every pitch matters. In that ninth inning, if your blood’s not boiling and your heart’s not pounding, you don’t have a heartbeat. This is the best experience I’ve ever had in baseball, and it’s only one game.”

In other news, scientists everywhere are scrambling to recalibrate their irony detectors.

Johnny Mac has a roster spot locked down
....or so the story goes (for now, anyway), which begs the question - who doesn't? It appears the Jays don't have room for all of Johnny Mac, John Wayne Millar, the Tao's favourite super sleeper Jose Bautista, and versatile everyman Joe Inglett.....so who goes?

Oh, and a quick note on this:

"Personally, I want to be a better offensive player," McDonald said.

I mean, it's a nice sentiment, John, and you know we love you, but just....stop.

I'm still on the Brett Cecil bandwagon, but I've got my eye on you too, Brad Mills
Cito loves him. JP Ricciardi loves him. And now, apparently, the sage old pitching coach Brad Arnsberg loves him too.

Am I wrong to think that Mills could be a sort of Jimmy Key-lite for this organization? You know, a bit of a finesse lefty who isn't going to blow hitters away with a mid-90's heater or lock a lot of knees with a massive breaking ball, but a guy who just gets people out and is a cooool motherfucker along the way? Or is that a little too springtime get-your-head-outta-yer-ass-ish? If so, just leave me alone. My head is just fine where it is, thankyouverymuch.

The Tao has much better taste in music than I do
What can I say - he's a classy dude, and I'm....well, let's just take a look at the kind of youtube clips that I tend to pull up. Yeah, enough said.

(One of those - yes, just one - was a joke. Kind of. It's funny, right? Right??)

7 comments:

Torgen said...

If Mills is the second half Cecil after we shut down Cecil to keep his inning count low so he doesn't blow out his arm, it will be a pretty good year.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, Dunn has to be in the playoffs. That's why he sat on his biggest offer with the Nats until the 11th hour, hoping some contending team would match the dollars.

The Southpaw said...

I'm perfectly fine with Mills as Key 2.0

Purcey is Al Lieter 2.0 too, IMO.

Don't really know how Cecil matches up yet but it'd be someone damned good.

I ask again as I have before, when 2010 gets here, we are going to have Doc, McG, Marcum, Listch, Purcey, Cecil, and Mills (at a minimum) who need major league rotation spots...doesn't this set up the chance to trade a major peice (McGowan maybe?) for a young stud SS or 3B?

Colin said...

You could trade on of them, but on the other hand you can never have enough pitching and who knows who will regress or get injured before then or during that season. It would really suck to trade away an established starter or top prospect and find we need an improvement at fifth midway through the season.

Colin said...

that's meant to read *one* of them

Johnny G said...

I never got the comment about not liking baseball, I know it's been beaten to death so I won't say anything more on it. But has anyone taken a look at Dunn's numbers over the last 3 years? Spooky Consistant ...

06,07,08
Hits - 131,138,122
HR - 40,40,40
RBI - 92,106,100
Runs - 99,101, 79 (bit of an odd one there)
Slug - .490.554.513
OBP - .365.386.386

The Ack said...

@ anon - good call, he loves winning so much he signed with the Nats. Real sincere, Adam.

@ Southpaw - also a good call, maybe Cecil/Mills are a 2-headed monster this season. Losing hope in my guy Ricky Romero, though, Cito's hinting he needs to straighten out his mechanics in AAA also.

@ Colin - agreed - you can never have enough (healthy) pitching....who knows how M&M will bounce back?