A slow start, it is what it is; but, is it acceptable for an athlete, fondly known as the Big Hurt,  being paid 9 million dollars per, even though he known for having a slow start?

That is the conundrum.

Though the Big Hurt is hardly alone this season for getting out of the gate slow he had arguable more pressure because of playing in the Axis of Evil division.

For the record I understand athletes being upset for not being in the lineup, but there should be someone in MLB to teach cry baby’s tact.

To shift focus from the Jays for a minute, high expectation are also laid upon slumping stars: Ryan Howard, Andrew Jones, Barry Zito, and C.C. Sebathia; and specifically in the DH position David Ortiz, Travis Hafner and Jim Thome who are all hovering in the 200s lacking the expected clutch hitting and pop.  The most disappointing in my opinion is Zito after the monster contract the Giants gifted him he is 0-6 with a 7+ era and has recently been moved the bullpen.

Back in Toronto however, though I truly appreciated that Frank Thomas rejuvenated his career with the Athletics, which may explain why he went back there, I think that Ricciardi over paid him big time and it was perhaps an error on his part to even pursue the Big Hurt and letting him go was J.P. correcting his error–fiscally speaking. 

Though I don’t want to turn today into rip Ricciardi day I can’t say I am pleased with the GM into the 7^th year of his 5 year plan; nor do I appreciate J.P. claiming that if he had the amount of time that Pat Gillick had to build the Jays his team too would be pushing for the playoffs but I think that J.P. disregards facts like the 1976 empty/entry draft and non existence of free agency back then and if you give Gillick 3 years of grace then he essentially got into the playoffs with that 1985 team in four years and was a major contender from there on in.  Also, last year the general manager did not have any of the rookie pitchers on his radar for the April roster claiming that Josh Towers, John Thompson, Victor Zambrano and Tomo Okha were superior to Jesse Litch, Shaun Marcum and Dustin McGowan; and the GM’s mismanagement with Reed Johnson but like I said I don’t want to keep on Ricciardi except to say that he seems to have difficulties evaluating his roster; and like I said it was an error on his part to sign Frank Thomas however, I also believe to be true that he erred in letting him go from this season’s Blue Jay line up since this season’s additions would give Thomas more hittable at bats.

Fortunately for the Blue Jays Matty Stairs is having a resurgence with his career, and how about that drunken batter stance with bat on his shoulder; unfortunately the Blue Jays are paying the Frank Thomas to compete against them, but that appears to be the problem with AL east, irresponsible spending–remember what Bo.Sox paid to talk to Dice-K?  

In the end Frank Thomas showed his true stripes when he didn’t even say good bye nor wish his former teammates well and Blue Jays essentially paid the Big Hurt 18 million to hit his 500th homerun in a Blue Jay uniform leaving the Jays in my mind big hurtin’.

That’s all for now from yours faithfully…….Shine on, Smell you later, Cheers!