Blue Jays Discussion: No More AA, Everyone is very Sad (and by Sad, I mean Mad)

[JS19]

Okay, so just because people voted AA executive of the year doesn't mean that he is then? If you're going to play the woe is me card there is no point in having this conversation. People all around baseball have said that he is a great baseball mind and until he proves otherwise here in Toronto, I'll trust him. It'll sure be fun to hear you and others dwell on this for the next eternity.

There's a difference. Shapiro was voted executive of the year 10 years ago, and then led crappy season after crappy season. AA was voted this year.

 

[Giuseppe Sallo]

Hire Francona!

That is all.

 

[Neil Patrick Harris]

There's a difference. Shapiro was voted executive of the year 10 years ago, and then led crappy season after crappy season. AA was voted this year.

But he won it two times!

He also made the ALCS once! When's the last time the Jays had a GM with such a pedigree!?

 

[landy92mack29]

Exactly, as well look at all the great young arms we have....it is a joke that people do not understand just what we lost today!

The people who are responsible for the good drafting are still with the team as of now.

 

[Mitchy]

No. You should say those fans are less than intelligent. It didn't take a high IQ to realize how good of a farm system AA had built.

And he built it quickly too. For example, after the Dickey and Marlins trades, we lost a lot of good prospects, but he quickly built the farm system into one of the best in the majors again in only about 2 years.

 

[TheTotalPackage]

Hopefully Gibbons is safe, love that guy.

I'm indifferent to Gibbons, but if Francona is an option at all, I'd take that and run.

 

[theaub]

haha someone brought up the Epstein thing, which leads to this great wiki

On October 31, 2005, Epstein resigned, rejecting a three-year, $1.5-million-per-year contract for personal reasons. According to The Boston Globe, "This is a job you have to give your whole heart and soul to," he said. "In the end, after a long period of reflection about myself and the program, I decided I could no longer put my whole heart and soul into it." Because it was Halloween the night he resigned from the Red Sox, Epstein left Fenway Park wearing a gorilla suit in an attempt to avoid reporters. A witness reported spotting a person wearing a gorilla suit driving a Volvo similar to Epstein's that night. The suit was loaned to him and was later auctioned for $21,000. The money raised was given to The Jimmy Fund and the Foundation to be Named Later

 

[Giuseppe Sallo]

Only time will tell if Shapiro is a ego tripping dude... but if AA wanted to leave. So be it. I just want a damn winner and no more half assed rebuilds.

 

[Muston Atthews]

Wow. Just wow.

What exactly are your expectations for Toronto sports executives? Immediate championships?

Masai took over a Raptors team that was an absolute league joke and doormat and inside of three years had them winning divisions and setting franchise records for wins in a season.

Have there been playoff disappointments? Sure, last year against Washington sucked, but considering where the Raptors are compared to where they were - he has done an amazing job.

From the tenor of your posts, you seem to have expectations that would be impossible for any executive to fulfill.

Sometimes this stuff takes time. And no sports executive is perfect.

I never said any of this. I was merely pointing out that all the former executive of the year has done for the Raptors up until this point is two straight first round exits, including a sweep. I don't have any "expectations" for executives really, just to hope that they can build a winning team. I loved the hiring of Masai and I loved AA. I just don't understand how some people can't separate their feelings from the truth is all. AA did a great job and Masai is doing a great job. The sky isn't falling however.

 

[diceman934]

The people who are responsible for the good drafting are still with the team as of now.

that is the key part.

 

[Giuseppe Sallo]

haha someone brought up the Epstein thing, which leads to this great wiki

On October 31, 2005, Epstein resigned, rejecting a three-year, $1.5-million-per-year contract for personal reasons. According to The Boston Globe, "This is a job you have to give your whole heart and soul to," he said. "In the end, after a long period of reflection about myself and the program, I decided I could no longer put my whole heart and soul into it." Because it was Halloween the night he resigned from the Red Sox, Epstein left Fenway Park wearing a gorilla suit in an attempt to avoid reporters. A witness reported spotting a person wearing a gorilla suit driving a Volvo similar to Epstein's that night. The suit was loaned to him and was later auctioned for $21,000. The money raised was given to The Jimmy Fund and the Foundation to be Named Later

Haha. AA should have done the same... wear a gorilla suit at the conference meeting smoking his cigar.

 

[Cloned]

Depends how "devastated" those Jays staffers are that AA is leaving.

And if those staffers include the scouts and they are "devastated" enough to leave with him...

 

[ACC1224]

I'm indifferent to Gibbons, but if Francona is an option at all, I'd take that and run.

Just seems like a good guy, love listening to him talk.

 

[Muston Atthews]

There's a difference. Shapiro was voted executive of the year 10 years ago, and then led crappy season after crappy season. AA was voted this year.

What's your point? That's not what I said, nor what it was what you were replying to. You said "just because some people think Shapiro is a great baseball mind doesn't mean he is". Many, many people around baseball called him a great baseball mind this year. But you're willing to discredit it that because... well... the sky is falling.

 

[Damisoph]

a head strong idiot who thinks he know better than anyone esle.

This is exactly what makes high powered executives, high powered executives. Don't be fooled by AA's soft voice and teddy bear like physique, he was headstrong and thought he knew better than anyone else, he wouldn't have got to be GM of a MLB team if not. So let's settle down on the JPR hyperbole shall we?

 

[Giuseppe Sallo]

This might be good news for this man...

 

[Damisoph]

For me the best that can come out of this is Gibbons being let go. The guy is a complete moron who might have cost us the WS with him handing the Royals home field at the end of the season

I'm just worried Shapiro might decide to keep him only to save face

Oh so it was home field that cost us! Thanks, and here I thought it was having first and third with nobody out in the ninth and not being able to score that cost us. Silly me.

 

[TF97]

This might be good news for this man...

I hope so. I'm hoping he's promoted to the GM role.

 

[deletethis]

My disappointment in his departure is probably for a different reason than most. I was looking forward to seeing how he was going to get himself out of this pitching hole he dug the team into. The team quite literally has Stroman and maybe Dickey as returning starters plus maybe 3 reliable relievers, 1 or more of whom may be converted into starters out of necessity. Somebody has a big job filling holes on that pitching staff with no youth knocking on the door for a couple seasons at least. The 2016 team could be the best hitting team and the worst pitching team all in one.

 

[LV*]

AA did a great job here. Good luck to him, wherever he decides to go.

 

[Leafs at Knight]

I hope so. I'm hoping he's promoted to the GM role.

Yup.

Doesn't seem like a Shapiro move to me though.

 

[Diamond Joe Quimby]

I hope so. I'm hoping he's promoted to the GM role.

He's certainly deserves a shot somewhere. Something tells me him and LaCava will follow AA wherever he lands.

 

[JS19]

What's your point? That's not what I said, nor what it was what you were replying to. You said "just because some people think Shapiro is a great baseball mind doesn't mean he is". Many, many people around baseball called him a great baseball mind this year. But you're willing to discredit it that because... well... the sky is falling.

No, because why should I believe he's such a great baseball mind, when his record in recent years suggests otherwise? But sure, let's try to force narratives on posters.

 

[New Liskeard]

that is the key part.

That doesn't mean a thing. Regardless of how talented they are in finding players, they use the criteria given by management on how to evaluate players. We have seen this before and have heard this from AA as to what he targets as prospects, Every organization follows an evaluation template, and if Shapiro changes the criteria, why would you expect the same results?

 

[Finlandia WOAT]

No, because why should I believe he's such a great baseball mind, when his record in recent years suggests otherwise? But sure, let's try to force narratives on posters.

5 months ago the exact same mentality applied to AA.

AA is fast becoming Lucifer to Shapiro/Rogers God.