Tag Archives: Toronto Blue Jays

by | March 7, 2013 · 3:31 pm

Two Stops in East Tennessee Propelled Roy Halladay to Big League Dominance

Roy Hallday spent a part of two seasons in East Tennessee en route to becoming one of baseball's premier starting pitchers. Photo Courtesy: Ebay

Roy Hallday spent a part of two seasons in East Tennessee en route to becoming one of baseball’s premier starting pitchers. Photo Courtesy: Ebay

According to High School Baseball Web, there is a 0.5 percent chance of a high school baseball player making it to Major League Baseball. The odds of making it the hallowed ground of Cooperstown is even more minuscule.  Through 2013, there have only been 200 players enshrined into baseball’s Hall of Fame.

Using those numbers, seeing a future Hall of Famer in a minor league game would truly be a spectacle.  East Tennessee baseball fans had that rare opportunity twice when Roy Halladay began to defy the odds to on his way to becoming one of Major League Baseball’s most dominant starting pitchers.

The 6’6” right-hander was drafted 17th overall by the Toronto Blue Jays out Colorado’s Arvada West High School in 1995. Halladay surged through the Blue Jays organization landing in East Tennessee with the Knoxville Smokies in less than two years. The then-twenty year-old made seven starts in a Smokies uniform going 2-3 with 5.40 ERA demonstrating command with a 3-to-1 strikeout to walk ratio for a team that went 75-63.

The two-time Cy Young Award winner was fast-tracked to the big leagues in 1998 when he made two starts at the end of the season for the Blue Jays. In the final game of the season against the Tigers, Halladay was one strike away from throwing a perfect game. Bobby Higginson took an 0-2 pitch over the fence in left field that would be the only blemish on the righty’s pitching line in his first big league victory.

Roy Halladay made six All-Star appearances in 12 seasons with the Blue Jays. Photo Courtesy: David Cooper/Tornoto Star

Roy Halladay made six All-Star appearances in 12 seasons with the Blue Jays. Photo Courtesy: David Cooper/Tornoto Star

Halladay went 8-7 with a 3.92 ERA in the 1999 season and appeared close to becoming an elite starting pitching until things unraveled in the 2000 season. Halladay’s ERA ballooned to 10.64 and the organization sent him to Class-A Dunedin to completely revamp his delivery.

Once again, “Doc” quickly made his way through the minor league system that included another stop with the Tennessee Smokies in 2001 in the second season of play at Smokies Park. A second-chance to impress the Smokies faithful was taken in stride as Halladay posted a 2-1 record with a 2.12 ERA racking up 29 punch outs versus only six walks. Two more starts in Triple-A Syracuse and his big league career was back on track.

Halladay made his first All-Star appearance in 2002 and a year later would capture his first Cy Young award winning a league-leading 22 wins pitching nine complete games.  The Colorado native would make six All-Star appearances while in a Toronto uniform, but something was missing. A trip to the playoffs.

After spending twelve seasons in Toronto, the Blue Jays shipped the right-hander to Philadelphia for three prospects. In his eleventh start, Halladay threw the twentieth perfect game in Major League Baseball history. It was a 1-0 victory over the Marlins where Doc struck out 11.

For most pitchers, that would be the highlight of their career, but for the two-time Cy Young winner, it was not even the highlight of the season. In Game 1 of the NLDS, Halladay threw the second playoff no-hitter in postseason history against the Cincinnati Reds. The only blotch that evening was a fifth inning walk to Jay Bruce. In his first postseason game, Halladay was in full command striking out eight Reds batters and throwing 79 of his 104 pitches for strikes.

Complete games are rare in today’s game with the importance of a strong bullpen, but Halladay has made going the distance on of his signatures. Doc is the current active Major League leader in complete games (66) and shutouts (20), two stats that have defined a career that seems headed toward a bust in the Hall of Fame.

In January, CBSSports.com wrote an article about active players that are closing in on being Hall of Fame locks. Halladay was on the list as the player closest of the six players listed.

Halladay will turn 36 in May and will likely fall well short of 300 wins (currently with 199) and 3,000 strikeouts (2,066) that would require at least five more seasons of peak performance. However, those benchmarks are much more difficult to reach than a generation ago.

The savvy veteran is one of just five pitchers to have won a Cy Young in both leagues (Gaylord Perry, Roger Clemens, Pedro Martinez, and Randy Johnson are the others). Gaylord Perry is currently in the Hall of Fame with Roger Clemens only receiving 37.6 percent of the vote in his first year of eligibility due to his link to PEDs (Martinez and Johnson will be eligible in 2014 and are expected to be first ballot Hall of Famers).

If Halladay retired today, there would be an argument over his Hall of Fame credentials, but it appears the eight-time All-Star can begin thinking about a speech in Cooperstown.

For Smokies fans, the memory of Halladay’s career may have faded over the years, but the opportunity to call a future Hall-of-Famer one of their own will be a moniker that will be held forever.

Michael Wottreng is a Broadcast and Multimedia Assistant for the Smokies Radio Network. You can follow Michael on Twitter here: @MWottreng

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by | March 5, 2013 · 3:05 pm

Former Smoky Chris Carpenter facing end of season, possibly career

Cardinals pitcher Chris Carpenter has dealt with arm injuries his entire career.  His most recent may spell the end for one of the best clutch pitchers in Cardinals history.

St. Louis Cardinals General Manager John Mozeliak and skipper Mike Matheny announced February 5th that Carpenter probably won’t pitch in 2013 and that his career could be over after a recurrence of a nerve injury that caused him to miss most of the 2012 season.

Carpenter had major surgery to repair the injury in July of last year.  He recovered in time to pitch three games toward the end of the 2012 season, helping St. Louis earn the last National League wild card slot. In the postseason he went on to best Washington in the division series but the success did not continue to the NL Championship Series. Carpenter went 0-2 against eventual World Champ San Francisco, and his velocity and command were noticeably off the mark.

Carpenter took some time to rest his arm in the off season.  Right before Spring Training began Carpenter started throwing.  The results were not good, with Carpenter experiencing a numbing feeling in his throwing arm along with bruising on his shoulder and hand.

Though Carpenter has not announced any plans to retire, this injury may be the conclusion of what has been a star-crossed career.

Chris Carpenter as a Knoxville Smokie.

Chris Carpenter as a Knoxville Smoky.

Chris Carpenter was selected by the Toronto Blue Jays with the 15th overall pick in the 1993 MLB June Amateur Draft.  In 1994 he made his minor league debut with the Medicine Hat Jays in the short-season Pioneer League against the Great Falls Dodgers, tossing six scoreless innings of one-hit ball, fanning nine along the way.

Carpenter spent 1995 and 1996 with the Smokies organization along with former Florida State and Carolina Panthers quarterback Chris Weinke, as well as fellow major leaguers Shannon Stewart, Jose Silva and Kelvim Escobar.  In  1996, his only full season with the Smokies, Carpenter went 7 and 9 with a 3.94 ERA and 150 Strikeouts.

The Blue-Jays gave Carpenter his first shot in the big leagues in 1997.  Though his numbers were not stellar (3-7 with a 5.09 ERA) he did manage to record his first career complete game and shutout in September against the Anaheim Angels.

Chris Carpenter and Roy Halladay were considered the starters of the future for the Blue Jays. (Photo Courtesy: Ed Betz/AP Photo)

Chris Carpenter and Roy Halladay were considered the starters of the future for the Blue Jays. Photo Courtesy: Ed Betz/AP Photo

Much of Carpenter’s time with the Blue Jays was plagued by injury, causing him to miss half of the 1999 season and most of the 2002 campaign.  At the end of 2002, Toronto removed Carpenter from the 40-man roster, and offered him a minor league incentive deal.  Carpenter declined and decided to try his luck as a free agent.

Toronto’s loss was St. Louis’ gain.  The Cardinals signed Carpenter prior to the 2003 season.  Though injuries kept him from producing right away for St. Louis, Carpenter came back strong in 2005. He set career bests in ERA(2.83), strikeouts(213), innings pitched (241 2⁄3), complete games (7) and shut-outs (4) while amassing a 21–5 record for the Division Champion Cardinals.  Carpenter was rewarded in the offseason with the 2005 NL Cy Young Award.

Former Smokies Chris Carpenter and Yadier Molina celebrate a victory. Carpenter has celebrated many Postseason Victories for the Cardinals in an All-Star Career. (Photo Courtesy: Troy Taormina/US Presswire)

Former Smokies Chris Carpenter and Yadier Molina celebrate a victory. Carpenter has celebrated many Postseason Victories for the Cardinals in an All-Star Career. Photo Courtesy: Troy Taormina/US Presswire

The 2005 season was also when Chris Carpenter began to distinguish himself as a dominant postseason pitcher.  Although the Cardinals lost to the Houston Astros in the NLCS, Carpenter pitched well, going 2–0 with a 2.14 ERA in 21 innings against the San Diego Padres and Houston.  His postseason success continued in 2006, including his first career World Series start in Game 3 against the Detroit Tigers on October 24, 2006 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis by pitching eight innings and allowing no runs on three hits. In his first eight career post-season starts, he had a 5–1 record with a 2.53 ERA in 53 1⁄3 innings.  His career postseason record is 10-4 (3.00 ERA) in 18 postseason starts in 100.0 innings, in seventh place for wins, only one behind Curt Schilling (11-2, 2.23 ERA) and Greg Maddux (11-14, 3.27 ERA) for fifth place.

Carpenter has been NL Comeback Player of the Year twice.  He has also won the Tony Conigliaro Award (January 11, 2010) unanimously, given annually to a Major League Baseball player who best overcomes an obstacle and adversity through the attributes of spirit, determination and courage that were trademarks of Tony Conigliaro.  Whether it was a torn Labrum, torn Oblique or Tommy John Surgery, Chris Carpenter has always managed to come back.

Carpenter is drenched as the team celebrates clinching the National League wild card in 2011. (Photo Courtesy: David J. Phillip/AP)

Carpenter is drenched as the team celebrates clinching the National League wild card in 2011. Photo Courtesy: David J. Phillip/AP

Whether Chris Carpenter comes back or not, he has left his mark on Major League Baseball.  Not with gaudy numbers and stats, but as one of the best clutch pitchers in Cardinals history.

Jay Lifford is a Broadcast Media Intern with the Tennessee Smokies.  You can follow Jay on Twitter @JayLifford.

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by | February 19, 2013 · 3:05 pm

The End of an Era for the Smokies Was Only the Beginning for Vernon Wells

Vernon Wells, now with the LA Angels, spent 1999 with the Smokies.

Vernon Wells, now with the LA Angels, spent 1999 with the Smokies.

The 1999 season was a time of beginnings and ends in the Smokies organization.  For Vernon Wells it was his first season with the Smokies, and later that year would be his first call-up to the Majors.  For Knoxville, it was the last season the Smokies would call Bill Meyer Stadium home.

Bill Meyer Stadium was the home of the Smokies organization from 1955-1999.  Though the organization began and ended its run at Bill Meyer as “The Knoxville Smokies”, the organization was also called the Knoxville White Sox (or Knox Sox) and the Knoxville Blue-Jays (or K-Jays).  Only in 2000, when the organization made the move from Bill Meyer (located in downtown Knoxville) to the Smokies’ current home of Smokies Park (the greater Sevierville area), did they become the Tennessee Smokies.

Bill Meyer Stadium during the 1995 Season. (Photo Courtesy: minorleagueballparks.com)

Bill Meyer Stadium during the 1995 Season. Photo Courtesy: minorleagueballparks.com

For the Smokies this was the end of an era.  For Vernon Wells, he was just getting started.

Wells was selected by the Toronto Blue Jays as the 5th overall pick in 1997 MLB Draft.  He would spend the 1999 season with the Smokies (then the AA affiliate of the Blue Jays), Syracuse Sky Chiefs, and then was a September call-up to the majors.

During his time with the Smokies Wells played in 26 games batting .340 with 3 HR 6 Doubles and 17 RBI in 106 at bats.  He also showed his ability on defense with a 1.000 fielding percentage in 26 games as a Center Fielder.

Wells spent 8 full seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays, winning 3 straight Gold Gloves.

Wells spent 8 full seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays, winning 3 straight Gold Gloves.

Once Wells became an every day player beginning in the 2002 season for Toronto, he hit .275 with 23 home runs, 100 RBI and 87 runs.  He also began to set himself apart as one of the best defensive center fielders in the league committing only 3 errors in 394 chances.

Wells followed up by batting .317 in 2003 with 33 home runs, 117 RBI and 118 runs scored. He also led the league with 215 hits, 49 doubles, and 373 total bases and made his first All-Star Team.

Wells was rewarded for his defense with his first of 3 straight Gold Gloves in 2004.  In 2006, along with his Gold Glove, Wells hit 3 Home Runs in a game against the Boston Red Sox, a game-winning Home Run against Mariano Rivera of the New York Yankees, and collected his 500th RBI.  He was rewarded in the off-season with a new contract for $126 million over seven years.

Wells was plagued with injuries the next 4 seasons, including a shoulder injury in 2007, a broken wrist in 2008, and various hamstring injuries.  However, he was still producing.  Hitting the 1,500 hit milestone in 2010 and launching over 30 Home Runs, placing him in an elite class that includes former Smokies Carlos Delgado and Fred McGriff as Blue Jays players that had 3 or more seasons with 30 or more Home Runs.

Wells was traded after the 2010 season to the Los Angeles Angels for Catcher Mike Napoli and outfielder Juan Rivera.  He got off to a slow start in his first season with his new team, but finished strong hitting 11 home runs in two months including the first pitch he saw in his return to Toronto as an Angel.

The upcoming season could be a struggle for Wells.  2012 was a down year with Wells getting only 262 plate appearances due to injury and lack of production.  In the offseason the Angels acquired Josh Hamilton from the Texas Rangers, signing Hamilton to a 5-year contract worth $125 million.

Due to the signing of Hamilton, Vernon Wells became the subject of trade rumors to various teams including the Philadelphia Phillies.  None of the rumors materialized due, in large part, to Wells’ large contract.

Vernon Wells now finds himself in a very similar position as he was in 1999 with the Smokies.  He will be working hard to earn playing time, and show his value to the Angels organization.

Jay Lifford is a Broadcast and Media Intern for the Smokies Radio Network. You can follow Jay on Twitter here: @JayLifford

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by | January 29, 2013 · 2:31 pm

East Tennessee Saw Jeff Kent’s Explosive Offense Before Hall-Worthy Career

Jeff Kent was promoted to Toronto after spending one season with Double-A Knoxville in 1991. Photo Courtesy: http://marksephemera.blogspot.com/

Jeff Kent was promoted to Toronto after spending one season with Double-A Knoxville in 1991. Photo Courtesy: http://marksephemera.blogspot.com

Jeff Kent’s career may lead him to Cooperstown one day, but his promotion to the big leagues was in large part to a season he spent in East Tennessee. Kent was drafted in the 20th round of the 1989 draft out of the University of California-Berkley by the Toronto Blue Jays.

1991 was the final season Kent would need in the Minor Leagues with the Knoxville Blue Jays. Kent hit .256 in 139 games, with 12 home runs, 61 RBIs and 34 doubles, almost double the amount of his teammates.

Kent’s MLB debut came on April 12, 1992 playing for the Blue Jays. His first career hit was a double on opening day and his first career home run came two days later off New York Yankees pitcher Lee Gutherman.

The second basemen would play just over 100 games over the next two seasons, including one year with the New York Mets after being traded for David Cone. After several productive years with the Mets, New York traded Kent to Cleveland, where he would remain until season’s end.

The final time Kent would be traded would be to the San Francisco Giants. Kent played along  Hall of Fame candidate and career home run leader Barry Bonds. Kent was a member of the 2002 NL Champion Giants that lost the World Series to their California counterpart Anaheim Angels.

Jeff Kent has his best years in San Francisco, including the National League MVP award in 2000. Photo Courtesy: ESPN

Jeff Kent had his best years in San Francisco, including the National League MVP award in 2000. Photo Courtesy: ESPN

Kent was never considered an All-Star or an MVP candidate until his arrival to the bay area. In 2000, the former Golden Bear won the National League’s MVP award beating out Bonds by almost 100 votes. Kent hit .334 that season with 33 home runs, 125 RBIs, and 41 doubles.

Kent’s contract was not renewed in 2002 and was signed as a free agent by the Houston Astros. Kent spent two seasons in Houston, which included two post-season appearances and a World Series appearance. One of Kent’s finest moments came in the 2004 NLCS where his walk-off, three-run home run in Game Five a 3-2 series lead.

Kent celebrates his Game 5 walk-off home run with his Houston teammates. Photo Courtesy: Bleacher Report

Kent celebrates his Game 5 walk-off home run with his Houston teammates. Photo Courtesy: Bleacher Report

The California native would go on to sign with Los Angeles Dodgers as free agent in 2004, where he spent four seasons hitting near .300. Kent’s final time on the diamond came in 2008, at the age of 40, as a member of his hometown Los Angeles Dodgers.

Kent ended his career as the career home run leader for second baseman. He also drove in 90 or more runs in consecutive seasons, starting in 1997 and running through 2005.

A 2009 blog by Richard Justice for the Houston Chronicle describes what kind of teammate Kent was.

“Jeff Kent was never much for small talk,” Justice wrote. “’What is it with you guys?’ Kent snapped. ‘You think I’ve got to walk around saying hello to everyone? I see you every day.’”

But as Justice goes on to write, Kent may not have been for locker room small-talk, but he was a mentor to younger players and to the community.

“When Jason Lane was sent up to pinch hit against Cubs pitcher LaTroy Hawkins, it was Kent who pulled him aside. ‘He told me, ‘Look, here’s how he’s going to pitch you,’ ” Lane said. “And he said, `Here’s what you have to do.’ He gave me a game plan and a big shot of confidence. I got the game-winning hit.’”

The 17-year MLB veteran spent time in Toronto, New York, Cleveland, San Francisco, Houston and Los Angeles before moving over to the reality TV scene, but Kent’s Hall of Fame resume is not one to make light of.

A career .290 hitter, the native of Bellflower, Calif. finished his career with 377 home runs, 1,518 RBIs, 560 doubles and 47 triples. He was also named the 2000 NL MVP, a five time All-Star and a four-time Sliver Slugger Award winner.

Jeff Kent is not eligible for Hall of Fame voting until 2014, but as Baseball Reference cites, Kent was one of the best offensive second basemen of all-time. East Tennessee baseball fans have seen plenty of talent over the years, but Kent may have been the best offensive player to go through the Smokies organization.

Matthew Osborne is a Broadcast and Media Intern for the Smokies Radio Network. You can follow Matthew on Twitter here: @osbornematthew

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by | January 22, 2013 · 3:53 pm

Fred McGriff’s Hall of Fame Candidacy Requires A Second Look

Fred McGriff spent five years in Atlanta where he batted .346 with two home runs to help the Braves win the 1995 World Series. Photo Courtesy: Getty Images

Fred McGriff spent five years in Atlanta. He batted .346 with two home runs to help the Braves win the 1995 World Series. Photo Courtesy: Getty Images

Fred McGriff had a prolific career in Major League Baseball, but his Hall of Fame credentials are being pushed aside, at least for now. The former member of the Smokies organization saw his Hall of Fame vote percentage fall from 23.9 percent in 2012 to 20.7 percent in his fourth year of eligibility after a career that was overshadowed by the “steroid era”.

McGriff never finished higher than fourth in MVP voting being passed over for better-known players and alleged steroid users like Barry Bonds. When the Crime Dog put together some of his best years in Atlanta, the talk was about one of the finest starting rotations in baseball history (Buster Olney pegged the 1997 Braves rotation as the best in Major League history).

The Tampa native was a ninth-round draft pick of the Toronto Blue Jays in 1981 out of Jefferson High School. Three years later, McGriff was the starting first basemen for the Knoxville Blue Jays. The K-Jays made an appearance in the Southern League Championship game before falling to the Charlotte O’s in 1984.

McGriff played in 56 games for Knoxville in the first half of the 1984 season where he batted .249 with a team-leading nine home runs and 25 RBIs. McGriff’s strong performance earned him a promotion to Triple-A Syracuse, but he would wait two years for a call up to the big leagues.

McGriff played 19 seasons for six different teams, never spending more than five years in one place, but he clubbed 493 home runs, was a five-time All-Star, and won three Silver Sluggers. The Tampa native led the league in home runs twice and had 10 30-homer and eight 100-RBI seasons.

A main argument against McGriff getting into the Hall of Fame is the fact he did not hit seven more home runs to get to join the 500 home run club. However, the only eligible players with more home runs than McGriff that are not in the Hall of Fame are Bonds, Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire, and Rafael Palmeiro, all of whom have been strongly connected to the use of performance enhancing drugs. Only Bonds received a higher percentage of the vote this year at 36.2 percent, roughly 100 more votes than McGriff.

CBS Sports had a panel of writers share their thoughts on the top Hall of Fame candidates prior to the official announcement and they believed that McGriff would fall short of induction. The Crime Dog average 28 home runs and 99 RBI between 1994-2002, when he was 30-38 years old. Those numbers would be considered hall-worthy at that age, but sluggers like Bonds and McGwire were putting up better numbers later in their careers.

Having seen the transformation of players during his career McGriff, having never been linked to steroids, was asked by Cubs teammates what he was most proud during his career. “I haven’t changed over the years,” McGriff said, smiling. “I’m still the same size.”

McGriff spent two seasons in Chicago where he bashed 42 home runs. Photo Courtesy: Tom Hauck/Getty Images

McGriff spent two seasons in Chicago where he bashed 42 home runs. Photo Courtesy: Tom Hauck/Getty Images

Hall of Fame voters have been critical when it comes to voting for first basemen. Only four first basemen that began their careers after 1936 have been inducted into Cooperstown that played more than fifty percent of their career games at first base (Orlando Cepeda, Tony Perez, Eddie Murray, and Willie McCovey).

The five-time All-Star would need a fairly large jump over the next decade to find himself in Cooperstown, but it is conceivable he could get in after voters decide what to do with the “steroid era” players. The voters have shown over the last couple years that they will reconsider voting for players toward the end of their eligibility.

One camparasion has been drawn between the careers of McGriff and Jim Rice. In his fifth year (1999) of eligibility, Rice received just 29.4 percent, similar to McGriff’s percentage in year four. McGriff hit over 100 more home runs and RBIs than Rice accumulated, but Rice won an MVP and spent his entire career with the Boston Red Sox. Rice had also received almost 43 percent of the vote in 1998 showing that Rice had a lot of support prior to a star-studded class in 1999.

Many people would consider McGriff a standout player during his long career, but it seems that many writers cannot make the argument that his numbers and legacy are hall-worthy. The good news for McGriff is that he will consistently be in the conversation, but he may once again be overlooked.

The Crime Dog has eleven more years on the ballot, which gives the voters time to consider his resume for baseball’s elite club. There may not be a plaque in Cooperstown any time soon, but McGriff will be considered one of the best players ever in the history of the Smokies organization.

Michael Wottreng / Smokies Radio Network

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