You have to make a choice

I know, I know.... I drop at least one of these posts every year. I'm running the risk of getting all shticky in here. But, y'know, fuck it.... if I'm going to be repetitive, this seems like the point in the season to do it. So here we go....

I'm of the opinion - the opinion - that if you're a fan of a team (let's say, for example, the Toronto Blue Jays), then you're a fan of a team Win or Lose. Win or fucking Lose.

Now, I'm not here to give anybody shit. I'm not your dad. But whoever said this would be easy? You know what's easy? Being a fan of, say, today's Boston Red Sox. They are built to win now. They have the financial resources to build a winner and spend the cash to fill the holes as Theo sees fit. Ownership has set that precedent; need an arm? Go get one. Short a power bat to fill the 6 hole? Who's available (statement not question).

So this is where the cynical fucks tell me to look at Rogers' balance sheet. Remind me of the resources that should be available then point to the stopgap options and roster fillers filling the major league bench.

And this may surprise you, but I'll tell you that you're right.

I'll also tell you to fucking get over it, because it is what it is and no amount of twitter bitching or otherwise is going to change any spending habits.

Me? I take comfort in seeing that The Plan put forward has been unwavering - build internally, throw big money at the draft (all indications are, 2011's should cost.... a lot), develop a homegrown roster of stars, and strike at free agency when the time is right.

Now is pretty clearly not yet that time. There have been setbacks - big ones with Travis Snider, Brett Cecil, and Kyle Drabek. Not all prospects will develop as hoped - whatever happened to the Adeiny Hechavarria hype machine? But that's what happens when you shoot for "ceiling" (as a scout might say). They aren't always going to hit.

But seems to me the squawking was never louder than during the Ricciardi era where safe reliable talent and big money free agent signings where the method to roster construction.

So take your pick. I know which route I prefer.

Back to the statement up top - it's easy to be a fan of today's Boston Red Sox. But it will be entirely more satisfying to be a fan of tomorrow's Toronto Blue Jays.

So much for turning the page

Cito Gaston, the manager who completely lost the clubhouse at the end of last season, will be returning to fulfill the final lame duck year of his contract.

Brad Arnsberg, in the biggest non-coincidence in the history of baseball, will not be.

And to think....I was set to post about "turning the page" this weekend and embracing the new Blue Jays front office regime.

Instead - unless I can bottle my rage - I think I'm taking the rest of the weekend off. It's better for all of us this way.

Fuck this.

Self-fulfilling prophecy?

“Right now, it's kind of tough to see how we're going to get better before the end of the season”

These were the words of Cito Gaston earlier this week, just prior to the start of the Yankees series. Little did we know that The Cito planned on doing everything in his power to make good on his word.

Kevin Millar (.220-6 HR-27 RBI-.665 OPS) in the clean-up spot? That's a start. John McDonald, whose value lies entirely in his infield glovework, starting in left field - and batting eighth? Yeah, that'll do it.

Jeez. I am not here to pile on Cito. I swear that I'm not. I admire the man for what he has meant to the organization and what he's accomplished in the past. But these lineup decisions are indefensible. I'm not among the group calling for Cito's automatic dismissal, but I guess you could say that I am solidly in the corner of those that call "bullshit" on the free pass.

Yep, there's an argument to be made that the cupboards are bare of options. A pretty fucking solid argument, actually. But the team's best hitter, Adam Lind, started the game on the bench. His OPS against LHP? 810. Millar's? 743. So there's that. There's also the fact that there's no reason whatsoever that a team that has written off the season is starting a shit pile of veterans who have no shot at returning in 2010. Never mind manning the clean-up spot.

Holy Christ. My head is spinning, friends. It's gonna be a long September. Must....maintain......a shred....of optimism.

Go Jays?

Yeah. Go Jays.

My new motto

Fuck 2009.

Add that to the ever-growing list of things I can thank Clarence Gaston for. You see, when Cito not-so-subtly announced that the Jays would have a good team....in 2010, he did us all a favour. He did his players a favour by taking the pressure off before the team had even played one game of the 2009 schedule. He did the front office a favour by simmering down the public demand for a big offseason move at baseball's winter meetings. Maybe most importantly, he did me (and by "me", I mean "us") a favour by lowering expectations to a point where I (we) can enjoy the upcoming season for what it is.

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not being a total defeatist. I'll still be following the team religiously and agonizing over every game, every GIDP, every strikeout in a big spot. I still hold out hope the team can be good - and maybe shock the baseball world. But....the pressure's off now, isn't it?

And while we're at it
Fuck A.J. Burnett, too.

I know, I know....he had every right to take the best offer on the table, and it was inevitable that the Yankees would be that team. But still......fuck him, you know? For all the talk about how close he was with Roy Halladay, A.J. really is proving to be the anti-Doc, isn't he?

Speaking of which, outstanding work by Cathal Kelly with this piece on A.J. Our man Cathal does a great job reminding us of what we really lost when he walked away, and de-mystifies the "legend" that was/is A.J. Anyone else looking forward to the first Yankee Stadium showdown with Doc and A.J. on the hill?

I have seen the future, and it is Giant, Pasty, and White

So, not a bad little debut for our boy Snider, huh? Oh sure, he struck out looking with his team down a run in the late innings with two on and nobody out......but that's almost a rite of passage for this team, no? I think we can overlook it.

In the span of 24 hours, Young Travis (See what I did there? I channeled my inner Campbell. See what I do for you?) smashed a double to dead center in (shitty) old Yankee Stadium, made a highlight reel (poorly played) catch down an unfamiliar left field line, and induced more boners than a Miley Cyrus google image search in a junior high computer lab. If nothing else, should make for a fun month of baseball, no?

Fulfilling my obligations
Surfing around the blogs, I see it's become mandatory to weigh in on the option years/service time issue.

Try and keep up with me, because I've done a lot of research on the collective bargaining agreement and have extensively weighed the merits of YT's recall against the potential sticking points down the road. I'm about to break it down for you.....ready?

Fuck service time, and especially fuck option years.

The option years don't even matter, as prospects of Snider's caliber - assuming he comes remotely close to meeting expectations - aren't going to be frequent fliers between AAA and the majors. The lesson learned here? Kevin Mench is not a prospect of Travis Snider's caliber.

The service years are a different animal. Weekend readers might find this hard to believe, but people smarter than me have been making rational, logical, well thought-out arguments against YT's recall because of the issue, but.....just....fuck service time.

Chances are that the team will make every effort to buy out his arbitration years along with a couple of free agent years (a la Rios, Hill, Longoria, etc....) anyway, and maybe now this happens a season earlier than expected, but......fuck service time.

I need something here. And I promise I won't complain if the Jays are a few million short of signing a mashing DH in 2014 because of it.

And now we say goodbye to Stairsy

On his way out the door, Stairsy did the following:

- assumed blame for the team's season-long hitting woes

- lamented not winning a title with Toronto

- praised the city, the fans, and the organization

- announced his desire to retire a Blue Jay, even if by signing a one day contract when his proverbial time is up

- lamented not having one more series to take a run at A-Rod

OK, so I made the last one up. Godspeed to the National League Matty. On your behalf, fuck the Mets!