Baseball in Canada

[Denscity]

It was fun when Kawhi moved to my time zone. Got to watch more of his games.

[thurmas]

Ohtani just signed 10 year $700 million deal with Dodgers Jays lost out on him and Soto not sure if there's anyone else worth snagging this off-season?

[OldDartmouthMark]

I'm thinking missing out on Ohtani is a blessing in disguise. $700 million over 10 years? Think of the talent they could get for that, rather than putting all your eggs in one basket. Then there's the chance that he doesn't bounce back completely after his surgery... lots of risk there, IMHO.

As far who is left, I think Cody Bellinger would be a good fit. He was electric in the playoffs this year. Jorge Soler is another name that comes to mind. They need some bats in their lineup.

In the meantime, perhaps they should try to re-sign Matt Chapman to nail down third base, and try to hang onto Jordan Hicks to shore up the bullpen.

Maybe they might be able to get Lourdes Gurriel Jr. back to the club. He played well for the Diamondbacks, and I think he was really good for morale in the clubhouse - Vladdy hasn't seemed the same since he and Teoscar left the team.

We'll see what happens - I hope they didn't miss out on too much while focusing on Ohtani, but there are still some good names out there.

[Djeffery]

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

I'm thinking missing out on Ohtani is a blessing in disguise. $700 million over 10 years? Think of the talent they could get for that, rather than putting all your eggs in one basket. Then there's the chance that he doesn't bounce back completely after his surgery... lots of risk there, IMHO.

I agree about the chance you take on him bouncing back, but I don't think this is a case of them putting all their eggs in one basket. I think it was a case of Rogers creating new eggs for him. I don't think they are going to still spend that amount of new money on several new additions. I think Ohtani represented a special opportunity at revenue generation that 60-70 million in other free agents or traded players wouldn't have brought.

The upside is at least we can go on hating Atkins and Shapiro now.

[WhipperSnapper]

$700 million is annually full price if not more for his batting and his pitching. I doubt the Jays' offer was even close to that for length of contract and annual salary.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by Djeffery

I agree about the chance you take on him bouncing back, but I don't think this is a case of them putting all their eggs in one basket. I think it was a case of Rogers creating new eggs for him. I don't think they are going to still spend that amount of new money on several new additions. I think Ohtani represented a special opportunity at revenue generation that 60-70 million in other free agents or traded players wouldn't have brought.

I believe it's true that there was definitely a different business case for Ohtani, including what the media frenzy and advertising revenue (from NA and Japan) would have brought to the Jays over the next several years, but the 'eggs' comment is based upon the fact that the winning bid was $700 million US, which works out to $70 million per year. In 2023, the Jays total payroll was $209,938,983 US (Source), which means Ohtani would represent about 1/3 of the Jays entire player salary as it stood this year. Sure, they would probably add more eggs to the basket for this special opportunity, but it's not clear how many... plus, to outbid the Dodgers they would likely have had to pony up significantly more than $700 million (it has been widely surmised that Ohtani likes to live in California). So, what would have been left to support this new acquisition? It seems that the Angels had some good talent (including Mike Trout), but not quite enough, as they couldn't make anything near a splash (or even a ripple) this season. I get the feeling that Ohtani wants to experience the World Series thing, which probably factored into his decision (as well as money) to go to the Dodgers instead of the Jays.

That said, I won't pretend for a second that I know the entirety of the pluses and minuses of the business case involved, or how much Rogers valued his acquisition over 'regular' superstar players who only do a couple of jobs very well. I can just say that all along I wasn't overly excited about the Ohtani deal, except for perhaps today when it looked like it might happen... and then it didn't.

All I can say is that I hope it's not too late to get some needed talent. Rogers has invested a lot into the stadium, and they are hoping to get an All Star game, plus a World Series championship wouldn't be bad for them either...

While Ohtani deserves recognition for being a great hitter and a decent pitcher, I'm not sure that he is the game changer that the media makes him out to be. Some key acquisitions at lesser salary levels (in total) than the Ohtani deal could make all the difference for Toronto next season. Time will tell, though.

Originally Posted by Djeffery

The upside is at least we can go on hating Atkins and Shapiro now.

[megadude]

The Dodgers have had the highest payroll for years now, no? Only resulted in one WS so far, despite consistently making the playoffs. We'll see if this takes them to the next level. Anything can happen in a 5 game series so a team with half the payroll can take out the Dodgers. Love Ohtani but I like to see the super teams fail.

And man, I still don't understand why the Angels didn't trade him. Didn't have to be for prospects either. Could have been for bonafide players so they could try and win in the next 5 years while Trout is still in his prime. Trout is the McDavid of MLB. Career being wasted away on his team. Though it's worse because there's just so much parity in the NHL that it's harder to win. And personality wise, they are similar too. Not extroverts that's for sure.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by megadude

The Dodgers have had the highest payroll for years now, no? Only resulted in one WS so far, despite consistently making the playoffs. We'll see if this takes them to the next level. Anything can happen in a 5 game series so a team with half the payroll can take out the Dodgers. Love Ohtani but I like to see the super teams fail.

Anything can happen in the playoffs. This year many of the teams who had gone on massive winning streaks during the regular season were out pretty quickly. You want the best players you can get, but even more a team that plays well together. Throwing massive amounts of money at teams doesn't always work, the Mets and Padres are good examples of that.

You just want to get to the playoffs and you need to win a lot of games to do that. Then you need a team that won't fold up once they get there (the Orioles), and you need them to get on a hot streak at the right time while hopefully avoiding injuries with top players. Lots of luck involved for sure.

[megadude]

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

Anything can happen in the playoffs. This year many of the teams who had gone on massive winning streaks during the regular season were out pretty quickly. You want the best players you can get, but even more a team that plays well together. Throwing massive amounts of money at teams doesn't always work, the Mets and Padres are good examples of that.

You just want to get to the playoffs and you need to win a lot of games to do that. Then you need a team that won't fold up once they get there (the Orioles), and you need them to get on a hot streak at the right time while hopefully avoiding injuries with top players. Lots of luck involved for sure.

Yup, which is why it's so hilarious to see teams popping champagne when they win the division and even just making a wildcard spot. Back in the day there were only four playoff spots... for the division winners. It meant a lot more then.

I'm glad the unfancied Rangers won the WS. I loved KC winning (though I didn't like that they beat the Jays) and I loved when the Nats won immediately after Harper left.

[OldDartmouthMark]

A Rangers/Diamondbacks WS was epic, and something I don't think anybody saw coming at the first of the season, or even most of the way through, until it actually happened. It's a classic example of what you're talking about.

I wish Arizona had been a little more competitive in the WS as it was kinda anticlimactic, but still happy to see the Rangers win it.

I'm sure more than a few Jays fans were bitching while watching Moreno, Gurriel, and Semien perform admirably in the playoffs... lots of bad vibes headed towards Shatkins from my living room, I must say. Not that I don't like Varsho - super defensive player and top-notch nice guy, but the batting leaves a little to be desired. They shouldn't have given up what they did for him, IMHO.

Oh well, now we have to hope that they don't have another underwhelming off-season signing session. And hopefully a few key players (Kirk, Guerrero, Manoah) can work on their conditioning a little so that they can play to their potential next season. Sigh... we'll see...

[megadude]

I was perplexed by the that move for Varsho as well. And I was never a fan of letting AA go and be replaced by these guys. AA moved on and predictably did well everywhere he went, culminating in a Braves WS a couple of years ago. Was the same thing in letting Dubas replace Lou for the Leafs.

And another example was Montreal Impact letting Wilifred Nancy go, even though he lead them to their best record, and went to Columbus. Was replaced by a coach with more international experience and all that BS and they just fired that guy. Well, well, well, Nancy just won the MLS Cup in his first season the Crew. And Montreal also did this when they came within a whisker of reaching the final in 2017. Biello lead them there and they replaced him and they did jack all between him and Nancy. Biello is a local. Nancy came from France to play for UQAM and has basically been a Montrealer since so basically another local.

Time and time again we see dumb ass personnel moves from those at the top and I love it when it backfires. I love it for players too. When teams sign guys to horrendous contracts and it totally flops like Pujols or Bob at the Panthers, Price for the Habs in the NHL. Nothing against those guys though. And trades too like the dumb Subban trade. I always read Therrien was the one pushing for it and they did it and were worse off and Therrien was gone not long after anyway. Subes and Weber were equally good, but different players and different ages. The Habs needed the Suban type player at the time.

As for the Ohtani contract, like pointed out, I don't see it yet as a dumb contract for the reasons pointed out. I still hope they never win a WS even if I'd like to see Ohtani win one. Maybe after 10 years if he signs for a different team. I was glad Kershaw got one. I just rather it happened with a different team.

[megadude]

These two Mississauga guys made history:

Naylor brothers homer in same inning on National Siblings Day
ESPN News Services

The Naylor brothers turned National Siblings Day into quite a family affair.

Josh Naylor and his younger brother, Bo, both hit home runs in the same inning Wednesday night for the Cleveland Guardians in their 7-6 win over the Chicago White Sox.

Josh Naylor connected for a solo homer with one out in the fourth off Chicago's Erick Fedde, and Bo Naylor smashed a two-run shot to center field two batters later.

They went on to deliver RBI hits in the 10th inning as the Guardians rallied for the victory. Josh Naylor tied the score with an RBI double. Then, with the bases loaded, Bo Naylor dropped a single into right field off former Guardians reliever Bryan Shaw as Cleveland came back after trailing 5-0.

The Naylors were unaware their performances came on a day to celebrate siblings.

"Not a clue," said Bo Naylor, who is 24. "So it's kind of crazy to be able to share a home run in the same inning with him."

Josh Naylor, 26, said he always felt playing alongside his younger brother was possible.

"I dreamt of it as a kid," he said. "I knew it would come true eventually if we just keep working hard. So it's not really a shock to me. I kind of believed in it from day one and I knew that if we just continue to work hard at our craft, we'd either play against each other or play with each other."

Wednesday was the second time the Naylors homered in the same inning, having done it July 14 last season at the Texas Rangers.

Before the Naylors connected last season, the last brothers to homer in the same inning were B.J. and Justin Upton for the Atlanta Braves in 2013.

The Naylors are the sixth pair of brothers since 1900 to each hit a home run in the same inning and the fourth to do it multiple times, joining the Uptons, Billy and Cal Ripken and Lloyd and Paul Waner.


The only pair to do it as opponents is Rick and Wes Ferrell in 1933. Wes Ferrell hit a home run for Cleveland in the top of the fourth inning, and in the bottom, Rick Ferrell hit a home run for Boston off his brother, who was pitching.

For Bo Naylor, getting to be teammates with his brother is a blessing.

"Every time I'm in the locker room, I get to be able to hang out with my brother," he said. "It's a new special moment. Every end of inning, I get to throw a ball over to him. It's special. I'm super grateful to be able to share these experiences with him."

[megadude]

I just watched the Jays/BoSox highlight package on TSN of the 2-1 game. They showed highlights but didn't show a single one of the scoring plays. A new low for TSN. I previously said on here how annoying it was that TSN showed Canadian men's soccer team highlights and didn't show all the goals, even if they only scored two.

And, like has been the case for over 10 years now, the video playback on my laptop and phone were stalled out and took quite a while before it started working. Ah TSN... never change with your garbage website and dysfunctional video playback.

[WhipperSnapper]

Hate that Vlad Jr contract. Be better to put the money into the farm system and develop a lower cost playoff team every team five to ten year cycle. Vlad is considered to have added 6 more wins last year than if his position was otherwise filled with an average player and the Jays still finished in the cellar.

[harls]

Originally Posted by megadude

I just watched the Jays/BoSox highlight package on TSN of the 2-1 game. They showed highlights but didn't show a single one of the scoring plays. A new low for TSN. I previously said on here how annoying it was that TSN showed Canadian men's soccer team highlights and didn't show all the goals, even if they only scored two.

And, like has been the case for over 10 years now, the video playback on my laptop and phone were stalled out and took quite a while before it started working. Ah TSN... never change with your garbage website and dysfunctional video playback.

I'm pretty sure those highlight videos are all scraped together with the amazing technology of AI. Sportsnet Hockey recaps are equally brutal.

[elly63]

Speaking of making baseball history, the other day for some reason Matt Stairs name came into my head. Sometimes your brain goes blank on things you used to be sure of, so I went to Wikipedia to check where he was from.

I found some amazing things I had either forgotten (or more likely) never known

He holds the record for most pinch-hit home runs in Major League Baseball (MLB) history with 23

Stairs played for more teams than any position player in MLB history (12—technically 13 teams, but 12 franchises, as he played for the Montreal Expos and Washington Nationals)

He is one of only four Canadians to have played for both the Toronto Blue Jays and Montreal Expos, the others being Denis Boucher, Rob Ducey, and Shawn Hill.

He was the second Canadian-born player ever to hit more than thirty-five home runs in a season, and only the second to hit more than 25 home runs and drive in more than 100 runs in back-to-back seasons.

He ranks either first or second in power hitting categories for Canadian major leaguers

Stairs, Larry Walker, Justin Morneau, Jason Bay, and Joey Votto are the only Canadian MLB players to hit at least 200 career home runs.

He played mostly in right field and as a designated hitter, alongside superstars Rickey Henderson, Mark McGwire, and Jose Canseco in Oakland

In his July 5, 1996, debut with Oakland, Stairs tied a (since broken) major league record with six runs batted in during one inning. That first inning performance included a grand slam and a two-run single

On August 8, 2007, Stairs became the first Toronto Blue Jays player to hit five consecutive doubles in five at-bats, and the first Major Leaguer to double in five straight at-bats in 14 years since Charles Johnson accomplished the feat in 1993.

He became the only player in MLB history to play for all four of the 1969 expansion teams (the Padres, Royals, Expos, and Brewers).

In all, Stairs’ career spanned 19 big league seasons (the most by any Canadian position player) and he hit 265 homers, the third-most by a Canadian (Larry Walker hit 383). He also ranks third all-time amongst Canadians in games (1,895) and fourth in walks (717), RBI (899) and doubles (294)

And he had what some say was the greatest nickname in baseball. His ability to pinch hit made him a valuable asset to several teams and earned him the nickname "Matt Stairs – Professional Hitter"

During his time with the Phillies he had a popular TShirt marketed which touched on Stairs' pinch-hitting prowess in clutch situations. They used a warning which can be found in many elevators: "In Case of Emergency, Use Stairs."[

Billy Beane (of Moneyball fame) favorite find was Matt Stairs, because unlike Billy, Matt did not look ‘like a ballplayer’ and was super underrated despite the fact that he was an amazing hockey player.

[EnvisionSaintJohn]

Originally Posted by elly63

Speaking of making baseball history, the other day for some reason Matt Stairs name came into my head. Sometimes your brain goes blank on things you used to be sure of, so I went to Wikipedia to check where he was from.

I found some amazing things I had either forgotten (or more likely) never known

He holds the record for most pinch-hit home runs in Major League Baseball (MLB) history with 23

Stairs played for more teams than any position player in MLB history (12—technically 13 teams, but 12 franchises, as he played for the Montreal Expos and Washington Nationals)

He is one of only four Canadians to have played for both the Toronto Blue Jays and Montreal Expos, the others being Denis Boucher, Rob Ducey, and Shawn Hill.

He was the second Canadian-born player ever to hit more than thirty-five home runs in a season, and only the second to hit more than 25 home runs and drive in more than 100 runs in back-to-back seasons.

He ranks either first or second in power hitting categories for Canadian major leaguers

Stairs, Larry Walker, Justin Morneau, Jason Bay, and Joey Votto are the only Canadian MLB players to hit at least 200 career home runs.

He played mostly in right field and as a designated hitter, alongside superstars Rickey Henderson, Mark McGwire, and Jose Canseco in Oakland

In his July 5, 1996, debut with Oakland, Stairs tied a (since broken) major league record with six runs batted in during one inning. That first inning performance included a grand slam and a two-run single

On August 8, 2007, Stairs became the first Toronto Blue Jays player to hit five consecutive doubles in five at-bats, and the first Major Leaguer to double in five straight at-bats in 14 years since Charles Johnson accomplished the feat in 1993.

He became the only player in MLB history to play for all four of the 1969 expansion teams (the Padres, Royals, Expos, and Brewers).

In all, Stairs’ career spanned 19 big league seasons (the most by any Canadian position player) and he hit 265 homers, the third-most by a Canadian (Larry Walker hit 383). He also ranks third all-time amongst Canadians in games (1,895) and fourth in walks (717), RBI (899) and doubles (294)

And he had what some say was the greatest nickname in baseball. His ability to pinch hit made him a valuable asset to several teams and earned him the nickname "Matt Stairs – Professional Hitter"

During his time with the Phillies he had a popular TShirt marketed which touched on Stairs' pinch-hitting prowess in clutch situations. They used a warning which can be found in many elevators: "In Case of Emergency, Use Stairs."[

Billy Beane (of Moneyball fame) favorite find was Matt Stairs, because unlike Billy, Matt did not look ‘like a ballplayer’ and was super underrated despite the fact that he was an amazing hockey player.

Also, Matt Stairs was born in Saint John, NB.

I think it's a shame he was so quickly out of contention for the Hall of Fame... his pinch hit record is quite impressive.

I forget which season it was, maybe 1999, but at one point Larry Walker and Matt Stairs were leading both the National League and American League for home runs, as two Canadians.



It was a shame was he got traded away from the A's a few seasons before their "Moneyball" season. He was at his peak in Oakland.

• Video Link

It's unbelievable that this was the ONLY home run he ever hit in the post season... one of the most important HRs in Phillies history.

[EnvisionSaintJohn]

• Video Link

The Jays last won the AL East in 2015, but placed #2 overall in the American League that season.

Perhaps this is the year.

[Surrealplaces]

Originally Posted by EnvisionSaintJohn

The Jays last won the AL East in 2015, but placed #2 overall in the American League that season.

Perhaps this is the year.

Was nice to see this happen. I wasn't expecting the Yankees to wind 10 of their last 11 games and had figured the Blue Jays had it sewn up, but this pressure may end up helping them. Sort of a wake up call.

[Zepfancouver]

Originally Posted by EnvisionSaintJohn

• Video Link
Toronto Blue Jays finish first in the American League for the first time since 1993

The Jays last won the AL East in 2015, but placed #2 overall in the American League that season.

Perhaps this is the year.

Congratulation Toronto, Canada will be watching.