In 1997 I had just turned 15 years old, and like any kid with a passion for the game of baseball I thought I knew enough.  Not everything, just enough.  Like any walk of life you find out that when you get older you grow wiser and I found out I was just a kid with a lot of heart - but I didn't know enough.  Otherwise I would have given this baseball manager the benefit of the doubt when he was fired that very same year. 

11 years rolled by and not a single team lined up to hire a two-time World Series championship coach.  He wasn't first on anyone's list.  However, teams lined up to hire never-will-be's like Davey Lopez, Phil Garner, Gene Lamont or Don Baylor.  I could have put together a list of coaches who's records were better than the names mentioned above and they still would not have the resume this man had/has.  Aside from current coaches like Joe Torre, Tony LaRussa and Terry Francona, not one has as many or more championships as this man.  Not Lou Pinella, not Jim Leyland and not Bobby Cox.  In fact, this guy was this year's desperate hire to save the General Manager's job and it looks like he has done just that.

That man is Cito Gaston, the first - and only - black manager to win a World Series.  Not that race even matters in this case because winning a championship is a difficult task.  Ask Cox or Mike Hargrove.

Cito Gaston was not only a sentimental choice in Toronto but a man who's track record deserved more than just minor consideration for a Manager's job.  Granted, he was holding out for the right position and when you do that it cuts your possibilities down, but how does he get passed over?  How does Cleveland not hire him after Hargrove?  What about Seattle after Pinella left?  Boston after Jimy Williams?  The Dodgers after, well, anyone?  Marquee places where Gaston wouldn't be given a fair shake.  The closest he got was the White Sox who hired Ozzie Guillen, who won a World Series himself.  If that title was Cito's we'd be talking about a potential Hall of Fame manager along with about 10 shame-on-you articles from Fox and ESPN asking how he didn't get his shot sooner.     

His hiring was out of desperation from a General Manager who's held his position 2 years too long and knew the city of Toronto would love him for it.  J.P. Ricciardi has saved his job for another year, and if Toronto somehow (and I mean, SOMEHOW) makes the post-season in 2009, Ricciardi will keep his job for another 2 years and will continue to poorly assess talent and damage the farm system.

Take Adam Lind for example; Cito not only wanted him up with the big club, he promised he would play.  Lind has responded since going 1 for a million in his first stint this season.  This is a guy who's a 2-time minor league player of the year and the best prospect in the Blue Jays system for years.  While he was tearing up the leagues, J.P. refused to bring him up (the last time a guy under 23 has stuck with Toronto was Alex Gonzalez - well before the Riccardi regime.  Imagine how he would have held back A-Rod or Pujols if he had them).  He didn't feel Lind was ready, otherwise he would have said bye to Matt Stairs in the off-season and not sign Shannon Stewart after cutting the hard-nosed Reed Johnson due to being over-budget.  Cito wanted Lind, and he has been the MVP of the Blue Jays over the last 3 months. Not bad considering the GM wanted him to linger in the minors this season.  He hit .273 in the second half last season - he was ready this year and many people in Toronto knew it.

Not a bad call by Cito considering his one knock over a decade ago was how he handled the younger players.  Perhaps he could be guilty of loyalty to his veterans like Joe Carter, a Jays icon who only hit one of the biggest homerun in baseball history.  Cito was a players manager who was very loyal to his guys.  We've seen numerous managers do the same thing with little success.  But I bet those managers don't have fans purchasing their replica jersey the way Toronto has with Gaston.  Already I have see 4 Gaston jerseys being worn around town.  That is how much the city loves Cito.

Although he won't win the Manager of the year award, he has taken overrated talent (which means lack of talent) and has gotten the most out of it.  He's had his #2 and #3 pitchers out (Shaun Marcum and Dustin McGowan - Marcum has returned), his starting second baseman (Aaron Hill) and his star Centerfielder out (Vernon Wells - returned last week).  Yet the team now sits 1 game behind the New York Yankees, who have much more talent than Toronto.  The award should go to either Joe Maddon of Tampa or Mike Scoscia of L.A., but the job Cito has done with this team has been outstanding. 

It should be noted that neither 1992 or 1993 World Series was a lock for Toronto and nobody should look at those years and think any less of the job Cito did.  He won 4 division titles in 5 years and the two years they did not get to the World Series (1989 and 1991) they may not have been the most talented team in the old AL East.  Cito should be remembered at the manager who was ahead of his team, and got the job done when several other managers who've had a lot of talent could not close the deal.  It is a constant reminder that no sport, let alone baseball, should ever pass over a proven winner and 2-time champion the way teams in Major League Baseball passed over Cito Gaston - especially being replaced by a con artist in Tim Johnson.

And I apologize for wanting him out as Manager in the first place.  I guess 15 year olds don't know better. 

As we prepare for another Major Championship tomorrow, let's look at what we have presently...

- Greg Norman leading a major tournament is almost unheard of at his age and at this time period.  He has managed to stay atop the leaderboard despite the playing conditions and the fact that he will not out-drive people in this tournament.  Not in this day in age.  But let's remember who we are dealing with; a guy who's had a knack for urinating a championship on a Sunday.  How many major titles SHOULD Norman have?  The answer is more than what he already has.  I don't expect him to hold up tomorrow, but this does not mean he won't win.  He could shoot 75 tomorrow and still win the title because there is no Tiger Woods to test his mettle.  Nonetheless, tomorrow's tourney will be interesting.

Speaking of Woods, he must think he can win this Major without arms or legs.

- Are the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers going to change their names to Golden State Clippers and Los Angeles Warriors?  Seems like these two teams are swapping players left, right and center.  What's the deal with that?  And how strong does Utah look with Denver getting weaker?

- Maybe Michelle Wie should have paid more attention in math class if she is making errors on her scorecard.  That is just brutal.

- The Tampa Bay Rays have gotten back on track thanks to the scheduling of the Toronto Blue Jays.  I should have bet on this series.  Stupid me...

- The Los Angeles Angels are handling the Boston Red Sox and now I've heard a couple people talk about whether or not they are the team to beat in the American League. 

Look, I like the Angels.  I will always remember them for being the FIRST team to bully the New York Yankees over the last 15 years.  Arizona may have beaten them in 2001, but the Angels bullied them in 2002.  The Yankees would beat down teams the way the Angels beat them down in the ALDS that year.  The Angels have had a knack for beating the Yankees consistently over the year.  The problem is, Boston has owned them in the playoffs.

So looking at a couple of victories in July is nice, but that does not say that much.  Let's factor David Ortiz since he has punished Los Angeles over the years.  The Angels may own New York, but the Red Sox own Los Angeles until we are proven otherwise.  I will say, however, that the Angels may be the best team to beat Boston in a best of 7 series.  Let's hope they avoid eachother in round 1.

- As of right now, I bet Green Bay is wondering if they should have let Brett Favre walk a couple years ago just so that Aaron Rodgers would be absolutely ready to take the 2008 Packers team to the promise land.  Maybe, maybe not.  But right now this team has received so much publicity over this that I would not be surprised if Green Bay lays an egg this year.  Favre has always craved attention and he's gotten that much.  But not all of this is his fault.  Although if he had stayed retired there would be no gun to the head of the Packers organization. 

- Whenever I watch Ken Rosenthal on Saturday Fox baseball games, I think of how much better he is over Keith Olbertool.  WAY better.  Sideline reporting can be pretty lame at times but Rosenthal's good.  The only memorable thing the previous #### bag ever had was when Chuck Knoblauch hit his mother with a throw.

I know I know, you guys are going to come in and talk about how great "The Big Show" was.  We'll see how bad it is when NBC tries to revive it for Sunday Night Football.  They will be nothing more than just half-wits and you can book that.

...Are you guys sure you don't want any hockey news?  Never mind.  Have a super Sunday.

To make the situation any worse for the Toronto Blue Jays would be seemingly impossible.  Last night they achieved the impossible after a report that J.P. Ricciardi claimed to have talked to Adam Dunn over the telephone to squash any hard feelings stemming from comments they have made towards one another.  Dunn claims he never made a phone call to Ricciardi.

The situation reminds me of a politician who decides to make up a story which would have no real effect in his or her political campaign.  Regardless of what story you believe, whether Ricciardi was tricked or whether he made the story up, J.P. should have been the one to go out of his way to make the phone call.  He did start the fire.

Here in Toronto it has been difficult to give Ricciardi the benefit of the doubt.  We have seen some baffling changes over his 7 years as General Manager of the Blue Jays - considering he is in year 7 of a 5-year plan.  Here are a few quick points...

- What was once a proud franchise that use to have one of the best minor league systems around has now become one of the worst.  That comes to no surprise when Ricciardi got rid of most of the scouting department that had ties with the organization dating back to Pat Gillick.  Since the changes, few of Ricciardi's draft picks have made any kind of impact at the major league level.  The 3 faces of the Blue Jays organization, Vernon Wells, Alex Rios and Roy Halladay, were all drafted by Gord Ash.

- Ricciardi was specifically hired to make a contender out of a team that was not going to spend a lot of money.  Coming from the Oakland Athletics organization, Ricciardi was brought in to be the next Billy Beane, his close buddy.  After the 2005 season, the Blue Jays decided to boost payroll since they had brought in more revenue after the franchise successfully purchased Skydome - now Rogers Center.  The problem is, Ricciardi was brought in to win without a huge payroll and he still can't win WITH the boost in spending options.

- Ed Wade, the GM of the Houston Astros, offered Ricciardi Ryan Howard in exchange for Ted Lilly back in 2005 when Wade was GM for Philadelphia.  It was a deal that should have been made; Howard was ready for the big leagues after tearing up AAA for a couple of years and Lilly was just an above average pitcher at best.  Lilly was Ricciardi's guy, he liked Lilly from his Oakland days and felt he was going to accomplish big things.  Lilly walked after 2006 and signed with the Cubs while Howard won an MVP and hit nearly 60 home runs.

- In 2002 the New York Mets were interested in Jose Cruz Jr., then an outfielder and soon-to-be free agent for the Blue Jays.  Ricciardi was looking to deal Cruz and the Mets could only offer a Single-A player by the name of David Wright.  Cruz was not traded and signed with San Francisco after the season.

- That same year, Orlando Hudson called Ricciardi a "pimp", which Ricciardi did not take kindly.  He sent down Hudson who had a great spring training.  In AAA, Hudson was having a great year but as punishment, Ricciardi did not call him up to the big club.  Meanwhile, Homer Bush was battling injuries, Felipe Lopez was not adjusting to the major league level and Ricciardi decided to call up 1st round draft bust Joel Lawrence, who couldn't hit in the minors, let alone the majors.  Lawrence batted a cool .180 in 150 at bats while Hudson continued to abuse pitchers in Syracuse.  Hudson deserved a shot months earlier.

- 2005 draft.  The Blue Jays looked up and down the list and Ricciardi felt the need to draft a pitcher Ricky Romero.  Although the next best prospect on that list was Troy Tulowitzki, Ricciardi felt no need to draft another shortstop.  Unlike basketball or football, you have to draft the best available player in baseball because they will take a couple years before they are ready to play in the big leagues.  Therefore, not drafting the best player in the draft was a mistake.  Tulowitzki helped Colorado get to the World Series in 2007 while Romero may not ever make it to Toronto.  Other notable players that were passed over by the Blue Jays: Cameron Maybin, Jay Bruce, Michael Pelfrey and Jacoby Ellisbury.

- After the 2006 season Ricciardi had agreed to a deal with catcher Rod Barajas - or so he thought.  Barajas apparently backed out of the deal and signed with Philadelphia.  Ricciardi was enraged and spoke out about how Barajas had given him his word on signing with Toronto.  A year later, Ricciardi signs Barajas.  Funny considering the way he laid Barajas out just a year earlier. 

- If Ricciardi does his homework on guys like Adam Dunn, why did he sign Shea Hillenbrand?

There have been other things during his 7-year tenure as GM of the Jays (calling out A.J. Burnett through the media, lying about B.J. Ryan's injury last year, etc.).  What baffles me is how he still has his job.  He is down to his last few bullets after firing his friend John Gibbons, so he may be on the clock.  He has, however, established a great relationship with the media.  There have been very few people in Toronto that has taken a run at Ricciardi.  Whether it's the newspapers, television or the pre-game and post-game radio host, Ricciardi seems to have been given a pass within the media.  From now until his run as GM is over, he'll maintain a positive relationship with the media. 

Otherwise his days are numbered.

On April 25th 2006, Frank Thomas was batting .162.  He went on to hit .270 with 39 homeruns, 114 RBI's and was 4th in MVP voting while helping the Oakland A's get to the ALCS. 

On April 21, 2007, Frank Thomas was batting .197.  He went on to hit .277 with 26 homeruns and 95 RBI's, leading the team in both power categories.

Earlier today, the Toronto Blue Jays announced they released the future Hall of Famer after they said Thomas would see his playing time reduced.  This marks the second starting player to be released by the Blue Jays in a matter of weeks.  The other was Reed Johnson. 

For a team that ranks 4th last in the AL in homeruns, this move makes no sense.  The move also does not justify how a team would quit on the player who led their team in homeruns and RBI's the previous year.  It also makes you wonder why the team decided to announce Thomas' reduced playing time, yet continue to play Marco Scutaro everyday when he's batting .188 with 0 homeruns and 4 RBI's.  Unlike The Big Hurt, Scutaro does not have the track record of being a feared player offensively or defensively. 

Although the Blue Jays claim Thomas' reduced playing time was not about money, the real reason was money.  The release of Reed Johnson allowed the team to save over 2 million dollars in a cost-cutting move.  The team led people to believe Reed was not ready to play due to his previous back problems.  Reed sits with a .354 batting average for the 1st place Chicago Cubs and is becoming a fan-favorite in Chicago for his hustle, hard-work and ability to play all 3 outfield positions - the same way he was beloved in Toronto. 

What is also disheartening about this situation is how Thomas got to where he is now from 3 short years ago.  The consensus around baseball was that Thomas' injuries were too much to overcome and his career was deemed to be over.  He threw out the first pitch at Cellular Field in the 2005 World Series - which was won by the team he starred on for over a decade.  They won the title without the face of the franchise.  Then he gets one last opportunity to play when Oakland knocks on his door.  By mid-May the Athletics could have released him and nobody looking from the outside would have disagreed with the decision.  But they stuck with the man, and he delivered in a way none of us could have dreamed. 

In fact, someone asked me in May of 2006 if Frank was finished and I boldly said, "No, he's a hot streak away from having respectable numbers.  He has done this during his injury-riddled years." 

Frank proved me right, and without him Oakland would not have reached the playoffs.  He proved all his critics wrong and he showed that not only could he still perform, but that he also had a heart of a lion.  Although Toronto has lost sight of this.

You would think people would learn their lesson about doubting a man who has proved people wrong over and over again.  There is a very good chance that, if given the opportunity, he will turn it on again and prove Toronto wrong for letting him go.  Perhaps a team like Minnesota takes a chance on Frank the Tank and helps the team he use to destroy when he was in a White Sox uniform.  Or perhaps Frank realizes that he has nothing left to prove (which he has proved to be one of the greatest hitters of our generation), retires and begins working on his Hall of Fame speech early.  Regardless, he is a legend who deserved a better sendoff than this.

This should also stand as a wake-up call to Toronto Blue Jays fans and baseball fans in general that the Blue Jays organization needs a significant shake-up, starting from the top all the way down.   

Let's begin chronologically...

Seattle v. Green Bay

- Everything was going right for Seattle as they got two turnovers early in the game.  They convert two touchdowns right away and you could hear a pin drop at Lambeau.

(cue Inspirational Music)

And then "The Great" Brett Favre leads the team to victory.  Well, that's what you all want to believe but all he did was manage the game and minimize mistakes.  When he plays within the Joey Harrington rules he is very effective.

First off, Green Bay's D stood up to Seattle and gave up 6 points.  I don't count the first 14 in which the offense created by a lack of ball control.  The Packers D has not been given the credit they deserve.

Second, Ryan Grant bounced back after two fumbles to rush for over 200 yards.  In case you don't know this, rushing for 200 yards is a landmark.  It's like throwing for 400 yards in a football game.  He has to be credited for his performance.  By the way, that first fumble was all Favre.  He threw the ball low and behind Grant and it allowed Grant to get smoked.  Second fumble was just Grant.

Lastly, Favre was able to contain himself yesterday.  He loves to gunsling and loves to be the hero.  Yesterday's game was big for him because it showed that if he doesn't play selfishly, the way he did against Dallas, his team will be put into a great position to win.  If he wants to go downtown and be superman his team will lose.  It shows that when a selfish player puts his team first they will give themselves a better opportunity to go further.

New England v. Jacksonville

- The Jags played the Pats tough and all the people who wanted to be bold and pick the underdog got burned.  You seem to forget that Tom Brady has never, NEVER lost a playoff home game.  He's also the best quarterback in the game.  For good measure, he's the greatest quarterback to have ever played the game, period.  So if he's going to lose a playoff game in the prime of his career with a team that went 16-0 its not going to happen against Jacksonville.

However, New England's defense was suspect again.  It is sad to watch a guy like Junior Seau be outrun by offensive lineman and quarterbacks because at one time this guy was a beast on the football field.  As was Tedy Brusci, who has looked old as well.  The Patriots will need their offense to continue clicking because they cannot rely on their defense to save the day the way they once did during their championship runs earlier this decade.

Did I mention Tom Brady is the greatest quarterback of all time?

Indianapolis v. San Diego

- Peyton Manning's team has had another deflating playoff loss yet again.   Their defense didn't show up when they needed to the most.  Of course, maybe Bob Sanders getting hurt proved how valuable he is to that team. 

But San Diego got dinged as well.  It wasn't bad enough to have Antonio Gates hurt but Ladainian Tomlinson?  Damn.  But, what was so impressive was watching Michael Turner play himself into an extra couple million dollars from another team for next year's contract.  And then, the 3rd string running back Darren Sproles grabs a screen pass and blew by EVERYONE.  That was impressive.  Its like the Chargers have a neverending supply of running backs who can perform at will.

Is Philip Rivers a tool or what?  He has to shut the hell up.  Billy Volek stepped in and it didn't even matter.  Rivers isn't that good and should show some humility on the field before New England welcomes him with a dose of shut-up juice.

New York Giants v. Dallas

- I'm watching this game as we speak.  Don't really care about this game.  This is New England's Super Bowl to lose.

OTHER STUFF

- What the hell is wrong with Joakim Noah?  Who does he think he is, Barry Bonds?  How can a player be benched by his teammates?  This means he must have done something worse than just say bad words to an assistant coach. 

I've always felt uneasy about him and I couldn't put my finger on it.  At first I thought his teammates at Florida were better, but then I thought he was a Richard when he would make appearances for press conferences.  Or it could have been that 'too good to be true' story with that guy.  Regardless, he has to be professional.  Otherwise he'll just be ####  He had a promising future in the NBA and we all thought by being drafted by the Chicago Bulls he could put them over the top.  Maybe he's just a cancer on a team full of question marks.

- Scott Rolen for Troy Glaus; whatever.

- Had to drop this on you since I have no affiliation with US Politics.  Is your country actually serious with voting for a weak President?  Hillary Clinton shows her vulnerability and Americans repay her with a nice victory in New Hampshire.  You kidding me?  Are you ready for someone who will break down when things are not going so well? 

Granted, over 80% of American media is liberal and I expect everyone to give poor Hillary a break but I never expected USA to embrace weakness.  But I'm not American, so good luck with that.  It's like allowing a weak NFL team to win the Super Bowl - it doesn't happen in sports. 

That's why sports is better than Politics.

A terrible tragedy in sports.  Another athlete losing his life prematurely.  It always sits bad with sports fans when you hear about someone as young as Sean Taylor being killed in his own home.

That said, how does this kid not have a full-proof alarm system to keep murderers out of his crib?  This should be a warning shot for all athletes who don't have a proper security system in their home.  Totally irresponsible.  Taylor has an infant he must protect.  It is hard to protect his kid when he is now being fitted for a box. 

Other stuff....

- Tonight's game between the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys is nice and everything but if you expect me to be as pumped for this game as the New England v. Indy game you are sorely mistaken.  Green Bay and Dallas are a notch below them - when all teams are healthy.  Obviously Indy looks sluggish without Marvin Harrison and Dwight Freeney. 

The only thing I will be looking for this game is a touchdown from a Green Bay running back.  I want to see if Brett Favre is actually happy for the guy or if he just walks off the field without emotion like he has for quite a while.  Yet if he tosses a touchdown he is jumping all over the place like a little kid.  Is he happy his team scored points or is he just happy that he got to throw the ball?  Evidentally it has to be the latter.  Makes me feel like the over-the-top tribute video last Thanksgiving should have been done for guys who are better team players. 

- I don't know what's worse: finding out Joe Kennedy dies at the age of 28 or that the Toronto Blue Jays are still trying to sign him. 

- Sticking with Toronto, people have been peeing themselves while asking how the Raptors aren't doing better this season.  I can tell you why: East teams are healthier than they were last year.  Boston and Milwaukee were decimated with injuries last season and fell off the map.  Toronto capitalized.  Well, those 2 teams beat them - along with a up-and-coming Orlando Magic team that improved with the acquisition of Rashard Lewis.  3 games Toronto would have won last year and that would put their record at 11-4 rather than 8-7.  Hell, taking 2 of the 3 would give them a 10-5 record which is still impressive.  But until a team begins to lose their top players one by one Toronto will be in a dogfight all season long.

- I am guessing the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim will be playing with 4 outfielders and no shortstop this year.  That said, was Jon Garland worth giving up Orlando Cabrera?  I know he is in his final year of his contract but unless you get Tejada or move Chone Figgins to short (which isn't ideal), what are you going to do?

- Dear Tampa Bay: You got an arm that could break out for you, but giving up Delmon Young could prove costly.  The guy you need to get rid of is Elijah Dukes.  If you traded him for Milton Bradley you'd be upgrading in the citizen department.  But I will say this about Dukes: He nearly took out an entire level at The Rogers Center last year with a bomb that left in a hurry.  The man has game but is he worth the trouble if he's leaving the training facility to photoshop a gun for text messaging women?

- Let's talk hockey...or not

- Neil Rackers: good kicker, bad in the clutch.  This is not the first time he's missed a kick to help win a game for the Cardinals.  Hitting a cameraman was not cool either.  Just shows that he's not composed under pressure - something you need out of your kicker when crunch time calls for you to deliver.

Speaking of delivering, lunch has been delivered and I must hit that up.  Enjoy your day.

Was there a more appropriate title to a post that involves a few different sports? 

- There are positives we can look at for both teams participating in this year's World Series.  For Colorado they have been one of the hottest teams ever during a time that stresses clutchness.  For Boston they have been the best team over the course of the entire baseball season.  They were the ones hovering in and around a .600 winning percentage all year when nobody else could.  

Now people will look at Colorado's layoff as a negative.  I know if I were them I would have been studying tape of each game Boston (and Cleveland) played.  By the time the series begins tomorrow I would have each player broken down with every tendency and what strategy our team would need to apply to succeed.  That said, Colorado should at least be well-prepared for this matchup.

However, I'll go with the most consistent team over the season and say Boston in 6.

- Let's hope the Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots get through this week because two undefeated teams facing off would obviously be great to watch.  It would be a letdown if either team lost in week 8.

New England has certainly had their own kind of soap opera this year.   Ever since the whole camera operating fiasco they haven't won over anyone.  That said, cheating of any kind will rub people the wrong way.  The backlash has been severe enough to cause people to believe the team has run up the score the last two weeks in a row.  No and No.

I've watched Football for the last 15 years and one of the things I have learned is no matter how good a team is NO LEAD IS EVER SAFE IN THE NFL. 

- If the Dallas Cowboys are so good, why do people talk about how New England 'has not beaten anyone'?  People have said this about the Patriots, and if people really believe this then why talk about Dallas as a very good team?  You can't have it both ways with the Cowboys.  If they are a serious Super Bowl contender then they should not be discredited as a bad opponent against New England. 

- Rumors surround the Toronto Blue Jays that President and CEO Paul Godfrey is stepping down to focus his attention on bringing an NFL team to Toronto.  Really?  And where are they going to play?  The Rogers Center?  Why would the NFL be open to having a team play in another country who's venue can barely hold over 50 000 people?  Wouldn't the NFL rather go somewhere that can hold 70 000 people?  It would certainly be appropriate for the NFL to stay on American soil where they don't have to worry about the complications of TV contracts with Canada.

From my perspective, I'd love to have an NFL team.  I just don't see it happening anytime unless they were to buy the Buffalo Bills and move the team up to Canada.  Last I checked, Toronto's main venue would fail to meet the NFL's expectations for an expansion franchise.  But one of the other problems the city has is the CFL.  The Toronto Argonauts are one of the oldest sporting teams in sports history and their tradition is rich in the city.  However, they only draw 25-35 000 people per game and if the NFL rolls into town that number will decrease.  The NFL may also affect the Hamilton Tiger Cats which is about 45 minutes away from the city of Toronto.  There is still a connection with the CFL and it's country so moving the NFL into Toronto will hurt the CFL.  Does it really matter?  Well, politicians may feel in their heart that they don't want to kill the CFL but a lot of politicians don't seem to have a heart so they'll have no problem with the huge revenues the NFL can bring to the city.

Last point: Godfrey leaving the Jays means the next president could fire J.P. Ricciardi after the 2008 season, about 3 seasons too late.  If they decide to make Ricciardi the President that would be a mistake.  He has proved nothing to deserve being president.

That is all for today.  Good day and good night.

 

Let's get this right out of the way so that fans of Jimmy Rollins or Philadelphia can think about jabbing the pitchfork through this blog rather than no thought whatsoever: Jimmy Rollins is a good shortstop and has been one of the best in the National League for years.  Teams would kill for a guy like him to play position 6 for several years.  His game has transformed him from being a speed guy to an all-around, perennial All-Star shortstop.  

But he is not the MVP of the National League.  In fact, he is not the MVP of his team.  

That distinction goes to Chase Utley.  I realize Utley's playoff performance was a disappointment while Rollins showed up, but the playoffs do not dictate who the MVP of the regular season is.  The Phillies could not have gotten to the playoffs without the play of Rollins, Utley or Ryan Howard, the reigning MVP of last season.  The team went through a roller coaster ride all season; from a manager on the hot seat to the team losing pitchers to injury to a head-screwed starter-turned-closer losing his head (only this time it was not on his wife), to making an improbable comeback to win the division.  Who was the one guy Philly could not play without?  Chase Utley.  When he was hurt, Philadelphia went into a funk.  When he came back from injury, they starting clicking again.  That is why he is the MVP of this team.  They were not the same team when Utley was out of the lineup.

As for Rollins, who played a big role in Philadelphia's run for the playoffs, is to his team what Kenny Lofton was to Cleveland in the mid-90's, what Roberto Alomar was to the Toronto Blue Jays in the early 90's and what Derek Jeter has been to the New York Yankees.  All rock-solid players who are valuable to their team - but none of them have an MVP under their name during the regular season.  Seems strange because those guys were impact players in their prime (in Jeter's case he still is an impact player), but that does not downplay how great they were or are.  Rollins is that guy. 

But don't go Barry Larkin and give him the MVP. 

Who takes the award then?

Some people are saying Matt Holliday.  Granted, Holliday plays in Colorado - a place known for offense but he certainly had a great year.  However, Holliday wasn't even on the radar until the last week of the season.  An MVP should have had strong consideration before September 15th.  Therefore, Holliday is not an option.

This decision, however, will allow you to pile up ridicule.

David Wright.

I realize New York just had one of the biggest choke jobs in baseball history.  But Wright was the man the entire year, hit for a great average with great power, fielded his position like a gold glover and added 30+ stolen bases to his credit.  Not to mention that his second half and September batting average was incredible.  So how do you fault the guy?  The Toronto Blue Jays choked a big lead away in 1987 to the Detroit Tigers when they lost their final 7 games of the season.  The man who won the MVP award that season was George Bell, who played with the Jays.  He was the MVP that season and David Wright should be the MVP of the National League. 

Other Awards:

- A-Rod should win the AL MVP, Jake Peavy should win the Cy Young Award in the NL and I'd give the AL Cy Young to Josh Beckett with C.C. Sabathia being a close second.  Give Ryan Braun the Rookie of the year in the NL and Dustin Pedroia the Rookie of the year in the AL.  Coaches of the year?  Let's go with Eric Wedge and Bob Melvin.

***My show has been on hiatus since Sept 20 as I have been working on other projects while recharging the batteries.  I will be back next Tuesday October 16 at 9AM EST.