DUNEDIN, Fla. – Regret and remorse hijacked the usual sunny feelings inherent to reporting day for pitchers and catchers at Toronto Blue Jays camp, with Reese McGuire’s arrest and Dave Hudgens’ separate mea culpa shunting aside the season’s typical optimism and sense of renewal.
One of the stranger openings to spring training in club history took its first twist in the morning when word emerged that McGuire was arrested in Dunedin on Friday afternoon for “Exposure of Sexual Organs,” according to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies were called to a strip mall parking lot Friday afternoon after a subject was seen sitting inside an SUV exposing himself. Once they arrived, they made contact with the 24-year-old catcher, “who was co-operative and did not deny the allegations,” according to the report.
No further details were provided by the sheriff’s office, but McGuire was given a notice to appear in a Clearwater court March 16. The Blue Jays released a statement saying they were aware of the incident and were gathering information, but that neither the player nor the team would comment further right now.
The day’s next turn came when Hudgens, the Blue Jays bench coach who served as the Houston Astros’ hitting coach from 2015-18, emerged from the clubhouse at newly renovated and christened TD Ballpark intent on commenting further on his former team’s cheating scandal.
He said he first learned of the system – one commissioner Rob Manfred largely pinned on Carlos Beltran in his report on the matter – during a regular-season game, when he kept hearing the banging on a trash can from the dugout.
“I asked one of the players, ‘What’s going on? What’s banging?’” recalled Hudgens. “He said, ‘Letting him know when a breaking ball is coming.’ OK. And it kind of went from there.”
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He said the coaches didn’t really discuss it amongst themselves or with former manager A.J. Hinch, who was suspended for the year and then fired by the Astros, and he didn’t have much of an answer when asked what prevented him from trying to intervene in the sign-stealing.
“That’s a good question,” he said. “I can’t even really remember why we did or why we didn’t talk about it. I really can’t. It was just one of those things that was happening that you heard and you went, is it helping, is it not? We hit better on the road. Obviously it’s something that’s not right and it shouldn’t have been done and we should have nipped it in the bud early.”
Did he feel it was clearly wrong and a line was being crossed?
“I didn’t think about it, to be honest with you,” Hudgens said. “I should have. It should have been something we thought about. But at the time, it kind of went over our heads.”
That answer won’t sit well with some, but at least he stood up and answered the questions now. At Astros camp Wednesday, the team took extra steps to keep media away from players, none of whom were available.
The Astros said no players will be available today. The area around their parking lot is roped off and heavily guarded by security. https://t.co/FxyV16Z393
Hunkering down isn’t a particularly effective way to make amends, so credit to Hudgens for not hiding out and trying to take a pass.
More importantly, before speaking with media he addressed his fellow Blue Jays coaches and plans to speak with certain players as they arrive, as well. Right-fielder Randal Grichuk is among the voices to have called for the Astros to receive harsher punishments.
“The only thing I can say is that I regret I didn’t do something. I wish I could go back and make that happen again and do something,” said Hudgens. “But that’s history, and we just have to deal with it from right now. …
“I don’t want this to be a distraction in camp. I want to make sure that everybody’s clear on where I’m at, and that I’m clear on where they’re at, too.”
While far from ideal, that’s a starting point to rebuild any trust that may have been lost, and, from a Blue Jays perspective at least, to turn the page on a scandal with ongoing fallout. Following a bizarre first day, the team will try to do that collectively, as well, when pitchers and catchers hold their first official workout Thursday.
After all, hope springs eternal at this time of the year, with a whole lot of “best shape of my life,” “throwing free and easy,” and “seeing the ball well” looming beyond the pall.
CALGARY – The Calgary Flames have re-signed defenceman Ilya Solovyov and centre Cole Schwindt, the NHL club announced Wednesday.
Solovyov signed a two-year deal which is a two-way contract in year one and a one-way deal in year two and carries an average annual value of US$775,000 at the NHL level.
Schwindt signed a one-year, two-way contract with an average annual value of $800,000 at the NHL level.
The 24-year-old Solovyov, from Mogilev, Belarus, made his NHL debut last season and had three assists in 10 games for the Flames. He also had five goals and 10 assists in 51 games with the American Hockey League’s Calgary Wranglers and added one goal in six Calder Cup playoff games.
Schwindt, from Kitchener, Ont., made his Flames debut last season and appeared in four games with the club.
The 23-year-old also had 14 goals and 22 assists in 66 regular-season games with the Wranglers and added a team-leading four goals, including one game-winning goal, in the playoffs.
Schwindt was selected by Florida in the third round, 81st overall, at the 2019 NHL draft. He came to Calgary in July 2022 along with forward Jonathan Huberdeau and defenceman MacKenzie Weegar in the trade that sent star forward Matthew Tkachuk to the Panthers.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 18, 2024.
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — The Tampa Bay Lightning selected Victor Hedman as the team captain on Wednesday as training camp opened, making the big defenseman the successor to Steven Stamkos.
Hedman, who is going into his 16th season with Tampa Bay, was considered the obvious choice to get the “C” after the Lightning did not re-sign Stamkos and their longtime captain left to join Nashville.
“Victor is a cornerstone player that is extremely well respected by his teammates, coaches and peers across the NHL,” general manager Julien BriseBois said. “Over the past 15 seasons, he has been a world-class representative for our organization both on and off the ice. Victor embodies what it means to be a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning and is more than ready for this exciting opportunity. We are looking forward to watching him flourish in his new role as we continue to work towards our goal of winning the Stanley Cup.”
The 33-year-old from Sweden was a key contributor in the Lightning hoisting the Cup back to back in 2020 and ’21, including playoff MVP honors on the first of those championship runs. Hedman also took home the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s top defenseman in 2018 and finished in the top three in voting five other seasons.
Ryan McDonagh, who was reacquired early in the offseason in a trade with the Predators, and MVP finalist Nikita Kucherov will serve as alternate captains with the Lightning moving on to the post-Stamkos era.
VANCOUVER – The Vancouver Canucks announced Tuesday that defenceman Alex Edler will sign a one-day contract in order to officially retire as a member of the NHL team.
The signing will be part of a celebration of Edler’s career held Oct. 11 when the Canucks host the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Canucks selected Edler, from Ostersund, Sweden, in the third round (91st overall) of the 2004 NHL draft.
He played in 925 career games for the Canucks between the 2006-07 and 2020-21 seasons, ranking fourth in franchise history and first among defencemen.
The 38-year-old leads all Vancouver defencemen with 99 goals, 310 assists and 177 power-play points with the team.
Edler also appeared in 82 career post-season contests with Vancouver and was an integral part of the Canucks’ run to the 2011 Stanley Cup final, putting up 11 points (2-9-11) across 25 games.
“I am humbled and honoured to officially end my career and retire as a member of the Vancouver Canucks,” Edler said in a release. “I consider myself lucky to have started my career with such an outstanding organization, in this amazing city, with the best fans in the NHL. Finishing my NHL career where it all began is something very special for myself and my family.”
Edler played two seasons for Los Angeles in 2021-22 and 2022-23. He did not play in the NHL last season.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024.
