Imagine

One of these second basemen is not like the others: Russ Adams, Aaron Hill, Royce Clayton, John McDonald, Marcus Giles.

If you guessed Giles, you’re right. He’s not a Blue Jay. And he’s also one of the best second basemen in baseball. He played in the 2003 All-Star Game, would look really nice batting in the two or seven hole, and is a serious upgrade at second over the minor-league-bound Adams, the shortstop of the future as recently as the start of 2006 Hill, “why’d the sign that guy” Clayton, and great with the leather but so-so at the dish McDonald (who also is more of a natural shortstop).

Sure. The numbers show Giles’ production has slipped at the plate. He’s still better than McDonald (and don’t get me wrong, McDonald was the best thing that ever could have happened to the Jays’ middle infield in 2006) at the dish. Adding Giles allows the Jays to slide Hill back to short, and suddenly things are looking up for the middle of the infield. His .983 fielding percentage at second was 15^th-best in the Majors, and just .001 behind NL Gold Glove winner Orlando Hudson (cough-cough-former Jay-cough-cough-cough).

Though Hill’s fielding percentage drops off precipitously when he moves to the other side of the bag, he won’t be stuck pairing with Russ Adams anymore and may be able to relax some.

Imagine a competent-to-All-Star caliber middle infield. Maybe the countless worries about pitching would be quelled just a little by some guys that can flash the leather. Imagine if the Jays had infielders as good as their outfielders.

Imagine also, spending $5 million a year for a second bagger three seasons removed from an All-Star appearance, which is so much better than spending $10 million a year on a pitcher named after part of a fish’s anatomy that nobody outside of Seattle knows anything about.

Of course, imagine the gay accountant doing the right thing.

If John Lennon can imagine, so can I.

On an unrelated note: the Montreal Canadiens made Boston’s Zdeno Chara look like an absolute fool Tuesday night. As the biggest guy in the league, every time he gets beaten to a puck, or beaten in a one-on-one battle, he’s getting beaten by someone smaller than he is. But to see guys like 6-foot rookie call-up Maxime Lapierre and 5-foot-generous-9-inch Tomas Plekanec beating him for two consecutive Habs goals has to have Bruins’ bench boss Dave Lewis scratching his head, and general manager Peter Chiarelli wondering what happened to his off-season coup.

One more hockey note: since I don’t watch the Maple Leafs, I had no idea this was happening, but after the game I read that the Leafs held a pre-game ceremony to honour their 1992-93 team. Now, I understand this team marked a significant shift in Leaf Land, in which the Leafs started being a competitive team again instead of the laughing stock they’d been through most of the 80s. But really? A pre-game ceremony for a team that lost in the conference final 13 years ago? Maybe the Dallas Stars should hold a ceremony for the 1990 Minnesota North Stars that lost to Edmonton in the conference final. Fewer of the 1989 Flames will be on hand for Mike Vernon’s jersey-retirement ceremony in Calgary than 1993 Leafs were in Toronto Tuesday night. Nicely done Toronto. Way to honour losers. The Colorado Avalanche would be better suited to hold a pre-game ceremony honouring Craig Wolanin’s contributions to their 1996 Stanley Cup win.

Getting behind our amateur athletes

Great news yesterday as speedskater Cindy Klassen was named Lou Marsh Award winner for 2006.

The Lou Marsh Award is given annually to the country’s top athlete, as voted on by members of the national media.

Klassen won five medals at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy-- the most ever by a Canadian athlete at on Olympiad.

Klassen edged 2005 and 2006 NBA MVP and 2005 Lou Marsh Award winner Steve Nash; NHL MVP Joe Thornton and the league’s top goal-scorer Jonathan Cheechoo; American League MVP Justin Morneau and other Olympians including Jennifer Heil and Clara Hughes in a reportedly close vote.

To be totally honest, I’m not sure most Canadians know who Klassen is, and the award sure could have used a marquee name like Nash or Thornton to bolster its profile. But the voters did the right thing by acknowledging Klassen’s outstanding performance at the Olympic Games.

While Nash and Morneau may have the most prolonged success ever by Canadians in their respective sports, and while Thornton and Cheechoo are the first Canadians to dominate NHL scoring charts in the last few years, Klassen performed at the highest level any athlete from this country ever has on the world’s biggest sporting stage for two nearly perfect weeks in February.

It’s a wonderful accomplishment, an amazing early Christmas present, and a great message sent to amateur athletes all across Canada as they prepare for Canada’s biggest Winter Olympiad in Vancouver in 2010.

Instead of kicking away at the dying horse, the national media is ready to get behind our athletes, and while the 2010 games are more than three years away, the media will be behind our performers every step of the way.

You’re in the spotlight now, guys. Go get ‘em.

Vernon, Please Don't Go

I know it’s just a rumour, and I know I can’t hit the panic button yet. In fact, I keep staring at the cover of the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy for the reminder.

That said, I’m panicking.

I cruised over to ESPN.com and saw something terrible. It was Vernon Wells’ face under the “Rumor Central” tab, mentioning the Los Angeles Dodgers interest in the Jays’ slugger/Gold Glover/best all-around player/MVP/face of the franchise/(I don’t think this is a stretch) the best home-grown player the Blue Jays have ever had. How’s that for a list of superlatives?

I know I bitch and moan about the Gay Accountant a lot. But this Vernon Wells business has to get sorted out. There’s no sense in letting this thing run on too long. The Ted Lilly (2007 or 2008 NL Cy Young winner against that division) debacle went on way too long. This Wells thing has been going strong for most of the 2006 season, and now the off-season (and it was prevalent in 2005 as well). When the media is focused on a guy’s contract status two years (TWO YEARS) before it’s set to expire, they’re telling the GM something. I don’t know if there’s ever been a player this popular with Jays fans. Ownership bumped the budget. Give this guy the A-Rod deal to stay.

If not, you’d better get a good return on this one. And dealing him in the middle of his last season under contract isn’t going to get a good return when most of the baseball world thinks he’s ready to head home to Arlington.

If Vernon Wells’ status isn’t settled before Spring Training, this team will be unsettled throughout the spring, into the early start of the season, and the next thing you know, it’s Victoria/Memorial Day and the Jays are burying themselves in the AL East. Wonderful.

Good news Jays fans. Another mediocre year for a club that should be flying high.