Ask Buck Martinez: Prince doesn’t fit T.O.

With over 40 years as a major league player, manager and broadcaster, Buck Martinez has experienced baseball from all angles. Now in his role as the Toronto Blue Jays play-by-play announcer, Buck is taking your questions in his weekly blog for sportsnet.ca, Ask Buck Martinez.

Sandy asks…

Hi Buck, just wondering what your impressions were of Zach Stewart? I thought he pitched really well for a rookie, despite giving up some hits. What does he need to improve on in the minors before he returns to the bigs?

Thanks.

Buck: Sandy, I think Zack has a “feel” for pitching that you can’t teach. That being said, he will have to be very sharp with his command to be successful in the majors.

He doesn’t throw hard but he has improved his breaking balls and the changeup is a good pitch for him. As you saw in the Tigers game Monday night, he doesn’t shy away from the bat even with the stud hitters such as Cabrera and V-Mart staring him in the eye. I like that. He was sent back to double-A New Hampshire, but Zack knows now that his stuff works up here if he makes good pitches. It should be a good second half for him.

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Roman asks…

Recently the draft was concluded. I guess that this is basically a North America draft.

I was wondering how all the Latin players are signed. Is it basically try to sign whomever the scouts recommend?

Thanks

Buck: Roman, most of Latin America is free agent territory for major league ball clubs, the exception being Puerto Rico as it is a U.S. territory and its baseball players are subjected to the draft.

The rest of the world is open bidding for clubs with the only restriction being the player can’t sign until he is 16-years-old. Clubs over the past several years have opened “academies” in the various countries to build a presence in the areas and give the young talent a place to workout and improve their skills. Some of these academies are open, others are restricted to players under control of an agent.

The agents in the Dominican Republic are called “buscones.” The young player is approached by the buscone and encouraged to sign with him in exchange for the promise to go to a “camp” and train in front of some scouts. The financial arrangement is heavily in favour of the buscone but most young players think this is the only way they will get a chance to sign.

As far as the signing process itself, the teams identify a player as one they would like to sign and then it is a matter of open negotiations with the player and his family.

The teams that have had long-term relationships in The Dominican Republic, Mexico, Venezuela and Puerto Rico always seem to end up with the best players.

The Jays were the leaders in scouting Latin Players for years, then turned their back on the Caribbean, but Alex Anthoplois has renewed the Jays efforts and we are seeing an increased number of Latin players in the system.

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Al asks…

Comment:

Hi Buck. If you had to put on your GM hat, what player would you like to insert into this year’s Jays lineup that would provide the best immediate and long-term benefit?

Buck:Justin Verlander and Adrian Gonzalez, but then again we are playing “what if?”

I think you have heard of all the plans the Jays have for the short term involving Brett Lawrie and because of his injury we have to wait a while longer to see him. Eric Thames deserves a long term look, as does Travis Snider who was recalled on Monday. John Farrell has had 80 regular season games to assess and evaluate the players, but the second half of the season may be even more important to find out about Brett Cecil, Jesse Litsch, Carlos Villanueva, Lawrie, Sinder, Thames, Adam Loewen and maybe even Adeiny Hechavarria.

The skipper and the coaching staff need a clearer picture of the team by the end of the year than they have right now and the only way to get there is to look at more players.

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Denis asks…

Tennis has this challenging format where the player can challenge an umpire’s line call.

The player has three per set and if the player is right, he gets to keep that challenge. Do you think MLB should adopt something similar for balls and strikes?

Buck: Denis, tennis has hard and fast lines that determine in or out on a point. Service lines, sidelines and the ball can been determined to be in or out by replay. Every court is the same size and the lines are all standard.

In baseball, so many variables are involved in every call, fair or foul, out or safe, ball or strike, tag or no tag. Multiple players and multiple angles create unique situations.

I like the boundry call replays the way it stands and don’t think we will see and expanded version of replay any time soon.

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Danny asks…

Hi Buck. I’m a long-time fan of yours and of the Jays. I am wondering how the players (both Toronto’s and visiting players) view Toronto, especially after that ESPN review of all major league teams.

This city was a great baseball team/town up until a few years after the last World Series championship. Will we be able to get back to where we were in the early ’90s based on our so-called bad reputation as a sports city along with not being an American city?

Buck: Danny, like you I know the city of Toronto is a great baseball city and the interest will return, but the only thing that will recreate the great crowds we saw from 1989 to 1994 will be winning. The fans flocked to the then SkyDome because they knew they were watching one of the best teams in baseball. The players went on the field every night knowing they could beat anyone. Fans want to be part of that.

This organization understands that very well. When the farm system is up and running like the ’80s and ’90s producing three or four top prospects for the big league club, the Jays will win again and when that happens, the free agents will put Toronto back on their lists.

In the beginning, who would have thought Dave Stewart, Rickey Henderson, Dave Winfield, Jack Morris, Paul Molitor or David Cone would be playing for the Jays? But they were all brought together by one thing, winning.

Players of that ilk had had success and made plenty of money, but they wanted to be on a winner. The Jays will get back there and fill the Rogers Centre again, but it will take a little time as the drafted players of 2010, 2011 and beyond develop.

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Mike asks…

Hey Buck, do you think Prince Fielder would be a good fit for Toronto?

I think it may be a great match, since Lind can shift back to the OF or DH. With Fielder in the lineup, you’d be looking at a one through five of Escobar, Lawrie, Bautista, Fielder and Lind.

Pretty formidable.

Not sure if Prince wants to follow in his dad’s footsteps, but he’d be choosing a great hitter’s park and would get to give it a go in the always exciting American League East.

Buck: Mike, I think Prince Fielder is a very good player and one that will hit the jackpot on the open market, but I don’t see a fit here with the Jays.

He is a good athlete but you have to wonder how long he will be able to put up the numbers and stay in good enough shape for the long haul. I like to the direction of the Blue Jays with athletic players coming into the organization. Antony Gose, Travis d’Arnaud, Brett Lawrie and Adeiny Hecharrivia are all very good athletes that can play defense, run the bases and hit. This is where baseball is headed and you had better get the fastest, most athletic guys you can or you will be left in the dust.

With that, I don’t see a Fielder-Blue Jays relationship.

I would like to see more players along the lines of Jose Reyes who can beat you with every part of their game, wheels, arm, bat and glove.