Power Pros Forum

Jay of the Day: Stephen Brooks
by Richard Griffin, Toronto Star
Sunday, February 23, 2014


DUNEDIN - Reliever Stephen Brooks takes the toss from Edwin Encarnacion while taking part in the infamous PFP's.

With the third installment in the "Jay of the Day" series, the Star caught up with relief pitcher Stephen Brooks for an interview with Richard Griffin. Brooks is the second player from New Zealand to be a part of the Blue Jays organization, and if he makes the 25-man roster, he will be the first player from the country to ever play in the Majors.

Richard Griffin: Good afternoon, Stephen. How are you?

Stephen Brooks: I'm feeling swell, mate. Thanks for askin'.

RG: So, I'd like to talk about you being from New Zealand for a minute. How many times have people brought up the Lord of the Rings around you?

SB: It's brought up occasionally by the Americans, but don't really mind it. It's not nearly as bad as what that Brit [Danny] Hopkins and especially that bogan [Liam] Hendriks keep saying to me.

RG: Oh? And what do they say about you?

SB: Hopkins keeps calling me criminal scum, which is frustrating because I keep telling him I'm not Australian. He knows it frustrates me too.

RG: Heh...sorry. So, how about Hendriks?

SB: Oh God, Hendriks is relentless. What he really likes to do is tell everyone I do unspeakable things to sheep. Yes, we get it, there's a lot of sheep in New Zealand. [sighs] I try to combat him by talking about the Emu War, but-

RG: Wait, Emu War?

SB: Yeah! It's an actual thing. Even has its own Wikipedia page.

RG: So, how do you deal with all that?

SB: I realize it's just banter and move on or try to use a witty comeback of my own. It also motivates me even more because if I make the roster and Hendriks doesn't, I can hold that over him for a while.

RG: Alright, so let's move away from that now and move on to you as a pitcher.

SB: Yes, please do.

RG: Describe your pitching repertoire, and what kind of results you hope to achieve with it.

SB: Sure thing. I'm a side-armer, and I have the typical repertoire of one, a sinker and slider. I've somewhat emulated the pitching style of the Giants' closer, Sergio Romo. Hopefully I can have the same results that he does, for the sake of the team.

RG: Yes, hopefully. So the first game of Spring Training is tomorrow. You excited for that?

SB: Definitely! I can't wait!

RG: Good to hear. Well, I'll let you go now. Good luck with everything.

I understand this

Signings Summary: February 23
by Steve Adams, MLB Trade Rumors
Sunday, February 23, 2014

Many of the players the Blue Jays had released have signed contracts today. Here is a summary of all the day's signings:

RP Sergio Santos signs with Tigers, 2 years/13.2 MM. Tigers designate RP Luis Marte for assignment to make room for Santos.
RP Aaron Loup signs with Yankees, 3 years/9.08 MM.
CF Colby Rasmus signs with Rockies, 4 years/13.09 MM.
LF Melky Cabrera signs with Dodgers, 2 years/940 K.
SP Mark Buehrle signs with Rangers, 1 year/1.8 M. Rangers designate RP Seth Rosin to make room for Buehrle, and also designate 3B Adam Rosales to make room for Colby Lewis.
RP Casey Janssen signs with Rockies, 3 years/6.3 MM.
1B Adam Lind signs with Marlins, 1 year/800 K.
SP Brandon Morrow signs with Padres, 4 years/1.46 MM.
LF Moises Sierra signs with Mets, 3 years/1.61 MM. Mets designate SS Omar Quintanilla for assignment to make room for Sierra.
C Josh Thole signs with Indians, 1 year/500 K. Indians designate 2B Elliot Johnson for assignment to make room for Thole.

These are all the signings that have been agreed upon today. Of the players the Blue Jays released, these ones still remain unsigned:

RP Steve Delabar
RP Brett Cecil
SP J.A. Happ
SP Esmil Rogers
RP Mickey Storey
C Erik Kratz
RP Michael Schwimer
2B Maicer Izturis
SP Ricky Romero
2B Chris Getz
1B Dan Johnson
RF Brett Carroll

Most of these guys should have absolutely no problem finding a job elsewhere. Look for this list to shrink dramatically within the week.

Jays Win First Spring Game
by Richard Griffin, Toronto Star
Monday, February 24, 2014


TAMPA -Jays star Jose Bautista socks a 3-run homer in the first inning against the Yankees.

The Blue Jays have defeated the Yankees 6-5 in a well-anticipated game between the 2 AL East rivals. Jose Bautista led the way with 2 homers and 4 RBI, 3 of which came in the first inning. R.A. Dickey had a subpar game, going 3 innings and giving up 2 runs. He did strike out 4 batters, however. The game looked to be all over by the 5th, as the Jays were up 6-2 with Ivan Nova giving up 5 runs in 3 innings of work. The Yankees did manage to get 3 runs across in the bottom of the 5th off Marcus Stroman to make it 6-5, but that's obviously where all the scoring ended. Leo Vizcaino retired the last 2 batters of the 9th inning to earn the save.

Player of the Game: Jose Bautista

Jay of the Day: Hayden Goldson
by Richard Griffin, Toronto Star
Monday, February 24, 2014


TAMPA - Left fielder Hayden Goldson goes into his leg kick. Goldson hit an RBI double off this pitch from Yankees hurler Ivan Nova.

With the first spring game over, the Star caught up with left fielder Hayden Goldson, who had the best day of all the new recruits, going 3-3 with an RBI double and a run. Let's take a look at columnist Richard Griffin's interview with Goldson:

Richard Griffin: Good afternoon, Hayden. Great game out there.

Hayden Goldson: Yeah, it sure was.

RG: What do you feel was the reason for your success today?

HG: Pssh, a number of things really. My superb strength is probably the main reason, though. If I was some pathetic wiry a**hole, you think I'd have been able to crush the ball like I did? F*** no. I've maintained the perfect f***ing physique. I'm a G**damn Adonis. Yeah, so anyways, another thing is that their guy, Nova is it? He was just leaving those pitches right there for me. You mean to tell me that this guy was the best pitcher last year for THE most historic franchise in sports? HA! That's hilarious! There's guys even worse than him! F***ing imagine that! I don't know why I didn't join this league sooner!

RG: (grumbles) ...Alright. So you talked about your physique. What do you do to stay in such great shape?

HG: Well, Richie, first off, I wanted to say that I am 100% natty. No 'roids here, bros! They're shortcuts, and only losers and pussies take those. And last I checked, I ain't either one of those! Anyways, basically, while I make sure to work all parts of my body, I mainly do core exercises, because I absolutely need to, NEED to, have at least a 6-pack at all times. I want to look this great until I'm f***ing dead. I don't really like saying much else about the way I work out, though. You can catch people 'mirin at me for a while though so if you really want to know then go ask them, I guess.

RG: Alright, well, let's get back to baseball now. Who was your favorite player growing up, and which player do you feel you're comparable to?

HG: Lemme answer that second question right off the bat. I gotta say I'm most similar to my man Matt Holliday. Probably the only guy in the league with a better physique than yours truly. He can crush the hell out of the ball as well. Gotta mention we both got that badass leg kick too. As for my favorite player, well, since Winnipeg was close to Minnesota, I grew up a Twins fan, and so my favorite player was Torii Hunter. He was a superb athlete in his prime, and while he's an old man now, I'm glad to see he's still got some talent left. I can't wait to see him in person again. That f***ing catch in the All-Star Game, man... hype as F**K! Shame that game ended the way it did, though. I don't wanna badmouth the commish though so I won't add anything else to that.

Hey man, can we wrap this up? I need to go work out again, I can feel my muscles getting smaller. I don't like this feeling at all.

RG: I wouldn't want to stand in your way. Thanks for the interview.

HG: Yeah, don't mention it, brah.

Signings Summary: February 24
by Steve Adams, MLB Trade Rumors
Monday, February 24, 2014

A new batch of players were snagged up today from free agency. Here's the summary of who signed where:

RP Steve Delabar signs with Angels, 2 yr/4.6 MM. Angels designate RP Ryan Brasier for assignment to make room for Delabar.
RP Brett Cecil signs with Cubs, 3 yr/6.67 MM.
2B Maicer Izturis signs with A's, 1 yr/360 K.
SP J.A. Happ signs with Twins, 1 yr/660 K.
SP Esmil Rogers signs with Mariners, 2 yr/1.30 MM.
SP Jeff Niemann signs with Cubs, 1 year/2.03 MM. Niemann will begin the year on the DL.
RP Mickey Storey signs with Phillies, 2 yr/950 K.
C Erik Kratz signs with White Sox, 1 yr/430 K.
RP Michael Schwimer signs with Astros, 1 yr/390 K.
C Kelly Shoppach signs with Marlins, 1 yr/370 K. Marlins designate RP Grant Dayton for assignment to make room for Shoppach.
SS Eduardo Nunez signs with Twins, 1 yr/240 K.

Jays Win Again
by Richard Griffin, Toronto Star
Tuesday, February 25, 2014


DUNEDIN -Jose Bautista hits a 2-run shot off Red Sox hurler Allen Webster.

The Blue Jays win against another division rival, as they best the Red Sox 6-3. Edwin Encarnacion went 2-4 and Jose Bautista hit his 3rd homer in 2 games, but the biggest story was Kent Murphy. The second baseman went 2-3 with a dinger and a double before being subbed out for Ryan Goins. If the Blue Jays can actually get good production out of their new recruits like this, then they could surprise a lot of people. Speaking of, Dean Stradley impressed today, going 4 innings, giving up 1 earned run and striking out 3 (including David Ortiz). Lefty Juan Perez got the win, and Stephen Brooks got the save.

The Blue Jays have another home game tomorrow against the Twins. Israeli-born lefty Moses Adler gets the start for the Jays, he'll go up against tall righty Mike Pelfrey.

Player of the Game: Kent Murphy

Jay of the Day: Kent Murphy
by Richard Griffin, Toronto Star
Tuesday, February 25, 2014


DUNEDIN - Kent Murphy celebrates after homering off Red Sox reliever Junichi Tazawa.

25-year-old second baseman Kent Murphy had a terrific game today, so Star columnist Richard Griffin thought it was a good idea to interview him. It turns out his interview was even more profanity-laced than Goldson's. So, we at the Star had to cut out parts of the interview. Here's what we're able to publish:

Richard Griffin: Hello, Kent. Terrific job today.

Kent Murphy: Thanks Rich, just doing what comes naturally.

That's it! All we could publish! He even mentioned that he was somehow worse as a teenager. Imagine that!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hey, just wanted to know if you guys think the pics in this post are too big. Just wanna know for future posts.

I love this log

Please do more logs

Thank you

EDIT: Yes, pictures. I liked them the size they were before. They didn't protrude off the page.

Whoo! GG Kent! And the use of the word "dinger" is much appreciated.

I enjoy the pictures a lot, I think the size is okay.

Yay me! I just hope I get to K A-Roid at some point.

Twins Hand Jays First Loss
by Richard Griffin, Toronto Star
Wednesday, February 26, 2014


DUNEDIN - Edwin Encarnacion homers off Twins lefty Logan Darnell.

The Jays have finally lost a game, falling to the Twins by a score of 8-5 on a rainy day in Florida. Starter Moses Adler started out very poorly, giving up a 2-run homer to Twins 2B Brian Dozier, the second batter of the game. He would settle down and pitch 4 innings, only giving up those 2 runs, but he was still saddled with the loss. The Twins struck especially hard in the 6th inning, scoring 5 runs in the inning capped by a three-run shot by right fielder Oswaldo Arcia. All 5 runs in the inning were charged to former Twin Liam Hendriks. It was an 7-0 game at that point, though in the bottom of that same inning, the Jays offense tried to claw back, scoring 4 in the inning thanks in part to 2 home runs, a 2-run shot by Edwin Encarnacion and a solo homer by Hayden Goldson. Both teams would push across 1 more in the 9th, but that was it.

The Jays take on the Astros tomorrow before getting a day off. Danny Hopkins will go against the Astros' biggest free agent signing of the offseason, righty Scott Feldman.

Player of the Game: Oswaldo Arcia

Jay of the Day: Michael Scott
by Richard Griffin, Toronto Star
Wednesday, February 26, 2014


DUNEDIN - Michael Scott hustles out an infield single. He would later score on Encarnacion's 2-run homer.

Today, Richard Griffin interviewed Michael Scott, a 22-year-old middle infielder from here in Toronto. Scott had the best game of all the new recruits not named Goldson, going 1-2 and scoring a run. Here's how Griffin's interview with Scott went:

Richard Griffin: So, Michael Scott, is it? Like the guy from The Office?

Michael Scott: *sighs* Yes, just like the guy from The Office. (rolls eyes)

RG: So you're a local guy, right? How does it feel playing for your hometown team?

MS: Well, I mean, I'm grateful and all, but I guess I don't really have as much pride in it as someone normally would.

RG: Oh. Really? Why is that?

MS: Well, I grew up in one of the bad parts of the city, and-

RG: Bad parts? (laughs) There are no bad parts! Toronto is the greatest city in the world! (hands Scott slip of paper)

MS: (reads note) Oh...yeah...my bad. Let me rephrase that.

RG: Please do!

MS: Well, what I meant to say is that I grew up in a less...uh...hm...wealthy?

RG: There you go!

MS: Right. (continues) Less wealthy part of Toronto, so while I still...um...(cringes) LOVED where I lived, I didn't really have much opportunities and such. So I guess the relative lack of opportunities I had compared to the rest of this...uh....fine city, has left me a bit bitter, for lack of a better term.

RG: Fascinating. So how does your background relate to you as a player?

MS: Well, I had to work a lot harder than most people to get noticed. So I make sure to always give 100 percent no matter what. I'm trying to be a sparkplug for this team and I have expressed numerous times that I am willing to take a bench role as long as I can make it with the club. I realize that that may be my only option since Murphy and Reyes are both very talented and I feel that I'm performing too well here to be demoted. We'll see though, it's early.

RG: Hard work and humility. Your average Toronto citizen, everyone. Greatest city in the world!

MS: Wait, what? You've got to be kiddi-

Check back in tomorrow for our next installment, and remember to subscribe to the Toronto Star, the best newspaper in the best city in the world!

Jays Power Their Way to a Win
by Richard Griffin, Toronto Star
Thursday, February 27, 2014


DUNEDIN - Hayden Goldson hits a go-ahead 2-run bomb off Astros veteran Jerome Williams.

The Jays were seeing the ball well despite a foggy afternoon, defeating the lowly Astros by a score of 5-2. Danny Hopkins pitched 3 innings of 1-run ball, striking out 3 batters and lighting up the radar gun in the process. Drew Hutchison pitched 2 innings and gave up 1 run, earning the win. Scott Feldman pitched well for the Astros, giving up 1 unearned run in 3 innings. Jerome Williams was saddled with the loss, giving up 2 runs in just 1 inning despite allowing only 1 hit. The Astros actually outhit the Jays 10-7, as a matter of fact. The score was tied 2-2 until the bottom of the 5th, when Hayden Goldson hit a 2-run shot to left-center field, his second of the spring. Fellow outfielder Damon Allred hit a pinch-hit blast to center field in the bottom of the seventh to make it 5-2. Leo Vizcaino pitched the bottom of the 9th, earning his second save.

Player of the Game: Hayden Goldson

Jay of the Day: Damon Allred
by Richard Griffin, Toronto Star
Thursday, February 27, 2014


DUNEDIN - Damon Allred hits a pinch-hit solo shot off former Tigers lefty Darin Downs.

Damon Allred homered in the game today, so because of this, he is the subject for the newest installment in the Jay of the Day series. Here is Griffin's interview with Allred:

Richard Griffin: Hello, Damon. Nice to meet you. I see you've brought along someone, can you explain who this is?

Translator: I'll answer that. Damon is completely deaf and has been since birth. All he knows is sign language and a small amount of Dutch. That second part is irrelevant, though. I'm his translator, by the way. Name's Mark. Mark Powell. I'm also his agent and lawyer. Here's my business card.

RG: Oh, wow. Very fascinating. I don't know what I'm going to do with your card, but thanks anyways. So, Damon, how has your disability affected you as a person and as a player?

MP: What is this? Are we writing an essay here or something? Sheesh...

RG: Just a simple question, Mr. Powell. I'm sure he'd be more than willing to answer.

MP: Don't tell me what my client wants! I know what he wants! But alright, for the sake of the people...

(translating...)

Alright, so he told me that while there are obviously negative aspects to being deaf, such as NOT BEING ABLE TO HEAR, am I right? I came up with that on my own, he didn't say that. Oh yeah, so he is able to find some silver linings. For one, he doesn't have to deal with any drunk opposing fans trying to heckle him from the stands. He also is proud to be an inspiration to young deaf boys and girls. In fact, I booked him to show up to some event for deaf kids, something like that. You guys should be happy, this'll bring some good PR to your team there. Lord knows you need it.

RG: Oh, nice! I'm glad to hear you guys truly care about those kids. Alright, so how have you managed to socialize with your fellow teammates?

MP: What he's telling me is that they've all been bullying him. All of 'em! These players are real jerks, I tell ya.

RG: Really? I can see maybe one or two of them, but the whole team?

MP: Haha, nah, just bustin' your chops. They've been pretty cool to him. They keep giving me some weird looks, though. I wonder why.

RG: Hm, yeah, I wonder. Okay, one last question, and don't worry, this has nothing to do with deafness. What do you feel are your biggest strengths as a player?

MP: He's a powerful guy, very strong. You saw that today, didn't you? However, he will strike out a lot and he's a very bad defender, as you also saw today when he made that error. However, he should have no problems as your DH. He can crush lefties too, once again, as you saw today.

RG: Well, it's been a pleasure getting to know you, Damon. Hopefully you can become a very valuable player. Thank you for your time.

MP: What about me? Ah, whatever. See you later.

The Jays have an off day tomorrow, though we are still unsure on who to interview. In all likelihood, it will just be a reliever or projected bench player, though.

Jay of the Day: Todd Rosado
by Richard Griffin, Toronto Star
Friday, February 28, 2014


DUNEDIN - Rosado takes part in bunting drills during the Jays' day off.

Greetings Blue Jays fans! The Jays aren't playing today, so today all we have is the Jay of the Day series. Today, we grabbed 26-year-old outfielder Todd Rosado for an interview. Here's how it went:

Richard Griffin: Hello...Todd, is it? No offense, but you don't exactly look like a Todd.

Todd Rosado: It's actually a long story. I can see we have some time, though, so I can tell you a good part of it.

Basically, I am what some people would call an "anchor baby." I don't really like using that term, but I can't think of a better one right now. My parents illegally migrated to Texas from Mexico, but I am still a US citizen, as well as a Canadian citizen. I was born in El Paso but eventually moved to Denver, Colorado when I was around 9 years old. That's when I really started getting into baseball. The Rockies were so entertaining with all that offense, it was awesome seeing that as a kid. Obviously, now that I've grown up, I can appreciate the value of pitching and defense more, but still. So, anyways, the Rockies became my favorite team. As I started watching the Rockies, I chose Todd Helton as my favorite player. When I turned 18, I decided that I wanted to change my name to something more Americanized. I was originally named after an Aztec warrior at birth, so my name was somewhat hard to pronounce. So, I made Todd my first name because of my favorite baseball player, but I did keep my birth name as one of my middle names.

RG: Wow, that's extremely fascinating! May I ask what your birth name was?

TR: Sure! It's Cuauhtémoc. I believe it means "falling eagle" or something like that.

RG: Hm. I can see why you would want to change it then. So, moving on. What exactly is your playing style?

TR: I'm a contact/slap hitter. I won't strike out a lot, but I'm also very aggressive, so I may not walk a lot either. As a defender, I have good enough speed to get to most fly balls, and I can play all 3 positions easily. I guess if you want a player to compare me to, I would probably say I'm most similar to Coco Crisp.

RG: He's had a good career. Hopefully we can see the same from you.

TR: Thanks! I certainly hope so myself.

RG: It's been nice talking with you, Todd. You seem to be a very normal and level-headed guy, especially compared to some of the other guys I've talked to.

TR: Haha, yeah, I know what you mean. Nice talking with you too, man. See you around.

The 3-1 Jays take on the 1-3 Tampa Bay Rays tomorrow. Lefty Sean Nolin will start for the Jays, righty Jake Odorizzi will start for the Rays. One last note, we are officially halfway done with this series. 8 players left to go!

Jays Fall to Rays
by Richard Griffin, Toronto Star
Saturday, March 1, 2014


DUNEDIN - Wil Myers hits a go-ahead double off righty Chad Jenkins.

The Jays lost to the Rays 3-2 Saturday, coincidentally pushing their Spring win-loss record to 3-2. Edwin Encarnacion and Jose Bautista drove in the only 2 runs for the Jays with solo shots in the 1st and 4th innings, respectively. Sean Nolin had a good start today, pitching 4 innings and only giving up 2 runs. Right fielder and 2013 AL Rookie of the Year Wil Myers had a great game today for the Rays, going 3-3 and driving in the deciding run. Alex Cobb got the win today despite giving up the homer to Bautista, Chad Jenkins got the loss, and Grant Balfour picked up the save.

The Jays have another home game tomorrow against the Phillies, after that they will get 2 days off. Marcus Stroman gets the start for our guys, he will be opposed by A.J. Burnett.

Player of the Game: Wil Myers

Jay of the Day: John Scott
by Richard Griffin, Toronto Star
Saturday, March 1, 2014


DUNEDIN - John Scott makes an excellent diving snag on a ground ball.

The Star decided to interview catcher John Scott today because while he did have an alright day (he reached base 1 out of his 2 plate appearances and did well defensively), he is the only position player we haven't interviewed, so Griffin wanted to get that out of the way. And thus, he did:

Richard Griffin: (looks up) Hello, John. Glad you could meet with us.

John Scott: Yeah, thanks. Saved the best for last, I guess. (chuckles)

RG: So, on a team filled with tall players, you tower above them all at 6'8". How do you feel about that?

JS: It feels good knowing everyone looks up to me. Also, since I'm a catcher, I'm basically a brick wall out there in case anyone tries to collide with me. Though I doubt anyone will, considering those new rules and all...

RG: So it says here you were born in Canada, but apparently you were scouted in Buffalo? What's the story there?

JS: I actually used to play in the NHL, for the Sabres. I played baseball as a kid though, and I had been practising it during the NHL offseasons and lockouts. So when I heard that the Jays were looking for players, I emailed the new GM, and they flew out to see me.

RG: What prompted the leap from hockey to baseball, if you don't mind me asking?

JS: I preferred the lower risk of injury, and I wanted to return to Canada. I also feel that if I do well here, I can make more money than I've made as a hockey player. Hopefully if the Jays get new ownership, they can make that happen.[/b]

RG: Let's talk about your performance today, mainly that diving catch. What were you doing at first base to begin with?

JS: Well, I think that I could have only gotten to that ball because of my height. Maybe that's something that Gibbons took into account when putting me there. Also, most really tall position players usually play first at one point or another, so I definitely could use those reps.

RG: Alright, last question, I've been asking pretty much everyone this or something similar. What srt of value can you bring to this team?

JS: Well, I have a lot of power. I can crush right-handed pitching, not so much lefties though. I can play two positions which is a plus. And I have a hard-nosed mentality coming from my time as a hockey player. I think I can be very valuable in a wide array of roles for the team, hopefully I can showcase that in the big leagues.

RG: I see. Well, thank you for your time, John. Good luck out there.

With that, we have 7 players left to interview, and they're all pitchers. Hopefully Gibbons puts at least one of them in to pitch tomorrow.

Jays Win in Slugfest
by Richard Griffin, Toronto Star
Sunday, March 2, 2014


DUNEDIN - Kent Murphy crosses home plate after hitting a go-ahead home run.

The Jays defeated the Phillies 8-5, thanks to 4 homers by Lawrie, Encarnacion, Allred, and Murphy. Murphy's was the most important one of the game, as it was a 2-run shot in the bottom of the 7th that gave the Jays a 6-5 lead. Marcus Stroman had an impressive start today, going 3 innings and striking out 4 Phillies. Yoshimitsu Tsuchii got the win in relief, as he pitched the 7th inning, giving up 1 run. Dean Stradley got the final 6 outs of the game, striking out 3 and earning his first save of the spring.

The Blue Jays have 2 straight off days after this game, so it will just be an interview tomorrow.

Player of the Game: Kent Murphy

Jay of the Day: Dean Stradley
by Richard Griffin, Toronto Star
Sunday, March 2, 2014


DUNEDIN - Dean Stradley delivers a pitch to Phillies right fielder Marlon Byrd.

Dean Stradley had a good pitching performance today, going 2 innings, only surrendering 1 hit, striking out 3 batters, and earning the save. We caught up with Stradley after the game for an interview:

Richard Griffin: Good afnenoon, Dean. Nice work picking up that save.

Dean Stradley: Yeah, thanks, man! Just happy to get these opportunities.

RG: Yeah, let's get into that subject a little more. So, out of all the new recruits, you happen to be the one of oldest ones at 31. How do you think your age will be a factor?

DS: Well, I honestly feel like I'm 20 again at the moment. However, I do think my experience bouncing around in the indy leagues has helped me increase my motivation to succeed, and unlike some younger players, I won't be taking anything for granted.

RG: So you said you were bouncing around in the indy leagues. How did you manage to get discovered?

DS: I was pitching in the Califonia Winter League, and after what was probably my best start of the season, a scout from the Blue Jays talked to me after the game and wanted to see me throw some more. So I flew out to Canada, I pitched the best bullpen I've ever pitched, and now I'm here, looking to pitch in the Majors.

RG: I was at the game obviously, and I saw you throw a fascinating pitch. It had hitters looking silly. Can you elaborate on that?

DS: Ha! Yeah, that's my screwball. I throw it so it breaks similar to a curveball, but going the opposite way. Usually most screwball pitchers throw theirs a little bit harder, but not me. It's what sets me apart as a unique pitcher, similar to Dickey and his fast knuckleball.

RG: So your screwball makes you unique as a pitcher. What makes you unique as a person? What I'm saying is, what kind of hobbies are you into?

DS: Well, you know, the usual, golf, fishing, building decks and whatnot...

...

but, uh, I also really enjoy playing video games, and, um, watching anime. You know, regular guy stuff.

RG: Uh-huh. Well, best of luck to you, it certainly looks like you're on the fast track to making the team.

JS: Thanks! Means a lot.

Atta boy Uncle Kent!!