Kritik und Lob » case that Martin or any of the other valuable Cuban ballp

TORONTO – Its been a bad week for a good bullpen. Starter Drew Hutchison left after six innings with a 3-2 lead, only to watch as three Blue Jays relievers collapsed in the seventh, leading to five Baltimore runs. The Orioles wouldnt look back; in fact they would tack on, winning the game 11-4 and the series, two out of three. It was Brett Cecils turn on Thursday night. Having not allowed a run in eight-and-two-thirds innings of work this season, Cecil entered with one out and a runner on second in the seventh. He walked Nick Markakis and, after a double steal, intentionally walked Nelson Cruz. Chris Davis slapped a two-run single to left field to give Baltimore the lead. After an Adam Jones RBI double, Cecils night was over. In the end, he faced four hitters, each of whom reached base and each of whom scored. “I didnt feel like I had a good feel for anything,” said Cecil. “I was pulling my cutters and curveballs were up. Not as sharp. I thought I made a good pitch to Davis, hit the glove, hit it where (Dioner Navarro) had it and it was two or three inches off the plate. Terrible swing, but he did exactly what he was supposed to with the shift on, just a soft ground ball.” A week ago Thursday in Minneapolis, Steve Delabar, Sergio Santos and J.A. Happ cratered in the eighth inning, walking a historic eight hitters while allowing six runs on just one hit and three wild pitches. The ordeal turned a 5-3 Toronto lead into a 9-5 deficit. Aaron Loup walked the bases loaded in the sixth inning of Sundays game in Cleveland. A David Murphy bases-clearing double later and the Jays 4-2 lead was erased. The Indians didnt look back in a 6-4 victory. On Wednesday, Todd Redmond was rocked trying to protect a 6-3 lead in the fifth. In Redmonds defence, he inherited a bases loaded, none out situation against the top of the Orioles lineup. Baltimore scored six times, total, in the inning and won the game 10-8. The bullpens overall numbers arent pretty in the last seven games: 23 2/3 innings pitched, 22 earned runs, 23 hits and 24 walks. Manager John Gibbons isnt panicking. “I dont think it snowballs, at least it hasnt yet,” he said. “There are going to be some blips every now and then. I still think our bullpen stacks up as good as anybody out there. We have some key go-to guys. We had a chance to close it down there, at least get out of that inning, Davis snuck that ball through. But, no, Im not really worried about the bullpen.” Theres already chatter, less than a month into the season, about whether the bullpen is fraying under the weight of the demand on its arms. Blue Jays starters dont get deep into games often enough. Factor in Toronto relievers threw 552 2/3 innings last season, third most in baseball, and at some point, fatigue will become a problem. “I believe in that,” said Gibbons. “Over time you look at it, a lot of times its year to year. Guys that have good years and theyre used a lot one year, its usually somewhat of an off year the next year and then they bounce back. Thats kind of, just generally, the way baseball goes. Bullpens get used a lot, I dont care whether youre good or bad, in this day and age, its just baseball because its mainly a lot of one-inning guys nowadays, specialists, so they get used a lot, but thats just the way it goes. You have to be durable down there and you have to take your slumps down there sometimes. But it can definitely catch up with you, but its too early in the season to think that has anything to do with it.” One reason for optimism: its been a different guy getting beat each night. Delabar and Santos in Minneapolis, Loup against the Indians, Redmond one night against Baltimore and Cecil the next. The collective result has been abysmal of late but the individual issues have been one offs. The Jays had better hope these are, in fact, one-offs. Otherwise, a trends begun which threatens a relatively hopeful start to the year. GIBBONS CONSIDERS SIX-MAN ROTATION Drew Hutchisons six innings of work on Thursday night marked just the 10th time in 22 games a Blue Jays starter went that long. The starting rotations troubling early trend, combined with this weeks post-game admissions by R.A. Dickey and Dustin McGowan to feeling fatigue by the fifth or sixth inning, has manager John Gibbons considering his options with the schedule about to get busy. After Mondays off day, before a three-game series in Kansas City, Toronto will have only one off until June 2. A six-man rotation could be implemented. “Weve even talked about because May, its jammed up, creating our own off day, maybe just spot-starting someone in there; maybe Happ or something,” said Gibbons. The first date a sixth man would be used is the Sunday, May 3 finale of a three-game series in Pittsburgh. J.A. Happ isnt the only option. Marcus Stroman, who along with Aaron Sanchez is the organizations top pitching prospect, is off to a fine start for Triple-A Buffalo. In three starts hes posted a 2.18 ERA and 26 strikeouts against six walks in 20 2/3 innings. Stromans hit total is high, hes allowed 22, but most of those runners arent scoring. Gibbons mused that a six-man rotation could be implemented on multiple occasions leading up to the All-Star Break. This is a reaction to Wednesdays comments by McGowan, who admitted publicly to feeling fatigued in the fifth inning when, with a 6-3 lead, he walked Ryan Flaherty, gave up a single to Jonathan Schoop and hit David Lough with a pitch. McGowan was lifted for Todd Redmond, who promptly coughed up the lead. McGowan hadnt complained about fatigue to Gibbons or anyone else. His comments to the assembled media were the first the manager had heard about it, which led to a conversation between the two in Gibbonss office on Thursday. “I was curious what he had to say,” said manager John Gibbons. “He says he feels great. I guess he just answered questions or something (Wednesday) night brutally honest. Hell make his next start and well see what happens. “The thing is, I think his stamina is fine,” continued Gibbons. “He said he ran out of gas, but if you leave him in there, I guarantee you he can throw 90 to 100 pitches. Its just do you leave him in there or not. Thats my decision.” The Blue Jays continue to monitor McGowan and Brandon Morrow closely. While their respective situations are different, both have extensive injury histories. McGowan insists his arm is okay, which offers hope that his fatigue may subside if his body can adjust to the rigours of pitching every fifth day. Remember, a stomach virus shortened McGowans spring. Whats more, he hasnt been a regular starting pitcher in six years. “Weve told him, if somethings bothering you, it doesnt feel right in your arm simply because of what youve been through, let us know and hes guaranteed hell let us know,” said Gibbons. “But I think, (Wednesday) night, he was just brutally honest with you. And I kind of like that.” GIBBONS TALKS PINEDA AND PINE TAR Blue Jays manager John Gibbons believes his Red Sox counterpart, John Farrell, had no choice but to ask the umpires to check Yankees starter Michael Pineda for an illegal substance in the game between Boston and New York on Wednesday night. “You almost had to,” said Gibbons. “If you dont ask, everybodys looking at you. Youd catch heat for that.” Pineda was found with pine tar on the right side of his neck. He was ejected and on Thursday he was given a 10-game suspension. Gibbons asked the umpires to check the inside of Orioles starter Miguel Gonzalezs glove in the fifth inning of Tuesday nights game. They found nothing. “Well, you want to make sure if you do it, youre right and we werent right,” said Gibbons. “So were 0-4 with appeals and 0-1 on checking on the pitcher. Its got to get better, doesnt it?” Its generally accepted that pitchers use foreign substances, typically sprays, to improve their grip on the baseball. Gibbons believes the Pineda incident, especially considering the same substance was thought to be on his hand in a start earlier this season, is different. “I still have a hard time believing pine tar (is) not making the ball do something,” said Gibbons. “Its for your grip but its a heavier substance, so its something thats going to affect, if the wind hits that thing, its got to do something.” FRIENDLY TRAFFIC REMINDER If youre coming to Rogers Centre this weekend to see the Blue Jays take on the Red Sox, keep in mind the Gardiner Expressway closes for spring maintenance at 10 oclock Friday night. It doesnt reopen until 12-noon on Sunday. 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As for regular Olympic spectators, theyre being warned that most travel insurance policies wont cover acts of terrorism or war. The Games in southern Russia, which run from Feb. 7-23, are being staged amid unprecedented security and under global warnings of danger.MIAMI - The convicted ringleader of a smuggling organization that brought more than 1,000 Cubans into the U.S., some of them baseball players including Texas Rangers outfielder Leonys Martin, was sentenced Monday to more than 14 years in federal prison.U.S. District Judge Joan Lenard rejected a request for leniency by Eliezer Lazo, whom she noted was paid $22,000 a month through the scheme — not counting the percentages of any professional baseball contracts the players signed. Prosecutors say Martin paid the Lazo group $1.2 million after signing with the Rangers in 2011.Thats a lot of money, Lenard said.Lazo, 41, will begin serving the sentence after finishing an unrelated five-year prison term for money laundering in a Medicare fraud case. In the smuggling case, he pleaded guilty in August to extortion conspiracy.The Lazo organization smuggled Cubans by boat to Mexico for $10,000 each, more for the baseball players, according to court documents. They would then usually travel to the U.S. border crossing at Laredo, Texas, and ask to be permitted to stay in the U.S.Under the U.S. wet foot, dry foot policy, Cubans who reach dry land in the U.S. are generally allowed to remain while those intercepted at sea are returned to the communist island. Lazos attorney, William Clay, said many of Lazos customers were overjoyed to make it to the U.S. despite the costs.They had gotten what they bargained for, Clay said.But Assistant U.S. Attorney Ron Davidson said migrants who couldnt pay were held for ransom by armed guards, often threatened and sometimes beaten. Although Lazo himself did not participate in any violence, Davidson said he was well aware it was going on.ddddddddddddThis man is not a freedom fighter, Davidson said.The case also provided a glimpse into how Mexican drug cartels get their cut of the migrant smuggling business. Court documents show that in the Cancun area, the Zetas cartel charges Cuban smugglers $10,000 per boat and up to $3,000 per migrant to allow them to pass through their territory and assist in paying bribes to local officials.No evidence surfaced in the case that Martin or any of the other valuable Cuban ballplayers were mistreated. Only Martin has been identified by name in the Lazo case, but other Cuban stars such as Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig have also been smuggled through Mexico.Aside from being free from Cuba, baseball players from that country have an incentive to go to a third country such as Mexico before signing MLB contracts. If they came directly to the U.S., they would be subject to the MLB draft and likely sign a less lucrative deal. Going to Mexico first makes them free agents looking for the highest bidder.Martin, a speedy outfielder, signed a five-year, $15.5 million contract with the Rangers in 2011. Last year he batted .274 and stole 31 bases.Clay indicated he may appeal Lazos sentence, calling it unreasonable because Lazo offered to co-operate with investigators before he was indicted and had only a limited role in the extortion. For his part, Lazo apologized for his crimes through a Spanish interpreter.I am very repentant and remorseful for the crimes I have committed, Lazo said. I am so sorry I got involved in these issues._____Follow Curt Anderson on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Miamicurt ' ' '