Sister Site Snippets: Player Superstitions

Prospect Ryan Goins relies on a certain superstition to take his licks

1BJW's minor league insider Jay Floyd recently posted a lengthy feature detailing baseball superstitions, after surveying loads of players, and some former players, throughout 2012.  The piece, written for PhoulBallz.com, goes over some popular good luck habits, then reviews several players' rituals which may have been previously unknown.

Included were some names very familiar to Blue Jays fans.  Read ahead for those quotes.

Infielder Ryan Goins, who was Toronto's 4th round draft choice in 2009, said the following...

"I always chew three pieces of Trident Layers. I'm not gonna lie to you. I like the green apple and pineapple flavor. That's something that I do. I don't know why. I started it last year and it worked out. I kept hitting, so I wanted to keep doing it. The first couple games this year, I didn't chew it and I didn't hit well. So, finally, I got some gum and we're back on the train again," Goins said, admitting that he'll stick with the same gum, even after the flavor has worn out.

Blue Jays' lefty reliever Aaron Loup...

"There was one thing my grandpa used to tell me all the time and, I guess, it stuck. It was 'LLTC', which stood for location, location, total concentration. I write that underneath the bill of my hat and it's basically what I just go by, when I'm out there on the mound," Loup stated.

Double-A New Hampshire manager and former big league backup catcher Sal Fasano...

"I really wasn't very superstitious," Fasano stated. "It's easier (to have those) when you play every day, and I didn't play every day. I knew if the sun was out, I was playing, so that's the only superstition I had."

To read Jay's full piece, which includes details on Blue Jays pitching prospect Justin Nicolino, Phillies rookies Tyler Cloyd and Darin Ruf, Red Sox #1 draft pick Matt Barnes, Nationals prospect Cutter Dykstra and plenty more, click HERE.

1BJW Interview: Brett Cecil

As Brett Cecil continues on his journey back to the Majors, the 25-year-old has had some ups and downs this season. Over last off-season, the lefty hurler dropped significant weight and ran into problems with his location and fastball velocity this spring, as he learned to adapt to pitching with his "new body".

He had been improving with Double-A New Hampshire, in recent outings. Through 7 starts, Cecil had posted a 3-2 record with a 3.71 ERA. Over his previous 4 starts, Cecil had posted a 1.66 ERA and most recently, his velocity was back in the 90's.

Cecil got the start for NH in Trenton on Friday night and his velocity maxed out at 88 MPH. In the outing, a no decision, Cecil threw 5 2/3 innings while allowing 10 hits, 2 earned runs and 3 walks while striking out 5.

After the game was suspended with a 2-2 tie in the 8th inning, due to rain, I spoke with Brett about his progress, his adaptation to the weight loss, how his manager Sal Fasano has impacted his season and plenty more. Check out the media player below to hear the full interview.




As a bonus, here's a video clip of Cecil striking out Trenton Thunder player Luke Murton.



_____________________________________________________________________

Follow 1BJW on Twitter by clicking HERE.

1BJW Interview: RHP Prospect Chad Jenkins

Righty pitching prospect Chad Jenkins had a solid season debut last week, in his start at Trenton. The Blue Jays' first round draft choice from 2009, recorded a win when he tossed 6 innings of 5-hit, 1-run ball while striking out 2 and walking none against the Yankees affiliate for the Double-A Fisher Cats.

Last season, the Kennesaw State product posted a 9-12 record with a 3.70 ERA in 27 combined starts at Class A Advanced Dunedin and Double-A New Hampshire.

After his first win of the 2012 season, the 24-year-old took some time to answer some questions about his pitch repertoire, Twitter, his coaches in the Toronto developmental ranks and much more. Check out the media player below to hear the full interview.



_________________________________________________________

Be sure to follow us on Twitter by clicking HERE.

And follow Chad on Twitter by clicking HERE.

1BJW Interview: Sal Fasano Talks 2012 Fisher Cats

This past weekend, the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats began their Eastern League title defending season by winning 2 out of 3 games against the division rival Trenton Thunder (Yankees affiliate) on the road.

In the series, A.J. Jimenez had a nice Double-A debut, Chad Jenkins had a strong outing, Mike McDade continued with the production that made him an Eastern League All-Star last year and the team showed resiliency by winning twice in come-from-behind fashion.

After the second game of the series, I had the opportunity to speak with Fisher Cats manager Sal Fasano about several subjects. Check out the media player below to hear that full interview.




________________________________________________________

Follow 1BlueJaysWay on Twitter by clicking HERE.

Winning Continues for New Hampshire

The winning ways have continued into the new season for the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. Last fall the Double-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays won the Eastern League championship. In the first two contests of their 2012 campaign, the team looks just as dominant.

Following a win in the season opener at Trenton on Thursday night, the Fisher Cats rode an extremely solid outing from starting pitcher Chad Jenkins to a 2-0 record to start this year in front of 3,792 fans.

The righty Jenkins did not start off very hot, digging his team in a hole, as he ran the count full on the Yankees affiliate Thunder lead-off batter Abraham Almonte and served up a solo homerun.

According to Jenkins, he didn't feel as though he had his best stuff while on the mound Friday night. Jenkins was able to battle through the chilly weather and lacking full confidence in his offerings to down the Thunder by a score of 3-1.

Describing the mishaps in the opening frame, Jenkins said, "The first hitter, I got to a full count and (catcher A.J. Jimenez) wanted a fastball in, so I thought, 'Alright. He has seen away the whole at bat. We'll go in.' I was telling myself- 'cause I know one of them got me in spring training, in my last outing, and I threw that one down, so I was like, 'I'm not throwing this one down.' I let go of it and realized that middle of the plate isn't the best place to throw it either. (Almonte) unleashed on it."

After the homer to Almonte, third baseman Ronnier Mustelier followed that with a single, but ended up stranded on third as Jenkins settled in. Spreading just three more hits allowed over the next 5 innings without a walk, Jenkins earned his first win of the new season.

The Fisher Cats offense was led by first baseman Mike McDade, who went 3-for-4 including a double and a 2-run single that plated the defending champs' first scores of the night in the 5th inning.

New Hampshire added a run in the 6th inning on a sacrifice fly that brought home Justin Jackson.

The 'Cats bullpen was tough also, holding opposing batters without a hit over 3 innings. Matt Daly, Danny Farquhar and Aaron Loup each tossed a scoreless frame. The Louisiana native, Loup, earned the save.

According to NH manager Sal Fasano, this early success should allow the team, which was happily engaging in some debate over the varying musical tastes in the clubhouse after the game, to connect a considerable amount.

"It's nice to start out on the road with a couple of victories because it's a good bonding experience for (the players)," Fasano stated. "So, when they start playing for one another and they start caring about one another- that's one of the things we don't talk about in development, is actually caring about one another and playing your best for one another. To start out like that, it's a good way to start the season and hopefully, we can continue with the momentum and have a start like we did last year."

The Fisher Cats wrap up their three-game series with the Trenton Thunder on Saturday afternoon, before they head to Reading to begin a set with the Phillies' affiliate on Monday.
______________________________________________

Be sure to follow 1BlueJaysWay on Twitter by clicking HERE.

Fisher Cats Hosting Eastern League All-star Game

On Wednesday night in Manchester, NH, the Double A affiliate of the Blue Jays, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats will host the Eastern League's All-star Game at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium.

The 2011 Eastern League All-star Game will feature the top prospects from the Western Division (Erie, Altoona, Akron, Bowie, Richmond and Harrisburg) taking on the best from the Eastern Division (New Britain, Portland, New Hampshire, Binghamton and Trenton). Each team is comprised of 24 players, with all of the league's teams being represented by at least 1 pitcher and 1 offensive player.

Also included in the All-star festivities will be a pre-game homerun derby which will feature two Fisher Cats All-stars, outfielder Moises Sierra and switch-hitting first baseman Mike McDade. First place in the homerun derby wins $1,000 and second place is awarded $500, so the drive will certainly be there for the participants to put on a good show.

New Hampshire skipper Sal Fasano, who will manage the Eastern Division team was pleased with his clubs collection of players that were named to play in this year's exhibition match up in front of their home fans, especially his derby participating sluggers.

"McDade's had a heck of a first half," Fasano said in an exclusive interview. "He's probably been our most consistent hitter. He just keeps improving daily. It's fun to see him get a little bit of notoriety, because he's kind of worked his way into prospecthood. He wasn't a highly touted guy, but he keeps producing every year."

"Sierra, he's been hitting behind (McDade) for the whole year and so if they didn't pitch to 'Mac', then Mo made them pay," Fasano added. "Defensively he's been playing great too. He's been a pleasure, because he plays with such youthful enthusiasm. He really loves to play."

Other New Hampshire players honored as All-star were shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria, catcher Travis d'Arnaud as well as pitchers Henderson Alvarez and Joel Carreno. Additionally, righty pitcher Zach Stewart, who made a few starts at the big league level with the Blue Jays in June, was added to the Eastern Division roster last week to fill the spot of Alvarez, who will attend the event but will be unavailable to pitch.

Current Blue Jays that have played in the EL All-Star game include Travis Snider, Adam Lind and Aaron Hill.

Game time is 7:05 PM and the game can be heard on the Fisher Cats' radio home WGIR.


More notes-

On Hechavarria, Fasano says: "Hech is about as good a shortstop as you'll ever see, probably in your lifetime. He's pretty good. He keeps learning how to hit. He's taking better passes and stuff.

Asked how close he thinks Hechavarria is to the Majors, Fasano said: "He could go to the big leagues tomorrow. I mean, he's that good defensively. It's just whether he could produce, or not, offensively. He's still got a lot to learn about the game, but the more games he plays, the better it is."

On d'Arnaud, Fasano says: "d'Arnaud, he's had his good, he's had his bad. He battled a concussion early (this season), but he's proved enough."

Fasano on Carreno: "Carreno had probably the worst four most miserable starts that you probably could have (to begin the season). His ERA was up at 9, he gave up a lot of homeruns- he gave up 8 homeruns in his first four starts. And if you take those four starts out of the equation, he's been unbelievable. He's just been outstanding, he gives us a chance to win every time out."

On Carreno's improvements: "For him, he got beat up enough that he finally put his foot down and said, 'No! That's it! I'm gonna learn to make an adjustment at this level.' And he did."

Fasano on Alvarez: "Henderson is probably our most highly touted pitching prospect and he's touched 101 (MPH) this season, so he's got some kind of arm."

_________________________________________

Follow 1BlueJaysWay on Twitter for updates, stats and insight by clicking HERE.

There He Gose

Fisher Cats center fielder Anthony Gose

Anthony Gose is in a new organization, wearing a new uniform in a new town, but says he's still the same ball player. The quick-footed center fielder, who set out to lead all of minor league baseball in stolen bases at age 18 in 2009, and followed through when he swiped 76 bases as a member of the Phillies' Class A affiliate, the Lakewood BlueClaws, is now a member of the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. Gose was ranked as the 4th best prospect in the Blue Jays system by Baseball America prior to this season.

The 6-foot-1-inch, 195 pound Gose has stayed on track with the tools that earned him such high praise. He continues to get on base, swipe bags and exhibit terrific instincts and range on defense in the outfield.

Traded by the Phillies to Houston in the deal for starting pitcher Roy Oswalt last July, Gose ended up with Toronto when the Astros flipped him, almost immediately, in another trade for infielder Brett Wallace.

The lefty hitting Gose was playing with the Phillies High A Level team, the Clearwater Threshers, at the time and felt sure that he would be headed to Houston once rumors of a Phils deal for Oswalt began circulating heavily. When the trading commenced, Gose never heard from Houston. Even though he had been included in a package of players for the 3-time Astros All star, the first call Gose got was from Phillies assistant general manager in charge of player development Chuck LaMar, telling Gose that he was being dealt to Toronto.


To continue reading this article, click HERE.

_________________________________________________

For more great information, updates and insight....follow 1BJW on Twitter.

New 1BJW Fisher Cats Exclusives

Below, you will find video footage of Double A New Hampshire Fisher Cats pitchers BJ LaMura and Joel Carreno warming up prior to their recent starts in Trenton against the Yankees affiliate Thunder.

LaMura is a 30-year-old minor league veteran who was originally drafted in the 5th round by the Chicago White Sox in 2002. Previously with the Dodgers, LaMura joined the Blue Jays organization last season. LaMura's fastball was clocked at 91 MPH throughout his start in Trenton.

Carreno, a 24-year-old Dominican Republic native, is on the Toronto 40-man Major League roster. In his 5th pro season, Carreno is off to a slow start this year with the Fisher Cats, having posted a 0-3 record with a 6.56 ERA in 4 games. In his outing in Trenton, Carreno regularly hit 91-92 MPH with his fastball.




As a bonus, here's my exclusive interview with New Hampshire manager and former big league catcher Sal Fasano, that was featured today on my other internet homes, PhoulBallz.com and PhilliesNation.com.



__________________________________________________________________

Follow 1BlueJaysWay.com on Twitter for updates, insights, links, stats and more by click HERE.

Quotables: 1BJW's Sound Bites of the Year

We here at 1BlueJaysWay regularly bring our readers exclusive interviews and features with various minor league players and team personnel, during the season. We've browsed through our best Q&A's from 2010 to bring you the best 1BJW interview quotes of the year.

Check out the list below, and click each link to check out the best interviews we were lucky enough to bring you over the past year.

-Eric Thames on which teammate he feels deserves more recognition..."Darin Mastroianni is a stud. He's a machine. He plays pretty much every day. He goes balls out every day!"

-Chad Jenkins on pitching to wooden bats compared to aluminum..."I mean, I still like, I guess, I still hear those noises, in bed sometimes those pings"

-Zach Stewart on pitching in New Hampshire's cold April weather..."The few games we've played there so far, it's been really cold. We didn't have a ton of fans show up yet, but I guess it's been better than you could expect because we had 2 or 3 games in a row when it was in the 30's and 40's and it was sleeting and stuff. We didn't even want to be there, so I am sure the fans didn't want to be there."

-Travis d'Arnaud on how he spends his off-season..."(The) off-season for me is a way for me to fall in love with baseball more and more as each year goes. It's because I don't get to play baseball for a few months and it drives me crazy."

-Kyle Drabek, in August, on his estimated time of arrival for the big leagues..."I feel like I'm ready. All my pitches are where I want them. It's up to (the Blue Jays). If they have a plan for me...I'll be ready for whenever I get the call."

-Tom Filer on pitching in Toronto..."Toronto, when I was there, it was a fever pitch. Back in the 80's through the early 90's, that place was sold out every night. I love that town. The eclectic sampling of people you come across, it was really neat..."

-Adam Loewen, a former MLB pitcher, on taking a second journey through the minors- this time, as an outfielder..."I always said to myself, if my arm blew out, or if I had a serious career threatening injury, that I'd want to come back as a hitter."

-Sal Fasano on facing Randy Johnson during his playing days..."I went 0 for my first like 12 against him with like 11 punchouts. I think the first time I made contact we had a party."

-Jake Marisnick on silencing the haters..."Yeah I mean, ah, I wasn't, didn't swing to well in high school and ah, or my senior year and ah, I mean people were talking but I mean it's baseball. Slumps happen. You are not always hitting the ball great, you are not always hitting the ball bad. I mean, you go through a lot of things and ah, I mean things worked out."

-Ryan Goins on facing guys with arm side run with sink..."He threw it, like, middle away where I wanted it and I was like 'I gotta swing', so and I hit it and I was like 'oh goodness'."

-Drew Hutchison on what he did between being drafted and signing a pro contract..."Ah, you know just hung out you know ah, all summer and ah, I played all summer and then, you know, we were able to come to terms at the end of the summer and, you know...just, it was pretty.....it was cool."

-Michael Crouse on being drafted..."So for it to be the Toronto Blue Jays, a Canadian team, being me from Canada, it was a great feeling."

-Justin Jackson on who he would like to meet in the game..."If I had to go with anybody else I'd like to meet probably Pujols, talk a little hitting with him. See if he can give me a few tips."

-A.J. Jimenez on converting from the OF to catcher and what was the most difficult part of the transition..."Ah, I mean it's the tough one you get tired quickly, I mean everything is harder than other positions."

-Kevin Ahrens on what he did this past off-season..."It was real awkward 'cause one day in December it actually snowed in Houston and I built a little miniature snowman out there and it was just, you know, one of the funnest times I've had."

-Darin Mastroianni on his favorite ballplayer growing up..."I was a New York boy, so Derek Jeter. How do you not like Jeter growing up in New York?" (We still love him anyway)

-Luis Rivera on who should have been the Eastern League Most Valuable Player..."I know (Trenton) has Laird as the MVP, but for me Eric Thames should be the MVP! He hit 27 homers, had 104 RBI, batted .290. He had huge numbers!"

And a bonus 5 interviews for ya from the 2009 season in Lansing, that we debuted on the site in 2010, just cuz we can!

-Matt Daly on closing out a game in front of the home crowd..."Even when you hear them cheering and stuff, you know, you kinda, it kinda feeds in your head that, that they are kinda with you and stuff."

-Joel Carreno on how he is feeling on the mound..."I'm feel berry good. Berry, berry good."

-Mike McDade on what the team does during rain delays to pass the time..."Playing cards, talking, just messing around, fooling around a little bit, just trying to stay loose with each other, listen to some music, maybe eat a sandwich or something. That's pretty much it."

-Henderson Alvarez's translator on how he got a pro contract..."His first try out with Toronto Blue Jay, so he throw 88 - 89, um he lie to the scout (about his age?), so he sign him that day."

-Mel Queen on pitching to Henry Aaron..."So, I told the catcher I'm gonna pitch him inside, the manager said 'no'. Anyways to make a long story short I pitched, threw him fastballs inside the next three times up and struck him out all three times."

_________________________________________________________

Be sure to follow 1BlueJaysWay on Twitter. Do it now, by clicking HERE.

Minor League Coaching Staff News

I'm still really upset that Chesley Sullaberger and Clay Zavada beat out Sal Fasano for best facial hair in the year of 2009, but Sal has a chance to redeem himself. According to Brian Calloway of the Lansing Sports Journal, Sal is "climbing up the ladder" and is being considered for the vacant managerial opening in New Hampshire.

I'm not sure my fellow Fisher Cats fans have ever seen a mustache/fu man chu/beard such as the one Sal rocks, but it'll be interesting. In his short time as a manager, Sal has quickly become known as a players manager. He's also a former catcher, which is a great asset as a strategist, due to their intimate knowledge of the pitching side of the game.

Nothing is confirmed yet but we'll keep you updated. He could be the John Farrell's successor or perhaps join his coaching staff at some point but that's kind of jumping the gun a little bit right now.

To listen to a couple of earlier interviews our boy Jesse did with Sal, click here!

In other Cats news pitching coach Tom Signore recently got promoted to AAA. Tom is quite the character and will be sorely missed in these parts. We wish him nothing but the best.

Speaking of Las Vegas, we wonder if former Jays coaches Omar Malave and Rick Langford are going to end up there in some capacity? Omar has been with the organization for quite some time and seems to prefer living in the Florida sun. Can you really blame him?

Lugnuts finish season with 11-0 rout of Captains

EASTLAKE, OH – The Lansing Lugnuts (34-36; 70-69) finished the 2010 season with an 11-0 romp over the Lake County Captains (33-37; 77-62), led by four hits apiece from Jake Marisnick and Brad Glenn and a seven-inning, two-hit, shutout performance from starting pitcher Casey Lawrence.

Lake County starter Trey Haley (5-11) lasted only two-thirds of an inning, reached for three runs on two hits, two walks, a wild pitch, and a hit batsman.

The Lugnuts scored four more runs in the fourth inning against reliever Mike Rayl before putting the game away on Randy Schwartz's first home run of the season in the sixth inning.

Lawrence (1-1) cruised from there, allowing only a Chase Burnette infield single and one of two Adam Abraham doubles.

Ryan Tepera pitched the eighth inning and Scott Gracey and Matt Wright combined for the ninth, with Wright striking out Ben Carlson and Dwight Childs to end the season.

The Lugnuts offense combined for 16 base hits in the easy win, half of those provided by McElroy and Marisnick. Schwartz and Oliver Dominguez added a pair of hits each, and leadoff Dominguez scored three runs.

Lansing also stole five bases in the game, two by Marisnick and one each from McElroy, Michael Crouse, and Jon Del Campo.

Here is what Jake had to say on Twitter after the game:

Last game of my first season went good.. Flying home tomorrow.. Had a lot of fun this season and learned a lot

Our boy Jesse caught up with Lugnuts manager Sal Fasano a few days ago. Some of the highlights include:

• Sal mentioning the organization having All Stars at the catcher position in every level
• Doc having the best sinker he had every seen
• A shout out to the Italian fanbase in Toronto
• Him owning the White Sox during his playing days
• Glowing words for both SS Ryan Goins and C A.J. Jimenez

Sal does say "whether I'm here or not" which leads me to believe he may be making a move this offseason. He may get the opportunity to manage at a higher level next year and it wouldn't be a complete shocker if he ended up in the Majors, perhaps as a pitching coach.

Jesse also caught up with Sal before the season started. They discuss how he ended up getting the job as the manager of the Lugnuts and what it was like to be in spring training as a coach and not a player. Gotta love the singing of God Bless America in the background.

Is this the face of your Toronto Blue Jays next manager? There was this story not too far back.....

Sal Fasano Is Perturbed

Courtesy of Castro Turf:

Hearing our old buddy Sal "The 'Stache" Fasano (now that's a nickname) is an early candidate to replace Cito Gaston, who is retiring as manager of the Jays at season's end. Because CastroTurf was once billed as the "Official Web Site of Sal Fasano," you better believe I'm pulling for Sal to get the gig. He's currently managing the Jays' Class A affiliate Lansing Lugnuts in the Midwest League.

Our boy Jesse was all over this story: 

"Also, I asked Sal for his comment on the item by the Indians writer about him being the favorite to take over for Cito – it was the first he had heard and he was perturbed, saying he found it an unnecessary distraction."

And as for the Lugs...

These are my boys.

The Good:
1. Right fielder Brad Glenn
2. Leadoff man/center fielder Kenny Wilson
3. Third baseman Mark Sobolewski
4. The back end of the bullpen, featuring Steve Turnbull, Brian Slover, Aaron Loup, and Dustin Antolin

Impressive, all.

The Bad:
1. First baseman Balbino Fuenmayor
2. Catcher Sean Ochinko
3. Shortstop Ryan Goins
4. Second baseman Ryan Schimpf

Slumping, all.

The Awesome
1. Manager Sal Fasano
2. Sal Fasano's Fu Manchu