Mop Up Duty Mop Up Duty A Baseball Blog dedicated to answering the questions rarely asked. Main topics include fantasy baseball, sabermatics, forgotten leagues & players, expansion, bios, etc. Updated almost everyday! Articles
Yu Darvish Final 2011 Pitch Count
2011-10-18 14:16:00 Taking a look at Yu Darvish’s final 2011 pitch count, in-season velocity and MLB teams that have scouted recent starts. Yu Darvish’s 2011 NPB regular season Date ERA IP Pitches Hits HR K BB + HBP 04/12/11 9 7 119 7 1 9 3 04/19/11 4.8 8 119 4 0 … More About: Boston Red Sox , Transactions , Season , Final , Toronto Blue Jays
Yu Darvish Final 2011 Pitch Count
2011-10-18 14:16:00 Taking a look at Yu Darvish’s final 2011 pitch count, in-season velocity and MLB teams that have scouted recent starts. Yu Darvish’s 2011 NPB regular season Date ERA IP Pitches Hits HR K BB + HBP 04/12/11 9 7 119 7 1 9 3 04/19/11 4.8 8 119 4 0 … More About: Boston Red Sox , Transactions , Season , Final , Toronto Blue Jays
Phillippe Aumont
2011-10-17 11:00:00 Maddeningly inconsistent Canadian pitching prospect Phillippe Aumont finally turned in an impressive string of appearances (35 strikeouts in 21.2 Triple-A innings) to close out the 2011 season. Will he be part of the 2012 Philadelphia Phillies’ bullpen? Phillippe Aumont had a difficult childhood growing up in Gatineau, Quebec – a place …
Phillippe Aumont
2011-10-17 11:00:00 Maddeningly inconsistent Canadian pitching prospect Phillippe Aumont finally turned in an impressive string of appearances (35 strikeouts in 21.2 Triple-A innings) to close out the 2011 season. Will he be part of the 2012 Philadelphia Phillies’ bullpen? Phillippe Aumont had a difficult childhood growing up in Gatineau, Quebec – a place …
Roberto Alomar Classic Roto 500 Review
2011-10-07 18:17:00 Reviewing the inaugural Roberto Alomar Classic Roto 500 Sabermetrical Fantasy Baseball Experts League. Rules Explanation (from pre-season Roto 500 draft review article) Roto 500 (created by Ron Shandler of BaseballHQ) is an experimental fantasy model, a hybrid of auction (each team gets a combined three ‘steals’ or toppers’ during the … More About: Review , Matthias
Roberto Alomar Classic Roto 500 Review
2011-10-07 18:17:00 Reviewing the inaugural Roberto Alomar Classic Roto 500 Sabermetrical Fantasy Baseball Experts League. Rules Explanation (from pre-season Roto 500 draft review article) Roto 500 (created by Ron Shandler of BaseballHQ) is an experimental fantasy model, a hybrid of auction (each team gets a combined three ‘steals’ or toppers’ during the … More About: Review , Matthias
When The Oakland Athletics Had Playoff Success
2011-10-06 11:00:00 ..and it came before Moneyball….and at the expense of the Blue Jays. With the release of the movie Moneyball there is more talk of Billy Beane’s lack of success in the playoffs. If we want to look at a successful Oakland club, we need look no further than the 1989 version. This was a … More About: Success , Athletics , Oakland Athletics
What To Do With Brett Cecil?
2011-10-04 11:00:00 Brett Cecil. You don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here (in the rotation). After leading the team in wins last season with 15, Brett Cecil’s performance regressed in 2011. Struggling to find respectable fastball velocity, Cecil was demoted to AAA during the season to try to fix his many mechanical … More About: Commentary , Change , Special K , Season , Mechanics
Interview with Cathal Kelly
2011-10-03 11:00:00 One of my favourite sports writers is the Toronto Star’s Cathal Kelly . A columnist as opposed to a beat writer, I find that Cathal brings a thoughtful and unique perspective to the sports stories he covers – specifically the Blue Jays. Cathal was kind enough to answer some of Mop-Up Duty’s … More About: Interview
500 level seats cheaper than they were 10+ years ago
2010-10-28 11:00:00 The seating chart taken above was scanned from a 1996 issue of “SCOREBOOK” – the official magazine of the Toronto Blue Jays . It clearly defines the ticket prices for all sections. Below is the seating chart taken today, with clearly defined ticket prices for all sections: As you can see, if you wanted to sit in the 500 level behind home plate ... More About: Years
The Blue Jays Rap
2010-10-26 11:00:00 Back in 1991 the Blue Jays released an album in conjunction with the Variety Club to raise funds. We have come across the full album and will be releasing these tantalizing tracks here for your listening pleasure. The first song is called “Blue Jays Rap,” by the Variety Club Rap Gang. No relation to the Wu-Tang Clan. At all. More About: Baseball , Toronto Blue Jays
Buck O?Neil?s Hall of Fame Induction Speech
2010-10-25 11:00:00 Most of you know how we are huge fans of Buck O’Neil . We have profiled him in the past and reviewed his spectacular book (written by Joe Posnanski) The Soul of Baseball. At the end of the review I posted a link to a speech by Buck at an induction ceremony at the National Baseball Hall of Fame . This was after ... More About: Speech
The Blue Jays first ever home opener: as told by Doug Ault
2010-10-22 14:36:00 The first Blue Jays player to ever hit a home run, the late Doug Ault discusses the fickleness of Toronto fans and the pitfalls of having a loaner car to drive around the city. The full story on the first home opener: More About: Home , Chicago White Sox , Toronto Blue Jays
The Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame
2010-10-20 11:00:00 On Thanksgiving weekend I made the trek to St. Mary’s, Ontario to visit the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame . Much different than its American counterpart Cooperstown (home to the National Baseball Hall of Fame), St. Mary’s is a tiny picturesque rural community with not much going on at all. The Hall itself isn’t much to look at: 4 rooms on ...
2010 Ballpark Review Roundup
2010-10-18 14:29:00 This past year at Mop Up Duty we have been very fortunate to have had the opportunity to jet set across the hemisphere and check out numerous baseball stadiums. In case you missed one, a few, or all of them, below is a collection of the ballparks that we reviewed this past season. I’ve ranked them in order from favourite to ... More About: Review , Roundup
Aroldis Chapman?s Mechanics Analyzed
2010-10-15 19:14:00 Ever wonder how Cuban pitching sensation Aroldis Chapman is able to generate fastballs that reach speeds of 105mph? Pitching guru Tom House breaks down the finer points of Chapman’s delivery in this ESPN video: More About: Mechanics
2010 Jays Draft Pick Baseball Cards
2010-10-14 19:02:00 The ink is barely dry on the MLB contracts, yet a number of the Jays 2010 Draft Pick s already have baseball cards! Admittedly, there isn’t too much going on in the Jays universe this week. Below is a collection of 2010 Toronto Blue Jays draft pick baseball cards. These images are taken from 2010 Donruss Elite Edition & 2010 Topps Pro ... More About: Baseball , Draft pick
Scott Rolen Signs Extension, Milton Bradley to M?s
2009-12-20 20:45:00 Former Toronto Blue Jays Scott Rolen signed an extension with the Reds today. In the final year of his current contract Rolen was due $11 million. The new contract changes the structure up a bit, calling for a 2010 salary of $6 and 2011 & 2012 salaries of $6.5 million, along with a $5 million ... More About: Commentary , Transactions , Signs , Trade
Anthopoulos Chat Highlights
2009-12-19 17:59:00 Yesterday Toronto Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos chatted with fans about the recent Roy Halladay trade and the current situation of the team. jayzball: Hi Alex, just wanted to clarify something here. We’ve heard in the media recently that the $16 million dollar figure is being thrown around when talking about the draft. Is this a ... More About: Chat , Highlights
Greatest Roy Halladay Moments
2009-12-18 13:45:00  With the recent departure of Roy Halladay, I have been reflecting on his time in Toronto. To me it seems like a blur of superhuman performances and total domination of the opposition. It is tough to pick highlights because there are so many, but with the wound so fresh, the following are the Roy Halladay moments that I will remember him for. The Near-No-Hitter in his 2nd Ever Big League Start I remember a team mate of mine at the time was in attendance for this game and was sitting directly above the Blue Jays bullpen, watching the unknown Roy Halladay warm up before the game. It was odd because he was throwing to Benito Santiago in the pen and Darrin Fletcher was pencilled in as the starting catcher for the game. Regardless, my team mate talked about how the sound of Halladay popping Santiago’s glove was like fireworks in the bullpen. At one point Santiago paused and grimaced while shaking his glove as if to say “this kid’s got some heat.” ... More About: Moments
Roy Halladay Trade Evaluation
2009-12-17 16:02:00 Roy Halladay Trade Evaluation It’s finally complete. The on again, off again break up of Doc and the Jays is over. While it hurts, this trade helps both parties. Doc gets his chance at a ring and the Jays get a few breakout prospects and payroll flexibility. Cleaning up I’ll leave the emotional aspect of Halladay’s departure to others (great Jays related sites can be found via The Score ticker at the top of this screen). For those missing the doctor I can’t think a better bio piece than Callum’s A Story Forgotten: Halladay’s Reinvention. Prospect bio’s were written up a couple of days ago on the three incoming players and can be checked out here – Kyle Drabek, Travis d’Arnaud & Brett Wallace. And finally for those that have been living under a rock, the trade via an espn screen cap: With all of that out of the way let’s look at the deal from the Jays perspective. Short-Term Losses Giving up a 6 – 7 WAR pitcher...
Prospect Porn in the Roy Halladay Trade
2009-12-15 16:08:00 With Roy Halladay waving goodbye to Toronto and waving hello to Philadelphia, Toronto fans are anxious to find out who they are getting in return. At this point it looks to be RHP Kyle Drabek, OF Michael Taylor and C Travis d’Arnaud. WHO!?! Let’s have a look at them more closely. Kyle Drabek Kyle Drabek was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the first round (18th overall) of the 2006 amateur entry draft and is the son of former Cy Young Award winner Doug Drabek. Kyle had a shaky start to his Phillies career and then missed most of the 2008 season due to Tommy John surgery. When he returned he was nearly unhittable: he pitched in 53 innings in the inors and AFL and gave up only 25 hits with a 0.77 WHIP. Drabek pitched in the Futures Game this year and scout Keith Law had this to say about him: Drabek was 91-93 with a hard curveball at 79-80 that had a slider-esque horizontal break. His delivery is still rough, with some head violence at the end, and he co... More About: Trade
Epic Games In Blue Jays History: Joe Lawrence’s First HR
2009-12-14 15:28:00 Joey “Whoa” Lawrence was 25 years old when he broke into the big leagues on April 8, 2002, with the Toronto Blue Jays . He was the Blue Jays’ 1st round draft pick in 1996 (16th overall) and quickly became the apple of then newly minted GM JP Ricciardi’s eye. Lawrence, a former St. Catharines Blue Jay, was called a “tremendous athlete” by Ricciardi.  “He reminds me of Kelly Gruber, and we’re going to keep him, because in a couple of years he could be a heckuva player,” Ricciardi said. Heckuva player? Not so much. This quote is just further evidence that JP Ricciardi is absent of any skill in evaluating talent whatsoever. Joe Lawrence won the 2B job out of spring training by default – JP Ricciardi banished top prospect Orlando Hudson to the minor leagues after Hudson remarked “When I first met J.P., I thought, ‘Smooth cat – smooth-lookin’ cat. He looks like he was a pimp back in his day.&rdq... More About: History , Games
Epic Games in Blue Jays History: Buck Martinez Completes a Double Play on a
2009-12-11 16:28:00 In honour of the long overdue of Buck Martinez to the broadcast booth, I’d like to bring back the memory of the most spectacular double play ever made in major league baseball history. It was July 9, 1985 in vs. Seattle at the Kingdome. The play by play reads like this: MARINERS 3RD: Bradley singled; Davis flied out to center; Filer balked [Bradley to second]; G. Thomas singled to right [Bradley out at home (right to catcher), G. Thomas out at home (catcher to left to catcher)]; Martinez breaks ankle on collision at plate; Thomas takes 3b on throw; Martinez (on ground) throws into lf; Bell throws home and Martinez makes catch and tag while seated; The ankle turned out to be dislocated to go along with a fractured leg. To go beyond the boxscore, the play really went down like this: Buck  took a throw from Jesse Barfield in RF and blocked the plate. Phil Bradley, trying to score from third,  slid into him breaking his leg and dislocating his ankle. Buck then saw his frien... More About: History , Games , Play , Double , Blue Jays
New Relief Pitching Stat: The Ensured Loss
2009-12-10 13:44:00 Finally, a statistic for relief pitchers to hang their hat on! Well, not really finally. In fact we addressed this one more than 3 years ago. However, a Word Press upgrade caused most of our site to get mangled and as a result some of our content became hideously deformed and devoid of tags that Google finds delcious. Since we are experiencing a slow December I have been reaching out to those posts that are beyond the grave and am bringing them back to life. It is a slow process, but you can follow along with our Twitter account and look for “From the Archives” Tweets. This post in particular is one I feel deserves attention. Without further adieu….. THE ENSURED LOSS © Callum for Mop Up Duty | Baseball News Sabermetric | Baseball History Bio, 2009. | Permalink | | Add to del.icio.us Post tags: Archives, Ensured Loss , Pitching Statistics, Relief Pitcher Statistics, Relief Pitching, Twitter $25+ of Free Baseball Media Files
WAR, what is it good for?
2009-12-09 06:46:00 Absolutely nothing? Nah, I wouldn’t go that far but this off-season GM’s aren’t paying anywhere near WAR (Wins above replacement player) market value for free agents. What is WAR? Via Tom Tango WAR is wins above replacement. Replacement is defined very specifically for my purposes: it’s the talent level for which you would pay the minimum salary on the open market, or for which you can obtain at minimal cost in a trade. If you want the math behind WAR you can visit Tango’s website The purported market value for 1.0 WAR is $4.5 million. Below is a listing of the free agent signings as of December 8th. In most instances I’ve included a few seasons worth of WAR data and valuations, along with 2010 Chone projections. Chone data is from their 2010 free agent tracker. Keep in mind CHONE predictions are typically… cautious. Players that are signed below perceived WAR value will have their names in green, above WAR value in red Positional Players Cho... More About: Good
Rance Mulliniks Speaks the Truth
2009-09-20 00:13:00 Rance Mulliniks Speaks the Truth The #1 reason to like to Rance Mulliniks? He doesn’t put up with Jamie Campbell’s shit. The usually response to Campbell’s stupid questions are either silence or “excuse me Jamie, but right now this player needs to…” Rance loves to go over pitch selection. His MLB career was decent (career 107 ... More About: Toronto Blue Jays
Sorry Mr.Snider, Travis Snider?s D still sucks
2009-09-17 17:40:00 It was back in 2006. One of the first ever articles on Mopupduty.com was a prospect bio on Travis Snider. In the comments section myself and others were going back and forth on Snider’s defensive ceiling. I said the following I think he has no chance in playing RF in the majors. I?m surprised that they ... More About: Sucks
Blue Jays Baserunning? Not So Bad, Actually
2009-09-16 13:42:00 Last night I got to see Vernon Wells picked off (allegedly) first base and then thrown out of the game for arguing his case. Due to the sheer number of flubs, misplays and screw-ups this season I didn’t think anything of it. In fact I expected to see it. But then I thought for a ... More About: Blue Jays , Blue , Toronto Blue Jays , Sabermetrics , Jays
Bat Travis Snider Second for the Remainder of 2009
More articles from this author:2009-09-15 17:21:00 Travis Snider Batting Second Am I grasping at straws? Why the hell not? The Toronto Blue Jays were officially eliminated from the playoffs last night. No Playoffs!!!1 this season. With that said I’d like to see the Jays go the extra mile in developing Travis Snider. I grabbed the following quote yesterday off of ESPN. “We’ve got two ... More About: Travis 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
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