I was able to attend another conference call on Cheryl’s behalf again today, and this time we were able to speak with Dan Fabian, the director of baseball operations, and Brooks Boyer, senior vice president of marketing and sales.

The call started off with Fabian, and he was first asked what his typical day looks like as the director of baseball operations. During the season, he has a daily chart of things he has to do, and he reads it much like a box score. He also spends a lot of his day working with the pro scouts. The Sox have eight of them, and Fabian will organize their reports with them and schedule where to send them next. Those are the two biggest things that take up his time, but various projects come up that he will have to attend to as well.

Fabian was asked what kind of prep work was done during the offseason with the new staff. He said that he is there to provide the staff with what they need. He will tell them what has been done in the past, the coaches will ask for things that they may have gotten in the past, and they work from there. Fabian said it’s still an evolving process, and once the season gets started, things will fall into place better.

Several questions were asked about the trade deadline. Fabian’s job around the deadline is very busy. Before the buying deadline and selling deadlines come around, he has already run material and has player info at hand. He will usually compile the top ten players from a team so Kenny Williams and Rick Hahn have that information to facilitate conversation. » Continue reading “Conference Call Time Again! Featuring Dan Fabian and Brooks Boyer”

Yesterday, the White Sox got Jason Frasor and minor-leaguer Zack Stewart for Edwin Jackson (now a St. Louis Cardinal) and Mark Teahen. I saw many fans rejoicing the departure of Mark Teahen. I also saw fans with mixed feelings on the Jackson departure. Some because of a lack of trust in Jake Peavy to stay healthy, not blow up in the fourth inning of games and not having a batting average against approaching .500 after throwing 75 or more pitches.

Aside from what you may have read elsewhere, I talked to Amy Swenson of The Way of the Jay to learn what you as a fan should know about Frasor and Stewart. Here is what she had to say about both players.

Photo by Amy Swenson

Jason Frasor:

Jason Frasor has spent the first 8 years of his major league career with the Blue Jays. On July 17 of this year, he set the club records for appearances as a relief pitcher.

There’s little ‘sweet’ about seeing Frasor go elsewhere. He hasn’t been an outstanding reliever for the club, but he’s been solid and consistent, one of our relievers rarely met with that sinking “oh no” kind of feeling. 2011 has been a lot of the same for Frasor; a late inning guy with a 2.98 ERA over 42.1 innings.

Fans in Toronto fault Frasor for his often unbearable patience on the mound. He’s sometimes called “The Human Rain Delay” for his ability to turn three “quick” outs into a 20 minute affair.

Unsurprising for a rightie, Frasor sometimes struggles for control against left handed batters, giving up a few too many walks. Still, he’ll be a good addition to any bullpen. He’s a ‘good human’, a hard worker, and has a great reputation here in Toronto. » Continue reading “Meet Your New Pitchers”