2007 Fictional Toronto Blue Jays

ryan008 · 10-16-2007, 10:46 AM

Good Morning Everyone,

I have been following these dynastys for a while and I think that they are great! I decided that I wanted to try my hand at writing one based on my favorite team the Toronto Blue Jays. I already do an Eastside Hockey Manager Dynasty on the Montreal Canadians so hopefully it isn't much different.

So here we go!

Game Setup:

I am using Icy's MLB setup with full minors and fictional players. I have added a College and Highschool feeder league to the mix and will be doing a 15 round draft with enough players created for 20 rounds. I have scouting and coaching turned on. I started with a fantasy draft and let the order be chosed randomly. I got the 3rd overall pick. I allowed the Computer to autodraft the entire draft and am now ready for opening day.

Up Next: Toronto Blue Jays Major League Roster Review

ryan008 · 10-16-2007, 11:10 AM

2007 Toronto Blue Jays

Part One - Starting Pitchers

(L) Tenshin 'Shocker' Imari
Ratings: 7/9/10
Contract: ($12,617,000/2 years)
Comment: A true No. 1 starter. He has great command, control and stuff, but at 37 years old may not have much left. He will be the Jays Opening Day Starter.

(R) Francisco Romero
Ratings: 5/8/8
Contract: ($5,617,000/2 years + Mutual Option)
Comment: A solid #2 starter. He doesn't have great stuff but makes up for it with good control. He is also 34 and is one talent hit away from being nothing more than a #5 starter.

(R) Robinson Martinez
Ratings: 6/7/6
Contract: ($2,257,000/2 years + Team Option)
Comment: He is probably better suited to being the #4 or #5 starter on most teams. I am hoping that he can just eat up some innings for us. He is also 32 and may not have a whole lot left in the tank.

(R) Christian 'Beer Barrel" Jacobs
Ratings: 7/10/10
Contract: ($350,000/Automatic Renewal)
Comment: The future Ace of the staff. He is only 26 and has a 97-99 MPH fastball as well as 3 other pitches. He just needs to be consistent and put it all together.

(R) Bill Arkell
Ratings: 9/8/10
Contract: ($350,000/Automatic Renewal)
Comment: Another good young arm who could battle Christian Jacobs for the future No. 1 Starter spot. He is only 23 and throws in the high 90's. He is my #5 starter so he can gain some experience without putting too much stress on him and his arm.

Starting Pitching Situation:
Well it looks like my starters aren't too bad. There is a good mix of youth and experience in there and I am hoping veterans like Tenshin Imari and Francisco Romero can help bring along and develop my younger guys. Depending on where we sit at the trade deadline Tenshin Imari is good traid bait for a contending team. If I can get some young arms or bats in return it may be worth dumping him off to a contending team. Only time will tell.

SP Prospects:
To say the cubbard is bare is an understatement. Behind Christian Jacobs and Bill Arkell ther is pretty much noone whom I believe will be a front line starter in the MLB. The closest thing to a SP prospect I have is 22 year old Michael Decker who rates as 2.5 stars and has 6/8/6 potential ratings. He is currently pitching in Syracuse and could get a look if any of my Starters falter. This is an area I intend on addressing in the draft in the next couple of years. My theory is that you can never have too many arms!

Up Next: Part 2 - The Bullpen

ryan008 · 10-16-2007, 11:35 AM

2007 Toronto Blue Jays

Part Two - The Bullpen

(R) Mark Keys
Ratings: 6/10/7
Contract: ($350,000/Auto Renewal)
Comment: A very young reliever at only 22 but looks like he has good stuff and he will get a chance to prove himself this season with the big club. He will be on a very short leash though and at 22 could easily find himself back in the minors quickly.

(L) Kenny Baily
Ratings: 9/10/9
Contract: ($350,000/Auto Renewal)
Comment: The left handed ace of my bullpen. He should be lights-out against lefties and at only 26 he looks like he could be around for quite a while.

(R) Millard 'Spitfire' Carter
Ratings: 10/10/10
Contract: ($403,029/1 year *Arbitration Eligiable)
Comment: Carter is the future closer of my staff he has a blazing fastball that toutches 99 MPH and at only 23 he can take some time to develop further facing major league hitters before he is thrust into the Closer role.

(R) Jim Riley
Ratings: 6/9/9
Contract: ($350,000/Auto Renewal)
Comment: Riley is only 21 but has the stuff and make up to be a good major league reliever. He will start with the big club but if he gets hit around he will be back in Syracuse quickly. I will be watching him closely.

(R) Rick Woodward
Ratings: 8/10/5
Contract: ($750,000/1 year)
Comment: A good veteran arm in the back of the pen. He will be used in primarily the 7-8th inning/situational role. At 32 he can still bring it in the 97-99 MPH range and should provide some veteran leadership in a very young bullpen.

(R) Manual Villalobos
Ratings: 7/8/8
Contract: ($456,745/Auto Renewal)
Comment: Another young arm in the back of the bullpen. He is only 27 and is slated to be the other half of my set up/late inning tandem.

(R) Lorenzo Silva (Closer)
Ratings: 10/989
Contract: ($5,273,000/3 years)
Comment: Silva is the power arm at the back of the bullpen. He is the type of guy you want to come in when the game is on the line. He can toutch 100 MPH on the radar gun and simply has nasty stuff. He is also relatevly cheep and is signed for 3 years. He is only 28 and should just be entering his prime.

Starting Pitching Situation:
It looks like I have a pretty stong bullpen anchored by closer Lorenzo Silva. There are a number of young arms in there that will be watched closely. If they falter they will be on the first thing smoking back to Syracuse. I don't want to ruin their confidance by having them get shelled by Major League hitters.

Prospect Situation:
If my depth at starting pitcher is weak my depth in the bullpen is very week. I really only have one player in AAA 26 year old Curt Cox who looks to be a servicable reliever int he MLB. I am really going to have to do some work in the next few drafts to get some prospects into this organization.

Up Next: Part 3 - The Position Players

ryan008 · 10-16-2007, 12:05 PM

2007 Toronto Blue Jays

Part 3 - The Starting Position Players

(R) Jose Estrada - Catcher
Ratings: 8/10/8/8/9
Contract: ($10,410,000/1 year)
Comment: An average defensive catcher who makes up for his short commings with an above average bat. He should hit around .280-.290 with 20-25 HR and 80-90 RBI, He fits nicely into the middle of the line up and will get the majority of the playing time. At 36 years old and $10,410,000/year he is getting expensive and could find himself as traid bait.

(L) Nathan Wilder - First Base
Ratings: 9/8/10/8/6
Contract: ($4,393,560/1 year * Arbitration Eligable)
Comment: At only 26 he is a big time offensive threat who should be a fixture at first base for a long time to come. He could hit .300 with 30 hr and 100 rbi. He is scheduled to be my opening day cleanup hitter.

(R) Josh Gibson - Second base
Ratings: 8/10/5/7/8
Contract: ($2,391,000/2 years)
Comment: An above average defensive second baseman. He won't hit many homeruns but should hit for a fairly decent average. He is still young at 26 and cheep at only $2 million per.

(R) Vincent Collins - Third Base
Ratings: 6/6/8/6/5
Contract: ($1,690,000/1 year)
Comment: At 37 years old is probably on the downswing of his career. He is a defensive whiz and has a rocket of an arm, but won't contribute much with the bat.

(R) Richard "Ice Cold" Evans - Shortstop
Ratings: 10/9/9/7/10
Contract: ($5,413,176/1 year *Arbitration Eligiable)
Comment: The face and future of the franchise. He is only 26 and has the makings of a superstar. He is only average defensively but makes up for it and more with his offensive potential. Signing him to a long term deal is my highest priority.

(R) Marcos - Rosario
Ratings: 6/10/10/8/4
Contract: ($668,304/1 year *Arbitration Eligiable)
Comment: He is a good defensive outfielder but will struggle to hit for average and will most likely strikeout a lot. He has the potential to hit a bunch if homeruns and is only 24 so he has plenty of time to develop.

(R) Vitantonio Ardinghi - Center Fielder
Ratings: 9/9/3/10/10
Contract: ($7,170,000/1 year)
Comment: A very gifeted outfielder with great range, speed and arm. He won't hit for much power but should be a catalyst at the top of my line up. I believe he could hit .300 and steal 25-30 bases.

(R) Raul Pagan - Right Fielder
Ratings: 6/8/9/7/4
Contract: ($350,000/Auto Renewal)
Comment: He is only 20 years old and I believe he is ready for the majors. He won't hit for much average or walk a lot but he has good power and could blossem into a good power hitter. He will be watched closely and any signs of struggle and he will be sent back to Syracuse for seasoning.

Bench Players:

(L) Rufiano Troni - Catcher
Ratings: 6/10/2/6/5
Contract: ($880,000/1 year)
Comment: A defensive wizard with a 10 arm. Has very little offensive upside though and will be the primary backup/late inning defensive substitution catcher.

(R) Michael Leonard - Infielder
Ratings: 7/8/8/7/4
Contract: ($350,000/Auto Renewal)
Comment: He is only 24 and can play all 4 infield positions well. He could turn into a starting 2B down the road.

(L) Peter Partick - Infielder
Ratings: 5/9/5/7/4
Contract: ($350,000/Auto Renewal)
Comment: Purely a defensive substitution/pinch runner type player. He doesn't have much offensive upside at all but at 24 he has time to suprise me.

(R) Manlos Rosario - Outfielder
Ratings: 6/10/10/8/4
Contract: ($668,304/1 year *Arbitration Eligiable)
Comment: Can play all 3 outfield positions and is only average defensively. This is one spot I desperately need to upgrade.

(R) Dusty Witt - Outfielder
Ratings: 4/7/9/6/24
Contract: ($350,000/Auto Renewal)
Comment: He is fantastic defensively and can run like the wind. He can play all 3 outfield positions and will be utilized as a pinch runner. He has very little offensive ability though and is on the roster primarily for his glove.

Position Player Situation:
I should have a fairly good team with some youth and experience mixed in there. My priorities this seaso will be to sign 1B Nathan Wilder and SS Richard Evans to long term contracts as soon as possible.

Prospect Situation:
Too Depressing to get into! I have very little depth. I am one key injury away from a major problem!

Up Next: Opening Day!

darkcloud4579 · 10-16-2007, 01:53 PM

How did the team do last year?

ryan008 · 10-16-2007, 02:34 PM

This is the First Season. I started a new game with a start date of 2007 so there are no stats as of yet! but there will be soon!

Thanks for Reading

ryan008 · 10-16-2007, 02:47 PM

April 3rd, 2007

Opening Day!

Well it is a cool crisp day in Toronto! But it doesn't Matter in doors as the Toronto Blue Jays get set to kick of the 2007 Season against the Minnesota Twins!

Toronto Opening Day Line Up:

CF Vitantonio Ardinghi
2B Josh Gibson
SS Richard Evans
1B Nathan Wilder
C Jose Estrada
DH Raul Pagan
RF Dusty Whitt
3B Vincent Collins
LF Carlos Valades

SP Tenshin Imai

Minnesota (0-0) vs Toronto (0-0)
L. Octavio (0-0, 0.00) vs T. Imai (0-0, 0.00)

Final Score: Minnesota 8 - Toronto 7 (10 Innings)
WP: M. Yoshida (1-0)
LP: Millard Carter (0-1)

Recap: Tenshin Imai went 6.2 innings in his season debut giving up 6 hits and 5 earned runs walking 2 and striking out 5. Jose Estrada and Richard Evans homered for Toronto in the loss. It was tied heading into the top of the 10th when with 2 out Minnesota CF Spencer Stoakes homered to right off of Millard Carter. This ended up being the winning run as we could not score in the bottom of the 10th.

ryan008 · 10-16-2007, 02:58 PM

April 6th, 2007

We just finished up our first series with the Minnesota Twins. The Twins took 2 of three from us, but we did manage to pullout a win in game 2 behind a strong pitching performace from Francisco Romero. He didn't get the win but he pitched 7.2 innings allowing only 3 earned runs walking 3 and striking out 3. Vince Collins was the hero going 2-4 with 3 RBI including a bass clearing triple with two out to win the game. Game 3 we lost 3-2 and we left a staggering 23 men on base Robinson Martinez took the loss allowing only 3 runs (2 earned) in 5.2 innings pitched.

GM's Thoughts:
I am not happy with out situational hitting to start the season. We left a grand total of 35 men on base in the three games we played against Minnesota. We are definately going to have to work on this if we want to compete.

Up Next: a 3 game Series at Home agains Tampabay

ryan008 · 10-16-2007, 03:10 PM

April 7th, 2007

Well the Devil Rays just came to town and we got our first series win winning games 1 and 3. In game one Christian 'Beer Barrell" Jacobs went 8 innings and only gave up 4 hits and 1 earned run to get his first win of the season. Two day later in game #3 not to be out done 37 year old Tenshin Imai went 8 strong innings giving up 3 earned runs and striking out 4 to get his first win of the season. In the middle game of the series 23 year old Bill Arkell also went 8 innings but our inability to muster much offence killed a great performance as we could only manage 5 hits and Tampa won 3-0. Interms of offence therw is nothing great to write home about pretty much everyone is struggling but I expected this from this team as they are still relatively young.

GM's Thoughts:
I am suprised at how well our pitching staff was been throwing for the first 2 series. We got 8 innings from all 3 of our starters against Tampa Bay If we could just score some runs we could be a very dangerous team.

Up Next: End of April Report

ryan008 · 10-16-2007, 03:44 PM

May 1st, 2007.

Note: I am going to post monthly updates from now on I think it flows better that way. If there is significant news like a trade or injury I will cover it indvidually.

April Record: 13-11 2nd Place in AL East 3 games back of 1st place Boston

April Pitching Stats:

Tenshin Imai 3-0 2.56 5 BB 29 K
Francisco Romero 0-3 3.11 5 BB 19 K
Robinson Martinez 1-4 2.87 18 BB 16 K
Bill Arkell 2-2 3.41 16 BB 26 K
Christian Jacobs 2-0 3.86 8 BB 21 K
Lorenzo Silva 0-0 9 Saves 2.03 2 BB 15 K

April Batting Statistics:

CF Vitantonio Ardinghi .247 1 HR 10 RBI 12 SB
2B Josh Gibson .163 0 HR 3 RBI
SS Richard Evans .280 1 HR 9 RBI
1B Nathan Wilder .245 4 HR 11 RBI
C Jose Estrada .259 2 HR 10 RBI
DH Raul Pagan .250 4 HR 9 RBI
3B Vincent Collins .206 2 HR 12 RBI
LF Carlos Valades .302 1 HR 2 RBI
RF Dusty Witt .151 2 HR 8 RBI

General Manager's Thoughts
My Initial thoughts are wow my offense sucks! but it is not like we aren't getting chances to score. We just can't get the big 2 out hit that we need to break games open. SS Richard Evans started out cold but is heating up in his last 3 games going 4-9 with 3 RBI and I am getting mor power than I expected out of DH Raul Pagan who is tied for the team lead in HR's with Nathan Wilder. My pitching has been keeping us in games and my bullpen has been lights out. Lorenzo Silva has gone 9 of 10 is save oppertunities and 3 relievers have yet to yield a single run Rick Woodard (8.0 IP), Manuael Villalobos (7.1 IP) and Kenny Baily (3.1 IP). All in all it is too early to panic but if things don't improve offensively I may look to move some veterans to bring in some youth and prospects at the deadline.

Down on the Farm:
In this segment I like to profile a few prospects that have had good months for their respective farm teams. It gives you an Idea of the players who may be coming up through the Jays system.

Today's Player is SP Clint Morgan. Morgan went 3-0 fot AAA Syracuse in 5 games started he had an ERA of 2.65 with 2 BB and 25 K. He is a big (6'7") 26 year old right hander with 4/4/10 potential ratings. He may never be a front line starter but could garner a look in the bullpen in the near future if he keeps this up!

ryan008 · 10-16-2007, 04:00 PM

Richard Evans, Blue Jays Agree to New Deal

I am happy to announce that the Toronto Blue Jays have signed SS Richard Evans to a 5 year $53,050,000 deal that will keep the Power hitting short stop in a Jays Uniform through the 2012 season. The Deal pays Evans $10,610,000 a year for 5 years and includes a $100,000 bonus should Evans be named American League MVP.

My thoughts are that he is going to be the corner stone of this organization for years to come and the fact that he was willing to sign such a long term contract shows that he has faith in me as the GM and the Organization as a whole.

To Date Evans is hitting .260 with 1 HR and 11 RBI's.

The next Player on GM Ryan Stewart's agenda to resign is first Baseman Nathan Wilder who could easily command as much money as Richard Evans.

ryan008 · 10-17-2007, 08:57 AM

June 1st 2007

My record for May was 12-13. We opened the month with a 2 game mini series against the American League East leading Boston Red Sox and we swept both on strong performances for Tenshin Imai and Francisco Romero (Romero got his first win of the season) After Boston we headed out for a 7 game West Coast swing that took us through Los Angeles and Oakland. We earned a series split in 4 games with the Angles and took 2 of 3 from the Athletics. After our 8 day road trip we were back home to take on the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and then the Los Angeles Angles of Anaheim come to town. We played well at home taking 2 of 3 from the Devil Rays behind wins from Tenshin Imai and Christian Jacobs. After the series against the Devil Rays it all fell apart. We lost 2 of 3 to the Angles and then We opened up interleague play against the Colorado Rockies in Colorado. The Rockies swept us in 3 games. This was the mid point of a 6 game losing streak that carried over into our next series in Florida against the Devil Rays who managed to take 2 of 3 from us. We lost the first 2 games both in extra innings. The first game was a blown save by Lorenzo Silva his 2nd and the second game wasted an 8 inning 4 hit performance by Bill Arkell as he only gave up 2 runs but the offence could't do anything against Tampabay and they went on to win it in the bottom of the 14th on a walk off home run.

The Chicago White Sox and Boston Red Sox came back to town to close out the month and we lost 2 of 3 to the White Sox before taking 2 of 3 from the Red Sox to finish May.

We Close out May sitting tied for Second Place with the Boston Red Sox 1 game behind the First Place Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

Pitching Situation

Everyone has been pitching pretty well up until this point except SP Robinson Martinez who is 2-4 so far with a 5.67 ERA. I have dropped him down to being my #5 starter as he is simply not performing. He did turn in a good 7 inning performance against Boston on May 31st to pick up his second win but he just doesn't seem to be cutting it and I may be forced to look for another starter in the near future.

If SP Robinson Martinez is cold SP Tenshin Imari is on fire! he is 4-1 with a 2.63 era this month and has been almost automatic in the 5 games that he pitched this month. He has even been garnering some trade attention from other teams in the league including the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Arizona Diamond Backs and Minnesota Twins. I am not sure where we stand yet in terms of being a playoff contender so the jury is still out on whether or not I would be willing to move him

Offensive Situation

Offensively it looks like we are starting to heat up. The $53 million dollar man SS Richard Evans was named American League Offensive Player of the week for the week of May 28th. Evans went 14-25 for a .560 batting average with 2 HR and 7 RBi with a .607 OBP. Evans had not been performing very well up until he signed the 5 year extension with Toronto but has taken off since. I guess a new contract was just the motivation he needed.

Another Player who was on fire in May was RF & DH Raul Pagan. He was named the American League Rookie of the Month for May. He hit .327 with 35 hits 5 HR 24 RBI and scored 17 times. He has 9 HR and 33 RBI both lead the team. Not bad for a 21 year old who I was going to have start the season in AAA Syracuse.

Up Next: 2007 First Year Player Draft and June Baseball Recap

ryan008 · 10-17-2007, 09:43 AM

Blue Jays Grab Youth In Draft:

The Annual First Year Player Draft was held today as teams attempt to find the next superstar in a sea of College and High School age players. The Draft is 15 rounds and this season the Blue Jays will select 12th overall.

My Draft philosophy is fairly simple. I like to draft the best player available. I tend not to gravitate more to College or High School age players, although more often than not College players tend to get to the Majors much faster. I tend to draft a lot of pitchers simply because the more arms you have the better the chance one of them will survive all of the talent changes and hits and make it to the Big Leagues. I also tend to grab a MR or CL or two late in the draft that could possibly be starting material just because you never know how they may develop down the road. It is also good to pick up some good bullpen help as having a good bullpen is paramount when trying to succeed at the Major League Level.

Toronto Blue Jays Picks:

I am not going to list all 15 picks. But here are my top 3.

3B Dave 'Rascal' Chambers
19 Years Old, 6'4", 210 lbs
Sarasota High School, Florida
Potential Ratings:10/10/10/10/9 Defense @ 3B: 6 Arm: 7
Comment: A very good looking switch hitting offensive third baseman. He could become a superstar. He should hit for power and average and has a very good eye. The only knock on him is that he is only average defensively but he could be moved to first base if he struggles at third.
Estimated Arrival in the Majors: 2011-2012. I think he will need at least 4 or 5 years of development and I have no intentions of rushing him along. He will have to prove himself at every level before he is promoted.

C Llyod Matthews
22 Years Old, 6'0", 210 lbs
Georgia Tech, Georgia - College (NCAA)
Potential Ratings:10/10/8/8/7 Defense @ C: 9 Arm: 8
Comment: A defensive catcher who can also hit. He looks like he has the potential to be a No. 1 catcher in the Major leagues and could hit for average as well as power. He hit .319 with only 2 HR in 50 games for Georgia this year and it would be nice if he could develop a little more power.
Estimated Arrival in the Majors: 2008-2010. I think he could find himself in the majors as early as next season depending on how quickly he can move through the system. He will start out for Class A Auburn and I will keep an eye on him from there.

SP Antonio Perez
19 Years Old, 6'1", 185 lbs
Sacramento High School, California
Potential Ratings:8/7/6
Comment: A hard throwing left hander with a 96-98 MPH fastball. He features 3 pitches: a fastball, slider and change up and really needs to improve his control if he ever wants to make it to the Majors. In 11 starts he struck out 71 batter while walking 27 and managed a 3-3 record.
Estimated Arrival in the Majors: 2012-2013. Like my 1st round pick Dave Chambers Perez is very young at only 19 and I think it takes young pitchers longer to develop than hitters. Perez will start out with the Pulaski Blue Jays of the Appalachian Rookie leage.

Blue Jays Draft Summary:

Pitchers Taken: 6 (4 SP, 1 MR, 1 CL)
Position Players Taken: 9 (1 3B, 2 C, 5 OF, 1 SS)
College Players Taken: 8/15
High School Players Taken: 7/15

General Manager's Comments:
Well all in all I think it was a good draft. I believe that all 3 of my top picks have a chance to make he Majors some day. I felt like we really addressed the fact that the Toronto Organization really had no top prospects heading into this season and we added at least 2 top flight infielding prospects in 3B Dave Chambers and C Lloyd Matthews. It really wasn't a deep draft in terms of Starting Pitching Prospects but we did manage to nab one who I think has the potential to be a #4 or 5 starter in the MLB in SP Antonio Perez. I also grabbed a CL in the 4th round named Steve Perkins who has tremendous stuff and is only 19 with a few years of development he could be a force.

The draft is always a gamble and we won't know if my picks pan out for at least 3-5 years.

ryan008 · 10-17-2007, 11:00 AM

Jays Claim 3B From Chicago Cubs

June 6th, 2007.
The Toronto Blue Jays announced today that they have claimed 3B Byron Webb off waivers from the Chicago Cubs. Webb a 20 year old has spent the entire season with the Cubs big club but has performed poorly. He hit only .167 with 0 HR and 3 RBI in 27 games. He is a very good defensive 3b with an 8 rating at 3 and an arm rating of 9. I claimed him simply because he is young and I think he still has a chance to better than his performance in Chicago to date would indicate. He will be placed on our 40 man roster and immediately sent down to AAA Syracuse to get some at bats. With 37 year old Vincent Collins currently manning the bag at third for the jays there stands a good chance that Webb could make an appearence with the big club sooner rather than later. The bad news for Webb however is that he will have to compete with 2007 1st round pick and top prospect Dave Chambers who is expected to be the 3B of the future for the Jays.

3B Byron Webb
Age: 20 Bats: R Throws: R
Potential Ratings: 8/8/7/6/3 Rating @ 3B: 8 Infield Arm Rating: 9

ryan008 · 10-17-2007, 11:36 AM

Blue Jays Claim C From Florida

June 15th, 2007.
The Toronto Blue Jays announced today that they have completed a waiver claim for 20 year old catcher Nick Cooper from the Florida Marlins. Cooper has spent the majority of the season with Florida's AAA affiliate in Iowa. Where he hit .254 with 7 HR and 30 RBI in 53 games. Cooper is an excellent defensive catcher and should contribute some with the bat. He is hot expected to be a Number 1 catcher in the majors but provides a Toronto Organization that has very little youth in their system with another young player that could contribute down the road. At only 20 years old it is suprising that Florida would give up on him so quickly.

C Nick Cooper
Age: 20 Bats: R Throws: R
Potential Ratings: 5/9/710/5 Rating @ C: 8 Infield Arm Rating: 8

ryan008 · 10-17-2007, 11:52 AM

Blue Jays Sign a Pair!

June 27th, 2007.
The Toronto Blue Jays announced today that they have resigned 1B Nathan Wilder and CF Vitantonio Ardinghi to contract extensions. Nathan Wilder received a 5 year $39,250,000 contract extension that pays him $7,850,000 over the life of the deal. GM Ryan Stewart was exceptionally happy to resign such a quality player for what he considers a bargin price. To date Wilder is hitting .272 with 13 HR and 46 RBI in 73 games.

CF Vitantonio Ardinghi received a 6 year $60,780,000 contract extension that will pay him an average of $10,170,000 per season over the life of the contract. GM Ryan Stewart was also happy to lock up another of the teams young stars to a long term contract extension. Along with Wilder and Ardinghi Ryan Stewart already resigned star SS Richard Evans and it looks line the core of this team will be together for a long time to come. Ardinghi is hitting .290 with 4 HR and 36 RBI and has stolen 24 bases in 74 games.

ryan008 · 10-17-2007, 02:15 PM

July 1st 2007

June turned out to be a fantastic month for the Toronto Blue Jays. Not only did we manage to resign 2 of out top young stars to long term contract extensions but we finally seemed to put everything together and started winning we finished the month with a record of 21-7.

We started off the month winning 2 of 3 from the Devil Rays in Florida and then moven on the Baltimore where we swept the Orioles in 4 games. After Baltimore we headed to Detroit where we lost 2 of 3 to the Tigers. After playing in Detroit we came home for a short 4 game homestand against the Baltimore Orioles before we headed out for the last swing of Interleague Play. We ended up splitting the 4 games against Baltimore and we off to sunny Florida to take on the Marlins. We swept the Marlins in 3 games and took off for Atlanta where we once again swept the Braves winning our 6th consecutive game. From Atlanta we headed to New York to play the Mets and we won another series taking 2 of 3 from New York. After a long road trip we headed home for 6 games against the Washington Nationals and Philedelphia Phillies. We swept all 3 from Washington and took 2 of 3 from the Phillies to close out the month of June and Interleague play.

General Manager's Thoughts
We finally strung together good pitching and hitting. SP Tenshin Imai got his 10th win of the season this month and is tied for 2nd in the American League in wins. My two young pitchers Bill Arkell and Christian Jacobs have been on fire this month and have improved their records to 7-5 and 8-5 respectively. They have outpitched both Francisco Romero and Robinson Martinez to the point where I moved them up to the 2nd and 3rd spots in my rotation behind Tenshin Imai. This gives me a very formitiable 1-2-3 punch in my starting rotation.

Interms of offence Raul Pagan has been on fire winning his second consecutive American League Rookie of the Month Award. This month he hit .296 with 11 HR and 26 RBI's. He currently leads the team in Homeruns with 20 and RBI's with 62. To cap off Raul Pagan's great month he hit for the cycle agains the Washington Nationals June 27. Pagan hit a single in the 2nd a triple in the 5th an two-run homerun in the 6th and a double in the 9th in a 7-4 win over the Nationals. All of this production is amazing coming from a 21 year old player. SS Richard Evans has also picked up his play batting .302 in June and C Jose Estrada hit 4 more homeruns to bring his total to 9.

Down on the Farm

This months players are as follows. I chose one from each level to give you an ide of the talent in the system:

Syracuse (AAA)
3B Brandon Webb
.431 3 HR 13 RBI in 17 G
Webb was a waiver claim on June 6th from the Chicago Cubs and all he has done since he joined the Blue Jays is hit. His stock is rising quickly with this performance and at 20 years old still has a lot of time.

New Hampshire (AA)
CL Jose Clement
5-1 17 SV 0.46 ERA 8 BB 31 K in 29 Games
A 23 year old closer who is having a terriffic season for New Hampshire. He has only blown 1 save in 18 tries. He doesn't throw as hard as most closers only 90-92 but relies on good command and location.

Dunedin (A)
1B Felipe Ramos
.309 4 HR 13 RBI in 61 games
A 23 year old first baseman who is having a good year for a very bad Dunedin team. There really aren't a lot of good players on this team as most are only rated as * or **. Ramos is ** but at 23 a little on the old side to be playing in Dunedin.

Lansing (A)
RF Jeff McDowell
.322 11 HR 37 RBI in 78 games
A 21 year old outfielder who is better known for his glove but is doing good things with the bat for Lansing. He is only rated as ** but if he keeps on putting uo these numbers he could advance quickly.

Auburn (SA)
SP Antonio Perez
3-0 0.38 ERA 9 BB 8 K in 4 Starts
My 3rd round pick this seaon has started out on fire for Auburn winning 3 of his first 4 starts and allowing only 2 earned runs. I didn't expect him to get off to such a hot start. I will definately be watching him closely.

Pulaski (R)
C Lloyd Matthews
.349 2 HR 8 RBI in 11 games
My 2nd round pick this past season has also gotten off to a hot start and has already hit as many homeruns in 2 games in Pulaski as he did in the entire season in college. He may be a little old for Rookie Ball but if he continues to put up these numbers he won't be there long.

Up Next: July Update and Trade Deadline Day

ryan008 · 10-17-2007, 03:26 PM

Blue Jays Claim Arm From Pittsburgh

July 3rd, 2007.
The Toronto Blue Jays announced today that they have successfully claimed SP Manny Armando from the Pittsburgh Pirates. Armando is a 24 year old right hander with a 90-92 MPH fastball. He also throws a curveball and changeup. He spent the entire 2007 season so far with Pittsburgh's AAA team in Richmond where he put up a 6-4 record with a 4.18 ERA in 17 games. He has walked 41 and struck out 82 with a 1.25 WHIP. GM Ryan Stewart said that Toronto claimed him simply for depth at the AAA level. He porvides Toronto with a little bit of insurance should one of the starters go down with an injury. He was added to Toronto's 40 man roster and immediately optioned to AAA Syracuse.

SP Manny Armando
Age: 24 Bats: R Throws: R
Potential Ratings: 7/6/5

ryan008 · 10-17-2007, 03:38 PM

Two Toronto Players Make Allstar Team!

July 7th, 2007.

Two members of the Toronto Blue Jays will be flying out to Camden Yards in Baltimore to take part in the annual Allstar Game Festivities. 37 year old SP Tenshin Imai and 29 year old CL Lorenzo Silva will be heading down to Camden Yard in Baltimore for the game. Tenshin Imai has been great for Toronto this season going 13-3 with a 2.71 ERA in 23 games. Lorenzo Silva has been lights out this season as Toronto's closer going 1-1 with 31 saves and a 1.36 ERA in 39 games. This game might meen a lot to Imai as he is 37 and may not be around for many more.

As happy as the two pitchers were you can't help but wonder if a few of the other Jays players were snubbed for the game this season. Players like rookie RF Raul Pagan who is hitting .294 with 25 HR and 83 RBI, SS Richard Evans who is batting .293 with 10 HR and 60 RBI or 1B Nathan Wilder who has contributed with a .284 batting average, 26 HR and 80 RBI. When asked about the Allstar situation GM Ryan Stewart replied simply "There are a lot of very talented players in the American League and I am glad it isn't my job to make the selections". He was also quick to point out that all 3 of these players are fairly young and will have a lot mor oppertunities to play in the Allstar game.

ryan008 · 10-17-2007, 03:46 PM

Toronto Closer Injured, Will Miss Allstar Game

July 8th, 2007.

One day after being named to the American League Allstar Roster Toronto CL Lorenzo Silva suffered a strained elbow ligament and will miss the next 5 weeks. He was hurt int he 9th inning of a 4-2 win over Kansas City. He faced 1 batter getting a strikeout and then threw a single pitch to the secon batter and immediately went for his right elbow. When asked to comment about missing the Allstar Game Silva simply said "I don't care about the Allstar game. We are in the middle of the playoff hunt and getting to the Post Season is our biggest goal".

Silva was placed on the 15 day disable list and will be reevaluated by team Doctors in a week or two when the swelling goes down. To fill in the Blue Jays recalled 26 year old CL Curt Cox from AAA Syracuse. In 28 games Cox has put up some good numbers going 2-4 with 15 saves a 2.97 ERA while walking 8 and striking out 30.

10-16-2007, 10:46 AM	#1
ryan008 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: St. Catharines, Ontario Posts: 2,362	2007 Fictional Toronto Blue Jays Good Morning Everyone, I have been following these dynastys for a while and I think that they are great! I decided that I wanted to try my hand at writing one based on my favorite team the Toronto Blue Jays. I already do an Eastside Hockey Manager Dynasty on the Montreal Canadians so hopefully it isn't much different. So here we go! Game Setup: I am using Icy's MLB setup with full minors and fictional players. I have added a College and Highschool feeder league to the mix and will be doing a 15 round draft with enough players created for 20 rounds. I have scouting and coaching turned on. I started with a fantasy draft and let the order be chosed randomly. I got the 3rd overall pick. I allowed the Computer to autodraft the entire draft and am now ready for opening day. Up Next: Toronto Blue Jays Major League Roster Review

10-17-2007, 11:52 AM	#16
ryan008 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: St. Catharines, Ontario Posts: 2,362	Blue Jays Sign a Pair! June 27th, 2007. The Toronto Blue Jays announced today that they have resigned 1B Nathan Wilder and CF Vitantonio Ardinghi to contract extensions. Nathan Wilder received a 5 year $39,250,000 contract extension that pays him $7,850,000 over the life of the deal. GM Ryan Stewart was exceptionally happy to resign such a quality player for what he considers a bargin price. To date Wilder is hitting .272 with 13 HR and 46 RBI in 73 games. CF Vitantonio Ardinghi received a 6 year $60,780,000 contract extension that will pay him an average of $10,170,000 per season over the life of the contract. GM Ryan Stewart was also happy to lock up another of the teams young stars to a long term contract extension. Along with Wilder and Ardinghi Ryan Stewart already resigned star SS Richard Evans and it looks line the core of this team will be together for a long time to come. Ardinghi is hitting .290 with 4 HR and 36 RBI and has stolen 24 bases in 74 games. Last edited by ryan008; 10-17-2007 at 11:54 AM.

10-16-2007, 11:10 AM	#2
ryan008 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: St. Catharines, Ontario Posts: 2,362	2007 Toronto Blue Jays Part One - Starting Pitchers (L) Tenshin 'Shocker' Imari Ratings: 7/9/10 Contract: ($12,617,000/2 years) Comment: A true No. 1 starter. He has great command, control and stuff, but at 37 years old may not have much left. He will be the Jays Opening Day Starter. (R) Francisco Romero Ratings: 5/8/8 Contract: ($5,617,000/2 years + Mutual Option) Comment: A solid #2 starter. He doesn't have great stuff but makes up for it with good control. He is also 34 and is one talent hit away from being nothing more than a #5 starter. (R) Robinson Martinez Ratings: 6/7/6 Contract: ($2,257,000/2 years + Team Option) Comment: He is probably better suited to being the #4 or #5 starter on most teams. I am hoping that he can just eat up some innings for us. He is also 32 and may not have a whole lot left in the tank. (R) Christian 'Beer Barrel" Jacobs Ratings: 7/10/10 Contract: ($350,000/Automatic Renewal) Comment: The future Ace of the staff. He is only 26 and has a 97-99 MPH fastball as well as 3 other pitches. He just needs to be consistent and put it all together. (R) Bill Arkell Ratings: 9/8/10 Contract: ($350,000/Automatic Renewal) Comment: Another good young arm who could battle Christian Jacobs for the future No. 1 Starter spot. He is only 23 and throws in the high 90's. He is my #5 starter so he can gain some experience without putting too much stress on him and his arm. Starting Pitching Situation: Well it looks like my starters aren't too bad. There is a good mix of youth and experience in there and I am hoping veterans like Tenshin Imari and Francisco Romero can help bring along and develop my younger guys. Depending on where we sit at the trade deadline Tenshin Imari is good traid bait for a contending team. If I can get some young arms or bats in return it may be worth dumping him off to a contending team. Only time will tell. SP Prospects: To say the cubbard is bare is an understatement. Behind Christian Jacobs and Bill Arkell ther is pretty much noone whom I believe will be a front line starter in the MLB. The closest thing to a SP prospect I have is 22 year old Michael Decker who rates as 2.5 stars and has 6/8/6 potential ratings. He is currently pitching in Syracuse and could get a look if any of my Starters falter. This is an area I intend on addressing in the draft in the next couple of years. My theory is that you can never have too many arms! Up Next: Part 2 - The Bullpen

10-16-2007, 11:35 AM	#3
ryan008 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: St. Catharines, Ontario Posts: 2,362	2007 Toronto Blue Jays Part Two - The Bullpen (R) Mark Keys Ratings: 6/10/7 Contract: ($350,000/Auto Renewal) Comment: A very young reliever at only 22 but looks like he has good stuff and he will get a chance to prove himself this season with the big club. He will be on a very short leash though and at 22 could easily find himself back in the minors quickly. (L) Kenny Baily Ratings: 9/10/9 Contract: ($350,000/Auto Renewal) Comment: The left handed ace of my bullpen. He should be lights-out against lefties and at only 26 he looks like he could be around for quite a while. (R) Millard 'Spitfire' Carter Ratings: 10/10/10 Contract: ($403,029/1 year Arbitration Eligiable) Comment:* Carter is the future closer of my staff he has a blazing fastball that toutches 99 MPH and at only 23 he can take some time to develop further facing major league hitters before he is thrust into the Closer role. (R) Jim Riley Ratings: 6/9/9 Contract: ($350,000/Auto Renewal) Comment: Riley is only 21 but has the stuff and make up to be a good major league reliever. He will start with the big club but if he gets hit around he will be back in Syracuse quickly. I will be watching him closely. (R) Rick Woodward Ratings: 8/10/5 Contract: ($750,000/1 year) Comment: A good veteran arm in the back of the pen. He will be used in primarily the 7-8th inning/situational role. At 32 he can still bring it in the 97-99 MPH range and should provide some veteran leadership in a very young bullpen. (R) Manual Villalobos Ratings: 7/8/8 Contract: ($456,745/Auto Renewal) Comment: Another young arm in the back of the bullpen. He is only 27 and is slated to be the other half of my set up/late inning tandem. (R) Lorenzo Silva (Closer) Ratings: 10/989 Contract: ($5,273,000/3 years) Comment: Silva is the power arm at the back of the bullpen. He is the type of guy you want to come in when the game is on the line. He can toutch 100 MPH on the radar gun and simply has nasty stuff. He is also relatevly cheep and is signed for 3 years. He is only 28 and should just be entering his prime. Starting Pitching Situation: It looks like I have a pretty stong bullpen anchored by closer Lorenzo Silva. There are a number of young arms in there that will be watched closely. If they falter they will be on the first thing smoking back to Syracuse. I don't want to ruin their confidance by having them get shelled by Major League hitters. Prospect Situation: If my depth at starting pitcher is weak my depth in the bullpen is very week. I really only have one player in AAA 26 year old Curt Cox who looks to be a servicable reliever int he MLB. I am really going to have to do some work in the next few drafts to get some prospects into this organization. Up Next: Part 3 - The Position Players

10-16-2007, 12:05 PM	#4
ryan008 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: St. Catharines, Ontario Posts: 2,362	2007 Toronto Blue Jays Part 3 - The Starting Position Players (R) Jose Estrada - Catcher Ratings: 8/10/8/8/9 Contract: ($10,410,000/1 year) Comment: An average defensive catcher who makes up for his short commings with an above average bat. He should hit around .280-.290 with 20-25 HR and 80-90 RBI, He fits nicely into the middle of the line up and will get the majority of the playing time. At 36 years old and $10,410,000/year he is getting expensive and could find himself as traid bait. (L) Nathan Wilder - First Base Ratings: 9/8/10/8/6 Contract: ($4,393,560/1 year * Arbitration Eligable) Comment: At only 26 he is a big time offensive threat who should be a fixture at first base for a long time to come. He could hit .300 with 30 hr and 100 rbi. He is scheduled to be my opening day cleanup hitter. (R) Josh Gibson - Second base Ratings: 8/10/5/7/8 Contract: ($2,391,000/2 years) Comment: An above average defensive second baseman. He won't hit many homeruns but should hit for a fairly decent average. He is still young at 26 and cheep at only $2 million per. (R) Vincent Collins - Third Base Ratings: 6/6/8/6/5 Contract: ($1,690,000/1 year) Comment: At 37 years old is probably on the downswing of his career. He is a defensive whiz and has a rocket of an arm, but won't contribute much with the bat. (R) Richard "Ice Cold" Evans - Shortstop Ratings: 10/9/9/7/10 Contract: ($5,413,176/1 year Arbitration Eligiable) Comment:* The face and future of the franchise. He is only 26 and has the makings of a superstar. He is only average defensively but makes up for it and more with his offensive potential. Signing him to a long term deal is my highest priority. (R) Marcos - Rosario Ratings: 6/10/10/8/4 Contract: ($668,304/1 year Arbitration Eligiable) Comment:* He is a good defensive outfielder but will struggle to hit for average and will most likely strikeout a lot. He has the potential to hit a bunch if homeruns and is only 24 so he has plenty of time to develop. (R) Vitantonio Ardinghi - Center Fielder Ratings: 9/9/3/10/10 Contract: ($7,170,000/1 year) Comment: A very gifeted outfielder with great range, speed and arm. He won't hit for much power but should be a catalyst at the top of my line up. I believe he could hit .300 and steal 25-30 bases. (R) Raul Pagan - Right Fielder Ratings: 6/8/9/7/4 Contract: ($350,000/Auto Renewal) Comment: He is only 20 years old and I believe he is ready for the majors. He won't hit for much average or walk a lot but he has good power and could blossem into a good power hitter. He will be watched closely and any signs of struggle and he will be sent back to Syracuse for seasoning. Bench Players: (L) Rufiano Troni - Catcher Ratings: 6/10/2/6/5 Contract: ($880,000/1 year) Comment: A defensive wizard with a 10 arm. Has very little offensive upside though and will be the primary backup/late inning defensive substitution catcher. (R) Michael Leonard - Infielder Ratings: 7/8/8/7/4 Contract: ($350,000/Auto Renewal) Comment: He is only 24 and can play all 4 infield positions well. He could turn into a starting 2B down the road. (L) Peter Partick - Infielder Ratings: 5/9/5/7/4 Contract: ($350,000/Auto Renewal) Comment: Purely a defensive substitution/pinch runner type player. He doesn't have much offensive upside at all but at 24 he has time to suprise me. (R) Manlos Rosario - Outfielder Ratings: 6/10/10/8/4 Contract: ($668,304/1 year Arbitration Eligiable) Comment:* Can play all 3 outfield positions and is only average defensively. This is one spot I desperately need to upgrade. (R) Dusty Witt - Outfielder Ratings: 4/7/9/6/24 Contract: ($350,000/Auto Renewal) Comment: He is fantastic defensively and can run like the wind. He can play all 3 outfield positions and will be utilized as a pinch runner. He has very little offensive ability though and is on the roster primarily for his glove. Position Player Situation: I should have a fairly good team with some youth and experience mixed in there. My priorities this seaso will be to sign 1B Nathan Wilder and SS Richard Evans to long term contracts as soon as possible. Prospect Situation: Too Depressing to get into! I have very little depth. I am one key injury away from a major problem! Up Next: Opening Day!

10-16-2007, 01:53 PM	#5
darkcloud4579 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 8,712	How did the team do last year? __________________ ------ My Mods OOTP Advanced Stats & DFS Suite Managerial Strategy Pack Competitive Balance Tax Calculator Major League Women's Baseball (OOTP24) quickstart Indian Premier League \| 300+ years of baseball quickstart \| Expatriate League quickstart \| Off-Field Injuries Update \| Women's Name File for OOTP \| ---- Dynasty classics: Centurion comes to OOTP5 \| DC Moneyball Dynasty (2004)

10-16-2007, 02:34 PM	#6
ryan008 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: St. Catharines, Ontario Posts: 2,362	This is the First Season. I started a new game with a start date of 2007 so there are no stats as of yet! but there will be soon! Thanks for Reading

10-16-2007, 02:47 PM	#7
ryan008 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: St. Catharines, Ontario Posts: 2,362	April 3rd, 2007 Opening Day! Well it is a cool crisp day in Toronto! But it doesn't Matter in doors as the Toronto Blue Jays get set to kick of the 2007 Season against the Minnesota Twins! Toronto Opening Day Line Up: CF Vitantonio Ardinghi 2B Josh Gibson SS Richard Evans 1B Nathan Wilder C Jose Estrada DH Raul Pagan RF Dusty Whitt 3B Vincent Collins LF Carlos Valades SP Tenshin Imai Minnesota (0-0) vs Toronto (0-0) L. Octavio (0-0, 0.00) vs T. Imai (0-0, 0.00) Final Score: Minnesota 8 - Toronto 7 (10 Innings) WP: M. Yoshida (1-0) LP: Millard Carter (0-1) Recap: Tenshin Imai went 6.2 innings in his season debut giving up 6 hits and 5 earned runs walking 2 and striking out 5. Jose Estrada and Richard Evans homered for Toronto in the loss. It was tied heading into the top of the 10th when with 2 out Minnesota CF Spencer Stoakes homered to right off of Millard Carter. This ended up being the winning run as we could not score in the bottom of the 10th.

10-16-2007, 02:58 PM	#8
ryan008 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: St. Catharines, Ontario Posts: 2,362	April 6th, 2007 We just finished up our first series with the Minnesota Twins. The Twins took 2 of three from us, but we did manage to pullout a win in game 2 behind a strong pitching performace from Francisco Romero. He didn't get the win but he pitched 7.2 innings allowing only 3 earned runs walking 3 and striking out 3. Vince Collins was the hero going 2-4 with 3 RBI including a bass clearing triple with two out to win the game. Game 3 we lost 3-2 and we left a staggering 23 men on base Robinson Martinez took the loss allowing only 3 runs (2 earned) in 5.2 innings pitched. GM's Thoughts: I am not happy with out situational hitting to start the season. We left a grand total of 35 men on base in the three games we played against Minnesota. We are definately going to have to work on this if we want to compete. Up Next: a 3 game Series at Home agains Tampabay

10-16-2007, 03:10 PM	#9
ryan008 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: St. Catharines, Ontario Posts: 2,362	April 7th, 2007 Well the Devil Rays just came to town and we got our first series win winning games 1 and 3. In game one Christian 'Beer Barrell" Jacobs went 8 innings and only gave up 4 hits and 1 earned run to get his first win of the season. Two day later in game #3 not to be out done 37 year old Tenshin Imai went 8 strong innings giving up 3 earned runs and striking out 4 to get his first win of the season. In the middle game of the series 23 year old Bill Arkell also went 8 innings but our inability to muster much offence killed a great performance as we could only manage 5 hits and Tampa won 3-0. Interms of offence therw is nothing great to write home about pretty much everyone is struggling but I expected this from this team as they are still relatively young. GM's Thoughts: I am suprised at how well our pitching staff was been throwing for the first 2 series. We got 8 innings from all 3 of our starters against Tampa Bay If we could just score some runs we could be a very dangerous team. Up Next: End of April Report

10-16-2007, 03:44 PM	#10
ryan008 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: St. Catharines, Ontario Posts: 2,362	May 1st, 2007. Note: I am going to post monthly updates from now on I think it flows better that way. If there is significant news like a trade or injury I will cover it indvidually. April Record: 13-11 2nd Place in AL East 3 games back of 1st place Boston April Pitching Stats: Tenshin Imai 3-0 2.56 5 BB 29 K Francisco Romero 0-3 3.11 5 BB 19 K Robinson Martinez 1-4 2.87 18 BB 16 K Bill Arkell 2-2 3.41 16 BB 26 K Christian Jacobs 2-0 3.86 8 BB 21 K Lorenzo Silva 0-0 9 Saves 2.03 2 BB 15 K April Batting Statistics: CF Vitantonio Ardinghi .247 1 HR 10 RBI 12 SB 2B Josh Gibson .163 0 HR 3 RBI SS Richard Evans .280 1 HR 9 RBI 1B Nathan Wilder .245 4 HR 11 RBI C Jose Estrada .259 2 HR 10 RBI DH Raul Pagan .250 4 HR 9 RBI 3B Vincent Collins .206 2 HR 12 RBI LF Carlos Valades .302 1 HR 2 RBI RF Dusty Witt .151 2 HR 8 RBI General Manager's Thoughts My Initial thoughts are wow my offense sucks! but it is not like we aren't getting chances to score. We just can't get the big 2 out hit that we need to break games open. SS Richard Evans started out cold but is heating up in his last 3 games going 4-9 with 3 RBI and I am getting mor power than I expected out of DH Raul Pagan who is tied for the team lead in HR's with Nathan Wilder. My pitching has been keeping us in games and my bullpen has been lights out. Lorenzo Silva has gone 9 of 10 is save oppertunities and 3 relievers have yet to yield a single run Rick Woodard (8.0 IP), Manuael Villalobos (7.1 IP) and Kenny Baily (3.1 IP). All in all it is too early to panic but if things don't improve offensively I may look to move some veterans to bring in some youth and prospects at the deadline. Down on the Farm: In this segment I like to profile a few prospects that have had good months for their respective farm teams. It gives you an Idea of the players who may be coming up through the Jays system. Today's Player is SP Clint Morgan. Morgan went 3-0 fot AAA Syracuse in 5 games started he had an ERA of 2.65 with 2 BB and 25 K. He is a big (6'7") 26 year old right hander with 4/4/10 potential ratings. He may never be a front line starter but could garner a look in the bullpen in the near future if he keeps this up!

10-16-2007, 04:00 PM	#11
ryan008 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: St. Catharines, Ontario Posts: 2,362	Richard Evans, Blue Jays Agree to New Deal I am happy to announce that the Toronto Blue Jays have signed SS Richard Evans to a 5 year $53,050,000 deal that will keep the Power hitting short stop in a Jays Uniform through the 2012 season. The Deal pays Evans $10,610,000 a year for 5 years and includes a $100,000 bonus should Evans be named American League MVP. My thoughts are that he is going to be the corner stone of this organization for years to come and the fact that he was willing to sign such a long term contract shows that he has faith in me as the GM and the Organization as a whole. To Date Evans is hitting .260 with 1 HR and 11 RBI's. The next Player on GM Ryan Stewart's agenda to resign is first Baseman Nathan Wilder who could easily command as much money as Richard Evans.

10-17-2007, 08:57 AM	#12
ryan008 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: St. Catharines, Ontario Posts: 2,362	June 1st 2007 My record for May was 12-13. We opened the month with a 2 game mini series against the American League East leading Boston Red Sox and we swept both on strong performances for Tenshin Imai and Francisco Romero (Romero got his first win of the season) After Boston we headed out for a 7 game West Coast swing that took us through Los Angeles and Oakland. We earned a series split in 4 games with the Angles and took 2 of 3 from the Athletics. After our 8 day road trip we were back home to take on the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and then the Los Angeles Angles of Anaheim come to town. We played well at home taking 2 of 3 from the Devil Rays behind wins from Tenshin Imai and Christian Jacobs. After the series against the Devil Rays it all fell apart. We lost 2 of 3 to the Angles and then We opened up interleague play against the Colorado Rockies in Colorado. The Rockies swept us in 3 games. This was the mid point of a 6 game losing streak that carried over into our next series in Florida against the Devil Rays who managed to take 2 of 3 from us. We lost the first 2 games both in extra innings. The first game was a blown save by Lorenzo Silva his 2nd and the second game wasted an 8 inning 4 hit performance by Bill Arkell as he only gave up 2 runs but the offence could't do anything against Tampabay and they went on to win it in the bottom of the 14th on a walk off home run. The Chicago White Sox and Boston Red Sox came back to town to close out the month and we lost 2 of 3 to the White Sox before taking 2 of 3 from the Red Sox to finish May. We Close out May sitting tied for Second Place with the Boston Red Sox 1 game behind the First Place Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Pitching Situation Everyone has been pitching pretty well up until this point except SP Robinson Martinez who is 2-4 so far with a 5.67 ERA. I have dropped him down to being my #5 starter as he is simply not performing. He did turn in a good 7 inning performance against Boston on May 31st to pick up his second win but he just doesn't seem to be cutting it and I may be forced to look for another starter in the near future. If SP Robinson Martinez is cold SP Tenshin Imari is on fire! he is 4-1 with a 2.63 era this month and has been almost automatic in the 5 games that he pitched this month. He has even been garnering some trade attention from other teams in the league including the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Arizona Diamond Backs and Minnesota Twins. I am not sure where we stand yet in terms of being a playoff contender so the jury is still out on whether or not I would be willing to move him Offensive Situation Offensively it looks like we are starting to heat up. The $53 million dollar man SS Richard Evans was named American League Offensive Player of the week for the week of May 28th. Evans went 14-25 for a .560 batting average with 2 HR and 7 RBi with a .607 OBP. Evans had not been performing very well up until he signed the 5 year extension with Toronto but has taken off since. I guess a new contract was just the motivation he needed. Another Player who was on fire in May was RF & DH Raul Pagan. He was named the American League Rookie of the Month for May. He hit .327 with 35 hits 5 HR 24 RBI and scored 17 times. He has 9 HR and 33 RBI both lead the team. Not bad for a 21 year old who I was going to have start the season in AAA Syracuse. Up Next: 2007 First Year Player Draft and June Baseball Recap

10-17-2007, 09:43 AM	#13
ryan008 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: St. Catharines, Ontario Posts: 2,362	Blue Jays Grab Youth In Draft: The Annual First Year Player Draft was held today as teams attempt to find the next superstar in a sea of College and High School age players. The Draft is 15 rounds and this season the Blue Jays will select 12th overall. My Draft philosophy is fairly simple. I like to draft the best player available. I tend not to gravitate more to College or High School age players, although more often than not College players tend to get to the Majors much faster. I tend to draft a lot of pitchers simply because the more arms you have the better the chance one of them will survive all of the talent changes and hits and make it to the Big Leagues. I also tend to grab a MR or CL or two late in the draft that could possibly be starting material just because you never know how they may develop down the road. It is also good to pick up some good bullpen help as having a good bullpen is paramount when trying to succeed at the Major League Level. Toronto Blue Jays Picks: I am not going to list all 15 picks. But here are my top 3. 3B Dave 'Rascal' Chambers 19 Years Old, 6'4", 210 lbs Sarasota High School, Florida Potential Ratings:10/10/10/10/9 Defense @ 3B: 6 Arm: 7 Comment: A very good looking switch hitting offensive third baseman. He could become a superstar. He should hit for power and average and has a very good eye. The only knock on him is that he is only average defensively but he could be moved to first base if he struggles at third. Estimated Arrival in the Majors: 2011-2012. I think he will need at least 4 or 5 years of development and I have no intentions of rushing him along. He will have to prove himself at every level before he is promoted. C Llyod Matthews 22 Years Old, 6'0", 210 lbs Georgia Tech, Georgia - College (NCAA) Potential Ratings:10/10/8/8/7 Defense @ C: 9 Arm: 8 Comment: A defensive catcher who can also hit. He looks like he has the potential to be a No. 1 catcher in the Major leagues and could hit for average as well as power. He hit .319 with only 2 HR in 50 games for Georgia this year and it would be nice if he could develop a little more power. Estimated Arrival in the Majors: 2008-2010. I think he could find himself in the majors as early as next season depending on how quickly he can move through the system. He will start out for Class A Auburn and I will keep an eye on him from there. SP Antonio Perez 19 Years Old, 6'1", 185 lbs Sacramento High School, California Potential Ratings:8/7/6 Comment: A hard throwing left hander with a 96-98 MPH fastball. He features 3 pitches: a fastball, slider and change up and really needs to improve his control if he ever wants to make it to the Majors. In 11 starts he struck out 71 batter while walking 27 and managed a 3-3 record. Estimated Arrival in the Majors: 2012-2013. Like my 1st round pick Dave Chambers Perez is very young at only 19 and I think it takes young pitchers longer to develop than hitters. Perez will start out with the Pulaski Blue Jays of the Appalachian Rookie leage. Blue Jays Draft Summary: Pitchers Taken: 6 (4 SP, 1 MR, 1 CL) Position Players Taken: 9 (1 3B, 2 C, 5 OF, 1 SS) College Players Taken: 8/15 High School Players Taken: 7/15 General Manager's Comments: Well all in all I think it was a good draft. I believe that all 3 of my top picks have a chance to make he Majors some day. I felt like we really addressed the fact that the Toronto Organization really had no top prospects heading into this season and we added at least 2 top flight infielding prospects in 3B Dave Chambers and C Lloyd Matthews. It really wasn't a deep draft in terms of Starting Pitching Prospects but we did manage to nab one who I think has the potential to be a #4 or 5 starter in the MLB in SP Antonio Perez. I also grabbed a CL in the 4th round named Steve Perkins who has tremendous stuff and is only 19 with a few years of development he could be a force. The draft is always a gamble and we won't know if my picks pan out for at least 3-5 years.

10-17-2007, 11:00 AM	#14
ryan008 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: St. Catharines, Ontario Posts: 2,362	Jays Claim 3B From Chicago Cubs June 6th, 2007. The Toronto Blue Jays announced today that they have claimed 3B Byron Webb off waivers from the Chicago Cubs. Webb a 20 year old has spent the entire season with the Cubs big club but has performed poorly. He hit only .167 with 0 HR and 3 RBI in 27 games. He is a very good defensive 3b with an 8 rating at 3 and an arm rating of 9. I claimed him simply because he is young and I think he still has a chance to better than his performance in Chicago to date would indicate. He will be placed on our 40 man roster and immediately sent down to AAA Syracuse to get some at bats. With 37 year old Vincent Collins currently manning the bag at third for the jays there stands a good chance that Webb could make an appearence with the big club sooner rather than later. The bad news for Webb however is that he will have to compete with 2007 1st round pick and top prospect Dave Chambers who is expected to be the 3B of the future for the Jays. 3B Byron Webb Age: 20 Bats: R Throws: R Potential Ratings: 8/8/7/6/3 Rating @ 3B: 8 Infield Arm Rating: 9

10-17-2007, 11:36 AM	#15
ryan008 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: St. Catharines, Ontario Posts: 2,362	Blue Jays Claim C From Florida June 15th, 2007. The Toronto Blue Jays announced today that they have completed a waiver claim for 20 year old catcher Nick Cooper from the Florida Marlins. Cooper has spent the majority of the season with Florida's AAA affiliate in Iowa. Where he hit .254 with 7 HR and 30 RBI in 53 games. Cooper is an excellent defensive catcher and should contribute some with the bat. He is hot expected to be a Number 1 catcher in the majors but provides a Toronto Organization that has very little youth in their system with another young player that could contribute down the road. At only 20 years old it is suprising that Florida would give up on him so quickly. C Nick Cooper Age: 20 Bats: R Throws: R Potential Ratings: 5/9/710/5 Rating @ C: 8 Infield Arm Rating: 8

10-17-2007, 02:15 PM	#17
ryan008 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: St. Catharines, Ontario Posts: 2,362	July 1st 2007 June turned out to be a fantastic month for the Toronto Blue Jays. Not only did we manage to resign 2 of out top young stars to long term contract extensions but we finally seemed to put everything together and started winning we finished the month with a record of 21-7. We started off the month winning 2 of 3 from the Devil Rays in Florida and then moven on the Baltimore where we swept the Orioles in 4 games. After Baltimore we headed to Detroit where we lost 2 of 3 to the Tigers. After playing in Detroit we came home for a short 4 game homestand against the Baltimore Orioles before we headed out for the last swing of Interleague Play. We ended up splitting the 4 games against Baltimore and we off to sunny Florida to take on the Marlins. We swept the Marlins in 3 games and took off for Atlanta where we once again swept the Braves winning our 6th consecutive game. From Atlanta we headed to New York to play the Mets and we won another series taking 2 of 3 from New York. After a long road trip we headed home for 6 games against the Washington Nationals and Philedelphia Phillies. We swept all 3 from Washington and took 2 of 3 from the Phillies to close out the month of June and Interleague play. General Manager's Thoughts We finally strung together good pitching and hitting. SP Tenshin Imai got his 10th win of the season this month and is tied for 2nd in the American League in wins. My two young pitchers Bill Arkell and Christian Jacobs have been on fire this month and have improved their records to 7-5 and 8-5 respectively. They have outpitched both Francisco Romero and Robinson Martinez to the point where I moved them up to the 2nd and 3rd spots in my rotation behind Tenshin Imai. This gives me a very formitiable 1-2-3 punch in my starting rotation. Interms of offence Raul Pagan has been on fire winning his second consecutive American League Rookie of the Month Award. This month he hit .296 with 11 HR and 26 RBI's. He currently leads the team in Homeruns with 20 and RBI's with 62. To cap off Raul Pagan's great month he hit for the cycle agains the Washington Nationals June 27. Pagan hit a single in the 2nd a triple in the 5th an two-run homerun in the 6th and a double in the 9th in a 7-4 win over the Nationals. All of this production is amazing coming from a 21 year old player. SS Richard Evans has also picked up his play batting .302 in June and C Jose Estrada hit 4 more homeruns to bring his total to 9. Down on the Farm This months players are as follows. I chose one from each level to give you an ide of the talent in the system: Syracuse (AAA) 3B Brandon Webb .431 3 HR 13 RBI in 17 G Webb was a waiver claim on June 6th from the Chicago Cubs and all he has done since he joined the Blue Jays is hit. His stock is rising quickly with this performance and at 20 years old still has a lot of time. New Hampshire (AA) CL Jose Clement 5-1 17 SV 0.46 ERA 8 BB 31 K in 29 Games A 23 year old closer who is having a terriffic season for New Hampshire. He has only blown 1 save in 18 tries. He doesn't throw as hard as most closers only 90-92 but relies on good command and location. Dunedin (A) 1B Felipe Ramos .309 4 HR 13 RBI in 61 games A 23 year old first baseman who is having a good year for a very bad Dunedin team. There really aren't a lot of good players on this team as most are only rated as * or . Ramos is but at 23 a little on the old side to be playing in Dunedin. Lansing (A) RF Jeff McDowell .322 11 HR 37 RBI in 78 games A 21 year old outfielder who is better known for his glove but is doing good things with the bat for Lansing. He is only rated as but if he keeps on putting uo these numbers he could advance quickly. Auburn (SA) SP Antonio Perez 3-0 0.38 ERA 9 BB 8 K in 4 Starts My 3rd round pick this seaon has started out on fire for Auburn winning 3 of his first 4 starts and allowing only 2 earned runs. I didn't expect him to get off to such a hot start. I will definately be watching him closely. Pulaski (R) C Lloyd Matthews .349 2 HR 8 RBI in 11 games My 2nd round pick this past season has also gotten off to a hot start and has already hit as many homeruns in 2 games in Pulaski as he did in the entire season in college. He may be a little old for Rookie Ball but if he continues to put up these numbers he won't be there long. Up Next:** July Update and Trade Deadline Day

10-17-2007, 03:26 PM	#18
ryan008 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: St. Catharines, Ontario Posts: 2,362	Blue Jays Claim Arm From Pittsburgh July 3rd, 2007. The Toronto Blue Jays announced today that they have successfully claimed SP Manny Armando from the Pittsburgh Pirates. Armando is a 24 year old right hander with a 90-92 MPH fastball. He also throws a curveball and changeup. He spent the entire 2007 season so far with Pittsburgh's AAA team in Richmond where he put up a 6-4 record with a 4.18 ERA in 17 games. He has walked 41 and struck out 82 with a 1.25 WHIP. GM Ryan Stewart said that Toronto claimed him simply for depth at the AAA level. He porvides Toronto with a little bit of insurance should one of the starters go down with an injury. He was added to Toronto's 40 man roster and immediately optioned to AAA Syracuse. SP Manny Armando Age: 24 Bats: R Throws: R Potential Ratings: 7/6/5

10-17-2007, 03:38 PM	#19
ryan008 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: St. Catharines, Ontario Posts: 2,362	Two Toronto Players Make Allstar Team! July 7th, 2007. Two members of the Toronto Blue Jays will be flying out to Camden Yards in Baltimore to take part in the annual Allstar Game Festivities. 37 year old SP Tenshin Imai and 29 year old CL Lorenzo Silva will be heading down to Camden Yard in Baltimore for the game. Tenshin Imai has been great for Toronto this season going 13-3 with a 2.71 ERA in 23 games. Lorenzo Silva has been lights out this season as Toronto's closer going 1-1 with 31 saves and a 1.36 ERA in 39 games. This game might meen a lot to Imai as he is 37 and may not be around for many more. As happy as the two pitchers were you can't help but wonder if a few of the other Jays players were snubbed for the game this season. Players like rookie RF Raul Pagan who is hitting .294 with 25 HR and 83 RBI, SS Richard Evans who is batting .293 with 10 HR and 60 RBI or 1B Nathan Wilder who has contributed with a .284 batting average, 26 HR and 80 RBI. When asked about the Allstar situation GM Ryan Stewart replied simply "There are a lot of very talented players in the American League and I am glad it isn't my job to make the selections". He was also quick to point out that all 3 of these players are fairly young and will have a lot mor oppertunities to play in the Allstar game.

10-17-2007, 03:46 PM	#20
ryan008 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: St. Catharines, Ontario Posts: 2,362	Toronto Closer Injured, Will Miss Allstar Game July 8th, 2007. One day after being named to the American League Allstar Roster Toronto CL Lorenzo Silva suffered a strained elbow ligament and will miss the next 5 weeks. He was hurt int he 9th inning of a 4-2 win over Kansas City. He faced 1 batter getting a strikeout and then threw a single pitch to the secon batter and immediately went for his right elbow. When asked to comment about missing the Allstar Game Silva simply said "I don't care about the Allstar game. We are in the middle of the playoff hunt and getting to the Post Season is our biggest goal". Silva was placed on the 15 day disable list and will be reevaluated by team Doctors in a week or two when the swelling goes down. To fill in the Blue Jays recalled 26 year old CL Curt Cox from AAA Syracuse. In 28 games Cox has put up some good numbers going 2-4 with 15 saves a 2.97 ERA while walking 8 and striking out 30.