By Jeremy Visser… Physically, Brett Cecil looks a lot like Tampa Bay’s Scott Kazmir, and he’s beginning to look like the same type of pitcher as well (minus 11 walks per nine innings or so). Cecil was lights out against Oakland’s potent lineup (which included the likes of Adam Kennedy and Jack Hannahan) this afternoon, throwing eight shutout innings in his second career start as the Jays won 5-0. For his major league career, Cecil has allowed just one earned run in 14 innings. David Purcey whooooo?
Interestingly, Cecil was 0-3 with an 8.31 ERA in four starts with Las Vegas, and he’s not the only Toronto pitcher that’s struggled in the minors but starred with the big club this season. Ricky Romero, who was masterful in three starts before getting hurt, was roughed up in his first rehab start last week. Even Purcey was trashed worse than he ever was with the Jays in his last start with Vegas. Hopefully Casey Janssen, who has been tremendous in his rehab starts and is scheduled to return to Toronto next weekend, won’t fall victim to the reverse trend.
Anyway, Cecil wasn’t the only Jay worth talking about today — Alex Rios broke his most recent funk with a homer and three RBIs and Marco Scutaro, Aaron Hill and Jose Bautista joined Rios with two hits apiece. In the end, make it a 3-2 road trip and a 22-12 record overall. Bring on A.J.!
More from Jeremy’s blog, That’s what I’m saying, guy…
By Martin Avery… Playing just days after two Canadian diplomats were kicked out of Russia, the final game in the 2009 World Championships will decide not only who gets gold and silver but who takes the lead in the history of battles between the two best teams in international hockey.
The Russians plus the Soviet have 24 world championship and so does a little country called Canada. It’s David versus Goliath and David (Canada) is favored to win this one.
Sweden won the bronze medal, defeating a surprising young team from the USA.
The Russians have 15 players returning from last year’s team and the Canadians have six. The Canuck team has five of the tournaments top scorers.
Martin St. Louis has 15 points in eight game,s and Steven Stamkos is tied for the tournament lead with seven goals.
Shea Weber, Dany Heatley and Jason Spezza have also scored lots of goals for Canada…
Canada entered the 2009 IIHF World Hockey Championship tied for first place with Russia in the pre-tournament world rankings and could take the lead in the rankings.
They had a strong start to this tournament and lost just one game but the Russians went undefeated.
Canada has topped the world rankings for years, but this is the first time Russia has sat atop the rankings since the format was introduced by the IIHF in 2004.
Both Canada and Russia have 2,000 points, but that will not affect the seeding for the upcoming 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver.
Canada is the No. 1 seed based on the results of the 2008 tournament played in Canada.
Shane Doan, who wore the “C” when Canada won in Moscow in 2007 and lost in Quebec City last year, was named captain for Canada again.
The 32-year-old captain of the NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes said anything less than gold will be a disappointment. He also talked about the “bitter taste” left in his mouth following last year’s heart-breaking overtime loss to Russia in the final.
Leading 4-2 with 10 minutes to play in the final period, Canada somehow lost the game. Ilya Kovalchuk scored the overtime winner while Rick Nash sat in the penalty box serving a delay-of-game penalty for shooting the puck over the glass.
By Jack Porter… Germany’s Jerome Flaake is on the fast track for the NHL and he’ll burst on the scene with the Toronto Maple Leafs soon enough.
Flaake is one of the best prospects to come out of Germany in years. Flaake scored an astounding 80 points in 36 games in Germany’s premier junior league, the DNL.
He plays with an edge that could benefit him greatly and has a healthy size at 6′2 and 187 pounds as well.
What Flaake could bring to the Leafs
The Leafs get a phenomenal skater in Flaake. He is a smart player who can dangle with the best of them. He is a gifted scorer and has a frame that is big enough to bump other players. He’s also a feisty forward racking up 188 PIMS in 193 career games in German and international games.
Jerome plays a lot like another Jerome. Flaake plays a feisty game with scoring touch similar to that of Jarome Iginla.
Flaake Next Year
Jerome will stay in Europe next year and then will try to transfer his skill to the North American game. Toronto fans are already excited, and for good reason.
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