Letters

Faux Jay

I am not only jealous of Tom Verducci's chance to be a big leaguer (I Was a Toronto Blue Jay, March 14) but also of his ability to poignantly reflect the beauty of the greatest game on Earth. Thanks for a great article (and for not going down looking).

Anne Crecelius, Dayton

Day 1, Tom didn't take steroids; Day 2, Tom didn't ask for more money; Day 3, Tom did not ask to be traded to a championship team; Day 5, Tom got what he deserved. The bottom line: Verducci has a lot to learn about being a major league baseball player.

Mark Pioli, Niagara Falls, Ont.

Let me get this straight: 44-year-old Verducci gets behind 0 and 2 and then tries to turn on high, inside cheese--and gets wood? I'm impressed. Made me want to dust off my wooden bats and jump into an on-deck circle somewhere.

Rich Simonin Riverside, Calif.

Every once in a while I come across an article that reminds me of why I subscribe to SI despite all the sports information available on the television, the radio and the Internet. Verducci took me inside the Blue Jays' spring training camp, a place I have never been and have no hope of ever going. I drank in every word. If Verducci's article doesn't break Rick Reilly's stranglehold on the National Sportswriter of the Year Award, nothing will.

Michael Shepard, Boston

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