The coolest part is when the writer says "Halladay isn't injury prone...well, yes he does get hurt a lot." Where did I find this jem? Well - on a Blue Jays message board. Where else would I find it??Â
Go BLUE JAYS!!!!
BELIEVE!What’s up on the Down Low
By Jack Jablin
Part 6: The night is young, the future is bright and Jack Jablin is back
It may be true that most baseball insiders think that the Blue Jays will be money in 2006. Yes, it may also be true that most baseball enthusiasts are aware that the Blue Jays will be better than they were in 2005. But, does anyone honestly expect the Blue Jays to be the most powerful force in deciding the AL Wild Card? No, in fact, most people don’t even believe that Toronto is enough of a force to change the outcome of the AL East race.
Let me be one of the first to say: if you think Toronto will be a push-over, you’re dead wrong. Read on, to rock on.
#5: The Toronto Blue Jays
Why am I so high on the Blue Jays? It’s simple: it’s not about AJ Burnett, it’s not about Troy Glaus, it’s about Roy Halladay! The man who got cheated out of the AL Cy Young by fate, is back in 2006. And with a vengeance!
Most people seem to think that Roy Halladay is injury prone – no, that is not the case. While it’s true that Halladay gets injured, it’s also true that he gets injured. Maine insert here: What the hell did that sentence mean?
? Okay, back to Toronto greatness, already in progress:Why does this matter so much? Because, in my humble opinion: Roy Halladay is the most important pitcher in the AL East. Whether he can simply pitch 6+ innings per game in 2006 means the difference between a wing and a prayer for the Toronto Blue Jays.
Halladay threw 108 K’s in 2005, with a 2.41 ERA, 5 complete games and only 18 walks in 19 starts. If he can return to that form, the Blue Jays have at least one world class starter. However, can one ace carry a whole team? Of course not. That’s why AJ Burnett will need to rev up and step up.
Burnett was acquired in December via free agency, costing the Jays a host of coin in the process. Burnett will need to make good on the hype if he expects his AL East tenure to be a favorable one.
Burnett has a career ERA of 3.73, which isn’t awful in the big, broad outlook of things. However, when you keep in mind the amount of cash coming Burnett’s way - along with the fact that he’s a career NL East pitcher - you can’t help but worry about how smooth his transition to Toronto is going to be. Despite his unimpressive ERA, Burnett has shown the ability to put up big strikeout numbers (203 in 2002 and 198 in 2005) and, given the right run support, he might even become a dominant arm in the AL East.
Unlike most MLB teams, the Blue Jays have pitchers beyond their ace that can hold their own. Pitchers like Josh Towers (28 with 112 K’s in 2005) and Gustavo Chacin (25 with 121 K’s and a 13-9 record in his rookie year) are more than capable of getting the ‘Jays a few wins. In fact, Chacin should only continue to improve as he enters his second full MLB season.
After all of the changes to the Blue Jays' roster, it will be BJ Ryan who has the most to worry about. Not only will the outcome of games rest on his shoulders, but the entire bullpen will, as well. Simply put: he will need to come up big, in order for Toronto to succeed.
Although Ryan was been able to come through for Baltimore on occasion, he has never really shown the resilience to stay strong in the closer position. Last year opened a lot of doors for Ryan (who got 36 saves in 41 opportunities, in his first year as a full-time closer) and if BJ wants to prove to the fans that his record-breaking deal was a good investment, he’ll need to rival closers of Mariano Rivera’s caliber. I think BJ Ryan is capable of putting up something like 40 saves, but even a good closer doesn’t make a great team; especially if he doesn’t have the batting to support him.
As far as batting goes, the Blue Jays have Frank Catalonotto,
prospect Vernon Wells and Alex Rios in the outfield.
Maine insert here: Uuuuummmm..."Prospect Vernon Wells?" Really? He's a PROSPECT? Okay, back to Blue Jays ruling the world, already in progress:Catalonotto hit .301 last year and hits incredibly well against their division-rival Red Sox (even better in Fenway). Vernon Wells is looking to prove that he’s the same player he was when he hit .317 in 2003, if he's healthy, he should be a fun player to watch in 2006.
As far as the middle-infield goes, the Blue Jays have 23-year-old Aaron Hill (who hit .274 in his rookie year) at second base, 25-year-old Russ Adams at Short and if those two fail, John McDonald is a more than capable replacement for either. 22-year-old prospect Sergio Santos backs McDonald up.
At first base, the Blue Jays have newly the acquired Lyle Overbay (28 with a .288 average in his two full-years in the MLB). Overbay will replace Shea Hillenbrand as the starting first basemen, sending Shea to the DH position. Backing both of them up is Eric Hinske. Whatever Overbay will do in 2006, will define his career as an AL East player, that's the point that his career is at.
At third base, the Blue Jays have their most prized offensive acquirement: Troy Glaus. Glaus hit an astonishing 37 homers in 2005, playing in the epitome of a pitcher’s stadium: Bank One Ballpark. Glaus may not be the king of hitting for average, but he does have the ability to hit for power in key situations. Glaus may very well be the shot in the arm that the Blue Jays have been looking for since 1995.
At the backstop is the switch-hitting Gregg Zaun, one of my personal favorites. Zaun is the heart and soul of the Toronto Blue Jays and – aside from looking EXACTLY like Robert Englund (really, is that just me or what?) – he knows how to control a pitcher. This is Zaun’s contract year, so he’ll be poised to put up the numbers.
When all of these pieces come together, you don’t exactly get a clear picture. Instead, you get a large blue mural with quite a few question marks. Even though riddles seem to dominate the MLB these days, I think that the riddles surrounding the Toronto Blue Jays will be some of the most fun to follow-through on.
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