1BJW Interview: Brett Cecil

As Brett Cecil continues on his journey back to the Majors, the 25-year-old has had some ups and downs this season. Over last off-season, the lefty hurler dropped significant weight and ran into problems with his location and fastball velocity this spring, as he learned to adapt to pitching with his "new body".

He had been improving with Double-A New Hampshire, in recent outings. Through 7 starts, Cecil had posted a 3-2 record with a 3.71 ERA. Over his previous 4 starts, Cecil had posted a 1.66 ERA and most recently, his velocity was back in the 90's.

Cecil got the start for NH in Trenton on Friday night and his velocity maxed out at 88 MPH. In the outing, a no decision, Cecil threw 5 2/3 innings while allowing 10 hits, 2 earned runs and 3 walks while striking out 5.

After the game was suspended with a 2-2 tie in the 8th inning, due to rain, I spoke with Brett about his progress, his adaptation to the weight loss, how his manager Sal Fasano has impacted his season and plenty more. Check out the media player below to hear the full interview.




As a bonus, here's a video clip of Cecil striking out Trenton Thunder player Luke Murton.



_____________________________________________________________________

Follow 1BJW on Twitter by clicking HERE.

Hot Prospects: May Edition

Throughout the minors, there are so many players to keep up with.  It is often difficult to know who or what to pay attention to.  With that in mind, right here, right now we'll take a glance at some of the top performers throughout the Blue Jays' system this season and get you all caught up.


Lansing Lugnuts….34-13 record, 1st place in the Class A Midwest League’s Eastern division.

David Rollins, a 24th round draft choice out of San Jacinto College North last year, has posted outstanding numbers for the Lugnuts. The 22-year-old lefty hurler has a 4-0 record with a 2.64 ERA while striking out 41 batters and walking just 15 in 44 1/3 innings through 10 starts this season. Rollins, who stands 6-feet-1-inch tall and weighs around 195 pounds, sports a 1.45 ERA in 4 road games this year. Last year, in 7 combined starts with Bluefield and Vancouver, Rollins went 4-0 with a 1.77 ERA.

Outfielder Chris Hawkins, a 3rd round draft selection in 2010, has put up some excellent numbers for Lansing as well. The 20-year-old has a .327 batting average with 6 doubles, 2 triples and 1 HR while driving in 15 runs in 42 games this season. He has also stolen 6 bases without being caught. In his previous two professional seasons, mainly in the Gulf Coast League and at rookie level Bluefield, Hawkins, a lefty hitter, tallied a .290 batting average with a .783 OPS.

Andrew Burns is another one of the Lugnuts’ offensive threats. The 21-year-old was drafted last season in the 11th round by Toronto out of the University of Arizona. Through 42 games this season, the shortstop is batting .283 with 15 doubles, 2 triples, 7 HR and 22 RBI. His .931 OPS is second best in the league. The righty hitting Burns batted .250 with 3 HR and 14 RBI in 28 combined games last year for the GCL Blue Jays and with short-season Class A Vancouver.


Dunedin Blue Jays….31-17 record, 1st place in the Class A Advanced Florida State League’s North division.

Gabe Jacobo has put up some very solid production for Dunedin. The Rule 5 draft selection from last year, out of the Angels system, has hit .301 with 11 doubles, 2 homers and 17 RBI through 20 games this season. The 25-year-old Jacobo, who plays first base, is a right-handed hitter that was a career .284 hitter in the minors before joining the Toronto system.

Left-handed hurler Sean Nolin may be on the verge of a promotion, as his numbers just keep getting better in the FSL. The 22-year-old, who was drafted in the 6th round by Toronto in 2010, has gone 5-0 with a 2.25 ERA while striking out 57 batters in 56 innings over 10 starts for Dunedin. The San Jacinto Junior College product, who stands 6-feet-5-inches tall and weighs 235 pounds, went 4-4 with a 3.49 ERA with 113 K’s in 108 1/3 innings pitched last season for Lansing.

Dunedin’s closer, Danny Barnes, has a 1-1 record with 16 saves and a 2.08 ERA in 22 appearances this season. The Princeton University product was a 35th round draft selection in 2010 by the Blue Jays. The right-handed Barnes has a 1.69 ERA in 10 May games. In his previous 2 pro seasons, Barnes posted a 6-2 record with a 2.26 ERA and a .203 batting average against in 66 games (2 starts).


New Hampshire Fisher Cats…19-27 record, 5th place in the Double-A Eastern League’s Eastern division.

Ryan Goins has been scorching hot all season for NH. The lefty hitting second baseman has a .331 batting average with 12 doubles, 2 triples, 2 HR and 22 RBI through 44 games this season. In 22 May games, the lefty batting Goins has posted a remarkable .380 batting average. Goins, 24, was a 4th round draft pick in 2009.

Catcher Sean Ochinko has done a very good job filling in for injured counterpart AJ Jimenez (elbow ligament). In 6 games since joining the Fisher Cats, the 24-year-old Louisiana State University product is batting .333 with 2 doubles and 2 HR.

Left-handed reliever Aaron Loup has continued a strong campaign out of the NH bullpen. The 24-year-old is 0-1 with 2 saves and a 1.46 ERA in 20 relief outings this season. Drafted in the 9th round by Toronto in 2009, Loup made the Midwest League All-star team the following year in his first full season as a pro. Loup could be well on his way to getting another such honor this season if his production keeps up.


Las Vegas 51’s….25-23 record, 3rd place in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League’s Southern division.

Highly touted shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria is posting strong numbers for the 51’s. Through 47 games played, the Cuba native is batting .322 with 14 doubles, 2 triples, 4 HR and 34 RBI with 6 stolen bases. Hechavarria, 23, was a career .255 hitter with 12 HR in 2 seasons in the minors prior to this year.

Catcher Travis d’Arnaud, fresh off an MVP season in the Eastern League, is having another big year. Through 40 games, the 22-year-old is hitting .307 with a team leading 10 HR and 25 RBI. d'Arnaud was, of course, acquired from Philadlephia in the December, 2009 Roy Halladay trade.

___________________________________________

Follow 1BlueJaysWay on Twitter by clicking HERE.

1BJW Interview: AJ Jimenez

New Hampshire Fisher Cats' backstop A.J. Jimenez is ranked among the top prospects in the Toronto system by virtually every outlet that ranks such things. Regularly praised for his defense and his abilities guiding a pitching staff, Jimenez is among the deep group of catchers the Blue Jays have in the minor league system.

Thus far this season, the 22-year-old Puerto Rico native has posted a .257 average with 2 homeruns and 10 RBI in 27 games in the Double-A Eastern League.

Drafted in the 9th round of the 2008 amateur draft by Toronto, Jimenez has progressed steadily up the developmental ladder since turning pro. Last season with the Class A Advances Florida State League, Jimenez sported a .303/.353/.417 line and was named a mid-season and post-season All-Star.

Recently, I spent some time chatting with AJ and he talked about his draft process, playing for New Hampshire, his manager Sal Fasano and plenty more. Check out the media player below to hear that interview.



_________________________________________________________________

Follow 1BlueJaysWay on Twitter by clicking HERE.

1BJW Interview: LHP Prospect Aaron Loup

Lefty hurler Aaron Loup has been a standout contributor out of the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats' bullpen thus far in 2012.

Loup, who was the Blue Jays' 9th round draft selection in 2009, began the season with 13 scoreless appearances.  Since then, he has allowed runs in back-to-back outings, but he still sports very impressive numbers.  Entering action on Thursday, the Tulane University product had posted a 1.76 ERA with no decisions and 1 save while striking out 11 batters and walking 4 in 15 1/3 innings.

The 24-year-old Loup has moved up the developmental rankings steadily since turning pro, progressing one level each season.

Last week, I spoke with Aaron about his early success, playing in New Hampshire, his pitch repertoire and plenty more.  Check out the media player below to hear the full interview. 



___________________________________________________

Be sure to follow 1BlueJaysWay on Twitter by clicking HERE.

Mark Sobolewski Postgame Interview

As well thought out as it is to play match ups in baseball, it's always remarkable when you see a team make a smart move and have it completely blow up in their faces.  That exactly what happened to Trenton Thunder manager Tony Franklin in the 7th inning against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats on Saturday night, when, with runners on 2nd and 3rd, the veteran baseball man elected to issue an intentional walk to switch-hitting slugger Mike McDade.  Immediately, NH clean up hitter Mark Sobolewski stepped up and delivered a huge blow, with a grand slam to break a 2-2 tie.

The Thunder battled back to tie the game, but the Fisher Cats locked down a 7-6 win in 10 innings.

After the game, I spoke with the man they call "Sobo" about his big hit, the mentality of the on-deck hitter when the other team issues an intentional walk and more.  Check out the media player to hear that interview.



___________________________________________

Be sure to follow 1BlueJaysWay on Twitter by clicking HERE 

1BJW Interview: Ryan Goins

Infielder Ryan Goins, a 4th round draft choice of the Blue Jays in 2009, has been hot as of late with the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats.  The 24-year-old has posted a .372 batting average with 5 extra base hits, 8 RBI and 3 steals in his last 10 games as the team's lead off hitter.

Overall, the Texas native is sporting a .298/.336/.433 line in 26 games for the Fisher Cats.


This week I had the opportunity to speak with Ryan about his success this year, his work at improving, his draft experience and plenty more.  I even set off a bit of a false alarm, asking Ryan about the potential for Yankees legend Andy Pettitte to face NH in a possible tune up start with the Thunder, however Pettitte is set to pitch for the Yanks' Triple-A club this weekend instead.

Check out the media player below to hear that full interview.


___________________________________________________

Be sure to follow 1BlueJaysWay on Twitter by clicking HERE. 

Evan Crawford Lookalikes?

After meeting lefty hurler Evan Crawford and getting to photograph him a bit a couple weeks back on a New Hampshire Fisher Cats road stop in Trenton, NJ, I began to notice some similarities between the man that would become a Blue Jay, and a pair of celebrities. Check out the imagery below and let us know what you think.

Above, we see Crawford side-by-side with actor Bradley Cooper, star of the classic film The Midnight Meat Train and other things too probably.

Also, we can check out Crawford beside pro wrestling champion Chris Sabin, who we presume you've likely never heard of.

Tell us your thoughts. If you have other Blue Jays or baseball lookalikes, let us know about those as well.
___________________________________________

Be sure to follow 1BlueJaysWay on Twitter by clicking HERE.

1BJW Interview: NH Pitching Coach Tom Signore

In the early going this season, the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats are already known for their well-regarded pitching prospects. The man that guides those young hurlers is pitching coach Tom Signore.

The weekend before last, I had the opportunity to sit down with the coach and get his thoughts on various pitchers for his club including Drew Hutchison, Chad Jenkins, Deck McGuire as well as newly promoted Blue Jay Evan Crawford and a guy fighting to return to the Blue Jays, Brett Cecil. Tom also spoke about his love for New Hampshire and more.

Check out the media player below to listen to all the exclusive comments from NH pitching coach Tom Signore.


______________________________________________________

Be sure to follow 1BlueJaysWay on Twitter by clicking HERE.

1BJW Interview: LHP Evan Crawford

With Blue Jays reliever Sergio Santos missing some time on paternity leave, Toronto called up left-hander Evan Crawford from Double-A New Hampshire on Friday. Crawford, 25, was a member of the Fisher Cats club that won the Eastern League championship last year.

In three outings with the Fisher Cats this season, the 8th round draft pick from 2008, has not allowed a run. Additionally, this spring, with the big league club, Crawford struck out 5, walked 1 and allowed no hits or runs in 4 innings.

Last week, prior to Crawford's promotion, I spoke with the Alabama native about his time with the big club in spring training, his pitch repertoire, his coaches and plenty more. Check out the media player below to listen to the full interview.




______________________________________________________________

Follow 1BJW on Twitter by clicking HERE.

1BJW Interview: RHP Prospect Chad Jenkins

Righty pitching prospect Chad Jenkins had a solid season debut last week, in his start at Trenton. The Blue Jays' first round draft choice from 2009, recorded a win when he tossed 6 innings of 5-hit, 1-run ball while striking out 2 and walking none against the Yankees affiliate for the Double-A Fisher Cats.

Last season, the Kennesaw State product posted a 9-12 record with a 3.70 ERA in 27 combined starts at Class A Advanced Dunedin and Double-A New Hampshire.

After his first win of the 2012 season, the 24-year-old took some time to answer some questions about his pitch repertoire, Twitter, his coaches in the Toronto developmental ranks and much more. Check out the media player below to hear the full interview.



_________________________________________________________

Be sure to follow us on Twitter by clicking HERE.

And follow Chad on Twitter by clicking HERE.

1BJW Interview: Sal Fasano Talks 2012 Fisher Cats

This past weekend, the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats began their Eastern League title defending season by winning 2 out of 3 games against the division rival Trenton Thunder (Yankees affiliate) on the road.

In the series, A.J. Jimenez had a nice Double-A debut, Chad Jenkins had a strong outing, Mike McDade continued with the production that made him an Eastern League All-Star last year and the team showed resiliency by winning twice in come-from-behind fashion.

After the second game of the series, I had the opportunity to speak with Fisher Cats manager Sal Fasano about several subjects. Check out the media player below to hear that full interview.




________________________________________________________

Follow 1BlueJaysWay on Twitter by clicking HERE.

Deck McGuire Talks About Rough Season Debut

5 innings, 11 hits allowed, 8 earned runs, 2 walks, 6 strike outs, 5 HR....that's the line for Blue Jays' 2010 1st round draft pick Deck McGuire for the defending Eastern League champions, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats in Saturday's contest. The righty hurler struggling mightily in his 2012 regular season debut against division rival Trenton (NYY affiliate). In the first four innings, lead-off batters were 4-for-4 against McGuire with 4 runs scored. Most alarming of all the difficulties throughout the afternoon affair was the 3rd inning, when Zoilo Almonte, Rob Lyerly and Melky Mesa each went deep for a trio of convincing homeruns to start the frame.

Overall, McGuire, who posted a 2-1 record with a 4.35 ERA in four Double-A outings and a 7-4 record with a 2.75 ERA in 19 games for Class A Advanced Dunedin last season, seemed in good spirits and was fully ready for his next turn on the hill, following the loss.

To hear Deck's exclusive post-game comments about his poor outing click here or check out the media player below.


_____________________________________________

Be sure to follow 1BlueJaysWay on Twitter by clicking here.