But, breaking through that traditional belief can be difficult. After all, who really wants to see things like VORP, BABIP or WAR on a screen while watching a game? It just doesn’t quite feel right. Because statistics like ERA and won-loss record are continually used, they become a ingrained and form a perception about a player. That’s why a pitcher with a 10-11 record along with a 4.72 ERA is thought of as nothing more than, at best, a league average pitcher.

The Toronto Blue Jays, however, decided to give their 27 year old starting pitcher Brandon Morrow a two year contract worth $20 million. Morrow is guaranteed $4 million for 2012 and $8 million in 2013 and 2014. The Blue Jays hold a club option for $10 million in 2015. Morrow, the starter turned reliever turned back to starter again, is that pitcher with the 10-11 record and 4.72 ERA. The Blue Jays would never be confused with the Yankees or other big market teams. While the organization has systematically locked up their talent such as Jose Bautista and Rickey Romero, the idea of throwing $20 million to a pitcher who has some injury history and hasn’t produced anything more than league average results seems a bit of a stretch.

Except, that it really isn’t.

The Toronto Blue Jays may just be getting themselves quite a bargain. Brandon Morrow will enter his age 27 season and just his third season as a full-time starting pitcher. Once the Seattle Mariners’ top prospect, Morrow was used out of the bullpen during his first two seasons, even closing games during the 2008 season. The Mariners were a bit scared of his injury trouble during the 2009 season. The organization evidently refused to admit that shifting pitching roles multiple times with a such a young pitcher is dangerous business. They shipped him to Toronto in exchange for reliever Brandon League. League did prove valuable as a reliever, but the Blue Jays have reaped the benefits of making Morrow a full-time starter and continuing to give him the ball.

Morrow compiled a record of 10-7 during the 2009 season in 26 starts. He was shut down in late September to preserve his innings count. In 146.1 innings, he allowed just 8.5 H/9, 4.1 BB/9, and 10.6 K/9. Had Morrow pitched enough innings to be considered a league leader, his 10.6 strikeouts per nine innings would’ve led all of Major League Baseball. He was the only pitcher to average over 10 strikeouts per nine. His walk total was obviously too high, but he made up for it by eliciting swings and misses closes to 15 percent of the time on pitches within the strike zone. In other words, he might put himself into stressful situations, but he is more than capable of getting out of them. While he is not a ground ball pitcher, he did compile a 0.97 ground ball to fly ball ratio.

The strikeouts were impressive, as was the August 8th 1 hit shutout of the Tampa Bay Rays during which he struck out 17 batters. But, that 4.49 ERA screamed mediocrity. That’s where the advanced metrics come in to give a more complete picture. His 2010 BABIP was .342. That’s indication of some bad luck. With the league average hovering around .315, it means that when batters did make contact in 2010, a few more balls found holes in the defense. Then, one can look at his 3.16 FIP, a measure of how well a pitcher succeeds when defense is taken out of the equation. The difference between his ERA and FIP are great, meaning that his defense really hurt him. The 2010 Blue Jays defense certainly wasn’t good. They ranked 9th in the American League in terms of UZR at minus-2.5. That coincides with Morrow’s high BABIP.

2011 was quite similar for Morrow. While building his innings count, Morrow compiled that 10-11 record with the 4.72 ERA. In 179.1 innings, he allowed 8.1 H/9,  1.1 HR/9, 3.5 BB/9, and 10.2 K/9. Obviously, there are quite a few positives. First, he built his innings appropriately. The Blue Jays have been careful with him after having many of their young pitchers go down with injuries in the past decade. He cut his walk total while not sacrificing his strikeouts. His 10.2 strikeouts per nine led all American League starters and trailed only Zack Greinke for the Major League lead.

But, that ERA got worse. His BABIP even fell back down to a more normal .299 so even luck couldn’t be a cause. One cause is that his homerun rate did jump from 0.68 in 2010 to 1.05 in 2011. That will cause an ERA spike. But, his FIP was a more than solid 3.64 for season. That is still a huge disparity. But, then, you look at the defense and it starts to make sense again. The Blue Jays ranked 10th in the American League with a minus-10.4 UZR, meaning their ground covered was less than the season before. And, unlike 2010 when the defense didn’t make many errors, the 2011 club had the fourth highest total in the league with 110 errors. While those errors don’t add to the ERA, they do indicate a terrible defensive team that didn’t get to many balls and didn’t handle them well either.

ERA aside, Brandon Morrow has put together two very credible seasons befitting of a number two or three pitcher. His team has hurt him in terms of the traditional statistics. But, given his improved walk rate, his elite level strikeout rate, and that the Blue Jays are handling him properly, there is every reason to believe that Morrow can be one of the top pitchers in the sport. Even more exciting is that Morrow has compiled those numbers in the American League East, the most offensive division in the sport. The Red Sox knocked him around in four starts, but Morrow dominated the Yankees (2-1, 1.74 ERA with 22 strikeouts in 20 innings) and the Rays (2-2 3.38 ERA with 31 strikeouts in 24 innings). In two starts against the American League Champion Rangers, Morrow struck out 17 batters in 13 innings along with a 2.77 ERA.

There are still obstacles in front of Morrow as he heads into the 2012 season. His flyball rate cannot increase, especially when he pitches in the East. He will have to continue to decrease his walk total to avoid those possible bad luck scenarios. And, he will have to hope that the Blue Jays are a better defensive club in 2012. With essentially the same club returning, that may prove difficult. But, the stuff is there and it has been succeeding for the past two seasons. With some improved luck, improved command, and an improved defense, Morrow may just turn out to be the most surprising pitcher of 2012.

He has been a secret over the past two seasons for a couple of reasons. First, he is playing in Toronto which has really experiences Jose Bautista mania. Secondly, his traditional statistics aren’t all that special. But, hiding under the Bautista frenzy and the elevated ERA is a pitcher who has the stuff to dominate. Entering his third year as a full-time starter, it may just be time for Brandon Morrow to show just how dominant he can be.

Due to overwhelming response, here is an extended list, 11-20 top MILB players to follow.

A few things. A lot of these guys were considered for the top ten. The selection process is difficult because, whether you know it or not, there are numerous minor league players using Twitter. That led to adding an Honorable Ten list.

Reminder about how this was decided: frequency, interaction, humor, overall just compelling feed. Interacting with their fans/followers was big in deciding. Tweet frequency counted a lot as well. Humor matters. Every single guy that made these lists had a way with a joke or making fun of themselves. When their personalities shine through, the flow of the content is fun and interesting to read. For guys trying to make it to the big leagues, they experience a lot of transition and adversity. Every player named in the Twitter Ten and Next Ten shares a fascinating look into the unique life of baseball.

Starting with #11, a player whose use of Twitter gives him an important connection to fans. After being so protected by his team, that connection has been meaningful.

11. Bryce Harper @BHarper3407 – Washington Nationals
12. Cody Decker @Decker6 – San Diego Padres
13. Tyson Gillies @TysonGillies21 – Philadephia Phillies
14. Thomas Neal @TdaddyNeal – Cleveland Indians
15. Will Middlebrooks @16WMBrooks- Boston Red Sox
16. Mike Trout @Trouty20 – Anaheim Angels
17. LV Ware @LV_Ware – Atlanta Braves
18. Deck McGuire @deckmcguire – Toronto Blue Jays
19. Ryan Tatusko @RyanTatusko – Nationals
20. Michael Crouse @_crouse_ – Blue Jays

Honorable Ten Mentions:

1.Bryan Harper @BHarp45 – Nationals
2. Chris Swauger @cswag8 – St. Louis Cardinals
3. Matt den Dekker @UpperDekker – New York Mets
4. Bryan Longpre @BryanLongpre- Blue Jays
5. Jack Murphy @JackMurphy219 – Blue Jays
6. Justin Fitgerald @jfitgerald31 – Giants
7. Trent Mummey @trentmummey7 – Baltimore Orioles
8. C.J. Cron @CCron24 – Angels
9. Jordan Comadena @Funky2414 – Houston Astros
10. Kellin Deglan @keldegs – Texas Rangers

Consistency – Like their game on the field, this was of the highest importance. Consistent, fairly frequent content…

Content – Sharing updates and engaging with followers is what baseball fans are looking for from their team’s rising stars.

Humor – All the guys chosen get high marks in that area.

Finally, Personable – Sounds silly, but I see plenty of guys completely ignore compliments, recommendations, and questions. That’s not good Twitter etiquette.

These ten players utilize the social media tool to reach baseball fans, relating their unique experiences, and making even more of a name for themselves off the baseball field.

I also decided to include independent baseball players, despite not being affiliated with the major leagues, indy league has become more important to major league teams. And certainly more popular. And had I not allowed them, I would’ve had to omit the number one pick. And that would’ve been impossible.

1. Michael Schlact @michael_schlact Southern Maryland Blue Crabs (Atlantic League)

2. Ryan Westmoreland @RWesty25 Boston Red Sox

3. Deck McGuire @deckmcguire Toronto Blue Jays

4. Jiwan James @jiwan23 Philadelphia Phillies

5. Justin Jackson @JaxChillinONE Toronto Blue Jays

6. Richard Giannotti @JustMeGee Southern Maryland Blue Crabs

7. Brandon Douglas @BrandonDouglas5 Detroit Tigers

8. Ian Kadish @BearJew36 Toronto Blue Jays

9. Zack Wheeler @WheelerPro45 New York Mets

10. Kevin Rath @KRath702 Chicago White Sox

Twitter has been a source of controversy and debate in connection with athletes, but those ten players have successfully reached baseball fans on social media. It’s an interesting concept. Athletes, particularly young ones, are hotly protected by their teams and agents. But there’s a way to be themselves and socialize, as well as increasing their visibility, without embarrassing themselves or those invested in them.

In the future, more minor league players will surely join with the hope of creating a following before they’ve made it to the majors. They can look to these ten to know exactly how it’s done and the value of the experience.

All players were listed with team they were with in 2011. Free agency wasn’t taken into account.

Our featured bloggers that provided us with the in depth Report Card series that has just concluded are back to give everyone an in depth look at what the off season holds for the major league teams they cover.  A look at what each team needs, what each team has already gained and lost, and some of the youth in each team’s system will be examined in these articles.  You can find all of the author’s information at the bottom of the article.

The offseason outlook for the Toronto Blue Jays is one of the toughest to predict of any team in baseball, and the reason for this is that team management has a policy of not commenting on players, trade rumours or anything that may give fans a hint of what to expect until it actually happens.  As a result of this you will see every free agent in the market linked to the Toronto Blue Jays at one point or another as agents have figured out that they can create a false demand for their players by attaching their names to the team without any threat of denial.   Already the Toronto Blue Jays have had supposed interest in everyone from David Ortiz to Ivan Rodriguez to every potential closer without a contract.  Don’t believe any of it.

This is not to say that we can’t make an educated guess as to what they might do this offseason, or try to read between the lines of what the team does say, however what we do know is the following:

Blue Jays Free Agents
Key free agents the team will likely offer arbitration:

• Frank Francisco
• Kelly Johnson
• Jose Molina

Free agents that likely won’t be back:

• Jon Rauch
• Shawn Camp

Non-tender candidates:

• None

Key Areas in Need of Improvement
1^st Base – Outside of the team surprising everyone and signing Albert Pujols or Prince Fielder or trading for Joey Votto (all unlikely) Adam Lind will most likely be back as the teams regular 1^st baseman.  However, he will need to improve on his horrendous .295 on-base percentage from 2011.

2^nd Base – Aaron Hill had his second consecutive poor season and was eventually dealt out of town and incoming Kelly Johnson receive mixed reviews in his limited time at the position.  I think there is a good chance Johnson will be back, that is unless revisions are made to Type A compensation in the new collective bargaining agreement and other teams will no longer be required to give up a 1^st round draft pick by signing him.

Centerfield – Rajai Davis started out the season as the team’s centerfielder, however he lost his job after poor results and a mid season trade for Colby Rasmus.  Unfortunately Rasmus didn’t fare much better than Davis after he took over.  Expect Rasmus to be given every opportunity again in 2012

Left Field – Juan Rivera and Travis Snider traded turns of mediocrity before eventually handing the starting job to Eric Thames who should reprise his role in 2012.

Starting Pitching – Outside of Ricky Romero and 10 decent starts from Henderson Alverez there wasn’t really anyone who didn’t disappoint.

Closer – Injuries to Frank Francisco and a miss-cast Jon Rauch resulted in a season to forget and a league leading team total for blown saves.

Pieces That Are In Place
The 2012 season will likely begin with positions filled by the following players:

Position Players

Catcher – J.P. Arencibia

1^st Base – Adam Lind

Shortstop – Yunel Escobar

3rd Base – Brett Lawrie

LF – Eric Thames

CF – Colby Rasmus

RF – Jose Bautista

DH – Edwin Encarnacion

Starting Rotation

1. Ricky Romero

2. Brandon Morrow

3. Brett Cecil

4. Henderson Alvarez

Bullpen

Casey Janssen

Carlos Villanueva

Jesse Litsch

Joel Carreno

Potential Trade Pieces
The Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos has stated that the team’s preferred method of acquiring players this off-season will be through the trade route and in any trade they will deal from areas of strength, which for this team means prospects.  The Blue Jays top prospects include:

CF – Anthony Gose, Jake Marisnick

C – Travis D’Arnaud

1B – David Cooper

SS – Adeiny Hechavarria

SP  – Kyle Drabek, Drew Hutchison, Chad Jenkins, Deck McGuire and Nestor Molina

There is also a bit of a logjam in left field with Travis Snider and Eric Thames, and one of them may be dealt this off-season.

Moves Already Completed
Adam Loewen and Jessie Carlson have been outrighted off the 40 man roster and declared free agency.

Minor Leaguer to Make an Impact in 2012
In 2011 the Toronto Blue Jays gave regular playing time to several of their top prospects including; Brett Lawrie, Kyle Drabek, Eric Thames, David Cooper, Henderson Alvarez, Joel Carreno, and Luis Perez.  Also, the few remaining elite prospects in the high levels of the minor league system include Adeiny Hechavarria and Anthony Gose, who both need work on their strike zone judgement, and Travis D’Arnaud who is currently blocked by J.P. Arencibia from regular playing time in the major leagues. All three have been slated to spend the entire season in the minor leagues and therefore there is no obvious choice of someone that will make an impact in 2012.

With that being said, my surprise pick minor leaguer to make an impact with the Blue Jays in 2012 is Deck McGuire who has only pitched in 4 games above single A.  McGuire was selected 11^th overall in the first round of the 2010 rule 4 baseball draft and has compiled a 3.02 ERA in 125 minor league innings with a strike out rate of 8.9 per nine innings pitched.

Deck McGuire, 22, is a strike thrower with a fastball, slider, curveball and changeup.  His fastball has been clocked consistently between 90-94 mph and his slider is said to be his strikeout pitch and he has a good feel for his curveball and changeup.  Some scouts believe that his upside is limited because he is not overpowering, however they also believe he is capable of being a mid rotation major league starting pitcher right now, and the Blue Jays just happen to need help in that area right now.

Peter DeMarco
Some Thoughts on Baseball

These report cards were written by twenty nine talented individuals across the internet that keep a close eye on the team they cover.  It was the first of our “Featured Blogger” series.  The second part, an Off-Season Outlook, will be brought to you the remainder of this week.  The same writers will return in the Spring to provide a 2012 Season Preview about the teams.

This year’s Featured Bloggers are listed below along with their website and the link to their Report Card:

American League East
Baltimore Orioles - Austin Gisriel, Seamheads
Boston Red Sox – Michael Lynch, Seamheads
New York Yankees – William Tasker, The Flagrant Fan
Tampa Bay Rays – Yossi Feins, The Rays Rant
Toronto Blue Jays – Peter DeMarco, Some Thoughts On Baseball

American League Central
Chicago White Sox – Terry Keshner, Planet Back
Cleveland Indians – David Henderson, Tribe Cards
Detroit Tigers – Nick Waddell, Seamheads
Kansas City Royals – Todd Fertig, I-70 Baseball
Minnesota Twins – Von Hendry, Seamheads

American League West
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim – Bryan Grosnick, Roto Hardball
Oakland As – Jason Leary, Junk Ball
Seattle Mariners – Nick Waddell, Seamheads
Texas Rangers – Dan Edmonson, Chicken Fried Baseball

National League East
Atlanta Braves – Andrew Martin, Baseball Historian
Florida Marlins – Eddie Gilley, Eddie Gilley Blogspot
New York Mets – AC Wayne, Mets Public Record
Philadelphia Phillies – Matthew Buesing, Fire And Ice Sports
Washington Nationals – Aaron Somers , District On Deck

National League Central
Chicago Cubs – Robert Harris, Blue Batting Helmet
Cincinnati Reds – Gary Schatz, Full Of Schatz
Houston Astros – Michael Barr, Fan Graphs
Milwaukee Brewers – Paul Heinz, Paul Heinz.com
Pittsburgh Pirates – Ryan Sendek, Analysis Around The Horn
St. Louis Cardinals – Daniel Shoptaw , C70 At The Bat

National League West
Arizona Diamondbacks – Patrick Lagreid, Baseball On My Brain
Colorado Rockies – Michelle Hoag, Rockies Woman
Los Angeles Dodgers – Paul F Sullivan, Sully Baseball
San Diego Padres – Michael Metzger, Padres Trail
San Francisco Giants – Julian Levine, Giants Nirvana

Bill Ivie is the Assignment Editor for BaseballDigest.com and the founder of i70baseball.com, an official Baseball Digest website covering the Cardinals and Royals.

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BaseballDigest.com aims to keep up that tradition.  This season, we bring you a Report Card on each team in Major League Baseball from writers that cover that team directly.  At the bottom of each write up, you will find the writer’s name, website, and any other pertinent information.  

Toronto Blue Jays President Paul Beaston and General Manager Alex Anthopoulos made no secret of the fact that 2011 would be a transitional year for the team.  Expectations were tempered as the team was more interested in adding pieces, developing the future core group of young players and finding out exactly what this team had, and if all went well maybe 2012 would be the year they went for it.

The result was a mixed bag of ups and downs for the Toronto Blue Jays 2011 season and the end result was a 4^th place finish and an 81-81 record for season.  The positives included the emergence of Brett Lawrie, the continued development of Ricky Romero as a staff ace and the surprising success of Henderson Alverez.  Some of the negatives included Travis Snider’s continued inability to live up to his potential, an ominous beginning to the career of Kyle Drabek who was the key piece sent in return for Roy Halladay, and a Jekyll and Hyde season from Adam Lind.

Rotation: Grade C
The obvious bright spot of the rotation was Rickey Romero who finished the year with 225 IP, a 2.92 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP.  Things kind of fell apart from there as Brandon Morrow couldn’t build off his second half success from 2010 and did his best A.J. Burnett impression by looking unhittable one night and awful the next.  Jo-Jo Reyes was released after 20 horrendous starts, Kyle Drabek was sent down to Las Vegas after an unremarkable half season, Brett Cecil’s fastball disappeared and it took 12 starts in the minors for him to find it again, and a revolving door of Carlos Villanueva, Luis Perez, Brad Mills, Jesse Litsch, and Zach Stewart didn’t fair much better.

It was not all bad however as fans witnessed a remarkable comeback from Dustin McGowan, who hadn’t pitched in 3 years as a result of injuries, and even though his results were mixed just seeing him on the mound again was all that seemed to matter.  Additionally, Henderson Alvarez opened some eyes with an impressive 10 start performance with the big club to close out the season.

Bullpen: Grade C
Frank Francisco the teams’ closer started the season on the DL and just didn’t seem right until after the All-star break.  He lost his role as closer to Jon Rauch who was equally unsuccessful, then regained the role and finishing the season strong.  It was also a tale of two seasons for the rest of the bullpen as Marc Rzepczynski, Jason Frasor and Octavio Dotel were traded mid season which left the team without any reliable options in the pen other than Casey Janssen.

BD Report Cards brought to you by Seamheads

Catchers: Grade B-
Rookie catcher J.P. Arencibia immediately played himself into the starting role and performed admirably in his 129 games.  His defensive abilities, which were identified as a weakness to begin the season, steadily improved although he still needs to work on blocking balls in the dirt. Arencibia who is known for his power didn’t disappoint knocking 23 home runs and coming one short of setting a team record for most home runs by a rookie, and for most this was enough to overlook his pedestrian .282 on-base percentage.  Back-up Jose Molina had what may have been his best season, posting a stat line of .281/.342/.415.

Infield: Grade B-
Going around the horn beginning with first base, Adam Lind was given the Blue Jays everyday job in spite of not having played there since college.  The big concern going into the season was how he could handle the position defensively, however he played the position like he had been doing so for years, consistently scooping throws out of the dirt and committing only 4 errors all season.  Lind also got off to a strong start offensively putting up a pre all-star break stat line of .300/.349/.515, however his second half was historically bad leading many to question how healthy he really was and some fans suggesting the team should find an alternative solution in 2012 at 1^st base.

At second base incumbent Aaron Hill put up a second consecutive disappointing season offensively, and this year his power also disappeared. Hill was eventually dealt along with John MacDonald to Arizona for Kelly Johnson.  At shortstop Yunel Escobar dazzled on defense and also had a strong year offensively leading to a season of 4.4 Wins Above Replacement (WAR).

The 2011 season at Third base for the Blue Jays didn’t start off with a bang as Edwin Encarnacion received more playing time than anyone expected, or wanted, then Jayson Nix started to receive regular playing time before getting released, then the team had to move Jose Bautista to third base from RF temporarily.  On August 4^th,  Langley, British Columbia’s Brett Lawrie was called up from Las Vegas to take over the 3^rd base position permanently and an instant sensation was born.  Before going down with a broken bone in his hand in the final week of the season, Lawrie in 150 at bats slugged 8 doubles, 4 triples and 9 home runs on his way to a stat line of .293/.373/.580.

Outfield: Grade B+
The shining star of the Toronto Blue Jays was once again right fielder Jose Bautista.  After signing a 5 year contract extension in the off season, Bautista followed up with a second consecutive Hank Aaron award given to the top hitter in the American league and Silver Slugger award for the best hitter at his position.

In centerfield the season began with Rajai Davis manning the position and although he continued to steal bases at an impressive rate, he just didn’t get on base at an acceptable rate.  Then Alex Anthopoulos pulled off what was deemed the deal of the century, acquiring Colby Rasmus for what was thought to be very little.  Rasmus was immediately identified as a core piece of the teams’ future, however after much turmoil with Tony LaRussa in St. Louis he never got his head straight and struggled mightily in his brief time with Toronto.

In left field Travis Snider started the season in what many expected would finally be his break out season.  Unfortunately it was more of the same from previous season which saw his continued inconsistent play lead to multiple demotions.  Rookie Eric Thames was then given the everyday job in the second half of the season and put up respectable numbers in 95 games, including hitting 24 doubles, 5 triples and 12 home runs.

Top Offensive Player
Since I voted for Jose Bautista for first place in my Stan Musial Award ballot here…

An award given out by the Baseball Bloggers Alliance for the Top Player in the American League, I think it is safe to say that I also think he was the top offensive player for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2011.

Top Pitcher
This one is fairly easy call as well, as Ricky Romero season was far better than anyone else on the team in 2011.  Although some advance statistics suggest that if it weren’t for bad luck, Brandon Morrow would have been the best pitcher on the team, however I’m not buying it.

Peter DeMarco
Some Thoughts on Baseball

Verlander received all 28 first place votes from the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) to defeat second place finisher Jered Weaver (LAA) by 63 points. James Shields (TB), CC Sabathia (NYY), and Jose Valverde (DET) rounded out the top five in the voting.

The 28-yr old right-hander’s season also included a no-hitter on May 5 versus the Toronto Blue Jays. It was the second no-no of his six year career. He topped double figures in strikeouts four times, including a season high 14 against Arizona on June 25, and averaged nine strikeouts per nine innings (second only to the 10.1 he averaged in 2009).

Verlander will most certainly garner a number of MVP votes when the BBWAA announces the results next Monday, Nov. 21. He’ll face stiff competition though from the likes of Curtis Granderson (NYY), Jose Bautista (TOR), Jacoby Ellsbury (BOS), and others. (My vote goes to Granderson). 

MLB.com’s Ian Browne takes a look at the AL MVP race and Verlander’s chances. Click here to read all about it.

Here’s the complete AL Cy Young voting: 

Drew Sarver is a senior writer  for BaseballDigest.com.  You can also read his work at his blog, My Pinstripes. He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and can be followed on Twitter at @BD_Sarver and @MyPinstripes.

Fans voted for the award on MLB.com, and for the second straight year, a special panel of Hall of Fame players led by Hank Aaron joined fans in voting for the award. The Hall of Fame panel included two new members – personally selected by Hank Aaron – Roberto Alomar and Joe Morgan. They joined panelists from last year, which included Tony Gwynn, Paul Molitor, Willie McCovey, Billy Williams and Robin Yount, forming a group comprised of some of the greatest offensive players of all-time who combined for 23,536 hits, 11,445 RBI and exactly 2,800 home runs.

“I congratulate Jose Bautista and Matt Kemp on being this year’s recipients of the 2011 Hank Aaron Award, named for one of the true pillars of our game,” Baseball Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig said. “Jose has repeated as the American League winner after another brilliant season at the plate, leading Major League Baseball in home runs, slugging and walks. Matt enjoyed an extraordinary year, vying for the National League Triple Crown in the season’s final days and stealing 40 bases on the year. The best is yet to come for both of these young men. I look forward to watching Jose and Matt continue to emulate Hank’s example in the years ahead.”

“It is a real privilege to have my name on the award that recognizes the most outstanding offensive performer in each League,” said Hank Aaron. “I want to congratulate Jose and Matt on their fantastic seasons and express my gratitude to the Hall of Famers and fans who helped select this year’s winners.”

Bautista batted a career-best .302 and led the Majors with 43 home runs. The 31-year-old outfielder added 103 RBI and also led the Majors with a .608 slugging percentage and 132 walks to go along with a .447 on-base percentage (second in Majors), 24 doubles, two triples, 105 runs scored (sixth in the A.L.) and 312 total bases (sixth in the A.L.). The Dominican native became just the fifth player in Major League history to record at least 40 home runs, 130 walks and nine stolen bases in the same season, becoming the first American Leaguer to do so since Babe Ruth in 1930. In addition, the two-time A.L. All-Star was the only player in the Majors to record at least 40 homers, 100 runs scored, 100 RBI and 100 walks with a .600 slugging percentage in 2011, marking the second consecutive season that he has accomplished the feat and making him the first to do so in consecutive seasons since David Ortiz in 2005-2006. The 20th round selection in the 2000 First-Year Player Draft reached base safely in 136 of his 149 games played in 2011. Dating back to September 1, 2009, Bautista leads the Majors with 107 home runs, 22 more than Albert Pujols of the Cardinals, who ranks second during that span.

Kemp, 27, batted .324 (third in the N.L.) with 39 home runs and 126 RBI in 2011, leading the National League in homers, RBI, runs scored (115) and total bases (353). The 2011 N.L. All-Star also finished among league leaders in multi-hit games (57, tied for first), hits (195, second), slugging percentage (.586, second), extra-base hits (76, second), stolen bases (40, tied for second), on-base percentage (.399, fourth) and walks (74, tied for eighth). Kemp became the seventh player in Major League history to finish the season ranked in the top three in homers, batting average, RBI and stolen bases in their respective league, joining Hall of Famers Ty Cobb (1907, 1909-11), Honus Wagner (1908), George Sisler (1920), Chuck Klein (1932), Willie Mays (1955) and Hank Aaron (1963). In addition, the sixth round selection in the 2003 First-Year Player Draft was the first Dodger to lead the N.L. in home runs and RBI since Dolph Camilli in 1941 and the first Dodger in history to lead the N.L. in homers, RBI and runs scored. Kemp, who hit .335 on the year with runners in scoring position, is one of five players all-time to eclipse 30 homers, 35 stolen bases, 100 RBI and a .310 average, joining Ken Williams (1922), Barry Bonds (1992), Alex Rodriguez (1998) and Vladimir Guerrero (2002).

Past winners of include: Jose Bautista and Joey Votto (2010); Derek Jeter and Albert Pujols (2009); Aramis Ramirez and Kevin Youkilis (2008); Alex Rodriguez and Prince Fielder (2007); Jeter and Ryan Howard (2006); David Ortiz and Andruw Jones (2005); Manny Ramirez and Barry Bonds (2004); Rodriguez and Pujols (2003); Rodriguez and Bonds (2001-02); Carlos Delgado and Todd Helton (2000) and Manny Ramirez and Sammy Sosa (1999).

Napoli’s tomahawk in Game 4 of the World Series would make any Atlanta Braves or Florida St. Seminoles fan proud. Bat crushed ball on the first pitch Napoli saw from Cardinals’ reliever Mitchell Boggs and turned a 1-0 cliffhanger in a 4-0, 6th inning lead that would hold up. Monday night saw another nail biter, with the teams tied at two apiece in the 8th inning. That’s when Napoli came to bat with the bases loaded against reliever Mike Rzepczynski. With the hometown fans chanting “Nap-oli”, the guy who looks like a slow pitch softball player, hit a rope up the alley in right-center for a 2-run double and a 4-2 Rangers’ lead. It was the eighth and ninth RBI of the series for the former 17th round draft pick (2000) out of Charles Flanagan High School in Pembrook Pines, Florida.

The Rangers at one time hated Mike Napoli. Now they can’t live without him. Click here to read Stephen Hawkins’ article about Texas’ new favorite teammate.

Napoli hasn’t just done it with his bat though. His defense, which was maligned at times in LA, was a key to a Game 5 victory. Having already thrown out Allen Craig attempting to steal second earlier in the game, Napoli repeated the feat in the top of the 9th inning. With Albert Pujols representing the tying run, Tony LaRussa made the decision to run Craig on a 3-2 count despite being down two. The move backfired as Pujols whiffed at Neftali Feliz’s pitch and Napoli fired a strike to Ian Kinsler to nail Craig for the double play.

The team that selected him probably wishes they had Napoli back since Wells produced a paltry .660 OPS for the Angels while their former player produced career highs in home runs (30), RBI (75), and OPS (1.046). Napoli also helped eliminate his former team from a chance at the post-season with a pair of back to back two-home run games against Los Angeles on the season’s final weekend.

He may not be thinking about it right now, but Napoli should be in for a fine payday this winter after he avoided arbitration prior to the season by signing a one year, $5.8MM deal.  Based on both his regular and post-seasons, Napoli will be looking for a good bump up and a multi-year deal, though he doesn’t have the power of free agency.  Napoli can point not only to his World Series production, but his ALDS numbers as well.  The six year veteran posted a .971 OPS with a home run and four RBI in Texas’ first round knock out of the Tampa Bay Rays. Though Napoli’s catching was limited to 61 regular season games, he was ranked in the upper echelon in the American League by a number of defensive metric gurus.

No matter how much he makes, you can bet the fans in Arlington, Texas will be singing out for Napoli.

Drew Sarver is a senior writer  for BaseballDigest.com.  You can also read his work at his blog, My Pinstripes. He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and can be followed on Twitter at @BD_Sarver and @MyPinstripes.

Sometimes, however, you want to double check and make sure you are not watching a game on a Classic station instead of the live game you expected to tune into.  Stop me if you have heard this one:

The Phillies will move on to the next round of the playoffs with a win.

You have heard that?  What about this one:

The Cardinals, backed into a corner, need to win today to continue their 2011 season.

Heard that one too, huh?  I assure you, this is no rerun.  After an entertaining and suspenseful game three, these two teams will once again square off on the grass of Busch Stadium, this time with the Cardinals’ season hanging in the balance.

The Cardinals have faced three of the four aces and will take on Roy Oswalt on Wednesday evening in an attempt to stay alive.  Not a team to be intimidated, the Cardinals have taken Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee, and Roy Halladay to task.  Scoring runs and forcing pitch counts to grow quickly, the team has found a way to score off of each of the starters and also found a way to get into the bullpen to challenge the Phillies.  On Tuesday, it simply was not enough and the Cardinals fell just short of a thrilling comeback.

I take a look at the Cardinals rollercoaster ride and what they deserve on Baseball Digest’s affiliate site, i70baseball.  You can read that article by clicking here.

Philadelphia will face Edwin Jackson on the hill for the Cardinals in what may turn out to be the deciding game of the series.  EJax was acquired in the trade that sent troubled outfielder, and disgruntled person, Colby Rasmus north of the border to the Toronto Blue Jays.  Jackson has shown signs of brilliance down the stretch but has not been lights out by any means since joining the National League.

Game four starts at 5 p.m. CDT live from St. Louis.  Don’t worry if it seems like you have heard or seen this before.  There is a good chance that the story, as it unfolds, will be entertaining and fresh.

Bill Ivie is the Assignment Editor for BaseballDigest.com and the founder of i70baseball.com, an official Baseball Digest website covering the Cardinals and Royals.

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The primary target for general manager Brian Cashman was known to all, the media, the fans and the rest of Major League Baseball — C.C. Sabathia. Sabathia had just won a Cy-Young Award in 2007 and had just pitched during a playoff run with the Milwaukee Brewers, demonstrating a team-first mentality by pitching on three day’s rest.

Adding Sabathia was a relative no-brainer for all those involved, but Cashman did not stop there. Another free-agent starting pitcher was available, one that had pitched in the American League East and dominated both the Yankees and the Boston Red Sox.

The pitcher, Toronto Blue Jays right hander, A.J. Burnett. The 6-foot-4 righty has all the tools that a team looks for within a pitcher. He has the height and the filthy stuff that makes him capable of throwing a no-hitter each and every time he takes the hill.

However, there were warning signs: Burnett had been on the disabled list over five times in his career, only pitching a full season during his final years of contracts. He has also displayed a maddening inability to pitch to his potential.

Burnett had been a model of inconsistency during the off-season prior to 2009 with a career record that had him at a .500 winning percentage, making him average, but Cashman took a chance on him.

Three years into his Yankees tenure and there is a huge problem, an $82.5 million problem. Yankees manager Joe Girardi speaks of having the best players on the field at all times, but Burnett is no longer one of the five best starting pitching options the Yankees have.

His record is 8-9 with an ERA slightly above the league-average at 4.60, but that does not begin to tell the story. Burnett has not won a decision since June, he was staked to a 13-1 lead and could not earn the victory, showing his inability to focus at key times.

Meanwhile rookie Ivan Nova has been placed on the Scranton to New York shuttle all season, going from Triple A to the Majors and vice versa. His shuttle back and forth is not because of bad results, but because of circumstance.

The 24-year-old showed he had something special last season when after surrendering a home run to Jays slugger Jose Bautista, Nova threw one up and in to the slugger his next time up. It was a return to the old-school style of pitching and Nova let Bautista and everyone else know that the plate belongs to him.

He has ridden the confidence of that confrontation into this season, winning his last eight decisions while possessing an 11-4 record. Nova has shown that he is not afraid of the situation, making the clutch pitch when it is needed.

He has pitched so well that one A.L. scout said that if he were the Yankees management making the decision on a postseason rotation, Nova would be the No. 2 starter. Girardi has already come out and stated that Nova is in the rotation for good, he has earned the right.

The decision to cut down one starter comes down to Phil Hughes or Burnett. Hughes, the former 18-game winner and All-Star last season, has pitched much better of late. In fact, over his past two starts, spanning 12 innings, he has only surrendered two runs while striking out 10.

Most importantly, the velocity that had been missing earlier this year, has now reappeared, making his fastball once again a swing-and-miss pitch. Hughes is still young and can only improve from where he currently stands, but Burnett can’t and has already proved this fact.

If Girardi stands by his best nine play mantra, it will be Burnett shipped off the pen while Hughes helps steady the rotation.

If not, the Yankees are taking a risk they don’t need in their chase of the first-place Boston Red Sox.

Ryan Lazo is a Senior Writer for BaseballDigest.com. He can be reached at RMLazo13@gmail.com, followed on Twitter @RMLazo13 and read his blog Artificially Enhanced.

Chicago has sent pitcher Edwin Jackson, acquired at least year’s deadline, and IF/OF Mark Teahen to Toronto for reliever Jason Frasor and prospect Zach Stewart. The Blue Jays and St. Louis Cardinals are reportedly working on a swap that would send Jackson to LaRussa-land for outfielder Colby Rasmus.

Rasmus and manager Tony LaRussa have not seen eye to eye during Rasmus’ time in St. Lou and even some fans have been annoyed at Rasmus’ perceived inconsistency. The deal also is said to involve cash above the $1MM ceiling and would have to be approved by the Commissioner’s office.

Jackson was 7-7, 3.92 in 19 starts for Chicago after going 4-2, 3.24 in 11 starts after he was acquired from Arizona last July. He’s due the remainder of $8.35MM for this season. Frasor will help bolster a shaky White Sox pen after spending his entire 7 1/2 year career with Toronto. He was 2-1, 2.98 in 44 appearances for the Blue Jays this season.

Stewart moves to his third organization in three years. He was the centerpiece of a deal that sent Scott Rolen to Cincinnati in 2009. He was 0-1, 4.86 in three starts for the Blue Jays this season, with 10 strikeouts in 16.2 innings pitched. after an outstanding season at Double-A New Hampshire, the 24-yr struggled at Triple-A this season, going 5-5, 4.20 in 16 starts.

The 29-yr old Teahen played five season for Kansas City before joining the White Sox the last two seasons. He was hitting .203 with 3 HR and 11 RBI in 51 games.

Update 1:25 pm

Blue Jays and Cards have reportedly agreed on deal; waiting on Commisioner’s approval of cash involved.

Update 1:58 pm

ESPN’s Buster  Olney is reporting the deal would send Colby Rasmus, Trever Miller, Brian Tallet, and P.J. Walters to the Blue Jays with  Edwin Jackson, Octavio Dotel, Marc Rzepczynski and Corey Patterson going to St. Louis. Olney also reports that Miller will be sent to the White Sox to complete the deal made  earlier today.

Drew Sarver is a senior writer  for BaseballDigest.com.  You can also read his work at his blog, My Pinstripes. He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and can be followed on Twitter at @BD_Sarver and @MyPinstripes.

Dayan Viciedo, RF, Charlotte Knights, International League, White Sox – Viciedo has raised his average every month since the start of the 2011 season. He finished June hitting .371, 43 hits, nine of them doubles. He’s begun July at an excellent pace. He’s gotten nine hits in his last ten games, hitting .325. July also saw him being selected to play in the Futures Game. Overall, he leads the league with 62 RBI and 16 home runs. Highlight: Hard to choose between the July 1st two-home run-game or the July 7th three-RBI-game.

Michael Maness, RHP, Batavia Muckdogs, New York Penn League, St. Louis Cardinals – Maness has a 0.32 ERA in three starts in July, allowing just 2 earned runs in 28 innings. In four innings of relief he had a 0.oo ERA. Since June 19th he’s walked just three batters. Highlight: On July 1st he went six innings, allowing a run (unearned) a hit, and a walk.

Darin Gorski, LHP, St. Lucie Mets, Florida State League – Gorski has dominated the league all season. He has not had a loss yet and collected 9 wins. He’s also leading the league in strikeouts with 102 and his 1.82 ERA is the FSL lowest. Between June 12th and mid-July he has been a revelation: 9 hits, 10 earned runs, 29 strikeouts in 37 innings. He finished June with a 0.79 ERA. Highlight: A one-hitter on June 27th against the Charlotte Stone Crabs.

Tyler Townsend, 1B, Frederick Keys, Carolina League, Baltimore Orioles – Townsend is on the 7-day DL, but before July 13th he was on an offensive tear. Between June 1st and July 11th he put together a seven-game hit streak. He leads the league with 50 RBI. He’s also collected 23 doubles and 13 home runs. Highlight: On July 9th he had a 3-hit, 4-RBI game. He also hit a home run and drew a walk.

My eye on… Anthony Gose, CF, New Hampshire Fisher Cats, Eastern League, Toronto Blue Jays

Gose is putting up good numbers for the Fisher Cats, hitting .256, with 39 RBI and 9 home runs in 88 games this season. 

“I think he’s definitely gotten himself in place to be a better player,” said Fisher Cats manager Sal Fasano. “Defensively he’s doing ok. I think he’s got the potential to be Gold Glove caliber in the outfield. If he can consistently bring it on a day to day basis it can be.”

In a a game in early July, Gose exhibited quick thinking and feet on the bases, laying a bunt down, as well as getting a hit off of Phil Hughes. His speed and ability to use it smartly showed improvement. He appears to be translating his tools into skills.

“He’s gotten better on the bases. I think his getting caught percentage is a lot better than last year,” Fasano said.

Gose is in his first season at the Double-A level and exhibiting good pitch recognition and even better patience at the plate than earlier in the season.

Costas and Michaels will also make special appearances on SNY’s broadcast and on Comcast SportsNet Bay Area’s broadcast in the game’s middle innings, while Mets announcers Gary Cohen and Ron Darling and Giants announcers Duane Kuiper and Mike Krukow will appear in MLB Network’s booth during that time, as its telecast will not be available in the Giants’ and Mets’ home television markets.

Throughout his renowned career, Michaels has called eight World Series, including Game Three of the 1989 World Series at San Francisco’s Candlestick Park that was interrupted by the Loma Prieta earthquake. He began his play-by-play career with the Hawaii Islanders in the Pacific Coast League in 1968, later joining the Cincinnati Reds in 1971, the San Francisco Giants’ broadcast booth in 1974 and ABC Sports in 1977. Michaels is currently the voice of NBC’s “Sunday Night Football,” has covered more major sports events than any sportscaster, and was recently honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Sports Emmy Awards.

MLB Network’s live game telecasts in July begin with an Interleague matchup between the Mets hosting their cross-town rival New York Yankees on Friday, July 1 at 7:00 p.m. ET.  The schedule continues with an American League holiday doubleheader on Monday, July 4 featuring the Toronto Blue Jays against the Boston Red Sox at 1:00 p.m. ET and the AL East first-place Yankees visiting the Cleveland Indians at 6:00 p.m. ET. MLB Network will also showcase division leaders throughout the month, including the Giants at AL Central first-place Detroit Tigers, NL Central first-place Milwaukee Brewers at Cincinnati Reds and the NL East first-place Philadelphia Phillies at Chicago Cubs. Later in the month, MLB Network will feature a rematch of the 2010 NLCS with the defending World Champion Giants against the 2009 National League Champion Phillies on July 26 and July 28.

Games will be blacked out in each team’s home television territory unless otherwise announced. Viewers in areas subject to blackouts will be provided with an alternate game telecast or other programming.

Hughes was born in Mission Viejo and was an All-American at Foothill High School in Santa Ana, CA. He capped off his scholastic career with a 9-1, 0.69 mark as a senior and committed to Santa Clara University. But Hughes was selected as the 23rd overall pick in the first round of the 2004 draft by the New York Yankees and found himself making three appearances in the Gulf Coast League that summer. The 19-yr old spent the 2005 season split between Charleston and Tampa, posting a combined 9-1, 2.19 record with 93 strikeouts in 86.1 innings.

Hughes followed it up with a 12-6, 2.16 record with 168 strikeouts in 146 innings at Tampa and Trenton the following season. Expectations in the Bronx were through the roof and Hughes was ranked as the number two prospect in Baseball America prior to the 2007 season. Hughes started the season at Triple-A Scranton, but was called to make his Major League debut on April 26 against the Toronto Blue Jays and current teammate A.J. Burnett.

Hughes was touched up for a pair of runs in the 1st inning before cruising through the next three frames. But Hughes didn’t make it out of the 5th inning and was charged with four runs in 4.1 innings. The much anticipated debut was less than stellar, but his second time out would be a game to remember in more ways than one.

It was May 1st at the Ballpark in Arlington when Hughes took the mound against the Texas Rangers. Hughes walked the lead off hitter Kenny Lofton, but got a quick double play and a strikeout to end the 1st inning. Except for an additional pair of walks, Hughes tossed zeros through the 6th inning and had not allowed a hit. The Yankees offense had handed Hughes a 9-0 lead as he strode to the mound in the 7th inning. Hughes quickly retired the lead off hitter, Michael Young, and faced future teammate Mark Teixeira. That’s when Hughes’ season turned upside down. Hughes over extended himself in attempt to get more torque on his curve ball and pulled his hamstring. He was done for the night (Hank Blalock broke up the no-hitter with a double off Mike Myers to start the 8th) and would not return to the Major Leagues until August the 4th.

It was a rocky return when Hughes did come back to the Bronx. He was just 1-2, 6.40 in six August starts and struggled with his command. But Hughes once again gave hope for the future with a strong final month of the season (3-0, 2.73 in five starts) and an impressive pair of post-season appearances against the Cleveland Indians, which included a victory in the ALDS. But just when you think things are on the upswing, life can kick you where it hurts.

Hughes would make just eight appearances in 2008 due to a variety of injuries and didn’t win a game. Suddenly many of the expectant fans thought Hughes was done or wouldn’t amount to anything. That he was fragile and another Carl Pavano in the making. It didn’t help matters that fellow rookie Ian Kennedy also struggled and the team didn’t make the playoffs for the first time in a dozen years. But each spring training brings renewal and 2009 would be a re-birth for both Hughes and the Yankees.

With the team in need of bullpen help, the Yankees decided to shift Hughes into a relief role. The now 23-yr old responded with dominance. He struck out 10 batters per nine innings and walked just 2.9 per nine innings. The third year player established himself as the 8th inning man in front of Mariano Rivera and was one of the keys to the Yankees return to the playoffs. Though Hughes personally struggled in the post-season, the Yankees captured their first World Series title in nine years and their 27th overall. Hughes had a magnificent year, but GM Brian Cashman was quick to point out that his former first round pick was still considered a starter and would resume that role in 2010.

Hughes not only returned to a starting role, but had a tremendous first half and made his first All-Star team. He wasn’t as consistent in the second half, perhaps some of his shoulder issues were beginning, but he still finished with an 18-8, 4.19 record and set career highs in innings pitched (176.1) and strikeouts (146). The Yankees makeshift rotation of 2011 has overachieved thus far, but if Hughes can return healthy and throwing hard, the team should be a post-season factor once again.

Also Born On This Date:

Doug Jones (1957 Covina, CA): The pitcher was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers out of Butler University in 1978. He spent 16 seasons in the Major Leagues with all but four of his 846 career appearances coming in relief. Jones career took him to Milwaukee and Cleveland twice, Houston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Chicago (NL), and Oakland. He saved 303 games in his career, currently the 21st highest total in Major League Baseball.  Before Jones retired following the 2000 season, he was named to five All-Star games and finished in the top 15 in MVP voting twice.

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Drew Sarver is a senior writer  for BaseballDigest.com.  You can also read his work at his blog, My Pinstripes. He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and can be followed on Twitter at @BD_Sarver and @MyPinstripes.

www.lansinglugnuts.com

Baseball Digest.Com: Your team has an unusual name. How did the name Lugnuts come about?

Pat Day: We did a name the team contest when we knew the team was going to be playing in Lansing sixteen years ago. A fan selected it and Tom Dixon, our owner worked on our logo. USA Today in 2004 did a national poll and the Lugnuts got voted the number brand in baseball.

BD.Com: What was your first job working in baseball?

Day: My first job was in 1998 as a general intern for the Princeton Rays in Princeton, West Virginia in the Appalachian League. I worked for Jim Holland, the GM at that time. He was a great guy; he was very helpful to me.

BD.Com: How did you obtain that job?

Day: I got my degree in public relations and advertising from Concord College; now Concord University located about fifteen minutes outside Princeton. I had no idea what I wanted to do so I called Jim and asked if he did internships. I had to do an internship to get my degree, he hired me and the rest is history.

BD.Com: How did you wind up with the Lugnuts?

Day: I finished my internship with Jim in 1998 and he helped me get a job in Charleston, West Virginia. I worked there from 1999 to Dec 2003. I then went to the Montgomery Biscuits in 2004 as Assistant General Manager. In February 2007, I was transferred to Lansing and became GM.

BD.Com: What are your responsibilities for the Lugnuts?

Day: I run the business on a day-to-day basis and work with my owners, Tom Dixon and Sherrie Myers. We have twenty-five full time employees who help me offer a great product to our fans here in Northern Michigan.

I handle sponsorship sales, ticket sales, finance department, food service business, marketing department, retail business, facility operations and grounds keeping department.

BD.Com: What is the economy like in Lansing?

Day: The foreclosure rate is high, the unemployment rate is higher than the national average but our product is positioned very well in an economy like this because people have a need for entertainment for their families and our product is affordable. For example, you can get a seat behind home plate here for ten dollars.

BD.Com: When and how did you get interested in working in baseball?

Day: My eyes were opened to the opportunity in baseball during my internship for Jim Holland.

BD.Com: When did you get interested in baseball?

Day: I was the youngest of four boys and my family had an interest in baseball. My brothers were older than me and they played the game. I grew up Western Mass, Red Sox territory and I became a big Red Sox fan.

BD.Com: what was the first professional game you saw?

Day: I was eight years old in 1983, it was a doubleheader, the Red Sox against the Kansas City Royals. The Sox pitchers were Bruce Hurst and Roger Clemons. Dan Quisenbery, the great sidearmer came in for relief for the Royals.

BD.Com: Who were a few of your favorite players at that time?

Day: Jim Rice, Boston Red Sox, now in the Hall of Fame. I am a product of the eighties and the most devastated I ever was as a child was when the ball went through Bill Buckner’s leg in the 1986 World Series.

BD.Com: Who are a few of your all-time players?

Day: Besides Jim Rice, I always respected George Brett, Tony Gwynn and Pete Rose.

BD.Com: Of all your accomplishments with the Lugnuts, what are you most proud of?

Day: The ability for the Lugnuts to make a connection with the fans. They have a true affinity for the team and the product we offer. That is what I am most proud of.

BD.Com: Where were you born and raised?

Day: I was born in Fairfax, Virginia but raised in Otis, Mass. Otis was a small town in Western Mass., about fourteen hundred people with one streetlight. It is about thirty miles outside Springfield, Mass. I graduated from Lee High School in Lee, Mass.

BD.Com: Did you play any sports in High School?

Day: I played basketball and was an outside linebacker and pulling guard in football. In baseball, I was a catcher. Baseball was my best sport. I made All Western Mass. as a Junior and Senior. Like many youngsters, I dreamed of playing in the Majors as catcher for the Red Sox.

BD.Com: What is the most difficult part of your job?

Day: Dealing with the nasty weather. Snow and rain, these are things you cannot control. I can control how hot the hotdog is, but I cannot control the inclement weather.

BD.Com: Have you ever pulled tarp?

Day: Sure. I have pulled plenty of tarp.

BD.Com: What is the most outstanding memory you have working with the Lugnuts?

Day: In 2009, we had an exhibition game, the Lugnuts against Michigan State University. We had great weather and attracted over thirteen thousand fans. This included lawn seating and fans standing. This was the largest crowd ever in our ballpark.

BD.Com: What makes you successful at your job?

Day: My passion for my work. I love what I do. I love working with the employees, the partners of the club, the season ticket holders, our sponsors and fans.

BD.Com: Should any player found guilty of using steroids be in the Hall of Fame?

Day: This is a question I have wrestled with. My problem with not letting them in is the fact the Major League baseball did not have a rule about steroids at that time. They were not technically breaking a rule, the rule did not exist. I get the gambling rule. That has been written in the rules, locker rooms and contracts.

Steroids was against the law but not written in the baseball rulebook. That is my problem with the subject. It is up to the voting writers to make that decision. Some of the players who did steroids would have been Hall of Famers, even if they did partake.

BD.Com: Who was your mentor in baseball?

Day: Tom Dixon and Sherrie Myers, the current owners of this club and others. (b)

BD.Com: Which GM in baseball, Major and Minor do you admire the most?

Day: A gentleman I used to work for, Greg Rauch of the Montgomery Biscuits. I worked with Greg for about ten years.

BD.Com: What are the possibilities a women could be a General Manager in the Major Leagues?

Day: Absolutely, there will be one in the future. I believe the woman who works for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Kim Ng has a good chance.

BD.Com: What is the most unusual promotion you have seen with the Lugnuts?

Day: The promotion was called Eat-A-Paloza. We were celebrating our fifteenth anniversary here in Lansing and on Opening Day, we did a fifteen dollar ticket enabling fans to eat all the food they wanted to eat. People were very appreciative of this and took full advantage.

BD.Com: What is your favorite (not counting your own) ballpark to watch a game?

Day: Fenway Park in Boston, not only because I was a big fan growing up but also because it is an historic park.

BD.Com: What is your favorite baseball movie?

Day: The Natural with Robert Redford, Robert Duval and Glenn Close. (c)

BD.Com: Opening Day is a special day in baseball. What are your thoughts as the Lugnuts approach this important day?

Day: I think about the amazing product we have and how fortunate I am to be a small part of it

BD.Com: Funny things happen in baseball, what is the most humorous thing you have seen?

Day: It has to be the ball bouncing off Jose Conseco’s head and went over the fence for a homerun.

BD.Com: Do you follow any other sports?

Day: Living here in Lansing I follow Michigan State University football and basketball games.

BD.Com: Are you married, have any children?

Day: Yes, I married my lovely wife Erica two and a half years ago and our first daughter was born April 23, 2011. We named her Emerson Oakes.

BD.Com: What do you do for relaxation after work?

Day: I work more! Just kidding. I spend time with my wife. I do not have a lot of hobbies,

BD.Com: Do the Lugnuts have a mascot?

Day: Yes we do, his name is Big-Lug. He is a big happy dinosaur who loves baseball, and the kids love him. Big Lug is responsible for entertaining fans young and old. He is out at Cooley Law School Stadium every game. He is seven feet of baseball love, hailing from parts unknown, the eighth wonder of the world and the Lugnuts’ biggest fan!

BD.Com: Does the team have a song?

Day: Yes we do. It is called “Go Nuts” Some of the words are:

You’ve got inhibitions,
Lose em’.
You got vocal chords,
Use em’.
You got the rhythm, 
You got the beat,
You gotta clap your hands,
You gotta stomp your feet.
You gotta Go Nuts, Go Nuts, Go Nuts, Go Nuts
Lugnuts, Lugnuts, Lugnuts, Lugnuts Go Nuts, go Lugnuts.

BD.Com: Do you have a favorite motto or quote?

Day: You miss one-hundred percent of the shots you do not take.

BD.Com: Should Major League Baseball utilize instant replay, not ball and strikes?

Day: Yes, I believe they should. I am a proponent of instant replay.

BD.Com: Who are a few of your favorite singers?

Day: I like James Taylor, Harry Chapin and Cat Stevens.

BD.Com: What are your thoughts about aluminum bats used in college?

Day: I think they are fine for High School and College. Wood bats are expensive; The high cost could kill the budget.

BD.Com: What is your favorite American city to visit?

Day: I have been to many cities but my wife and I like Miami, Florida.

BD.Com: What book are you currently reading?

Day: The Wall Street Journal Guide to Investing Money.

BD.Com: What is your favorite ballpark food?

Day: I love the Fenway Franks in Boston. At our park, I favor the large Phillie Cheese Steak sandwich.

BD.Com: What are a few of your favorite movies?

Day: Aside from The Natural, the original Wall Street film, and All the Right Moves with Tom Cruise.

BD.Com: At the end of this season, looking back on the year, what will you be most proud of?

Day: The growth of some of my employees.

(a) Thomas M. Cooley Law School Stadium is located in downtown Lansing. Previously known as Oldsmobile Park after its largest sponsor, Oldsmobile, the General Motors automobile line that was discontinued in 2004.

The first Minor League game was played on April 5, 1996 between the Lansing Lugnuts and the Rockford Cubbies.

In March 2010, Lansing based Jackson National Life insurance Company purchased the right to name the field “Jackson Field” thus the full name of the venue is: Jackson Field at Thomas M. Cooley Law School Stadium.

(b) The husband-and-wife team Tom Dickson and Sherrie Myers purchased the Waterloo Diamonds in 1993 in Iowa. The team played the 1994 and 1995 seasons as the Sultans in Springfield, Illinois, before relocating to Lansing, Michigan’s capital city in 1996 and became the Lansing Lugnuts.

(c) The film was based on Bernard Malamud’s novel about an unusually gifted baseball player.

Norm Coleman is a sports writer, actor and photographer. He lives in Half Moon Bay, CA.

Hall-of-Famer Molitor spent 21 years in Major League Baseball, playing for the Milwaukee Brewers, Toronto Blue Jays and Minnesota Twins. He was a seven-time All-Star and is one of only four players in major league history with at least 3,000 hits, a .300 lifetime batting average and 500 stolen bases. Molitor is the only player ever to accomplish these feats and hit at least 200 home runs. He was also a three-year starter at the University of Minnesota where he earned All-American honors during his sophomore and junior years.

Carter launched into superstardom in Game Six of the 1993 World Series when his walk-off three-run home run gave the Toronto Blue Jays their second of back-to-back titles. During his 15-year career, Carter played for the Toronto Blue Jays, Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians. He was named to five All-Star teams, hit 396 home runs and recorded 1,445 RBIs. Carter attended Wichita State University and was named Sporting News College Player of the Year in 1981.

Frank Thomas (via Flickr)

Thomas, nicknamed “The Big Hurt,” played for the Chicago White Sox, Oakland Athletics and Toronto Blue Jays over the course of an 18-year career. Thomas is one of four players to have at least a .300 batting average, 500 home runs, 1,500 RBIs, 1,000 runs and 1,500 walks in a career. He was a five-time All-Star, a two-time American League MVP and the 1995 MLB Home Run Derby champion. Thomas played baseball and football at Auburn University.

The College Home Run Derby will feature eight of the nation’s premier power hitters facing off in an elimination-style format competition. A current watch list featuring this season’s heavy hitters is published weekly in Baseball America. A list of participating players will be announced in the coming weeks.

Tickets for the 2011 TD Ameritrade College Home Run Derby, which will include the 27th annual Omaha World-Herald fireworks display, are on sale and may be purchased in person from the Qwest Center Omaha arena box offices, by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000 or online. A portion of the proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to TD Ameritrade’s three major charitable giving initiatives: the Special Olympics, Habitat for Humanity and the United Way.

With an 28-26 record entering play before last night’s game, the Jays are not a dominant club by any means — there are no dominant teams in baseball thus far on the season — but they are a team worth watching.

The American League East can be depicted by many fans and analysts alike to be a yearly battle between two bitter rivals, one that can be traced back to the trade of Babe Ruth which set the Red Sox back for what their fans believed to be a curse. The scene, whether it be the regular season or playoffs, feature four-hour games, a multitude of pitching changes and a reality that maybe this rivalry isn’t as heated as it previously was.

A number of factors could be to blame, but the easy answer is neither team has been playing up to its own expectations. This has opened the door, however slightly, for the basement-dwellers of the East to rise up and so far it is the Jays who have answered the bell.

The start of the Jays turnaround has to be credited to their general manager Alex Anthopoulos. Anthopoulos, once given the job after the firing of former general manager J.P. Ricciardi, decided to change the whole team, piece by piece.

It became obvious to everyone that he wanted to get rid of the mistakes of his predecessor. Residing in the same division as the Red Sox and Yankees can give a team an idea of how they could compete, but not the right way. Once given money to splurge, Ricciardi did, but his decisions were questionable at best.

His top signing was adding B.J. Ryan, the Baltimore Orioles closer, to be the lights out ninth inning man the Jays needed. He also signed free-agent A.J. Burnett who turned in his best performance as a Jay in his last, parlaying it into another big-money deal with division rival, the Yankees.

Ricciardi failed to see the warning signs on either pitcher. Burnett’s past is littered with so many injuries and ineffectiveness that he might as well have a billboard stating, “Buyer beware, can not pitch to the level of talent possessed.”

On the Ryan signing, Ricciardi failed to see the drop in velocity, the location that was missed regularly and the spotty history as the closer in Baltimore. Once bestowed with the big-money contract, he lived up to it for one season than spent the next three injured and has not been seen since 2009, his 33-year-old season.

To add insult to injury, he gave Vernon Wells an above-market deal to keep him across the border and not allow him to test the free-agent market. That turned into another disaster — enter Anthopoulos who traded away his colossal contract this past off-season, successfully completed a trade to obtain Brandon Morrow, who who currently owns an 11.9 K’s per nine innings mark and completed the biggest trade in Jays history — Roy Halladay.

Anthopoulos traded Halladay to the Philadelphia Phillies and received Kyle Drabek, the son of former N.L. Cy-Young Award winner Doug Drabek in return. Pairing those two pitchers with Ricky Romero who has proved this season that he is, in fact, an ace.

Changing up the infield also led to the acquisition of Yunel Escobar who is hitting .293 thus far on the season and decided to go with youth in the catcher position by bringing up J.P. Arencibia. In the most pressure-packed position on the field, the catcher spot, Arencibia has performed well-beyond expectations as the manager on the field.

The Jays also possess the games best hitter Jose Bautista who has blasted 20 home runs already this season after hitting 54 last year. They can even expect more of a jolt courtesy of their farm system with Brett Lawrie, the No. 40 ranked prospect in the game.

Lawrie has belted 15 home runs in Triple A and is only 21 years of age, meaning he is not even close to fulfilling his potential.

With a starting staff that possesses three ace-quality arms and a team full of players who can hit, the Jays are here to stay. Anthopoulos guided the Jays to an 85-win season last year and has a team full of promising players.

The seeds have been planted and soon they will begin to sprout, leading the Jays into the thick of A.L. East contention.

Around the Division:

Baltimore Orioles: The Orioles demoted two young and promising starting pitchers this week in Chris Tillman and Brad Begesen. Neither pitcher was having a stellar year, unlike their rotation counterpart Zach Britton. The O’s will look for them to improve their results on the farm and hopefully recall them by the time the year is over.

Boston Red Sox: Manager Terry Francona reworked his rotation for the Sox upcoming series against the New York Yankees. Jon Lester will now be starting one of the three games in what figure to be a battle for first place among the two rivals.

New York Yankees: The Yankees received a virtuoso performance from Bartolo Colon on Monday. Colon completed the Yankees first complete game shutout since C.C. Sabathia threw one against the Baltimore Orioles in 2009. The question remains: How long can he keep this up?

Tampa Bay Rays: Evan Longoria had his welcome-back moment for the Rays last night. He has hit well since coming back from his injury, but had yet to have one of his statement games, however, last night he hit the go-ahead two-run home run to give the Rays the victory over the Texas Rangers.

Ryan Lazo is a Senior Writer for BaseballDigest.com. He can be reached at RMLazo13@gmail.com, followed on Twitter @RMLazo13 and read his blog Artificially Enhanced.

Baseball Digest.Com: Where were you born and raised?

Ellen Harrigan: I was born in Derry, Northern Ireland. My family emigrated to Toronto, Canada when I was a young child, in the mid sixties. Baseball was not something familiar to the Harrigan Clan. In fact, growing up a Torontonian we did not talk baseball until 1977 when Toronto was awarded an expansion team. Even then, baseball was a once a year school trip and that was about it for me.

BD.com: What College did you attend and what where your plans upon graduating?

Harrigan: I attended Senator O’Connor College School, located in Don Mill, Ontario, Canada. As High School graduation approached I knew with all my heart that I wanted to be a Police Woman. I wanted to follow in dad’s steps. It was always something I thought would be rewarding, challenging and suited to my personality.

At seventeen my father was concerned about my joining the Police Force at so young an age. He asked me to wait until I was twenty-one. If I still wanted to join, he would support and help me. I did not want to pursue college and thought I’d bide my time and get a job until I reached the agreed upon age. I took a summer job and then decided to look for something more permanent. I applied to a number of companies, some stating their company name and others simply a description of a job.

BD.com: How did you wind up working for the Toronto Blue Jays? Did you know who they were and what they did?

Harrigan: The Toronto Blue Jays were one of those companies that just outlined a job so I did not know the company name or who they were or what they did until after I submitted my resume. I received a call to come in for an interview. I interviewed with several people and the following week they offered a job to me.

I found out later that after interviewing a great number of applicants, the fact that I was six feet tall had some influence as I would be able to reach the top of the player board and change the player names as the rosters were juggled. Points for being young, naive and tall and so began my baseball career in November of 1981.

BD.com: Where you still interested in becoming a Police Officer?

Harrigan: Needless to say the desire to become a Police Woman was still strong. Without my father’s knowledge, I went to Police Headquarters and made an application during my first few months with the Blue Jays. I was interviewed, tested, and sent to their Police College for some additional physical and psychological testing. I was at the point where a decision to join the Police Force was imminent.

Then the Blue Jays asked me to go to Spring Training in Dunedin, Florida for six weeks. You can guess which route I took and it has been a great ride ever since. Tommy Lasorda always says that doing something you love is not work at all and I can honestly say I know what he means. So many people go thru life waiting for Friday, disliking their job. I’ve been fortunate enough to enjoy the roller-coaster ride for twenty-eight seasons now.

BD.com: What did you do for the Blue Jays?

Harrigan: I worked under Pat Gillick for over fourteen years with the Blue Jays (and then another three years with the Baltimore Orioles), the first seven in the Toronto office in Player Development and Scouting. We did not call it Baseball Operations then, but basically that is what it is called now.

We did not have computers then so we communicated with the Commissioner’s Office by Twix Machine and tracked scouts down in airports by paging them or leaving messages with the airlines, posing as family members with important news. My next seven years were operating a minor league club that was owned by the Toronto Blue Jays. After my first year there I became the General Manager. At that time there were very few women in that role.

That was the most fun and creative time in my career. This also gave me a true understanding of the player development system, scouting process and the importance of a solid teaching staff (Managers, Coaches and Trainers). Toronto decided to sell the Short Season A Club (Short Season Club: St. Catharines Blue Jays of the New York Penn League.) and I assisted with the ownership transition. Then, Gillick had assumed the GM role with the Baltimore Orioles and asked me to join his staff in the Major League office.

I spent almost four seasons with the Orioles gaining great experience and widening my perspective on Baseball Operations. The greatest resources Clubs have are the people that work for them. We can learn so much from all of the great personalities baseball offers. When Gillick retired and Kevin Malone moved over to the Los Angeles Dodgers to take the General Manager role, I headed to Los Angeles to work in Baseball Operations. In my early years with the Dodgers we had a fair bit of transition in both Management and ownership. In fact, Ned Colletti is the fifth General Manager that I have worked with here and he is a keeper. I am in my eleventh season with the Dodgers and look forward to each game!

BD.com: Should baseball use instant replay? (not on balls & strikes)

Harrigan: Perhaps that is the way of the future, to have an umpire in the press box reviewing plays that are in question. However, I’m not really comfortable with it and the effect if will have on the pace of game.

Harrigan with BD.com's Norm Coleman

BD.com: What do you do during the off- season?

Harrigan: Off season is our busiest time of year, tendering contracts to staff and then players, roster management, preparing for spring training. Winters grow shorter and shorter in baseball!

BD.com: Care to name a few of your favorite Dodgers?

Harrigan: Tommy Lasorda, Maury Wills, Roy Campanella, Don Newcombe. There are so many great Dodgers and I look forward to learning more about the rich history of our Organization.

BD.com: What is the most outstanding memory you have working for the Dodgers?

Harrigan: My most memorable time with the Dodgers would have to be a cumulative memory of the days spent at Dodgertown (a) during each spring training. Dodgertown was the most unique baseball venue I’ve ever seen. The compound consisted of numerous baseball diamonds, half diamonds, batting tunnels, pitching mounds and training facilities. It also had living quarters, dining room facilities, meeting rooms, and numerous recreational facilities. All specifically designed to meet the needs of housing, feeding, training and then playing baseball for roughly two hundred players and sixty staff members each spring. It was a village onto itself and promoted a “team” atmosphere that is unmatched in baseball.

BD.com: What advice would you give a young woman considering a career in baseball?

Harrigan: Work hard by listening, reading, watching and learning as much about the business of baseball as you can absorb. Find a mentor to talk with and bounce ideas off. Challenge yourself to learn something new every day about the game.

BD.com: What makes you successful at your job?

Harrigan: I thoroughly enjoy what I do. I know my limitations and I try to push myself to learn more. I thrive being part of a “team effort”.

BD.com: What was the biggest obstacle you overcame to get into baseball?

Harrigan: I fell into baseball by luck but there are obstacles in every job and persistence with focus on accuracy helped me to become good at what I do.

BD.com: What are a few of your favorite movies?

Harrigan: Bull Durham, An Affair to Remember, 2001 and A Space Odyssey.

BD.com: What is your favorite baseball book?

Harrigan: Branch Rickey’s Little Blue Book. It’s a collection of notes, letters and the philosophy of Branch Rickey. (b) His impact on the game is remarkable.

BD.com: Some teams have gone green. Has your team done so?

Harrigan: The Dodgers are working towards creating a more green environment. We have a recycling program in place and we utilize green cleaning products. Our concessions use compostable containers and servicing items.

BD.com: What is the most creative part of you?

Harrigan: Fortunately, with over twenty-eight years of experience in the game, I feel I can be creative by taking old ideas and making them fresh and relevant to today’s needs.

BD.com: Are you married? Do you have any children?

Harrigan: I am divorced with one son, Justin Charles. Justin is now twenty years old and a College Student with zero interest in baseball. Where did I go wrong!? Good thing he’s a great kid!

BD.com: What do you do for relaxation after work?

Harrigan: I like to read, go to the movies, go to the beach and take the dog to the dog park. Spending time with family is always a favorite thing to do too.

BD.com: Do you have a favorite quote or motto?

Harrigan: “Winners make things happen, losers let things happen”. I want to be a winner no matter what I do

(a) Dodgertown – Holman Stadium is a baseball stadium in Vero Beach, Florida built in 1953 to accommodate spring training for the Dodgers as part of a complex called Dodgertown.

In 2009, the Dodgers joined the Chicago White Sox sharing operations at a new facility in Glendale, Arizona. The Dodgers’ last spring training game in Vero Beach was on March 17, 2008.

(b) Branch Rickey – Wesley Branch Rickey was an innovative Major League executive elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1967. He was known for breaking Major League’s baseball color barrier by signing the first African/American ballplayer, Jackie Robinson in 1947 for the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Norm Coleman is a sports writer, actor and photographer. He lives in Half Moon Bay, CA.

Anthony Rizzo, 1B, Tuscon Padres, Pacific Coast League, San Diego Padres. – Rizzo’s fifty RBI leads the PCL and on his torrid pace he’s hit 12 home runs (2nd in PCL) and in 36 games has a .723 SLG percentage. He’s also hitting a very respectable .321 against left-handed pitching. Not surprisingly Rizzo is working walks, with eighteen under his belt in 141 at-bats.

Jake Odorizzi, RHP, Wilmington Blue Rocks, Carolina League, Kansas City Royals – Odorizzi is 3-0 with a 2.45 ERA, but it’s his 0.96 ERA vs. lefties that stands outs. Left-handed hitters have drawn just two walks and gotten two earned runs off of him in eighteen innings, averaging .179 against him. His 55 strikeouts lead the Carolina League.

Alex Cobb, RHP, Durham Bulls, International League, Tampa Bay Rays – In 34.1 innings Cobb has 38 strikeouts and has walked just nine batters, surrenduring just one home run. He’s gone 4-0 with a 1.31 ERA. Cobb has gone deep into ball games showing his ability to strike guys out is only part of what’s impressive about him.

Brad Glenn, OF, Dunedin Blue Jays, Florida State League, Toronto Blue Jays – With 29 RBI this season, Glenn is already on pace to surpass his 2010 total of 70. Glenn’s right-handed power has produced ten home runs, five of them over seven games. Glenn doesn’t lead the FSL in any categories, but check his TB: with 82 he trails league-leader Kyle Jensen by just seven. He leads the D-Jays in home runs with 10 and in runs with 142.

My Eye On… Matt Rizzotti, 1B, Reading Phillies, Eastern League – The Matt Rizzotti game was on display in the R-Phils May 9th-11th series at the Trenton Thunder. He worked two walks and hit a home run, showing his left-handed power in the DH role, a role that seems perfectly suited to him. His Phillies future is uncertain, but an opportunity to play in the American League down the road could make Rizzotti an excellent option off the bench. He needs to keep the strikeout totals down, something he’s struggled with a bit lately, but he’s also showed he knows how to wait for his pitch. The time at Triple-A Scranton in 2010 seems to have advanced his already patient approach.

Though Rizzotti’s offense is what gets him the most positive attention, he made it clear this season and in 2010 that he wants to improve his defense.

“Always defense,” he said in 2010 when I spoke with him.

And he repeated that goal recently. “Defense, defense, defense, defense, defense,” he said when asked what he needs to improve the most.

Jessica Quiroli covers the Minor Leagues for Baseball Digest. She covers MLB for Junior Baseball Magazine, and the Double-A Trenton Thunder for Scout.com. Follow her on Twitter @heelsonthefield and check out her MILB blog at http://www.highheelsonthefield.us