Observation #3: Brett Cecil Knows How to Handle a Crying Baby

The only observation I'm qualified to make about Brett Cecil?That he's not afraid to hold a crying baby. During the 2012 Jays Winter Tour, an unprompted Cecil reached out to hold my 10 month old girl and said, " ...may I?". Instantly her face started to contort with the tell-tale warning of "...I'll cry!". Brett said to us: "No, it's okay really, I have a little one too; I'm used to holding a crying baby". And he received the hand-off anyway, even though she was now wailing and drawing the attention of everyone around. In the first words I've ever spoken to a Toronto Blue Jay, I said to Eric Thames, "That's going to be a great shot to have on bluejays.com". Thames was already busting a gut at Cecil of course. I like to think he was laughing at my line... but I think Cecil was just a worthy spectacle at that point - lots of people were laughing. He held her for a few more photos and let everyone know he wasn't embarrassed though.

In the past, when I've been handed a crying baby, my first reaction is probably to recoil.  There's a bit of panic attached to being at fault for making someone else’s infant cry. But as a new parent, I became somewhat immune to indignities caused by holding a crying baby. My wife and I, as parents, appreciated Cecil's eagerness to follow through with that less-than-ideal photo op. After waiting in line for hours (for their delayed flight to arrive), it was great to have a unique story to tell with a picture to back it up. My little girl was not actually that emotionally distressed... it was a slight hand-off resistance phase she was going with everyone, and she always became composed again 2 seconds after being handed back.

So Cecil's calm demeanor said to me that he's an actual hands-on Dad. And I don't know too many new hands-on Dads who say they are at the top fitness levels of their lives during those initial fatherhood stages. I'm pretty sure after being a Dad for 22 months I'm currently in the worst physical condition of my life (although there is no professional impetus for me to be in-shape).

Cecil, the 2007 supplemental 1st round draft pick, led the Jays staff in 2010 as a 15 game winner, so expectations were high for 2011. However, 2011 didn't quite pan out as expected, and as a result, Cecil's poor conditioning and reduction of fast-ball velocity through 2011 have been rehashed ad nauseam. A Nov 27, 2011 post on the Tao of Stieb blog pointed to what I'm hypothesizing now; about the possible father-hood factor as Cecil had recently become a father prior to the 2011 season.  I think the conditioning side can draw some sympathy, but I'd also like to point out though that in the midst pitching through lost velocity, Cecil actually pitched the first complete game shut-out of his career. After pitching that CG shut-out against Texas on July 24th 2011 (his second CG in 4 consecutive starts), Ron Washington was quoted as saying, "we couldn't stay back on the off-speed stuff. He kept us off-balance. You have to give him credit." So despite lost velocity, Cecil still obviously has the tools outside of his fastball to pitch well. 

Cecil did reportedly commit to an intensive conditioning program prior to the 2012 season, but unfortunately, many within the Jays organization believe he may have lost too much weight too fast (over 30 lbs in a few short months). The extreme nature of the off-season conditioning before the 2012 season may have messed with his mechanics adversely. Jays coaching staff have said in the press that it could take time to adjust to the mechanics of a new physique, and as a result, his 2012 year was mostly a struggle to regain mechanic stability.

The 2013 Jays starting rotation is going to be difficult for anyone to crack.  There are many staff aces in MLB that wouldn't even get a sniff of the starting rotation if added to that Jays roster right now. So unfortunately for Cecil, that makes the bull-pen his best chance at present. It looked like he was going to get a real chance with Oliver's pending retirement and a possible need for a lefty-specialist.  However, Oliver has announced his 2013 return (sporting career best numbers) and Cecil is one of the few bull-pen pitchers with an option on his contract. Cecil will likely begin his season in AAA Buffalo. All on-line reports, though, indicate Cecil has maintained his conditioning and has improved fast-ball velocity out of the pen (I read in one interview that he actually incorporated Steve Delabar's velocity program into this off-season approach... those results will be interesting). He's proven he's got the tools to be an above average major league contributor, and he has displayed the determination and eagerness to embrace whatever role he's given. I'd love to see this guy go down to AAA and put up the kind of numbers that warrant him being the first pitcher to be called-up in 2013. 

http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/photos/gallery.jsp?content_id=26351556&c_id=tor&imgId=10