Blue Jays Sign Matt Clement

argh... whats up with JP and the players he loves...we all saw how Wilkerson, Mench worked out.. gonna be a long season in toronto...

Very smart, under the radar move.

He's got good stuff if he's healthy.

He's got good stuff if he's healthy.

Posted by: Josh Amaral | December 11, 2008 at 12:51 PM

How do you actually know that? When was the last time he was healthy? He hasn't been the same guy since he got nailed in the head by the comebacker against Tampa in 2006. That was 2 1/2 seasons ago. Has he even been in the majors since then? I know he signed with the Cardinals after leaving Boston, but I'm not sure he ever pitched for them.

"How do you actually know that? When was the last time he was healthy? He hasn't been the same guy since he got nailed in the head by the comebacker against Tampa in 2006. That was 2 1/2 seasons ago. Has he even been in the majors since then? I know he signed with the Cardinals after leaving Boston, but I'm not sure he ever pitched for them."

Stuff doesn't just disappear. He may not ever be of any use, but this is the same as deals like the Sox picking up Bartolo Colon last season: a low risk, high reward signing. If he doesn't pan out, whatever, it's not much money, but he's proven to have legitimate Major League stuff before and if he gets them a couple wins at some point it's great for them.

"Stuff doesn't just disappear."

When you have your rotoator cuff and labrum repaired, yes, stuff does disappear, lol.

That's why I'm whining lol

JP does this every year, and it never works out. Ohka, Zambrano, Hentgen, Carter...

Signing these guys does cost the team games. At least it should allow them to leave Purcy in AAA to start the year, he could use another 1/2 season down there.

Great move for JP, I was advocating for Clement to compete for the Mets 5th spot in the rotation. I'm looking at Penny and Colon next.

There is ZERO risk involved, this is a MINOR LEAGUE DEAL. Quit whining

Toronto lost a generation of fans to the '94 strike. (So did the Expos, and it eventually drove them out of the country.)

"That's a load of carp, Toronto is nearly the size of Chicago, and they support 2 large market teams. Toronto's population is hovering around 2.5 million people, and is over 5 if you include the GTA (greater toronto area). Downtown is accessable by all through go-trains, and numerous highways. In fact, the Jays have the advantage of marketing themselves to an entire COUNTRY. They are shown in 3 different TV stations, obviously helping thier leverage in negotiations, and also get a share of the FOX revenue."

Oh good god, am I going to have to deal with this argument again?

I'm sorry, but population does not equal baseball market. Any team that is doing extremely well CAN put butts in the seat. The Rays were selling out games at the end of the season and nobody can seriously claim Tampa is a good baseball market and be taken seriously.

The fact of the matter is that, shy of Florida, Toronto is probably the single worst market for baseball in the entire MLB. In 2006, when the Sox finished third (Behind the Blue Jays themselves), they were still routinely crushing the Jays in attendance numbers (By a difference of close to 10,000 people per game on average in a smaller stadium).

Perennial terrible teams like the Astros, Rangers and Mariners all pull better attendance numbers than the Blue Jays. The Jays have finished over five hundred in three of the last five seasons, but finished well below multiple teams who finished last in their respective divisions on the season (The 2008 Padres, the 2007 Rangers and Giants, the 2006 Brewers).

Most of your "points" only prove to further solidify the fact Toronto is a terrible baseball market. The fans only show up when they're winning the series, they're the only team in an entire country and are still finishing in the bottom half of attendance in the entire game, they're in a densely populated area and still pulling crap attendance.

And I don't know WHAT these two things are meant to convey exactly:

"That's a load of carp, Toronto is nearly the size of Chicago, and they support 2 large market teams."

By YOUR apparent definition of "large markey," they support three: Blue Jays, Maple Leafs and Raptors, as far as sports that extend beyond their home country in any popular manner. Only one of those is baseball and thus the slightest bit relevant to the subject of "baseball markets."

"And don't tell me this is a hockey town, in the mid 80's when the Leafs were fighting the Blackhawks every year for second worst team in the league, exhibition stadium was full."

This makes even less sense. How in the world do you reconcile stating that I shouldn't claim Toronto is a hockey town when you yourself are pointing out that they routinely sold out games while playing terrible hockey? The one season this decade where the Jays finished last place in their division, they couldn't even break 2 million in attendance on the season, something even the then hapless Brewers managed.

Were you even attempting a coherent and consistent argument?

^^^
The Jays are doing OK attendance wise. 18th in the league last year considering how crap the team was. Since 2002, its gone from 25th to 18th. Not bad considering this isn't a hot baseball market. It can be if the team is good. The problem lies with JP Ricciardi inability to field a playoff team. He needs to go and the team needs to build around the prospects coming up and be more fiscally responsible on spending. The team does have prospects coming up. It will take time, but if they can be a contender, they can do much better attendance wise.

man...I love this guy...I wish he would have come back to the cubs, I will forever miss that Goatee!!

If your attendance is 18th in the Major Leagues and you play 2 of the top drawing road teams (yankees/red sox) over 30 times out of your 81 home games then you have a problem.

How does Charlotte, NC not have a baseball team? They have NFL, NHL and NBA franchises with solid attendence.

Minor League baseball in the Carolinas is extremely popular and the level of play is fairly low for the most part.

Can the Marlins or Jays please just move here. Currently I can not think of another city in the US that has an NHL, NFL and NBA team but no MLB team.

Is there another city?

i guess you can give him the 5th rotation spot or sumthign like that. But in the end hes gonna end up on the IR

Obsessions

I'm not going to respond to your points, b/c I don't find them very well thought through. The Jays are middle of the road record wise, and middle of the road in ticket sales. The two generally go hand in hand.

Baseball teams don't only earn revenue through tickets, they also sell jerseys and memorabilia, and contract their games to TV stations. Not only do the Jays get a share of the Fox contract, but approximately 150 of their games are on TSN, Rogers Sportsnet, or CBC. These are NATIONAL stations, broadcasting to over 28 million people. That is additional revenue that most teams do not have. They have a Jays shop at every BAY store in Canada! I'd imagine once you get out of the greater Milwaukee area, it gets pretty tough to find a Brewers jersey.

Toronto is a huge market, but we demand a winner. A team that consistenly finishes near .500 and 10 games out of the playoffs, will not sell here. I'd estimate thier attendance at about 25,000 per game, again likely the league average for a .500 team. A 'market' is more than just putting butts in the seats, it's potential revenue. The best way to build that market is winning, that how you sell Red Sox hats in North Dakota, be a winner. Unfortunatly the Jays have not been a winner for 15 years, and can't even sell at ball cap in Ottawa.

"Were you even attempting a coherent and consistent argument?"

really? you've sunk to calling me names? how old are you?

Obsessions

"As for Ken, well, he's convinced me he inexplicably knows how to type, but not read."

""And don't tell me this is a hockey town, in the mid 80's when the Leafs were fighting the Blackhawks every year for second worst team in the league, exhibition stadium was full."

This makes even less sense. How in the world do you reconcile stating that I shouldn't claim Toronto is a hockey town when you yourself are pointing out that they routinely sold out games while playing terrible hockey?"

Speaking of typing and not reading, Eshibition STADIUM is where the Jays played, the Leafs played in ... Maple Leaf Garden.

""That's a load of carp, Toronto is nearly the size of Chicago, and they support 2 large market teams."

By YOUR apparent definition of "large markey," they support three: Blue Jays, Maple Leafs and Raptors, as far as sports that extend beyond their home country in any popular manner. Only one of those is baseball and thus the slightest bit relevant to the subject of "baseball markets.""

Toronto hosts yes, the Jays, Leafs and Raptors. Chicago, same size population, supports the White Sox, Cubs, Bulls, Bears. What is your point?

Florida is a poor market b/c it's a retirement area. Toronto is full of high earning housholds. Toronto is NOT a small market, it's just a poorly run from head office.