The Mysteries of Baseball Management

I love the sport of baseball. Although it definitely takes athletic prowess and skill, it really is a game that hinges on tactics and strategies. It takes a keen mind to conceive and execute a successful plan of attack in baseball.

With that in mind, I can see no method to the madness of JP Ricciardi, the brains behind the Toronto Blue Jays.

Two seasons ago, the Blue Jays finished in second place in the American League East. Their biggest gaps were at shortstop where John McDonald had played brilliant defense but struggled at the plate; middle relief that often put the game out of reach; and a dependable second or third starting pitcher, preferably a left-hander.

Ricciardi responded by signing aging slugger Frank Thomas to be the team's new designated hitter, even though they'd been one of the more offensively gifted clubs the year before. He made some other additions, but the Thomas acquisition was Ricciardi's biggest move.

In no way did this address any of the team's needs. Admittedly, Frank Thomas proved to be a considerable asset, leading the Jays last year in home runs and RBI. He also made the Jays a more difficult team to pitch against. Pitching around him only added to the bases for solid hitters Alex Rios, Matt Stairs and Vernon Wells. It also took alot of pressure of those hitters, and other players in the Jays' line-up.

Unfortunately, the Big Hurt is a notoriously slow starter, and he was struggling at the start of this season. After some heated exchanges between John Gibbons and Thomas, Thomas was given his release. Shortly afterwards, he was picked up by the Oakland Athletics, with the Blue Jays picking up his $7 million tab.

Maybe Thomas was a problem in the locker room. Maybe, as speculated in much of the press, it was a cost cutting measure. Even if both of those issues contributed to his release, the move still doesn't make sense.

In both cases, Ricciardi should have moved him in the offseason, either for some draft picks or, better yet, some farm hands. It would have reduced the media attention and also meant that the Jays would have gotten something in return for Thomas. Instead of getting some bench depth, the Jays are now paying Frank Thomas to jack home runs for the competition, with literally nothing in return.

This is madness.

Alex the Great

Unfortunately, the Philadelphia Flyers downed the Washington Captials 3-2 in overtime, winning game seven of their playoff series. The Capitals could not match the physicality and veteran experience of the Flyers who were able to push their way into the next round.

But with the completion of Alexander Ovechkin's third season, we have seen the beginning of the new National Hockey League. We have seen him become the league's clear-cut MVP, with an electrifying brand of hockey that can excite even the most casual fan.

What I like best about Ovechkin isn't just his incendiary offense but how solid his overall play is. He doesn't just lead the Caps in goals and assists, he leads them in hits and plus/minus, showing that he has a well-rounded game that includes defensive prowess as well.

He has been the cornerstone of a revitalized Washington Capitals, and has helped carve out a niche for the Caps in the DC market. Really, a remarkable feat given that beyond the Redskins, the number one sport in Washington is in Congress.

There is, of course, the comparisons to Canada's own, Sidney Crosby. Where Crosby is taciturn with the media, underscoring years of practice having been under the spotlight since being an adolescent in Nova Scotia, Ovechkin is exuberant and goofy in front of the camera. Where Ovechkin plays up his awkward mastery of English and fools around with his teammates, Crosby is careful to say all the right things about the right people.

For years to come we're going to be treated to seeing Ovechkin grow, mature, and become an even more dominant force on the ice. What'll be interesting is if he can maintain his fun-loving zest for life. But if this post-season is any indication, he'll not only perform, he'll thrive under the increased spotlight.