BY FAN FUEL – BLUE JAYS CENTRAL INSIDERS
Welcome to the first edition of Blue Jays Central: Ask the Insiders where fans get to pick the topics. This week the Insiders answer several question including their mmeories from Opening Day; why the Blue Jays went away from a specialty catcher for R.A. Dickey and when they expect to see Ricky Romero back in the majors.
Rob asks: Hey Insiders! What was your favourite memory of Opening Day?
Buck Martinez: Rob, there are so many memories because Opening Day is such an exciting time when everybody is fired up to get the season started. One of the only Opening Day games I started was in Kansas City in 1985. Buddy Black against Dave Stieb. Little did we know then that we would meet again at the end of the year in the ALCS. I drove in the first run of the game with a sac fly but Willie Wilson doubled off of Stieb in the bottom of the 7th for a 2-1 KC win.
Pat Tabler: My favourite memory of Opening Day is that first time I was introduced as a big leaguer and had a chance to run out to the baseline as a starter. What a feeling! Just like I dreamed of as a kid! I finally felt like a Major Leaguer.
Jack Morris: Fourteen times in a row, knowing I’m going to pitch on opening day in front of a full stadium. It doesn’t get any better than that!
Shi Davidi: My favourite Opening Day memories are of my dad taking me to Exhibition Stadium every year, getting general admission seats, feeling the anticipation while lining up to get in, and then the excitement of finally seeing the field, the players after the mad rush to get a seat.
Mike Wilner: Sitting in the cold rain at Exhibition Stadium in 1982 watching the Blue Jays getting pounded by the Brewers. Mark Bomback started for the Jays because they thought the game might get rained out and didn’t want to waste Dave Stieb. My first Opening Day.
Jamie Campbell: Here’s a strange one for you. My favourite opening day was in 1982. The Blue Jays were crushed by Milwaukee at Exhibition Stadium. The starting pitcher for Toronto was Mark Bomback, and he got lit up early. Yet, I was so happy the season had begun, I hardly cared about the outcome. As it turned out, the Brewers ended up going to the World Series that year.
Ian asks: Are you surprised that the Blue Jays went away from a specialty catcher for R.A. Dickey? Are they really comfortable with Arencibia or was this to reduce possible tensions with your number one catcher?
Buck Martinez: Ian, I am not surprised Gibby announced J.P. as the starter behind the dish on Opening Day. He is the starter and because of all of the excitement surrounding the opening, it would be tough to sit him that day. Henry Blanco will catch R.A. a lot this year, and I am sure J.P. will have other chances flagging down the knuckler, but for game one it is not a bad choice.
Jack Morris: Ian, sometimes back up catchers comes down to a numbers game. Obviously, the Blue Jays think J.P. can handle R.A. Dickey’s knuckleball.
Gregg Zaun: They kept Henry Blanco. R.A. told me last year that Blanco had caught him best prior to playing with Thole. Blanco will be Dickey’s catcher.
Shi Davidi: I’m not surprised and it makes sense, since you don’t want to tie your hand in lineup/matchup decisions based on who needs to catch Dickey. If there’s a guy on the mound that Blanco rakes and Arencibia struggles against when it’s not Dickey’s night, wouldn’t you rather take that matchup? Dickey described as pitching to different catchers as a total non-issue in his mind.
Dirk Hayhurst: I am fairly confident that reducing tension between catchers had nothing to do with the Jays decision to go with JP full time. This is a game of results and J.P. is the best choice from the offensive stand point, so he really didn’t have to show the Jays a lot in order for them to warrant catching Dickey. J.P. is superior to Thole, and if the Jays could get Arencibia to the point both Dickey and J.P. felt comfortable working together, he’d get the nod to catch. In fact, J.P. would have had to look completely baffled by Dickey’s knuckleball this spring in order to mandate a full time, pitcher specific, catching scenario. What does surprise me, however, is that Dickey didn’t put up any kind of fight on the change. After all, Thole was part of the deal that acquired Dickey. When a deal includes a packaged player, specifically thrown in because of his services to another player, you tend to think the pair will be a duo come hell or high-water. But three things fell into place this spring: JP made a serious effort to work with Dickey in the off season and spring; Thole didn’t hit very well; and Dickey felt comfortable enough with J.P. not to put up any road blocks.
Mike Wilner: I think it’s a little bit of both. Arencibia handled Dickey just fine during the spring — I think they thought he’d have a much harder time with the knuckleball — and the offensive edge he has over Blanco is huge. I still think Blanco catches Dickey more often than not, though.
Jamie Campbell: If Arencibia continues to show that he can handle Dickey comfortably, it’s a good sign. The Blue Jays are hoping to play in the post-season this year, and if they get that far, they’ll need Arencibia’s bat in the lineup. As such it’s best that he’s in tune with the knuckleballer by that time. When he needs a day off from time to time, Blanco is a worthy replacement.
Jacob asks: Do you guys think Ricky Romero will rebound and return to the majors? If so, how long will it take?
Buck Martinez: Jacob, I do think Ricky will bounce back and we will see him this year. He has been one of the best lefties in the game for the last three years up to 2012. Then the wheels fell off. He had surgery on his elbow this off-season and it takes time to get back to normal. He also had his knees worked on, they didn’t respond very well. He has to get healthy first, then iron out his delivery. These are things that take time, now he has time. It was a bold move by Alex Anthopoulos that wasn’t taken lightly by him or the club. The organization wants Ricky in the rotation now and it’s up to him to put in the time and the effort to make it work and I am sure he will do everything he needs to do.
Jack Morris: Jacob, Ricky’s issues are with mechanics. Once he addresses those correctly he knows how to pitch and knows how to win.
Dirk Hayhurst: Rebounding is a relative term. Do I expect Romero to come back in the next month and return to middle rotation, borderline all-star success? No. Do I expect the Jays will be anxious to get him back to the majors at the first sign of improvement? Yes. But improvement for Romero, especially in the lower levels, is misleading. I think Ricky’s confidence is shot and still healing, and though he may say he feels fine and wants to be back in the bigs — who wouldn’t want to be back in the bigs over A-ball? — he’s not going to be truly ready for some time. I think he needs time to fully figure out what has happened to him. I don’t think he’s going to if he’s too anxious to get back to the majors, nor do I think the team, spending millions on him in A-ball, will wait. But I think the Jays should let Ricky ride this one out, heal up, get good and angry and come back with something to prove instead of thinking about how wrong things can go and how wrong they have been going. Anger can be useful in this situation. If you think about it, everyone wants to get to the big leagues to prove they belong there. Once Ricky started getting routinely beat up last season his candor switched from belonging to trying not to let people down, to working harder, to living up to expectations. He’s been exposed to a valuable lesson these last few months. If I’m the Jays, I want him to learn it, not rush past it and repeat the same mistakes.
Shi Davidi: Romero has the physical ability and makeup to rebound and regain prior form, but a lot of that depends on how he faces the challenge before him. From the conversation I had with him before I left Florida, it’s clear his will and his determination are right there, and he and the Blue Jays need to sort through his mental and mechanical issues together.
Mike Wilner: I think Romero will absolutely be back in the majors, he’s too young and too talented not to. How long won’t just depend on him, though, it’ll also depend on the five guys the Blue Jays brought north with them, their health and performance. It may wind up being very difficult for Romero to have an opening to return.
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Joan asks: What sort of threat do you see the Yankees being this year? It seems every season “this” is the year they’ll finally regress, but they always seem to find a way to win. What do you predict this season?
Buck Martinez: Joan, the Yankees are always a threat because of their deep pockets. I know there has been a ton of talk about getting under the luxury tax threshold for 2014, but if they can get a player that will help, believe me they will get the player and figure out the finances later. That being said, they lost 94 homers with Martin, Ibanez, Jones, Chavez and Swisher leaving. Plus they have another 100 homers on the DL right now. They are old and beat up. Mariano is 43 and as much as we admire him and his Hall of Fame career, he has been out since May, how much does he have left? They are in for a tough year.
Pat Tabler: I think FINALLY this is the year that the Yankee dynasty starts to crack. I know we have been saying it for years but too many injuries and the Yanks are starting to show their age. The problem is that the Yankees do not have the prime time players coming through their system like they did at the start of this run. No Jeter, Bernie, Mariano, Posada, Cano, Pettitte (the backbone of their great teams) etc. are coming through their ranks.
Jack Morris: Joan, personally, this year I don’t think the Yankees are a World Championship caliber team. The Blue Jays should be able to play with anyone, and should be able to handle the Bronx Bombers.
Shi Davidi: I’m among those who continues to predict, incorrectly as it turns out, that the Yankees will decline, but it’s hard to look at this year’s club and think they won’t take a step back. Also, they’re a Rod Barajas signing away from reconstituting a good chunk of the 2008 Blue Jays, and the catcher is on the market.
Dirk Hayhurst: The Yankees can still pitch a little, they still play in a homer friendly park, and they still know how to do the little things right. I expect them to finish around .500, give or take. While I don’t expect them to roll over, I do expect them to flounder more than we’re used to. Think of last year with the Jays, how they had injuries to all their pitchers and many of their star position players. You have that here with the Yanks, at least for the first half. They don’t have much coming through their farm system, their big names players are old and injury prone, and they’re going to start the year at half-mast. I expect them to struggle mightily in the first half of the season, but recover to respectable in the second half-assuming no one else on their antiquated roster breaks down.
Mike Wilner: I agree with you. As old and beat up as they look, I think it’s very dangerous to write them off. Like everyone else, though, I’ll be surprised if they wind up in the post-season.
Jamie Campbell: It’s hard to take the Yankees seriously right now based on the number of quality players that are hurt. That they celebrated the acquisition of Vernon Wells — who couldn’t find work in the Angels’ outfield — tells you all you need to know. Still, since the Blue Jays last made the playoffs in ’93, New York has missed out only twice, so don’t count them out before 162 games have been played.
Jays fan asks: Has any thought been given to moving Colby Rasmus to left when Anthony Gose is ready, hitting wise, to take over in centre? Now that would be a defensive outfield!
Buck Martinez: There has not been any thought of moving Rasmus to left. The Blue Jays have one of the best left fielders in the game in Melky Cabrera. Colby will be in centre most of the time to start the season for sure. There are options for Gibbons that haven’t been available in the past. Emilio Bonifacio can play out there; Cabrera can play out there and Rajai can also play centre. Gose needs to hit in triple-A and develop more in all aspects of the game. This team made dramatic decisions over the course of the offseason and they are not about to rush Gose to the big leagues just to find out if he can handle it. The next time this team makes moves it will be with knowledge that a player is ready to contribute to a winning effort.
Jack Morris: Jays fan, I believe Anthony is a pure centre fielder. It’s up to him to take the next step.
Gregg Zaun: I would put Gose in left to take advantage of his arm. It’s tough for strong armed centre fielders to avoid the mound when throwing home. Colby is a more veteran player and he’s also a helluva centre fielder. The elder statesman deserves the respect first. Move the rookie out of respect.
Shi Davidi: And Melky Cabrera goes where?
Dirk Hayhurst: I can think of about eight million reasons why not to move Colby to left, AKA, Melky Cabrera. Not only is he a slightly above average (not amazing, but good) corner fielder, but he outhits Colby, makes more productive outs, and has done both for most of his career. As long as Melky is being Melky, the only other position that Colby can move to (if Anthony Gose continues to develop at the rate he is) is the bench or another team. Colby doesn’t steal as much as Gose, and doesn’t have the arm, range, or speed that Gose has. Colby’s saving graces are that he’s solid on defence, more mature, and shows the occasional power streak. Colby needs to show he can hit the long ball more frequently, strike out less, steal more, and hold his own against lefties or his future will be split time with Gose, or the backup role.
Touch em’ all Joe asks: Hey Blue Jays Insiders! My question for you is when Marcus Stroman’s suspension ends, when do you expect him to pitch with the big boys? Thank you for all your great work online, on the radio, and on TV! You guys rock!
Buck Martinez: Joe, I saw Stroman for the first time the other day in a game in Dunedin. I liked what I saw. Good mound presence, not in awe, and legit stuff. He has a wipeout curve ball and a fastball that touched 94. Dane Johnson (Blue Jays roving minor league pitching instructor) likes the entire package. He is a college pitcher so he should be in double-A when he returns from the suspension. I do think you could see him at some point this season if he continues to progress, maybe after the all-star break. When you look at most World Series champs, there was something or somebody that came out of nowhere that season. Stroman could be that guy for the Jays.
Pat Tabler: There is an outside chance that we might see Marcus Stroman this year. I had a chance to watch him pitch the other day and he has big league written all over him. Great fastball, excellent slider. Good makeup. Needs some work on his changeup and control but is very close. I hear the Jays love him. Can you say Craig Kimbrel (Braves ace closer)? That’s who he reminds me of. Can’t wait to see him in Toronto!
Gregg Zaun: Stroman should spend a two full years in the minors after his suspension is served. There is plenty of depth at the upper minor league level now and in the bigs. Make him earn it. He’s proven nothing yet.
Shi Davidi: Thanks for the compliment, we appreciate you reading, listening and tuning in. Stroman has 42 games remaining in his suspension, pegging a return date at May 18 if he’s assigned to double-A New Hampshire, or May 19 if he ends up at single-A Dunedin. Both are possible as the Blue Jays intend to stretch him out as a starter so he can work on all his pitches and gain more experience. They can move him to the bullpen after if they want. Still, the lost time will cost him and the earliest I’d expect to see him in Toronto is toward the end of the year, if he pitches well beforehand.