For years, the Blue Jays have been criticized for their apparent inability to develop a Canadian big leaguer. ‘Where is our Russ Martin? Where is our Justin Morneau?’ is the endless cry.
Scott Richmond will likely never win a Cy Young Award, but he is Canadian. You’d think his promotion would have fostered a feel-good story, with plaudits to the Jays for finally showing faith in a home brew. But open any of the Toronto dailies Thursday morning, and the reaction was universal:
Shame on the Blue Jays! More specifically, shame on J.P. Ricciardi!
Before I continue, let me state this for the record: Greg Hamilton is a saint. Baseball Canada’s big cheese is largely responsible for the consistent success and impeccable reputation of our national teams. I happen to think he’d make a heck of general manager for a major league club with the onions to give him the chance.
Hamilton was hit hard by the Jays’ decision. The Olympic team had finalized the roster and Richmond was supposed to be Canada’s horse, so the timing of the promotion could not have been worse. Instead, he’ll pitch for Toronto.
Predictably, J.P. Ricciardi is taking the heat for all of this, and it’s entirely unwarranted.
Due to a season-ending injury to Dustin McGowan and the ineffectiveness of both John Parrish and Jesse Litsch, Ricciardi has been forced to shuffle the rotation. Needing a starting pitcher for Wednesday’s matinee against Tampa Bay (and likely beyond) he called his minor league point-man, Dick Scott, and Syracuse manager Doug Davis for a recommendation. Who did they suggest? Scott Richmond.
Know this: Ricciardi had never actually seen Richmond pitch before Wednesday, so he relied on the reports of those who had. And if Scott or Davis fails to provide the best player available, they aren’t doing their jobs. Hurting the feelings of the Olympic team was hardly a consideration.
Hamilton has had to deal with situations like this before. He lost Jeff Francis to a Colorado promotion on the eve of the Athens Games in ’04, and he had to back-fill for Ryan Dempster, Rich Harden, and Russ Martin when all three chose to pass on the World Baseball Classic.
Had Richmond blown up against the Rays, there remained a window of time for the Jays to release him to his Olympic duty. But a funny thing happened; he acquitted himself beautifully, showing poise and savvy in his big league debut. Naturally, his outing has paved the way for another start, perhaps more.
Scott Richmond is a grown man, capable of making his own decisions. If he wanted to pitch in the Olympics so badly, he could have simply refused his promotion. But consider the long-term possibilities here. What if he continues to impress as a major leaguer? The Jays are looking at starting 2009:
A) Without A.J. Burnett, if he decides to test free agency.
B) Without McGowan, who may still be recovering from surgery.
That smells of opportunity.
Scott Richmond’s professional career reads like a bus schedule. Now, the gateway to his dream is slightly ajar. Make good, and he could be looking at much more than just a cup of coffee. So while everyone takes a shot at the Blue Jays general manager for messing with the Olympic team, here’s guessing the man at the centre of the controversy is saying thank you, thank you, thank you.
