I don't understand this. He signed a new contract and doesn't put on his best effort for the first day with his new employer?

How do these guys do this? I can't imagine showing up to my first day at a new job and not making sure I was ready to work.

Also, he's going to be playing his home games for the next two years on the worst turf in the majors and he doesn't show up with his legs in shape? I wonder how much the Blue Jays are really going to get for their $20 million.

i couldn't agree more. try swimming or riding a bike.

"I don't understand this. He signed a new contract and doesn't put on his best effort for the first day with his new employer?

How do these guys do this? I can't imagine showing up to my first day at a new job and not making sure I was ready to work."

What if you were already guaranteed $18 million? Would that change your work habits? There's a reason for the evidence that suggests that many players perform their best in their walk years.

Couple things. He is here to do one thing. That is swing the bat. He doesn't need to run. As a fan, I don't want him to risk injuring his ankle by jogging in the offseason.

He is in great shape (according to beat reporters), his swing is good, but he wants to save his ankle for the season. I, and every other Jay's fan out of a couple hundred on the Jay's forum feel this is the right approach.

He figures it takes him 60 at-bats to get ready for the season. He'll do much of that in the minor league camp.

He's a vet, he knows what it takes to be ready for the season. Considering he's not fighting for a job, he doesn't need to be ready for spring training. Just April.

Finally, here is a link to a far more suitable and accurate article about his work ethic:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20070301.BLAIR01/TPStory/Sports

Excerpt:

Thomas has won rave reviews from his teammates, manager John Gibbons and his coaching staff for his work ethic. He is a first-in, last-out guy who has unfailingly kept several demands on his time for interviews and promotional shoots.

First of all ... the Jays asked Thomas not to do any running in the offseason as to avoid any possible re-injury of his foot.

Secondly, last year, Thomas (coming off foot surgery) didn't run until late March and only got about 12 AB all Spring Training. He looked good to me last season when he smashed 39 HR.

Read this ...
http://homerderby.com/archives/61

And this...
http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070228&content_id=1819682&vkey=spt2007news&fext=.jsp&c_id=tor

"There's a reason for the evidence that suggests that many players perform their best in their walk years."

Actually recent studies show there is no evidence. So I think if you're going to tell other people they're wrong, you better be right about what you're saying

And another thing, the Jays turf is as good as any team's. It's the newest technology, and replaced the carpet on top of cement we used to have. Troy Glaus (knee problems) and now Frank Thomas (ankle problems) have come here, so I think it's not a concern.

http://www.fieldturf.com/baseball/highProfile.cfm?highProfileID=123

It's not like they need to run in the AL anyway...

Adam,

I'm not telling anyone he's wrong. I'm simply making an argument that players have less financial incentive to perform once they sign a large guaranteed contract, as opposed to someone in another industry where the money is not guaranteed. Do I necessarily think that's the case with Thomas? No, not necessarily, but it could be true, and there certainly are plenty of cases where a player has put up fantastic numbers in his walk year, padded his wallet, and then never come close to his walk-year level of performance again.

What are the new studies that suggest that the walk year phenomenon--for lack of a better word--does not exist? I'm not being a smart-ass, I am genuinely interested in reading them. Thanks, --Ben.