Scott Carson

Stats man Scott Carson is now in his 17th season as "third man in the booth" during Blue Jays telecasts. Watch for his columns regularly on Sportsnet.ca.

For the sake of the Toronto Blue Jays franchise, who is hired to replace Paul Godfrey is of much importance.

With the body barely cool on their disappointing 2008 season, Toronto Blue Jays president and CEO Paul Godfrey decided to step down when his current contract expires on Dec. 31. His decision will give Rogers Communications ample time to find a replacement moving forward towards the 2009 season.

The 69-year-old Godfrey has had a wide and varied career. He originally came into the public spotlight as an alderman in the Toronto borough of North York, a post he held until 1973 when he became Metro Chairman. It was during this time that Godfrey did what he does best: brokering backroom deals. He is best known for being one of the original group to try and bring Major League Baseball to Toronto, first in 1976 with a failed bid to buy the San Francisco Giants, then with the awarding of an expansion franchise for the 1977 season.

After leaving politics for good in 1983 -– although do they ever really leave? -– Godfrey became the publisher and CEO of the Toronto Sun newspaper for seven years ending in 1991. In September of 2000, when Rogers Communications purchased 80 per cent of the Blue Jays from Belgian beer giant Interbrew SA, Godfrey took over his current position. Under his watch, which included the hiring of current general manager J.P. Ricciardi, the Blue Jays never returned to past glory (see the post-season), with a 660-664 record, good for a tie with the Florida Marlins for the 18th best record in the majors over that time span.

So where do the Blue Jays go from here, with an opening at the top of the pyramid? The obvious and popular move would be to approach former club president Paul Beeston, who has been without a title since stepping down as president and chief operating officer of Major League Baseball, which he held after leaving the Blue Jays in 1997 until 2002. It has been reported that Beeston stepped down after siding with the players during the last labour negotiations, something that was frowned upon by commissioner Bud Selig.

While his return would be applauded by Blue Jays fans everywhere, it was recently reported in Toronto newspapers that the man lovingly referred to as "The Beest" has no designs on returning to his former post with the Jays, but would definitely be interested in becoming the man at the top of the Toronto Maple Leafs. The other name always linked to the Jays when changes happen is former general manager Pat Gillick, currently eyeing retirement as his contract as the Phillies GM runs out at the end of this season. I guess his status in Philadelphia will remain as is depending on how far they go in the post-season.

Outside of those two familiar names, it’s too early to guess who else will be on the list of possible replacements, but I would hope that the list would include "baseball" people, not a self-professed "sports fan" like Godfrey says he is. The Blue Jays have now failed to make the post-season for 15 straight seasons, almost twice as long as it took the franchise to make the playoffs the first time. And the time has also come to look outside of the usual Toronto sporting suspects -- if Beeston and Gillick both pass -– and to bring in someone with fresh ideas.

Whoever is brought in will have a direct effect on how Ricciardi runs his ballclub over the final two years of his current deal that runs out after the 2010 season. His power base was clearly eroded when those over his head reportedly requested that Cito Gaston be John Gibbons replacement back in late June with the team underachieving yet again, four games under .500 and mired in the basement of an evolving American League East.

For the sake of the franchise, this hiring is of much importance. It’s been reported in the Toronto dailies that club owner Rogers Communications is starting to turn its attention away from the Jays and more towards the Buffalo Bills, currently in the first season of five where they will play a total of eight games at the Rogers Centre. What better way to prove that they are still serious about baseball than by hiring someone with a rich baseball resume and pedigree, not a penchant for back slapping and schmoozing.

The loyal Blue Jays fan base deserves that, at least.