An inside source sent me this email I received while sitting in Tim Hortons this morning.
Subject: Jays just fired JP
In Baltimore. Jays just turfed him immediately.
Then, an hour later, this update from the same source.
Well... There he goes.
JP just walked past me, suitcases in hand, with the Jays brass trailing behind him getting into a cab.
The Toronto Blue Jays have indeed fired general manager J.P. Ricciardi, ending his eight-year tenure. On June 19, 2008, I called for the firing of J.P. Ricciardi.
I remember when everyone was calling for Gord Ash's head. Gord had the misfortune of following a very successful and beloved GM in Pat Gillick. The clock just ran out on Ash and we all knew it was time for a change. We demanded more from our ball team.
For reasons I don't quite understand, we've given JP Ricciardi an extraordinary amount of time to field a playoff contender. Note, I didn't say World Series champion, nor did I say pennant or wild card winner, we really just want to be playing meaningful baseball in September.
Ricciardi was hired on November 14, 2001. That's an eternity when it comes to unsuccessful general managers. Today, our Blue Jays have the second least number of homers in the majors and simply can't score runs. With such an impotent offense, Ricciardi was asked about acquiring Adam Dunn, the Cincinnati Red who has hit 40 or more home runs each of the past four years. Ricciardi responded by claiming Dunn "doesn't have a passion to play the game that much."
Needless to say, there's another free agent who won't be coming here. I still remember Ricciardi's claims that BJ Ryan had a bad back last spring. That "bad back" was actually a severe elbow injury that required season ending Tommy John surgery, but as JP said, “They're not lies if we know the truth".
The clock has run out on this clown. He's taking a franchise drenched in integrity and soiling it and, even worse, he's given us a team that's fading fast in the American League. Enough is enough.
In August 2008, I was certain his dismissal was imminent. He released Reed Johnson and went with Shannon Stewart. Remember that gem? I predicted he'd be gone the day after the 2008 season concluded.
Better late than never. J.P. Ricciardi was just fired.
