A Blue Jay or a Guy Working for the Blue Jays



Adam Lind is one of the poets of the Toronto Blue Jays. I enjoy his interviews because he's just so wide open with his views on things. And relaxed. Once, after

 I also enjoy Lind's choice of walk up music. I swear, he's got a small pile of CDs (yes, CDs) of hip hop/r&b  from 2000-2003 and he chooses exclusively from that. I would not be shocked to hear The Thong Song next season. It reminds me of clubbing back when I did more of that.



Adam Lind, likely recovering from a turkey bender, talked to Jeff Blair this morning about Johns (Gibbons and Farrell) and the addition of Mark Buehrle.


"That'll benefit guys that were kind of thrust into the leadership role before we were ready," Lind explained. "Ricky, great guy, great competitor but we all know Ricky -- he doesn't have that leadership-type personality, so-to-speak in his DNA.

"It'll let him relax and be himself and observe Mark Buehrle, and I'm sure we'll sign a few other people, but I think it'll benefit a bunch of us in a bunch of different ways. But I think the No. 1 way will be to take the pressure off our shoulder and be like, 'look, there's other guys that have been in the playoffs, won World Series, and I think it'll let Ricky take a deep breath."

Doesn't have leadership type personality? That's interesting. I understand what Lind means, just in that Romero was pressed into a leadership role just by being the senior member of a very young staff. Romero is also bit shy, in my very limited experience with him. Roy Halladay was considered the leader just because he was the best, but his teammates always talk about how he kept to himself and lead by example. 

Some might be concerned that what Lind said could be taken as a criticism of Romero, and it might cause Ricky to get his back up. I'm not sure it will, but it does illustrate the complicated nature of clubhouse politics.

Lind also had positive words for the Gibbons hire:

"All in all I really think it was a good hire. He has control of the clubhouse, it's his clubhouse. It'll be interesting to see what staff he brings. I think John will be fine as a manager. "

On the "other" John:

"No, I wouldn't say they were pissed off. That's pretty strong. That's his only coaching experience -- was in Boston -- at the professional level. I guess you kind of always love your first love and I think he really enjoyed his time in Boston. You could tell when we were in Boston playing he always had a little extra pep in his step when we were there.

It's somewhat disappointing for a guy like me or a guy like Casey Janssen who has spent our whole career with the Blue Jays and fighting the Red Sox, trying to pass them in the standings. It's like man, "would you be a Blue Jay instead of a guy working for the Blue Jays."

I guess he's got permanent pep in his step. And "Would you be a Blue Jay instead of a guy working for the Blue Jays" is a boss quote.

Oof.