RealGM

A question and answer with Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos 10 days before the start of the 2011 season, which opens April 1 with a game at home against the Minnesota Twins:

Q: How excited are you about the 2011 season?

A: “Because of the nature of the job, the same way if you’d asked me how worried would I be or how down would I be. I don’t think you’ll ever hear me say: ‘I’m incredibly excited’ because you have to keep an even keel. You’re dealing with human beings, injuries, health, performances, there’s things that make you scratch your head every year. So I just try to stay grounded with everything and not get caught up in anything.

“I know this sounds crazy, but I’d rather spend time worrying, even if things are going well. I still want to worry because that makes me feel like we’re not getting complacent and we’re always trying to think a step or two ahead. Once you start getting excited and you think that everything is great, that’s when something occurs. You just don’t want to take your foot off the gas pedal, that’s the best way to put it.

“Until you get to the point where you’re in the playoffs and you win the World Series, you should never be excited from my standpoint.”

Q: Okay, so if you look down the road, would you get excited about what kind of team you could have in 2015 when the Kyle Drabek’s and Brett Lawrie’s and Anthony Gose’s and other prospects have arrived?

A: “I have no idea. There’s no question that we have a lot of talented prospects but at the same time, I know that they’re not all going to pan out, not all going to get here. Some of them will get traded and the reality of the game, some will get hurt. I’m not big on having a window or saying: ‘This is the year.’ I’d like to just keep adding talent and focus on the now with a long-term view. I don’t like to get tied up with this year or that year because in a year or two in baseball, things change fast. The thing is to just try to keep adding talent and stick with our plan and the rest will take care of itself.”

Q: When will you make the final decisions for this year’s team? You have decisions to make on your starters and relievers — and for Canadian fans, what of Brett Lawrie?

A: “We still have time and we’re going to take as much time as we can. At some point, as we get deeper into camp, innings become more valuable, more important, at-bats become more important. You want to be able to buy yourself as much time as you can until you feel like your hand is forced and you have to do something. But right now, we don’t have a set date. Unfortunately, it really is a cliche and we take it day by day. Because some of the battles are so close, things change, it’s that close. Then there’s the health issues, what happens if somebody goes down. So we’re going to take as much time as we can.”

Q: Is the play and development of Lawrie been the biggest surprise of this year’s camp?

A: “I don’t think any of our staff (on field) really knew the player. The front office maybe a little bit more because we’ve been after him for more than a year. I wasn’t necessarily surprised as I didn’t know what to expect. I knew our scouts were very high on him and he was very talented and those things. I think the one thing that I was personally surprised at is how quickly he has adjusted to third base and how much improvement he has made. I’m blown away with how many adjustments that he’s made, how many strides he’s made defensively and how hard he has worked. I’d say the No. 1 thing for me with Brett is the person more than anything else. We did a lot of homework and various people told us he was a really good kid who maybe had some issues with maturity but overall we were getting a very good human being. We’ve seen someone who has been embraced by his teammates in the clubhouse. I think he feels like he’s finally found a home and he’s just been a total pro, the way that he’s carried himself and the way he’s conducted himself. That’s the No. 1 thing for me. I’m proud to have him as part of this organization. I’m proud that he wears the Blue Jays uniform. I don’t know that I could have told you that when we acquired him. And I’ll say this about him: Every day he’s getting better.”

satyr9 wrote:The only thing that scares me about AA is I remember having these kinds of glowing thoughts about the things BC said in his first year or two. Of course I like the actual moves AA has made more than BC's, but they both charmed the pants off me in the beginning with how they talked to the media.

satyr9 wrote:The only thing that scares me about AA is I remember having these kinds of glowing thoughts about the things BC said in his first year or two. Of course I like the actual moves AA has made more than BC's, but they both charmed the pants off me in the beginning with how they talked to the media.

Hoopstarr wrote:I've always thought BC's persona was all false gravitas. When he's actually challenged, he's not so cool. AA is more believable because he speaks with real conviction. Maybe it's his doughy face.

Michael Bradley wrote:One thing to keep in mind with GM's (and people in general) is to judge them on their actions, not their words. Nothing AA has done to this point has contradicted what he has said he will do. He has increased scouting, targeted young/controllable talent, locked up core players, etc, etc. He had every opportunity to keep Marcum, Wells, etc, and go for it in 2011, but he stuck to what he wanted to do. Whether it works or not, we'll see, but I don't have anywhere near the doubt with AA as I do/did with BC, JP, Ash, etc. He has given no reason to doubt him at this point.

satyr9 wrote:
So yeah, I'm admitting to being more snowed by BC than others and letting that cast a paltry shadow over my new adoration of AA. There's an old saying in Tennessee - I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee - that says, fool me once, shame on - shame on you. Fool me - you can't get fooled again.

Michael Bradley wrote:

satyr9 wrote:The only thing that scares me about AA is I remember having these kinds of glowing thoughts about the things BC said in his first year or two. Of course I like the actual moves AA has made more than BC's, but they both charmed the pants off me in the beginning with how they talked to the media.

One thing to keep in mind with GM's (and people in general) is to judge them on their actions, not their words. Nothing AA has done to this point has contradicted what he has said he will do. He has increased scouting, targeted young/controllable talent, locked up core players, etc, etc. He had every opportunity to keep Marcum, Wells, etc, and go for it in 2011, but he stuck to what he wanted to do. Whether it works or not, we'll see, but I don't have anywhere near the doubt with AA as I do/did with BC, JP, Ash, etc. He has given no reason to doubt him at this point.