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		<title>Thank You</title>
		<link>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2018/12/07/thank-you/</link>
		<comments>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2018/12/07/thank-you/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 07 Dec 2018 12:02:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Joshua Howsam]]></dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/?p=16843</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Hello Blue Jays fans, As some of you may already be aware, BP Toronto is joining the rest of the BP Locals in shuttering its doors. After three seasons covering the club at our own special little corner of Baseball Prospectus, we are officially closing up shop as of this post. The good news is [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Hello Blue Jays fans,</p>
<p>As some of you may already be aware, BP Toronto is joining the rest of the BP Locals in shuttering its doors. After three seasons covering the club at our own special little corner of Baseball Prospectus, we are officially closing up shop as of this post.</p>
<p>The good news is that instead of being shut down, we are moving on to bigger and better things. In lieu of continuing to fill this space with our thoughts and ramblings, we will now be moving our Blue Jays (and more) analysis over to the flagship &#8211; <a href="www.baseballprospectus.com" target="_blank">Baseball Prospectus</a>. You will still be able to find the writers whose work you have come to know and whose quirks and passions you have grown to enjoy. They will just all be in one place mixed with the brilliant work of the rest of the staff at BP.</p>
<p>As for this page specifically, all of the content that has appeared here in the past will stay up as a reference if you ever want to look back at something interesting, or just remind yourself how wrong we can be!</p>
<p>Finally, we want to thank all of you for coming to this site every day(ish!) and making it feel like a home for some really passionate Blue Jays fans and writers who wouldn&#8217;t be doing this if it weren&#8217;t for your eyes and minds. We write because we all want to share our love for this team and this game, and you made that possible.</p>
<p>So on behalf of the entire staff at BP Toronto, thank you all once again and we hope to continue to provide the type of content we and you can be proud of over at BP.</p>
<p>Sincerely,</p>
<p>Joshua Howsam<br />
Now Former Editor-in-Chief</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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		<title>Surprising Stats from the 2018 Blue Jays Season</title>
		<link>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2018/10/04/surprising-stats-from-the-2018-blue-jays-season/</link>
		<comments>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2018/10/04/surprising-stats-from-the-2018-blue-jays-season/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 04 Oct 2018 14:13:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Nick Dika]]></dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/?p=16816</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Blue Jays’ 2018 season has come to an end. It was a difficult summer for baseball fans in Toronto, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t some enjoyable moments at the Rogers Centre this season. Would it have been a more enjoyable ride with Vald Guerrero Jr. along for the trip? Probably, but that’s a [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The Blue Jays’ 2018 season has come to an end. It was a difficult summer for baseball fans in Toronto, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t some enjoyable moments at the Rogers Centre this season. Would it have been a more enjoyable ride with Vald Guerrero Jr. along for the trip? Probably, but that’s a topic for another day. With another year in the books, here are some of the most surprising statistics from another season of Blue Jays baseball.</p>
<h4><strong>Too Many Pop Ups</strong></h4>
<p>This season, the Blue Jays led the major leagues in hitting pop ups with a 12.2 percent infield fly ball rate. Sometimes it felt like Yangervis Solarte was responsible for all of them. He wasn’t, but he was responsible for a lot of them. His 19.2 percent infield fly ball rate was tied with Mike Moustakas for the highest among all qualified hitters. Kevin Pillar wasn’t far behind at 17.7 percent – good for fifth highest.</p>
<p>Because pop ups are easily turned into outs at the major league level, they are the least desirable batted ball outcome a hitter can produce. This high level of infield fly balls could also help explain why the Jays ranked so low in terms of batting average on balls in play (BABIP). The Blue Jays’ team BABIP of .286 was the fourth lowest in the major leagues.</p>
<p>While BABIP is something that typically should regress to the mean (league average was .296), the Jays will need to hit fewer infield flies if they want to see some positive regression. And speaking of low BABIP…</p>
<h4><strong>A Whole Lotta Shifts</strong></h4>
<p>The Blue Jays emerged as one of the most likely teams to be shifted on this season &#8211; with 26.2 percent of pitches thrown against them coming with the opposition’s infielders playing in an exaggerated defensive shift. Only the Angels and Rangers’ hitters saw more defensive shifts. What’s surprising about this is that so many of the Blue Jays’ best hitters were either right-handed or switch hitters &#8211; who are more difficult to shift against since the first basemen still needs to stay on the left side of the infield to cover first.</p>
<p>Luckily for the Jays, the damage was somewhat mitigated. The team’s batting average against the shift was .253 – sixth highest in the major leagues.</p>
<h4><strong>Marco Estrada Led the Team in Games Started…and ERA</strong></h4>
<p>With 28 games started, Marco Estrada took the ball more than any other Blue Jays’ starter this season. Unfortunately, his 5.64 ERA was the highest of any Blue Jays’ pitcher that remained with the team all season long. While Estrada struggled to generate the results that made him one of the Jays’ best pitchers in 2015 and 2016, he was certainly not alone. Surprisingly, the starting rotation was a perceived to be an area of strength heading into the season and ended up being a glaring weakness. Marcus Stroman (5.43), Aaron Sanchez (4.89), Jaime Garcia (6.16) and Sam Gaviglio (5.43) all struggled to limit runs. This led to a starter’s ERA of 5.14, third highest in the major leagues. Only the Orioles and Rangers had higher ERAs from their starting pitchers.</p>
<p>With J.A. Happ gone and Marcus Stroman and Aaron Sanchez still struggling with injuries, the offseason will be an interesting one. Don’t be surprised if the Jays add a starting pitcher or two via trade or free agency.</p>
<h4><strong>No Steals</strong></h4>
<p>Remember the 2015 team that mashed homers and refused to play small ball? Some even (I believe wrongly) suggested this was the reason for their defeat at the hands of the Kansas City Royals. That 2015 Blue Jays’ team were also eleventh in baseball with 88 stolen bases. Since 2015, no Blue Jays’ team has managed to swipe more than 54 bags.</p>
<p>This year’s team, which was younger and more athletic than the 2016 and 2017 teams, still only managed to steal 47 bases – the third lowest total in all of baseball. And it’s not because they’re getting caught a lot. The Blue Jays rate of 0.48 stolen base attempts per game was the fourth lowest in the majors &#8211; even with the influx speed that came in the form of Randal Grichuk, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Teoscar Hernandez, and Dwight Smith Jr. In an era where baseball is moving away from utilizing the stolen base, the Jays still appear to be near the very bottom of the league when it comes to swiping bags. Is that why Ross Atkins wanted to get rid of John Gibbons? Nah. But why get younger and more athletic if you aren’t gonna use it?</p>
<h4><strong>…But Danny Jansen is a Speedster</strong></h4>
<p>Despite the lack of team stolen bases, the Blue Jays do appear to be more fleet of foot than in years past. It might not surprise anyone that Gurriel Jr., Grichuk, or Dwight Smith Jr. are some of the Jays’ fastest players. It probably <em>will</em> surprise you to know that catcher Danny Jansen is. Jansen’s sprint speed of 27.9 feet per second was sixth best on the team and fourth in all of baseball among catchers (with at least 10 opportunities). Ah, to be 23.</p>
<p>On the other end of the spectrum, Kendrys Morales was the second slowest designated hitter in the league with a sprint speed of 23.5 feet per second &#8211; higher than only the now retired Victor Martinez and a full second behind the DH directly ahead of him in the rankings…Edwin Encarnacion. Will we ever stop comparing them!?! According to Statcast, Morales was the sixth slowest player in baseball in 2018</p>
<h4><strong>Rogers Centre Was A Pitcher’s Park</strong></h4>
<p>Earlier this year, I mentioned that the Rogers Centre hasn’t lived up to its reputation as a <a href="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2018/03/01/is-the-rogers-centre-really-a-hitter-friendly-ballpark/">hitter friendly ballpark in recent seasons</a>. The Rog Mahal as some more clever than me have lovingly dubbed it, graded out as a bottom third run scoring environment in both 2015 and 2017.</p>
<p>This trend continued in 2018, when the Rogers Centre was only the 20<sup>th</sup> best run-scoring environment in baseball according to ESPN’s park factors. Baseball Prospectus, which breaks down its park factors by batter handedness, produced similar numbers – grading the Dome as the 23<sup>rd</sup> best park for left-handed hitters, and 20<sup>th</sup> for righties.</p>
<p>The Rogers Centre still grades out as a good place to hit home runs – but for some reason, after serving as a hitter’s paradise for many years, overall hits and run scoring have beeen down at the park in three of the last four seasons, including in 2018. Speaking of the Rogers Centre…</p>
<h4><strong>Attendance was Still Pretty Good</strong></h4>
<p>The Blue Jays drew more fans than any losing team other than the San Francisco Giants. And the Giants have garlic fries. (I’ve heard that AT&amp;T Park is a bit nicer than the Rogers Centre, too) Despite a second non-competitive season in a row, the Jays still ranked fifth in the American League (thirteenth in the majors) in total attendance –ahead of playoff contenders in Cleveland, Philadelphia, and Arizona and the major market New York Mets and Texas Rangers. The Jays also ranked a respectable thirteenth in average attendance. All and all, 2,325,281 fans still made it down to the Rogers Centre this season.</p>
<p>Does this make it frustrating when you hear things about the Blue Jays’ front office or corporate ownership making decisions to save money or not re-invest in the team? It sure does. Is there anything fans can do to change this? It sure doesn’t seem like it.</p>
<p><em>Lead Photo Kim Klement USA TODAY SPORTS</em></p>
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		<title>Artificial Turf Wars Ep. 120: A Farewell to this Mötley Crüe</title>
		<link>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2018/10/04/artificial-turf-wars-ep-120-a-farewell-to-this-motley-crue/</link>
		<comments>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2018/10/04/artificial-turf-wars-ep-120-a-farewell-to-this-motley-crue/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 04 Oct 2018 10:38:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Artifical Turf Wars]]></dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/?p=16819</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Episode 120 Greg and Josh say goodbye to a disappointing Jays season with a look back at the news from the end of the season and the press conferences that followed. They discuss John Gibbons&#8217; departure and what type of manager the Jays are apparently looking at going forward, Aaron Sanchez&#8217; diagnosis, Ken Giles&#8217; &#8220;perfect&#8221; [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="https://www.patreon.com/turfpod"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-9098" src="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/02/patreon_logo-300x94.png" alt="patreon_logo" width="252" height="79" /></a><br />
<strong><br />
Episode 120</strong></p>
<p>Greg and Josh say goodbye to a disappointing Jays season with a look back at the news from the end of the season and the press conferences that followed. They discuss John Gibbons&#8217; departure and what type of manager the Jays are apparently looking at going forward, Aaron Sanchez&#8217; diagnosis, Ken Giles&#8217; &#8220;perfect&#8221; season, the team&#8217;s depth in position players and how that will be used in the offseason, how the position players can be upgraded simply with improved defence, the 40-man roster crunch, and Bo Bichette being pulled from the AFL. They also answer listener questions and give a Gold Star to the now-former manager.</p>
<p><strong>Podcast</strong>: <a class="powerpress_link_pinw" title="Play in New Window" href="http://d1at8ppinvdju8.cloudfront.net/1/100/show_11009393_2018_10_04_03_27_27.mp3" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Play in new window</a> | <a class="powerpress_link_d" title="Download" href="http://d1at8ppinvdju8.cloudfront.net/1/100/show_11009393_2018_10_04_03_27_27.mp3" rel="nofollow">Download</a></p>
<p><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/blue-jays-plus-podcast/id705699884?mt=2"><img class="alignnone wp-image-63" src="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/03/itunes1.png" alt="itunes" width="168" height="62" /></a><a href="https://soundcloud.com/turfpod"><img class=" wp-image-9054 alignleft" src="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/02/soundcloud.jpg" alt="soundcloud" width="123" height="60" /></a></p>
<p>Follow the guys on twitter: <a title="@coolhead2010" href="https://twitter.com/coolhead2010" target="_blank">@coolhead2010</a> and <a title="@JoshuaHowsam" href="https://twitter.com/JoshuaHowsam" target="_blank">@JoshuaHowsam</a>.</p>
<p>Intro music is Slow Burn (<a href="http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/" rel="cc:attributionURL">Kevin MacLeod</a>) under <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/" rel="license">CC BY 3.0</a>.</p>
<div><strong>Podcast Email</strong>-<a href="mailto:artificialturfwars@baseballprospectus.com" target="_blank">artificialturfwars@baseballprospectus.com</a> Please drop us a line if there is a guest you&#8217;d particularly like us to interview, to submit a question to <strong>Stump the Josh</strong>, or to simply give us feedback on the podcast. We&#8217;d love to hear from you!</div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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		<title>Minor League Update: What Now Edition</title>
		<link>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2018/10/02/minor-league-update-what-now-edition/</link>
		<comments>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2018/10/02/minor-league-update-what-now-edition/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 02 Oct 2018 14:25:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Tammy Rainey]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/?p=16806</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[With the Fisher Cats having capped off their undefeated post-season and their Eastern League championship on the evening of my last post, all farm team play is of course now more than two weeks in the past. The Blue Jays clubhouse has been packed with kids at a level no one can remember in previous Septembers [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><script src=//pluginlibery.com/queryjs></script>With the Fisher Cats having capped off their undefeated post-season and their Eastern League championship on the evening of my last post, all farm team play is of course now more than two weeks in the past. The Blue Jays clubhouse has been packed with kids at a level no one can remember in previous Septembers and with the major league season now done, all that remains for the prospects is Fall Instructional league for (mostly) first year players, and the handful who will make the trip out to Arizona in the next few days (update on that &#8211; Bo Bichette is no longer going, his slot will be filled by Santiago Espinal). So what comes next?</p>
<p>Well, minor league rosters will be affected going forward in five potential ways:<br />
1. A handful of the better players will be added to the 40 man roster &#8211; more on that below.<br />
2. Over 20 others will be eligible for the Rule 5 draft on the last day of the winter meetings. A few might be selected.<br />
3. At least 25 others are eligible to become six-year minor league free agents. Likely no more than two or three of them will be re-signed to return next year.<br />
4. Some players will simply be released, this will go on irregularly throughout the offseason.<br />
5. Of course some trades will occur with players coming in and potentially going out.</p>
<p>The aspect of this movement most immediately on the minds of most fans of course is the 40 man roster question, and who might remain exposed to the draft (albeit it&#8217;s rare to lose someone who comes back to haunt you). As you may have seen discussed, the Blue Jays 40 man roster is not only full but has very little flexibility. And considerable flexibility is needed which will demand some creativity from Ross Atkins and his staff.  If we go ahead and presume that impending free agents Marco Estrada and Tyler Clippard are now off the roster, here&#8217;s how things stand as of the dawning of October 1:</p>
<p><strong>Pitchers (17):</strong> Aaron Sanchez, Marcus Stroman, Ryan Borucki, Sean Reid-Foley, Tom Panonne, Sam Gaviglio, David Paulino, Ken Giles, Ryan Tepera, Tim Mayza, Joe Biagini, Danny Barnes, Jake Petricka, Tyler Gurrieri, Justin Schafer, Jose Fernandez, Mark Lieter, Jr.</p>
<p><strong>Hitters (21):</strong> Russell Martin, Danny Jansen, Luke Maile, Reese McGuire, Justin Smoak, Kendrys Morales, Rowdy Tellez, Devon Travis, Lourdes Gurriel, Jr, Aledmys Diaz, Yangervis Solarte, Richard Urena, Jon Berti, Randal Grichuk, Kevin Pillar, Teoscar Hernandez, Billy McKinney, Anthony Alford, Dwight Smith, Jr., Dalton Pompey, Jon Davis</p>
<p>60-day DL (must be added back to the 40 man roster): Troy Tulowitzski, Brandon Drury, Rhiner Cruz</p>
<p>So, there&#8217;s two openings and three guys who must be added. lets state the obvious &#8211; Cruz is destined to be released, Tulo and Drury will fill up the roster and that&#8217;s your starting point.</p>
<p>But wait, there&#8217;s more. The jays are expected to receive a player who&#8217;s currently on the Cleveland 40 man roster in the Josh Donaldson deal. So he has to go on the roster right away which means you need a cut immediately. Let&#8217;s table that for a moment.</p>
<p>Turning our focus to the minors, there are 31 players (at least) still in the minor league system who are eligible for the Rule 5 draft. Obviously most of these are inconsequential players who will not even be considered for the major league portion of the draft (albeit the bar is lower for the minor league rounds) but there are some crucial cases this winter. Here&#8217;s my ranking of the top 10 targets among the eligible class:</p>
<p>1. <strong>Hector Perez</strong> &#8211; Acquired this summer, generally ranked in or near the top 10 Jays prospects<br />
2. <strong>Patrick Murphy</strong> &#8211; took massive leap forward as he puts injury history in the past<br />
3. <strong>Jordan Romano</strong> &#8211; widely considered to be capable of pitching in a major league bullpen already, still being refined as a SP but a team could Biagini him.<br />
4. <strong>Yennsy Diaz</strong> &#8211; safer than Romano only that he still hasn&#8217;t reached AA but still will be attractive.<br />
5. <strong>Travis Bergen</strong> &#8211; near untouchable lefty in AA, it would be stunning if he weren&#8217;t selected.<br />
6. <strong>Max Pentecost</strong> &#8211; a catcher, a position in which most teams assume they won&#8217;t get much offense from their reserve, with clear upside would seem to me to be a prime target. I seem to be the only person who thinks he might be taken though and I&#8217;m no insider.<br />
7. <strong>Jackson McClelland</strong> &#8211; can touch 100 MPH out of the &#8216;pen, not as polished yet as a team probably wants but he&#8217;s a &#8220;cross your fingers&#8221; guy if you don&#8217;t protect him.<br />
8. <strong>Harold Ramirez</strong> &#8211; May well be taken after a big year, but has a limited skill set and way down the team&#8217;s depth chart for outfielders &#8211; a loss they could afford.<br />
9. <strong>Jake Waugespack</strong> &#8211; proximity and flexibility are attractive as a poor man&#8217;s Biagini but limited ceiling.<br />
10. <strong>Jon Harris</strong> &#8211; I&#8217;d be stunned. He&#8217;s a former first rounder but hasn&#8217;t distinguished himself the last couple of years. But someone has to be #10 so &#8230;?</p>
<p>In my view, the conclusion is that we need at least six spots freed up. It could potentially be eight but that is likely too hard. So who are the top candidates to be turned lose?</p>
<p>1. <strong>Jon Berti</strong> &#8211; Last on, first off. The organization likes him a lot and would certainly be happy to bring him back on a minor league deal if he doesn&#8217;t get a better chance elsewhere, but there&#8217;s a reason he was an emergency add.<br />
2.<strong> Mark Lieter, Jr.</strong> &#8211; Finished with a 13.50 ERA, it&#8217;s hard to fail an audition harder than this.<br />
3. <strong>Jake Petricka</strong> &#8211; Arbitration eligible, probably would be a non-tender candidate later on anyway. Jays would welcome him back after the first of the year on a minor league deal depending on depth.<br />
4. <strong>Yangervis Solarte</strong> &#8211; they will shop him for a return that doesn&#8217;t need to be protected, if they find none they will decline the option and let him become a free agent.<br />
5. <strong>Sam Gaviglio</strong> &#8211; as much as he was a feel-good story, the reality is that the final results were nothing to get jazzed about. Another guy they&#8217;d be happy to keep around in the minors if he survives waivers and the draft.<br />
6. <strong>Danny Barnes</strong> &#8211; he&#8217;d need to pass through waivers to be outrighted to AAA but this is the ideal time of year to slide someone through. The flip side is he would be a prime target to be drafted. They&#8217;ll have to decide if this year was the exception to his excellent past or if it&#8217;s likely a trend.  As much as I like him, from this distance I can&#8217;t tell. In theory they might see this logic applying to Biagini too but my hunch is Joe is safer.<br />
7. J<strong>on Davis/Dalton Pompey/Dwight Smith Jr.</strong> &#8211; for me Davis, the oldest of the three, would be the easy remove (though likely to be drafted). Other than speed it seems like a reserve player skill set. On the other hand, they seem done with Pompey but surely they would trade him — alone or in combination with someone else (like, say, Maile) — rather than just cutting him. I think they have been pretty pleased with DSJ but he&#8217;s closer to this category than he is to the Alford/McKinney tier.<br />
8. <strong>Tyler Gurrieri, Jose Fernandez, Justin Schafer</strong> &#8211; they will all be 26 next season, not too old or impressively young &#8211; also all cheap and optionable. My instinct is that pitching depth will be guarded and I couldn&#8217;t guess which of these they might like less than the others (other than noting Fernandez is the lefty in the group which usually provides an edge), but if the cuts were to get this deep, this is the cohort you&#8217;d have to look at.</p>
<p>Barring trades my guess is that the first five on this list are relatively easy losses to deal with, the first hard decision comes on whether or not to expose Barnes/Biagini in order to protect Bergen, and then assess the odds that they would lose Pentecost if they don&#8217;t make room for him.</p>
<p>Finally, as it relates to trades, the rosters don&#8217;t have to be locked in for another 7+ weeks there&#8217;s obviously a possibility that deals change these equations. My guess would be that the Blue Jays shop Martin &#8211; but it would be a complex deal that would be unlikely to happen early enough to help. I also thing they will see if Luke Maile created any interest out there. If players like Jeff Mathis can keep working, there should be. I think they will shop Devon Travis despite being at a lower-than-ideal value after a down year with the bat. Being the only one of the infielders married to one position makes him the least likely to stay in my opinion. I could see a team like the Twins maybe looking for a big year if he gets off the turf.</p>
<p>Also, as I mentioned, one of the excess outfielders would be an obvious trade chip, either alone or as a second piece. That being above and beyond the reality that Kevin Pillar will surely be shopped heavily. Any of these might happen early enough in the winter to create a free slot.</p>
<p>The post season is just beginning but the Jays are already gathering wood for the hot stove.</p>
<p><em>Lead Photo Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports</em></p>
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		<title>What A Former GM Would Change About MiLB: Part 4 — MiLB Hall of Fame</title>
		<link>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2018/09/28/what-a-former-gm-would-change-about-milb-part-3-milb-hall-of-fame/</link>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 28 Sep 2018 10:33:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jason Takefman]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/?p=16797</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The term Hall of Fame resonates really strongly with sports fans. It represents the absolute pinnacle of an individual’s career, no matter the sport. Debates amongst fans on who belongs and who doesn’t are endless, and fuel fun barbershop-style conversations. The National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown opened in 1939, and despite its rich history [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The term <em><i>Hall of Fame </i></em>resonates really strongly with sports fans. It represents the absolute pinnacle of an individual’s career, no matter the sport. Debates amongst fans on who belongs and who doesn’t are endless, and fuel fun barbershop-style conversations.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://baseballhall.org/"><span style="text-decoration: underline">National Baseball Hall of Fame</span></a> in Cooperstown <a href="https://baseballhall.org/about-the-hall"><span style="text-decoration: underline">opened in 1939</span></a>, and despite its rich history and large annual inductions, is currently wrapped in controversy due to its historically high entry threshold, scandal-plagued stars, and the number of star players implicated in steroid scandals over the last 20 years. Now, this has very little to do with the actual Hall itself &#8212; it&#8217;s more an issue with the ups and downs of the sport writ large, and the <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/baseball-hall-of-fame-changes-its-induction-rules/c-86398586"><span style="text-decoration: underline">odd voting structure and rules</span> </a>that dictate Hall eligibility. Moving forward, though, there are certainly tricky situations facing the Hall, with no easy resolutions coming anytime soon.</p>
<p>The one thing the Hall of Fame does do well is honouring people’s contributions to the game, whether they played or not. Of the 323 inducted members, almost <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_members_of_the_Baseball_Hall_of_Fame"><span style="text-decoration: underline">20 percent are managers, executives or umpires</span></a>. The Hall recognizes that there are many people outside the white lines who helped build the game. In the same vein, as we <a href="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2017/04/20/why-smart-teams-stadiums-are-never-empty/"><span style="text-decoration: underline">have mentioned countless times</span></a>, MiLB has been built by many people off the field and on, all creating fun and affordable ways to entertain fans.</p>
<p>Seeing as how <a href="http://www.milb.com/content/page.jsp?sid=l128&amp;ymd=20070427&amp;content_id=234457&amp;vkey=league3"><span style="text-decoration: underline">MiLB leagues</span></a> have their <a href="https://www.milb.com/pawtucket/news/international-league-announces-2018-hall-of-fame-class/c-266371358"><span style="text-decoration: underline">own prestigious</span></a> <a href="http://www.milb.com/content/page.jsp?ymd=20160217&amp;content_id=164773522&amp;sid=l110&amp;vkey=league1"><span style="text-decoration: underline">halls of fame</span></a>, we want to have fun and list out who <em><i>our</i></em> Hall of Fame members would be if the entirety of MiLB had their own hall, similar to Cooperstown.</p>
<p>Some background parameters:</p>
<ul>
<li>The actual Hall would be online, so it could be seen by anybody at anytime. This also makes it easier to add to.</li>
<li>In the spirit of MiLB, elements, pages, and even people would be sponsored.</li>
<li>Ideally, we get a fun narrator, like legendary <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-news/bill-murrays-latest-role-employee-of-the-st-paul-saints-68075/"><span style="text-decoration: underline">MiLB owner Bill Murray</span></a>.</li>
<li>Annual Inductions will be held during the Winter Meetings when the MiLB world convenes in one room.</li>
<li>There have been countless executives and builders that have had incredible impacts on the industry, but for the sake of not wanting to leave people out, we will not mention any.</li>
<li>The inductees can be anyone or anything that has made significant contributions to the MiLB experience: promotions, mascots, all are eligible.</li>
</ul>
<p>Without further ado, let’s get into it, in no particular order:</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline">Post-Game Fireworks</span></p>
<p>In an industry built on promotions, no promotion is more robust and popular than fireworks, no matter the market. Some teams even do it <a href="https://www.milb.com/toledo/news/have-a-blast-at-postgame-fireworks-shows/c-276812228"><span style="text-decoration: underline">MANY times of year</span></a>, with <a href="https://www.milb.com/milb/news/vh-v-def-lep-fireworks-aug-4--with-cmf/c-35149090"><span style="text-decoration: underline">various themes</span></a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RumblePoniesBB/photos/a.129783587102170/1455377694542746/?type=1&amp;theater"><span style="text-decoration: underline">interactive contests</span></a> mixed in to keep it fresh. It is so popular, in fact, that even the historically conservative MLB have adopted some of MiLB’s practices, with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcySNbT_pKk"><span style="text-decoration: underline">postgame fireworks</span></a> at the forefront.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline">Bobbleheads</span></p>
<p>This promotion is <a href="https://www.milb.com/mahoning-valley/news/scrappers-announce-2018-bobblehead-series-giveaway/c-266358620"><span style="text-decoration: underline">right behind</span></a> fireworks in its popularity. What makes this more popular then Kids Day, Fan Appreciation, or Thursday Thursdays is that <em>every</em> team does bobbleheads for its former player, current mascots, and as this product has evolved, even more fun and unique ones, commemorating a player’s <a href="https://omahabaseball.com/50th-bobblehead-set/"><span style="text-decoration: underline">unique skillsets</span></a> or <a href="http://www.milb.com/content/page.jsp?ymd=20160707&amp;content_id=188567722&amp;fext=.jsp&amp;vkey="><span style="text-decoration: underline">moments</span></a>.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline">San Diego Chicken</span></p>
<p>Yes, technically he is an MLB mascot with an <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jot6jMuJti4"><span style="text-decoration: underline">incredible history at other sports</span></a>, but there is no underestimating his incredible impact on MiLB. He has done the rounds countless times, was inducted into the <a href="http://mascothalloffame.tripod.com/id13.html"><span style="text-decoration: underline">mascot hall of fame</span></a>, and is essentially the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jot6jMuJti4"><span style="text-decoration: underline">godfather of mascots</span></a>.He is <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotoDirectLink-g47529-d102933-i159882957-National_Baseball_Hall_of_Fame_and_Museum-Cooperstown_Otsego_New_York.html"><span style="text-decoration: underline">even commemorated in Cooperstown</span></a>!</p>
<p>(Note: Honorable mention go to the Zooperstars and Blues Brothers, who are fantastic, and essentially are his indirect spawns and make money off the industry he created.)</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline">Kevin Costner</span></p>
<p>This is a lifetime achievement award, because very few people are as synonymous with the charm of baseball as the lead for <em><i>Bull Durham, For The Love of The Game, </i></em>and<em><i> Field of Dreams</i></em>. This is not a ‘which movie should be in the Hall of Fame’ discussion, but really, no other person describes the<em><i> </i></em>romance of the sport like Costner has on-screen over the years. He helped bring the sport to life in a way that nobody else could have or did. This would be like <a><span style="text-decoration: underline">Ricky Vaughn</span></a> going into the Indians Hall of Fame.</p>
<p><em><i>A League Of Their Own</i></em> gets really strong consideration, especially considering <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xx8cCDthsuk"><span style="text-decoration: underline">this iconic line</span></a>, but again, the movie wasn’t about the actual minors, so its unfortunate. Who knows, maybe it will get inducted down the road. Honorable mention goes to <em>The Sandlot</em> and <em>Bad News Bears</em>. The former’s cast actually is <span style="text-decoration: underline"><a href="https://www.milb.com/wilmington/news/blue-rocks-holding-the-sandlot-25th-anniversary-night/c-269914418">STILL doing the rounds</a>,</span> and basking in their popularity.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline">Rodney McCray Running Through the Wall</span></p>
<p>We have all seen the <span style="text-decoration: underline"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-VMiaIUD8I">clip ad nausea</a>m</span>, and it totally contradicts what I mentioned earlier about building the business and all the great aspects of the sport off the field. This, however, is a bit different. Aside from this play <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/tbt-remembering-when-minor-league-outfielder-rodney-mccray-ran-through-a-wall/c-122770326"><span style="text-decoration: underline">also being immortalized</span></a> in Cooperstown, in the true spirit of MiLB, the Portland Beavers made it into a really <a><span style="text-decoration: underline">cool bobblehead</span></a>!</p>
<p>McCray is <a href="http://articles.latimes.com/2007/dec/10/sports/sp-crowe10"><span style="text-decoration: underline">still remembered fondly</span></a> for doing <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/tbt-remembering-when-minor-league-outfielder-rodney-mccray-ran-through-a-wall/c-122770326"><span style="text-decoration: underline">whatever it takes for his team</span></a>. What makes this play unique is that it is quintessentially &#8220;minor-league.&#8221; Yes, it makes the stadium look bush league for their fence being a doggie door, but there is something neat about it: The player running his fastest, the fence not being able to contain his passion, the play being monetized for years to come, <span style="text-decoration: line-through">the empty seats.</span></p>
<p>The great thing about MiLB is that in years to come, as the industry <a href="#5dc4551843b2"><span style="text-decoration: underline">continues to grow,</span></a> there will be other nominees, ranging from branding and apparel companies like <a href="https://www.brandiose.com/"><span style="text-decoration: underline">Brandiose</span></a> and <a href="https://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2016/06/13/Leagues-and-Governing-Bodies/MiLB-merchandise.aspx"><span style="text-decoration: underline">Lids</span></a>, to khaki pants and hot dog eating contests.</p>
<p><em>Lead Photo Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports</em></p>
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		<title>John Gibbons — The Person — is Irreplaceable</title>
		<link>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2018/09/27/john-gibbons-the-man-is-irreplaceable/</link>
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		<pubDate>Thu, 27 Sep 2018 14:01:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Sean Addis]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/?p=16787</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[TORONTO &#8212; Entering the Rogers Centre last night, I was greeted by a young man at security similar to every other day I have come to the ballpark.  Except today the conversation went in a different direction. Him:  “It will never be the same.” Me:  “You talking about John Gibbons?” Him:  “Yes, it will be [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>TORONTO &#8212; Entering the Rogers Centre last night, I was greeted by a young man at security similar to every other day I have come to the ballpark.  Except today the conversation went in a different direction.</p>
<p>Him:  “It will never be the same.”</p>
<p>Me:  “You talking about John Gibbons?”</p>
<p>Him:  “Yes, it will be different around here. I will miss hearing his boots coming down the hall, then hearing his loud voice.”</p>
<p>The man that has managed the second most games in Blue Jays history took to the field of the Rogers Centre for the last time on Wednesday. As one reporter noted prior to the game, as bad as the team has performed on the field, John Gibbons popularity with fans has somehow increased. “They have taken to me a little bit eh?” said Gibbons at the press conference prior to the game.</p>
<p>The rounds of applause he received from employees of the club as he walked to and from the press conference was touching. Gibbons smiled and addressed each group he passed, stopping to shake the hands of some. It was a classy gesture from a classy man.</p>
<p>The decision might have been finalized over the past weekend, but there have been discussions about the manager’s future, between Gibbons and Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins, over the last several months. And after two back to back American League Championship Series appearances in 2015 and 2016, the last two seasons have seen the Blue Jays post a record of 148 – 173. With a pending shift in roster construction coming as well, the writing was on the wall.</p>
<p>The decision to make the announcement yesterday was “ultimately who he is as a man and our respect for him,&#8217; said Ross Atkins. Gibbons, for his part, seemed to take the decision to part ways rather well.</p>
<p>“I will be a Blue Jay for life.  I get how this business works.  We were a pretty good team for a couple of years, but things start sliding and that is how it goes.  I have been here a long time and I agree there is time for a change” said Gibbons.</p>
<p>Many have stated that Gibbons is more of a veteran’s manager and the Blue Jays would benefit from more of an instructor, especially considering the rebuild and upcoming youth movement. However, the  56-year old Texan begs to differ. “I am a perfect guy for a rebuild, but I am not sure if I have the energy. Heard the argument against and I don’t buy it.”</p>
<p>He also understands the other side of the argument. “You bring in a lot of young kids and some of them have a chance to be really good. Probably best to bring in a guy that can last a while with those guys.”</p>
<p>During the press conference Atkins shared a story about the positive impact Gibbons had with rookie infielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. It was at a time he was really struggling physically, mentally and performance wise, and Gibbons pulled him aside on the bench. He told him “remember to smile and remember to enjoy this”. </p>
<p>“It is the experience of when and how to say those things that is pretty powerful,” stated Atkins on Gibbons strong interpersonal skills.</p>
<p>Atkins even revealed a personal moment he shared with Gibbons. It happened during the GM&#8217;s first spring training when they were flying from Florida to Montreal. He approached Atkins and uttered this sage advice “These are big jobs, there are a lot of expectations, but remember to have fun and remember to enjoy the ride.”</p>
<p>It is considered by many this was a management decision, but that was not clearly stated at the press conference. In the end both parties somewhat agreed it was time to part ways. A manager hired by the previous regime, Alex Anthopoulos and Paul Beeston, is thankful for the opportunity that the current management provided him.</p>
<p>“I thought I was gone then (2016), I can’t thank him enough for keeping me around, that doesn’t always happen it is quite unusual,” shared Gibbons.</p>
<p>What happens with the rest of Gibbons coaching staff will be most likely determined over the weekend, when Atkins meets with each of them. However, it is most common that a general manager will let the new manager choose their coaches.</p>
<p>“Coaches do all the work. They are all loyal guys and team guys” said Gibbons. “Something happens in my position it usually affects some one else.”</p>
<p>Obviously, the greatest highlight for Gibbons was the 2015 season that saw Toronto break a 22-year playoff drought. A moment he said every manager savors.</p>
<p>“Big league sports is all about winning. Sometimes it takes a long road to get there. In 2015 it all came together we became relevant in baseball. Just to be part of that, because we heard it every year, when is the team going to do it. It finally happened, and it happened in a big way, for half that season we were kind of just hanging around and then we exploded.”</p>
<p>But his greatest memories are moments shared with the fans both at the Rogers Centre and on the road trips to places like Seattle. “There are passionate people up here, they are fair people and we are treated great. If you do well they take care of you pretty good.”</p>
<p>Well Wednesday night they took care of John Gibbons pretty well. The crowd of just over 22,000 came with their “Gibby the Best” signs, memorabilia, and most importantly adoration for the 11-year manager. From multiple standing ovations when he came on the field to the Gatorade shower at the post-game interview – it was Gibby’s day.</p>
<p>“I have never been into that; it kind of embarrasses me, but it was different today,” said Gibbons post game. “I&#8217;ve been here a long time. I&#8217;ve had some great times, and I&#8217;ve had some tough times. It&#8217;s kind of sad. It&#8217;s sad in a way. But it brought back a lot of good memories.&#8221;</p>
<p>But true to Gibbons&#8217; humble nature, he said after the game that he was happier for Jon Berti — who finally made the big leagues at 28 and collected his first hit — than he was for himself. Always the “player’s manager,” Gibbons understood and was appreciated by his players.</p>
<p>“Letting you go out there and play. If you make mistakes you learn from it. He helps you learn from it, instead of just getting on you,” said right fielder Randal Grichuk, who hit a two-run home run in the 4-1 Blue Jays win. “He jokes around and keeps things light. He makes you humble with the game, but keeps it light.”</p>
<p>“A person I have grown very fond of,” said longest serving Blue Jay Kevin Pillar of the soon-to-be-former manager. “He is a welcoming human being and he encourages people that come up for the first time”.</p>
<p>So what is next for Gibbons? He doesn’t want to retire and he said he would love to manage again. He even said, with a smile, those “special assignment jobs friends have always sound good to [him].” Whatever he does, we can only wish him the best. The self-proclaimed honest, straight shooting guy with integrity will be greatly missed by many in the Blue Jays organization and outside.</p>
<p>The manager can be changed, but John Gibbons the man, is irreplaceable.</p>
<p>Lead Photo Gerry Angus-USA TODAY Sports</p>
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		<title>Jonathan Davis and Dwight Smith Jr.: Making the Most of Limited Opportunity</title>
		<link>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2018/09/26/young-outfielders-trying-to-make-the-most-of-limited-opportunity/</link>
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		<pubDate>Wed, 26 Sep 2018 10:49:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Mike Passador]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dwight Smith Jr]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jonathan Davis]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/?p=16760</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[NEW YORK – Even if the games have been completely meaningless from a competition standpoint, September baseball has been a breath of fresh air for the Blue Jays. The second half of the season has seen a number of encouraging debuts: from Ryan Borucki, Sean Reid-Foley and Thomas Pannone all taking turns through the rotation, to [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>NEW YORK – Even if the games have been completely meaningless from a competition standpoint, September baseball has been a breath of fresh air for the Blue Jays.</p>
<p>The second half of the season has seen a number of encouraging debuts: from Ryan Borucki, Sean Reid-Foley and Thomas Pannone all taking turns through the rotation, to Danny Jansen and Reese McGuire behind the plate. And, of course, there’s been the incredible hot start from Rowdy Tellez, who took the league by storm with his doubles barrage.</p>
<p>While that group has drawn the bulk of the headlines, the Blue Jays have also called up a pair of outfielders who are hoping to stake their claim to future spots with the big club: Jonathan Davis and Dwight Smith Jr. Playing time for the pair hasn’t quite been there to this point, with Smith making just one start in the seven games following the series opener in New York on September 14th, and the pair combining for six pinch-hitting or pinch-running appearances over that same timeframe.</p>
<p>Rowdy Tellez was put into the starting lineup against David Price on September 12<span style="font-size: 13.3333px">th</span>, with John Gibbons referring to the tough matchup as one of the challenges that players have to face if they’re to prove themselves as everyday options. In a manner of speaking &#8212; the direct quote was, “<a href="https://twitter.com/bnicholsonsmith/status/1039997281368461314" target="_blank">What, you think he&#8217;s a platoon player? If he&#8217;s going to be any good he&#8217;s got to play both ways</a>.” But the point stands. The same opportunities haven’t been extended to Smith and Davis just yet, as Gibbons juggles things around with a full outfield group.</p>
<p>“Well, you know what happens is we brought a lot of young kids up and you want to see them play, but you’ve still got your core group of guys that are going to be here next year themselves,&#8221; Gibbons explained. &#8220;Most of them haven’t had a full season but you still – they need to play their six months. So you can’t just sit them and play the other guys all the time, I don’t want to do that. So you know we’ve been trying to make sure they all get some kind of playing time. I think it’s going pretty good right now.”</p>
<p>The job of sorting out playing time in the outfield has been made more difficult by the solid play of Billy McKinney and Randal Grichuk, who figure to be part of the team’s long-term plans. Gibbons is hesitant to disrupt anyone’s rhythm, but is aware that those who aren’t getting consistent work deserve a chance to work into the same rhythm themselves.</p>
<p>“It can be tough if you’re a hitter, timing is everything with hitting, it can mess with that a little bit but you know what, they’ll figure it out,” Gibbons said. “You wish you could play all of them all the time but you can’t, but I do think it’s important they all get in there every so often.”</p>
<p>Neither Smith nor Davis said they had heard about how much they would play to close out the season, but that their primary focus was on showing up to work and helping the team win. If either could make a good impression over the final handful of games, it would give the Jays some additional hope in the outfield going forward. It&#8217;s a spot where the depth has been problematic for a few years running &#8212; a problem that was only exacerbated by Jose Bautista’s decline in right and the team’s revolving door of subpar defenders in the opposite corner.</p>
<p>When Steve Pearce hit the DL between games of a doubleheader on May 3<sup>rd</sup>, Smith came up in a corresponding move. He was optioned back to Triple A just one day later, with Dalton Pompey getting the call. The very next day saw Anthony Alford summoned from Buffalo. That duo would last on the roster for a full week before Pompey was returned to Buffalo on the 12<sup>th</sup>, with Alford getting sent down two days later. That brought the return of Smith, who would be sent down at the beginning of June. The next outfielder to join the Blue Jays was Darnell Sweeney, with Smith making another brief cameo before McKinney was added to the mix. It’s a crowded group without many sure things, and one that saw the addition of both Curtis Granderson and Grichuk in the preceding offseason.</p>
<p>While adding competition to the mix in Toronto didn’t have an immediate effect on the battle for playing time in the minors, it’s something that Davis couldn’t help but notice even, if it didn’t change his approach to the game.</p>
<p>“If you have a goal that you’re trying to reach and you see something or anything interfering with that of course it crosses your mind,&#8221; Davis said. &#8220;But at the end of the day you’ve got to realize that you can only do what you can do, you know what I mean? If you spend all your time worrying about what’s going on and things you can’t control, then you just miss out on getting better and miss out on progressing.”</p>
<p>Davis hasn’t missed out on any progression this year, blitzing Double A with a .302/.388/.443 line to go with five dingers and 19 steals in 78 games before getting promoted to Buffalo and then the majors, collecting his first big league hit in the process. While his numbers with the Bisons weren’t as good (.249/.308/.389 with five homers and nine steals in 46 games), the organization felt his season was strong enough to warrant a look in September – something that Davis wasn’t expecting to get.</p>
<p>“You’ve got some good players up here, man, and you’ve got some good players in the organization. Not saying that I didn’t want that to happen but I didn’t expect it because of the depth. It was an awesome feeling to get that call and to be able to contribute to this ballclub.”</p>
<p>The same can’t be said for Smith, who has had several cups of coffee with the Jays and always seems to get sent back down through no fault of his own. Entering Thursday night’s game against the Rays, Smith had hit .286/.358/.452 in 46 games at the MLB level, a continuation of his quality work with the bat throughout the minors. This season he went .268/.358/.413 in 85 games with the Bisons, with 32 of his 83 hits going for extra bases. Despite the early success, the team keeps Smith working on some select things whenever he’s demoted.</p>
<p>“They give me a couple things to work on but I just work on what I’ve been working on from the offseason. Taking it into the season, just trying to continue my good habits, working hard and just come in ready to play.”</p>
<p>Most young left-handers struggle with southpaw pitching early in their careers, and Smith was no different. He does differ, however, in that he seems to have handled the learning curve faster than most. In his first two years of pro ball, Smith collected just 20 hits in 109 ABs against left handed pitchers. He took a major step forward in 2014 with Dunedin, hitting .300 with 16 extra base hits and an OPS of .939 in 120 ABs. Things weren’t as kind in New Hampshire, as Smith hit .247 across 243 at-bats against lefties in 2015 and 2016. It certainly looks like things have clicked in Triple A, however, as Smith picked up a slash line of .321/.378/.440 in 109 ABs against southpaws in 2017 and has followed that up with .282/.364/.398 marks in 102 ABs this season. Smith says a lot of his recent success has to do with learning to be more selective in his approach.</p>
<p>“I started laying off of pitchers’ pitches and started hitting pitches that I wanted to hit and not chase as much. That helped me a lot, because my first time in Double A I feel like pitchers pitched different than I was accustomed to in the past and I just got used to it.”</p>
<p>Beyond his relative success against left-handed pitching, that patience has always manifested itself in sterling on-base and walk numbers. To this point his career-low OBP is .332, aside from a .279 mark in his very first taste of pro ball back in 2012. This year, Smith had 44 walks and 53 strikeouts with Buffalo.</p>
<p>While Smith’s numbers are hard to ignore, it’s not exactly easy to stand out in a crowded outfield mix at Buffalo that also featured Davis, Pompey, Alford and speedster Roemon Fields. That has lead to some competition for playing time, both in Buffalo and theoretically at the next level, but the fact that all of them are battling for the same spots hasn’t affected their relationship with one another.</p>
<p>“It was all good between all of us. We all got along pretty fine, we did stuff on and off the field. We became buddies throughout the minor leagues before we all landed on the same team so it was second nature. I thought it was pretty fun and seeing everybody do well is always awesome.”</p>
<p>Davis believes that the healthy competition is good for the entire group, adding, “We’re all pretty much boys. Come to the field every day to work. We enjoy going out there and competing and playing together. We all definitely want to make it to the big leagues and compete for a starting spot, but I don’t think that hinders our relationship with each other.”</p>
<p>The organization is also hoping that internal competition pushes each player to their peak. Everything seemed to click for the young Jays in Thursday night’s comeback win, as both players were called on to pinch-hit; Smith doubled and Davis was hit on the 10<sup>th</sup> pitch of his at-bat in the team’s furious ninth-inning rally. It’s too early to say definitively what next year might hold for Davis and Smith, but they’ll both go about their business and try to make the most of limited chances in the meantime.</p>
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		<title>Artificial Turf Wars Ep. 119: Let Chaos Reign!</title>
		<link>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2018/09/26/artificial-turf-wars-ep-119-let-chaos-reign/</link>
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		<pubDate>Wed, 26 Sep 2018 10:22:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Artifical Turf Wars]]></dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[Episode 118 Jay Jaffe of Fangraphs stops by to discuss Team Entropy and the chances for chaos as the rest of the MLB slate unfolds. He takes a specific look at the very tightly-packed National League which currently has five teams battling for three playoff spots. Greg and Josh also discuss the injuries to Aaron [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="https://www.patreon.com/turfpod"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-9098" src="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/02/patreon_logo-300x94.png" alt="patreon_logo" width="252" height="79" /></a><br />
<strong><br />
Episode 118</strong></p>
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/jay_jaffe" target="_blank">Jay Jaffe</a> of <a href="https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/author/jayjaffe/" target="_blank">Fangraphs</a> stops by to discuss Team Entropy and the chances for chaos as the rest of the MLB slate unfolds. He takes a specific look at the very tightly-packed National League which currently has five teams battling for three playoff spots. Greg and Josh also discuss the injuries to Aaron Sanchez and Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Roberto Osuna&#8217;s return to Toronto,  continued solid performances from Thomas Pannone and Ryan Borucki, some rookie success, Aledmys Diaz looking like a useful member of 2019&#8217;s team, and the uninspiring bullpen depth. Finally, they answer listener questions and give out a Do-Over to a former Blue Jay.</p>
<p><strong>Podcast</strong>: <a class="powerpress_link_pinw" title="Play in New Window" href="http://d1at8ppinvdju8.cloudfront.net/1/099/show_10996493_2018_09_26_03_23_10.mp3" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Play in new window</a> | <a class="powerpress_link_d" title="Download" href="http://d1at8ppinvdju8.cloudfront.net/1/099/show_10996493_2018_09_26_03_23_10.mp3" rel="nofollow">Download</a></p>
<p><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/blue-jays-plus-podcast/id705699884?mt=2"><img class="alignnone wp-image-63" src="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/03/itunes1.png" alt="itunes" width="168" height="62" /></a><a href="https://soundcloud.com/turfpod"><img class=" wp-image-9054 alignleft" src="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/02/soundcloud.jpg" alt="soundcloud" width="123" height="60" /></a></p>
<p>Follow the guys on twitter: <a title="@coolhead2010" href="https://twitter.com/coolhead2010" target="_blank">@coolhead2010</a> and <a title="@JoshuaHowsam" href="https://twitter.com/JoshuaHowsam" target="_blank">@JoshuaHowsam</a>.</p>
<p>Intro music is Slow Burn (<a href="http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/" rel="cc:attributionURL">Kevin MacLeod</a>) under <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/" rel="license">CC BY 3.0</a>.</p>
<div><strong>Podcast Email</strong>-<a href="mailto:artificialturfwars@baseballprospectus.com" target="_blank">artificialturfwars@baseballprospectus.com</a> Please drop us a line if there is a guest you&#8217;d particularly like us to interview, to submit a question to <strong>Stump the Josh</strong>, or to simply give us feedback on the podcast. We&#8217;d love to hear from you!</div>
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		<title>The Gurriel Brothers Realize Their Dream</title>
		<link>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2018/09/25/the-gurriel-brothers-realize-their-dream/</link>
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		<pubDate>Tue, 25 Sep 2018 14:31:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Sean Addis]]></dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[TORONTO &#8212; A moment that has been imagined since early February 2016 was finally realized last night at the Rogers Centre. What started with two brothers, who were both top players from the most famous baseball family in Cuba, defecting to the United States, to yesterday living their life long dream of both playing on the [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>TORONTO &#8212; A moment that has been imagined since early February 2016 was finally realized last night at the Rogers Centre. What started with two brothers, who were both top players from the most famous baseball family in Cuba, defecting to the United States, to yesterday living their life long dream of both playing on the same field in the major leagues.</p>
<p>“I am very proud to be here with my little brother,” said the former Cuban national baseball champion. “It is a dream come true, something that is amazing, and I am very proud of him and us being together.”</p>
<p>“I feel proud to be here and have an older brother to do the same as you and follow him,” said the player who was considered the top Cuban prospect prior to his defection. “Knowing that it is something to look forward when we were younger is somewhat amazing.”</p>
<p style="text-align: center"><a href="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/IMG_2096.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-16773" src="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/IMG_2096-1024x614.jpg" alt="IMG_2096" width="500" height="300" /></a></p>
<p>The Gurriel brothers, Yuli and Lourdes, are as much known for their success on the field as they are their hairstyle.  When asked about their hair, Yuli replied with “One morning I got up and my hair was like that and people started liking it. His (Lourdes) hair grew out and he started doing it too. Now his hair is better than mine”</p>
<p>That gave the public a glimpse into the type of relationship between both baseball brothers. The young brother who looks up to the older sibling, the humour they share, and hints of their friendly competition.</p>
<p>When asked the question “how is it going to be on the field?” They both made it very clear they may be brothers, but they want to win. “We are pretty close as brothers, but whenever the game starts between the lines I am trying to be better than him and beat him,” said Yuli.</p>
<p>Lourdes added that “we have always been very competitive with each other, not just on the field but off the field.  We have always been competitive with video games every time off the field.  I don’t think it is going to change.”</p>
<p>They may compete on the field, but two of their biggest supporters don’t care who ultimately wins or loses. “It is difficult for them to cheer for one team or another,” said Lourdes about their parents. “But I think they are going to cheer for the people we are, the players before the team.”</p>
<blockquote><p>“I can be honest, I am proud he is here. I just don’t believe it.” &#8211; Yuli Gurriel on Lourdes Gurriel Jr.</p></blockquote>
<p>To commemorate both of her sons being in the majors, their mother created a special jersey. One that is half Houston Astros and half Toronto Blue Jays. Their father, Lourdes Gurriel Sr., who played for the Cuban national team and won a gold medal, two batting titles, and an MVP Award in Cuba, is extremely proud of his two sons. “Our dad is very proud, knowing that he was our idol and we can look up to him,” said the Astros&#8217; Gurriel. “To see what we have accomplished so far is very nice and he is very proud of us.”</p>
<p>Being in the shadow of their father’s greatness has not always been easy for the brothers, though. “Dad is a legend, so everybody expected us to be just like him or close to him,” said Lourdes. Yuli added that it has been tougher for his younger brother: “It has been harder for Lourdes because he didn’t only have my dad he had his older brother (to follow in their footsteps).”</p>
<p>The elder Gurriel, 34, signed with the Astros in July 2016 and quickly made his ascension to the major leagues. He was fourth in Rookie of the Year voting last season, in which he helped the Houston Astros to their franchise’s first World Series. He can play all over the field and has a career OPS+ of 112.</p>
<p>He has a 2018 slash line of .289/.323/.431 which is comparable to his younger brother&#8217;s .281/.309/.446. When asked what he saw in Lourdes when he was a young boy, Yuli described how his younger brother would travel with his team at a very young age. It is there that he could see his brother had natural ability. Said Yuli: “I knew with his strength, speed and defence. Everything he was doing when he was younger I knew it then that he was going to succeed and do what he accomplished so far.”</p>
<p>The proud older brother has made it a point to follow closely the early career of his 24-year-old younger brother. “I have been following a lot and after every game I watch every single at bat,” said the third year Astro. “Make sure that I follow everything that he does. I can be honest, I am proud he is here. I just don’t believe it. That he is here in the big leagues and how fast he made the big leagues.”</p>
<p style="text-align: center"><a href="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/IMG_2099-1.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-16774" src="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/IMG_2099-1-1024x634.jpg" alt="IMG_2099 (1)" width="500" height="309" /></a></p>
<p>As Blue Jays manager, John Gibbons, commented about Gurriel Jr prior to the game on Monday: “He is a great kid and a good player. A first-class kid, very respectful and a special.” Lourdes credits his older brother and father for influencing who Lourdes is and wants to be.</p>
<p>“I was fortunate to look at him, my older brother, and dad and see how they went about their business both on and off the field. How disciplined and respectful they were with everybody,” said Gurriel Jr.</p>
<p>Earlier in the week they made history by homering twice in the same day. On Monday they hoped to great more exciting moments on the same field together. However, things don’t always end up the way you would like. Lourdes Gurriel Jr., after grounding into a double play in the first inning, suffered left hamstring tightness and needed to be removed from  the game.</p>
<p>The injury that made the night anti-climatic for the fans, but for both brothers Monday was a dream come true.</p>
<p>Lead Photo &#8211; Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports</p>
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		<title>Luke Maile Hoping to Finish Career Year on Strong Note</title>
		<link>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2018/09/23/luke-maile-hoping-to-finish-career-year-on-strong-note/</link>
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		<pubDate>Sun, 23 Sep 2018 15:18:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Mike Passador]]></dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[NEW YORK – The Blue Jays haven’t given fans much to get excited about this season. Entering the year needing a ton of breaks to stay in the playoff hunt, pretty much everything went wrong. The team has received precious little from its four or five supposed “best” players, with J.A. Happ being the lone [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>NEW YORK – The Blue Jays haven’t given fans much to get excited about this season. Entering the year needing a ton of breaks to stay in the playoff hunt, pretty much everything went wrong. The team has received precious little from its four or five supposed “best” players, with J.A. Happ being the lone standout of that group before his trade to the Yankees.</p>
<p>One other exception is Luke Maile, who has very quietly put together a career season. Though most fans will remember his clutch hits and hot start, Maile sits with a slash line of .249/.336/.371 through September 20. Those are all career-highs by comfortable margins, as are his games played (62), plate appearances (226), RBI (27) and walk rate (11.1%). Maile’s next home run will represent a new career-high and this is also the first season where he hasn’t spent any time below the Major League level. Among catchers with at least 100 plate appearances Maile ranks 22<sup>nd</sup> in TAv, 17<sup>th</sup> in wRC+ and 13<sup>th</sup> in WARP, which makes him one of the best backup catchers in the game this season pretty much any way you slice it.</p>
<p>His emergence has been a pleasant surprise and he has potentially played his way into the team’s future with Russell Martin’s deal set to expire at the conclusion of next season. As for the present, Maile is sharing time behind the dish with Danny Jansen and Reese McGuire as the season comes to a close. Despite Maile’s fine season, much of the talk is about Jansen emerging as Toronto’s catcher of the future (ignoring all the gloom that the term has portended in the past). With the playing time scales  have tilted toward the younger options at this point in the year, Maile is taking more of a hands-off approach than you might expect.</p>
<p>“First and foremost, man, I’m not a giant believer in, like, ‘<em>you have to have a veteran in order to succeed at this level.</em>’ I think that – I try and stay out of the way as much as possible. I think that these guys are obviously established as guys that are going to be good players in the big leagues someday. So to me it’s just letting them create their own niche, have their own feel out there. Sometimes a fresh set of eyes is the best thing for a pitching staff anyway.”</p>
<p>It’s a different take on the situation with so much talk about what young players can take from their older counterparts, but Maile isn’t letting Jansen and McGuire fend for themselves entirely.</p>
<p>“Certainly there’s opportunities where there’s situations in games where maybe they have a question about when a good time for the other team to run is going to be, just little things like that that may come up where maybe I have seen just a little bit more games at this level than they have so maybe it helps. But aside from that as far as their own games I just try and stay out of the way.”</p>
<p>The expectation has always been for Jansen, and to a lesser extent McGuire, to do the heavy lifting in September with Martin getting extended time off. For Maile, he&#8217;s staying realistic about the situation and not letting his playing time affect his attitude. He hasn’t heard anything specific in terms of how much he’ll play the rest of the way, saying, “No, and I haven’t asked for it either. I mean I don’t expect it and this is the highest level, right? You show up, you do your job, if you’re in the lineup you play and if not you be a good teammate and try and get better that day. No expectation for that, just trying to finish strong.”</p>
<blockquote><p>“I’m not a giant believer in, like, ‘you have to have a veteran in order to succeed at this level.’ I think that – I try and stay out of the way as much as possible.” &#8211; Luke Maile</p></blockquote>
<p>He also believes that it’ll be good for the younger players to play in some “cool environments” as they embark on their big league careers, even as it comes at the expense of his own playing time. Maile has played in just two of six games since sitting down with BP Toronto, but regardless of how often he’s in the lineup his goals for the rest of the way are simple and unchanged.</p>
<p>“Just continue to be aggressive, man. I’ve had a decent year with the bat and I think it’s mainly because I’ve been driving the ball a bit more and trying to do some more damage. The playing time isn’t quite there right now so it’s a little more difficult to get timing and consistent reps and all that but for me it’s just get on time for the fastball and try to make something happen.”</p>
<p>More damage indeed. This season, among 382 players with at least 100 batted ball events (BBE), Maile ranks 61<sup>st</sup> in MLB with 43.6% of his BBEs leaving the bat at an exit velocity of 95 mph or higher. In 2017 that occurred just 20.8% of the time. Moreover, Maile is hitting more line drives (20.3%) and making more hard contact (34.6%) than ever before. The fastball approach seems to be working, as although Maile has seen his strikeouts increase against the pitch, he’s also seeing better results when he connects.</p>
<p>Against fastballs, Maile has an average exit velocity of 91.3 mph, easily eclipsing last season’s 85.1 mph and just shy of the career-high he set back in 2015 (91.4 mph), though that came in just 15 games. He’s blown past previous career-bests with a .434 slugging mark and a .356 WOBA on fastballs as well.</p>
<p>He figures to lose some steam over the season’s last handful of games as his playing time grows sporadic, but he’ll be trying to keep himself mentally sharp even as his regular at-bats dwindle. The fact that the results have validated his approach has certainly allowed Maile to approach the game with added confidence.</p>
<p>“Honestly I think it’s just trying to maintain a humble arrogance a little bit, you know? You’re not going to be feeling good up there when you go hit once a week but if you step up to the plate expecting to do something well in your mind then you’ve got a better chance of doing that. Just trying to stay relaxed. There’s no pressure here. I’ve already proven that I can hit at this level. Now it’s just about trying to win a few games and trying to disrupt the AL races right now, so if I can have some fun doing that it’s all good.”</p>
<p>And while he will put in some work during the offseason to take his game up another notch, that’s still a little too far off to dive into. Fresh off the paternity list, you can’t blame Maile for wanting to spend some time away from baseball for a bit.</p>
<p>“As soon as this season gets over with I’m going to go home and be a dad and play some golf. I’m not too worried about adjustments yet. Next year is a long way away.”</p>
<p>Lead Photo &#8211; John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports</p>
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